spinecor

[WNCmom]

Hi Jill--

We will be taking my son (age 12; T40, L24) to Atlanta to be fitted for a SpineCor in two days, so thanks for asking that question--the answers are very helpful to me, too. Dr. Ouellette, the chiropractor who fits the SpineCor there, says he warrantees the brace for two years, so replacement parts are provided at no charge during that time. It's good to know what is likely to wear out, though.

We will be in New England during the Christmas holidays and are considering making an appointment to see Dr. Rivard during that time if that's possible. Please let us know how your appointment goes in Montreal.

Mary Ellen

[cherylplinder]

I spoke with Dr. Paul Sponseller at John's Hopkins before going to Montreal. He was so nice! He wasn't sure if the Spinecor was right for Rachel as she was chubby so I sought further advice.
He is the head of the pedicatric orthopedic unit and an excellent surgeon. I have read posts on the surgery thread of wonderful results. I am not sure who fits the brace at Johns Hopkins. He is very accessible. Seems like I contacted the clinic there and they gave me his direct email. I didn't ask for it, they offered it. If you want to speak with him, just try to get in touch.

Rachel and I rigged a shoe string through one of the snap holes sewed to the end of the strap that kept popping loose. The snap hole we thread it through is just above the snap we snap the band to. It was really an accident over a weekend when the shoe shop was closed and the snap they put on came off. I had to do something. The snap hole on the base of the one they put on had a larger center so I tied it in the pinch. It worked so well, I just stuck with it and tied and snapped.

[gwenk]

Hi

Andrew has been in the spinecor brace for kyphosis for almost a year and we did have some snap and velcro issues. Dr. Rivard sent us a new set of snaps right away and we took them to a shoemaker who put them on for us. a really good shoemaker will know how to tighten the snaps once he puts them on. We had trouble with the velcro wearing out and we were going to have the shoemaker sew some new velcro on. It would have cost about $500 to replace the velcro straps that go around the legs. Dr. Colliard found some used leg straps on our August visit that were clean and in pretty good shape so we use them instead for free.

Andrew's growth spurts really made the brace uncomfortable in less than the 6 months between visits so we take him to Canada after he gains 10 pounds or grows more than an inch, Dr. Coillard expects his growth spurts to slow down soon. We have gone 4 times in a year but he has gained almost 30 pounds and has grown 3 inches. So they have been pretty accomodating in seeing him more often.

Other than that we havent had trouble. He doesnt wear the brace for sports ( football, wrestling and baseball) because he has trouble with snaps coming undone in those activities. So he just counts practice as part of out of brace time.

Best wishes to you with spinecor.

Hope that helped.

Gwen

[gerbo]

passed the 100.000 viewings mark. Must be some kind of record!!

[Celia]

I saw it getting closer to the 100,000 mark yesterday and I thought: hmmm....the site will probably crash because there isn't enough space for so many numbers. So do we get a prize for being such chatter boxes???? I wonder if we can get into the guiness book of world records?

[jillw]

Thank you everyone for your tips! (and I"d love to hear what anyone else has to say)

MaryEllen, good luck in Atlanta tomorrow. Let us know how it goes. Our appointment in Montreal is on Tuesday.

Just Curious - both Dr. Rivard and Dr. Colliard are based out of montreal...how do the work it? I have spoken only to Dr. Rivard so I assume Katie's appointment is with him? Do you see the same doctor every time or do you not know who you'll be seeing when you visit?

Gwen, based upon what you said (that the thigh straps would have cost $500 to replace), it sounds like in Montreal dos not warranty the brace for two years? (unless maybe you had passed the two year mark when it happened).

Does anyone else have trouble with snaps coming undone during sports and such? I hate to think Katie would have to take it off during those kinds of activities because I get the impression that being active in the brace is such an integral part to how it works? But if the snaps won't hold i guess there would be no choice but to take it off and use out of brace time. Katie doesn't play football so maybe we'll be OK

[anwmom]

My daughter has trouble with one of the straps coming unsnapped when she bends over and does certain activities. She has had it replaced and adjusted -- it still happens but not as frequently as it did before it was replaced in August.

[jillw]

Gwen, I meant to ask you.... you have been going more frequently based upon his growth spurts (which makes sense to me!). Just curious, when you go do they take Xrays every time or some of the times do they just focus on making any adjustments to the fitting without xrays.

