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  • Ruth,

    Your daughter and my daughter both have their appts. on March 13. They are very important appts. for both of them. I hope we all get some good news. I will be thinking about you that day.

    Good luck to all of the adults getting Spinecor. I hope it brings you some relief from your pain.
    Melissa
    From Bucks County, Pa., USA

    Mom to Matthew,19, Jessica, 17, and Nicole, 14
    Nicole had surgery with Dr. Dormans on 9/12/07 at Children's Hospital of Phila. She is fused T-2 - L-3

    Comment


    • Wnor, I"m glad you feel pretty good in it - hopefully you'll feel even better as time goes by.
      Its funny, I've noticed that the way the brace fits my daughters torso, the crotch straps act as a fanny lifter...my daughter doesn't need that, but I thought I sure could use something to offset the effects of gravity over the years on my tush! (maybe an added benefit for adult spinecor wearers )

      Anyway, good luck.
      daughter, 12, diagnosed 8/07 with 19T/13L
      -Braced in spinecor 10/07 - 8/12 with excellent in brace correction and stable/slightly decreased out of brace curves.
      -Introduced Providence brace as adjunct at night in 11/2011 in anticipation of growth spurt. Curves still stable.
      -Currently in Boston Brace. Growth spurt is here and curves (and rotation) have increased to 23T/17L

      Comment


      • SpineCor in adults

        Dear jillw,
        I never thought of the spinecor brace as a tush lifter. I'll be honest with you. My clothes don't look too great over the brace. Call me vain. But the snaps and straps show up a lot. I'm very short and ~ size 6. I wear city-type clothes as I live in Montreal. It only looks Ok with sweats.
        I'm glad your daughter is improving. Good luck to her.

        Comment


        • omgggg

          i knew i wasn't the only one who noticed it!
          some of my friends agreed that my butt totally looks bigger with my brace
          ahahahahaha

          HI
          Im 15
          im pretty outgoing
          JV Cheerleader-woot woot :]

          my curves are:
          in the 30s.
          somewhere in or around there.

          i have a spinecor brace.

          Comment


          • Spinecor in Adults

            Are you now the Jennifer Lopez of the Spinecor Generation? Good for you. It's good to keep a good sense of humour. Today I had to take my brace off after about 8 hours. I had a bad migraine today. It felt better after I took the brace off. Yesterday, too. It could be a coincidence. This is my first week. I heard that you have to get used to it gradually. I sent an e-mail to Dr,Marcotte about this. I didn't get a response yet.

            Comment


            • headaches

              i got a lot of headaches and arm numbness when i first started wearing it.
              i think it's easier to get used to if you wear it at night first.
              just my opinion. then you get the feel for it for when you actually start moving around and going about your day.

              haha the Jennifer Lopez of Spinecor?
              most definitely

              HI
              Im 15
              im pretty outgoing
              JV Cheerleader-woot woot :]

              my curves are:
              in the 30s.
              somewhere in or around there.

              i have a spinecor brace.

              Comment


              • Well, I told you I'd keep you posted. Yesterday we went to Atlanta for a check-up and x-ray of Sidney's back after 4 1/2 months in the Spinecor. The news was both good and bad. Sigh.

                The Good: Before the x-ray was taken, Dr. Ouellette noticed that Sidney's left hand hangs in front of his body, something he said is difficult to achieve even in-brace. When he noticed it, Sidney was not wearing his brace, so the doc was even more pleased. My understanding of that is that it means his left shoulder is rotating forward--a good thing, since the scoliosis is wanting it to rotate back (it wants his right shoulder to rotate forward).

                The Bad: The in-brace x-ray shows his curve has increased 7 degrees since November 21. He didn't take an out-of-brace x-ray and won't do that for a few months yet. We imagine the curve is greater out of brace, but don't know for sure. When Sidney first got the Spinecor brace, it reduced his curve 7 degrees from where it was out-of-brace--so we can only assume his curve has now progressed in-brace to what it was out of brace 4 1/2 months ago.

                The doc said the culprit is T6, which is tilting just slightly more and leading the curve. Below T8 Sidney is fine, he said--the compensatory curve had only increased 1 degree. Sidney grew 4 cm in 6 weeks while we were away on a trip in January and February--a fast growth spurt. Apparently the tendon and muscle on the concave side is so strong and tight that it is pulling on the vertebra. In addition, the spinal rotation at T5 has increased 3 degrees from 12 to 15, which the doc said was a "slight increase." I have to say it was interesting (and nice) to be given so much detail.

