Home Sweet Home

[Guest guest]

Donna and Kathy,

Welcome back! Donna, the Greenspan conference sounded great!

Everyone,

Sorry I haven't written in over a week! We were on school vacation

and didn't have internet access (my husband still hasn't fixed our

home internet access). We went to KKI and saw Dr. Capone. Charlie

was officially diagnosed with PDD. His exemplary behavior (throwing

moo cow, clearing off the " welcome " and " please sign in " signs at the

front desk and knocking over trash cans in the lobby and his constant

switching of the on/off light switch and rearranging Dr. Capone's

feet earned him a bonus diagnosis of " Disruptive Behaviors " . Dr.

Capone and the folks at KKI were wonderful and patient and we are so

glad we went. We are also glad to be back home.

Sorry I've missed so much in the last nine days. I can't wait to

read all the emails and I hope you are all well.

Best regards

Marjorie

> Hi All,

> I am home too. Kathy, welcome back!! I have a lot of reading

to do, so

> will catch up on your trip if you did indeed post on it. I wish

our visits

> to DC coincided a bit better so we could have met up. Oh well,

next time!!

> Well, it's GREAT to be home. Kathleen (Maddie's ex-teacher)

babysat

> and it was clear Maddie had a good time. SHe also was VERY happy

to see Mom

> and DAd and was unbearably cute giving us kisses and hugs (upon

request of

> course, you never just take with Maddie) I LOVED the

seminar!!!! Before

> taking this course, I admired Greenspan and was a fan, but after

listening to

> him for two days, he's my idol.....LOL There were 900 people

there hailing

> from all parts of the world (Turkey, Ireland, England, Canada, and

of course

> the U.S. just to mention the tags I noticed). I was one of

probably about 50

> to 60 parents and the rest were teachers, therapists,

> psychiatrists/psychologists and pediatricians. Greenspan was

captivating,

> warm and entertaining. I really enjoyed myself (although my brain

is a bit

> fried today...LOL) His philosophy is that all learning comes from

affect.

> He thinks that the various *behavioral* techniques like ABA and

other

> methods like TEACCH, PECS, method, discrete trials, are all

good with

> kids who have severe motor planning, auditory, visual spatial,

sensory

> processing problems (he doesn't like the MR label---feels it

denotes

> finalty--he however recognizes the need for services and has his

own labels

> that he knows aren't accepted in the *real* world ...they're

LONG..LOL), but

> that they should only be used to attain a skill or reach a goal.

Once the

> skill is attained, you MUST go back to teaching with affect as that

is the

> only way to help the child grasp what he/she has learned in a

generalized way

> and to move forward and learn more. He says that kids with

autism CAN

> show empathy, CAN show affection and CAN love. But it only comes

through

> teaching wiht affect. He does not like any structured testing

with our kids

> because it shows NO clear way to understand what the child is

capable of.

> Says it's like asking him to sit in a room full of snakes and take

a

> test....he's NOT going to be able to answer because of various

reasons

> (number one TERROR) Greenspan says that the child's program

NEEDS to be

> CHILD (individuallY) centered and NOT about the program (the reason

he has

> issues with many ABA proponents who aren't open to including ALL

that works

> for the child). He showed many many videos of himself and his

associate

> Serena Weider (sp?) working with kids and I was absolutely

enrapt!! To

> watch him work with a child previously dx'd as severely MR and then

with a

> child dx'd with autism who has amazing language skills, was so

exciting (same

> technique---which is teaching through affect--- but adapted for

each

> individual). It was SO cool for me because as I watched I

felt like I

> was watching Jeanetta (Maddie's old therapist) in action. She's

so talented

> and knew ALL the Greenspan moves!! While I tried and was told

years ago

> that Greenspan was no longer taking new clients (now there's

apparently a

> year long wait), I feel confident that we had the best anyway!!

He touched

> on biomedical stuff, nutritional stuff, and education as well.

But he says

> it's NEVER a one size fits all. AT one point, a professional

asked when do

> you stop pushing and teaching because the individual has

*plateaued* or

> stopped learning. He responded by saying... " When they expire,

which will

> hopefully be at the age of 120 and ready to go anyway " . Then

went on to

> say that ALL DO learn and that if it looks like they've stopped,

it's most

> likely the program that needs adapting, not the indivdual.

> A parent group has sprung up (surprise surprise) and they held a

parent

> reception the first day after the seminar. It was quite nice,

with tasty

> butlered hors de' oeurves and open cash bar. I was a little

uncomfortable

> when the first speaker of the group talked about his son's healing

but you

> can't help but feel emotional when you hear them speak. Many of

them were

> told their children will " never show affection, never hug them and

never love

> them " So to have a child who has been through Greenspan's

program and see

> their children hugging, kissing and playing must indeed feel like a

cure.

> But I didn't like that kind of talk because many methods out there

claim

> much the same....I don't like that thinking and Greenspan certainly

never

> uses it. I think he never uses it because he realizes that you

can't EVER

> let down your guard and ALWAYS have to work towards the next

level.

> Anyway, the cocktail party was fun and we parents got to gabbing

and eating

> (MY favorite part....LOL) and I enjoyed it.

> There's TONS more, like circles of communication and co-

regulation and

> regulatory deficits (which ALL our kids have) and on and on.....I'm

tired.

> I also seemed to be the ONLY parent there with a child with DS,

though from

> the videos it's obvious Greenspan sees kids with numerous dx's.

My friend

> took her daughter with DS to see him years ago.

> Next day, Duff took the train down and met up with at AU,

where I

> picked up them both after my session was over. Then we went out

to dinner

> with my cousin, his wife and daughter (who is one year younger than

).

> We had a wonderful time.

> BTW, while I didn't get to meet ALL 899 of the other people that

attended, me

> being Miss Social Butterfly (wish Maddie took after me and her

DAd...I myself

> have PLENTY of deficits, but that's not one of em....LOL) did meet

tons and

> really enjoyed speaking with all the various interests of others.

VERY cool

> course!!!!

> Donna (who has book club meeting at the library tonight and is all

talked

> out...not good...LOL)

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Donna,

Welcome home. The conference sounded fascinating. I wish I had gone too.

Charlyne

Mom to Zeb 9 DS/OCD ?

[Guest guest]

Hey Donna,

Thank you so much for all of the wonderful

information from the seminar. It nice to have some go

and let the rest of us know what happened. I feel like

I was there too. I am glad you had a great time.

Thanks for the info

Devrey, The behavior specialist

--- duffey48@... wrote:

> Hi All,

> I am home too. Kathy, welcome back!! I have a

> lot of reading to do, so

> will catch up on your trip if you did indeed post on

> it. I wish our visits

> to DC coincided a bit better so we could have met

> up. Oh well, next time!!

> Well, it's GREAT to be home. Kathleen

> (Maddie's ex-teacher) babysat

> and it was clear Maddie had a good time. SHe also

> was VERY happy to see Mom

> and DAd and was unbearably cute giving us kisses and

> hugs (upon request of

> course, you never just take with Maddie) I LOVED

> the seminar!!!! Before

> taking this course, I admired Greenspan and was a

> fan, but after listening to

> him for two days, he's my idol.....LOL There were

> 900 people there hailing

> from all parts of the world (Turkey, Ireland,

> England, Canada, and of course

> the U.S. just to mention the tags I noticed). I was

> one of probably about 50

> to 60 parents and the rest were teachers,

> therapists,

> psychiatrists/psychologists and pediatricians.

> Greenspan was captivating,

> warm and entertaining. I really enjoyed myself

> (although my brain is a bit

> fried today...LOL) His philosophy is that all

> learning comes from affect.

