Re: Drudge Report point was actually about spina bifida

[Guest guest]

Since my LLMD daughter has Spina Bifida I saw this is an amazing story. She

just had to have another surgery of her brain, at least two so far this year.

They drill a hole in her head about the size of a quarter to relieve the

pressure in her brain that causes constant -- unrelenting headaches. She is

in her early 20's I believe.

When I looked at that amaizing picutre --- I only saw the miracle of how far

we've come medically in 20 years (when STEERE is not in the way) that they

can operate on a fetus and I choose not to focus on the other issue. I saw

that as this being too big of a miracle to darken it's meaning.

30-October-1999

<snipped>

The baby is literally hanging on for life. For this is one of the most

remarkable photographs taken in medicine and a record of one of the world's

most extraordinary operations.

It shows a 21-week-old fetus in its mother's womb, about to undergo a spine

operation designed to save it from serious brain damage.

The surgery was carried out entirely through the tiny slit visible in the

wall of the womb and the `patient' is believed to be the youngest to undergo

it.

At that age the mother could have chosen to have the fetus aborted. Her

decision not to, however, led to an astonishing test not just of medical

technology, but of faith.

Armas has spina bifida, which left part of his spinal cord exposed

after the backbone failed to develop.

The operation was designed to close the gap and protect the cord, the body's

motorway for nerve signals to the brain.

So, on an unborn patient no bigger than a guinea-pig, the operation was

performed without removing the fetus from the womb.

The instruments had to be specially designed to work in miniature. The

sutures used to close the incisions were less than the thickness of a human

hair.

An ER-style crash-cart team was on constant standby in an adjoining room.

When it was completed, however, 's battle for survival was only just

beginning. Nor would the emotional battle his parents had already endured

finish quite yet.

and Armas had been trying desperately for a baby. , a

27-year-old nurse, had suffered two miscarriages before she became pregnant

with the child they intended to call if it was a boy.

Then, at 14 weeks, she started to suffer terrible cramp. An ultrasound scan

was carried out to show the shape of the developing fetus and its position in

the womb.

When the picture emerged, it was the moment that every parent-to-be dreads.

Their unborn son's brain was misshapen and his spinal cord was sticking out

from a deformed backbone. He had spina bifida. They were devastated and

``torn apart'' said , a 28-year-old jet aircraft engineer.

At that stage, and even weeks later, the couple could have decided to have

the pregnancy terminated. In their home town of Georgia in the US as in

Britain abortion is routinely offered. Although accurate figures are not

available, many parents accept. For and , who are deeply religious,

it was not an option.

That didn't mean, of course, that they were not racked by pain at the thought

that the child they had longed for was imperfect.

It also riddled them with guilt over whether they had effectively taken the

decision to inflict their son with years of handicap, pain and suffering.

So, this being the United States, they turned to the Internet for help.

's mother found a website giving details of pioneering surgery being

carried out by a team at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Although the results have not yet been endorsed in medical journals, they

looked encouraging to Mr. And Mrs. Armas.

Their doctor put them in touch with Dr. ph Bruner (it is his finger in

the photograph). A race against time had begun.

Because it affects the spinal cord, spina bifida can lead to a condition that

causes brain damage. Mr. and Mrs. Armas were told that if they were to avoid

the condition, which was not then present in , they had to act fast.

``I wasn't concerned about a child who couldn't walk,'' said , ``but I

want a child who knows me.''

The theory behind the surgery is that attention to he spine disorder before

the baby is born prevents or limits brain damage, and gives a better chance

of healing. It does not cure spina bifida, but it is said to provide a strong

chance of limiting the damage through early intervention.

The risks, however, are enormous. Controversy surrounds the use of such

surgery because it goes against the general medical rule that the risk should

not outweigh the benefit.

Mr. and Mrs. Armas were fully aware that if anything went wrong, no attempt

would be made to deliver by Caesarian section.

Medical science does not yet have the capability to keep a 21-week-old fetus

alive outside the womb. The crash-cart was on standby for , not .

``If he dies, that's horrible for me and for us,'' said before she went

into theater. Wiping tears she added: ``But not for him. The worst thing

might be if we don't do this, and this is standard treatment when he's 21,

and he says: ``Why didn't you know about that?'' And we say: ``We did, but we

didn't do it for you.''

