Re: New Member :) W/Lots of Questions!!!

[Guest guest]

Hi Misty and Donny! I'm glad you're here! This is a great place for

support, encouragement, and advice.

Firstly, I'd like to say that it sounds like you have a great,

observant pediatrician! And two orthos who suggested casting and even

know about ISOP?! Wow! That's wonderful!

I'm sorry that I can't give you much insight on why your daughter's

curve isn't correcting in cast. I'm actually pretty new to all of

this myself. My daughter isn't even in her first cast yet.

I'll ask this, though: Which " casting " doctor are you seeing? Maybe

he isn't actually Mehta-trained? Not saying that just because he

isn't, his casts aren't " good " or " right " , just that maybe that's the

reason why your daughter's cast is a little different than the others

you've seen here.

Also, I'd ask your ortho lots of questions (I almost annoy doctors

with all of mine!). Ask him about the cast and why it includes her

arm. Do you know the rotation or the RVAD number? Ask him about that,

too. It might be an indication as to why your daughter's curve is

continuing to progress.

I'm sure you'll get some better advice and info from others on here.

Again, I'm glad you came here! I think it will end up being a very

useful " tool " in this journey that you're on. And you're not alone,

either. We're all going through this (or have gone through it in the

past). Progressive infantile scoliosis is quite rare, so it's nice to

know that there are others out there who know exactly what you're

going through!

~ : )

Mommy to ~ ~ ~ AND

(8/18/06) ~ diagnosed at 9m with 45o curve ~ " normal " MRI and

ped. neurologist assessment ~ scheduled for 1st cast with Dr.

on 8/22/07

[Guest guest]

Hi Mist and welcome,

Alot of docs do casting, but to date and to my knowledge there is only one type

of casting and procedure that actually corrects the curve. This is the type of

casting you probably read about from the web site infantilescoliosis.org . My

son Cole's story is on there as well. This procedure uses a infant/toddler

traction table to correct the curve in a 3D manner. It is truly amazing and the

best part is it actually works IF the child starts the casting early...meaning

before the age of two. I strongly advise you find a doc who knows the procedure

and has the correct equipment to do it....correct equipment it KEY. Thankfully

now there are a handful of docs/hospitals who are doing it. When Cole started

there were 2 hospitals in the country. Now 1 1/2 years later there are

more...and soon even more. The ones I know about are Shriner's in Philly, PA,

Erie,PA, Salt Lake City, UT, and Portland, OR. Then there are a few other

Children hospitals. The one I know about is in Denver,

CO. If there are others, maybe a few moms/dads can chime in. Dr. Kisham in So.

Cal. knows the procedure, but I'm not sure he has the table...maybe he does???

Unfortunately, I'm not surprised your daughters curve progressed in the casts

she is currently in. Other type of casts only hold the curve and eventually the

curve continues to progress. The good news is that she is still under that vital

age to start, two. I suggest you find a doc close to you soon who can help your

daughter. You doc sounds open to learning new things, maybe he would go to one

of the upcoming training opportunities. I'm impressed he read the site, and even

more impressed he showed it to you. But for now, I'd get her going with another

doc. A good estimate as to how long it takes to correct the curve is equal the

age. So if your daughter is 14 mo., she would be close having the cast (with

cast changes) for 14 months and then into a brace for 6-12 months.

Cole started at 8 mo. with a 48 degree curve. He was in a cast for 13 months,

and has now been in his brace at zero degrees for 7 months. He should be done

with bracing in two months.

Glad you found us. Where do you live? Ask more ? if you have them.

/Cole

I

mistyhld wrote: Hi

Everyone, My name is Misty...my daughter was diagnosed

w/idiopathic infantile scoliosis at 4 mos old. Her date of birth is

4-12-06 and she is now 15 mos old (and a handful!)Our pediatrician

noticed her back did not look quite right at her 4 mos check up and

sent us immediately to a pediatric orthopaedic doctor. At her first

visit w/the pediatric orthopaedic doctor he did an x-ray and said her

curve was barely even enough " curve " to diagnose her w/scoliosis.

So, he said let's wait and see her back in 3-4 months and do another

x-ray at that point. He also thoght she might grow out of it. Sooooo,

when we left we were SO relieved that he had given us GOOD NEWS!! At

her next appt, 4 mos later, he did another x-ray and we were all some

what surprised at the progression of her curve. After talking w/us

about possible scenarios he suggested that a cast would be the best

treatment for her. He did also encourage us to get a second opinion

( I think b/c he could tell we were just dumbfounded!). So, we did

and that Dr. also reccommended a cast. She is now in her second

cast...HOWEVER, at her follow-up appt w/this cast he did another x-

ray and once again we were surprised. Her curve is still progressing.