> He thinks that the various *behavioral*

> techniques like ABA and other

> methods like TEACCH, PECS, method, discrete

> trials, are all good with

> kids who have severe motor planning, auditory,

> visual spatial, sensory

> processing problems (he doesn't like the MR

> label---feels it denotes

> finalty--he however recognizes the need for services

> and has his own labels

> that he knows aren't accepted in the *real* world

> ...they're LONG..LOL), but

> that they should only be used to attain a skill or

> reach a goal. Once the

> skill is attained, you MUST go back to teaching with

> affect as that is the

> only way to help the child grasp what he/she has

> learned in a generalized way

> and to move forward and learn more. He says

> that kids with autism CAN

> show empathy, CAN show affection and CAN love.

> But it only comes through

> teaching wiht affect. He does not like any

> structured testing with our kids

> because it shows NO clear way to understand what the

> child is capable of.

> Says it's like asking him to sit in a room full of

> snakes and take a

> test....he's NOT going to be able to answer because

> of various reasons

> (number one TERROR) Greenspan says that the

> child's program NEEDS to be

> CHILD (individuallY) centered and NOT about the

> program (the reason he has

> issues with many ABA proponents who aren't open to

> including ALL that works

> for the child). He showed many many videos of

> himself and his associate

> Serena Weider (sp?) working with kids and I was

> absolutely enrapt!! To

> watch him work with a child previously dx'd as

> severely MR and then with a

> child dx'd with autism who has amazing language

> skills, was so exciting (same

> technique---which is teaching through affect--- but

> adapted for each

> individual). It was SO cool for me because as

> I watched I felt like I

> was watching Jeanetta (Maddie's old therapist) in

> action. She's so talented

> and knew ALL the Greenspan moves!! While I tried

> and was told years ago

> that Greenspan was no longer taking new clients (now

> there's apparently a

> year long wait), I feel confident that we had the

> best anyway!! He touched

> on biomedical stuff, nutritional stuff, and

> education as well. But he says

> it's NEVER a one size fits all. AT one point, a

> professional asked when do

> you stop pushing and teaching because the individual

> has *plateaued* or

> stopped learning. He responded by saying... " When

> they expire, which will

> hopefully be at the age of 120 and ready to go

> anyway " . Then went on to

> say that ALL DO learn and that if it looks like

> they've stopped, it's most

> likely the program that needs adapting, not the

> indivdual.

> A parent group has sprung up (surprise surprise)

> and they held a parent

> reception the first day after the seminar. It was

> quite nice, with tasty

> butlered hors de' oeurves and open cash bar. I

> was a little uncomfortable

> when the first speaker of the group talked about his

> son's healing but you

> can't help but feel emotional when you hear them

> speak. Many of them were

> told their children will " never show affection,

> never hug them and never love

> them " So to have a child who has been through

> Greenspan's program and see

> their children hugging, kissing and playing must

> indeed feel like a cure.

> But I didn't like that kind of talk because many

> methods out there claim

> much the same....I don't like that thinking and

> Greenspan certainly never

> uses it. I think he never uses it because he

> realizes that you can't EVER

> let down your guard and ALWAYS have to work towards

> the next level.

> Anyway, the cocktail party was fun and we parents

> got to gabbing and eating

> (MY favorite part....LOL) and I enjoyed it.

> There's TONS more, like circles of communication

> and co-regulation and

> regulatory deficits (which ALL our kids have) and on

> and on.....I'm tired.

> I also seemed to be the ONLY parent there with a

> child with DS, though from

> the videos it's obvious Greenspan sees kids with

> numerous dx's. My friend

> took her daughter with DS to see him years ago.

> Next day, Duff took the train down and met up with

> at AU, where I

> picked up them both after my session was over.

> Then we went out to dinner

> with my cousin, his wife and daughter (who is one

> year younger than ).

> We had a wonderful time.

> BTW, while I didn't get to meet ALL 899 of the other

> people that attended, me

> being Miss Social Butterfly (wish Maddie took after

> me and her DAd...I myself

> have PLENTY of deficits, but that's not one of

> em....LOL) did meet tons and

> really enjoyed speaking with all the various

> interests of others. VERY cool

> course!!!!

> Donna (who has book club meeting at the library

> tonight and is all talked

> out...not good...LOL)

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hey Donna,

Thank you so much for all of the wonderful

information from the seminar. It nice to have some go

and let the rest of us know what happened. I feel like

I was there too. I am glad you had a great time.

Thanks for the info

Devrey, The behavior specialist

--- duffey48@... wrote:

> Hi All,

> I am home too. Kathy, welcome back!! I have a

> lot of reading to do, so

> will catch up on your trip if you did indeed post on

> it. I wish our visits

> to DC coincided a bit better so we could have met

> up. Oh well, next time!!

> Well, it's GREAT to be home. Kathleen

> (Maddie's ex-teacher) babysat

> and it was clear Maddie had a good time. SHe also

> was VERY happy to see Mom

> and DAd and was unbearably cute giving us kisses and

> hugs (upon request of

> course, you never just take with Maddie) I LOVED

> the seminar!!!! Before

> taking this course, I admired Greenspan and was a

> fan, but after listening to

> him for two days, he's my idol.....LOL There were

> 900 people there hailing

> from all parts of the world (Turkey, Ireland,

> England, Canada, and of course

> the U.S. just to mention the tags I noticed). I was

> one of probably about 50

> to 60 parents and the rest were teachers,

> therapists,

> psychiatrists/psychologists and pediatricians.

> Greenspan was captivating,

> warm and entertaining. I really enjoyed myself

> (although my brain is a bit

> fried today...LOL) His philosophy is that all

> learning comes from affect.

> He thinks that the various *behavioral*

> techniques like ABA and other

> methods like TEACCH, PECS, method, discrete

> trials, are all good with

> kids who have severe motor planning, auditory,

> visual spatial, sensory

> processing problems (he doesn't like the MR

> label---feels it denotes

> finalty--he however recognizes the need for services

> and has his own labels

> that he knows aren't accepted in the *real* world

> ...they're LONG..LOL), but

> that they should only be used to attain a skill or

> reach a goal. Once the

> skill is attained, you MUST go back to teaching with

> affect as that is the

> only way to help the child grasp what he/she has

> learned in a generalized way

> and to move forward and learn more. He says

> that kids with autism CAN

> show empathy, CAN show affection and CAN love.

> But it only comes through

> teaching wiht affect. He does not like any

> structured testing with our kids

> because it shows NO clear way to understand what the

> child is capable of.

> Says it's like asking him to sit in a room full of

> snakes and take a

> test....he's NOT going to be able to answer because

> of various reasons

> (number one TERROR) Greenspan says that the

> child's program NEEDS to be

> CHILD (individuallY) centered and NOT about the

> program (the reason he has

> issues with many ABA proponents who aren't open to

> including ALL that works

> for the child). He showed many many videos of

> himself and his associate

> Serena Weider (sp?) working with kids and I was

> absolutely enrapt!! To

> watch him work with a child previously dx'd as

> severely MR and then with a

> child dx'd with autism who has amazing language

> skills, was so exciting (same

> technique---which is teaching through affect--- but

> adapted for each

> individual). It was SO cool for me because as

> I watched I felt like I

> was watching Jeanetta (Maddie's old therapist) in

> action. She's so talented

> and knew ALL the Greenspan moves!! While I tried

> and was told years ago

> that Greenspan was no longer taking new clients (now

> there's apparently a

> year long wait), I feel confident that we had the

> best anyway!! He touched

> on biomedical stuff, nutritional stuff, and

> education as well. But he says

> it's NEVER a one size fits all. AT one point, a

> professional asked when do

> you stop pushing and teaching because the individual

> has *plateaued* or

> stopped learning. He responded by saying... " When

> they expire, which will

> hopefully be at the age of 120 and ready to go

> anyway " . Then went on to

> say that ALL DO learn and that if it looks like

> they've stopped, it's most

> likely the program that needs adapting, not the

> indivdual.

> A parent group has sprung up (surprise surprise)

> and they held a parent

> reception the first day after the seminar. It was

> quite nice, with tasty

> butlered hors de' oeurves and open cash bar. I

> was a little uncomfortable

> when the first speaker of the group talked about his

> son's healing but you

> can't help but feel emotional when you hear them

> speak. Many of them were

> told their children will " never show affection,

> never hug them and never love

> them " So to have a child who has been through

> Greenspan's program and see

> their children hugging, kissing and playing must

> indeed feel like a cure.

