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  • Jenmom, the thigh bands bothered my daughter a little also, but she got used to it after a couple/few weeks. I have read about some people applying moleskin to help, but that would need to be replaced when the brace is washed, I believe, so it's a less than ideal solution. I've read about "toughening" up the skin in sections that talk about hard braces - to speed up the process of toughening up the skin they suggest applying rubbing alcohol. And whatever you do, don't apply cream which will soften the skin. We didn't do any of that since Katie seemed to adjust to it fairly quickly, but just some ideas that others have found useful...

    Laura, good luck on the 4th!!!! We have an appointment coming up soon too (on 10/9) and I am well into my worrying mode. How nice that you can get a saturday appointment.
    daughter, 12, diagnosed 8/07 with 19T/13L
    -Braced in spinecor 10/07 - 8/12 with excellent in brace correction and stable/slightly decreased out of brace curves.
    -Introduced Providence brace as adjunct at night in 11/2011 in anticipation of growth spurt. Curves still stable.
    -Currently in Boston Brace. Growth spurt is here and curves (and rotation) have increased to 23T/17L

    Comment


    • Insurance

      OK, huge favor to ask those of you who have successfully dealt with insurance companies in the U.S. I am FINALLY getting started on trying to get reimbursed for at least some of my spinecor related costs. (my younger son started full day school and my hours at work are less in light of the current economic environment so I FINALLY have a little bit of time)

      Anyway, I have Blue Cross and I am filling out their insurance claim form. My problem is on the bottom there is a section where there is line items for the procedures/services/supplies. There is something called a "CPT" code that would be associated with each of them. Since Dr. Rivard isn't dealing with the U.S. insurance companies, they don't print out those automated receipts that include all that info like drs in the states do.

      For those of you who get spinecor in the US, would you mind pulling up some of your receipts and telling me which CPT codes & descriptions were on the receipts you got from your doctors?

      For those going to montreal who successfully got coverage, could you peak at the forms you submitted and see what CPT codes you used? I was told blue cross would deny coverage if I just gave a description without a code (and the receipts i have only give a description). Well actually, I know the code for the spinecor brace itself is L1005, but I have the following other "line items" that require a CPT code:

      -Xrays - apparently there are a ton of CPT codes for xrays, I'm guessing it might be 72069 which apparently is scoliosis radiologic thoracolumbar, but the xrays are actually of her entire spine so I don't know if a different code should be used.

      -The doctors visit with Dr. Rivard/Coillard. Also do you use the same CPT code for the initial visit as you do for subsequent followup visits?

      -The "clinic" fee paid to St. Justine's hospital related to getting the xrays.

      -has anybody tried to get some sort of reimbursement for the bodysuits?

      If you prefer not to post on the boards you could send me a PM. I am desperate for any codes anyone can provide-even if they don't get treatment in montreal. thanks!
      daughter, 12, diagnosed 8/07 with 19T/13L
      -Braced in spinecor 10/07 - 8/12 with excellent in brace correction and stable/slightly decreased out of brace curves.
      -Introduced Providence brace as adjunct at night in 11/2011 in anticipation of growth spurt. Curves still stable.
      -Currently in Boston Brace. Growth spurt is here and curves (and rotation) have increased to 23T/17L

      Comment


      • JillW,

        Sorry I do not have any codes for you as our family does not have insurance and the Canadian healthcare does not cover the brace. We get the xrays and Dr's visits paid. Anything else is out of pocket for us!!! Ouch!!
        CAmomof2

        July 07 - T 26*
        Aug 08 - curve now 22*
        Sept 08 - SpineCor Brace (in brace 17*) Ste. Justine
        March 09 - in brace 14*
        Aug 09 - in brace 14* / MRI normal
        Feb 10 - in brace 18* - had an oob xray - now 35*
        June 10 Considered VBS T 32*, L 27* , Stopped SpineCor brace
        Sept 10 T 38*, L 26*
        April 11 T 45*, L 31*
        July 11 T 51*, L 37*
        MIS SURGERY - NOV 28, 2011 / Age 12 / Fused T4 - T12

        Comment


        • Thanks for the good wishes Jill. I got the date wrong, it is actually the 3rd. No Saturday appointments for us either!

