14 yr old son surgery in june questions

[Gigi]

Hello. My 14 year old was diagnosed with a double thoracic curve two years ago, and it has progressed to where the dr says surgery is necessary (56/48). It is scheduled for the end of June.

I would like to hear from parents of sons who have been through this surgery. I would especially like to hear about athletic boys and how they have handled any restrictions. Sexism is not playing into this, it is just most of the info out there is related to girls, and 14 year old boys kind of want to know about other boys going thru what they are going thru.

Thank you so much. This board seems as if it is filled with caring folks willing to share their experiences and advice. Thanks again.

[Bill's mom]

Gigi,

My son is 16 and had surgery in Nov. I found his curve in June because he said his back hurt. When I looked I knew it was bad. He had an S curve and the curve was too far advanced for bracing. Looking at him then you really couldn't tell (although as Nov. approached, he began to stand more and more crooked).

The surgeon we saw in July said that we needed to schedule his surgery by the end of the year. We scheduled, but I still was hoping for a miracle and/or not totally convinced that we had to do it that quickly. However, the curve continued to worsen and over the summer we discovered that his lungs were being affected, so we knew that we needed go ahead and do it.

He is fused T3 to L3 and has two rods in there but he has quickly adjusted to his new more rigid back. Sometimes, I think he totally forgets and, of course, THAT makes me nervous since he still has some restrictions.

He never talked much about the surgery and still doesn't, but I would be very happy to answer any questions you have. Unfortunately, I can't really address your biggest concern since my son is very much the computer geek - not athletic -and any restrictions he has had have not bothered him very much. In general, the whole thing was more traumatic for us as his parents than for him.

This message board was a life saver, so feel free to post and ask away. You've come to a great place of support.

Susan

[roxie]

i may not be a boy but tell your son that i am going to surgery also at the end of june


Hello. My 14 year old was diagnosed with a double thoracic curve two years ago, and it has progressed to where the dr says surgery is necessary (56/48). It is scheduled for the end of June.

I would like to hear from parents of sons who have been through this surgery. I would especially like to hear about athletic boys and how they have handled any restrictions. Sexism is not playing into this, it is just most of the info out there is related to girls, and 14 year old boys kind of want to know about other boys going thru what they are going thru.

Thank you so much. This board seems as if it is filled with caring folks willing to share their experiences and advice. Thanks again.

[phaden]

That's tricky, of course, because there are so few boys with idiopathic scoli, it makes it hard to find many to get stories from.

There's one boy over on spinekids who just had his surgery in February. He lives in New Zealand like us. He didn't specifically mention being sporty, but his picture looks like your average Kiwi bloke, and they tend to be fairly sport-mad. He might have something useful to say. He goes by viper2525 over there.

To some extent you should be able to extrapolate from the experience of the girls who have had the operation. There are a lot of them, of course, and they tend to report some trouble getting back into their sports after the procedure -- fatigue, stiffness and difficulty adjusting to their body's new balance. All the adults keep telling them that they had major surgery a few months ago so OF COURSE they're stiff and sore and get tired easily, but patience is not one of the teenage virtues.

Of course these early returns are for comparatively non-jarring sports, like dance and swimming. There are some sports where you're not allowed to start playing again for a long period after surgery -- horseback riding and high contact sports like rugby, for example, are restricted for a full year, I have heard. If your boy plays American football (are you from the U.S.?) that would surely be restricted for a long time, possibly permanently.

In theory, I would expect that one could eventually do anything after spinal fusion that one's reduced flexibility would allow (which depends on the length of the fusion), barring truly extreme contact sports, but that kids need to be prepared for a long, slow, and almost certainly frustrating period of recuperation and rebuilding stamina and skill.

Patricia
Scoli Mum from New Zealand
Daughter Caitlin's surgery scheduled for 2nd May

[carolnj]

Hi there. My son is 16 and scheduled for surgery on June 22. He doesn't talk about it too much but I think he's as prepared as he can be. He isn't into sports but he is working with a personal trainer to work on getting more fit to be better prepared for surgery. He's 6'2" (by our measurement - 6' by the doctors) and weighs 220.

I keep asking our surgeon "are you sure he can be treated as a pediatric patient?" since he is the size of a full grown man. But, he is 16 and is still growing so he is considered a pediatric patient.

Where are you having the surgery and who is your surgeon?

[jc3]

hi susan (bills mom)
so you are still peeking around here LOL. I haven't seen you on here in a while and always think of how you guys are doing. I am assuming Bill is still doing good. Nicole is doing really good, no complaints so i'm happy about that. As a matter of fact she hasn't even complained about sitting in the desk at school in a while. Is Bill out of gym for the whole year?
Jennifer

[phaden]

He's 6'2" (by our measurement - 6' by the doctors) and weighs 220.

And my wee girl is 5'1" and weighs 85 pounds. Cracks me up to find that they're both paediatric patients. :rolleyes:

[Gigi]

Thanks for the responses; I am glad I found this site.

We live in Oregon and Dr. Keenan will do the surgery the end of June. We set that date so Griff will not miss the end of his eighth grade year. Yes, he is very sporty, and not being able to play (American) football again has been pretty devastating to him. He will be able to play basketball and run track, but not until next spring.

Even without being that into sports, I imagine the natural banging around boys do is something to be very cautious about. Did you find that with your son, Susan? And how does he deal iwth not talking about the surgery? Does he seem ok or how does he deal with questions or issues?

Patricia, good luck with your daughter's surgery. I like your Kiwi bloke phrase; I may have to start using that with my sons. What is spinekids?

Carol; that sounds like your son is dealing with it by having the personal trainer help him get what control he can over the situation. Smart idea, but I find it interesting these boys don't like to talk much about the surgery.

Roxie: I will tell Griff about you! I don't know if I can convince him to come onto a site like this or not.

Maybe that spinekids site?

Merci Merci

Gigi

[nikyergen]

Gigi,
I am from Oregon too. My daughter just had surgery at Shriner's in Portland on 3/15/05. Dr. Krajbich told her at her pre-op that she should be able to play basketball next November. Which was a relief for her since she will be a junior in high school. So, tell you son there is life after surgery. Or, at least that is what we call it at our house.

Where is your son having his surgery done?

Don't be fooled about girls. I have three of them, all with Scheuermann's Kyphosis/scoliosis. They can rough house pretty good, of course with dad's help. They are ranch raised and can keep up with the best of the boys. I tell the boys when they come courting not to make the girls mad, because they may find themselves hog tied in the barn. But, on the other hand, I can get them dressed in formals and they can be young ladies too.

Any way, keep us posted on your son. It isn't abnormal for him to not want to talk about surgery. Crystal didn't really talk about it until we went to her pre-op appointment. Then she finally opened up and asked lots of questions.

We are praying for you guys.