> But I didn't like that kind of talk because many

> methods out there claim

> much the same....I don't like that thinking and

> Greenspan certainly never

> uses it. I think he never uses it because he

> realizes that you can't EVER

> let down your guard and ALWAYS have to work towards

> the next level.

> Anyway, the cocktail party was fun and we parents

> got to gabbing and eating

> (MY favorite part....LOL) and I enjoyed it.

> There's TONS more, like circles of communication

> and co-regulation and

> regulatory deficits (which ALL our kids have) and on

> and on.....I'm tired.

> I also seemed to be the ONLY parent there with a

> child with DS, though from

> the videos it's obvious Greenspan sees kids with

> numerous dx's. My friend

> took her daughter with DS to see him years ago.

> Next day, Duff took the train down and met up with

> at AU, where I

> picked up them both after my session was over.

> Then we went out to dinner

> with my cousin, his wife and daughter (who is one

> year younger than ).

> We had a wonderful time.

> BTW, while I didn't get to meet ALL 899 of the other

> people that attended, me

> being Miss Social Butterfly (wish Maddie took after

> me and her DAd...I myself

> have PLENTY of deficits, but that's not one of

> em....LOL) did meet tons and

> really enjoyed speaking with all the various

> interests of others. VERY cool

> course!!!!

> Donna (who has book club meeting at the library

> tonight and is all talked

> out...not good...LOL)

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hey Donna,

Thank you so much for all of the wonderful

information from the seminar. It nice to have some go

and let the rest of us know what happened. I feel like

I was there too. I am glad you had a great time.

Thanks for the info

Devrey, The behavior specialist

--- duffey48@... wrote:

> Hi All,

> I am home too. Kathy, welcome back!! I have a

> lot of reading to do, so

> will catch up on your trip if you did indeed post on

> it. I wish our visits

> to DC coincided a bit better so we could have met

> up. Oh well, next time!!

> Well, it's GREAT to be home. Kathleen

> (Maddie's ex-teacher) babysat

> and it was clear Maddie had a good time. SHe also

> was VERY happy to see Mom

> and DAd and was unbearably cute giving us kisses and

> hugs (upon request of

> course, you never just take with Maddie) I LOVED

> the seminar!!!! Before

> taking this course, I admired Greenspan and was a

> fan, but after listening to

> him for two days, he's my idol.....LOL There were

> 900 people there hailing

> from all parts of the world (Turkey, Ireland,

> England, Canada, and of course

> the U.S. just to mention the tags I noticed). I was

> one of probably about 50

> to 60 parents and the rest were teachers,

> therapists,

> psychiatrists/psychologists and pediatricians.

> Greenspan was captivating,

> warm and entertaining. I really enjoyed myself

> (although my brain is a bit

> fried today...LOL) His philosophy is that all

> learning comes from affect.

> He thinks that the various *behavioral*

> techniques like ABA and other

> methods like TEACCH, PECS, method, discrete

> trials, are all good with

> kids who have severe motor planning, auditory,

> visual spatial, sensory

> processing problems (he doesn't like the MR

> label---feels it denotes

> finalty--he however recognizes the need for services

> and has his own labels

> that he knows aren't accepted in the *real* world

> ...they're LONG..LOL), but

> that they should only be used to attain a skill or

> reach a goal. Once the

> skill is attained, you MUST go back to teaching with

> affect as that is the

> only way to help the child grasp what he/she has

> learned in a generalized way

> and to move forward and learn more. He says

> that kids with autism CAN

> show empathy, CAN show affection and CAN love.

> But it only comes through

> teaching wiht affect. He does not like any

> structured testing with our kids

> because it shows NO clear way to understand what the

> child is capable of.

> Says it's like asking him to sit in a room full of

> snakes and take a

> test....he's NOT going to be able to answer because

> of various reasons

> (number one TERROR) Greenspan says that the

> child's program NEEDS to be

> CHILD (individuallY) centered and NOT about the

> program (the reason he has

> issues with many ABA proponents who aren't open to

> including ALL that works

> for the child). He showed many many videos of

> himself and his associate

> Serena Weider (sp?) working with kids and I was

> absolutely enrapt!! To

> watch him work with a child previously dx'd as

> severely MR and then with a

> child dx'd with autism who has amazing language

> skills, was so exciting (same

> technique---which is teaching through affect--- but

> adapted for each

> individual). It was SO cool for me because as

> I watched I felt like I

> was watching Jeanetta (Maddie's old therapist) in

> action. She's so talented

> and knew ALL the Greenspan moves!! While I tried

> and was told years ago

> that Greenspan was no longer taking new clients (now

> there's apparently a

> year long wait), I feel confident that we had the

> best anyway!! He touched

> on biomedical stuff, nutritional stuff, and

> education as well. But he says

> it's NEVER a one size fits all. AT one point, a

> professional asked when do

> you stop pushing and teaching because the individual

> has *plateaued* or

> stopped learning. He responded by saying... " When

> they expire, which will

> hopefully be at the age of 120 and ready to go

> anyway " . Then went on to

> say that ALL DO learn and that if it looks like

> they've stopped, it's most

> likely the program that needs adapting, not the

> indivdual.

> A parent group has sprung up (surprise surprise)

> and they held a parent

> reception the first day after the seminar. It was

> quite nice, with tasty

> butlered hors de' oeurves and open cash bar. I

> was a little uncomfortable

> when the first speaker of the group talked about his

> son's healing but you

> can't help but feel emotional when you hear them

> speak. Many of them were

> told their children will " never show affection,

> never hug them and never love

> them " So to have a child who has been through

> Greenspan's program and see

> their children hugging, kissing and playing must

> indeed feel like a cure.

> But I didn't like that kind of talk because many

> methods out there claim

> much the same....I don't like that thinking and

> Greenspan certainly never

> uses it. I think he never uses it because he

> realizes that you can't EVER

> let down your guard and ALWAYS have to work towards

> the next level.

> Anyway, the cocktail party was fun and we parents

> got to gabbing and eating

> (MY favorite part....LOL) and I enjoyed it.

> There's TONS more, like circles of communication

> and co-regulation and

> regulatory deficits (which ALL our kids have) and on

> and on.....I'm tired.

> I also seemed to be the ONLY parent there with a

> child with DS, though from

> the videos it's obvious Greenspan sees kids with

> numerous dx's. My friend

> took her daughter with DS to see him years ago.

> Next day, Duff took the train down and met up with

> at AU, where I

> picked up them both after my session was over.

> Then we went out to dinner

> with my cousin, his wife and daughter (who is one

> year younger than ).

> We had a wonderful time.

> BTW, while I didn't get to meet ALL 899 of the other

> people that attended, me

> being Miss Social Butterfly (wish Maddie took after

> me and her DAd...I myself

> have PLENTY of deficits, but that's not one of

> em....LOL) did meet tons and

> really enjoyed speaking with all the various

> interests of others. VERY cool

> course!!!!

> Donna (who has book club meeting at the library

> tonight and is all talked

> out...not good...LOL)

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

yeaaaaa Donna, sounds so wonderful, thanks for sharing this with us, when you

feel rested, let us hear more, glad you had fun and learned so much, Dawn

Home Sweet Home

Hi All,

I am home too. Kathy, welcome back!! I have a lot of reading to do, so

will catch up on your trip if you did indeed post on it. I wish our visits

to DC coincided a bit better so we could have met up. Oh well, next time!!

