Abbey's Spinal Fusion Surgery
Donation protected
In February of this year Abbey's little world got turned upside down... Little did she know, while growing into the beautiful little lady she's turning out to be, her spine had different plans. Quietly and painlessly, it started to twist and curve. Even during her yearly physical, the doctor didn't notice anything was amiss. However, while on a shopping trip, I was helping Abbey out in the fitting room when I saw it. I told her to stop slouching and to stand up straight (because surely, no ones back looks like that naturally). She got irritated with me and said "I AM MOM". Then, I really saw it. Her shoulders were completly uneven, her rib cage concaved on her left side and protruded on her right, and when she bent over there was an enormous hump on the right side of her back. The doctor we saw said it was probably nothing and referred us to an orthopedic specialist. During that appointment, Abbey had some x-rays done. When the specialist came in, there was no exam. He was holding an iPad. He told Abbey "I'm going to show you a picture of your back..." and went on to explain (before showing her) how a scoliosis curve is calculated and given a degree. Before we get to Abbey's degree here's a quick synopsis of how scoliosis severity is classified:
"A scoliosis curve of 10 to 15 degrees usually means that nothing needs to be done except for regular checkups until the person has gone through puberty and finished growing (the curvature usually won't get worse after that). If the curve is 20 to 40 degrees, the orthopedist will likely suggest a back brace. A Cobb angle of 40 or 50 degrees or more may mean that surgery is needed."
He then turned the iPad around so we could see Abbey's clearest x-ray. Her little spine looked literally like a backwards question mark. He then said that her curve was at 51 degrees and that she needed to see a special specialist (so professional!). Abbey burst into tears. She'd been researching like crazy and knew what that number meant.
Fast forward to our appointment with our "special specialist" (his name is Dr. Aarons and he is awesome and doesn't talk to Abbey like a baby). Without hesitation, he said that surgery was immenent in Abbey's case. He wanted to perform spinal fusion surgery as soon as possible. Problem was, Abbey had just started softball, we had bought season passes to Kings Dominion literally the week before our shopping trip which started the ball rolling on this. WE HAD STUFF TO DO! And, truthfully, as positive as all the post op stories I've heard, I was (and still am) scared Abbey might not be able to ride a roller coaster after this...or slide into home base...ugh, TEARS. So, we scheduled Abbey's surgery for September 7. It's scary, however, I'm watching her back get worse week by week. It's no longer painless for her. Dr. Aaron's warned us that her curve could worsen 1-2 degrees a month, and I think he was right. But damn it, my kid wants to ride roller coasters all summer. And, I'm going to see to it that she does.
Here's where all of you come in. Our friends, our family, our fellow parents, our village that helps raise this child. We are doing all we can to make this happen. Our deductable alone is thousands of dollers. We need financial help. This is the last thing I wanted to do to make this surgery a reality, but we're stuck. And we're scared and we know we can't wait "till we have the money". This is big money that won't fall in our lap. So, if you can, ANYTHING will help. I'm going to be out of work for 2+ weeks to be home with her, which means no paychecks for 2+ weeks. Fearful is an understament. Any donations would be unbelievably appreciated and paid back in whatever way we can. Thanks SO MUCH for y'alls time and taking a sec to read this.
"A scoliosis curve of 10 to 15 degrees usually means that nothing needs to be done except for regular checkups until the person has gone through puberty and finished growing (the curvature usually won't get worse after that). If the curve is 20 to 40 degrees, the orthopedist will likely suggest a back brace. A Cobb angle of 40 or 50 degrees or more may mean that surgery is needed."
He then turned the iPad around so we could see Abbey's clearest x-ray. Her little spine looked literally like a backwards question mark. He then said that her curve was at 51 degrees and that she needed to see a special specialist (so professional!). Abbey burst into tears. She'd been researching like crazy and knew what that number meant.
Fast forward to our appointment with our "special specialist" (his name is Dr. Aarons and he is awesome and doesn't talk to Abbey like a baby). Without hesitation, he said that surgery was immenent in Abbey's case. He wanted to perform spinal fusion surgery as soon as possible. Problem was, Abbey had just started softball, we had bought season passes to Kings Dominion literally the week before our shopping trip which started the ball rolling on this. WE HAD STUFF TO DO! And, truthfully, as positive as all the post op stories I've heard, I was (and still am) scared Abbey might not be able to ride a roller coaster after this...or slide into home base...ugh, TEARS. So, we scheduled Abbey's surgery for September 7. It's scary, however, I'm watching her back get worse week by week. It's no longer painless for her. Dr. Aaron's warned us that her curve could worsen 1-2 degrees a month, and I think he was right. But damn it, my kid wants to ride roller coasters all summer. And, I'm going to see to it that she does.
Here's where all of you come in. Our friends, our family, our fellow parents, our village that helps raise this child. We are doing all we can to make this happen. Our deductable alone is thousands of dollers. We need financial help. This is the last thing I wanted to do to make this surgery a reality, but we're stuck. And we're scared and we know we can't wait "till we have the money". This is big money that won't fall in our lap. So, if you can, ANYTHING will help. I'm going to be out of work for 2+ weeks to be home with her, which means no paychecks for 2+ weeks. Fearful is an understament. Any donations would be unbelievably appreciated and paid back in whatever way we can. Thanks SO MUCH for y'alls time and taking a sec to read this.
Organizer
Cali Waters
Organizer
Garrisonville Estates, VA
