My daughter at almost 10 years post fusion

[Pooka1]

One of my twin daughters was fused on 6 October, 2009, almost 10 years ago. Ten levels... T4-L1.

She has been doing a fisheries biology internship with a Federal agency out west. This position requires 10+ mile hikes to remote camp sites carrying heavy equipment, staying out for many days at a time, wading in streams on slippery rocks, etc.

During one of these long, remote trips, her foot became extremely painful due to EXTREME overuse of her pronated ankles. (Her sister requires an ankle brace for the same condition that she wears daily.) On the same trip, she also fell in a stream and dislocated her shoulder. While she was able to reduce it herself, she lost use of the arm during the rest of the trip. She was crying from the pain of that.

The pronated ankles and dislocations are due to her hypermobility. Both her and her twin sister are being monitored the rest of their life for aortic enlargement in case they have Marfans. They don't have that diagnosis at the moment.

One thing that never bothered her on these remote treks was her back. I hope kids who are being fused can take hope in this vignette.

[titaniumed]

Sharon, 10 years is a milestone....everything has worked out well. Congratulations!

Where is she at?

I did a lot of fly fishing years ago in the Sierra's of California. Its very relaxing.....Unless your fishing at Clint Eastwood's home in Cassel, Ca. I actually got skunked at Clint's place, and you cant complain or there could be trouble. I wouldn't want to make his day....Ha ha There is a large hatchery there that I visited where they raise different trout species. Hat Creek, California is a famous fishing location....

The McCloud river is also noteworthy since its the "original source" for Rainbow trout eggs and fry. This was the source of most artificially propagated trout in the world.
Its a blue ribbon stream, and hard to fish since it runs through the Hearst enclave "Wyntoon" so you have to stay in the river. WR Hearst and Marion Davies hung out there during WW2.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyntoon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McClou..._redband_trout

The kids really do quite well with these surgeries with some doing some incredible procedures. Its amazing that we have the ability to do this. What really blows me away is when the old timers post about their (cast method) prior to the introduction of the Harrington rod around 1960. "I've been hanging in there with no pain for over a half a century".....

Ed

[Pooka1]

Idaho. Previous internship was in Oregon.

Tens years is an aside from the main point that this kid is pushing herself physically so far that body parts are failing. But her back is just fine. These fusion surgeries are amazing in that she can kill herself and her back will probably be the last thing to fail.