Well, it's GREAT to be home. Kathleen (Maddie's ex-teacher) babysat

and it was clear Maddie had a good time. SHe also was VERY happy to see Mom

and DAd and was unbearably cute giving us kisses and hugs (upon request of

course, you never just take with Maddie) I LOVED the seminar!!!! Before

taking this course, I admired Greenspan and was a fan, but after listening to

him for two days, he's my idol.....LOL There were 900 people there hailing

from all parts of the world (Turkey, Ireland, England, Canada, and of course

the U.S. just to mention the tags I noticed). I was one of probably about 50

to 60 parents and the rest were teachers, therapists,

psychiatrists/psychologists and pediatricians. Greenspan was captivating,

warm and entertaining. I really enjoyed myself (although my brain is a bit

fried today...LOL) His philosophy is that all learning comes from affect.

He thinks that the various *behavioral* techniques like ABA and other

methods like TEACCH, PECS, method, discrete trials, are all good with

kids who have severe motor planning, auditory, visual spatial, sensory

processing problems (he doesn't like the MR label---feels it denotes

finalty--he however recognizes the need for services and has his own labels

that he knows aren't accepted in the *real* world ...they're LONG..LOL), but

that they should only be used to attain a skill or reach a goal. Once the

skill is attained, you MUST go back to teaching with affect as that is the

only way to help the child grasp what he/she has learned in a generalized way

and to move forward and learn more. He says that kids with autism CAN

show empathy, CAN show affection and CAN love. But it only comes through

teaching wiht affect. He does not like any structured testing with our kids

because it shows NO clear way to understand what the child is capable of.

Says it's like asking him to sit in a room full of snakes and take a

test....he's NOT going to be able to answer because of various reasons

(number one TERROR) Greenspan says that the child's program NEEDS to be

CHILD (individuallY) centered and NOT about the program (the reason he has

issues with many ABA proponents who aren't open to including ALL that works

for the child). He showed many many videos of himself and his associate

Serena Weider (sp?) working with kids and I was absolutely enrapt!! To

watch him work with a child previously dx'd as severely MR and then with a

child dx'd with autism who has amazing language skills, was so exciting (same

technique---which is teaching through affect--- but adapted for each

individual). It was SO cool for me because as I watched I felt like I

was watching Jeanetta (Maddie's old therapist) in action. She's so talented

and knew ALL the Greenspan moves!! While I tried and was told years ago

that Greenspan was no longer taking new clients (now there's apparently a

year long wait), I feel confident that we had the best anyway!! He touched

on biomedical stuff, nutritional stuff, and education as well. But he says

it's NEVER a one size fits all. AT one point, a professional asked when do

you stop pushing and teaching because the individual has *plateaued* or

stopped learning. He responded by saying... " When they expire, which will

hopefully be at the age of 120 and ready to go anyway " . Then went on to

say that ALL DO learn and that if it looks like they've stopped, it's most

likely the program that needs adapting, not the indivdual.

A parent group has sprung up (surprise surprise) and they held a parent

reception the first day after the seminar. It was quite nice, with tasty

butlered hors de' oeurves and open cash bar. I was a little uncomfortable

when the first speaker of the group talked about his son's healing but you

can't help but feel emotional when you hear them speak. Many of them were

told their children will " never show affection, never hug them and never love

them " So to have a child who has been through Greenspan's program and see

their children hugging, kissing and playing must indeed feel like a cure.

But I didn't like that kind of talk because many methods out there claim

much the same....I don't like that thinking and Greenspan certainly never

uses it. I think he never uses it because he realizes that you can't EVER

let down your guard and ALWAYS have to work towards the next level.

Anyway, the cocktail party was fun and we parents got to gabbing and eating

(MY favorite part....LOL) and I enjoyed it.

There's TONS more, like circles of communication and co-regulation and

regulatory deficits (which ALL our kids have) and on and on.....I'm tired.

I also seemed to be the ONLY parent there with a child with DS, though from

the videos it's obvious Greenspan sees kids with numerous dx's. My friend

took her daughter with DS to see him years ago.

Next day, Duff took the train down and met up with at AU, where I

picked up them both after my session was over. Then we went out to dinner

with my cousin, his wife and daughter (who is one year younger than ).

We had a wonderful time.

BTW, while I didn't get to meet ALL 899 of the other people that attended, me

being Miss Social Butterfly (wish Maddie took after me and her DAd...I myself

have PLENTY of deficits, but that's not one of em....LOL) did meet tons and

really enjoyed speaking with all the various interests of others. VERY cool

course!!!!

Donna (who has book club meeting at the library tonight and is all talked

out...not good...LOL)

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/23/02 11:59:19 AM Eastern Daylight Time, DPLigon@...

writes:

> yeaaaaa Donna, sounds so wonderful, thanks for sharing this with us, when

> you feel rested, let us hear more, glad you had fun and learned so much,

> Dawn

>

>

Same here Donna, let us hear more. Great stuff!!

Diane

[Guest guest]

Good to have you back and recovering.

Kick back and let the kids take care of you.

Dick

At 05:33 PM 3/18/05, you wrote:

Hi GroupBuddies, Im home and

I wanted to Thank Everyone for your good wishes and phone calls..It makes

everything better...

The kids are waiting on me and Im happy to say..Im proud of them..Carl

even took off work today to take care of me...Theyre watchin me like a

hawk..trying to sneak a cigarette in..Bad Girl!...Oh well..I Love You All

and take care of yourselves

too...PattyPooh

[Guest guest]

Kam,

Wow.

Welcome home, Cam

[Guest guest]

Kam, all I can say is OH, MY GOSH!!!!! YOU POOR THING!!!!!

I actually got through the entire post while eating lentil soup, so I guess

I'm getting stronger! (At least there was no tomato sauce involved.)

Sounds like your blood pressure was a mite low, perhaps? That is such a

horror story. I hate ERs, and I can imagine how well-staffed an ER is on

SuperBowl Sunday.

You did right to go in and get checked up, though. I do hope your body is

just adjusting to the new remodelling job, and that you won't have to call

the carpenters back on warranty!

Take care, and take it EASY!!!

Sharon

PS: I don't know if this cartoon will post, but I love it!

[ ] home sweet home

> Well, we left STL at 11:50 am and I arrived at my doorstep about

> 2:00 pm. Bonedust was quite happy to see me and once I finished

> unpacking and laid down to rest, he decided to lay beside me with

> one paw over my shoulder and his head resting on mine...so sweet.

>

> So backing up a few days...

[Guest guest]

Hi Kam, You have been through the mill!! I am so sorry that you had such a nighmare in the ER!! I guess you are REALLY happy to be home! I am glad that your test came back negative,, that is a relief after hell night! Get some good rest! Glad you are home!! Suzieadvokam <advokam@...> wrote: Well, we left STL at 11:50 am and I arrived at my doorstep about 2:00 pm. Bonedust was quite happy to see me and once I finished unpacking and laid down to rest, he decided to lay beside me with one paw over my shoulder and his head resting on mine...so sweet.So backing up a few days...A week ago today, I was sent for x-rays and, out of curiosity, I asked to see them before I was taken back to my room. One of my cages looked extremely

crooked (like it had slipped to the side) and I was taken aback. The next morning, Dr. B came in and had me stand and march in place. He commented that I looked fine externally and when I asked for elaboration, he commented that one of the cages looked a bit "off" on the x-ray, but that I seemed to be doing fine. Then, he said I could leave the hospital.So, this weighed on my mind from the time I saw the image to the time I saw him on Monday morning. Was it possible for the cage to move out of place? Could this be the reason that my left hip and low back feel so uncomfortable? Will I need another anterior surgery to correct whatever has gone wrong? Is the Fellow responsible? The angst went on and on and on. But, I kept rebutting my thoughts with this statement, "If Dr. B thinks it's OK, I should think it's OK."Thursday was pretty laid back and Friday we walked back over to Dr. B's office to attempt to meet up with Kathy