                Amazingly, I'm not panicking--so different from last August when we found his curve was progressing and we switched from a Boston brace to Spinecor. I think it's the attitude of the practitioner. Last August, the ped. ortho. surgeon told us there was nothing left to do except wait and continue to wear a brace that's not working. Dr. Ouellette is offering us some new intensive physiotherapy/chiropractic treatment (spinal rotation, etc.) that he feels may reduce the curve, since Sidney is so young and has no wedging. He's not promising anything (in fact he's making a no reduction = no payment offer). At the moment, we are just breathing and considering that. Perhaps we're stupid to even consider it, but what other options do we have? We're not quite yet ready for surgery, although we know it's likely, and even the ortho told us he would delay surgery as long as possible to allow as much growth as possible. If we could reduce the curve, perhaps we can delay the surgery, at least. Sidney is only 12 and will be very tall--he's already 5'6"+, and has lots of growing to do. We are working with a therapist doing MFR, and with this new information we will see if there's any help for this through that. We have our regular appointment next week.

                It's where we are right now. Dr. Ouellette did readjust Sidney's brace before the x-ray because he's grown and it wasn't holding him in place as well as he would have liked.

                Mary Ellen

                Comment


                • Mary Ellen,

                  Well it is good to hear that the news wasn't all bad. Hopefully, there will be correction at the next visit. You really sound like you are coping with this well. I'm sure that even with the possible progression, Sydney is much happier in the Spinecor than the Boston brace.

                  I also see Dr. Oulette. We will be going back on Mar. 31. I have been a bundle of nerves for about a week now. He is very detailed and does explain everything very explicitly (something I have gotten from very few of the doctors my daughter has seen).
                  Emily's mom-11 1/2 years old
                  28 degree scoliosis 9/04
                  Chiari Malformation/SM decompressed 11/04
                  17-24 degrees 11/04-6/07
                  Wearing Spinecor Brace since June 07
                  3/31/10- 29 degrees oob
                  11/18/09 17 degrees in brace

                  Comment


                  • Mary Ellen,
                    4 cm growth in 6 weeks - wow these kids really do grow fast when they hit their growth spurts, don't they? When you said he is working with a therapist for MFR did you mean myofacial release? (structural integration did come to mind when you mentioned the doctor said the tissue is too tight). I hope that the other avenues you are pursuing will help lengthen the muscles and connective tissue and that you'll have better news at his next appointment. How long before they'll xray him again? Well it sounds like you are exploring all avenues to give him the best shot possible - I can't remember if you posted what his curve was before so I don't remember how much "wiggle room" you have before you have to worry about surgery, but I hope the next several months bring some good news.
                    Just curious, is his thoracic curve to the left or the right? (i'm still trying to get my hands around this rotation thing)

                    Allegra, I refer to that as the brace's "butt bra" feature -it makes my daughter look like she's got a high athlete's butt and makes her legs look longer - like (healthy) a model right? or as wnorm said JLo!

                    Wnorm, I hope you find clothes that you feel works better with the brace. I have found that different cuts look better on my daughter than the stuff she tended to wear before. Do adults have the same wearing schedule (i.e. 2 hours out of brace 2 spread out times a day?) Of course if you're going out its likely to last more than 2 hours so that doesn't help you too much.
                    daughter, 12, diagnosed 8/07 with 19T/13L
                    -Braced in spinecor 10/07 - 8/12 with excellent in brace correction and stable/slightly decreased out of brace curves.
                    -Introduced Providence brace as adjunct at night in 11/2011 in anticipation of growth spurt. Curves still stable.
                    -Currently in Boston Brace. Growth spurt is here and curves (and rotation) have increased to 23T/17L

                    Comment


                    • Jill--

                      To answer your questions, Sidney (12) was at 48T/43L in October when he went into a Spinecor. His first in-brace x-ray had him at 41T/31L, which was holding 5 weeks later when we went in for the first check-up. Probably a surgeon would say there is no wiggle room at all....

                      The curve is a right thoracic type III with a compensating lumbar curve. He will have an out-of-brace x-ray in June regardless; if we do the (physio)therapy Dr. Ouellette is suggesting, it wll be sooner (likely May) because we will need one to document any reduction from the therapy. We're not ready to throw in the towel yet.

