Re: Welcome another Aussie

[Guest guest]

Hey ,

Aren't you a sweetheart offering to help me when you already have such a lot on your plate? It is also my hope that an orthopaedic surgeon will see what can be done with corrective plaster casts and will want to learn about the procedure.

It is frightening taking Bridget to England as well as expensive but I looked at the results everyone on this site has been getting and the theory of the proceedure (on 's video) and then spoke to Ms Mehta. She looked at Bridget's xrays, Mri report and photos which I sent her by email and said that she believed 18mts of serial corrective plaster casting would reverse Bridget's curve.

That was so much better than the prognosis we had been offered here: Her spinal surgeon said " I'll put her in a TLSO brace, but nothing will stop this curve progressing and by the time she's 10 the size of the curve and extent of the deformity will be so great that I will be fusing her spine. Without the brace it will get bigger even quicker and I would `imagine I 'll need to fuse her spine by age 7 and then you get a look where you have a short trunk and long arms and legs like a daddy long legs spider."

That was enough to convince us that we had to try. I hope we get a dramatic improvement in the first cast so that I can send the before and after xrays to other doctors here in Brisbane and Sydney and then Melbourne Adelaide and Perth to see if someone here will learn about the treatment and continue it here.

This would be great for us but also hopefully help other children with scoliosis in Aus who are being told to wait and watch and then have spinal fusion.

I too have been told that putting your child in plaster in tropical Brisbane is cruel and barbaric but other people on this site- Jen & Madison, Siobhan & Jacki and & have coped through Summer and have given me some good ideas. You also have managed Ashleigh in plaster through Summer (right?) so I hope to have some helpful ideas and tips to help.

I'm just clinging to that 18 mths and correction goal and then who knows. Maybe we can be the first members of ISOP in Australia. I'm hoping to get some support from the Scoliosis Association of Australia in promoting serial plaster casts as a treatment option so at least parents know what to ask.

If you like I can email you Bridget's xrays and story and then you could show them to your doc since it's his interest area. I have small ones with her story underneath. Maybe it might spark some interest when he sees the improvement after the cast is put on. Did he expect Ashleigh's curve to improve after the traction and special brace.

It's great to have another Aussie out there even if you are 5hrs by plane away.

Love Bert

Gibson <norbrake@...> wrote:

I am so encouraged by you, taking your little girl to England to be cast, lets hope that when some of the Australian Doctors see that casts can help with correction they will help you. If you need help with any thing here let me know. Gibson> Hi ,> > Welcome to this wonderful site. I have been away for 2 days so only just read your message.> I'm so happy you are finally seeing some improvement for your little girl. > What a relief to find a doctor who is open minded and interested in non-surgical improvement!!!!> I am so happy to hear there is at least one open minded doc in AUS. YEAH> Why, i wonder would it have to be in Perth which is furtherest possible city from

Brisbane.> > Still a lot closer than England so that's encouraging.> > Bridget is 3 and a half, her curve is 38 degrees at the moment but I really want to get her into a cast as soon as possible so I am taking her to England to be fitted for a cast on OCTober 6th. I am really hoping to resume looking for help in Aus when I get back and she is showing improvement in her cast.> > At the moment no one will consider casting, they just say wait and watch inna TLSO brace and when it gets bad enough we'll fuse her spine.> > Thankyou so much for your encouragement and best of luck with the plaster cast and halo traction.> What a brave little girl Ashleigh must be.> Thanks again> Bert and Bridget> > > --------------------------------->

[Guest guest]

Hi there,

I would be glad to help change doctors minds about waiting and

seeing, we are in the position now of Ashleigh being 7 and having a

huge deformity. Unfortunately when Ashleigh was younger we did wait

and see as there was nothing else we could find that may have helped

her.

Now there is this Casting that is getting such great results, if I

could help so that others don't get to the stage that Ashleigh is at

now, that would be great.

I can't help with the summer bit as Ashleigh has never gone through

summer in anything but a Cotton corset type brace, she spent 2 and a

half years without a brace because of her poor lung function. This

will be our first summer in a brace coming up. So maybe you could

pass on any coolling tips to me. The brace is not coming off when

its hot.

Please email pictures and your story and I will take them with me,

we wont see the Surgeon again until January but I could give them to

his Orthotist for her to look at, shes the one who came up with the

brace for Ashleigh.

Thanks

> > Hi ,

> >

> > Welcome to this wonderful site. I have been away for 2 days so

> only just read your message.

> > I'm so happy you are finally seeing some improvement for your

> little girl.

> > What a relief to find a doctor who is open minded and interested

> in non-surgical improvement!!!!

> > I am so happy to hear there is at least one open minded doc in

> AUS. YEAH

> > Why, i wonder would it have to be in Perth which is furtherest

> possible city from Brisbane.

> >

> > Still a lot closer than England so that's encouraging.

> >

> > Bridget is 3 and a half, her curve is 38 degrees at the moment

but

> I really want to get her into a cast as soon as possible so I am

> taking her to England to be fitted for a cast on OCTober 6th. I am

> really hoping to resume looking for help in Aus when I get back

and

> she is showing improvement in her cast.

> >

> > At the moment no one will consider casting, they just say wait

and

> watch inna TLSO brace and when it gets bad enough we'll fuse her

> spine.

> >

> > Thankyou so much for your encouragement and best of luck with

the

> plaster cast and halo traction.

> > What a brave little girl Ashleigh must be.

> > Thanks again

> > Bert and Bridget

> >

> >

> > ---------------------------------

> >

[Guest guest]

Hey ,

Thanks for your support. How did your doctor hear of the halo traction idea. Did he\she suggest it? It must be so comforting to hear from these other kids who have achieved correction this way.I will email Bridget's story to you. Hopefully I'll be able to update the stats and xrays with some improvement soon.

