Emerson's Scoliosis Journey

We are scheduled at 2 o'clock tomorrow! Here are pictures of her current back,  the brace she has worn for over a year, and her as a frog after an extra long shower.

The plan was to keep Em healthy for 4 weeks and get a cast on February 7th.  We almost accomplished that, but failed miserably at the last minute.  Sunday, February 5 it was unseasonably warm.  Addison and Emerson went outside to play for 15 minutes and both entered the house with a runny nose.  Monday morning Emerson's nose was still runny, just a little bit.  We did a couple breathing treatments throughout the day Monday, she seemed fine.   Tuesday, my mom came to the house to take care of Addison and Jenson, and we left at 3:30 am.  As we got to 5 highway, Em said she needed a treatment.  Yes, my 2 year old knows when she needs a treatment.  I don't know if that is impressive because she is alert to it, or sad because she has to be aware of it.  Either way, we take the treatment bag everywhere and we gave her a treatment.  No big deal, until 45 minutes later she started coughing again and said, "I wheezing real bad. ...

February 7th is our date.  As much as we don't want to put her through the x-rays, anesthesia, and restrictions from a cast, we are eagerly awaiting this casting day.  She NEEDS it!  The pressure on her lungs in evident in the way she breaths and the frequency of illness.  Since she will be under anesthesia, we can't have any respiratory illnesses,  temperatures, or antibiotics 4 weeks prior to the date.  We are in that 4 weeks right now and praying that she doesn't get sick.  Right now our last cast of this series isn't schedules to be removed until the middle of June.  If we have to push it back due to illness, she will be in a cast a good part of the summer.  Again, we are praying that she is healthy enough to get the cast.  We would love for you to join us in that prayer 💗

Yesterday I had to take Emerson back to the doctor because she seems to have gotten a cold that Addison had.  We were given medicine but still ended up in the ER early this morning to get a steroid.  She was treated and sent home, but is still breathing very heavy and quickly (60 breathes per minute).  This will most likely push the casting back because we are on medicine and that effects anesthesia.  I just wish we could get her healthy!  All the steroids, xrays, doctor appointments, other medications, and the scariness of asthma, plus the medical bills we are racking up are about to put me over the edge! Goodbye November!  I may keep Emerson in a bubble for December :)

As this month comes to an end, I look back and wonder how in the world we survived it.  Our third little princess was born on November 7th and everything has been very chaotic since.  The weekend after Jenson was born Emerson developed a runny nose.  Friday night while we had company Emerson had to have a breathing treatment.  Saturday, her nose kept running.  We did our best to keep it clear (she is actually very good at blowing her nose), but Saturday night once she went to sleep a horrible cough started.  We called the doctor's office first thing Sunday morning and were very thankful that Dr. Cahill was on call.  She told us to do treatments more often and to take the brace off, but if the treatments weren't working to go in for an xray.  Just after lunch my mom got to our house to watch Addison and Jenson so we could take Emerson to the emergency room.  Her oxygen levels were down to 80 and her heart rate was up to 165.  After many t...

Enjoy Summer In May we had our check up with Dr. Luhman.  The xray in her brace was 64.  Since we began in the 70s and had casted down to 50, I was worried, however, he said it was fine.  He wanted us to let her enjoy her summer.  So, we did! She swam, got filthy in the garden, played in the rain, ate lots of messy ice cream and popsicles, took long baths, and many other things that we wouldn't have been able to do in a cast. Hospital In June we hit a speed bump.  Emerson seems to have some allergy issues (I think I may be at fault for passing that down to her).  The last week of school she had developed bronchitis, which we fixed with an antibiotic.  Three weeks later she developed pneumonia.  She had been struggling with some minor allergy drainage and a little cough.  Nothing that I thought was a concern.  We took her to watch her sister play a late night softball game and within an hour of being home she was awake, screaming,...

This week we traveled to St. Louis. We thought we were headed to get the cast cut off (15 minutes) and get the brace/see the doctor (30 minutes).  Addi was out of school and it seemed like a good opportunity for her to tag along and maybe do something fun as a family to celebrate completing the casting series and selling our house (that's right,  we are no longer property rich and it feels amazing). Our expectations were way off considering we were at the Shriner's hospital from 10 to 1:40.  We aren't really sure how we feel about any of it other than we have both decided maybe having the cast on is easier. Getting the cast off. She hardly cried this time! Waiting to get the brace.  Her new butterfly brace. They cut too much off the brace and the doctor wasn't happy with it. The far right is prior to the casts. Middle is with the last cast on.  Left is with the brace on.  You can see why he wasn't happy. They had to add a piece o...