                      Comment


                      • SpineCor

                        When I go out socially I don't always wear the brace. I know that it's for more than 2 hours at a time, but I don't comply as I should. I am very short and this brace really shows up even under sweats. I feel freaky. The top part of the brace shows up a lot above the neck of my t-shirt. I wear regular neck-line clothes. I have to accept the fact that looking like a reject from a junk yard will be my fate in life forever. It's too late for me to show any improvement in my curvature @ 55.

                        Comment


                        • Originally posted by wnorm
                          When I go out socially I don't always wear the brace. I know that it's for more than 2 hours at a time, but I don't comply as I should. I am very short and this brace really shows up even under sweats. I feel freaky. The top part of the brace shows up a lot above the neck of my t-shirt. I wear regular neck-line clothes. I have to accept the fact that looking like a reject from a junk yard will be my fate in life forever. It's too late for me to show any improvement in my curvature @ 55.
                          Try wearing a brace as a pre-teen/teen.

                          I *hope* the ones wrestling with it now miss your desciption. Everything at that age is a social event.

                          At this point in my life I'd like to think I'm beyond "give a sh**" how my friends judge my attire. ;-). I do know if I *chose* to spend the money on it (an aside, I wouldn't ... but that's just me), I'd damn sure wear it as prescribed.

                          It's a fairly expensive exercise in non-compliancy for an adult - even if it IS just a test for pain relief. Just how do you plan to judge the efficacy?

                          BTW, this is now another reason I'm dubious about Spinecor stats.

                          An adult *elects* to wear it, and doesn't as prescribed: How is minimum/optimal time required in brace actually measured, and is pain relief perceived or real?

                          Regards,
                          Pam
                          Last edited by txmarinemom; 03-08-2008, 08:59 PM.
                          Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
                          AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


                          41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
                          Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
                          Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


                          VIEW MY X-RAYS
                          EMAIL ME

                          Comment


                          • Pam-COuld nottt agree more (and also with the whole issue i wasnt trying to put feelings first, if thats how it looked so again im sorry! )

                            but first of all why are you wearing a brace at 55 (wnorm) its kinda pointless rite? and u have a spinecor, not only should you try wearing a brace as a teenager, but how about as a boston or milwaukee brace or with people whispering freak behind your back (almost said brace...) and your friends were embarassed to tell you? How about if people were feeling that because it showed thru your clothing and you got more attention that they shoudl stop any contact you had with your firends? This probably makes no sense at all, but I gotta say, Ive been thru ALL that, and i wear my brace, heck my brithdays in 2 hours and im wearing it as we speak! So please, wear the brace it's wayyyyy more important than your feelings (sorry) or how other people look at you, heck half them will probably only see you once, or forget about it in 20 minutes...i have people that i see everyday that i thot knew and they still don't , it could surprise you how little people can tell, even when MY brace is thick plastic that goes to my neck, and not fancy thin cloth straps... puttin it in perspective for ya, but do w/e u want
                            Danielle
                            14 Freshwoman
                            December 1st got no head the boston brace
                            Pre Brace Curves:18C 25T 30L
                            In brace curves: (1/23/08) 16C 20T 22L
                            In brace Curves: (5/21/08) 19C 19T 15L
                            We're Bringing CURVY BACK

                            Comment


                            • ^5 for getting my point, Danielle. I hated my brace, and I had no choice in wearing it. I know all the feelings you describe, and unfortunately, some others I hope you NEVER pass in the hall.

                              To hear an adult complain (who CHOSE to wear it) how it affected their social appearance would have *infuriated* me. Oh, wait. It did.

                              BTW, 'elle ... Happy Birthday. May every single one from here on out be *more* happy. Hang in there.

                              Regards,
                              Pam
                              Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
                              AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


                              41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
                              Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
                              Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


                              VIEW MY X-RAYS
                              EMAIL ME

                              Comment


                              • Thanks, this whole experience has just reinforced who's there and who...isn't. Thanks though, and continue to get better from your surgery (ur doing the 5K tomoro??? wow amazing, good luck )
                                Danielle
                                14 Freshwoman
                                December 1st got no head the boston brace
                                Pre Brace Curves:18C 25T 30L
                                In brace curves: (1/23/08) 16C 20T 22L
                                In brace Curves: (5/21/08) 19C 19T 15L
                                We're Bringing CURVY BACK

                                Comment

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