Hello all, I am glad to have found this forum. I have spent a few days on it reading back and trying to find out as much as I can about all this.
This time last year, my son had no noticable curve. In April he was dx with a 25 degree curve, thoracic, then in October a 30 degree, and last week a 40 degree with rotation. He also has kyphosis (humpback) which didn't show up when the scoli was 30 but is very marked now. He is now 14, and not done growing yet.
We have an MRI scheduled. He was born with a congential birth defect so I'm sure they are going to check and see if that is anyway related.
Bracing was never discussed, because the first increase was only 5 degrees and the doc thought it was insignificant then. But we are seeing a new doc and he pretty much agrees with the first. He is willing to brace him but feels at this rate that a brace would be lifelong - that as soon as he quits wearing the brace the curve will continue to where it would have been.
We feel pretty confident in his, Dr. Michael Schmitz, he did surgery on our son's elbow last fall for a very unusual break and is head of ortho surgery at Children's Hospital of Atlanta. He has published his own research and has added some techniques to the field of scoli, is member of related associations, so that is encouraging. Has anyone here heard of him? I know Oswald is supposed to be good too, but we originally saw another doc in his same practice and I am a little miffed that my son wasn't braced at 25 degrees.
The surgery Dr. Schmitz talked about sounded like either growth rods or VBS or maybe a combo. DH and I have a lot more questions for him, to find out more about the surgery.
I absolutely hate the thought of surgery when my son isn't in pain, but this is moving so fast, I hate to wait too long. It sounds like he is at a good age for this surgery, and the doctor feels that he could have more flexibility than he has now. It doesn't sound like bracing is really an option for him. Even though he knows his football days will likely be over (his favorite sport of all time) he is in 100% for surgery. In his words, he'd rather be straight than play contact sports because he won't play contact sports all his life but will use his back all his life. His friends/teachers are starting to notice his back and that bothers him too.
My biggest fear, of course, is the pain. I hear so much from people who had back surgery and they hurt worse after or they have to have more and more surgery. How was it for your kids? I hear about complications right after (infection, and such) but did any of your kids have long term pain? The hardest thing is to risk long term pain for something that isn't hurting now.
Also, I know they wake the kids up during surgery to make sure they can wiggle their toes. Do the kids remember that?
Anyway, I appreciate any insight you guys can give.
This time last year, my son had no noticable curve. In April he was dx with a 25 degree curve, thoracic, then in October a 30 degree, and last week a 40 degree with rotation. He also has kyphosis (humpback) which didn't show up when the scoli was 30 but is very marked now. He is now 14, and not done growing yet.
We have an MRI scheduled. He was born with a congential birth defect so I'm sure they are going to check and see if that is anyway related.
Bracing was never discussed, because the first increase was only 5 degrees and the doc thought it was insignificant then. But we are seeing a new doc and he pretty much agrees with the first. He is willing to brace him but feels at this rate that a brace would be lifelong - that as soon as he quits wearing the brace the curve will continue to where it would have been.
We feel pretty confident in his, Dr. Michael Schmitz, he did surgery on our son's elbow last fall for a very unusual break and is head of ortho surgery at Children's Hospital of Atlanta. He has published his own research and has added some techniques to the field of scoli, is member of related associations, so that is encouraging. Has anyone here heard of him? I know Oswald is supposed to be good too, but we originally saw another doc in his same practice and I am a little miffed that my son wasn't braced at 25 degrees.
The surgery Dr. Schmitz talked about sounded like either growth rods or VBS or maybe a combo. DH and I have a lot more questions for him, to find out more about the surgery.
I absolutely hate the thought of surgery when my son isn't in pain, but this is moving so fast, I hate to wait too long. It sounds like he is at a good age for this surgery, and the doctor feels that he could have more flexibility than he has now. It doesn't sound like bracing is really an option for him. Even though he knows his football days will likely be over (his favorite sport of all time) he is in 100% for surgery. In his words, he'd rather be straight than play contact sports because he won't play contact sports all his life but will use his back all his life. His friends/teachers are starting to notice his back and that bothers him too.
My biggest fear, of course, is the pain. I hear so much from people who had back surgery and they hurt worse after or they have to have more and more surgery. How was it for your kids? I hear about complications right after (infection, and such) but did any of your kids have long term pain? The hardest thing is to risk long term pain for something that isn't hurting now.
Also, I know they wake the kids up during surgery to make sure they can wiggle their toes. Do the kids remember that?
Anyway, I appreciate any insight you guys can give.
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