Say hi to Ashleigh from Bridge and me out here in "scoliosis land" (Crista's husband's term)

Love Bert Gibson <norbrake@...> wrote:

Hi there,I would be glad to help change doctors minds about waiting and seeing, we are in the position now of Ashleigh being 7 and having a huge deformity. Unfortunately when Ashleigh was younger we did wait and see as there was nothing else we could find that may have helped her.Now there is this Casting that is getting such great results, if I could help so that others don't get to the stage that Ashleigh is at now, that would be great. I can't help with the summer bit as Ashleigh has never gone through summer in anything but a Cotton corset type brace, she spent 2 and a half years without a brace because of her poor lung function. This will be our first summer in a brace coming up. So maybe you could pass on any coolling tips to me. The brace is not coming off when its hot.Please email pictures and your story

and I will take them with me, we wont see the Surgeon again until January but I could give them to his Orthotist for her to look at, shes the one who came up with the brace for Ashleigh.Thanks> > Hi ,> > > > Welcome to this wonderful site. I have been away for 2 days so > only just read your message.> > I'm so happy you are finally seeing some improvement for your > little girl. > > What a relief to find a doctor who is open minded and interested > in non-surgical improvement!!!!> > I am so happy to hear there is at least one open minded doc in > AUS. YEAH> > Why, i wonder would it have to be in Perth which is furtherest > possible city from Brisbane.> > > > Still a lot closer than England so that's encouraging.> > > > Bridget is 3 and a half, her curve is 38 degrees at the moment but > I really want to get her into a cast as soon as possible so I am > taking her to England to be fitted for a cast on OCTober 6th. I am > really

hoping to resume looking for help in Aus when I get back and > she is showing improvement in her cast.> > > > At the moment no one will consider casting, they just say wait and > watch inna TLSO brace and when it gets bad enough we'll fuse her > spine.> > > > Thankyou so much for your encouragement and best of luck with the > plaster cast and halo traction.> > What a brave little girl Ashleigh must be.> > Thanks again> > Bert and Bridget> > > > > > ---------------------------------> >

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Bridget curve was first apparent at 10 mths. I took her to a paediatrician but she wouldn't xray and said it was an optical illusion. I took her back at 20 mths and asked again and pointed out the creases on one side of her back and not the other. She said she had just built up muscles unevenly.

Itook her to a different paediatrician atalmost 3. (the start of this year) He didn't want to xray either but was persuaded to. She has a 38dg curve. She has had anMRI which clear and has been in aTLSO brace since July. No one has xrayed her since she had the brace on and would probably have done so on Oct 8th, my next appt but I will be in England then. I am going to get her xrayed before we leave in 2 weeks as I want to get at least one thing done here first so it will be free.

Hope it helps

Bert <christinehrph@...> wrote:

Hey Bert

Has brig been in a brace at all? When was she diagnosed?

If so did you ever get improvement?if so how much

It seems to be the case that braces improve in the beginning and then it still gets worse I am trying to see if that is a pattern so far most kids are in a brace, get slight improvement then they get worse in the brace then go to get a cast.

thanks for the infobert lehane <bert_lehane@...> wrote:

Hi ,

Welcome to this wonderful site. I have been away for 2 days so only just read your message.

I'm so happy you are finally seeing some improvement for your little girl.

What a relief to find a doctor who is open minded and interested in non-surgical improvement!!!!

I am so happy to hear there is at least one open minded doc in AUS. YEAH

Why, i wonder would it have to be in Perth which is furtherest possible city from Brisbane.

Still a lot closer than England so that's encouraging.

Bridget is 3 and a half, her curve is 38 degrees at the moment but I really want to get her into a cast as soon as possible so I am taking her to England to be fitted for a cast on OCTober 6th. I am really hoping to resume looking for help in Aus when I get back and she is showing improvement in her cast.

At the moment no one will consider casting, they just say wait and watch inna TLSO brace and when it gets bad enough we'll fuse her spine.

Thankyou so much for your encouragement and best of luck with the plaster cast and halo traction.

What a brave little girl Ashleigh must be.

Thanks again

Bert and Bridget Gibson <norbrake@...> wrote:

Hi there this is my first time posting so if I dont get it right sorry. We live in Country West Australia and have a Seven year old daughter, Ashleigh, who has a 100+ degree curve. The doctors stop measuring at 98 degrees 3 years ago.We have gone through the normal plastic jacket braces that did nothing, she then got major lung problems then was unable to wear a brace, however by this time her back was so bad anyway they just gave up on her and referred us to a different Surgeon for a fusion, this was a turning point for us as he is great, we were transferred to an Adult Hospital who deal alot with Scoliosis.Ashleighs now has a great Orthopedic Surgeon and Orthotist here at Royal Perth Shenton Park Campus. Instead of just jumping into a fusion he was looking at Halo Traction for her, however while we

were waiting for Halos & Equipment to come from the US our Orthotist made up a Specialized Brace for Ashleigh using the old Turn-Buckle Cast System but in a Plastic Jacket. We were just trying to get a bit of traction done before the Halo, anyway we have just gone back after 5 months and the xrays are showing a small improvement, so we are going to keep at it now until January/Feb when we will look at Halo Traction for next April/May, when the weather is cooler.Anyway the reason that this is for Bert in Australia is to let her know that there is a good doctor here in Western Australia who was willing to try things out before jumping straight into surgery.I dont know if they would consider Casting however they are pretty forward thinking, something to consider. Gibson

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