'til later,
Nikki

[phaden]

What is spinekids?



www.spinekids.com is a scoliosis site run by some medical people (based in the U.S. I believe). Their message board is very much oriented towards scoli kids, as opposed to this one, which has a higher proportion of adult scoli people. It's an extremely active site, populated by a bunch of truly wonderful teenagers who have scoli and know exactly what it's like to be in a brace or worrying about, preparing for, or recovering from surgery. They talk about that stuff, but they also talk a lot about ordinary teenage things (check out the thread about how Abbi should get her hair cut...hard to get more normal than that!). There are lots of parents active on the forum as well, and we often weigh in with advice and opinions and so forth, but it's really a place for the kids. If your son is interested, he'd be made extremely welcome there. There's not so many boys, of course, so they get a lot of attention.


Cheers.

[Gigi]

Hi Nikki and Patricia. You all must be online right now; this is very cool.

Thanks for the info on spinekids. I will see if I can get Griff to take a look!

Nikki; my youngest is a girl (sons 16 & 14 daughter 11) and I know girls are actually tougher in a lot of ways! But having teens, I am sure you know it makes Griff feel a bit better to know he isn't the only boy out there to deal with this.

I am glad your daughter had the surgery soon enough it doesn't interfere with basketball! Griff is going to have to miss his frosh season, but that isn't as bad as interfering with your junior year. My oldest will be a jr, too, adn it was hard enuf last summer when a surgery he had on his arm kept him from basketball and football camps.

What is your dr recommendation on how she ease back into activity?

We are doing surgery at Legacy Emmanuel in Portland-we live in Salem.

Where does she go to hs? I see you are in northeastern or-

thnx again

[nikyergen]

Gigi,
We live about 18 miles north of LaGrande. Our girls go to Imbler High School. It is a very small rural school, we are a 1A school. I used to go to North Salem High School, of course many years ago. However, I graduated from Cascade Senior High in Turner. My husband used to live in Canby. We still have lots of family and friends in the Willamette Valley.

Crystal is in a brace right now, just to support her fusion. So, her movement is pretty limited. She sees the doctor on April 20th and he will discuss what she is allowed to do then. Right now she can't lift anything over 10 pounds, which makes even opening a door a challenge. We'll know more on the 20th.

You son will have an advantage going into this surgery by being an athlete. Have him keep himself in the best condition possible until he goes for surgery. Crystal was in excellent condition going into her surgery. The doctors told us that was a big reason for her getting back on her feet so quick.

Can I suggest to you to buy one thing for your sons trip to the hospital. Buy him a body pillow. Crystal's came in so handy to use as a support for the length of her body when they would turn her one her side.

Keep us posted on your sons progress. You are in our prayers.

'til later,
Nikki

[Bill's mom]

Hi Jennifer,

Yes I lurk here often! I check in to see how everyone is doing and, on the rare occasion that I feel I can offer something, I post. I remember how awful those first few weeks were after Bill’s diagnosis and how much support I got from this board. I just want to be able to do the same for others if possible.

Glad to hear all is well at your house. Bill also is doing great. To answer your question, he is in marching band, so he doesn’t have to take PE. He won’t march again until August and I’m sure the only problem he’ll have then is the Texas heat!

Gigi,

I asked Bill this morning why he never talked about his back before surgery and he said that he didn’t think it was very interesting! I also think that he could actually forget that it was a problem. He never saw it and was used to how it felt. (He was very shocked when he saw his x-rays and photos of his back.) He seldom talks about it now, but will when asked, show his scar or answer questions, but truly to him, it was just one of life’s adventures – something he had to go through and in retrospect not that big of a deal. (Honest! To him. Of course to me it continues to be one of life’s biggest deals.)

I did worry about him going back to school and getting bumped especially because he didn’t want to leave his classes early and it’s a fairly large school (2000+) so the hallways are crowded and not everyone knows that he shouldn’t be bumped. But so far no problems. The return to normalcy has been much easier than I worried it would be.

He can now lift up to 20 pounds and wear a backpack. And he can contort himself when playing video games to very odd positions all the while keeping his back straight and not twisting. Kids are very resilient!

Just to help give you a feel for his recovery - although I know all kids are different:

He had surgery on a Wednesday and came home on Monday. By the time we got home from the hospital he was able to get out of bed, out of a chair, up and down steps, and shower all by himself. (Granted he did it all very slowly, and initially, with difficulty, but he was not the invalid I expected.) In less than a week at home, he was off of all pain meds including tylenol. Within one week, he was able to sit and do schoolwork for at least an hour a day. Within three weeks, he was able to sit for half a school day, but the district wouldn’t allow him to come half days without getting marked absent for the other half day, so we kept him home until after Christmas break and he returned full days. (He missed six weeks of school and missing school was the high point for him.) He did not donate his own bone for the fusion and I think that helped speed his recovery.

His next follow up is in May – six months post op. The surgeon said that most likely he will release him at that time.

So hang in there, continue to do what you're doing but try try try to NOT worry!

Susan

[jc3]

hi susan
it's good to hear how good bill is doing. Out of the three of us whose kids had surgery the same day, he from the beginning had an amazing recovery. I remember he was going to the movies and nicole was still not out of the house yet. He did great and i'm glad everything is still very good.
I definitely agree that these kids don't think it's the biggest deal to had gone through this because nicole never talked about it before the surgery either, but for different reasons other then it wasn't interesting, it was because she didn't want to have the surgery and i think was in denial about the whole thing and she doesn't talk about it now either and when she sees me on the message board she'll say "you still go on there, it's over mom", but to me it's still a big deal also.
Well glad to hear things are well and stay in touch
Jennifer

[Gigi]

Susan and Nikki: thanks so much for your letters. I am reading them to Griff, and he seems to be interested. His dad did comment tho that Griff is already very slow getting around the house and takes really long showers, so how will we know if it is his back or just him! :-)

Susan: thanks so much for asking your Bill (my husband's name is Bill) about his view of his experience. That means a lot. Since Griff is having his surgery during the summer, he doesn't "get" to miss school. He will be 2 months post surgery when school starts in September. But I never even thought about a backpack! When was your son allowed to carry his?

Nikki: the body pillow sounds great. Where can I get one? And in this very small world, we have a lot of friends who have kids who go to Cascade! My oldest, who is 16, played on a tournament basketball team when he was in middle school-the Cascade Cougars-with a number of kids from Cascade. When did you graduate?
Why did your dr recommend a brace after surgery?

And Patricia; hope all is well with you

Thanks again

Gigi

[nikyergen]

Gigi,
You can get a body pillow at Wal-Mart, Fred Meyer's, and possibly any department store that carries pillows. The come in different colors and patterns. My daughters is leopard print, because her room is decorated in leopard print.

I graduated from Cascade in 1979. I really enjoyed going my junior and senior years there. So, now I've dated myself. My husband and I were late starters in life with our family. I was 31 when I had my youngest child. I was 28 when I had Crystal, and had another one in between the youngest and oldest.

