More surgery for Genevieve

[lorrie]

We've had a bad few weeks.
Genevieve developed a pressure sore over the top of the rods which had become very prominent again. I had actually rearranged her next check up but she precipitated matters by getting a lot worse while she was away with school for a week.
We ended up back at the hospital on 7th Nov, actually sqeezed in to an adult clinic for speed after my GP phoned the hospital, and were sent straight up to the ward (fortunately the children's ward agreed to have us even though Genevieve is now 18). Genevieve had surgery to trim the rods on Monday this week and we came home today.
I'm usually quite calm and capable while Genevieve is in hospital (fall apart later) but I was rather thrown when the nurses changed the dressing on the Saturday before surgery and I could actually see the metalwork sticking through the hole in her back. Turned into a weepy jelly for a bit - scared the life out of me. Had to just pull myself together to calm Genevieve down - she got upset when I did.
She's fine now and we're hoping the rest of the metalwork can stay a bit longer to give her the best shot at fusing.
Lorrie

[MegansMom]

{{{Lorrie}}}} The poor dear! Poor mom. I would of been scared to death!
Will Genevieve's rods come out eventually? With Megan and all her other medical issues, her rods will stay in permanately, due to the risk of that big of a surgery again. Know you are in my thoughts and prayers. Hoping this is it for you all, you have defintely been thru enough.
Tracy

[lorrie]

Hi Tracy
It's probable that Genevieve's rods will have to come out eventually: the consultant reckons that there won't be a way of finally clearing the original infection without that. However, they won't come out until they cause too much trouble to be allowed to stay in. The hope is that this second lot of trimming will buy us enough time for the rest of her back to be well and truly fused before that happens - minimum of 18 months post op but the longer the better.
When they do come out, or, let's be optimistic, if they do come out, the question then is whether it has all fused. When it was debrided in September last year, most of the bone graft was lost so it may not fuse at all. On the other hand, early infection sometimes seems to actually stimulate bone growth and all may be well. Please God.
So, our best scenario, but probably least likely, is that the rods cause no more trouble and can be left in and her back fuses beautifully and our worst is that the rods have to come out sooner rather than later and she then goes on to have more surgery to re-do any bits which have not fused solidly.
Taking it a day at a time at present!