Wearing Brace until the surgery?

[MJB]

I wasn't given any direction, I just called and left a message but I was wondering if any of you know, should she be wearing her brace until just before her surgery or should she have her "true curve" at the time of surgery and be out of it for 48 hours?

[Pooka1]

Isn't surgery scheduled for 10 days from now?

[MJB]

yes.... May 16th. I have called and left a message, I hope his assistant calls me back.

[Elisa]

It will be interesting to hear back whether she should continue with the brace or not. Me, I'd toss that thing so far into the blackberry bush that even a rabbit couldn't find it if I knew I'd be having surgery in ten days, lol.

[Pooka1]

It will be interesting to hear back whether she should continue with the brace or not. Me, I'd toss that thing so far into the blackberry bush that even a rabbit couldn't find it if I knew I'd be having surgery in ten days, lol.

Post of the month nomination.

[laurieg6]

Once we realized my son's brace wasn't working, since his curves were increasing and surgery became required, we were told he could stop wearing it. It was such a great relief for him to not have to wear that thing. It then became increasingly clear how weakened his torso muscles had become as a result of wearing the brace for so long.

Since your daughter's brace is not doing its intended job anyway (holding the curves and postponing/preventing surgery), I can't see the harm in allowing her the freedom to be out of it for her last 10 days before surgery. Unless of course, she's more comfortable wearing it. My son got so used to it that even though he was so happy he didn't have to wear it, it took him a while to gradually wean himself off of it.

[MJB]

See I want her to have the last week without it... DH says she should wear it... When we found out she would need surgery, the Orthopaedic Surgeon said that if she doesn't continue wearing the brace while we wait for the surgery (because he was going to give her a few more months to grow) then she will get much worse, possibly ending up getting up to 70 degrees... She had gone from 40 degrees to 55+ degrees in 6 months.

DH says going into the surgery after wearing the brace would make her straighter and since they have to straighten her spine anyway, why not send her in a little straighter?

I say why have her appear straighter than she is and have something possibly missed because her curve isn't the "true curve"...

I am hoping when she calls back that she says she doesnt have to wear it, it would be nice for her to be brace free for a week before the surgery... DH is worried that she will be in too much discomfort though, because she is always having back pain when she is out of her brace now.

[leahdragonfly]

Hi there, if it were my daughter I would allow her to brace-free. At worst her curve increased 5 degrees per month, so in 10 days what's the very worst that can happen, maybe 1 degree worse if that? And especially since the brace isn't working, I would let her have 10 days of freedom.

Her spine will be straightened maximally anyway. I can not imagine that wearing the brace or not wearing it is going to make any difference at this point.

Hang in there, these last days are the very worst by far. Try to keep busy and keep positive thoughts and trust in her surgeon. Pretty soon here she will be through surgery and on the road to recovery.

[LindaRacine]

Hi...

I agree with Gayle. Wearing the brace for the next 10 days will have no affect, positive or negative, on the amount of correction.

Regards,
Linda

[mariaf]

I agree with Gayle, Linda and the others. If we were talking about a few months, then maybe I'd be a little more on the fence, although I still would not be convinced that the brace would make a difference since, as someone said, it's not doing its job anyway. But since we are only talking about 10 days, I can't possibly imagine that it will make any difference at all.

[MJB]

Thanks ladies!!!!!