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  • #31
    Jennifer,
    The stress level here. Pretty stressful. It doesn't help that we moved last week. Still trying to find everything.

    I am going to concentrate on my transcription today and tomorrow and hopefully get one more job done by Friday. It will help keep me pre-occupied.

    Crystal is trying to get all of her school work done before we go. Since, next week is the end of the quarter and she has surgery next week, she'd like to have it done. THat way she won't have to make up any incompletes.

    Crystal has been home the last couple of weeks because all the kids at school are so sick. She kept coming down with the creepin' crud. So, between the Superintendent and I, we decided that she should stay home and do her work here and go in to see her teachers once a week. This is working great, with the exception of her English Teacher. Crystal is completely over all of this garbage and ready for surgery. Wish they could do it tomorrow. Then it would be behind us. But, I guess next Tuesday will be here before we know it.

    Susanna, good luck to you guys on your surgery. You will be in our prayers. Let us know how things go.

    Well, better get. Have lots to do today. You know, laundry, unpacking boxes, finding things I can't live without, etc.

    'til later,
    Nikki

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    • #32
      Nikki, Thanks for your thoughts!

      Jennifer, One of us will stay in the room, and one of us will sleep in the Belvedere guest facility attached to the hospital. We're planning on alternating so neither of us will get too wiped out. It would be great for my husband and I to see what it's like to be "on the other side". If you and Nicole stop by it would be great.

      Susanna
      Susanna
      ~~~~~~
      Mother of a 17 year old daughter. Her "S" curve was 40 degree thoracic from T3 to T9, and a 70 degree rotatory thorcolumbar from T9 to L4. She was operated on March 9th, 2005 by Dr. Boachie-Adjei at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. She was fused from T11 to L3, using an anterior approach, and the major curve corrected to 20 degrees. She's doing great!

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      • #33
        Susanna and Nikki,

        Just one other small thought to send your way before the surgery.

        (The point of this is amusing, actually). A lot of the kids will have swelling in their face and around their eyes the first few days post-op. Depending on the length of the surgery, fluid pools there while they are face down during the operation.

        The lighthearted thing for us was that my daughter (who was 16 then) dyed her hair jet black and spiked it (the way kids do) and was mistaken to be Asian by just about everyone (except the nurses who knew better) the first few days.

        Several other families actually asked me if she was adopted. Her own grandmother didn't recognize her when we were standing in the hallway and happened to catch a glimpse of her being wheeled right past us from the O.R. to recovery. I said "that's her!" and her grandmother said "no, I think that girl is Korean".

        Anyway, the point is it's nothing to worry about and the swelling went down in a few days.

        We'll be thinking about you guys!

        Let us know how it goes - we'll be waiting to hear how nice and straight the girls are!

        Susan

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        • #34
          susan,

          thanks for the warning. i'll try not to freak out when i see her little puffy face.

          xoxo

          susanna
          Susanna
          ~~~~~~
          Mother of a 17 year old daughter. Her "S" curve was 40 degree thoracic from T3 to T9, and a 70 degree rotatory thorcolumbar from T9 to L4. She was operated on March 9th, 2005 by Dr. Boachie-Adjei at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. She was fused from T11 to L3, using an anterior approach, and the major curve corrected to 20 degrees. She's doing great!

          Comment


          • #35
            susanna
            i don't even know if you'll get this before you leave. I have butterflies in my stomach for you. Great idea about taking turns, it will give each of you a break! Good luck, again we all will be praying and thinking of you guys on wed.
            jennifer

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            • #36
              nikki
              that was a good idea to keep her home for a while, too many germs going around in the winter. I'm glad she's all better. You sound very busy, but it's good at least with everything else going on (the move, work, etc) it takes your mind off things a bit.

              good luck and stay in touch
              jennifer

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              • #37
                Thanks Jennifer! I'll try to e-mail everyone when we get out of surgery. Susanna
                Susanna
                ~~~~~~
                Mother of a 17 year old daughter. Her "S" curve was 40 degree thoracic from T3 to T9, and a 70 degree rotatory thorcolumbar from T9 to L4. She was operated on March 9th, 2005 by Dr. Boachie-Adjei at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. She was fused from T11 to L3, using an anterior approach, and the major curve corrected to 20 degrees. She's doing great!

                Comment


                • #38
                  Jennifer, Susanna, Susan:
                  Crystal is starting to get nervous. Could be a long week for her. I almost had her on the boards yesterday. Got her registered, she sat down to start reading, and then she got up to do something else and never went back to it.

                  Crystal wants to spend time with her boyfriend and friends this week. But, I don't know how much I can let her out, with the risk of getting sick again. I told her they could come here, but if any of them was sick they had to go home. She's pretty bummed about that. I am doing the right thing? I don't know.

                  She didn't sleep well last night. She was just wandering all over the house during the evening. Tried to get her to pick up a book and read to relax. She does for a little bit and then gets up and paces again. She says it is excitement that this will soon be behind her, but I think it is nerves. I am going to try to get her in the shop with me today to find some boxes.

                  Susan, thanks for the warning on the swelling. It may be a shock to us. And, it is nice to know these things to be prepared for them.

                  My husband and I are doing the same thing as Susanna and her husband. However, my husband will have to come home for a few days shortly after surgery. We have a ranch and the cows are calving. He'll be at the hospital for a couple of days, home a couple of days, and then back at the hospital until we are ready to go home. Unfortunately, this is the way it has to be since we are 260 miles from home to the hospital.

                  Susanna, you guys are in my prayers. You should be coming home about the time we go in. Keep in touch.

