Showing posts with label Orthopedic surgeon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Orthopedic surgeon. Show all posts

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Haven's ROHHAD Update 2-12

Today was a long day. We headed down to Baltimore for our first visit with the Orthopedic Surgeon that will be watching Haven's bones as she starts to grow. We've also had many severe back pains that seriously just paralyze Haven and she falls to the floor in a ball grunting.

If you remember I took her in on Dec. 5th for a CT Scan of her back to check for fractures. We were clear on that. Then a few weeks later it happened again when she was playing.

I took some photos of her xrays today from the computer screen. Sorry they are from my phone so they are not too clear. But I did detail them so you can see what is what.



This is an xray of the front view - sorry I didn't get pictures of the side view. Haven really wanted them too. This xray shows you the Port, tumor on her back, curve in the spine, and original location of the neuroblastoma tumor. You can really see how big the tumor on her back is from this xray.



A normal spine of a child at her age is 45 degree angle. Haven is currently at a 51 degree angle.




I realized that most people probably don't know what I mean about a port. She has a port in her chest which is essentially like a little rubber stopper. It is sewn in under her chest with about a 3 inch scar.



To access Haven's port they use a 1 inch needle each time that goes in to her chest at the port. Then there are little butterfly wings that clamp the needle down on to the chest to stay in for the day for medicine and IV fluid. The port has a line it in that goes through her artery up in her to her neck. She has a small incision in her neck to pull the line through. You can feel the line but you can't see it.



From today's meeting we now know the status of Haven's spine. We also learned that her bones are very brittle and as of now still a bit spongy. They are starting to squish together as the discs between vertebrate get smaller. This is causing her the pain. He did not see any fractures but with the shape of her spine and the weight he said she could easily have a fracture at any time.



He mentioned the possibility of Haven having Brittle Bone Disease due to the long term use of chemotherapy, high levels of steroids for over a year, and now more chemotherapy. She has not been allowed to have any vitamins for over a year and we removed milk from her diet due to high sodium levels. She has been drinking milk for over a month now.



Tuesday, February 17th, Haven will have a bone density scan to check her for Osteoporosis. Her Endocrinologist will handle it from that point unless surgery is needed.



Wednesday, February 18th, Haven will see Dr. Price (original surgeon that removed most of her Neuroblastoma Tumor) in regards to the tumor on her back. He will examine her and discuss surgery to remove it. 90% of the time these tumors are not cancerous (we're told) but they will remove it and have it tested.



We have another sleep study planned for this weekend in Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital. This will be Haven's 3rd study. They will be videoing her the entire night this time.



Ultrasound is February 24th



Eye Surgery is March 26 - along with Blood Gas testing



As everything unfolds or we get more news I will keep everyone updated.



We hope all of you have a great Valentine's weekend. Haven has received many Valentine cards from around the world. Thank you to MACS site for all your help with all our children.


Friday, January 23, 2009

Haven's Updated Schedule

Well while we are preparing for Haven's 5th birthday tomorrow I thought I'd stop and share a few schedule updates. I am probably overly stressed....but I feel like a crazy woman! I have a million things to share with everyone but very little energy to type it out! I'm so happy my friends are able to come to Haven's birthday tomorrow - as she does not have any friends her age around here.

Here are the updates:

Levels have been great the last 3 visits to Oncology. So for right now we will stay on the same dose two times a day.

We leave for Disney next Tuesday, January 27, evening so Haven will have another level check on Tuesday morning

Audiology testing on Tuesday morning

Friday, January 30, we will go to a hospital in FL to have Haven's levels checked (chemo doesn't take a vacation)

Back at Johns Hopkins on February 4th for another level check

February 12th we will meet the Orthopedic Surgeon that will perform the surgery on Haven's back. He will exam the tumor on her shoulder blade and discuss with us how they will go about removing it.

March we will have another sleep study

March 26 we will have surgery on both eyes

March we will test Haven's blood gas levels and meet with Pulmonology again. This seems easy but when we found out today how they do it we decided she needed to be put to sleep.

I will get more info to everyone as soon as I can. Right now I am again covered in hives - I love it! Every 3 doctor phone calls I break out in to hives. It's amazing. Well I must get back to work on the house.

Love to all
m

ROHHAD in Ireland

 I received this story in my email today. It still shocks me that my daughter has ROHHAD. It's a horrible disease that destroys a child...