G. from Florida. Success! They were running very late with appointments and so we were able to visit for over an hour. Kathy's husband was with her and my mom with me. We discovered that we had the same surgeon for our Harrington rod surgeries (Kathy grew up in OKC), were schooled in the same school district, and that one of my colleagues and dear friends was Kathy's roommate in college at OU! I couldn't believe this had never come up on the board. I told Adam that I am making the world a little smaller one connection at a time. I am beginning to think that there is a very strong correlation between people who get brave enough to post on this board and really super nice fantastic human beings. I never would have guessed that we had SO much in common.So then came Saturday...my friends from Norman who are temporarily transplanted to St. Louie picked us up for an early dinner on "The Hill", which is world-famous for

Italian food. I had a nice, hard chair at the restaurant and the only bother I had was my drawstring on my pants rubbing on my incision - I suspect this will be the case for quite awhile. We had a lovely time and the food was incredible! We were home early, visited just a bit over coffee at the apartment, and then they went home and mom and I went to bed. Sunday morning found me sleeping in until 11 am. Mom finally came in and woke me and said she had some food ready for me. I was about 3 hours off on my Oxycontin so I decided I should eat a little before I took it. I had half of mom's leftovers from the night before (she had already eaten the other half) and then sat down to catch up on email and read a few posts. I was a bit uncomfortable sitting in the chair I chose, so I went to get my pain pill and then thought about lying down again. During this time is when the pain hit me. I felt this extremely sharp stabbing pain

in my rib cage just below my scapula. When I would try to breathe deep (to calm myself), it got worse, and when I laid down on my side, it hurt even more. I tried laying on my back and other side and that really got the pain going! What on earth was wrong with me? While the pain was intensifying, I broke out in a cold sweat and felt nauseas. Then, I threw up. The pain didn't stop and I was still chilled (my legs actually looked purple) so I wrapped myself in a blanket and tried to lay down again...dumb idea. I tried walking around stretching my arms up, standing in the sunbeam, nothing was helping. So, finally, I decided I better call Dr. B. I thought my stomach was settling and figured that since I had thrown up the Oxycontin, I should try a different pain pill. So, I took the Hydrocodone and ate a Ritz cracker with it(the only kind of crackers we had). Before Dr. B returned my call, I threw up again. He said that there was a

small chance I had a pulmonary embolus (blood clot) and that I should go to the ER and have them x-ray my chest to make sure that wasn't the case. And yes, I could see the photograph of Cam's post about my TED hose as he spoke the words...So, we called a cab, went to the ER, and told them why were there. They said there were two tests that could be done to find a blood clot but that one of them would be tougher on a Sunday. The "easy" test would be a CT scan with contrast dye. All that was necessary was to start an IV with an .18 needle. Some of you know how I feel about needles and that I am a 'hard stick' to begin with. The nurse (who said he had been a nurse for 2000 years) said that I didn't have any veins, but he would do his best. In case you don't know, an 18 needle feels like a very sharp knife when wiggled around under one's skin. It seems my veins are smaller than said needle and while he gave it the old

college try, he gave up on my preferred right arm and moved to the left. He stuck me there (thinking he had a good vein) and when I was shedding tears and my knees were quivering, he said he didn't want to hurt me anymore and he was giving up. So then this woman my age popped in and said she was going to give it a go. She looked both arms over and said that she had found a great vein. So, she stuck the knife back in my arm and wiggled it around until she got one. I asked if she had done it and she said, "Yes, but we don't talk until it's totally done." I respected her wishes only to learn that while she did successfully get the IV in, no blood would come out and it was in the wrong part of my arm for the contrast dye. Nurse Mike informed us of this one. By the time she had the catheter sufficiently in my vein I was yelling and crying, knees quivering, and began to break out in hives. She asked if I always get so anxious with

IVs and I told her, no, but that this one hurt too much to be calm. She had the tourniquet on my left arm when I told her I needed a break and asked her to kindly remove it for a moment. So, she started quizzing me about my life and we discovered that we both had scoliosis and had spine surgery as youngsters. She did not have Harrington rods, however, but was one of the first to get a newer rod. She's had two kids with no problems but expressed concern that she might begin to have trouble at any time. She pointed out that I was fine until two years ago. All of this did help to calm me down. Then she told me she had a 50/50 chance of getting a vein and asked me if I wanted her to take it. HA! She said she could go as high as 60%, but that was it. I politely declined her offer. I said that if there was another test that didn't involve a big fat needle, I'd like them to make the effort or I could say I was just pretending and go

home and forget the whole thing. She said she wasn't going to try anymore and left.Then the doctor came back in...Dr. Katz (this made me laugh). He said he still needed blood out of me and suggested a central line. I asked how he would do a central line without an IV and he said they don't use IVs in the ER. I said, then can you at least give me something to relax me? He asked how I respond to anxiety meds and I explained that I had never had any to my knowledge. He finally agreed to give me something (Ativan) before he did anything else to me. They also gave me some nausea medication, which I had requested right after he saw me. So then, he decides he can definitely get blood out of my jugular vein and says it won't hurt anymore than an IV. Now I'm feeling confident! Fortunately, the Ativan did help a little and while he attempted to find juice in my jugular, I was only slightly uncomfortable. He failed. Next came the

groin...and we had some blood! Thank God. I don't know what would come next - an artery perhaps?So then they did this...A V/Q scan (sometimes called a V/P or ventilation/perfusion scan) is a nuclear medicine test in which short-acting radioactive particles are injected through a vein or breathed into the lungs. If there are areas of the lung that do not "take up" the particles, it is an indication that there may be a blood clot. I got both - injection and breathed radioactive particles. Sounds safe, no?And the verdict is...NO BLOOD CLOT. However, in the midst of the trauma, the pain in my ribs went away. Perhaps the Ativan helped that too? Someone at the ER said it was possible I had a very small clot that dissolved itself. Since I know nothing about such things, I will chalk it up to an unsolved mystery that took nine hours of my life and caused me to miss the entire Super Bowl including free pizza at our

apartment complex. Oh well.Monday morning comes and we get in to see Dr. B. I want new x-rays because the others are so scary. He doesn't think they are necessary until I tell him I was laying down for the ones at the hospital. Then, he decides it's a good idea. grrr. I was so tired by this point. So mom and I checked out the standing films and agreed that perhaps my spine is really just that crooked at the bottom and that the pain I am having on the left is likely the result of the new position my spine is in. We were supposed to fly home yesterday but when Dr. B gave mom "the look" after she told him we were planning to leave that night, we decided it wouldn't hurt to wait one more day.So, now I will wait and see until March 13 when I have my follow-up visit. I am resting a lot, walking a lot and being very patient with my body. However, the shared leave pool is depleted so I do want to go back to work as soon as

I am capable. Unpaid leave sucks. At least I got six weeks worth of pay.And now you know the rest of the story.kam

Relax. virus scanning helps detect nasty viruses!

[Guest guest]

Oh my Lord Kam - you poor thing. I know by the end of my stay in my

hospital, they had to try and stick an IV back in my arm to do the same test

for blood clots. They also couldn't find a vein and kept poking me.

Finally, they called the anesthesiologist on call and he was able to do it.

Mind you this is 11 PM at night and after that and x-rays I didn't get back

to my room till 1 AM. The Hospital for Special Surgery felt that since I

was an " in house " patient I could wait till all the day stuff was over and

then they did me.

I'm so glad they didn't find anything serious and that your pains went away.

But how scary.

Take care of yourself.

Lorrie

[ ] home sweet home

Well, we left STL at 11:50 am and I arrived at my doorstep about

2:00 pm. Bonedust was quite happy to see me and once I finished

unpacking and laid down to rest, he decided to lay beside me with

one paw over my shoulder and his head resting on mine...so sweet.

So backing up a few days...

A week ago today, I was sent for x-rays and, out of curiosity, I

asked to see them before I was taken back to my room. One of my

cages looked extremely crooked (like it had slipped to the side) and

I was taken aback. The next morning, Dr. B came in and had me stand

and march in place. He commented that I looked fine externally and

when I asked for elaboration, he commented that one of the cages

looked a bit " off " on the x-ray, but that I seemed to be doing fine.

Then, he said I could leave the hospital.

So, this weighed on my mind from the time I saw the image to the

time I saw him on Monday morning. Was it possible for the cage to

move out of place? Could this be the reason that my left hip and low

back feel so uncomfortable? Will I need another anterior surgery to

correct whatever has gone wrong? Is the Fellow responsible? The

angst went on and on and on. But, I kept rebutting my thoughts with

this statement, " If Dr. B thinks it's OK, I should think it's OK. "

Thursday was pretty laid back and Friday we walked back over to Dr.

B's office to attempt to meet up with Kathy G. from Florida.

Success! They were running very late with appointments and so we

were able to visit for over an hour. Kathy's husband was with her

and my mom with me. We discovered that we had the same surgeon for

our Harrington rod surgeries (Kathy grew up in OKC), were schooled

in the same school district, and that one of my colleagues and dear

friends was Kathy's roommate in college at OU! I couldn't believe

this had never come up on the board. I told Adam that I am making

the world a little smaller one connection at a time. I am beginning

to think that there is a very strong correlation between people who

get brave enough to post on this board and really super nice

fantastic human beings. I never would have guessed that we had SO

much in common.

So then came Saturday...my friends from Norman who are temporarily

transplanted to St. Louie picked us up for an early dinner on " The

Hill " , which is world-famous for Italian food. I had a nice, hard

chair at the restaurant and the only bother I had was my drawstring

on my pants rubbing on my incision - I suspect this will be the case

for quite awhile. We had a lovely time and the food was incredible!

We were home early, visited just a bit over coffee at the apartment,

and then they went home and mom and I went to bed.

Sunday morning found me sleeping in until 11 am. Mom finally came in

and woke me and said she had some food ready for me. I was about 3

hours off on my Oxycontin so I decided I should eat a little before

I took it. I had half of mom's leftovers from the night before (she

had already eaten the other half) and then sat down to catch up on

email and read a few posts. I was a bit uncomfortable sitting in the

chair I chose, so I went to get my pain pill and then thought about

lying down again. During this time is when the pain hit me. I felt

this extremely sharp stabbing pain in my rib cage just below my

scapula. When I would try to breathe deep (to calm myself), it got

worse, and when I laid down on my side, it hurt even more. I tried

laying on my back and other side and that really got the pain going!

What on earth was wrong with me? While the pain was intensifying, I

broke out in a cold sweat and felt nauseas. Then, I threw up. The

pain didn't stop and I was still chilled (my legs actually looked

purple) so I wrapped myself in a blanket and tried to lay down

again...dumb idea. I tried walking around stretching my arms up,

standing in the sunbeam, nothing was helping. So, finally, I decided

I better call Dr. B. I thought my stomach was settling and figured

that since I had thrown up the Oxycontin, I should try a different

pain pill. So, I took the Hydrocodone and ate a Ritz cracker with it

(the only kind of crackers we had). Before Dr. B returned my call, I

threw up again. He said that there was a small chance I had a

pulmonary embolus (blood clot) and that I should go to the ER and

have them x-ray my chest to make sure that wasn't the case. And yes,

I could see the photograph of Cam's post about my TED hose as he

spoke the words...

So, we called a cab, went to the ER, and told them why were there.

They said there were two tests that could be done to find a blood

clot but that one of them would be tougher on a Sunday. The " easy "

test would be a CT scan with contrast dye. All that was necessary

was to start an IV with an .18 needle. Some of you know how I feel

about needles and that I am a 'hard stick' to begin with. The nurse

(who said he had been a nurse for 2000 years) said that I didn't

have any veins, but he would do his best. In case you don't know, an

18 needle feels like a very sharp knife when wiggled around under

one's skin. It seems my veins are smaller than said needle and while

he gave it the old college try, he gave up on my preferred right arm

and moved to the left. He stuck me there (thinking he had a good

vein) and when I was shedding tears and my knees were quivering, he

said he didn't want to hurt me anymore and he was giving up. So then

this woman my age popped in and said she was going to give it a go.

She looked both arms over and said that she had found a great vein.

So, she stuck the knife back in my arm and wiggled it around until

she got one. I asked if she had done it and she said, " Yes, but we

don't talk until it's totally done. " I respected her wishes only to

learn that while she did successfully get the IV in, no blood would

come out and it was in the wrong part of my arm for the contrast

dye. Nurse Mike informed us of this one. By the time she had the

catheter sufficiently in my vein I was yelling and crying, knees

quivering, and began to break out in hives. She asked if I always

get so anxious with IVs and I told her, no, but that this one hurt

too much to be calm. She had the tourniquet on my left arm when I

told her I needed a break and asked her to kindly remove it for a

moment. So, she started quizzing me about my life and we discovered

that we both had scoliosis and had spine surgery as youngsters. She

did not have Harrington rods, however, but was one of the first to

get a newer rod. She's had two kids with no problems but expressed

concern that she might begin to have trouble at any time. She

pointed out that I was fine until two years ago. All of this did

help to calm me down. Then she told me she had a 50/50 chance of

getting a vein and asked me if I wanted her to take it. HA! She said

she could go as high as 60%, but that was it. I politely declined

her offer. I said that if there was another test that didn't involve

a big fat needle, I'd like them to make the effort or I could say I

was just pretending and go home and forget the whole thing. She said

she wasn't going to try anymore and left.

Then the doctor came back in...Dr. Katz (this made me laugh). He

said he still needed blood out of me and suggested a central line. I

asked how he would do a central line without an IV and he said they

don't use IVs in the ER. I said, then can you at least give me

something to relax me? He asked how I respond to anxiety meds and I

explained that I had never had any to my knowledge. He finally

agreed to give me something (Ativan) before he did anything else to

me. They also gave me some nausea medication, which I had requested

right after he saw me. So then, he decides he can definitely get

blood out of my jugular vein and says it won't hurt anymore than an

IV. Now I'm feeling confident! Fortunately, the Ativan did help a

little and while he attempted to find juice in my jugular, I was

only slightly uncomfortable. He failed. Next came the groin...and we

had some blood! Thank God. I don't know what would come next - an

artery perhaps?

So then they did this...

A V/Q scan (sometimes called a V/P or ventilation/perfusion scan) is

a nuclear medicine test in which short-acting radioactive particles

are injected through a vein or breathed into the lungs. If there are

areas of the lung that do not " take up " the particles, it is an

indication that there may be a blood clot. I got both - injection

and breathed radioactive particles. Sounds safe, no?

And the verdict is...NO BLOOD CLOT. However, in the midst of the

trauma, the pain in my ribs went away. Perhaps the Ativan helped

that too? Someone at the ER said it was possible I had a very small

clot that dissolved itself. Since I know nothing about such things,

I will chalk it up to an unsolved mystery that took nine hours of my

life and caused me to miss the entire Super Bowl including free

pizza at our apartment complex. Oh well.

Monday morning comes and we get in to see Dr. B. I want new x-rays

because the others are so scary. He doesn't think they are necessary

until I tell him I was laying down for the ones at the hospital.

Then, he decides it's a good idea. grrr. I was so tired by this

point. So mom and I checked out the standing films and agreed that

perhaps my spine is really just that crooked at the bottom and that

the pain I am having on the left is likely the result of the new

position my spine is in. We were supposed to fly home yesterday but

when Dr. B gave mom " the look " after she told him we were planning

to leave that night, we decided it wouldn't hurt to wait one more

day.

So, now I will wait and see until March 13 when I have my follow-up

visit. I am resting a lot, walking a lot and being very patient with

my body. However, the shared leave pool is depleted so I do want to

go back to work as soon as I am capable. Unpaid leave sucks. At

least I got six weeks worth of pay.

And now you know the rest of the story.

kam

scoliosis veterans * flatback sufferers * revision candidates

[Guest guest]

Dear Kam,

So glad you are back home with your Hubby and your precious Bonedust. You

have amazing fortitude, you have really been through it, but thankfully you

are through it, and now mending and resting will be the game plan for

awhile. I know it's tempting to do everything, just relax, you'll mend

better if you just give yourself time to heal. So easy to say, and so hard

to do, been there done that! I and the others here are so blessed by those

of you posting just after surgery, we are so glad to hear how you are doing,

and you give a realistic account of what it's like to the others that will

go after you. I'm so glad your home and I bet you are too!