                  'til later,
                  Nikki

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                  • #39
                    hi nikki
                    i understand you being worried about her getting sick. I also worried alot after when we got home with her friends coming over. I was scared that someone would get her sick while she was recovering, she didn't need to get sick on top of what she had just been through and i worried about if she got a cough, how much it would hurt to cough after. I kept saying if your friends want to come over just make sure no one is sick. I was like a freak about it for a while. It's hard before the surgery to keep them in because they want to be with their friends before. The day before nicoles surgery she wanted to go into the city with her friends and i wouldn't let her, i just didn't want her near all the crowds etc.. she was REALLY mad, but she got over it. It's not easy, but it will be over before you know it.

                    Jennifer

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                    • #40
                      Jennifer,
                      I am glad I am not the only one that has put my foot down about the sick friends being around. Crystal wants to go see her boyfriends grandma Saturday night and watch movies with her. Yes, my 16 year old does this. I told her she probably could, but that she had to be home early since we were leaving for Portland the next day. She got kind of groucy with me, so I think dad is going to handle for me beause he feels the same way.

                      I am kind of getting ready to go. I have to remember all of Crystals asthma meds, because she will need them in the hospital. Some of them are oral, so I am not sure how they are going to give them to her the day of surgery. If she doesn't have them, she could have an asthma attack. She also takes an inhaled steroid, so hopefully they will let her take it before her surgery in the morning.

                      Anything special we need to take. She is taking her CD player, which means I need to buy batteries.

                      I think Susanna's daughter has surgery today. Need to keep her in our prayers.

                      Well, I need to get. Have some transcription to do. You know how that one goes.

                      'til later,
                      Nikki

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        Nikki,

                        Yes, Susanna's daughter is having surgery today. Waiting to hear from them just like we will be waiting to hear from you next week.

                        As for what to pack, I'd say pack lite. We took a few magazines and her CD player and Jamie never touched them. We took her eyeglasses instead of her contacts and she didn't even ask for them until she was out of bed and sitting in a chair. I took magazines for myself, but didn't really have time to read them. When she rested during the day, I took advantage of that time to go for short walks just to get out of the hospital room. Make sure you take slippers with non-slip soles because they will want her up and moving within a few days of surgery. We found that it was easier to come home in slippers instead of worrying about sneakers.

                        Remember to ask the nurses to wash her hair before she comes home. She won't be able to shower until probably 10 days post-op. Jamie preferred me to bathe her in the hospital, but I asked the nurses several times to wash her hair and they never did so when the doctor asked if their was anything we needed, I told him. It was funny, how the nurses could suddenly find time to wash her hair once the doctor wrote an order for it! I think the most important thing to remember to do is keep track of her pain meds once she is off the morphine pump. Don't hestitiat to ask for the meds, but don't be surprised if they make Crystal ask for them instead of you, but encourage her to ask for them. Also, time your departure from the hospital around her pain meds.

                        Our thoughts and prayers will be with your family on Tuesday. Keep us posted when you can.

                        Mary Lou

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                        • #42
                          hi nikki
                          i think marylou pretty much told you everything you need for the hospital. Like she said we had tons of magazines from people, not one did nicole look at. She didn't even use her cd headset, nothing. One day when she was in alot of pain i did show her a magazine to try and get her mind off the pain, but she wasn't interested at all. So basically you need nothing LOL. The things i found that we used were chapped stick, lotion, i forgot ponytail holders and i couldn't believe they didn't sell them at the store in the hosp, so those are good to bring and the button up pjs and slipper socks like marylou said. Nicole did watch t.v. when she was awake. I stopped working the week before the surgery because i just couldn't think about anything else and then i took some time off when she came home, which was good.
                          keep in touch
                          jennifer

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                          • #43
                            Hey Everyone
                            I;m So Glad I Started Reading This Post Lots Of Good Infor.We Are Going In 21 Days.nicole Went For Her Mri Today She Was Mad School Was Closed.{snow Day}. I Was Going To Pull Her Out For The Test.tomorrow We Go For Part Two Of The Mri.almost Done Just Have To Donate Blood And Go For A Breathing Test.she Going To Be Marching In The St. Patty Day Parade In The City Next Week.she Plays The Bells.so My Husband And I Are Going In To Watch. I Hope See Can Make It.I Pray The Weather Is Nice Or She Not Going I Don"t Want Her Sick.I Heard Its A Long Walk And Her Back Has Been Hurting Lately.I Was Thinking About What To Do With Nicoles Hair For The Surgery.Its Long One Length. Two Braids Or One???????.
                            Thanks Theresa
                            THERESA

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                            • #44
                              Sugrey

                              I am like too March17th
                              Seattle
                              SARAH ~Mother of 3~ 11 year old son had a Posterior Spinal Fusion on March 17, 2005. He had a 77*, right thoracic curve, and was fused T4-L1. His curve is now less than 10 degrees* He is doing great!

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                              • #45
                                Theresa,
                                Crystal has long beautiful blonde hair. We have decided to put it in two french braids, then hopefully, it will be out of the doctors way. That was Crystal's decision. It will be one of the last girly things we do Monday night before she goes to sleep. Tell Nicole, that's my name too, that we will be praying for your family during this trying time.

                                SarahH,
                                Good luck to you on the 17th. We know how you feel, it still seems so far away. We will be praying for you.

                                Jennifer,
                                You have been so great. I am trying to finish up one interview tape by tomorrow, so I have extra money to go to Portland with. I think I'll get up about 5am and finish it. Anyhow, thanks for the great support you have been to us.

                                Mary Lou,
                                You have been the greatest since the first time I came on these boards. You made me feel very at home about my questions I had. I didn't feel silly when I would ask. Thank you so much.

                                To all of you,
                                We are keeping all of you in our prayers.

                                'til later,
                                Nikki

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