Where it all Began

This is the story of my daughter Danielle's battle with scoliosis.  Danielle was diagnosed with scoliosis in the fall of 2010.  She has one thoracic curve and it began with a curve of 36 degrees. Surgery is typically recommended for curves ranging from 40-45 degrees.  So we visited Children's Mercy in Kansas City, Missouri.  They recommended bracing, but we chose not to.

We found a doctor in Green Bay, Wisconsin (a mere 12 hour drive away) at the Posture and Spine Care Center.  There we tried alternative strategies to treat Danielle's scoliosis.  We used weights and balances and traction.  We were treated at this center for 2 years.  At the beginning, these treatments helped and her curve was reduced to 19 degrees.  At our first visit we were there for 2 full weeks.  She did treatments all day long from 8 am to 4:30 pm with a 2 hour lunch break.  Once the 2 weeks were over, we were sent home with weights and a traction chair which she did 2-3 times daily (30 minutes in the chair and 20 minutes with the weights). We then returned in July for a week long visit.  Then again in the fall of 2011 for 4 days. When we returned in May of 2012 her curve had became very aggressive and considerably worse.  She was experiencing a tremendous amount of pain.  We returned to Green Bay in May, August and then again for the last time in November of 2012.  Danielle's pain continued and I could see that her curve was continuing to get worse even with the daily exercises prescribed by the doctor in Green Bay.

The night before treatments in Green Bay

 

4-11 The traction chair in Green Bay

1-12 At home weights

Danielle in the traction chair at home

10-10-11 x-ray (back view)

Summer 2012 (notice her uneven shoulders and waist band)

Feb. 2012 Danielle's 16th birthday

5-25-12 x-ray (back view)

11-13-12 x-ray (back view)

On April 11, 2013 we chose to see Dr. Douglas Burton at the University of Kansas Hospital Comprehensive Spine Center.  Danielle's curve had increased to 51 degrees.  Dr. Burton said that Danielle basically had 2 choices at this point......she could live with the idopathic scoliosis curve (curve from an unknown cause) for the rest of her life or she could have surgery.  He stated that her curve would probably increase 1-2 degrees per year for the rest of her life. He also stated that surgery may or may not decrease her back pain. If we chose the path of surgery she would be out of sports for a year.  Dr. Burton stated that he would make an incision on her side and go to the back through the rib cage.  Surgery would take 6-8 hours.  WOW! We left with a lot to think about.   Her dad continued to search on the computer for different docotors. We thought we should get another opinion.  In May, he found a doctor in Austin, Texas who does a non-invasive scoliosis surgery with 3 small incisions.  I thought my prayers were answered!! This would require less recovery time because fewer muscles are involved.  This doctor looked at Danielle's x-rays and sadly told us she was not a candidate for his surgery because of the location of the curve.

KC x-ray 4-11-13 (front view)

Danielle has what I call a high tolerance for pain.  She really doesn't complain about her back hurting too much.  She was beginning to take ibuprofen and tylenol more often. Neither really did much to relieve her pain.  Danielle has played travel softball since the age of 8 and LOVES it.  She plays third base and is one tough defensive player as well as a threat at the plate!!  We decided for sure that she would NOT do anything until her summer softball or her SENIOR year of fall softball was over.  So she discontinued the at home exercises and lived with the pain.  I can think of several occasions after playing 4 or 5 games in one day getting into the Yukon and asking how her back was and she would answer, "Are you seriously asking me that?"  There have been many occasions that I would glance back at her after a big tournament exhausted and leaning back in her seat with silent tears rolling down her face.  One of her good friends once told me "I don't think anybody has any idea what she goes through every day." She had a successful summer softball with a National Championship and State Championship trophy.  We are so proud, especially her dad who helped coach the team.  Her fall team was defeated in district play but Danielle had a wonderful high school softball career!  Softball was over at the end of October and Danielle was experiencing a ton of pain every day.  She began to talk about surgery.