When she had her 2nd cast put on he had said that we would possibly

try a brace next time if she showed some improvement, so we were not

excited when we saw the latest x-ray. He pulled up

infantilescolios.org at our appt and encouraged us to read some

stories. I am ashamed to say before that I had not even turned to

the internet as a resource b/c you never know what is legit and what

may not be. So thanks to him...here we are. We go Monday to have

her cast removed and she will have her 3rd cast put on Thursday. We

received the DVD,have watched it and will take it to him Monday. I

will try to post a picture or two of her in her cast so all of you

can see,hopefully tomorrow...it does not look like any I have seen on

here though. It

includes one arm (down to her elbow)

We have never gotten an exact number on the degree of her curve, but

it began in the 10's and is now in the 40's.

We do feel that the cast is the best tx, but WHY is it not helping???

If she has to go through this, we want it to be effective!!!

At this point we are very discouraged and do NOT know what to do

next...If anyone could guide us or give us any info we would be so

thankful!!! Hope to here from you all soon.

Misty and Donnie

Haley's Mommy and Daddy

We did have an MRI and everything looked good.

---------------------------------

Need a vacation? Get great deals to amazing places on Yahoo! Travel.

[Guest guest]

Hi Mist and welcome,

Alot of docs do casting, but to date and to my knowledge there is only one type

of casting and procedure that actually corrects the curve. This is the type of

casting you probably read about from the web site infantilescoliosis.org . My

son Cole's story is on there as well. This procedure uses a infant/toddler

traction table to correct the curve in a 3D manner. It is truly amazing and the

best part is it actually works IF the child starts the casting early...meaning

before the age of two. I strongly advise you find a doc who knows the procedure

and has the correct equipment to do it....correct equipment it KEY. Thankfully

now there are a handful of docs/hospitals who are doing it. When Cole started

there were 2 hospitals in the country. Now 1 1/2 years later there are

more...and soon even more. The ones I know about are Shriner's in Philly, PA,

Erie,PA, Salt Lake City, UT, and Portland, OR. Then there are a few other

Children hospitals. The one I know about is in Denver,

CO. If there are others, maybe a few moms/dads can chime in. Dr. Kisham in So.

Cal. knows the procedure, but I'm not sure he has the table...maybe he does???

Unfortunately, I'm not surprised your daughters curve progressed in the casts

she is currently in. Other type of casts only hold the curve and eventually the

curve continues to progress. The good news is that she is still under that vital

age to start, two. I suggest you find a doc close to you soon who can help your

daughter. You doc sounds open to learning new things, maybe he would go to one

of the upcoming training opportunities. I'm impressed he read the site, and even

more impressed he showed it to you. But for now, I'd get her going with another

doc. A good estimate as to how long it takes to correct the curve is equal the

age. So if your daughter is 14 mo., she would be close having the cast (with

cast changes) for 14 months and then into a brace for 6-12 months.

Cole started at 8 mo. with a 48 degree curve. He was in a cast for 13 months,

and has now been in his brace at zero degrees for 7 months. He should be done

with bracing in two months.

Glad you found us. Where do you live? Ask more ? if you have them.

/Cole

I

mistyhld wrote: Hi

Everyone, My name is Misty...my daughter was diagnosed

w/idiopathic infantile scoliosis at 4 mos old. Her date of birth is

4-12-06 and she is now 15 mos old (and a handful!)Our pediatrician

noticed her back did not look quite right at her 4 mos check up and

sent us immediately to a pediatric orthopaedic doctor. At her first

visit w/the pediatric orthopaedic doctor he did an x-ray and said her

curve was barely even enough " curve " to diagnose her w/scoliosis.

So, he said let's wait and see her back in 3-4 months and do another

x-ray at that point. He also thoght she might grow out of it. Sooooo,

when we left we were SO relieved that he had given us GOOD NEWS!! At

her next appt, 4 mos later, he did another x-ray and we were all some

what surprised at the progression of her curve. After talking w/us

about possible scenarios he suggested that a cast would be the best

treatment for her. He did also encourage us to get a second opinion

( I think b/c he could tell we were just dumbfounded!). So, we did

and that Dr. also reccommended a cast. She is now in her second

cast...HOWEVER, at her follow-up appt w/this cast he did another x-

ray and once again we were surprised. Her curve is still progressing.