          Stacy, Hi! Immy has not had major problems with rubbing. In the early days it was actually the crotch straps that caused the most discomfort; she has never had any problems with the thigh straps. We did what we'd been told & just stuck with it until her skin hardened up.

          Immy now wears the brace with nothing under it apart from a pair of short-style underpants. She was getting quite hot at school with all the layers (insists on wearing sweatshirt to hide brace). She now just pulls the shorts to the side to go to the loo; much quicker than fiddling about with all those poppers!

          When Immy did have a problem with chaffing on her side we were told to use wound dressings until it had healed.

          Hope all is going well.
          UK based Mum of Imogen, 38 degree curve at 9 years old. SpineCor since 15/6/07, 31 degrees in brace.
          10th December 07 - 27 degrees, 23rd June 08 - 26 degrees, Feb 09 - 24 degrees, Aug 09 - 35 degrees, Jul 10 - 47 degrees, Dec 10 - 50+ degrees.
          Surgery due to take place early December 2011 at the RNOH, England.

          Comment


          • so unsure....

            my daughter is standing SO crooked now but to the opposite side of her curve and it is really concerning me. Her rib cage is sticking out more on that side too and her breast area is now uneven, so when she does develop she will probably be uneven. We have our appointment with Dr. Rivard coming up in October but I worry that I will get the same "it's all normal" response from him.

            I do not think that this is normal though, it concerns me so much!

            Any suggestions or advice? I need someone to ease my mind because I am so worried!
            Marlowe mom to Halle (age 11)
            Diagnosed January 11/08
            In Spinecor Brace for 2 1/2 years

            In the Cheneau Brace for 10 months
            Being treated at Sick Kids Hospital - Dr. Reinhard Zeller

            Surgery Scheduled at Sick Kids for May 16, 2011


            http://hallesscoliosis.blogspot.com/

            Comment


            • Marlowe,

              During the first 6 months of wearing the brace we noticed a big change in Immy's posture; we were quite worried about it at the time as it looked (although she assured us that it wasn't) very uncomfortable and the uneven shoulders were very noticable. Over time she has adjusted to the brace and now you would not know that she is wearing it. The only time that the shoulder tilt is obvious is when she has grown, just before it needs adjusting.

              I know it's hard, but try not to worry. My husband is always reminding me that we've signed up for this course of treatment & we need to stick with it & trust the professionals. (He normally tells me this very LOUDLY when I allow extra out of brace time for dance rehearsals & performances!).

              Laura x
              UK based Mum of Imogen, 38 degree curve at 9 years old. SpineCor since 15/6/07, 31 degrees in brace.
              10th December 07 - 27 degrees, 23rd June 08 - 26 degrees, Feb 09 - 24 degrees, Aug 09 - 35 degrees, Jul 10 - 47 degrees, Dec 10 - 50+ degrees.
              Surgery due to take place early December 2011 at the RNOH, England.

              Comment


              • Marlowe, I do recall being concerned if I was putting the brace on katie correctly because of the way her body was pulled (and yes, it did almost look like she had a bit of a curve going in the opposite direction). I took several digital pictures of katie from several angles wearing her bodysuit and brace and emailed them to Dr. Rivard stating my concerns. He said everything looked fine and when we went for her appointment a few weeks later the xray reading were good. I guess there are 2 issues - should she look like this? to address that you could send pics to dr. rivard while you wait for your next appointment. then the second question is, if he says everything is allright, do you feel comfortable with that? I can't answer that second question for you but at least she has an appointment coming up soon so you can see how her curve is responding. do you go in early october or late october? if you are very concerned could you maybe move your appointment up a week or two? (or if dr. rivard is concerned based upon the pics maybe he'd call you in a bit earlier?) Good luck!

