Alex is 6 months post op!!

[Lura]

Hi everybody! Been out of touch due to computer problems and general life interruptions! Alex is doing amazing, bending more that I think he should, but the way I see it, if he can do it, so be it. How is everyone else doing? I've heard from Lorrie, but that's it. Update me if you can!

Lura

[lorrie]

Hey Lura
Great to hear from you - glad Alex is doing so well!
Lorrie

[nikyergen]

Lura,
I was thinking about you the other day and wondering how "Superman" was doing. I am so glad to hear he is doing well. Crystal is doing well and pretty well back to normal. We find out the 27th if she can go back to playing basketball and riding her horse. She is really wanting to ride soon. Doctor felt that this next appointment would be lots of restrictions released.

I am so glad you posted. It was good to hear about Alex. I think about you guys a lot.

God Bless You Both.

'til later,
Nikki

[nicoles mom]

Lura

Hey Glad To Hear Alex Is Doing Well.
Nicole Is Back To Dancing 3 Hours A Week. I Let Her Go Back A Few Weeks Early. Only Problem Is Twisting Shes Allowed To Dance But Needs To Reframe From Any Extreme Twisting And Jumps. Hopefully In Nov The Dr Will Lift So Restrictions. Shes In A Brace 20 Hrs A Day Still To Hold The Lumbar Cruve Which Is 40. Recently Want For A Shoe Lift Now Lumbar Cruve Is 30 . Hopefully Between The Lift And The Brace She Stays At 30. Is Climbing The Stairs Now With A Little Pain Still. I'm Thinking More That Its Her Mind And Not The Back. She Goes Back To The Dr In Nov. We See Him Every 3 Months Because Of The Brace. Taken Her To Disney For A Week In Dec. For Her Summer Vacation She Missed This Year.
Great To Hear From You :d

Hey Nikki
Glad To Hear Crystal Doing Well And Back To Normal. I Bet She Can't
Wait For That Dr. Appointment. I Know Nicole Is Hoping That He Will Let Her Twist Very Tough To Dance Without Twisting.

Theresa

[nikyergen]

Teresa, Good to hear about Nicole. I understand letting them do things a little early. Crystal has done a few things the doctor hasn't released her for, but she seems to be very careful.

It seems like yesterday and we were all on here contemplating surgery. Now, we are on here trying to slow our kids down a little bit. What a difference. I am so glad everyone is doing well and healing. Next spring will be the big 1 year for us all. How exciting.

Well, got to get. Things to do.

'til later.
Nikki

[Lura]

Lorrie, Nikki, and Theresa,

I am so happy to see all of you still posting (even though I wasn't). The girls all seem to be doing so well!! Alex never complains but I am leery of the cold weather (any info on cold affecting the rods??) Beautiful Montana gets a bit below zero quite often in the winter!

I am keeping busy substitute teaching and keeping up with Alex, and other than that life is blissfully boring! Last year at this time I was dreading the spinal x-rays! Isn't it nice to know we have that in the past?

Does sitting too long affect the girls? When Alex sits too long, he seems to have a bit of trouble getting up and seems to need to stretch. Since he won't verbally tell me what he is feeling, I need to rely on your girls experience to help me out.

Take care! It's so good to be back in touch

Lura

[nikyergen]

Lura,
Crystal does get uncomfortable if she has to sit for long periods of time. We went to Wilsonville Saturday. Almost 400 miles one way, we had to take a side trip to Madras to take her grandma to a friends. We had to stop and walk around every once in a while so she could stretch her body. Her teachers have given her permission at school to stand up and move around quietly if she needs to.

As far as the cold and her rods. You bet. She gets cold a lot easier. She will complain that her back is cold. So, we pile on the sweat shirts with her. It doesn't help that she doesn't have any fat to keep her warm. If we keep her back warm, she doesn't ache or anything. But, if she gets cold the muscles tighten up and then has to take tylenol or something to relax again. I can't believe how good of shape she has been able to stay in. She works part-time at McDonald's and does a lot of walking. She's not allowed to do PE yet. However, hopefully the doc will release her on the 27th of October to do PE, sports, and go back to riding her horse.