When she had her 2nd cast put on he had said that we would possibly

try a brace next time if she showed some improvement, so we were not

excited when we saw the latest x-ray. He pulled up

infantilescolios.org at our appt and encouraged us to read some

stories. I am ashamed to say before that I had not even turned to

the internet as a resource b/c you never know what is legit and what

may not be. So thanks to him...here we are. We go Monday to have

her cast removed and she will have her 3rd cast put on Thursday. We

received the DVD,have watched it and will take it to him Monday. I

will try to post a picture or two of her in her cast so all of you

can see,hopefully tomorrow...it does not look like any I have seen on

here though. It

includes one arm (down to her elbow)

We have never gotten an exact number on the degree of her curve, but

it began in the 10's and is now in the 40's.

We do feel that the cast is the best tx, but WHY is it not helping???

If she has to go through this, we want it to be effective!!!

At this point we are very discouraged and do NOT know what to do

next...If anyone could guide us or give us any info we would be so

thankful!!! Hope to here from you all soon.

Misty and Donnie

Haley's Mommy and Daddy

We did have an MRI and everything looked good.

---------------------------------

Need a vacation? Get great deals to amazing places on Yahoo! Travel.

[Guest guest]

Hi Mist and welcome,

Alot of docs do casting, but to date and to my knowledge there is only one type

of casting and procedure that actually corrects the curve. This is the type of

casting you probably read about from the web site infantilescoliosis.org . My

son Cole's story is on there as well. This procedure uses a infant/toddler

traction table to correct the curve in a 3D manner. It is truly amazing and the

best part is it actually works IF the child starts the casting early...meaning

before the age of two. I strongly advise you find a doc who knows the procedure

and has the correct equipment to do it....correct equipment it KEY. Thankfully

now there are a handful of docs/hospitals who are doing it. When Cole started

there were 2 hospitals in the country. Now 1 1/2 years later there are

more...and soon even more. The ones I know about are Shriner's in Philly, PA,

Erie,PA, Salt Lake City, UT, and Portland, OR. Then there are a few other

Children hospitals. The one I know about is in Denver,

CO. If there are others, maybe a few moms/dads can chime in. Dr. Kisham in So.

Cal. knows the procedure, but I'm not sure he has the table...maybe he does???

Unfortunately, I'm not surprised your daughters curve progressed in the casts

she is currently in. Other type of casts only hold the curve and eventually the

curve continues to progress. The good news is that she is still under that vital

age to start, two. I suggest you find a doc close to you soon who can help your

daughter. You doc sounds open to learning new things, maybe he would go to one

of the upcoming training opportunities. I'm impressed he read the site, and even

more impressed he showed it to you. But for now, I'd get her going with another

doc. A good estimate as to how long it takes to correct the curve is equal the

age. So if your daughter is 14 mo., she would be close having the cast (with

cast changes) for 14 months and then into a brace for 6-12 months.

Cole started at 8 mo. with a 48 degree curve. He was in a cast for 13 months,

and has now been in his brace at zero degrees for 7 months. He should be done

with bracing in two months.

Glad you found us. Where do you live? Ask more ? if you have them.

/Cole

I

mistyhld wrote: Hi

Everyone, My name is Misty...my daughter was diagnosed

w/idiopathic infantile scoliosis at 4 mos old. Her date of birth is

4-12-06 and she is now 15 mos old (and a handful!)Our pediatrician

noticed her back did not look quite right at her 4 mos check up and

sent us immediately to a pediatric orthopaedic doctor. At her first

visit w/the pediatric orthopaedic doctor he did an x-ray and said her

curve was barely even enough " curve " to diagnose her w/scoliosis.

So, he said let's wait and see her back in 3-4 months and do another

x-ray at that point. He also thoght she might grow out of it. Sooooo,

when we left we were SO relieved that he had given us GOOD NEWS!! At

her next appt, 4 mos later, he did another x-ray and we were all some

what surprised at the progression of her curve. After talking w/us

about possible scenarios he suggested that a cast would be the best

treatment for her. He did also encourage us to get a second opinion

( I think b/c he could tell we were just dumbfounded!). So, we did

and that Dr. also reccommended a cast. She is now in her second

cast...HOWEVER, at her follow-up appt w/this cast he did another x-

ray and once again we were surprised. Her curve is still progressing.

When she had her 2nd cast put on he had said that we would possibly

try a brace next time if she showed some improvement, so we were not

excited when we saw the latest x-ray. He pulled up

infantilescolios.org at our appt and encouraged us to read some

stories. I am ashamed to say before that I had not even turned to

the internet as a resource b/c you never know what is legit and what

may not be. So thanks to him...here we are. We go Monday to have

her cast removed and she will have her 3rd cast put on Thursday. We

received the DVD,have watched it and will take it to him Monday. I

will try to post a picture or two of her in her cast so all of you

can see,hopefully tomorrow...it does not look like any I have seen on

here though. It

includes one arm (down to her elbow)

We have never gotten an exact number on the degree of her curve, but

it began in the 10's and is now in the 40's.

