So glad I found you guys!

[Pooka1]

Glad to hear Elias is almost up to weight and on time for the next procedure.

My jaw dropped over that exchange with that surgeon. Geez.

In re the bunneh... I think the Department of Defense is using classified recombinant DNA technology to produce an animal that is so cute that it can make the enemy's head explode just looking at a picture. They are nearly there with that prototype!

[Elisa]

~50lbs.!! Exactly 1 week before 2nd. surgery.

I hope Dr. K comes back soon. He might actually be back already but he isn't in the building otherwise I would have seen him around.

Off for an x-ray.

[Elisa]

Back from x-ray and I had a look at them: front/side view and they look great! I asked if the computer automatically calculated the Cobb angle but it doesn't so it will be measured later. The front x-ray while sitting looked a lot like the x-ray that was taken while he was semi-reclined so definitely an improvement. I wish I had thought to take my camera but I didn't think about it b/c someone just walked in the room while I was posting the last comment so I just went along. I'll take a couple of pics when the nurse can actually access them off the computer on this floor. This will be his last x-rays until after his rods are put in and he'll be so much straighter and taller than when we first got here. :-)

[jrnyc]

i give you tremendous credit for not taking the head off the snotty doctor who made that comment to you!!! if it were me, i would have needed to be restrained! why do you care? care about what metal they will insert into your dear child's body, metal that may or may not stay there forever...?? i hope, after your son is safe and sound, free of any more need, that you can report that comment to someone in Human Resources! i had a snotty, very famous surgeon at the "great" Sloan Kettering in NYC once make a snide remark to me...i walked out of the appointment without finishing it...wrote HR at the hospital, and got a large refund of a good percentage of the large cash sum i had paid to see the guy...they knew his reputation of "poor bedside manners," to put it mildly!
i do not know what medical school teaches some of these people that they are above mere mortal humans, but whatever school it is should really knock it off!

congratulations on how well Elias is doing...brave guy!

jess

[titaniumed]

In re the bunneh... I think the Department of Defense is using classified recombinant DNA technology to produce an animal that is so cute that it can make the enemy's head explode just looking at a picture. They are nearly there with that prototype!

If you remember the movie “Never cry wolf” where the gov’t researcher “Tyler” is living in the hut, and discovers that the mice are pretty much taking things over..... It drove him to drink.

Same thing, only with fur. You need a gestation period of about 48 hrs with this weapon. You drop off a pair of these guys, and wait. The enemy will capitulate.

Ed

[JenniferG]

You're nearly there! How're Elias's spirits? How are yours? I gather it's Dr. K who'll be doing the surgery? This has been simply the most amazing story.

[Elisa]

You're nearly there! How're Elias's spirits? How are yours? I gather it's Dr. K who'll be doing the surgery? This has been simply the most amazing story.

Jennifer, Elias is doing great and is having a good time with the other two teens (playing board games right now) and he enjoys coming back to his/our room and spending some time on his laptop and we've watched a few movies together as well. He's quite sick of the food on the menu so I do bring in other things from elsewhere as well as we've ordered Chinese food twice which is his favourite. He does complain somewhat about not sleeping all that well and is so looking forward to getting back to his own room with his newish pillow top bed as this circle bed is basically a slab of foam with a egg carton foam topper on it. And mostly he wants that damn metal crown of thorns off his head asap and can't wait to ditch the wheelchair and weights.

I'm pretty good as well and the time has actually gone by pretty quickly but I too am really looking forward to getting back home to the rest of the family, kitties, chinchillas and I miss my job and co-workers. HdHugger has been up three times now to see me and took me out for lunch today as well as to Voodoo doughnuts (they're so good) so it's been great meeting her and I really appreciate her coming by.

Jess, he's not Elias' surgeon otherwise I would have been pretty upset so I honestly don't give a rat's arse about him, just feel sorry for others who have to deal with him on a regular basis. I know I couldn't.

[JenniferG]

That's so good to hear! Very happy to read about your visitors from the forum. That's just so heart-warming.

I'm amazed how you have both come through this long journey relatively unscathed. The light at the end of the tunnel is starting to grow larger. Wish I was there to see your home-coming.