The other major dangers were turning him in the womb to get his back in line

with an inch-long cut in the wall, through which Dr Bruner would operate, and

that the surgery might involve releasing the fluid around .

The movement posed the risk of sending into labor contractions, which

would have been fatal for .

Thus, one morning at the beginning of last month, Dr Bruner could be heard

urging his team to keep quiet. ``Shh!'' he said. ``You'll wake the baby!''

, who reported on the operation for USA Today newspaper, said the

lesion that exposed 's spine was found low on his backbone, decreasing

the chance of nerve damage.

Although is believed to have been the youngest patient for such an

operation, it was apparently routine enough for Dr Bruner and pediatric

neurosurgeon Noel Tullpant to talk about the weather during the operation.

An hour later, the womb is gently eased back into place. ``Beautiful,'' said

one of the technicians and relief swept the room.

was allowed home with within days. The baby is due on December 28.

He has not yet felt the touch of his mother's skin against his own and he

knows nothing of life outside her womb. But perhaps Armas

will be able to shake Dr Bruner's hand again.

[Guest guest]

swsftwtx@... writes:

<< It's

a miracle anyway, and that they can now do this

is wonderful. I lost a niece to spina bifida named

e shortly after she was born. Please accept

my untentional darkening of he whole thing, and

my apologies to all.

My comments were not directed at you.

I did not mean that YOU darkening the true meaning.

Everything thing I've heard on the topic on the

TV & radio has seemed (to me) to miss the point of

operating on a fetus. I just meant the overall general

attitude about this story.

I heard that Fox news is going to get together with the

person who wrote the story and bring out the spina bifida

angle. I hope my LLMD is back from his daughter surgery

by then because besides taking care of Lyme patients

he has a clinic for SB.

That picture is just purely amazing when you keep it

in the context of the story. It could win a Pulitzer prize

for showing us that. Can you imagine what that felt

like to the doctor who was operating ????? Whew!

Marleen

Marleen

[Guest guest]

And, I did not mean to cause that darkening truly.

I was just so wiped away by the photo itself and

that was truly what I wanted to convey. It's

a miracle anyway, and that they can now do this

is wonderful. I lost a neice to spina bifida named

e shortly after she was born. Please accept

my untentional darkening of he whole thing, and

my apologies to all.

Wishing us all health and freedom from pain,

both physical and emotional - Sanda

LymeFightr@... wrote:

> From: LymeFightr@...

>

> Since my LLMD daughter has Spina Bifida I saw this is an amazing story. She

> just had to have another surgery of her brain, at least two so far this year.

> They drill a hole in her head about the size of a quarter to relieve the

> pressure in her brain that causes constant -- unrelenting headaches. She is

> in her early 20's I believe.

>

> When I looked at that amaizing picutre --- I only saw the miracle of how far

> we've come medically in 20 years (when STEERE is not in the way) that they

> can operate on a fetus and I choose not to focus on the other issue. I saw

> that as this being too big of a miracle to darken it's meaning.

>

> 30-October-1999

> <snipped>

> The baby is literally hanging on for life. For this is one of the most

> remarkable photographs taken in medicine and a record of one of the world's

> most extraordinary operations.

>

> It shows a 21-week-old fetus in its mother's womb, about to undergo a spine

> operation designed to save it from serious brain damage.

>

> The surgery was carried out entirely through the tiny slit visible in the

> wall of the womb and the `patient' is believed to be the youngest to undergo

> it.

>

> At that age the mother could have chosen to have the fetus aborted. Her

> decision not to, however, led to an astonishing test not just of medical

> technology, but of faith.

>

> Armas has spina bifida, which left part of his spinal cord exposed

> after the backbone failed to develop.

>

> The operation was designed to close the gap and protect the cord, the body's

> motorway for nerve signals to the brain.

>

> So, on an unborn patient no bigger than a guinea-pig, the operation was

> performed without removing the fetus from the womb.

>

> The instruments had to be specially designed to work in miniature. The

> sutures used to close the incisions were less than the thickness of a human

> hair.

>

> An ER-style crash-cart team was on constant standby in an adjoining room.

>

> When it was completed, however, 's battle for survival was only just

> beginning. Nor would the emotional battle his parents had already endured

> finish quite yet.

