Marty: Yes, it was Scoliosis....but mostly due to me having an extra rib on the right side that was pulling my spine at an angle.(I forgot the degree that it was at when finally caught it.) I was to have two stage surgery, First (top rib on right was removed in January of 1968, they let me recoup at Kosair in Louisville for a month, then went back to Norton Infirmary for 2nd stage, the Harrington Rods and fusion of spine right between my shoulder blades. But, when he (Dr.Leatherman, one great doctor) began the surgery, found a pocket of staph infection. Ended up cleaning that out, put me in isolation for a week taking blood every single day, then a blood transfusion at the end of 7 days. Put in a room with a woman that died in the night......just great memories for a 13 year old girl, huh??? I was sent back to Kosair for about 30 days where I was fitted with that Milwaukee Brace you mentioned. Wore it for the next six months, returning each month for blood work to check on infection. By October that year, went back to Norton for the fusion. Thirty days later I was put in the cast and sent home. Had to return every 3 months for a new cast. At the end of 9 long months, that final cast was removed and I then was fitted for a regular back brace which I wore for one month and then was "set free"...,Hahahaha. Went back for check up each year until I turned 18 and then they were done with me. I had my back checked by a good Orthopedic doctor in Wichita, Kansas and he told me that he didn't think I would ever have any problems with those rods or the fusion because the muscle was thick over it and looked like it had healed really well. My hat goes off to how they did fusions back then compared with today. I was told by my chiropractor that many inferior titanium rods were having to be replaced or that those who have had fusions are good for about 3 years and then their discs & vertebrae above or below begin to deteriorate and they end up having more and more back surgeries done.
No, I cannot guess other than you had a bone marrow transfusion, if I remember correctly, and you spent a lot of time in bed in a "bubble", so you can relate. Suzieq > -- -- [CMLHope] A support group of http://cmlhope.com ------------------------------------------------- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CMLHope" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/CMLHope --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CMLHope" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