Crystal is wearing a brace, partly because she is a hard kid to slow down, and I think her doctor sensed that. The main reasons are it will keep her from rolling her shoulders forward because she has Scheuermann's Kyphosis, which is what her surgery was for, and to protect her fusion. From what I understand braces aren't all that common, but I'd rather have her slowed down and safe for a while. Crystal will be three weeks post-op next Tuesday and is going back to school this coming Monday.

I can only stress to you that his physical fitness is very important going into this surgery. There was a girl that had surgery done at the same time as Crystal and the mom had a hard time that her daughter wasn't doing as well as Crystal. Well, it was kind of like comparing a marshmallow to a rock. Crystal had the will to get up and going because she wants to be playing ball next season.

Keep us posted on how things are going.

I can't believe how small this world is. These things seem to happen more and more as I get older.

I will keep your family in my prayers as you go through this. It gets very stressful, because we are moms. But, the kids survive this, and believe it or not we do to. I wonder now why I got so stressed out before surgery. But, I know when the doctor schedules surgery on Crystal's feet, I will probably go through the same thing.

'til later,
Nikki

[Bill's mom]

Gigi,

Your husband's comments were funny. Griff will probably be out of the shower faster after surgery since he won't have the endurance!

As far as your question, Bill was given the OK to wear the backpack at his 3 months post op appointment, but again, it seems every doctor is different as well as every kid. Bill's school, as well as most schools, provides a set of textbooks in the classroom and he has a set at home so that he doesn't have to lug those back and forth. Additionally, his school is on block scheduling so he only has four classes a day. So, he just carried his binders in his arms until he could wear the backpack again (although it still makes me nervous that he is wearing one). Again, it was something that seemed like it would be a hassle and it really wasn't.

I agree with Nikki about staying in good physical shape to prepare for surgery. As I've mentioned, Bill's a band kid not an athlete, but those marching band kids are used to marching for hours while carrying an instrument. I know that helped him tremendously in his recovery.

One last thing - just wanted to mention that Bill had no trouble sleeping on his own regular bed after surgery. He didn't need any extra pillows or pads. Again, I think it was easier for him overall - despite the six hour surgery! - because he did not donate his own bone for fusion so he did not have a separate incision or site of healing.

Whew. My messages are always so long!

Talk to you later.

Susan

[Mary Lou]

Susan,

May I ask what instrument Bill plays and also, has he marched since his surgery. If he has marched, does he mention any problems? My daughter is almost 4 months post-op and all of her restrictions (except for bending) are still in place and will be in place until at least June when she goes back to the surgeon. She still has to leave class after everyone else; no lifting more than 5-10 pounds; no running, jumping, gym, no riding the bus, etc. She too is in marching and concert band, but is going to be starting high school marching band come fall, but as you know, practice starts in the summer. I guess my thoughts/concerns are her indurance level since she really can't do much right now. We do go for walks and she has had p.t., but it still isn't the same as all the marching.

Like Bill, Jamie had no trouble sleeping in her own bed after surgery. She also, didn't have bone removed from her hip or any ribs and her surgery was a long one as was her fusion. Her doctor did several osteotomies (sp?) and used that bone and artificial bone for her fusion. I truly believe that helped with her quick recovery.

Mary Lou

[Gigi]

I really appreciate all the info and the prayers are ESPECIALLY welcome. Hmmm. side benefit-we can get Griff out of the shower faster?

I know the HS marching band is pretty intense. Your Bill will have until August to get ready for that. I will like to know how that goes for him.

I hope school goes well for Crystal tomorrow. Let us know!

Griff likes the idea of the body pillow. He really has muscle stiffness now, especially in his neck. Did any of your kids have that, and if so, is it better now?

The dr will be using the bone bank for Griff's fusion as well. His position seems to be what you are seeing; avoiding another incision and pain site is much better for healing. I am glad to see it has helped your kids.

One thing that has happened with Griff is habit of internalizing has given him Irritable Bowel Syndrome. His pediatrician said it was stress induced. Do you have any relaxation/stress relieving tips?

Thanks again for being a sounding board.

Gigi

[nikyergen]

Gigi,
I am so glad that Crystal's doctor used the bone bank for her fusion. I think having only one incision makes a difference too.

If Griff really likes the body pillow, it may worthwhile to get him another one. He put his arm and leg over one and use the other one to support his back. There is also a horsehoe shaped pillow that might help with the neck tension. Crystal was always sore and stiff, until after her surgery. She told me today that it is nice to not be sore and stiff all the time. Crystal is anxious to see how she feels during basketball season. She plays a post position and is pretty intense when she plays. Not very many rebounds get by her, and when one does it is usually because she is sore and can't jump and reach.

Have you ever had Griff listen to white noise, babbling brook noise, etc? Sometimes those noises make a person relax. I know when I really need to relax, the first place I head is to the barn to get my horse and then to our creek. Something about watching the water and hearing it trickle by makes me relax. How far do you live from Mill Creek, I know it goes right through town? Crystal internalizes a lot too and has a mild case of the same problem, but we try to encourage her to do the things she enjoys. Our saving grace for this surgery was the doctor telling her at her appointment last October to go ahead and do her sports and be a normal kid until her surgery. I think they get to hurting so much, we get tired of hearing the complaint, especially when we have more than one child, that they keep their pain to themselves. I know that is what Crystal did.

After being in Portland for a week, I realized I miss living in the middle of nowhere and my creek.

My love and prayers to your guys.

'til later,
Nikki

[Bill's mom]

Mary Lou,

Bill plays French Horn in concert band and I never can remember the name of the horn that he plays in marching. What does Jamie play?

He has not marched since his surgery. He will go for walks now and then, but for the most part he is very sedentary. I'm sure that could be a problem in August, but August is ALWAYS a rude awakening for him! He is not very physically minded, so the heat and exercise of August (coupled with asthma) always make it challenging. I think we'll just push physical things this summer - swimming, walking - and he'll be good to go. Plus, his band directors have been so understanding through this whole ordeal that I think they'll work with him. If you get in touch with the band directors before practice starts this summer and explain about Jamie's surgery, I'm sure they'll keep an eye on her. I know it's tough because she doesn't want to be different - especially being a freshman - but sometimes you just have to be an exception.

Gigi,

When I discovered Bill's back, I took him to a chiropractor that I trust and have used for years. He did a little muscle manipulation and that helped ease the pain. I know chiropractors are not discussed favorably on this board (for the most part) but it really helped with his spasms. Perhaps it could help with Griff's pain. With all that hardware in there now, I'm not sure I'd be comfortable taking Bill back to the chiropractor, but before surgery it really helped ease his pain.

So sorry to hear about his IBS. Poor kid. Hope you can find something that helps. All my kids struggle with anxiety, so I can relate. Never have found anything that helps 100% although I think prayer has been the most helpful to Bill. (His prayers and other people's for him. So we'll add y'all to our list!)