We do feel that the cast is the best tx, but WHY is it not helping???

If she has to go through this, we want it to be effective!!!

At this point we are very discouraged and do NOT know what to do

next...If anyone could guide us or give us any info we would be so

thankful!!! Hope to here from you all soon.

Misty and Donnie

Haley's Mommy and Daddy

We did have an MRI and everything looked good.

---------------------------------

Need a vacation? Get great deals to amazing places on Yahoo! Travel.

[Guest guest]

Thanks for all of the information. We live in , Mississippi! I do have a

few more ?'s

What exacty is the RVAD, I know kind of what it means but not what it stands

for...same thing w/cobb?!?! I do know that our Doctor tells us that her ribs are

slanted downward enough that would indicate a curve that will most likely

progress. Am I along the right lines? I hope to get exact #'s from him @ our

next visit.

We are definately going to call Dr. Khoury FIRST thing MONDAY!!! i am

wondering if him moving to Alabama will effect how long it will take to get in

w/him? Perhaps a shorter wait (could we get so lucky?) The sooner the better!

I could really kick myself in the rear for not doing this research earlier,

b/c i know we have lost precious time...but we truly thought after getting a 2nd

opinion (an opinion that was exactly what the 1st Doc said) we thought for sure

that we were on the right track. Our Doctor had also treated a little boy

w/infantile scoliosis in the same way he is tx Haley, and he

improved....Obviously different situations!!!

Again, thank u for the info and we will keep u posted!

Misty and Haley

Baird wrote:

Hi Mist and welcome,

Alot of docs do casting, but to date and to my knowledge there is only one type

of casting and procedure that actually corrects the curve. This is the type of

casting you probably read about from the web site infantilescoliosis.org . My

son Cole's story is on there as well. This procedure uses a infant/toddler

traction table to correct the curve in a 3D manner. It is truly amazing and the

best part is it actually works IF the child starts the casting early...meaning

before the age of two. I strongly advise you find a doc who knows the procedure

and has the correct equipment to do it....correct equipment it KEY. Thankfully

now there are a handful of docs/hospitals who are doing it. When Cole started

there were 2 hospitals in the country. Now 1 1/2 years later there are

more...and soon even more. The ones I know about are Shriner's in Philly, PA,

Erie,PA, Salt Lake City, UT, and Portland, OR. Then there are a few other

Children hospitals. The one I know about is in Denver,

CO. If there are others, maybe a few moms/dads can chime in. Dr. Kisham in So.

Cal. knows the procedure, but I'm not sure he has the table...maybe he does???

Unfortunately, I'm not surprised your daughters curve progressed in the casts

she is currently in. Other type of casts only hold the curve and eventually the

curve continues to progress. The good news is that she is still under that vital

age to start, two. I suggest you find a doc close to you soon who can help your

daughter. You doc sounds open to learning new things, maybe he would go to one

of the upcoming training opportunities. I'm impressed he read the site, and even

more impressed he showed it to you. But for now, I'd get her going with another

doc. A good estimate as to how long it takes to correct the curve is equal the

age. So if your daughter is 14 mo., she would be close having the cast (with

cast changes) for 14 months and then into a brace for 6-12 months.

Cole started at 8 mo. with a 48 degree curve. He was in a cast for 13 months,

and has now been in his brace at zero degrees for 7 months. He should be done

with bracing in two months.

Glad you found us. Where do you live? Ask more ? if you have them.

/Cole

I

mistyhld wrote: Hi Everyone, My name is Misty...my daughter

was diagnosed

w/idiopathic infantile scoliosis at 4 mos old. Her date of birth is

4-12-06 and she is now 15 mos old (and a handful!)Our pediatrician

noticed her back did not look quite right at her 4 mos check up and

sent us immediately to a pediatric orthopaedic doctor. At her first

visit w/the pediatric orthopaedic doctor he did an x-ray and said her

curve was barely even enough " curve " to diagnose her w/scoliosis.

So, he said let's wait and see her back in 3-4 months and do another

x-ray at that point. He also thoght she might grow out of it. Sooooo,

when we left we were SO relieved that he had given us GOOD NEWS!! At

her next appt, 4 mos later, he did another x-ray and we were all some

what surprised at the progression of her curve. After talking w/us

about possible scenarios he suggested that a cast would be the best

treatment for her. He did also encourage us to get a second opinion

( I think b/c he could tell we were just dumbfounded!). So, we did

and that Dr. also reccommended a cast. She is now in her second

cast...HOWEVER, at her follow-up appt w/this cast he did another x-

ray and once again we were surprised. Her curve is still progressing.

