… the beginning of the end?

So it has been a while since our last post. That is because we have not had much to report. Our routine has involved trips to SLC every 8-10 weeks for extensions of the magic rods. Three days travel for a 30 minute appointment while somewhat time consuming is relatively boring. Now we have some news!

According to Dr. Heflin, Kadence has maximized the benefit of the magic rods. This could be for any one or combination of the following: 1) She is not growing (in her thoracic region) and there is nowhere for them to extend, 2) The rods are “stuck” and will not extend beyond the present length 3) The kyphosis (hump in her spine) is interfering with the extension of the rods which are designed to work in a straight line rather that around the protuberance that is caused by the kyphosis.

In any case, Dr. Heflin says that it is time to move on to the final stage of her surgical intervention. The plan is this:

• We go back to SLC in January for extension, x-rays and planning for next surgery.
• Mid-May they remove the rods, do a CT scan and put her back in halo to pull out the kyphosis. She will be in traction (same as 2020) for about three weeks during which they will pull out the kyphosis and she will gain about two inches in height.
• After halo, she will have what we hope will be her final surgery in which they will remove the halo and insert rods on either side of the deformed vertebrae in her spine. These rods will likely be permanent and over time, the affected vertebrae will fuse together.

While the logistics of planning this are always challenging and the surgeries will be difficult, we are very encouraged because, according to Dr. Heflin, after the spinal fusion surgery, Kadence will be able to ”be a kid again”. i.e. jump on trampoline, ride a bike, roller blade etc without having to worry about breaking one of the rods. She will continue to be monitored by Dr. Heflin/Shriners until she is 18.

As always, we cannot end a post without expressing our gratitude to the Shriner’s organization, Dr. Heflin and his associates and to all of you for your support and prayers. We will keep you posted.