Strange question

[foofer]

Add me to your fan club, Rohrer!

Sorry about the doc, but I would suspect that you are already over it. Recently I've had a lot of neck pain and thoracic- it takes the starch out of your skirt, as you well know. I've thought of you a lot lately.

I also wanted to add that I always read the science "discussions"...and besides having a wealth of knowledge, you also have the capability of discerning how your posts will sound to the reader with just average science aptitude. (That would be me, and it's okay- I absolutely rock in other areas ). You have a way of making your posts clear and understandable, quite a gift.

Onward into the future!!

[rohrer01]

Add me to your fan club, Rohrer!

Sorry about the doc, but I would suspect that you are already over it. Recently I've had a lot of neck pain and thoracic- it takes the starch out of your skirt, as you well know. I've thought of you a lot lately.

I also wanted to add that I always read the science "discussions"...and besides having a wealth of knowledge, you also have the capability of discerning how your posts will sound to the reader with just average science aptitude. (That would be me, and it's okay- I absolutely rock in other areas ). You have a way of making your posts clear and understandable, quite a gift.

Onward into the future!!

Thanks! Yes, I'm completely over it. As far as making science understandable to the average reader, I can't take credit for that one. I had a very AWESOME professor, who is still my good friend to this day. She felt that it was extremely important to be able to relay scientific information to the general public. In an advanced course I took in Human Genetics, she gave us "controversial" subjects that we had to do scientific research on and then write a short story (I'll say Reader's Digest style) that would touch the hearts and minds of any reader. This was a very difficult assignment (I hated it at the time), but taught us (those in the class) how important it is to be able to communicate effectively. Really, what if something came up in our own families, or we went on to become genetic counselors, doctors, or some other medical professional? I don't think that without her, I would have this "gift" as you put it. There are educators and then there are those that stick with you the rest of your life. She's definitely the latter category! But thanks for the compliment!

Ballet Mom had asked about curve progression. I don't have a huge cobb angle, but it is very high and tight (5 or 6 vertebrae span) and 46* with documented progression of 6* in the last two years. My lower cobb has progressed 10* in the last two years. This is after over 20 years of stability. That is why I'm so desperate to find some help. I know it's going to be a tough fix, and I don't want to wait until things are too difficult or dangerous. Even if I do have "other" pain issues such as fibromyalgia, which I probably do, at least I will have addressed this one problem. It causes me difficulty in breathing. The episodes don't usually last that long, but I'm afraid that if I lose my breath for too long and there is no one there to help, well, you can only imagine the rest. It's never lasted that long to lower my Oxygen and I don't want to borrow trouble, but I also need to be realistic about the fact that the episodes are more frequent, I'm progressing, and I'm not getting any younger. We'll see what this new doctor has to say. I'm sure I should be able to get in, since he's on the provider list, YEAH!

Also, I looked up some things about this doctor (the RUN AWAY doctor) on this forum that were supposed to be really awesome stories. The parent's were very happy. But I saw SO many red flags in that post, that the parent's didn't even realize they were saying. So if a satisfied customer can say negative things without realizing, then I can only imagine the unsatisfied ones! I did the google and OUCH! I don't know why I never found those testimonials before. I honestly did look. I try to be very careful. It can only be expected that you will find good reports and bad reports about ANY doctor, but I felt that even his hospital affiliation was misleading. Scary.

[Pooka1]

Thanks! Yes, I'm completely over it. As far as making science understandable to the average reader, I can't take credit for that one. I had a very AWESOME professor, who is still my good friend to this day. She felt that it was extremely important to be able to relay scientific information to the general public. In an advanced course I took in Human Genetics, she gave us "controversial" subjects that we had to do scientific research on and then write a short story (I'll say Reader's Digest style) that would touch the hearts and minds of any reader. This was a very difficult assignment (I hated it at the time), but taught us (those in the class) how important it is to be able to communicate effectively. Really, what if something came up in our own families, or we went on to become genetic counselors, doctors, or some other medical professional? I don't think that without her, I would have this "gift" as you put it. There are educators and then there are those that stick with you the rest of your life. She's definitely the latter category! But thanks for the compliment!