When she had her 2nd cast put on he had said that we would possibly

try a brace next time if she showed some improvement, so we were not

excited when we saw the latest x-ray. He pulled up

infantilescolios.org at our appt and encouraged us to read some

stories. I am ashamed to say before that I had not even turned to

the internet as a resource b/c you never know what is legit and what

may not be. So thanks to him...here we are. We go Monday to have

her cast removed and she will have her 3rd cast put on Thursday. We

received the DVD,have watched it and will take it to him Monday. I

will try to post a picture or two of her in her cast so all of you

can see,hopefully tomorrow...it does not look like any I have seen on

here though. It

includes one arm (down to her elbow)

We have never gotten an exact number on the degree of her curve, but

it began in the 10's and is now in the 40's.

We do feel that the cast is the best tx, but WHY is it not helping???

If she has to go through this, we want it to be effective!!!

At this point we are very discouraged and do NOT know what to do

next...If anyone could guide us or give us any info we would be so

thankful!!! Hope to here from you all soon.

Misty and Donnie

Haley's Mommy and Daddy

We did have an MRI and everything looked good.

---------------------------------

Need a vacation? Get great deals to amazing places on Yahoo! Travel.

[Guest guest]

Thanks for all of the information. We live in , Mississippi! I do have a

few more ?'s

What exacty is the RVAD, I know kind of what it means but not what it stands

for...same thing w/cobb?!?! I do know that our Doctor tells us that her ribs are

slanted downward enough that would indicate a curve that will most likely

progress. Am I along the right lines? I hope to get exact #'s from him @ our

next visit.

We are definately going to call Dr. Khoury FIRST thing MONDAY!!! i am

wondering if him moving to Alabama will effect how long it will take to get in

w/him? Perhaps a shorter wait (could we get so lucky?) The sooner the better!

I could really kick myself in the rear for not doing this research earlier,

b/c i know we have lost precious time...but we truly thought after getting a 2nd

opinion (an opinion that was exactly what the 1st Doc said) we thought for sure

that we were on the right track. Our Doctor had also treated a little boy

w/infantile scoliosis in the same way he is tx Haley, and he

improved....Obviously different situations!!!

Again, thank u for the info and we will keep u posted!

Misty and Haley

Baird wrote:

Hi Mist and welcome,

Alot of docs do casting, but to date and to my knowledge there is only one type

of casting and procedure that actually corrects the curve. This is the type of

casting you probably read about from the web site infantilescoliosis.org . My

son Cole's story is on there as well. This procedure uses a infant/toddler

traction table to correct the curve in a 3D manner. It is truly amazing and the

best part is it actually works IF the child starts the casting early...meaning

before the age of two. I strongly advise you find a doc who knows the procedure

and has the correct equipment to do it....correct equipment it KEY. Thankfully

now there are a handful of docs/hospitals who are doing it. When Cole started

there were 2 hospitals in the country. Now 1 1/2 years later there are

more...and soon even more. The ones I know about are Shriner's in Philly, PA,

Erie,PA, Salt Lake City, UT, and Portland, OR. Then there are a few other

Children hospitals. The one I know about is in Denver,

CO. If there are others, maybe a few moms/dads can chime in. Dr. Kisham in So.

Cal. knows the procedure, but I'm not sure he has the table...maybe he does???

Unfortunately, I'm not surprised your daughters curve progressed in the casts

she is currently in. Other type of casts only hold the curve and eventually the

curve continues to progress. The good news is that she is still under that vital

age to start, two. I suggest you find a doc close to you soon who can help your

daughter. You doc sounds open to learning new things, maybe he would go to one

of the upcoming training opportunities. I'm impressed he read the site, and even

more impressed he showed it to you. But for now, I'd get her going with another

doc. A good estimate as to how long it takes to correct the curve is equal the

age. So if your daughter is 14 mo., she would be close having the cast (with

cast changes) for 14 months and then into a brace for 6-12 months.

Cole started at 8 mo. with a 48 degree curve. He was in a cast for 13 months,

and has now been in his brace at zero degrees for 7 months. He should be done

with bracing in two months.

Glad you found us. Where do you live? Ask more ? if you have them.