She had the chance to go hunting with her dad this weekend, but turned it down. She didn't feel she was ready to sleep in a tent in the cold. It rained all weekend here. But, my great white hunter got his buck. I told the girls coming home that if he didn't get it opening morning, he probably wouldn't get one. But, he usually gets the first buck opening morning. I am hoping we can all go next year and all have tags to hunt.

Crystal does find her balance is different now because she is standing correctly. It has really made a different in her basketball game. We let her shoot at the basket. We put her outside the three point line and threaten the other two girls not to go near her. Her shots are way better than before, and they were good then.

Teresa,
Can you fit us in your suite case for your Disney trip. Sounds like so much fun. We are trying to save some money to take the girls to Hawaii for Crystal graduation trip. That is were Crystal chose to go. She was considering Disney World too. She may change her mind. I can't believe my nest is going to be starting to empty out soon. She hasn't been around long enough to be a junior in high school this year. And my middle one, is a sophmore. At least the youngest is only in the 8th grade this year. I have a couple of extra years with her.

Lorree,
Things sound on track for you guys. Sure am glad about that.

God Bless You All.

'til later
Nikki

[lorrie]

Hi there,
Sitting for too long certainly makes Genevieve sore!! As she is not mobile at all, our lives currently revolve around my mobile hoist as I move her from one position to another. No experience with cold and the rods yet but,as genevieve gets cold easily anyway ad lost such a lot of weight in hospital (she basically didn't eat for about three weeks) so now has even less insulation of her own, I'm not looking forward to winter. Gonna include fleecies and thermals on our shopping trip once she's up to it. - Promised her a post surgery clothes shopping trip as we'll now be able to see the front of her tops. First time for years because of the brace.

Lorrie

[nicoles mom]

NICOLE DOESN'T HAVE PROBLEMS SITTING TO LONG. THE COLD WEATHER HAS NOT STARTED YET SO WE WILL SEE IF SHE GETS COLD. NICOLE STILL GOES TO PT TWICE A WEEK. BECAUSE OF THE BRACE AND PROBLEMS CLIMBING THE STAIRS THEY ARE TRYING TO STABILIZE HER TRUCK. WORKING HER HER ALL OVER TO STRENGTHEN HER MUSCLES. SHE HAS SHOULDER PAIN SOMETIMES WERE HER RIBS WERE SHAVED. BUT SHE DANCES WITH A SMILE AND NO PAIN I'M GOING ON A GIRL SCOUT TRIP TO SALEM MASS ON OCT 15&16 THIS IS HER FIRST BIG OUTTING. SHE WILL MOST LIKELY NEED TO MOVE AROUND ON THE BUS I THINK THE RIDE IS ABOUT 4 1/2 HRS.

WHILE GLAD TO HEAR ALL IS GOOD AND WE ARE GETTING BACK TO NORMAL. I WILL KEEP GENEVIEVE CRYSTEL AND ALEX IN MY PRAYERS
THERESA

[marmyte]

it's incredible, i remember when i joined and all your kids were just approaching or just out of surgery, they sound like they're doing great.

i don't get achy/pains from sitting for too long - part of me thinks i may do because my fusion is low down (which means that when i sit, my whole weight is put on my pelvis, compared to standing or lying down when it seems to be more even) but also i know my fusion is short so that could be another reason i don't get pain. i don't tend to feel the cold either and as for weight, i lost 17lbs in 12 days but have put about 7lbs back on and am a healthy weight (i was a good weight even with all that loss)

i got released for various activities really quickly, but i'm not at school anymore (all that finished this summer) so that may be a reason. i had a consultation at 7 weeks (though worryingly no xrays!) and was told i could bend, twist etc and that i should really start swimming (so i did) and that i could drive (so i have been) but amazingly i was told i could get back on a horse (which i was elated at and hardly paused before doing so)

i'm a bit behind all your kids i think, i only had surgery in july so i have another consultation and xrays on october 24th. hope they all stay warm and fuse fast!