So glad I found you guys!

[Elisa]

Chinchillas and wine... together! Very nice, heh.

I've been having some computer/Internet issues along with just plain ole working and visiting with some family members who've come up to visit and spend some time with us. We don't have any relatives here in CR so those who do come up come from Victoria and area so they tend to stay a few nights. Love having them but it is tiring and messy.

It's been almost four weeks since Elias' second surgery/halo traction and he's doing really well. He had his staples out last Monday and that was the last day he took any pain medication. He says he feels good but does mention a "stiff neck" so I'm not sure if that is surgery related or b/c his neck was yanked straight during the halo traction. He does heat up the corn bag in the microwave during the day and that seems to help his neck.

He's starting to fill out a bit more now but still needs to gain some more weight to go along with his new height as well as put back the pounds he lost during the five week hospital stay. His scar looks as though it's healing nicely too. I've been putting aloe-vera (real plant stuff) on it but I'll look into that bio oil that I've seen mentioned here and elsewhere.

All in all everything is going great and I still can't believe it's all over with and how quickly time has gone by. I'm actually looking forward to heading back down to Portland for his checkup up in about five months. Dr. K did ask to see him in three months but I told him I just couldn't come back that soon b/c of already taking so much time off work and it is so busy. He was fine with that and we talked about coming back down around six months and sending the x-rays down at six weeks. That means I'll have to take Elias in, in about two weeks for the newest x-rays.

If there's any hockey fans out there... Vancouver plays San Jose in about half hour... game 1 of the 3rd series. ;-)

[Elisa]

4 weeks post-op!

It's been exactly four weeks to the day that Elias had his second spine surgery. His scar is still quite red but is otherwise healing nicely. I'm going to look into getting some Bio Oil to put on the scar as it's supposed to help heal it faster and leave it less noticeable. I'll look around town for it tomorrow.

I haven't been weighing Elias but I can just tell that he's gained a bit of weight and is filling out and his bones are looking more round than sharp. I doubt he'll ever be a chunky guy but my goodness, his shoulders could've taken out an eye if you bumped into him in the hallway.

Hoping to get him back to school soon too even if it is just part-time as June is the last month at his old school and then it's off to high school in September.

[titaniumed]

Elisa

Are you going to make him go back to school?

I know the kids do so much better than us older farts, but after what he has been through?

There is also the remote chance of horseplay, which would have me concerned....he is only 1 month. Boys will be boys, you cannot control the other kid.

You know I’m always going to side with a scoli. (Smiley face)

Ed

[Elisa]

Hmm, you've got a good point about the "horseplay" Ed. I actually had that in mind just after his second surgery but I guess I forgot about it these past four weeks b/c he's been doing so well and I've been so busy with other things etc. Man, I'd flip a lid if after sending him back some kid tackled him in good fun or something like that. Maybe I'll keep him home and bring schoolwork to him instead and let him recover throughout the summer holidays and start him back in September.

[JenniferG]

Hi Elisa, thanks for the update. Yes, he's starting to fill out a little though I can see he's naturally lean. His scar looks great.

It's mind-boggling how successful Elias' surgery has been. He had plenty going for him, with his easy-going personality and his positive Mom.

[Elisa]

Hi Elisa, thanks for the update. Yes, he's starting to fill out a little though I can see he's naturally lean. His scar looks great.

It's mind-boggling how successful Elias' surgery has been. He had plenty going for him, with his easy-going personality and his positive Mom.

I too am amazed at how well everything went. I still lie awake at night sometimes thinking about it all and I really can't believe we went through all of that and how it's been four weeks already and he's feeling pretty good and hasn't even been on pain meds for over a week now.

His scar looks a bit nasty to me but I have to keep in mind that he was opened up and stapled twice there so it will take more time to heal compared to those who only had one surgery and had something to close the incision other than staples. If I come across as positive, then it's only b/c I am/was so thrilled that he finally got the help he needed. And yes, he is my most easygoing kid for sure.

