Not the news we were hoping for... Surgery...

[MJB]

I used to be more active on here but had a busy year this past year and didn't post much.

My daughter (she's 11) had an appointment today at Sick Kids Hospital and her curve has progressed to 55 degrees, she was 40 degrees only 7 months ago, so it is progressing way too quickly for their liking.

We were told today that they feel she needs to have surgery, she is currently going through a growth spurt, so they said they want to do it in 6 months.

My daughter is terrified about this news, I don't know how to handle it as I want to be positive and strong for her.

[hdugger]

I'm so sorry to hear that. It's so scary to watch your kid go through these things.

The good news is that kids seem to come out of these things fine. So, a short, scary period while you wait for the surgery, a brief period of feeling crappy after surgery, and then a long, happy, and uneventful life.

But, the brief scary and crappy periods are pretty overwhelming while they're happening.

[scoliboymom]

I found that the more my son learned about scoliosis the better it made it for him. Although he didn't ask many questions I know he was listening when I talked about it. Learning about the pros and cons of surgery verses no surgery may help. And let it slowly sink in over the next 6 months. Patrick's biggest fear was the blood taking before hand and the needles. I used to have to make special appointments for his in school vaccinations as he would come close to passing out (very embarrassing for a guy).
You are in good hands with doctor Zeller. He is a very skilled surgeon. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about our experience at Sick kids. The waiting at least 6 months is a good thing to help avoid the crankshafting as your daughter goes through her growth spurt.

[mamandcrm]

Hi MJB, I am sorry for your news about your daughter's progression--it must be so hard to hear and absorb. You will both keep moving forward and in the end it will all be OK. Surgery, while not what we desire for our children, has a great track record and she will come out of it, recover, and be done. I also have heard very good things about Dr. Zeller from acquaintances in Canada. Best wishes to you and your family as you negotiate these last several months.

[Elisa]

Hi Marlowe, I too am sorry that you and your daughter didn't get the news you were hoping for. I recently didn't get the news I was hoping for either regarding my son. I see you're from Canada too and on a positive note, at least you guys are apparently in close contact with an excellent surgeon and are able to deal with your daughter's curve while it isn't extreme.

Unfortunately my son wasn't even seen by a spine specialist until last Thursday (after waiting fifteen months) and that was down in the US and his curve reached 110* in a relatively short time and now he has to have several weeks of halo traction (a contraption bolted to his head with weights) to straighten out his spine before the surgeon will even attempt to correct his curve. He will also need two surgeries and we can plan to stay at least four or more weeks in the hospital. I only wish my son could have had surgery when his curve was half the size it is now, so that's a positive for you I think.

[MJB]

Thank you so much for the responses, I really appreciate it! Sorry for taking so long to respond!