Need some advice!

[naptown78]

Jamie Ann,
Please make sure you get more than one opinion when considering surgery and also try more conservative techniques such as physical therapy and pain management. I say this because I am one of the few that had complications with my first surgery and had to have a revision 2 yrs later. Things don't always go as expected so if you don't have significant disability or pain, I would also hold off. Good luck in your research and ultimate decision!

[debbei]

I've pointed out before that I was an exception too. When I stopped visiting the ortho at age 22 (after 3 teenage years in the brace), my curves were both about 30 degrees. I was told that I would never get any worse. Fast forward to 45 yrs old, and they were both 66 degrees.

Bottom line, in my opinion, is that it's not an exact science.

[Pooka1]

I've pointed out before that I was an exception too. When I stopped visiting the ortho at age 22 (after 3 teenage years in the brace), my curves were both about 30 degrees. I was told that I would never get any worse. Fast forward to 45 yrs old, and they were both 66 degrees.

Bottom line, in my opinion, is that it's not an exact science.

Well it sounds like some doctors are not viewing this as particularly unusual any more. They must be seeing plenty of patients who were thought stable in the 30s* but still needed fusion pretty early.

I wonder if this will filter into the bracing strategies... does it make sense to put kids in the 30s* in a brace given a reassessed progression potential and given the rates of fusion for ancillary damage to the spine even in smaller curves?

You wore a brace 3 years. I think you said is was a Milwaukee, is that right? My kid only wore a night-time brace one year and I think that was a mistake for many reasons not just this potential new one.

[debbei]

Well it sounds like some doctors are not viewing this as particularly unusual any more. They must be seeing plenty of patients who were thought stable in the 30s* but still needed fusion pretty early.

I wonder if this will filter into the bracing strategies... does it make sense to put kids in the 30s* in a brace given a reassessed progression potential and given the rates of fusion for ancillary damage to the spine even in smaller curves?

You wore a brace 3 years. I think you said is was a Milwaukee, is that right? My kid only wore a night-time brace one year and I think that was a mistake for many reasons not just this potential new one.

Yes it was the Milwaukee brace, 23 hrs a day. My youngest child, a girl, is almost 11 yrs old. She has a very slight curve. The the minute she starts to progress, we will jump on it immediately and brace her, due to my history. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she doesn't and it doesn't come to that.

[Nitram]

Both my wife and I have scoliosis so we are watching our kids very closely. We've already had my daughter (11) in to see my doctor as she showed sign of a minor curve. There is now a genetic test that can be done which can help the doctor get a feel for the chances of a curve progressing. The point of doing the test is to give the doctor as much advance notice as possible to start treatment early if needed...I reallydont want my kids to have to have the surgery I just had and anything I can do to try and prevent that is worth it to me. It's not an exact test but my doc says if you score at the extreme ends of the test indicating a very high, or very low chance of progression it's apprently pretty accurate. Of course my daughter scored in the middle which didn't really help the doc at all, but it gives us hope her very minor curve won't progress.

Rich

[debbei]

Both my wife and I have scoliosis so we are watching our kids very closely. We've already had my daughter (11) in to see my doctor as she showed sign of a minor curve. There is now a genetic test that can be done which can help the doctor get a feel for the chances of a curve progressing. The point of doing the test is to give the doctor as much advance notice as possible to start treatment early if needed...I reallydont want my kids to have to have the surgery I just had and anything I can do to try and prevent that is worth it to me. It's not an exact test but my doc says if you score at the extreme ends of the test indicating a very high, or very low chance of progression it's apprently pretty accurate. Of course my daughter scored in the middle which didn't really help the doc at all, but it gives us hope her very minor curve won't progress.

Rich

As a matter of fact, my 11 yr old daughter had the genetic test almost 4 weeks ago. We are waiting for the results. I really wanted her to have the test, but from what the Dr. tells me, if the 'score' is within a certain (large) range, you don't know more than prior to having the test. I'll post when we get her results, which I hope to be next week.

[Doodles]

I didn't know such a test existed. Three of my 4 girls have scoliosis slightly. The 4th is seeing more progression and is 22. Has anyone else used this test?
Janet

[debbei]

I didn't know such a test existed. Three of my 4 girls have scoliosis slightly. The 4th is seeing more progression and is 22. Has anyone else used this test?
Janet

Here are the details:

http://www.axialbiotech.com/patients/learn/scolidx

[JamieAnn]

Did anyone else participate in the test for this company a few years ago? I had to submit my saliva and some forms, and I believe this was what resulted from that test.

[LindaRacine]

Did anyone else participate in the test for this company a few years ago? I had to submit my saliva and some forms, and I believe this was what resulted from that test.

I did. I think a lot of us did.

--Linda

[Doodles]

Debbei--Thanks so much. Janet