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  • Post-Op Appt with Surgeon

    Hi Everyone
    Kitty here. Tahlia had her first post-op appt with the surgeon this morning and all looks good. The surgeon is very happy and so are we. Tahlia still has to wear her brace for another 2 months and then only wear it for 4-6 weeks whilst at school only. She is not allowed to play sport for 4 months. I asked the doc if there was any chance her curve could still continue to progress and he said it was a slight possibility, but not likely. He basically said that it is now up to the bone to fuse and that she has a 96% chance of doing this. He also said that if the bone doesn't fuse, it is likely that the rods will bend and break.
    But I am confident this will not happen.

    Tahlia is doing very well and we have a follow-up appointment with the surgeon again in 4 months.

    Just wanted to share with you all.

    Thanks and best wishes to everyone, especially those of you who have shared this journey with me.

    *hugs*

    Lisa
    Mum to Tahlia, aged 15. Fused from T2 - L3, 18/11/08.

  • #2
    Very good news!

    That sounds great.

    BTW, our surgeon said the same thing... 95% of kids will fuse with no problem even without physical restrictions due to the advances in the surgical intrumentation. If you add physical restrictions, it's virtually all kids who will fuse correctly.

    Those guys are amazing.
    Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

    No island of sanity.

    Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
    Answer: Medicine


    "We are all African."

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    • #3
      Lisa,

      Thanks for the great update on Tahlia! Sounds like she's doing well. How is her breathing? Has she noticed improvements since surgery? Hope she's staying cool in your summer heat down there (wish we could have a happy medium, weather-wise - its FREEZING here!).

      Many hugs and well wishes for more healing and 100% fusion!
      Carmell
      mom to Kara, idiopathic scoliosis, Blake 19, GERD and Braydon 14, VACTERL, GERD, DGE, VEPTR #137, thoracic insufficiency, rib anomalies, congenital scoliosis, missing coccyx, fatty filum/TC, anal stenosis, horseshoe kidney, dbl ureter in left kidney, ureterocele, kidney reflux, neurogenic bladder, bilateral hip dysplasia, right leg/foot dyplasia, tibial torsion, clubfoot with 8 toes, pes cavus, single umblilical artery, etc. http://carmellb-ivil.tripod.com/myfamily/

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      • #4
        Lisa-- that is great news!!! Thanks for letting us know. Hugs, Susie
        71 and plugging along... but having some problems
        2007 52° w/ severe lumbar stenosis & L2L3 lateral listhesis (side shift)
        5/4/07 posterior fusion T2-L4 w/ laminectomies and osteotomies @L2L3, L3L4
        Dr. Kim Hammerberg, Rush Univ. Medical Center in Chicago

        Corrected to 15°
        CMT (type 2) DX in 2014, progressing
        10/2018 x-rays - spondylolisthesis at L4/L5 - Dr. DeWald is monitoring

        Click to view my pics: pics of scoli x-rays digital x-rays, and pics of me

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Kitty View Post
          Hi Everyone
          Kitty here. Tahlia had her first post-op appt with the surgeon this morning and all looks good. The surgeon is very happy and so are we. Tahlia still has to wear her brace for another 2 months and then only wear it for 4-6 weeks whilst at school only. She is not allowed to play sport for 4 months. I asked the doc if there was any chance her curve could still continue to progress and he said it was a slight possibility, but not likely. He basically said that it is now up to the bone to fuse and that she has a 96% chance of doing this. He also said that if the bone doesn't fuse, it is likely that the rods will bend and break.
          But I am confident this will not happen.

          Tahlia is doing very well and we have a follow-up appointment with the surgeon again in 4 months.

          Just wanted to share with you all.

          Thanks and best wishes to everyone, especially those of you who have shared this journey with me.

          *hugs*

          Lisa
          So happy for you both, Lisa! I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes. You all had been through so much!

          Give Tahlia my best, too!

          Marian

          Comment


          • #6
            Great news to hear Tahlia is doing so well, Lisa. It's a relief, isn't it? And as a parent of another newly-fused child, it's good to hear your surgeon confirm what we've heard from others about post-op curving and non-fusion.

            Mary Ellen

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            • #7
              So glad Tahlia is doing well. Such great news!
              Bethany

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              • #8
                Thanks Everyone

                Carmel, Tahlia noticed improved breathing within the first few weeks. She no longer wheezes when she walks, so we're very happy about that.

                Marian, reading your reply almost made me cry. Yes, it is tough what we mums go through with our kids but we always make it to the other side and it's a relief to experience the benefits of all the hard work and worry that's been put in to it.

                BTW, it was 6 months sporting restrictions, not 4 Also, i forgot to ask Tahlia's surgeon about carrying her school bag, lifting heavy objects/books, etc., bending and so on. Should I still disallow her to bend and pick things up and carry bags, etc. Can anyone share their experiences of where there kids were at at this point, with regards to benidng/lifting? Tahlia will be almost 3 months post-op when she returns to school in a couple of weeks. What did other's surgeon's say about this at that stage when kids were at school with bags and books and things?

                Appreciate your help.

                Lisa
                Mum to Tahlia, aged 15. Fused from T2 - L3, 18/11/08.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Lisa,

                  I'm so relieved & thrilled for you both to hear such good news. Fabulous that there is such a high chance of things going smoothly from here on out with no more curving - & the improved breathing is something just GRAND!

                  Perhaps you could call your surgeon's office to ask about the bending/lifting restrictions? I think this time around, I was told nothing over 1kg for 2 months, absolute max. 5kg for 6 months (not sure if this is an extra 6mth or total 6mth post-op), & no official limits but to listen closely to my own body after 12 months. High-school bags can get ridiculously heavy with textbooks & whatnot, so I would definitely check, esp. since she's still on other "restrictions" (brace, etc.).

                  Also, if/when she can lift such things, make sure she distributes the weight evenly - use both shoulder straps rather than just slinging it over one shoulder, etc., & try to not pile it up with anything unnecessary. I find that even when off restrictions, lifting is a "building-up-to-it" type process - start small for a couple of days & see if it makes any muscles sore; give the muscles time to adjust (or cut back weight if strain is too bad); then slowly add weight up to her limits according to how she feels.

                  Probably more useful people will be along soon to answer that question - but since each surgery & each recovery is such a unique thing, I'd strongly suggest calling her surgeon's office to ask - docs get "quick question" calls all the time, & if they can't take the call at the time, will usually get back to you


                  Best wishes for a continuing smooth recovery...you've both been through the works for sure. But as no doubt you're seeing - it's all up from here!


                  Take care.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Lisa--

                    Here's what Shriners says about lifting restrictions:
                    • No bending, twisting, or lifting over 5 lb.

                    At 3 months (I assume after the surgeon has looked at x-rays at that point):
                    • Bending up to 45 degrees

                    At 6 months:
                    • full bending
                    • lifting 5-10 lb. max


                    The lifting restriction includes backpacks and books. Maybe this is too anal, but we actually weigh Sidney's lunch and notebooks before school if we think they might total more than 5 lb. We try to keep everything within reach so he does not need to bend at all. He has one set of books at home and a second set at school.

                    I know some surgeons completely restrict kids for as much as 8 months. There are a few that don't restrict at all.

                    Mary Ellen

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