                That's weird, in my previous post I see that the name of my insurance company was magically highlighted and has some sort of a link attached to it. I assume it's some sort of program that advertisers use? weird...
                Last edited by jillw; 10-01-2008, 10:50 AM.
                daughter, 12, diagnosed 8/07 with 19T/13L
                -Braced in spinecor 10/07 - 8/12 with excellent in brace correction and stable/slightly decreased out of brace curves.
                -Introduced Providence brace as adjunct at night in 11/2011 in anticipation of growth spurt. Curves still stable.
                -Currently in Boston Brace. Growth spurt is here and curves (and rotation) have increased to 23T/17L

                Comment


                • Magical highlighting didn't happen to me...
                  UK based Mum of Imogen, 38 degree curve at 9 years old. SpineCor since 15/6/07, 31 degrees in brace.
                  10th December 07 - 27 degrees, 23rd June 08 - 26 degrees, Feb 09 - 24 degrees, Aug 09 - 35 degrees, Jul 10 - 47 degrees, Dec 10 - 50+ degrees.
                  Surgery due to take place early December 2011 at the RNOH, England.

                  Comment


                  • Laura, Cara pointed out to me that it was something specific to my computer (kids playing video games on computer and somehow some advertising software got installed - but thanks to her I figured out how to make it go away!) Anyway, good luck tomorrow! Let us know how it goes.

                    MJB, did you ever get the snap replaced (the one that kept coming unsnapped)? Just wanted to let you know, one of katie's snaps broke last night during soccer practice. I went to a shoe repair place this morning and they had the snap replaced within 5 minutes. I brought my own snap (I had a couple extras) and the shoe repair place didn't charge me a cent - which was nice of them. I'm guessing that a repair wouldn't be more than $3-4 if they did provide the snap and if they did charge you. The guy at the shoe repair place said the snap I had was a pretty standard size used in the industry so I'm guessing it shouldn't be hard to find a shop with the proper size snap.

                    Of course, because of the timing of the broken snap (right around 5:30pm and by the time i got to a shoe repair shop they were closed), Katie was out of brace for almost 16 hours. I hate for that to happen so close to our next appointment when I'm already feeling nervous and superstitious.
                    Last edited by jillw; 10-02-2008, 08:50 AM. Reason: typo
                    daughter, 12, diagnosed 8/07 with 19T/13L
                    -Braced in spinecor 10/07 - 8/12 with excellent in brace correction and stable/slightly decreased out of brace curves.
                    -Introduced Providence brace as adjunct at night in 11/2011 in anticipation of growth spurt. Curves still stable.
                    -Currently in Boston Brace. Growth spurt is here and curves (and rotation) have increased to 23T/17L

                    Comment


                    • Not great news.

                      No xrays at this visit (only xray 6 monthly) but scoliometer showed a significant increase in rotation. WOB measurement went from 8 to 13 degrees. With brace from 6 to 9.

                      Not a total disaster but a definate sign of change after 15 months of stability.

                      Brace adjusted and is now a little more uncomfortable!

                      Laura
                      UK based Mum of Imogen, 38 degree curve at 9 years old. SpineCor since 15/6/07, 31 degrees in brace.
                      10th December 07 - 27 degrees, 23rd June 08 - 26 degrees, Feb 09 - 24 degrees, Aug 09 - 35 degrees, Jul 10 - 47 degrees, Dec 10 - 50+ degrees.
                      Surgery due to take place early December 2011 at the RNOH, England.

                      Comment


                      • Thanks everyone!

                        Jill Halle is crooked to the opposite side of her curve when the brace is off and her ribs stick out too, i can understand when the brace is on but i don't think she should be crooked to the other side now. i am so confused.
                        Marlowe mom to Halle (age 11)
                        Diagnosed January 11/08
                        In Spinecor Brace for 2 1/2 years

                        In the Cheneau Brace for 10 months
                        Being treated at Sick Kids Hospital - Dr. Reinhard Zeller

                        Surgery Scheduled at Sick Kids for May 16, 2011


                        http://hallesscoliosis.blogspot.com/

                        Comment


                        • Laura,

                          I am so sorry that you didn't get better news. Maybe next time when an xray is done, you will find that the change isn't as significant as it seems.

                          How old is Immy now? Have you noticed if she has been growing rapidly over the last few months?

                          I'm taking Emily to Atlanta this coming Tuesday, I'll post how it goes.

