Braydon update

March 19, 2006

Hi all,

Finally, an update on Braydon's surgery March 13.

Braydon had surgery to exchange/replace both VEPTR

devices (he has a lumbar hybrid and a chestwall

device). The surgery went great! Besides replacing

the devices, they did a lot of correction. His chest

is fuller and his shoulders and hips are well-balanced

again. They had to chip away some of the bone on the

lumbar attachment (because bone tissue had grown over

the attachment site). With the bone chipping and the

big correction, he was in more pain than a typical

expansion. It took two days to get his pain under

control (Dilaudid PCA pump, Valium, Toradol) but by

Wednesday morning, he turned the corner and hasn't

looked back. He was released on Thursday. He's still

sore and trying to relax his muscles, but he's been

sleeping well (sleeping in the reclining sofa).

Sleeping well is a good thing! He'll probably go to

school for half-days starting Wednesday. We'll just

take it one day at a time.

Thanks to all for your well-wishes and thoughts and

prayers. It means so much to know so many people love

and care about us. We appreciate it more than you

know.

Our best,

Carmell and Braydon and family

mom to Kara 19, idiopathic scoliosis, Blake 15, GERD and Braydon 10, VACTERL,

GERD, DGE, Titanium Rib Project patient #137 (dbl implant 8/01), thoracic

insufficiency, rib anomalies, congenital scoliosis (fusion surgery 5/96),

missing coccyx, fatty filum/TC (released 4/99), anal stenosis, chronic

constipation, horseshoe (cross-fused) kidney, dbl ureter in left kidney,

ureterocele (excized 6/95), kidney reflux (reimplant surgery 1/97), neurogenic

bladder, bilateral hip dysplasia, right leg/foot dyplasia, tibial torsion,

clubfoot with 8 toes (reconstructed 2/96, 3/96, 1/97, 3/04), pes cavus, single

umblilical artery, tonsil-adnoidectomy and ear tubes (3/98), etc.

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