Checking In & School Age Brace & Tasha

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..Hello everyone,I've been absent for awhile. I've been on pregnancy bedrest for the past 2 months and therefore haven't been able to sit at the computer much. I've fallen behind on many posts, but I did want to respond to a couple recent ones.First, an update on my kiddos...Noah is still brace-free (it's been almost 1 year!) He'll have an x-ray taken locally in May and we'll ship it to SLC for his doc to review. As you may remember he did progress a bit when we had his 6 month follow-up x-ray taken in the fall. So depending on the measurement this spring...we may be back in SLC this summer for a brace.Mariella had her 2 year check-up recently and her back is still straight. No x-ray was taken. We'll continue to monitor her. But so far so good :)Baby #3 is due 5/5 and we'll be sure to have their spine checked as well : )a - My son is in Kindergarden and may be entering 1st grade in a brace (fingers crossed though that this isn't the case.) I was so glad to read your post and hear that your daughter is doing well in school with a brace. And I too am interested as to whether or not there is a group/place for us parents of school age (non-teens) that are dealing with braces. Let me know if you find any and/or we can stay in touch via this group too for support.Tasha - I was surprised to read that is still being braced at 11*. Is that his in-brace measurement? As you know, I'm pretty nervous that Noah too will have to be braced "long-term." Of course we'll do whatever it takes to prevent/postpone surgery, but how frustrating that our little boys are SO CLOSE to that desired under 10* mark.Hope everyone is well.~Noah 5 1/2 years old - 9 months of casting, 2 1/2 years of bracing, Currently treatment-free at 13*And Mariella - 2 years old, Resolved Infantile Scoliosisschool age bracePosted by: "ericazvt" mczim4@... ericazvtSat Mar 19, 2011 10:33 am (PDT)I don't have much experience to offer yet, but I can say that about one month in to brace wearing, my first grader is doing fine with the social aspect of it. I imagine it will get much harder in coming years when being different will be tougher and tougher. At the same time, I agree that having a difference can instill toughness and confidence. Nadia even announced today that she'd forgetten already about getting a sticker for each day (worn proudly right on the brace) - that all she cared about any more was wearing the brace (proudly). She feels like it's a challenge she has met -- "hard but good" is the phrase we tend to use for challenges. I hope I'm not jinxing myself as I do whenever I write about parenting... Our goal is to avoid surgery before she's at full height. No one ever presented the goal of coming to zero. I guess that's because we were never introduced to casting as an option when she was younger. (I did read about it but didn't pursue it - pretty naively - because of her sensory and attachment and eating and growth issues.)Two questions - are there any other school age children on this list?And - Anyone have a source for nice thin flat-seamed tshirts to wear under the brace. I found the SOFT brand and ordered a few that have been good, but they don't have enough of the "Right" colors. Thanks to those who responded when I emailed before.a in Vermontmom of Nadia 28-36 in her first brace, chiari, detethering, etc etc~