[tri-med] Re: opthamologist/Jennifer

I finally got to my email!  We have been very busy with school parties,
cookie baking, and new pcs providers that need to be trained and then don't
show up!

VEPTR is "Vertical Expandable Prosthetic Titanium Rib".  It involves putting
vertical rods, actually shaped kind of like ribs in the back, attached to
the ribs and pelvis.  Elanor has severe scoliosis, and we were looking at
spinal fusion this summer, but were dreading it.  At the conference we
talked to Dr. Smith, the ortho at Primary Children's who does this surgery,
and he asked if we knew about it.  We went home and asked our ortho and he
said go for it.  We went back to SLC (3 trips in as many weeks--argh), and
Dr. Smith agreed to do the surgery.  We went back and had the procedure done
on November 5th, and came home two weeks later.  Usually it only takes about
a week before they send you home, but one of the devices broke her rib and
they had to reattach it.  She has healed really well, and seems so much more
comfortable and able to breathe better.  She got really sick a couple of
weeks ago, and I think if she hadn't have had the surgery, her breathing
would have been so impaired we would've landed in the hospital.  We went to
the orhto yesterday, and he was really pleased.  He was actually beaming
when I told him how well she was, and when she smiled at him (she's never
smiled at him before!).  It has been a difficult transition, especially with
her being sick, but I think it may be one of the best things we have done.
We have to go back to have the rods lengthened in April, but that is a
pretty minor thing.  You can find more info at www.veptr.com. 


Jennifer Vanderbeek
Boise, Idaho
Mom to Arwen, 9; Elanor, 7 (T18); caregiver to Joe, 29 (Cerebral Palsy), and
wife to Andrew

I'd like to be OCD, but I just don't have the time...

Check out Elanor's CaringBridge site at:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/elanoranne



-----Original Message-----
From: tri-med-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tri-med-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of TRIER9@xxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2007 10:26 AM
To: tri-med@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [tri-med] opthamologist/Jennifer

 
In a message dated 12/18/2007 10:59:17 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
Phil46@xxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
VEPTR  surgery instead


What is VEPTR surgery? 

Thanks.....Laurie, Mom to Bri who just had a  spinal fusion in April 08'
 
 



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