rohnkes4...
Any chance you can get Abby to post a newer radiograph? I'd REALLY like to follow her. I'm sorry it appears that she and her family aren't interested in surgery. It is VERY rare that anyone with scoliosis dies as a result of surgery. Abby's life expectancy would probably be somewhere like 4-5 times higher if she chose surgery over chiropractic. Needing scoliosis surgery really sucks, but I can tell you that it's better than doing nothing and dying from the effects of scoliosis. If you're interested, there are hundreds of stories of people, including myself, who have had successful scoliosis surgery.
I don't know what the financial situation is, but I'm almost 100% certain that Shriner's would do her surgery at absolutely no cost to her family. There is a Shriner's hospital in Denver:
4625 W 50th Ave
Denver, CO 80212
(303) 455-3470
I've seen similar scenarios many times over the last 20 years, with people making what seems like unreasonable claims. It's always a little fishy. (For example, the fact that you joined this group just a day after the original post in this thread.) I've been involved in news groups, forums, and listservs on the topic of scoliosis, since the early days of the internet. There have been so many scams over the years, that I can't keep track of them all. The pattern is pretty much always the same. There's always someone who tries to convince everyone that treatment X is a miracle cure. Eventually, they've all been debunked, but not before a lot of innocent people have spent a lot of money.
There has NEVER been a single study showing that chiropractic treatment (including CLEAR) can permanently reduce structural scoliosis curves. I suspect there's an obvious reason for that, but would love to be proven wrong. As someone who believes in science, I need more proof than just a bunch of claims by people who have a financial interest in the results. At one point several years ago, we had a CLEAR practitioner who posted on here or another scoliosis forum (can't remember which), and who was willing to treat a patient for free, and to have the patient monitored by an orthopaedic scoliosis expert. When all the arrangements had been made, the chiropractor suddenly stopped posting. If Abby is willing, I could probably find an orthopaedist who is willing to follow her for free. I'm happy to make the effort at the very least.
Regards,
Linda
Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
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Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation