Russell's x-rays

I love seeing the comparison between his first x-rays and his most recent x-rays.

 

March 2012, 17 months, just before he got his first cast on.  45* curve, 45*RVAD

Feb 2013, with his 4th cast on, 8* curve, 0* RVAD

May 2013, with his 5th cast on, 0* curve, 0* RVAD

I cannot really see a difference between the bottom two.  His ribs are still not mirror images of each other, and I hope that just comes with time as his back is straight.  I haven't asked the dr.'s about that yet. 
Doesn't he look good though?  I'm so glad it's working!

A new cast and a miracle

Russell's had his new cast on for a week! It's going really well.  It's always pretty crazy at first-and it seemed a little more crazy this time, but then again it always does, so maybe it's just my faulty memory.  :/  He'd only had his 4th cast off for about a week, so this was the first time he remembered getting the cast off when he got the new one on.  He was pretty mad when it was put back on, and he now knew that we have the "ability" to take it off.  So for the first few days, he kept grabbing the front of it and saying "OFF. TAKE OFF."  He's now given up on his parents ever catching on and taking it off, but it was so sad for those first few days.

So, I didn't go with Russell for this cast.  It's the first one I've missed.  Apparently that's the key.  Because he doesn't have to get another cast on!!...We're going to move on to a brace in August.  When they did the x-rays after applying this (5th) cast, they gave Scott the great news = there is NO NOTICEABLE CURVE!!  In other words, we're down to 0* RVAD AND 0* Curve.  This. Is. Amazing.  This is a miracle.  Really. 
So I'm thinking Scott should take the kids to all future medical appointments.

He was fitted for his brace while under anesthesia at the same time they did the cast.  Scott picked camo green.  I think that'll be a fun choice.  The brace will fit just like the cast did with a few exceptions:
No over-the-shoulder straps, it just goes under the armpits.
Less bulky, by far. 
It can get a TINY bit wet, and if it gets dirty, we can just wipe it off.
It is removable.  He'll wear it for 23 hrs./day at first.  Probably for a long time.  The straps will be in the back.

The mushroom-shaped window in the front will be the same, so will the rectangle window in the back.  It will still go down over his hips, because they anchor it.  It is still a "hard" brace, so it still limits his mobility just like the cast. 

It mostly represents PROGRESS.  Which feels so good.  We just feel so blessed to have such wonderful doctors and other medical professionals who've helped him and us through this journey so far.  I am grateful for all the friends and family who have prayed for him and us.  We are all so lucky to be a part of such a miracle.

4th Cast removal!

 Tyler took the pictures for us again.  Here, you can see the top bar is cut through already.

 Again, a view of the top cut bar, and Russell can do some awesome things with his fingers.  He's got really flexible fingers.

You might think that putting a top hat on the one wielding the tin snips will not frustrate him AT ALL.  You might be wrong.

 I think this picture is funny because it makes it look like Russell can bend his cast this much.  He can't.  You just can't see Scott's hands wrenching it apart.  I can't even get it to separate this much by myself!

 The cast is finally off!

 He always looks so wierd right after it's cut off.  Like he has a really big head, with this teeny tiny body.  He usually loses weight in the cast, so he's just skin and bones underneath it.  I'm going to try to get a better picture of that.

Then he went right outside and did this.  It was funny because it was sooo much easier to get up with out the cast, and he was really surprised.

Now I'm just spending alot of my time snuggling and cuddling him.  There's nothing like the feeling of giving him a hug and him giving one back and just melting into it.  No bulky cast in the way.  I'm grateful for these times!

Miracles

" Behold, are not the things that God hath wrought marvelous in our eyes? Yea, and who can comprehend the marvelous works of God?"- Mormon 9:16, The Book of Mormon

That is how I feel today.  My heart just feels so full as I reflect on this past year and the miracles that have been wrought and the changes that have occured in my heart.

I have been reminiscing this past week about those first appointments we had for Russell's scoliosis, learning that it was getting worse, that if things kept continuing at the rate they were progressing then his heart and lungs would be affected, the quality and possibly the length of his life would be diminished, that he would have serious problems resulting from this deformity for the rest of his life.  I remember feeling like the walls were closing in and mainly wondering "Why?".  Trying to mesh the knowledge that there is a plan for this life and all things work together for our good, with the fact that I didn't WANT to go through this.  Feeling angry, yet guided and led to the doctors we needed to see at the same time.  So many emotions, so many decisions that we had to make.  I found out about a great treatment (the Mehta casting plan that we eventually went with) in the same appointment that I found out what would happen if we did nothing.  That was surreal.

I have learned a lot in the past year.  Here are just a few things I have learned (most are still a work in progress):

1.  My attitude is dependent on how I choose to see what we're going through, and how I choose to talk about it to others.  I have talked to many of you when I was feeling very negative about this, and so that's how I talked about it, and of course how I saw it.  I had to choose to talk about it in a positive way, to truly see it that way.  I had to express faith to feel faith.

2. My attitude directly affects the attitudes of the whole family.  I don't like this.  But it's true.  Especially the other three kids.  They are listening and paying attention-and they're trying to figure out how to feel about this themselves.  This journey has been one our whole family has gone on together. 

3.  My attitude directly affects how other people feel about what we are going through,  and I've learned I don't actually like pity.  I used to think I did.  Then I read in the Family Home Evening resource manual that self-pity is a bad thing and it stops your progression through adversity.  This was like turning on a light for me.  I had no idea how bad it was.  It was a leap of faith for me to stop feeling so bad for myself and my family, and to trust that I didn't need anyone's pity.  Coming out of that narrow-minded tunnel has taught me that what we've been through truly ISN'T bad.  Really-even considering everything-it could have been so much worse.  It IS so much worse for so many other people.

4.  It's important to grow and learn and to take action when going through hard things.  The more you focus on what you CAN do  and then actually do it, the more empowered you feel, and the less burdened you feel.

5.  My testimony that all things work together for our good is stronger than ever.  It really is true.


I don't know why we've been so blessed this past year.  Russell's scoliosis is being cured.  That doesn't always happen. I belong to a support group, and it's about 50/50.  His original curve seems to be right in the middle of all the cases-there are a lot who start out with larger curves, but just about as many start out with smaller curves.  Some who have very similar numbers to what Russell started out with, aren't getting any correction.  There are so many kids who have had 10+ casts.  Who have been casted for years.  I don't know why we've been so blessed.  It's probably best to not concentrate on the why, but instead just to be grateful.  And remember to share with others who need it.  I'm so grateful.  I didn't know where we would be at this time when we started last year, but we're in a great place.  One more cast to go!