[Elizabeth76]

When my son was 15 I noticed after a haircut that one hip seemed higher up than the other.

He was diagnosed with scoliosis, when there is a curvature in the spine. His curve was about 80 degree, and after many tests and specialist visits he was on the waitlist for surgery.

We ended up getting a call when he was 18 and were offered to take part in a new program offered by shriners for kids, we would fly from Vancouver to Montreal and he would get his surgery done at the shriners children's hospital.

I was told it would be a 6 hour surgery which turned into 8.
These pictures (I wish I had taken more) are before, and right after surgery. He had 48 staples and 3 rods put in to straighten his spine.
One picture is first time sitting up after surgery, while the others were pics of the "zipper" which everyone referred to of the staples.
Upon returning home we recieved a letter from drs in Vancouver that although he tested negative for marphan syndrome he is considered to have marphan because all the similarities he presented: tall, long thin arms, long fingers and small jaw which eventually affected his teeth and he had to have some removed because they were overcrowded.

When he was a child he had dislocated his hip often, the first time was when he was 4.
Marphan syndrome was the reason he developed scoliosis, it affects the connective tissue and could eventually lead to heart and eye problems.

Sorry I didn't get x-ray or surgery pictures.

[kushie18]

neat stuff surgery looks like it went well, thx for sharing

[Elizabeth76]

Originally Posted by kushie18 ↗

neat stuff surgery looks like it went well, thx for sharing

It's been just over 11 years now
Thanks kushie

[Elizabeth76]

The drs told him he may be a couple inches taller when he wakes up, he wakes up heavily medicated and asks "am I 12 feet tall now?"

[Charlemagne]

I am glad he was able to get surgery.

[Elizabeth76]

When he was doing his night before preparation for surgery, there was a male nurse who was doing practicum, and he says to my son : "soon we will give you your enema, and get a catheter inserted." My son looked at me like " what's all that?" I told him and he was dreading it of course.

After surgery he had to have dillaudid pills inserted in his anus because he's one of those "for the life of him just couldnt swallow medication."

He must have felt so violated by the time he got to leave the hospital because when we got to the hotel he decided he was going to just swallow his meds. There's no way I was putting meds up his 18 yr old bum.

[kellyhound]

and could eventually lead to heart and eye problems.

Does he get monitored for that on a regular base?
Thanks for posting the pics, wish him all the best.

[Elizabeth76]

They did fly him back out to Montreal a year later for a post op check up, there was a few years that we were living in different places and didn't get to see each other much, but we've now got connected with a family Dr. Who will be doing heart ultrasound requisitions, and dental, eye monitoring.

Thanks for the well wishes.