Colorado Springs

[ ] home sweet home

> Well, we left STL at 11:50 am and I arrived at my doorstep about

> 2:00 pm. Bonedust was quite happy to see me and once I finished

> unpacking and laid down to rest, he decided to lay beside me with

> one paw over my shoulder and his head resting on mine...so sweet.

>

> So backing up a few days...

>

> A week ago today, I was sent for x-rays and, out of curiosity, I

> asked to see them before I was taken back to my room. One of my

> cages looked extremely crooked (like it had slipped to the side) and

> I was taken aback. The next morning, Dr. B came in and had me stand

> and march in place. He commented that I looked fine externally and

> when I asked for elaboration, he commented that one of the cages

> looked a bit " off " on the x-ray, but that I seemed to be doing fine.

> Then, he said I could leave the hospital.

>

> So, this weighed on my mind from the time I saw the image to the

> time I saw him on Monday morning. Was it possible for the cage to

> move out of place? Could this be the reason that my left hip and low

> back feel so uncomfortable? Will I need another anterior surgery to

> correct whatever has gone wrong? Is the Fellow responsible? The

> angst went on and on and on. But, I kept rebutting my thoughts with

> this statement, " If Dr. B thinks it's OK, I should think it's OK. "

>

> Thursday was pretty laid back and Friday we walked back over to Dr.

> B's office to attempt to meet up with Kathy G. from Florida.

> Success! They were running very late with appointments and so we

> were able to visit for over an hour. Kathy's husband was with her

> and my mom with me. We discovered that we had the same surgeon for

> our Harrington rod surgeries (Kathy grew up in OKC), were schooled

> in the same school district, and that one of my colleagues and dear

> friends was Kathy's roommate in college at OU! I couldn't believe

> this had never come up on the board. I told Adam that I am making

> the world a little smaller one connection at a time. I am beginning

> to think that there is a very strong correlation between people who

> get brave enough to post on this board and really super nice

> fantastic human beings. I never would have guessed that we had SO

> much in common.

>

> So then came Saturday...my friends from Norman who are temporarily

> transplanted to St. Louie picked us up for an early dinner on " The

> Hill " , which is world-famous for Italian food. I had a nice, hard

> chair at the restaurant and the only bother I had was my drawstring

> on my pants rubbing on my incision - I suspect this will be the case

> for quite awhile. We had a lovely time and the food was incredible!

> We were home early, visited just a bit over coffee at the apartment,

> and then they went home and mom and I went to bed.

>

> Sunday morning found me sleeping in until 11 am. Mom finally came in

> and woke me and said she had some food ready for me. I was about 3

> hours off on my Oxycontin so I decided I should eat a little before

> I took it. I had half of mom's leftovers from the night before (she

> had already eaten the other half) and then sat down to catch up on

> email and read a few posts. I was a bit uncomfortable sitting in the

> chair I chose, so I went to get my pain pill and then thought about

> lying down again. During this time is when the pain hit me. I felt

> this extremely sharp stabbing pain in my rib cage just below my

> scapula. When I would try to breathe deep (to calm myself), it got

> worse, and when I laid down on my side, it hurt even more. I tried

> laying on my back and other side and that really got the pain going!

> What on earth was wrong with me? While the pain was intensifying, I

> broke out in a cold sweat and felt nauseas. Then, I threw up. The

> pain didn't stop and I was still chilled (my legs actually looked

> purple) so I wrapped myself in a blanket and tried to lay down

> again...dumb idea. I tried walking around stretching my arms up,

> standing in the sunbeam, nothing was helping. So, finally, I decided

> I better call Dr. B. I thought my stomach was settling and figured

> that since I had thrown up the Oxycontin, I should try a different

> pain pill. So, I took the Hydrocodone and ate a Ritz cracker with it

> (the only kind of crackers we had). Before Dr. B returned my call, I

> threw up again. He said that there was a small chance I had a

> pulmonary embolus (blood clot) and that I should go to the ER and

> have them x-ray my chest to make sure that wasn't the case. And yes,

> I could see the photograph of Cam's post about my TED hose as he

> spoke the words...

>

> So, we called a cab, went to the ER, and told them why were there.

> They said there were two tests that could be done to find a blood

> clot but that one of them would be tougher on a Sunday. The " easy "

> test would be a CT scan with contrast dye. All that was necessary

> was to start an IV with an .18 needle. Some of you know how I feel

> about needles and that I am a 'hard stick' to begin with. The nurse

> (who said he had been a nurse for 2000 years) said that I didn't

> have any veins, but he would do his best. In case you don't know, an

> 18 needle feels like a very sharp knife when wiggled around under

> one's skin. It seems my veins are smaller than said needle and while

> he gave it the old college try, he gave up on my preferred right arm

> and moved to the left. He stuck me there (thinking he had a good

> vein) and when I was shedding tears and my knees were quivering, he

> said he didn't want to hurt me anymore and he was giving up. So then

> this woman my age popped in and said she was going to give it a go.

> She looked both arms over and said that she had found a great vein.

> So, she stuck the knife back in my arm and wiggled it around until

> she got one. I asked if she had done it and she said, " Yes, but we

> don't talk until it's totally done. " I respected her wishes only to

> learn that while she did successfully get the IV in, no blood would

> come out and it was in the wrong part of my arm for the contrast

> dye. Nurse Mike informed us of this one. By the time she had the

> catheter sufficiently in my vein I was yelling and crying, knees

> quivering, and began to break out in hives. She asked if I always

> get so anxious with IVs and I told her, no, but that this one hurt

> too much to be calm. She had the tourniquet on my left arm when I

> told her I needed a break and asked her to kindly remove it for a

> moment. So, she started quizzing me about my life and we discovered

> that we both had scoliosis and had spine surgery as youngsters. She

> did not have Harrington rods, however, but was one of the first to

> get a newer rod. She's had two kids with no problems but expressed

> concern that she might begin to have trouble at any time. She

> pointed out that I was fine until two years ago. All of this did

> help to calm me down. Then she told me she had a 50/50 chance of

> getting a vein and asked me if I wanted her to take it. HA! She said

> she could go as high as 60%, but that was it. I politely declined

> her offer. I said that if there was another test that didn't involve

> a big fat needle, I'd like them to make the effort or I could say I

> was just pretending and go home and forget the whole thing. She said

> she wasn't going to try anymore and left.

>

> Then the doctor came back in...Dr. Katz (this made me laugh). He

> said he still needed blood out of me and suggested a central line. I

> asked how he would do a central line without an IV and he said they

> don't use IVs in the ER. I said, then can you at least give me

> something to relax me? He asked how I respond to anxiety meds and I

> explained that I had never had any to my knowledge. He finally

> agreed to give me something (Ativan) before he did anything else to

> me. They also gave me some nausea medication, which I had requested

> right after he saw me. So then, he decides he can definitely get

> blood out of my jugular vein and says it won't hurt anymore than an

> IV. Now I'm feeling confident! Fortunately, the Ativan did help a

> little and while he attempted to find juice in my jugular, I was

> only slightly uncomfortable. He failed. Next came the groin...and we

>had some blood! Thank God. I don't know what would come next - an

> artery perhaps?

>

> So then they did this...

> A V/Q scan (sometimes called a V/P or ventilation/perfusion scan) is

> a nuclear medicine test in which short-acting radioactive particles

> are injected through a vein or breathed into the lungs. If there are

> areas of the lung that do not " take up " the particles, it is an

> indication that there may be a blood clot. I got both - injection

> and breathed radioactive particles. Sounds safe, no?