Susan

[Alison]

Is Tenor Horn the name your looking for??

Alison

[Mary Lou]

Susan,

Thankfully Jamie plays the flute (her sister plays the drum) so it isn't going to be an issue of the weight of her instrument. The marching and keeping her arms up for that length of time is what I am curious about. Band practice starts the beginning of July and Jamie will be seven months post-op at that point. As I said, her restrictions are in place until at least June, so even if her restrictions are lifted then, it will only be a few short weeks that we'll have to build up her strength and endurance. I will talk to the band director beforehand and I'm sure he will keep an eye on her for me.

Thanks for you input. We'll have to compare notes over the summer.

Mary Lou

[Bill's mom]

Thanks Alison, but nope that's not it. It's called a mellophone. (I had to ask my husband!)

Susan

[Bill's mom]

Mary Lou,

Bill's sister plays the flute. It's nice to have one instrument in the family that you can easily carry around - but you are right about the arm position. I'll be interested in how that goes for Jamie.

I can't believe your hs band starts in July. That sure cuts into summer vacation. Our hs band does a week of intro for incoming freshmen in May. Assuming we get the OK from his doctor, I may "encourage" him to do that and see how it goes. And we will definitely need to keep in touch.

Susan

[Mary Lou]

Susan,
I had to laugh when you had to ask your husband about the name of the horn. My youngest laughs at me because she plays the snare drum, but is now of course learning all of percussion and I can't keep track of all of the instruments she now plays. Oh,well. As for h.s. practice it starts July 11 and isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. It is only for Tuesday evenings through July and increases from there. But still, practice is three hours long which is a lot when our kids haven't done much of anything physical for, in Jamie's case, it will be at least six months.

Mary Lou

[susannajon]

Hi Gigi,

My daughter had surgery 3 weeks ago. Before surgery, she had a lot of trouble with muscle spasms and tightness in her upper back and neck. She also internalizes her stress, so I know where you're coming from. Post-op, the whole thing's still too new to know what her pain and stiffness levels will be. She has a lot of pain still around her incision and ribs (she had anterior surgery, and had a chest tube in her side and a couple ribs removed for the fusion). She doesn't complain of pain in her neck and shoulders anymore, but it could be that the pain in her side is more intense and blocking out other aches and pains she might be having otherwise.

I don't know if you'll have any luck getting your big macho boy to try this, but yoga is an incredible stress reliever, and there are several postures that are great at releasing the upper back and neck, and also using yoga relaxation techniques for overall stress reduction. There's probably a class at the local YMCA, or get a tape from the library. Also, the local Y probably has a masseuse, and a couple of sessions might be just the ticket to loosen those muscles.

After surgery, since all the muscles get shifted again, I have seen many kids on these boards that have pain in their neck and shoulders. Post-op, hopefully he'll get some PT to work through those issues.

[nikyergen]

Gigi,
You may also want to try a massage therapist for Griff. They can do amazing things. We used to take Crystal to the Chiropractor, just to get her through basketball season, then when we finally knew what the problem was, we only took her occassionally because he was trying to tell us that she had lazy posture. Wrong. But, either one might work. I would maybe try the massage therapist, personally, because they will work on the muscles that are spasming. Anyhow, just an idea.

'til later,
Nikki

[Gigi]

First off; prayers are always welcome; my prayers are with you all as you either anticipate surgery ro are dealing with the kids' recoveries.

Next; I played the French Horn all the way through college. What a great instrument. Griff is playing it this year, but probably be giving it up next year in high school. Sigh. Anyway, after my first year carrying the horn in marching band, I gave it up for flag/dance team. If only they had mellophones. Or I had taken up flute! But I can see the constant holding the instrument up could be painful. Does the dr have any suggestions to work the upper body? I am curious. What about swimming (your creek, Nikki!)

Susanna; the yoga is a good idea. I had never thought about it. How is your daughter doing as far as getting around?

Susan; we have a friend who is a sports massage therapist, and I did just ask him about Griff. I feel bad; I should have thought about this a long time ago. He is so still he doesn't like to bend over to pick things up off of the ground.

Mary Lou: Did your dr have any other ideas for exercise?

Nikki: i will look into the tapes. Ahem. CDs. Dating myself! He got a little stereo for his room and I will see what he thinks. How was Crystal's first day back at school?

This board is wonderful and I see you all as real blessings.

Gigi

[nikyergen]

Gigi,
Swimming is excellent for the upper body. Crystal will probably start out swimming once the doctor releases her. However, not in our creek. The cows like to visit there for a little drink of water once in a while. It's not the drinking that isn't healthy. Its they don't think about where they poop. We also have 4 ponds have the same problem with them. I will have to take Crystal into the pool in town a couple of times a week. It will help build her lung capacity up again and build up her stanima without stressing her fusion. Isn't funny how you talk about things after surgery, fusion, grafts, rods, pins, screws, hooks. It is unbelievable. It sounds like the Million Dollar Man, oops dated myself.

I am so glad to know I am not the only one from the cassett tape era. How many of you remember 8 track tapes. Now I feel really dated. As we still have some very old ones that you can't get cassetts or cds to replace them.

Crystal had a great day at school. She made it through 5 out of 7 classes today. I thought that was pretty good. She wasn't sore when she got home, but she was tired and just layed on the couch to rest the remainder of the afternoon.

How's Griff doing? I see you talked to a massage therapist. Did he get an appointment to go in for a massage. You know the only problem is he may get so relaxed you'll never get him off the table to go home. He might be like jelly when they are done with him. But, this would be good.

Praying, praying, praying for everyone.

'til later,
Nikki

[susannajon]

Hi Gigi,

First, don't beat yourself up! You are wonderful mom, as diplayed by the time you are spending on this board researching trying to help your son. He is increibly lucky to have you!

I would start with your massage therapist friend first, and try and get your son to give yoga a whirl. Here's a link to a yoga relaxation exercize:

http://openmindbody.com/guidedrelaxationscript.htm

As far as my daughter's recovery, we are doing pretty well. It has been a rough road, but every day gets a little better. She goes for her follow up visit to her surgeon on Thursday, and he'll decide if she's ready to go back to school the week of the 18th, maybe for half days. We'll see, as she's definitely not ready right now.

She's sleeping about 15 hours a day, sitting in the recliner 6-7 hours or so, but not able to be sitting up or walking around more than an 1-2 hours a day, but she is going 4-5 hours between doses of pain meds which is a big improvement. The last couple of days she is more alert and her humor seems to be coming back. She still needs help in the shower, and gets dizzy when she stands up too quickly, but she's getting better with each passing day. Today, for the first time she went in the kitchen and made herself a snack, and stepped outside for about a half hour to hang out in the back yard with her friends.

Her back is so straight and beautiful, I can't believe the difference. I just hope she has less pain than before the surgery once all is said and done!

