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    Hi! My name is Chris. My DD Caitlyn was diagnosed with scoliosis in April. She is 6. I had noticed a small bulge in her back. My husband asked the pedi about it at her annual check up. She was sent for a xray and we were told that she has scoliosis.

    We went to Shriners Hospital in Lexington at the beginning of June. She has an S curve. The major curve at the top is 42 degrees and the bottom is 39 degrees. They measured her for a brace at that appointment.

    We just picked up her brace on July 7. It is a TLSO. She is supposed to wear it 23 hours a day. She can take it off for her weekly dance class. How do you get through the "breaking in" period. She was in tears after less than an hour of wearing it. We have tried putting it on for 2 - 2 1/2 hours and 1 hour off. We have been using Motrin every once in a while. (She hates to take medicine.) We were told to get a shirt one size smaller than she usually wears for under the brace. She is tall so the shirts are too short. She has a place that rubs on her hip. We called about that and she is to not wear the brace for 2 days and try moleskin on the area of the brace that is rubbing.

    Does anyone have any tips for us on "breaking in", what to wear under it and anything else that will help. It seems that this is going to be a hard process for her especially but also me. I feel so bad for her that she has to go through this. I want to make this as easy as possible.

    We are talking about getting a memory foam mattress pad to make it easier to sleep in.

    Thanks for any input.

    Chris

  • #2
    Hi Chris,

    All I can say is give it time and it will all get better soon.

    My daughter is 5 and she started wearing a Milwaukee Brace in January and it was very difficult for her and for us as well. Her upper curve was 23 and her lower was 42 degrees. She had the vertebral stapling done 2 weeks ago so she no longer needs to wear the brace.

    Our brace guy gave us these sleve shirts they are completely seamless and very strechy so even though they look tiny they stretch out and fit wonderfully under the brace.

    Also try rubbing witch hazel on her after her bath that will help toughen up the skin and then use baby powder to help absorb sweat (Dr. Scholl's medicated baby powder) is our favorite.

    Like I said give it some time and before you know it she'll be in her brace 23/7 and you nor she will even give it a second thought.

    Good Luck.

    Amanda
    Amanda

    Mom to Lorena 7 yrs old
    Diagnosed 8/2005 ~ 26 Degree Curve
    Progressed to 42 Degrees by Dec 05
    Milwakee Brace 1/16/06 - 6/26/06
    Vertebral Stapling on 6/26/06 @ Shriners in Philadelphia
    26 Degree Post Op Curve
    Last X-Rays December 07 ~ 26 Degree Curve
    Email: domingo_amandapompa@msn.com
    Website: www.vertebralstapling.com
    YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6GmX3K7FIs

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    • #3
      Hi Chris! My son, Alex, got his first TLSO on 12/23/05 just 2 months after his sixth birthday. It was tough at first for him (and us--mom and dad) with crying and pain after about 45 minutes the first day. We tried to get him to wear it a bit longer each time and after about two weeks (I think) he was wearing it pretty much full-time. He had a spot on his left hip that rubbed too. If the skin is not too red and tender, his doctor told me to rub on rubbing alcohol after his bath at night--use your fingers as the friction from your hand and the alcohol dry the skin and toughen it up. At first I did this in the a.m. also when we changed his T-Shirt underneath. It really does work!

      I have to say that at first, when he would start to complain we would kind-of make a game out of it: "Let's see if you can wear it for another 1/2 hour." and bribery doesn't hurt either!

      Under the brace what works well for Alex is the Fruit of the Loom A-shirts or the T-Shirts on the Boston Brace website look really nice and long too. The Fruit-of-the-Loom shirts are a bit longer than the Hanes and other brands around here.

      For sleeping, an extra pillow helps too. Alex sleeps with one kinda wedging his body up at an angle and then the second on under his head--stacked up pillows.

      The good news for us is that we just followed up with his Dr. Monday and the "S" curves he had of 30 degrees and 28 degrees are now 23 degrees and 17 degrees without the brace--it's working!!!

      Hope this helps! Please feel free to send me a message or e-mail me if you have more questions! Just keep at it and be gentle yet persistant. Best wishes to you and Caitlyn. Before long, it will become part of your daily routine and no big deal.

      Kim

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