I'm new here. My daughter, Mackenzie, was recently diagonosed with scoliosis (40 degree thoracolumbar; 28 degree thoracic). She gets her Boston brace this coming Thursday and is to wear it 23 hours a day. Mackenzie is 13 and in 8th grade. She has already declared she won't wear it to school - that it would be "social suicide".
I'm a mess. We've already been told that she will more than likely need surgery when she stops growing - which the doctor estimates to be about 18 months (risser 2.5-3? not really sure what this means).
This has been really tough on me. I took her to the pediatrician a little over a year ago because one hip was higher than the other and my neighbor suggested I have her checked for scoliosis. The ped said she didn't have it - and I (stupidly) thought she was ok forever. He did x-ray her legs to see if there was a leg length discrepancy. There wasn't - so he said he'd keep an eye on her (in case of a congenital hip problem) and to bring her back in within the next year.
7 months later her father was killed in an accident and I didn't get her back. I finally made an appointment in December and a week before, the office called and cancelled because her ped was out on a family medical emergency. I didn't feel any urgency. I called again in February. He was still out. Then in March, I noticed Mackenzie's back looked weird. Of course, I panicked. Called a friend who is an ortho spine and he saw her. He immediately referred us to a specialist and that's where we are today. (It helps to be a hospital administrator - unfortunately, my hospital does not do peds).
I vascilate between feeling guilty that I didn't take her back sooner - and angry with the pediatrician who totally missed the scoliosis (no x-ray of her back and both specialists have said it was there a year ago - it doesn't go from 0 to 40 in a little over a year).
Mackenzie has been through enough in the last year. My heart breaks for her. And I break in tears at odd moments.
I appreciate you listening. I'm sure I'll have lots of questions (already do). I plan to take her for a 2nd and a 3rd opinion as soon as she gets her brace (and I get her x-ray back).
Thanks again.
Mackenzie's Mom (Lisa)
I'm a mess. We've already been told that she will more than likely need surgery when she stops growing - which the doctor estimates to be about 18 months (risser 2.5-3? not really sure what this means).
This has been really tough on me. I took her to the pediatrician a little over a year ago because one hip was higher than the other and my neighbor suggested I have her checked for scoliosis. The ped said she didn't have it - and I (stupidly) thought she was ok forever. He did x-ray her legs to see if there was a leg length discrepancy. There wasn't - so he said he'd keep an eye on her (in case of a congenital hip problem) and to bring her back in within the next year.
7 months later her father was killed in an accident and I didn't get her back. I finally made an appointment in December and a week before, the office called and cancelled because her ped was out on a family medical emergency. I didn't feel any urgency. I called again in February. He was still out. Then in March, I noticed Mackenzie's back looked weird. Of course, I panicked. Called a friend who is an ortho spine and he saw her. He immediately referred us to a specialist and that's where we are today. (It helps to be a hospital administrator - unfortunately, my hospital does not do peds).
I vascilate between feeling guilty that I didn't take her back sooner - and angry with the pediatrician who totally missed the scoliosis (no x-ray of her back and both specialists have said it was there a year ago - it doesn't go from 0 to 40 in a little over a year).
Mackenzie has been through enough in the last year. My heart breaks for her. And I break in tears at odd moments.
I appreciate you listening. I'm sure I'll have lots of questions (already do). I plan to take her for a 2nd and a 3rd opinion as soon as she gets her brace (and I get her x-ray back).
Thanks again.
Mackenzie's Mom (Lisa)
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