My sweet, beautiful, kind, loving, caring, sensitive, humorous, wonderful, practically perfect little girl is a little bent out of shape and is going to have a huge challenge ahead of her over the next few years.
What was meant to be a simple well child check at the doc yesterday for both Ethan and Kedzie, wound up being a lot more than we had planned. Once Kedzie bent over to touch her toes and the doctor looked at me funny and told her to bend down again, I knew that we were dealing with scoliosis. He immediately sent us for x-rays and a baseline in her curvature. At the moment, I had many questions which he couldn't really answer without the baseline, and I was simply grateful that it wasn't cancer or something along those lines.
After x-rays and Ethan's birthday party with 10 of his closest friends, the doctor called with the results. She indeed has scoliosis and it is severe. He described it as a backwards S shape going from right to left. He said that it measures at 33 degrees (he's comfortable with 10 degrees) at the top which is far more curve than he felt comfortable simply watching. So, we are being referred to Children's Hospital, which after researching, is 10th in the nation for orthopedics. So, we are in good hands. That referral and appointment will hopefully be made this next week.
The thing is that the curve could continue to progress a lot through growth spirt's and through puberty, so they want to do something now. He couldn't tell me the treatment plan because he's leaving that to the experts, but he suggested possibly a brace or jacket.
He stated simply that it is not reversed easily, if at all. That once she is done growing the curve is what it is and that it is not a mild case.
With that said, Travis and I made it through the evening and put the kids to bed. Travis hit the piano and I hit the internet. I'm so grateful that we have found it early on because there is hope that she will be in the state that she is in today, when she is twenty one. I'm grateful that it is not cancer, or a huge slash in the face from an accident. I'm grateful that Kedzie is a strong person that will be able to endure the trial ahead of her. I'm grateful that she is happy and full of confidence and although this will be hard, she will be okay. We will all be okay.
One good thing is that she will need to remain active in order to loosen the muscles and help strengthen her back. She loves dance among many other things, so I think that will be an easy thing to continue. I'm also grateful for modern medicine as I saw pictures of treatment back in the day. It was horrific. We can handle a brace under her clothing as apposed to metal contraptions that were so uncivilized.
Chances of surgery at this point, I think are pretty slim unless it somehow gets awfully worse. If she did have surgery, they would connect two rods to her spine that she would live with forever. So, hopefully we don't have to go there. It's all in God's hands and ours.
After researching and piano playing for both of us, I melted into Travis's loving arms. I cried and cried. I cried for the loss of my perfect, beautiful little girl. I cried for the loss of my mom. I cried for the loss of my baby Milo. I cried because I had to buy a Judy Bloom book about a girl with scoliosis. I cried and cried and cried and then I went to bed.
I woke up this morning expecting to see Kedzie all contorted and a mess. She's not! If her back remains this way forever, she will live a wonderful, successful, happy life. So, here we go. Another challenge coming our way, but if I can live through my mother's cancer and eminent death, I can do anything.
Tomorrow is Kedzie's 8th birthday. A day we have looked forward to for a long time. A day that we will enjoy and cherish forever. I can't wait.
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