Anwmom, bummer that the snaps still come undone sometimes after the replacement/adjustment. My daughter is still youngish and her fine motor skills aren't the best so I don't know if she'd be able to take care of those types of things if they happen when I'm not there. I guess we may be getting to know the school nurse very well if we do this...

Thanks!

Jill

[gwenk]

Hi Jill,

My insurance company told me if I seek medical care outside of the US nothing is covered, unlike an accident overseas which would. The $500 pieces that I was talking about were the sections that go around your legs. Both were worn out on Andrew. Dr. Coillard said we would have to pay for new ones if we didnt want to take it home and have it fixed. We were lucky that she had the used ones that she gave us.

So, it does sound like the two year guarantee is a pretty good deal comparatively. I wondered why something so expensive should have to be replaced at my expense but I guess I just figured thats how they do it in Montreal. I just just tell myself that these guys are the best and I will have to drive my 9 year old van one more year!

The procedure is the same everytime we go. We go pay the hospital bill with our credit card, go see Dr. colliard who adjusts the brace, go to xray, and come back for results with Rivard and sometimes Coillard. It takes about 45 minutes then we get back in the car and head for Pennsylvania. We have done it in one day everytime. Pack losts of snacks, a dvd player and some good music.

Dr. Rivard wrote us a note for our insurance company because the brace is actually FDA approved and some people in the state are having it covered but my insurance denied it.

Take care


Gwen

[jillw]

Gwen, if you don't mind me asking who is your insurance provider?

Ours is Blue Cross/Blue Shield - has anyone had experience with them? (I realize even within Blue cross, coverage may vary based upon the specific employer underwriting the plan, etc) but am wondering if anyone has had any luck getting them to cover spinecor.

thanks!

[WNCmom]

Jill--

Our insurance company is Assurant Health and we don't yet know whether the SpineCor brace will be covered. We're going to do it regardless (we need a new car, too!), so we'll forge ahead and find out later. We've already had one brace this year. I'll let you know what they say when we file the claim.

Gwen, thanks for letting us know about your insurance company's response to seeking medical care in Canada and what a visit to Dr. Rivard is like. It will help to be prepared if we do go to Montreal in a few months.

Mary Ellen

[rtremb]

For Canadian visitors to Dr. Rivard...........

When we visited we had to fill out a few forms but the consultation with Dr. Rivard and the x-rays were covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). The hospital invoices are paid by OHIP.

The Spinecor brace, however, is not covered by OHIP or the Ontario Assistive Devices Program. (TLSO braces are covered by the Ontario Assistive Devices Program.)

We are going back to see Dr. Rivard on October 23rd for a Spinecor brace fitting for Esme - can't wait.

Ruth

[christine2]

Our insurance (bluecross) paid out of network benefits which had a $750.00 limit for durable medical equipment each year. All of our OV's and x rays are reimbursed 80%.

Jill I went into the school nurse and showed her how to resnapped the brace. I also wrote in marker on the pelvis piece #'s where to place the snapps. My daughter does ALL of her activitys in brace. soccer, figure skating, gymnastics ect...

[arairdon]

spinecor

When we have an early appointment in Montreal, we always stay at Ruby Foos. It is a fairly easy drive to the hospital, we can park our own car, the people that work there are really nice. My daughter has become great friends with the concierge. There is a McDonalds with a play yard and a nice greek restaurant (The Marathon) not too far away. They have a special rate if you say you're going to St Justine's (~$120 I think). They do not have a pool and they do not have kitchenettes that I know of. We always pack a big cooler.

My daughter has had the same brace since July 2004. We try to buy extra snaps before we leave Canada. We started out having them replaced at a shoe store, but one time when there was nobody available for several days - we bought a snap kit at the hardware store and my husband replaces the snaps himself. I also had a friend sew new velcro on the thigh bands.

We have Anthem BC and BS insurance. When we first approached them they said they would not cover it because it was not an emergency. I have sent them all receipts and a letter from Dr. Rivard and they continue to reimburse a substantial portion (I think 80%).

Good luck with your trip. The first few times are a bit overwhelming, but it does get better each time.

Ann Rairdon

[rtremb]

When we have travelled throughout Quebec I use the Bonjour Quebec website to view hotels in advance. This is the link to the accommodation search:

http://www.bonjourquebec.com/qc-en/hebergement0.html