Susanna

[Mary Lou]

Okay, I guess I'll let all of you in on a little secret--I still have a stereo with an 8 track player in it! lol

As for exercises, swimming and physical therapy and walking are the only things Jamie is allowed to do right now and p.t. just ended. In therapy, they had her in the pool for about 40 minutes and then upstairs for the regular therapy for about an hour. In the pool, she did mostly work on her legs, but she did do two upper body exercises with floats in her hands for added resistance--1) she would spread her arms out the whole way towards either side and pull them back in until her hands touched and then back out again-30 times; 2) she would then hold her arms out straight in front of her and pull them back until her hands touched her chest-30 times. Upstairs, she did I think three different things using a stretchy type strap attached to the wall to do upper body things. 1) she would hold the handles of the strap and pull downwards with her hands towards her hips; 2) same thing except pulling towards her chest and 3) same as in the pool-stretch arms out as far as possible and back in until her hands touched in the front. She also did "crunches" while lying on the table. We laughed the first time they told her to do crunches, because that is one of the things we figured out before surgery that she wouldn't ever be able to do properly. Actually,all they really want her to do is tighten her stomach muscles, because with her long fusion, that's all she can do, really. We are expecting a home program later this week, so I'll have to let you know what's in that program.

Mary Lou

[Gigi]

Hello:

Mary Lou: The swimming is also good to know about. We have a summer membership at a local pool, but we may need to look into something for the fall. I know runners who have injuries do water running because it is no impact, so I bet the swimming and the exercises would be very helpful. Let me know how that goes.

Nikki: I didn't think about the creek possibly being a "toilette" for the cows! I once got giardia from just rinsing out my mouth when on a hike at Mt Hood. I told the dr my dog drank a lot of water and didn't get sick; he looked at me and said "dogs eat poop". Pretty funny. How is Crystal's week at school going? And is your daughter with the brace doing ok? Does seeing her sister go thru surgery make her better about her brace, or was she good with it from the beginning?

Susanna; you are very sweet. Thank you for the mom vote of confidence. It sounds like your daughter is slowly getting better; if she can fix her own snack, that is a good sign! The yoga site seems interesting. And I guess I didn't think about the kids backs straightening out so soon. That is a good thing.

Thanks again!!!

Gigi

[nikyergen]

Gigi,
Hmm. My daughter with the brace. Now that could be a long story. She's better about it since Crystal's surgery, simply because she has both Crystal and I ragging on her about wearing the brace. She wears it everyday, but somedays she doesn't put in all her hours in the silly thing. She has hated this brace from day one. If she ever gets out of it I may have it bronzed like a baby shoe. She has an appointment at Shriners on the 20th of April. So, we will know more then. I am hoping the measure some improvement, but I am afraid she had a major growing spurt during the last 30 days. Her brace seems a lot shorter now. I had it checked while we were at Shriners for Crystals surgery, but that was three and a half weeks ago. I don't know if a kid can grow that fast or not. I just really noticed it looked a little short this past week.

Crystal had a great day at school on Monday, but it absolutely wore her out. She slept most of the day yesterday. When Craig and I had to go doctor on baby calves that had scoures last night, she wanted to go along to see the calves. She hadn't been to the ranch for over three weeks. Beings we had to rope calves from the back of a pickup while trying not to run over other calves or hit cows that wouldn't get out of the way, it got a little western once in a while. For Crystal's sake, I am glad my pickup has good shocks. I was going to have her sit in her dads pickup so she didn't get jarred around. She finally admitted this afternoon, after being an absolute grouch today and taking very little pain medication, that she was pretty sore. I asked why she didn't take any pain medication. She told me she is very concerned about becoming reliable on the silly things. I told her I keep a good eye on that stuff, so if I thought she was taking to much I would cut her off from them. She finally agreed to take a codience about 8pm and then took a morphine at about 10pm. Hopefully, she will get some much needed rest. She was pretty upset that she let herself get so sore. I told her next time to let me know and we would start with the mildest, regular tylenol, and work up until she felt better.

Well, Crystal is up because she can't sleep. So, am going to coddle her for a little while. Don't do that to her very often. I kind of think she needs it tongiht.

'til later,
Nikki

[Mary Lou]

Susanna,

Good luck with the follow-up appt. today. Let us know how things go.

Gigi,

The pool worked very well for Jamie. When she started p.t. she was about two months post-op. Up until that point, she wasn't allowed to do anything--not even bend--so I couldn't imagine starting regular p.t. without using the pool first. We chose the facility we did because they have the pool. I was glad they continued the pool therapy even once they started the regular therapy. One of the best parts of the pool therapy was the use of the jets afterwards to massage her back. Some people say their kids really have a hard time with people touching their backs even months after surgery. Jamie doesn't have that problem at all. She hasn't actually done any swimming at this point, but I am trying to convince her to join an indoor pool to get some exercise between now and when we open her grandma's pool in the summer.

Mary Lou

[Gigi]

Hi folks. I think I may actually have time this aft to go look for the body pillow. It has been one of those weeks, and even the evenings...I am sure you all know how that is.

Nikki: I was wondering about the pain meds after as well. Griff is reluctant to even take a tylenol, so I can see him pushing himself like Crystal, but on the other hand, my side of the family has some "addictive personality" issues, so I am concerned, too. I think, after the worst of the pain is over, to start with an OTC to see if that is enough is really smart. And you said your calves have "scoures"; what is that? And, on another note, when is the prom?

Mary Lou: how does the PT thing work? Does your dr suggest certain exercises or refer you to a PT? I know they helped my older son when he had a bad ankle, so I think it could be beneficial. And maybe if you let Jamie get a new bathing suit (they are already out in the stores!!) she will want to go swimming!

Susanna: how did the appointment go? And do you do yoga classes?

Better run; take care and prayers to all

Gigi

[Mary Lou]

Gigi,

When Jamie went for her two months checkup, the doctor had her bend from the waist and immediately said she needs some p.t. to work on flexibility. She has very tight hamstrings which keeps her from bending as much as she should. The doctor handed me a prescription for p.t. before we left the office. I chose where to take her for p.t. and it wasn't at the hospital where the surgery was performed. There was two main reasons for going where we did: 1)the pool and 2) the facility is located two blocks from school as opposed to 20 minutes away to the hospital. In the beginning, I took her to p.t. during gym class. The first appt. was an evaluation to see what needed to be worked on, but they were in touch with the doctor as well.

A new bathing suit. Hmmmm....that's an issue right now. We've been shopping for over a month and can't find one that suits her. She wants a bikini, but they are cut way too low to suit her (of course I'm not complaining) and she has now set her mind on one with a bikini bottom but more of a tank top on top, but we can't find what she wants. She loves to swim, but I think she might be a little nervous. I know once she gets in the water, she'll be fine.