[jrnyc]

hi Elisa
i understand he is not your son's surgeon, thank goodness...but to have a doctor around who speaks to a parent in that way is sickening! it hurts the reputation of the entire hospital...imagine if a visitor to the hospital overheard that and made a judgement based on his attitude! and you're right....i feel sorry for anyone who has to deal with that guy for their medical care!

people will be keeping Elias in their thoughts and prayers until all is finished and he is back home, recooping!

jess

[Pooka1]

If you remember the movie “Never cry wolf” where the gov’t researcher “Tyler” is living in the hut, and discovers that the mice are pretty much taking things over..... It drove him to drink.

Same thing, only with fur. You need a gestation period of about 48 hrs with this weapon. You drop off a pair of these guys, and wait. The enemy will capitulate.

Ed

I KNEW you would dig the engineering aspect of fall this; bioengineering in this case.

I think they are close and this photo should not have leaked out. Now the enemy can take countermeasures knowing how close we are to having a remote head explosion detonation system. Even with this prototype, I had to hold the sides of my head to avoid exploditude.

I love this comment on the photo...

"'floofitivity' ; thanks for the addition to my vocabularium." - lisa

It's more potent than radioactivity!

[Elisa]

I was on my way to get some early morning coffee when I snagged the intern working alongside the surgeons and asked about Elias' x-rays that were taken yesterday. He said "they looked great, did you see them?" I said I did and asked him if he knew the measurement and he said it was about 68* sitting and last week it was closer to 78*. I knew it looked better than last week's sitting x-ray. He said that the doctor (other surgeon who's taking Dr. K's place for now) will be making his rounds to the rooms soon and I said that I don't need to talk to him, I'm good and know what I need to know for now, thanks. So instead, I'm having coffee in the parents' lounge and am using the computer there. *need second cup!*

So, he has six more days in weight traction before his fusion next Tuesday so hopefully now that he's reached his max weight of 50lbs. his spine will straighten a bit more and then the rest will be done surgically. I am very optimisitc that the boy will look and feel fantastic when all is said and done and will be able to walk with his friends from school to the nearby stores during lunchbreak to buy a snack and actually make it back to class without feeling like his back "is on fire". We don't care if he can't become an athlete, we just want him to be able to walk around and be a normal kid who isn't always suffering.

[Elisa]

Dr. K is back!! I told him I missed him.

He's very happy with the results so far and thinks since Elias is tolerating the weights so well that we're going up to 55lbs. but no more than that and with 6 days left in traction he thinks that he'll get a bit more correction from that which means less surgical intervention for him to do on Tuesday. I asked him what he thought would be the final correction and he hesitated a bit, then gave a little grin and said: "30 degrees". I told him that that would be amazing. We'll see on Tuesday I guess. I love that guy!

Edit: ~Up to 51lbs... 4lbs. more to go.

[titaniumed]

55# is quite a pull. I did 50# on my lumbar on a VAX-d machine and felt that I couldn’t handle any more.

It seems as though things are progressing quite nicely....
Ed

[Elisa]

Ed, the difference may be in having the halo screwed into his head. You'd think he'd feel all that weight but he doesn't seem to. Other than the initial neck pain, he's been fine. We do limit the weight to 30lbs. while he sleeps though b/c otherwise it's difficult for him to turn his head from side to side. When I think of 50lbs. I visualize two big 20lb sacks of potatoes and then another 10lb sack which is a lot but for some reason when it's attached to your skull, it doesn't feel like all that much according to him and the other boy too. Weird.

I am hoping he'll get the best correction possible of course but realize that the goal isn't to see how straight the surgeon can get his spine, the goal is to stabilize the spine and keep it from progressing again. A great correction is just a bonus.

[ddb]

55lbs!! Wow!!

Wonderful that he will get a better correction!! My DD had a lot of pain prior to surgery when active. Noticed in the last months leading up to surgery she became less active. That has been the best thing to watch from this side - she can go and go and go without pain. Warms my heart - even with all the grey hair I got during the process

What an amazing journey you both have been on. Continued thoughts and prayers for you both.

Dee