                          Michelle
                          Emily's mom-11 1/2 years old
                          28 degree scoliosis 9/04
                          Chiari Malformation/SM decompressed 11/04
                          17-24 degrees 11/04-6/07
                          Wearing Spinecor Brace since June 07
                          3/31/10- 29 degrees oob
                          11/18/09 17 degrees in brace

                          Comment


                          • Michelle,

                            Immy is 11 years, 3 months. She has not grown significantly; about 1.5cm in 3 months. This steady growth is apparently what we hope for in a child with scoliosis - problems are magnified during periods of rapid growth (as much as 1cm per month). She's not going to be very tall; I am 5'3" (with socks on!) and her dad is 5'9" (and a bit!). She is currently just over 4'8".

                            Immy had new straps in June and I had noticed that the brace seems to have been a lot more comfortable recently. Mr Mills has adjusted straps, particularly #3 & #4 and she now has the pronounced shoulder tilt back.

                            He explained a little more about what we are trying to do with the brace. I hesitate to write it here as I might not put it exactly as he said it & could induce an adverse reaction from certain quarters...

                            Basically - Immy has a genetic anomaly which has made one side of (a) certain vertebra(e) grow faster than the other. This has caused a lateral curve to form in her spine which also causes rotation and distortion as her ribs cannot grow normally given the curve. The spinecor brace is (this is where I get a bit fuzzy) attempting to correct (?!) the curve by putting pressure on the growth plates in such a way as to stimulate the lazy side & supress the faster growing one.

                            Having said this, I must repeat that we do not expect Immy to aviod surgery - given a 38 degree curve in a 9 year-old this was always a bit too much to hope for.

                            Thank you for your support.

                            Laura x
                            UK based Mum of Imogen, 38 degree curve at 9 years old. SpineCor since 15/6/07, 31 degrees in brace.
                            10th December 07 - 27 degrees, 23rd June 08 - 26 degrees, Feb 09 - 24 degrees, Aug 09 - 35 degrees, Jul 10 - 47 degrees, Dec 10 - 50+ degrees.
                            Surgery due to take place early December 2011 at the RNOH, England.

                            Comment


                            • Laura,

                              All is not said and done yet. Immy may somehow avoid surgery. The positive side is that maybe the brace has bought Immy sometime to grow prior to any surgery. That has always been my hope with Emily (diagnosed at age 5 with a 28 degree curve). I have just been praying to buy time so that if she eventually does need another surgery, she will at least be almost fully grown. I'm only 5'0, so I know she won't get too tall either.

                              I will keep you in my prayers.

                              Michelle
                              Emily's mom-11 1/2 years old
                              28 degree scoliosis 9/04
                              Chiari Malformation/SM decompressed 11/04
                              17-24 degrees 11/04-6/07
                              Wearing Spinecor Brace since June 07
                              3/31/10- 29 degrees oob
                              11/18/09 17 degrees in brace

                              Comment


                              • Laura, I'm sorry you didn't get the best news. Hopefully the adjustments to the brace will help. When do you have the next xray? Funny - I hadn't thought to ask about the scoliometer reading and they hadn't proactively told me (at least after the initial appointment when she was about an 8). Interesting about Dr. Mill's explanation - but it does make sense. My understanding is that vertebral stapling is working to a certain extent under the same theory (pressure on one side of the growth plates could slow down growth on that side and as the vertebrae grow faster can help straighten a curve).

                                MJB, Katie isn't out of brace much so I don't get to see but sometimes she appears to curve the opposite way when out of brace also...but then when I really focus on her spine, it doesn't seem to be curving to the opposite side...it's almost like her body had adjusted to having a right side curve to if you partially straighten out the curve itself, the body seems to curve a little to the left? I don't ever know what to think of all this! I can't wait until we go thursday to get the waiting over with! When do you go?
                                daughter, 12, diagnosed 8/07 with 19T/13L
                                -Braced in spinecor 10/07 - 8/12 with excellent in brace correction and stable/slightly decreased out of brace curves.
                                -Introduced Providence brace as adjunct at night in 11/2011 in anticipation of growth spurt. Curves still stable.
                                -Currently in Boston Brace. Growth spurt is here and curves (and rotation) have increased to 23T/17L

                                Comment

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