Mary Lou

[nikyergen]

Gigi,
I understand the addictive personality. I have it on both sides of my family. A whole line of drug & alcohol abuse. I monitor Crystal's prescription pain meds very close because of that. I try to let Crystal make the calls on her pain meds. She knows about the addictive personality issue in my family, so she is very alert to it. I try to get her to use regular tylenol if the pain isn't too bad. However, there are times we do a little to much and she really needs a pres.pain med. So, you just have to really watch it. Try to explain to Griff that it is okay to use them as long as they aren't abused and you will be sure to watch that they aren't. Crystal's last prescription of 30 pills lasted two and a half weeks. She had some tough days in there and she had some great days. She usually only uses her pres.pain meds at night anymore. She tries to use OTC's the rest of the time.

What are calf scoures? Every ranch wife's nightmare. It is an extreme case of the squirts. It is generally problem this time of year. The grass is starting to grow and get lush, the rich milk from the mother cows, and too much rain are the causes of it. We have actually been lucky. We haven't lost any calves and only had to treat three of them so far. But, we really keep a close eye on them. A calf can dehydrate and die within 24 hours of onset. The other part of it is that when you are done treating them you have to come in, shower and immediately wash all the clothing you had on while treating them. It can be transmitted to humans. So we are so very cautious with it. Luckily our utility room has a shower in it. So, its in the door, strip off the clothes, and get everything washed and scrubbed down.

Crystal's prom is next Saturday. She is so nervous. Her dress is beautiful, her back is straight (that's the best part), her date is a handsome senior, so how much better could it get.

Well, got lots to do to. Have to go get groceries, ugh.

Prayers to all.

'til later,
Nikki

[Gigi]

I found the body pillows at Fred Meyer (hope you have a good store to go grocery shopping at, Nikki-I do big shopping at Winco) and there were cordoruy ones and plain cotton ones. There are also those arm rest type pillows. Any specific recommendations?

Also, I have read some of your posts on other threads; and this made me wonder; do you have a suggested presugery checklist? Now that you have been through this, a list of questions you recommend we ask? Things like pain meds and how it is managed and how long will the catheter be in and how much weight can he pick up and when and should he have physical therapy and will he have pt....you see how it seems so scattered?

So, instead of reinventing the wheel (or going quietly crazy), I thought I would check with you all first.

And how are all your kids doing?

Gigi

[nikyergen]

Gigi,
As far as arm pillows go, we didn't buy any. Crystal has so many pillows on her bed on a normal day, I don't know where we would of put her. However, there are moms here that have bought them for their kids. I do recommend a neck pillow, it is one of those u shaped pillows.

As far as questions, there are lots of them. Let me do a little writing down and then I'll post some for you. I am sure others will post questions for you too.

As far as what you take to the hospital. You will take way more than you need. Crystal packed everything but the bathroom sink, and that is because I wouldn't let her take it. She's a 16 year old girl and you know how that goes. Any how, I brought home more dirty clothes than she did. You will most definitely want to take elastic waisted pants, like sweats or warm ups, loose fitting shirts, underwear, socks, non-skid slippers, robe, a few magazines, cd player, cds (Crystal used hers alot), batteries for CD player, tooth brush, toothpaste, comb, mouthwash, and anything else boys need for their daily rituals. For yourself, everything like you were taking a trip away from home.

As I think of more, I'll post for you.

Love and prayers.
'til later,
Nikki

[Mary Lou]

Gigi,

It's okay that your thoughts are scattered. You sound just like the rest of us right before surgery. That tells me you are trying to be as prepared as possible, which is great. I had my family prepared for the worst, as far as the amount of pain to expect, the length of the hospital stay, etc. and we ended up with the best. It is better to be over prepared, if that's possible, than totally unprepared.

I think the most important questions to ask right now are 1) how long does the doctor expect the surgery to last? 2) can you stay overnight with your child in the hospital and if he goes to ICU, is there a lounge close by for you to spend the night if you're not allowed to stay in the ICU? 3) about how long will you be in the hospital and things like that. I wanted to know ahead of time where the bone for the fusion was coming from, because I knew he wasn't removing removing any ribs or taking the bone from her hip.

As for the amount of time needed for the catheter, it depends on the doctor. Most kids get rid of it in a few days, but they don't like to take it out too soon, because sometimes they need to reinsert it and they don't like to do that. Your son should be very careful in the beginning to obey his weight lifting restrictions. My daughter is four months post-op and still only allowed to lift no more than 5-10 pounds and that has been from the day of surgery. In other words, nothing heavier than a gallon of milk or less. As for the need for p.t. you can ask those kind of things at your first follow-up appt. after surgery. Start of list of questions for that appt. now whenever you think of them. My best advice for your hosptial stay would be to 1) keep track of the pain meds and 2) don't be afraid of speaking up for your child even if it means hurting someone's feelings or getting someone in trouble. Good luck.

Mary Lou

[Gigi]

Thanks for the info and suggestions so far. I have started a list and I keep see-sawing between semi-panic about the surgery itself and the immediate recovery, and the long term impact. First I worry about the pain issue. Then it is the cost (I saw on another post...$27,000 for the rods?!?!?! We are not going Shriners, although it seems like an absolutely wonderful option) then it is Griff's activities and what he will be able to do and not. What about playing paintball? I think eliminating that is a good thing; he has only done it a couple of times, and it does not thrill me! But what about roller coaster rides-would the whipping around be bad? Any sggestions are oh so welcome.

I hope all your kids are doing well in recoveries, as well as prep for surgery. Nikki; I would love to hear about Crystal's prom! And Mary Lou, thanks so much. 4 months post op i know she has weight restrictions; what other restrictions?

many prayers and thank yous

Gigi

[nikyergen]

Gigi,
The thing I heard you worrying about was an unexpected cost. Be sure to check with your insurance, get estimates and find out what they are going to pay and not going to pay. Then it won't be so much of a shock to you. We have incredible insurance, but because some of the stuff that is done, they consider some experimental and won't pay for the full amount they are supposed to pay. Rather than be surprised, we went to Shriners. I am very sure your son will get excellent care.

Let him keep being himself. I kind of agree on the paintball things. My nephew got me in the leg, I had shorts on, with one. They hurt. Whine, whine, whine.

I will let you know about Crystal's prom on Saturday. She looks absolutely stunning in her dress. It's fuchia (sp) with austrailian crystal's and she's a blonde. She didn't get the blonde hair from her dad or I. The best part is how beautiful her back looks now. She also has an appointment on Wednesday with her surgeon. Will let you know what he does on her restrictions. I know she is ready to do something more than just hang around. She'd like to be back out in the barn.

I don't know about roller coaster rides, but I know that bungee jumping is out of the question. I have heard that some carnival rides are a no no. But, I don't have to worry about that with Crystal. The Merry-Go-Round makes her sick.

My best suggestion is this. Fix your favorite beverage, get a good book, go into the bathroom and lock the door, don't let anyone in, not even hubby. Fill up the tub with hot water and your favorite bubble bath and take a good long soak and enjoy your favorite beverage and good book. It doesn't make it go away, but it helps relax you and helps you to focus for a short (and I mean short) time.