>

> and Armas had been trying desperately for a baby. , a

> 27-year-old nurse, had suffered two miscarriages before she became pregnant

> with the child they intended to call if it was a boy.

>

> Then, at 14 weeks, she started to suffer terrible cramp. An ultrasound scan

> was carried out to show the shape of the developing fetus and its position in

> the womb.

>

> When the picture emerged, it was the moment that every parent-to-be dreads.

> Their unborn son's brain was misshapen and his spinal cord was sticking out

> from a deformed backbone. He had spina bifida. They were devastated and

> ``torn apart'' said , a 28-year-old jet aircraft engineer.

>

> At that stage, and even weeks later, the couple could have decided to have

> the pregnancy terminated. In their home town of Georgia in the US as in

> Britain abortion is routinely offered. Although accurate figures are not

> available, many parents accept. For and , who are deeply religious,

> it was not an option.

>

> That didn't mean, of course, that they were not racked by pain at the thought

> that the child they had longed for was imperfect.

>

> It also riddled them with guilt over whether they had effectively taken the

> decision to inflict their son with years of handicap, pain and suffering.

>

> So, this being the United States, they turned to the Internet for help.

>

> 's mother found a website giving details of pioneering surgery being

> carried out by a team at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

> Although the results have not yet been endorsed in medical journals, they

> looked encouraging to Mr. And Mrs. Armas.

>

> Their doctor put them in touch with Dr. ph Bruner (it is his finger in

> the photograph). A race against time had begun.

>

> Because it affects the spinal cord, spina bifida can lead to a condition that

> causes brain damage. Mr. and Mrs. Armas were told that if they were to avoid

> the condition, which was not then present in , they had to act fast.

>

> ``I wasn't concerned about a child who couldn't walk,'' said , ``but I

> want a child who knows me.''

>

> The theory behind the surgery is that attention to he spine disorder before

> the baby is born prevents or limits brain damage, and gives a better chance

> of healing. It does not cure spina bifida, but it is said to provide a strong

> chance of limiting the damage through early intervention.

>

> The risks, however, are enormous. Controversy surrounds the use of such

> surgery because it goes against the general medical rule that the risk should

> not outweigh the benefit.

>

> Mr. and Mrs. Armas were fully aware that if anything went wrong, no attempt

> would be made to deliver by Caesarian section.

>

> Medical science does not yet have the capability to keep a 21-week-old fetus

> alive outside the womb. The crash-cart was on standby for , not .

>

> ``If he dies, that's horrible for me and for us,'' said before she went

> into theater. Wiping tears she added: ``But not for him. The worst thing

> might be if we don't do this, and this is standard treatment when he's 21,

> and he says: ``Why didn't you know about that?'' And we say: ``We did, but we

> didn't do it for you.''

>

> The other major dangers were turning him in the womb to get his back in line

> with an inch-long cut in the wall, through which Dr Bruner would operate, and

> that the surgery might involve releasing the fluid around .

>

> The movement posed the risk of sending into labor contractions, which

> would have been fatal for .

>

> Thus, one morning at the beginning of last month, Dr Bruner could be heard

> urging his team to keep quiet. ``Shh!'' he said. ``You'll wake the baby!''

>

> , who reported on the operation for USA Today newspaper, said the

> lesion that exposed 's spine was found low on his backbone, decreasing

> the chance of nerve damage.

>

> Although is believed to have been the youngest patient for such an

> operation, it was apparently routine enough for Dr Bruner and pediatric

> neurosurgeon Noel Tullpant to talk about the weather during the operation.

>

> An hour later, the womb is gently eased back into place. ``Beautiful,'' said

> one of the technicians and relief swept the room.

>

> was allowed home with within days. The baby is due on December 28.

>

> He has not yet felt the touch of his mother's skin against his own and he

> knows nothing of life outside her womb. But perhaps Armas

> will be able to shake Dr Bruner's hand again.

>

> > Send to -Offtopiconelist messages unrelated to lyme, please.

> /archive/lyme-aid

> /archives.cgi/Lyme-Documents

> To unsubscribe, send email to -unsubscribeonelist

> You may substitute " subscribe " , or " digest " or " normal " for

> the word " unsubscribe " ( " normal " is the opposite of " digest " ). Leave blank

both the message and subject header.