Discouraging Discoveries:
The first day my scoliosis was noticed was on the soccer field. I was doing warm up drills and such, when my dad told me to touch my toes. Im not that flexible, so I did the best I could... barely touching my ankles (thats pretty pitiful:)) My dad repeated himself. "Carrie, touch your toes!" Im serious... I couldn't!! So he came over and kind of pushed my back down (supposedly helping me) on my back. He then had a concerned look on his face... was something wrong?
That night he discussed with me and my mom that we should see the Doctor...
Okay, this man could go a week or more with a throbbing leg and not get it checked out... and yet he wanted ME to get my back checked out?! It must be pretty serious...
On September 2nd, me and my mom went to our Physician, Dr. McConnell. She took a look at my back, and instantly confirmed my parents fearful belief- I had Scoliosis. She said we should go to the Imaging Center, and get the curve number... so a bit teary-eyed, we did just that.
Once we got there, we waited a little while, then I was given x-ray pants with... Im serious... BACK POCKETS! As if Im going to wear them out! :) Well, after changing into the "groovie attire", they took x-rays. I was standing on the x-ray platform, when the screen in front of me showed my spine. My stomach turned. The crooked, black and white photo on the screen made me cringe. I felt like Id done something wrong, and now I was getting my punishment; but what had I done wrong? We found out around a week later that the degree number of my curve was 32 degrees.
Once me and my mom got in the car, we had a look at the photo's ourselves. "Caroline? CAROLINE!" My mom held up the pictures in disbelief. Then she picked up her phone and called grandmas' and our Aunt Michelle, whose a Doctor. We got her advice: drink lots of milk and get lots of calcium. So to obey... we got ice cream on the way home. :)
That Sunday, we put my scoliosis on the prayer list. Almost instantly emails and calls came in from church friends, suggesting various chiropractors, surgeons, and other solutions. We started making appointments, and thats how my journey began.
A Little Hope:
Dr. Fuh was our first appointment. He was a Chiropractor who resolved pain, and by a system called "Clear Institute" resolved the scoliosis twist and curve. The Canfields from our churh suggested him, so on September 9th, we met him and asked many questions which he answered accordingly. After taking some x-rays, Dr. Fuh measured my curve by hand, unlike the previous radio-ologist had done. He said my curve was more like 55-60 degrees... 30 more than what we thought! Afterwards, we discussed the information we learned- right downstairs at "Helen of Troy." (Their humus was AMAZING)
On September 18th, me and my whole family packed our bags for Plano, for there we were going to celebrate my grandpa's birthday, and also go to the Baylor Scoliosis Center. On the 20th, our whole family went to Plano's local Mexican restaurant in honor of my Grandpa Jim. It was a fun night! The next day me, my mom and dad walked to the front desk of the Baylor Scoliosis Center.
After changing into a "gorgeous" hospital gown, a very energetic lady took me into the x-ray room, and took many x-rays, all while we talked about latin and fried soda..? Then, once the x-rays were developed, we got to meet Dr. Hostin. He was on the shorter side, but bubbly and friendly, too. After he checked my mom for scoliosis (which se didn't have), he filled us in on my scoliosis, and the only solution... surgery. Leading us into another room, he showed us the spine model with gruesome, pointy screws going through each vertebrate of the spine. It made me draw back a little; was this going to go on MY spine? I don't think so! :] He then measured my curve. Hostin said that my curve was 62 degrees... a definite surgery candidate. It was kind of weird, but I wasn't scared at all, because for some reason, I knew I wasn't going to do surgery. Im not sure if that will change, but at that time, I had a peace.
More Options:
On September 24th we met with Dr. Preston Phillips. I got out early from my school Classical Conversations that day, because of this appointment. We ended up (me, my mom and dad, and my 12 mo. old baby brother, Beau) in the waiting room for over 2 hours... Beau sliming and kissing businessmen and little old ladies... what a flirt! ;) Also, in the waiting room, I completed all my latin homework for the week...whoo-hoo! :) Dr. Phillips was a open, tall black man, who answered the many questions we had. He told us he was the only scoliosis doctor in Eastern Oklahoma. Measuring my curve at Thoracic- 67 degrees. Lumbar- 61 degrees, he recommended surgery, also. According to my x-rays, he recommended an MRI and CAT scan. Why? Because he saw a congenital defect on my 5th Lumbar, and wanted to learn more. But after a little examination, he confirmed it had nothing to do with my scoliosis.
Caitlin, too?!
It was September 28th, 1:30pm, when me, my 15 year old sister Caitlin, and my parents went back into the small office of Dr. Fuh. There, I started my first chiropractic session. It was all so uncomfortable and weird... I didnt understand HALF of what he was doing. Having a weight here, a vibrating machine there, I was at a loss for words. That day my sister got checked for scoliosis, too. Dr. Fuh said that she, too, had scoliosis! Little did I know it was going to make this process 10x better.
MRI and CAT:
It was 2 days later on the 30th, 8:30, when I went to the St. Francis imaging center. There I was going to have an MRI and CAT scan. In the waiting room, where me and my mom watched 101 Dalmatians, we saw our CC and church friend Mitch Grantham, with his parents. It was nice to see a familiar face. :)
After going through the long MRI (which I fell asleep on!) I did the CAT scan. I was so nervous for this particular scan, because Ive herd so much about it... good or bad? I HAD NO IDEA!!! It ended up to be a short and easy scan- yea! I was happy to get a Braum's treat afterward. :)
A couple days later, Caitlin's first and my second chiropractic treatment at Dr. Fuh's was in process. We were there for 4 hours doing different things, one of which was learning Caitlin had damage ligaments in her neck. The Doc said it looked like a neck of a "professional boxer". Well... you know how Caitlin likes to bully up on us.... ha, just kidding! That day was much better than the first treatment for two reasons: 1) I was accustomed to the machinery 2) I had my big sister by my side.
The Results:
Just on November 10th I went back to Dr. Phillips office. We waited again, for awhile in the waiting room, but it was much better without chasing Beau, and keeping him away from sliming random business men and such! Caitlin, me and my mom were there, and then eventually my dad. We reviewed my MRI x-rays together, and he explained that my 5th lumbar congenital defect was from birth. It means that vertebrate was not fully developed around the spine, and now because of that, its slipping. (Found out Latin was the root words of "spondylolysis" (spine absent) and "spondylolisthesis" (spine is slipping). Hey, guess you learn something new every day! When looking at the x-rays, we had a front view of all my organs and such. Im serious, it looked like a tube full of bread loaves... slightly disturbing. Then, for Caitlin, he took x-rays, reviewed them, and recommended an MRI scan as well.
A Miracle?
Lastly, me and my parents visited an osteopathic doctor, recommended by church friends, the Wesels. Once we got there and met him, I found out my mom and dad already knew him from our old church! Well, after greeting, he began feeling my vertebrates, releasing pressure of some kind..?, and then he laid me down face up on a table. He showed my parents my hip/ pelvis bone. "See, here? Her bone doesn't line up." Just then he turned off the lights, requested complete silence, and began touching my head. For nearly thirty minuets he was rubbing my face, moving around my jaw, and sticking his fingers in my ears... an awkward 30 minuets, I would say! But after that period of time, my hip/pelvis bones were aligned. I couldnt believe it! A miracle? My dad immediately put in all my sisters for appointments, for the doc. said the earlier we catch scoliosis the better. So to be on the safe side, my dad put Christine, Chloe, and Caitlin on the calendar.
Ever since, me and my sister Caitlin have been going to Dr. Fuh's, 4 hours a day, 3 days a week. Thanks for reading, and we'll keep you posted! :)