/Cole

I

mistyhld wrote: Hi Everyone, My name is Misty...my daughter

was diagnosed

w/idiopathic infantile scoliosis at 4 mos old. Her date of birth is

4-12-06 and she is now 15 mos old (and a handful!)Our pediatrician

noticed her back did not look quite right at her 4 mos check up and

sent us immediately to a pediatric orthopaedic doctor. At her first

visit w/the pediatric orthopaedic doctor he did an x-ray and said her

curve was barely even enough " curve " to diagnose her w/scoliosis.

So, he said let's wait and see her back in 3-4 months and do another

x-ray at that point. He also thoght she might grow out of it. Sooooo,

when we left we were SO relieved that he had given us GOOD NEWS!! At

her next appt, 4 mos later, he did another x-ray and we were all some

what surprised at the progression of her curve. After talking w/us

about possible scenarios he suggested that a cast would be the best

treatment for her. He did also encourage us to get a second opinion

( I think b/c he could tell we were just dumbfounded!). So, we did

and that Dr. also reccommended a cast. She is now in her second

cast...HOWEVER, at her follow-up appt w/this cast he did another x-

ray and once again we were surprised. Her curve is still progressing.

When she had her 2nd cast put on he had said that we would possibly

try a brace next time if she showed some improvement, so we were not

excited when we saw the latest x-ray. He pulled up

infantilescolios.org at our appt and encouraged us to read some

stories. I am ashamed to say before that I had not even turned to

the internet as a resource b/c you never know what is legit and what

may not be. So thanks to him...here we are. We go Monday to have

her cast removed and she will have her 3rd cast put on Thursday. We

received the DVD,have watched it and will take it to him Monday. I

will try to post a picture or two of her in her cast so all of you

can see,hopefully tomorrow...it does not look like any I have seen on

here though. It

includes one arm (down to her elbow)

We have never gotten an exact number on the degree of her curve, but

it began in the 10's and is now in the 40's.

We do feel that the cast is the best tx, but WHY is it not helping???

If she has to go through this, we want it to be effective!!!

At this point we are very discouraged and do NOT know what to do

next...If anyone could guide us or give us any info we would be so

thankful!!! Hope to here from you all soon.

Misty and Donnie

Haley's Mommy and Daddy

We did have an MRI and everything looked good.

---------------------------------

Need a vacation? Get great deals to amazing places on Yahoo! Travel.

[Guest guest]

Thanks for all of the information. We live in , Mississippi! I do have a

few more ?'s

What exacty is the RVAD, I know kind of what it means but not what it stands

for...same thing w/cobb?!?! I do know that our Doctor tells us that her ribs are

slanted downward enough that would indicate a curve that will most likely

progress. Am I along the right lines? I hope to get exact #'s from him @ our

next visit.

We are definately going to call Dr. Khoury FIRST thing MONDAY!!! i am

wondering if him moving to Alabama will effect how long it will take to get in

w/him? Perhaps a shorter wait (could we get so lucky?) The sooner the better!

I could really kick myself in the rear for not doing this research earlier,

b/c i know we have lost precious time...but we truly thought after getting a 2nd

opinion (an opinion that was exactly what the 1st Doc said) we thought for sure

that we were on the right track. Our Doctor had also treated a little boy

w/infantile scoliosis in the same way he is tx Haley, and he

improved....Obviously different situations!!!

Again, thank u for the info and we will keep u posted!

Misty and Haley

Baird wrote:

Hi Mist and welcome,

Alot of docs do casting, but to date and to my knowledge there is only one type

of casting and procedure that actually corrects the curve. This is the type of

casting you probably read about from the web site infantilescoliosis.org . My

son Cole's story is on there as well. This procedure uses a infant/toddler

traction table to correct the curve in a 3D manner. It is truly amazing and the

best part is it actually works IF the child starts the casting early...meaning

before the age of two. I strongly advise you find a doc who knows the procedure

and has the correct equipment to do it....correct equipment it KEY. Thankfully

now there are a handful of docs/hospitals who are doing it. When Cole started

there were 2 hospitals in the country. Now 1 1/2 years later there are

more...and soon even more. The ones I know about are Shriner's in Philly, PA,

Erie,PA, Salt Lake City, UT, and Portland, OR. Then there are a few other

Children hospitals. The one I know about is in Denver,

CO. If there are others, maybe a few moms/dads can chime in. Dr. Kisham in So.

Cal. knows the procedure, but I'm not sure he has the table...maybe he does???

Unfortunately, I'm not surprised your daughters curve progressed in the casts

she is currently in. Other type of casts only hold the curve and eventually the

curve continues to progress. The good news is that she is still under that vital

age to start, two. I suggest you find a doc close to you soon who can help your

daughter. You doc sounds open to learning new things, maybe he would go to one

of the upcoming training opportunities. I'm impressed he read the site, and even

more impressed he showed it to you. But for now, I'd get her going with another

doc. A good estimate as to how long it takes to correct the curve is equal the

age. So if your daughter is 14 mo., she would be close having the cast (with

cast changes) for 14 months and then into a brace for 6-12 months.