Wow cool. I would say your science training was apparent in your writing which is why I initially guessed you had this training.

My lower cobb has progressed 10* in the last two years.

That's a lot. I am assuming your lumbar curve is functional/compensatory, yes? This issue of waiting where functional curves get so large as to be apparently structural is not something I see addressed too much. One parent did mention a surgeon wanted to operate below 50* on a TL curve so as to try to save levels but that is the only testimonial I can recall about this. I have some questions about the utility and even ethics of this threshold in fast moving, never static, curves like my one daughter had. Perhaps if she was fused at 40* or 45* instead of 58* she might have had a shorter fusion. Now it's true we scheduled surgery when she was 48* but 2 months later she was 58* on the table.

Also, I looked up some things about this doctor (the RUN AWAY doctor) on this forum that were supposed to be really awesome stories. The parent's were very happy. But I saw SO many red flags in that post, that the parent's didn't even realize they were saying. So if a satisfied customer can say negative things without realizing, then I can only imagine the unsatisfied ones! I did the google and OUCH! I don't know why I never found those testimonials before. I honestly did look. I try to be very careful. It can only be expected that you will find good reports and bad reports about ANY doctor, but I felt that even his hospital affiliation was misleading. Scary.

Good work finding that info. The last sentence is very cryptic.

Glad you found someone else.

[rohrer01]

Wow cool. I would say your science training was apparent in your writing which is why I initially guessed you had this training.



That's a lot. I am assuming your lumbar curve is functional/compensatory, yes? This issue of waiting where functional curves get so large as to be apparently structural is not something I see addressed too much. One parent did mention a surgeon wanted to operate below 50* on a TL curve so as to try to save levels but that is the only testimonial I can recall about this. I have some questions about the utility and even ethics of this threshold in fast moving, never static, curves like my one daughter had. Perhaps if she was fused at 40* or 45* instead of 58* she might have had a shorter fusion. Now it's true we scheduled surgery when she was 48* but 2 months later she was 58* on the table.



Good work finding that info. The last sentence is very cryptic.

Glad you found someone else.

I thought that 10* was a lot, too. My doctor just ignored it. I think he was just focusing on the BIG one. He neglected to address the severe hypokyphosis issue, too. I really should have a lung function test done. I think the smaller curve has turned from compensatory to structural as it is considered a major curve now. The doctor said I now have a double major curve, something I was never told before. I often wonder if they had done surgery on my "big" curve (diagoned at 39*) and corrected the 4 to 6 vertebrae involved, if I would even have this second curve. My second curve is now 38*. I think that if a curve is painful, it should be fixed.

Since the mindset of most doctors is that scoliosis is not painful, then obviously the painful curves must have some additional pathology that makes them hurt. Perhaps they are causing damage to nerves, or surrounding tissues. Nerve damage can be tested for, but tissue damage can not, as far as I know. I get so aggrivated over this subject that sometimes I feel like going back to school to get my MD so I can work on this problem myself! The only problem is that the MCAT's (Medical School Entrance Exam) scare me to death after being out of college for so long. I know some of the Organic Chemistry guys that write some of the questions for this test, and they are brutal! Anyway back to the subject of the curves, if they had fixed the 4 - 6 vertebrae then, maybe I wouldn't be staring 12 - 14 vertebrae in the face now. If I wait longer is it going to be the whole 24 plus the sacrum? I know I'm being sarcastic.

As far as the cryptic sentence goes, I did not know that there was a difference between Duke Raleigh Hospital and Duke University Medical Center. The doctor in question has priviledges at Duke Raleigh.

I hope I can get in to see this new doctor, too. I hope he's really good. I looked him up. He "looks" nice. He studied at Mayo in Rochester, MN. They seem to have a good reputation for everything.

Thank you all for all the kind words! ((((HUGS))))