>

> And the verdict is...NO BLOOD CLOT. However, in the midst of the

> trauma, the pain in my ribs went away. Perhaps the Ativan helped

> that too? Someone at the ER said it was possible I had a very small

> clot that dissolved itself. Since I know nothing about such things,

> I will chalk it up to an unsolved mystery that took nine hours of my

> life and caused me to miss the entire Super Bowl including free

> pizza at our apartment complex. Oh well.

>

> Monday morning comes and we get in to see Dr. B. I want new x-rays

> because the others are so scary. He doesn't think they are necessary

> until I tell him I was laying down for the ones at the hospital.

> Then, he decides it's a good idea. grrr. I was so tired by this

> point. So mom and I checked out the standing films and agreed that

> perhaps my spine is really just that crooked at the bottom and that

> the pain I am having on the left is likely the result of the new

> position my spine is in. We were supposed to fly home yesterday but

> when Dr. B gave mom " the look " after she told him we were planning

> to leave that night, we decided it wouldn't hurt to wait one more

> day.

>

> So, now I will wait and see until March 13 when I have my follow-up

> visit. I am resting a lot, walking a lot and being very patient with

> my body. However, the shared leave pool is depleted so I do want to

> go back to work as soon as I am capable. Unpaid leave sucks. At

> least I got six weeks worth of pay.

>

> And now you know the rest of the story.

>

> kam

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> scoliosis veterans * flatback sufferers * revision candidates

>

[Guest guest]

WooHoooooooo! I got to come home today, finally! Thank all of you for

your concern during these past months, and a special thanks to those

who sent me cards and gifts to brighten my dreary days! They were

much appreciated. All in all, I am doing very well actually. I am

tall and very straight, but I have a slight right lean which Dr. Hu is

aware of. But I'll take that with no complaints at all, thank you

very much, just to be able to be standing up so nice and straight!

It's good to be back, and Viva Las Vegas! I'm really looking forward

to it!

Love to all -

~CA ~

[Guest guest]

Congrats, CA on being home and standing tall! Wishing you speedy

recovery, Marty

--- " " <Dawg@...> wrote: WooHoooooooo! I got to come home

today, finally!

[Guest guest]

Definitely WOOHOO! I tried calling a little earlier, but for some

reason, couldn't get through. I must have had ESP that you were about

to get released. :-)

By the way, I also tried calling Carole today. She still doesn't have

a phone in her room, and the nurses station told me that she was in

bed at the moment. I'll try later.

--

>

> WooHoooooooo! I got to come home today, finally! Thank all of you for

> your concern during these past months, and a special thanks to those

> who sent me cards and gifts to brighten my dreary days! They were

> much appreciated. All in all, I am doing very well actually. I am

> tall and very straight, but I have a slight right lean which Dr. Hu is

> aware of. But I'll take that with no complaints at all, thank you

> very much, just to be able to be standing up so nice and straight!

> It's good to be back, and Viva Las Vegas! I'm really looking forward

> to it!

> Love to all -

> ~CA ~

>

[Guest guest]

Congrats. I am glad to hear you are home. Take a deep breath and

ignore any mess.

Jolynn

[Guest guest]

Hi Cam!

I am just walking, and I can hardly believe I can do it with no pain! I go Tuesday for my 6 week check with my local Ortho, and I think he'll start me back on PT then. I have a local PT who is great, and I love the pool for aquatic therapy! I'm sure they'll be pleased to see me back again.

Yes, I'm on 2 different oral antibiotics for the next 3 - 6 months. I'll be so glad to be finished with it all! What a nightmare. And as for laundry? My husband got one of those lifts that bring the dryer up about a foot or so while I was gone. It's wonderful!

All told, I'm doing wonderfully for just 6 weeks postop. Except Dr. Hu has me wearing the TLSO 24/7, and it feels so good when I can take it off to shower! And it's soooo nice to be my full 5'7" again.

Hugs,

[Guest guest]

CA,

o.....home in time for Mothers Day breakfast in bed....you earned

it!

I am so glad to hear you are doing well and standing tall. Now that

you are out you are just on oral antibiotics for the next 4 months,

right? Do they also have you on a little PT program or do they just

have you walking?

I am looking forward to hearing your good progress and have just one

word of caution.....no laundry!

Take Care, Cam

[Guest guest]

CA,

I bet the TLSO is not all that comfy for sleeping...how long do you

think you will be wearing it? Do you have a bone growth stimulator too?

I am glad to hear you are wlaking pain free....that is a mjor

accomplishiment for you and Dr Hu....congrats! Cam

[Guest guest]

Cam -

How right you are about sleeping in my TLSO! Although I'm somewhat

used to now so I sleep much better. I'm to wear it for 3 months (for

another 6 weeks yet). And no, I have no bone growth stimulator. I'm

not even sure what that is as I've never had one!

I see Dr. Brown tomorrow and I'll try and get a before and after

picture of my x-rays to post. They're amazing!

Hugs -

>

> CA,

>

> I bet the TLSO is not all that comfy for sleeping...how long do you

> think you will be wearing it? Do you have a bone growth stimulator

too?

>

> I am glad to hear you are wlaking pain free....that is a mjor

> accomplishiment for you and Dr Hu....congrats! Cam

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ...

Bone growth stimulators are used when the surgeon feels there may be a

problem with fusion.

Regards,

>

> Cam -

>

> How right you are about sleeping in my TLSO! Although I'm somewhat

> used to now so I sleep much better. I'm to wear it for 3 months (for

> another 6 weeks yet). And no, I have no bone growth stimulator. I'm

> not even sure what that is as I've never had one!

> I see Dr. Brown tomorrow and I'll try and get a before and after

> picture of my x-rays to post. They're amazing!

> Hugs -

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks - no wonder. I've definitely never had any problems

with fusing........everything else maybe, but not that! I didn't

know about your Alaskan cruise - how great! Enjoy yourself. I hope

to see you in July - I'll be staying at 's for 4 days, and we

both have appointments with Dr. Hu on July 17th. Hope you can make

it!

Hugs -

> >

> > Cam -

> >

> > How right you are about sleeping in my TLSO! Although I'm

somewhat

> > used to now so I sleep much better. I'm to wear it for 3 months

(for

> > another 6 weeks yet). And no, I have no bone growth

stimulator. I'm

> > not even sure what that is as I've never had one!

> > I see Dr. Brown tomorrow and I'll try and get a before and after

> > picture of my x-rays to post. They're amazing!

> > Hugs -

> >

>

[Guest guest]

mary and ,

This is true Bone Growth Stims are used when there is trouble with

fusion but they are also used to promote protien growth with BMP in

surgery. At least that is Dr Glazer's reason as to why I was to use

a bone growth stimulator 24 hours a day.

> > >

> > > Cam -

> > >

> > > How right you are about sleeping in my TLSO! Although I'm

> somewhat

> > > used to now so I sleep much better. I'm to wear it for 3

months

> (for

> > > another 6 weeks yet). And no, I have no bone growth

> stimulator. I'm

> > > not even sure what that is as I've never had one!

> > > I see Dr. Brown tomorrow and I'll try and get a before and

after

> > > picture of my x-rays to post. They're amazing!

> > > Hugs -

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

rhBMP-2 can be tremendously beneficial to patients undergoing spinal

fusion. It will eliminate the need for bone transplantation from the

pelvis. It may more reliably and more quickly produce fusion of

spinal vertebrae. It may even reduce the need for the implantation

of spinal rods and screws.

http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article1544.html

> > > > >

> > > > > Cam -

> > > > >

> > > > > How right you are about sleeping in my TLSO! Although I'm

> > > somewhat

> > > > > used to now so I sleep much better. I'm to wear it for 3

> > months

> > > (for

> > > > > another 6 weeks yet). And no, I have no bone growth

> > > stimulator. I'm

> > > > > not even sure what that is as I've never had one!

> > > > > I see Dr. Brown tomorrow and I'll try and get a before and

> > after

> > > > > picture of my x-rays to post. They're amazing!

> > > > > Hugs -

> > > > >

> > > >

> > >

> >

>