[titaniumed]

Tell Elias he can thank me later. LOL

Ed

[Elisa]

Tell Elias he can thank me later. LOL

Ed

Oh I am sure he will be thanking you later, haha!

You've definitely got me seriously thinking it's not worth the risk to send him to school considering it's the last month anyway and he has just been through two spine surgeries/traction etc. and I'd worry terribly about him the whole time he'd be there, and if some kid did wrestle him or something, I'd be a total basket case and would have to drop the kid on site. Yeah, better to not go down that road and get the cops involved and it is a small community and I'd be front page for sure, lol.

Heading out in a bit to run some errands and am going to stop at the health food store to see if I can pick up something to put on his scar to help it heal a bit if that's even possible. Then back home to do some stuff around the house before I grab my little-big buddy Elias to settle in to watch the big game tonight. He's really enjoying these playoffs and asks a lot questions about the rules etc. I never wanted my boys to play contact sports like hockey b/c it's way too rough but now that he can't play anyway (and has no interest) he can still enjoy watching. :-)

[LindaRacine]

Hi Elisa...

You've probably already purchased something by now, but I actually would just leave the scar alone. Except in relatively rare situations, the scar heals really nicely over time. I had my first spine surgery at age 42, about 19 years ago, and my posterior scar is just a thin line that is only noticeable if you look closely. I've seen hundreds of scars, and they're almost all about the same.

Glad Elias is doing so well. It's been quite a journey.

Regards,
Linda

[Elisa]

Linda, I haven't left the house yet so I haven't bought anything. So you think I should just leave his scar alone then? What about this "Bio Oil" that I read about that people are applying... does it work or is it just a waste of money? What about the aloe gel (real plant) I've been putting on his scar... waste of time too? I have the plant here so it's no big deal but I don't want to go out and pay $$ for a product that either doesn't work or isn't necessary. I could certainly put the $$ to use elsewhere... like starting to pay back my Visa for starters.

[LindaRacine]

Linda, I haven't left the house yet so I haven't bought anything. So you think I should just leave his scar alone then? What about this "Bio Oil" that I read about that people are applying... does it work or is it just a waste of money? What about the aloe gel (real plant) I've been putting on his scar... waste of time too? I have the plant here so it's no big deal but I don't want to go out and pay $$ for a product that either doesn't work or isn't necessary. I could certainly put the $$ to use elsewhere... like starting to pay back my Visa for starters.

Hi Elisa...

Sorry, I don't have any experience with any of the products. All I can tell you is that the scar usually heals beautifully by itself. I would personally not waste the money.

--Linda

[Pooka1]

We put nothing on the scars and they look fine.

I question whether there is any evidence whatsoever that treatments improve scars. I doubt it.

[Elisa]

Donovan made the front page yesterday! If they thought his spine was "severely crooked" they should have seen Elias' heh.

http://www.chilliwacktimes.com/healt...660/story.html

I looked up the cost of the Bio Oil and it's not expensive at all, somewhere around $15 so that's not much at all. For some reason I thought it would be a lot more expensive. Whether it works or not? Who knows. He's also got some nasty stretch marks on his back that were caused by his ribcage being so rotated so I was thinking of putting it on those too. He doesn't seem to care one way or the other, it's just me wanting to speed things up with the healing.

[Pooka1]

I don't know that those treatments claim to speed healing. I think they might claim to produce a less noticeable scar but again, I would want to see some evidence for that claim.

Neither of my girls ever gave one hoot about their scars. The one kid bought a dress that exposed at least 90% of the scar. She didn't realize it... they forget about the scar because they rarely see it and she liked the dress from the front. When I told her most of the scar was visible she clearly didn't care one way or the other.

[Pooka1]

Donovan made the front page yesterday! If they thought his spine was "severely crooked" they should have seen Elias' heh.

That is an amazing correction! Did Dr. K do that one also? If so, together with your son's correction, Dr. K is an artist.