Love and prayers to you guys.

'til later,
Nikki

[susannajon]

Hi everyone,

Sorry it's been a while. I had to go away on a business trip, and I was too swamped to visit the board.

Just a little update on my daughter. She went back to her surgeon last week for a check up. She was just about 4 weeks post-op. He said minimum 2 more weeks out of school, and he wants her to start PT 3 times a week for the next 6 weeks. I am researching PT's and will start her doing that shortly. She is going 5 hours between pain pills now, which is good. We are hoping to have her at every 6 hours by the end of the week. It is always tough for a couple of days when we scale back the dosage.

Gigi,

Don't be too worried about the expense. Ask your doctor to precertify the surgery, including the instrumentation if you have any worries there. That's what my doctor did, and the insurance company pre-approved the titanium instrumentation. Phew! One less thing to keep me awake at night!

Hugs to you all. Got to do my taxes!

[Mary Lou]

Gigi,

Jamie is still very restricted, but please know that Jamie's case is a little different than most kids. Not only did Jamie have both Kyphosis and Scoliosis corrected, she has a very long fusion and the main reason for her restrictions is that they weren't able to use screws in Jamie's back. They had to use a lot of hooks, wire and clamps, so I guess her back is a little less secure, for a lack of a better word, than most. Her restrictions are no lifting more than 5-10 pounds (set of books at home and a book in each classroom); she isn't allowed to ride the bus; she must leave class after everyone else; no gym; no running, jumping, riding bike, no amusement park and all of this has been since the day of surgery. She is allowed to bend, but wasn't allowed to do that for the first two months.

Susanna,

I'm glad to hear your daughter is doing so well. Tell her to keep up the good work. As for researching p.t. don't take too long before starting p.t. We found got Jamie's prescription and didn't actually start therapy for about a week and a half. We found out that the prescription was good for six weeks from the day it was written, not from the date we started therapy, so therefore, we missed out on a week and a half of therapy.

Mary Lou

[Tiny]

Mary lou,
Could you tell me why they weren't able to use screws in Jamie's back? Was this something they knew ahead of time, or found this out once in surgery?
Thanks.
Linda

[Mary Lou]

Linda,

The reason they weren't able to use screws in Jamie's back is that her pedicles were too small. Jamie is a small, petite 13 1/2 y.o. She is only about 4'10" and only weighs about 85#. Her doctor ordered both an MRI and a CAT scan before surgery to measure the size of her pedicles. Jamie's pedicles were too narrow to place screws in them. Pedicles are bones, I think, that they usually place screws into and then attach everything else to that. Does that make sense? Anyway, I've heard people who have screws are doing a lot more at three or four months post-op than Jamie is allowed to do. I think the screws really add a lot of stability to the rods and everything. Jamie's size seemed to cause other problems too. They really had a hard time starting I.V.'s and other lines they needed for her surgery. Her poor wrists looked horrible. She was black and blue and she counted like 15 holes in one wrist and about 8 in the other where they tried to start line. Thankfully she was asleep during all of this.

Mary Lou

[Tiny]

Mary Lou
Bless her heart! But, yes, it all makes sense. I was wondering because it had crossed my mind to whether they would find something other than expected once they got into surgery with Tara. (You know, a mom will find things to worry about). She's had several broken bones on falls in soccer. But her Dr. was so optimistic about the possibility of her returning to soccer within 4 months and it was because of the screws. However, I'm not sure I would even want her to take that risk. Tara is very small boned as well. It is not until college when they started working her so much on weights that she started to put muscle on those bones. She just had her CT two weeks ago, so we'll wait and see what he has to say. Thanks.
Linda

[Alison]

Sorry just a typing out loud moment (as you do :-)

Just my worry, it always good to be optimistic, but at 4 months, a fusion isn't fully solid yet (hasn't completley fused) and is still very new. If the Soccer teams Down Under are any thing like one's in America, I'd be freaked out going back that early. I know Soccer's meant to be a non-contact sport. But it's all the accidental knocks and bumps that you get and that it's quite a spirited game where you get fully into it, its more what other people might do to you, then what you do yourself. I know the screws and stuff are pretty good, I'm just not sure whether they (the rods and stuff) could stand up to all the knocks before you're fully fused

I've come to realise that Docs in the US have very different views to Aussie Docs, especially when it comes what restrictions are in place how long and when after surgery. Our are more suggestive to some sport after six months and more contacty sports after a year once everything's fully fused. I know my Doc would have had Kittens if I had suggested Soccer as a possibility four months after surgery. :-)

Ok end of writing out loud

Alison

[susannajon]

Hi Linda,

My little one was 5' tall and about 105 lbs. at the time of surgery, so she's bigger than Mary Lou's little peanut, but she's still pretty tiny. Our doc actually helped develop a brand of instrumentation with Johnson & Johnson. The system is called the Monarch 5.5 Ti Spine System, and it is specifically designed for people of small stature. All the componenets are made from Titanium, so we laugh that she's got a $25,000 spine.

Our doc said no sports for 6 months, and nothing where she had a high likelihood of falling or taking a hard hit for a year. My daughter is planning on being the assistant coach of her softball team when she goes back to school. That was her wonderful coach's idea so she won't feel left out. She is very good at supporting and encouraging people, so I think that will work out great.

Susanna

[Tiny]

You know, when the Dr. first talked about the possibility of returning to soccer, Tara and I were both excited. When I started reading here what the kids were doing 3-4 months post op, I knew there was no way she would be even ready for practice in 4 months, much less game ready. You right Alison, it is a rough game, and I just don't want her out there knowing that fusion isn't complete for possibly a year. I've talked to her a lot about this and her body has taken so much abuse over the last couple of years, that although her goal is to get back out there, I really think she would be ok to let it go. I think it will be easier to ease into letting it go, rather than saying she's done, so the coach is holding her scholarship and maybe she'll end up being a sideline assistant this fall as well Susanna. That's a great idea of your daughter's coach. Thanks for your thoughts you guys.
Linda

[Mary Lou]

Linda,

I'm glad that what I told you about Jamie made sense and didn't just give you more to worry about. Our doctor was very prepared before surgery and didn't find any surprises once he got in there.

I am so happy that you and Tara are talking about holding off on soccer for more than 3 or 4 months. Jamie is 4 1/2 months post-op now, and even if she had screws in her back, I don't think I'd want her playing soccer yet. Soccer, like all other sports, is very competitive and gets very rough sometimes.

Keep us posted on how things are going.

Mary Lou

[Gigi]

Nikki: I did the bath thing tonight (no beverage, tho-work tomorrow!) and i feel better. Except I went through the new Nike women's catalogue and just mentally spent about $1000....It is amazing what stress can do to one physically, from headaches to tummy aches...Griff got sick after a track meet last Thursday, so I let him stay home on Friday. Our poor kids. How is school going for Crystal?

