I'm new to this forum and so glad I found it. I urgently need some advice from parents who have been through this!!!!!
My daughter is 14. Last February (2007) she had her annual physical and the pediatrician did the "bend over" test on her for scoliosis. I was surprised that she said my daughter should be evaluated and x-rayed!
So, we took her to the local hospital and had a scoliosis x-ray done. The results: 16 degree curvature. I don't have any further information other than that.
The pediatrician told us that when my daughter got her period the scoliosis would stop progressing -- but we should do another x-ray in 6 months to follow up. The pediatrician was very casual about it.
Just in case, we took her to our orthopedist. He also said she should be seen in 6 months to follow-up, and that the scoliosis would stop after she got her period. He said bracing is only done over 25 degrees. He was also very casual about it.
Well, she got her period 3 months later. So we mistakenly thought that it was OK to postpone the next follow-up x-ray. We were busy and kept forgetting -- then it took a while for the pediatrician's office to send us the lab slip for the x-ray. One thing or another kept delaying it.
Finally, earlier this week (14 months after the first x-ray) we did the follow up. I felt sick to my stomach when the pediatrician called me and told me that her curve is now 27 degrees. They faxed her results to the orthopedist. He doesn't even want to see her -- he referred us to Dr. Rinsky at nearby Stanford Univ. hospital (Palo Alto, CA). I understand that he's an excellent doctor for scoliosis (I'd love to hear from people who have seen him).
My husband and I are now wracked with guilt that we waited so long to have the follow-up x-ray done. We are usually very good about that sort of stuff -- but both doctors were so damned casual about it that we mistakenly thought that since she had gotten her period it wouldn't progress any further and it would be OK to have the next x-ray done later than 6 months. Obviously that was a huge mistake in judgement. I just feel sick about it.
We're seeing Dr. Rinsky on the 29th, but I'm extremely worried because I don't know how fast her curve is progressing. She is going through a growth spurt. On the phone yesterday the orthopedist said that curves often get worse during that time. I wish he had told me that last year!!! Why didn't he give me more information and tell me how important it was to x-ray again 6 months later?! Why were both doctors so freaking casual about it?! And why did they say that the scoliosis would stop after she got her period when that obviously WAS NOT the case?!
I'm so angry at them for giving me mis-information, and I'm angry at myself for blindly believing them. And of course I'm scared for my daughter.
The only thing I know about her 27 degree curve is that it is in the thoracic-lumbar area, which is apparently in the lower-to-mid back. I can't see it -- if they hadn't told me about it, I would never know it was there. My daughter is not in any pain or anything.
I feel like I've been hit by a truck, I'm so devistated by this -- both by the tremendous guilt and by the realization that she will probably need a brace as she is just entering high school next Fall. We had to break the news to our daughter yesterday. She locked herself in her room and cried for over an hour (but she's feeling better about things today).
How fast can a body brace be made? I'm worried that it may take weeks and her curve may get worse.
I want to add that I have no idea what my daughter's Risser number is. My husband is 5'8" and I'm 5'3", so we know that our daugther will not be very tall. Right now she's about 5'0 or 5'1, so she's close to her adult height.
Do you guys have suggestions for questions for Dr. Rinsky? I have a short list but since you guys are more experienced with scoliosis, I was hoping you could give me some guidance.
Thank you so much!
My daughter is 14. Last February (2007) she had her annual physical and the pediatrician did the "bend over" test on her for scoliosis. I was surprised that she said my daughter should be evaluated and x-rayed!
So, we took her to the local hospital and had a scoliosis x-ray done. The results: 16 degree curvature. I don't have any further information other than that.
The pediatrician told us that when my daughter got her period the scoliosis would stop progressing -- but we should do another x-ray in 6 months to follow up. The pediatrician was very casual about it.
Just in case, we took her to our orthopedist. He also said she should be seen in 6 months to follow-up, and that the scoliosis would stop after she got her period. He said bracing is only done over 25 degrees. He was also very casual about it.
Well, she got her period 3 months later. So we mistakenly thought that it was OK to postpone the next follow-up x-ray. We were busy and kept forgetting -- then it took a while for the pediatrician's office to send us the lab slip for the x-ray. One thing or another kept delaying it.
Finally, earlier this week (14 months after the first x-ray) we did the follow up. I felt sick to my stomach when the pediatrician called me and told me that her curve is now 27 degrees. They faxed her results to the orthopedist. He doesn't even want to see her -- he referred us to Dr. Rinsky at nearby Stanford Univ. hospital (Palo Alto, CA). I understand that he's an excellent doctor for scoliosis (I'd love to hear from people who have seen him).
My husband and I are now wracked with guilt that we waited so long to have the follow-up x-ray done. We are usually very good about that sort of stuff -- but both doctors were so damned casual about it that we mistakenly thought that since she had gotten her period it wouldn't progress any further and it would be OK to have the next x-ray done later than 6 months. Obviously that was a huge mistake in judgement. I just feel sick about it.
We're seeing Dr. Rinsky on the 29th, but I'm extremely worried because I don't know how fast her curve is progressing. She is going through a growth spurt. On the phone yesterday the orthopedist said that curves often get worse during that time. I wish he had told me that last year!!! Why didn't he give me more information and tell me how important it was to x-ray again 6 months later?! Why were both doctors so freaking casual about it?! And why did they say that the scoliosis would stop after she got her period when that obviously WAS NOT the case?!
I'm so angry at them for giving me mis-information, and I'm angry at myself for blindly believing them. And of course I'm scared for my daughter.
The only thing I know about her 27 degree curve is that it is in the thoracic-lumbar area, which is apparently in the lower-to-mid back. I can't see it -- if they hadn't told me about it, I would never know it was there. My daughter is not in any pain or anything.
I feel like I've been hit by a truck, I'm so devistated by this -- both by the tremendous guilt and by the realization that she will probably need a brace as she is just entering high school next Fall. We had to break the news to our daughter yesterday. She locked herself in her room and cried for over an hour (but she's feeling better about things today).
How fast can a body brace be made? I'm worried that it may take weeks and her curve may get worse.
I want to add that I have no idea what my daughter's Risser number is. My husband is 5'8" and I'm 5'3", so we know that our daugther will not be very tall. Right now she's about 5'0 or 5'1, so she's close to her adult height.
Do you guys have suggestions for questions for Dr. Rinsky? I have a short list but since you guys are more experienced with scoliosis, I was hoping you could give me some guidance.
Thank you so much!
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