Cole started at 8 mo. with a 48 degree curve. He was in a cast for 13 months,

and has now been in his brace at zero degrees for 7 months. He should be done

with bracing in two months.

Glad you found us. Where do you live? Ask more ? if you have them.

/Cole

I

mistyhld wrote: Hi Everyone, My name is Misty...my daughter

was diagnosed

w/idiopathic infantile scoliosis at 4 mos old. Her date of birth is

4-12-06 and she is now 15 mos old (and a handful!)Our pediatrician

noticed her back did not look quite right at her 4 mos check up and

sent us immediately to a pediatric orthopaedic doctor. At her first

visit w/the pediatric orthopaedic doctor he did an x-ray and said her

curve was barely even enough " curve " to diagnose her w/scoliosis.

So, he said let's wait and see her back in 3-4 months and do another

x-ray at that point. He also thoght she might grow out of it. Sooooo,

when we left we were SO relieved that he had given us GOOD NEWS!! At

her next appt, 4 mos later, he did another x-ray and we were all some

what surprised at the progression of her curve. After talking w/us

about possible scenarios he suggested that a cast would be the best

treatment for her. He did also encourage us to get a second opinion

( I think b/c he could tell we were just dumbfounded!). So, we did

and that Dr. also reccommended a cast. She is now in her second

cast...HOWEVER, at her follow-up appt w/this cast he did another x-

ray and once again we were surprised. Her curve is still progressing.

When she had her 2nd cast put on he had said that we would possibly

try a brace next time if she showed some improvement, so we were not

excited when we saw the latest x-ray. He pulled up

infantilescolios.org at our appt and encouraged us to read some

stories. I am ashamed to say before that I had not even turned to

the internet as a resource b/c you never know what is legit and what

may not be. So thanks to him...here we are. We go Monday to have

her cast removed and she will have her 3rd cast put on Thursday. We

received the DVD,have watched it and will take it to him Monday. I

will try to post a picture or two of her in her cast so all of you

can see,hopefully tomorrow...it does not look like any I have seen on

here though. It

includes one arm (down to her elbow)

We have never gotten an exact number on the degree of her curve, but

it began in the 10's and is now in the 40's.

We do feel that the cast is the best tx, but WHY is it not helping???

If she has to go through this, we want it to be effective!!!

At this point we are very discouraged and do NOT know what to do

next...If anyone could guide us or give us any info we would be so

thankful!!! Hope to here from you all soon.

Misty and Donnie

Haley's Mommy and Daddy

We did have an MRI and everything looked good.

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

Hi

Thanks for the info...We are SOOOOO glad we foud all of you also. It has been

a lot of help so far. I am almost positive that our Doc has not been Mehta

trained. However, when he introduced us to this web site he said that he had

been to a conference that Dr. had done regarding infantile scoliosis.

So SURELY he would know about this casting technique, wouldn't u think so? Oh

well, I plan on getting more details about that @ our next visit...We will keep

u posted.Thanks again

Misty & Haley

P.S. I am posting pics today of Haley in her cast & will place even more along

the way!

wrote:

Hi Misty and Donny! I'm glad you're here! This is a great place for

support, encouragement, and advice.

Firstly, I'd like to say that it sounds like you have a great,

observant pediatrician! And two orthos who suggested casting and even

know about ISOP?! Wow! That's wonderful!

I'm sorry that I can't give you much insight on why your daughter's

curve isn't correcting in cast. I'm actually pretty new to all of

this myself. My daughter isn't even in her first cast yet.

I'll ask this, though: Which " casting " doctor are you seeing? Maybe

he isn't actually Mehta-trained? Not saying that just because he

isn't, his casts aren't " good " or " right " , just that maybe that's the

reason why your daughter's cast is a little different than the others

you've seen here.

Also, I'd ask your ortho lots of questions (I almost annoy doctors

with all of mine!). Ask him about the cast and why it includes her

arm. Do you know the rotation or the RVAD number? Ask him about that,

too. It might be an indication as to why your daughter's curve is

continuing to progress.

I'm sure you'll get some better advice and info from others on here.

Again, I'm glad you came here! I think it will end up being a very

useful " tool " in this journey that you're on. And you're not alone,

either. We're all going through this (or have gone through it in the

past). Progressive infantile scoliosis is quite rare, so it's nice to

know that there are others out there who know exactly what you're

going through!