Mary Lou-your little one is indeed a little one! My almost 12 year old is 4'9" and about 80 some pounds and she is tired of being "short" I try to tell her she is petite, but she doesnt buy that one, either. Did the rods give her any more height? And what is Kyphosis?

Susanna: i hope you got a refund, or at least didn't have to pay! Thanks for the advice on precertifying. How is the PT hunt going?

Everyone's sports advice is great. I mentioned to Griff about hanging out on the bench, maybe being a ball boy for the varsity, and he said no right away. But I think hanging with the team is a good idea, so we will see. his older brother plays as well, so we will see if he can help. I also mentioned maybe coaching a 6th grade basketball team, and that one seemed to fly a bit better.

I have my steno pad, writing down questions for the dr.

By the way, did any of you deal with taking time off from work and Family Medical Leave issues?

Prayers to all (and a wish for a nice bubble bath like I just had!)

Gigi

[susannajon]

Hi Gigi,

My surgeon pre-certified the procedure, including the hardware, through the insurance company to make sure we wouldn't have any problems with reimbursement. The insurance company paid 100% thank goodness!

My little one gained three inches from surgery, and she's now 5'3" tall. She is so thrilled. She's still petite, but she's the tallest woman in our family... LOL. What a thrill for her, a giant among Hobbits!

I am lucky in that I had tons of sick time saved up and my work has been wonderful. They assigned a couple of people to help cover my accounts while I'm home, and I'm working a few hours on the computer every day to keep things going. I am also traveling when needed, a few days here and there, and my family and husband are covering when I have to go.

Susanna

[Mary Lou]

Gigi,

Yes, my daughter is a little one, but then again so is my 12 y.o. daughter who is about 4' 11" and weighs 72#. I keep telling them they don't have much chance of being tall when I am only 5' 1" and their dad is only 5' 6".

I'm sorry to say that Jamie did not get any height from her surgery. I think if they would have done her surgery differently, she would have grown several inches, but at least the doctor told us before surgery not to expect any height changes. Although it is hard for her now, I would gladly sacrifice height if it meant that the best procedure for her was done.

Kyphosis is a front-to-back curve. Some kids have just Scoliosis, some just Kyphosis and some, like Jamie have both.

Don't be too surprised if Griff doesn't want anything to do with basketball if he can't play. Jamie is having a hard time right now with her restrictions and has chosen to just not participate in certain activities instead of just watching her friends. I'm glad to hear that you left Griff take the day off on Friday. I figure these kids just need a day off once in awhile when going through surgery. I plan on keeping Jamie home for a day in May and probably taking her to a local Civil War museum. She missed the field trip to the Civil War museum because of surgery and the eighth graders who were on the honor roll all year get to go to our local amusement park for the day. I can't see sending her to school, and make her feel bad about not going to the park when all of her friends will be going.

Mary Lou

[susannajon]

Mary Lou,

My poor daughter is missing her class field trip to Philly in two weeks. There's just no way I'm putting her on a two hour bus ride, and then walking all day, and sleeping in a hotel on a strange hard mattress. She cried a few tears when I told her she wasn't going, but she was realistic about it too. She knows that she isn't ready for that yet.

Susanna

[Mary Lou]

Susanna,

So where are you and your daughter going on the day of the Philly trip? I think you guys need to at least go out for lunch and maybe do a little shopping. I won't be the same as going to Philly, but it might help a little bit.

I agree with you and there is no way I would send her on that trip so soon. What if she would have pain? What if she got tired out and needed a break? I know we take our kids to Philly in fifth grade and we cram a lot into one day!

Jamie has had to miss out on so much this year because of her surgery. Don't you just feel terrible for them and wish you could make it all go away?

Hang in there.

Mary Lou

[susannajon]

It's a three day trip, so poor kid's going to be in school getting caught up on work.... I will plan something special with her. I am trying to focus on the positive, the fact that she's gotten such a great correction, and is 3 inches taller.

Susanna

[nikyergen]

Gigi,
I am glad you did the bath thing. It does really help. Just to have piece and quiet and make everyone just leave you alone for a while. I do the same thing with the Rod's Western Wear Catalog. I show western pleasure horses, and am always looking for clothes or a new piece of tack that I like.

I have been fortunate with Crystal's surgery. I do transcription for our historial society here at home. So, my husband runs my tapes back and forth for me and I am able to stay home and take care of Crystal.

Crystal had her first post-op appointment yesterday. She is healing wonderfully. Doctor didn't release and restrictions yet. She goes back the middle of June for her next appointment. Crystal gained 2 1/4 inches from her kyphosis surgery. She went from 5'5" to 5'7 1/4". She's thrilled.

When is Griff's surgery? He's having it done at Emanuel in Portland isn't he?

Lots of love and prayers.

'til later,
Nikki

[Gigi]

Hello! Too much testosterone in here right now...Griff and his brother Ben and one of Ben's friends... My husband took our daughter over to Sisters to visit Grandma and Grandpa so the only other female around is the dog!

Mary Lou; thanks for the info on kyphosis. I am sorry she is missed the field trip; Griff is in eighth grade, too. Taking her yourself will still be special. What museum? Do you live on the east coast or the south?

Susanna: I like Mary Lou's idea. I will have to try to do that with Griff when he misses out on some things. 3 inches is a lot; how bad was her curvature?


Nikki: how was Crystal's prom? Did you get lots of pictures? She sounds so pretty and I bet she looked beautiful. And yes, I bet, as a basketball player, she is thrilled about the height! Yes, Griff is having his surgery at Emanuel. It is scheduled for June 28. We have a preop on June 1. It seemed a far way away until I realized it is 8 weeks. When you are a kid, that is forever, but for us...

And to all as far as sports: the dr told us Griff could not play football ever again. He said that anything that was a real collision sport was out. Basketball is out for this next year, but after a year, he can play that again. I didn't ask about soccer or lacrosse. The hard hits are the concern. What have you been told?

Take care

Gigi

[Mary Lou]

Gigi,

We live on the East Coast. The Civil War museum is located in Harrisburg, PA which is only about 20 minutes away, so I'm sure we will have to have lunch, go to the museum, etc. If she had to miss any of her field trips, I'm glad it was some of the smaller ones instead of Washington, D. C. this week. I feel bad for Susanna's daughter,though 'cause she has to miss her trip to Philly. I do find my mind more at ease with her going since I was picked to chaperone the trip. I think I would have been a litle nervous if I had to stay home.

Mary Lou

[susannajon]

Hi Gigi, My daughter had a double major curve, 70 degrees and 40 degrees. She only had 5 vertabrae fused, T11 to L3. Some kids with long fusions don't gain any height because losing the disc space counteracts any height they might have gained from being straightened out. We were thrilled that our daughter gained as much as she did. We were not expecting that, as the doctor had predicted an inch or so.

Suanna