~ : )

Mommy to ~ ~ ~ AND

(8/18/06) ~ diagnosed at 9m with 45o curve ~ " normal " MRI and

ped. neurologist assessment ~ scheduled for 1st cast with Dr.

on 8/22/07

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

Hi

Thanks for the info...We are SOOOOO glad we foud all of you also. It has been

a lot of help so far. I am almost positive that our Doc has not been Mehta

trained. However, when he introduced us to this web site he said that he had

been to a conference that Dr. had done regarding infantile scoliosis.

So SURELY he would know about this casting technique, wouldn't u think so? Oh

well, I plan on getting more details about that @ our next visit...We will keep

u posted.Thanks again

Misty & Haley

P.S. I am posting pics today of Haley in her cast & will place even more along

the way!

wrote:

Hi Misty and Donny! I'm glad you're here! This is a great place for

support, encouragement, and advice.

Firstly, I'd like to say that it sounds like you have a great,

observant pediatrician! And two orthos who suggested casting and even

know about ISOP?! Wow! That's wonderful!

I'm sorry that I can't give you much insight on why your daughter's

curve isn't correcting in cast. I'm actually pretty new to all of

this myself. My daughter isn't even in her first cast yet.

I'll ask this, though: Which " casting " doctor are you seeing? Maybe

he isn't actually Mehta-trained? Not saying that just because he

isn't, his casts aren't " good " or " right " , just that maybe that's the

reason why your daughter's cast is a little different than the others

you've seen here.

Also, I'd ask your ortho lots of questions (I almost annoy doctors

with all of mine!). Ask him about the cast and why it includes her

arm. Do you know the rotation or the RVAD number? Ask him about that,

too. It might be an indication as to why your daughter's curve is

continuing to progress.

I'm sure you'll get some better advice and info from others on here.

Again, I'm glad you came here! I think it will end up being a very

useful " tool " in this journey that you're on. And you're not alone,

either. We're all going through this (or have gone through it in the

past). Progressive infantile scoliosis is quite rare, so it's nice to

know that there are others out there who know exactly what you're

going through!

~ : )

Mommy to ~ ~ ~ AND

(8/18/06) ~ diagnosed at 9m with 45o curve ~ " normal " MRI and

ped. neurologist assessment ~ scheduled for 1st cast with Dr.

on 8/22/07

---------------------------------

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Browse Top Cars by " Green Rating " at Yahoo! Autos' Green Center.

[Guest guest]

Hi

Thanks for the info...We are SOOOOO glad we foud all of you also. It has been

a lot of help so far. I am almost positive that our Doc has not been Mehta

trained. However, when he introduced us to this web site he said that he had

been to a conference that Dr. had done regarding infantile scoliosis.

So SURELY he would know about this casting technique, wouldn't u think so? Oh

well, I plan on getting more details about that @ our next visit...We will keep

u posted.Thanks again

Misty & Haley

P.S. I am posting pics today of Haley in her cast & will place even more along

the way!

wrote:

Hi Misty and Donny! I'm glad you're here! This is a great place for

support, encouragement, and advice.

Firstly, I'd like to say that it sounds like you have a great,

observant pediatrician! And two orthos who suggested casting and even

know about ISOP?! Wow! That's wonderful!

I'm sorry that I can't give you much insight on why your daughter's

curve isn't correcting in cast. I'm actually pretty new to all of

this myself. My daughter isn't even in her first cast yet.

I'll ask this, though: Which " casting " doctor are you seeing? Maybe

he isn't actually Mehta-trained? Not saying that just because he

isn't, his casts aren't " good " or " right " , just that maybe that's the

reason why your daughter's cast is a little different than the others

you've seen here.

Also, I'd ask your ortho lots of questions (I almost annoy doctors

with all of mine!). Ask him about the cast and why it includes her

arm. Do you know the rotation or the RVAD number? Ask him about that,

too. It might be an indication as to why your daughter's curve is

continuing to progress.

I'm sure you'll get some better advice and info from others on here.

Again, I'm glad you came here! I think it will end up being a very

useful " tool " in this journey that you're on. And you're not alone,

either. We're all going through this (or have gone through it in the

past). Progressive infantile scoliosis is quite rare, so it's nice to

know that there are others out there who know exactly what you're

going through!

~ : )

Mommy to ~ ~ ~ AND

(8/18/06) ~ diagnosed at 9m with 45o curve ~ " normal " MRI and

ped. neurologist assessment ~ scheduled for 1st cast with Dr.

on 8/22/07

---------------------------------

Looking for earth-friendly autos?

Browse Top Cars by " Green Rating " at Yahoo! Autos' Green Center.