Today we are at Banner Desert for the MRI and CT scan which was requested by the doctor at Shriner’s.  He wants this information to get a better view of her spine and thoracic cavity.

Next steps:

• Banner will send results to local pediatrician, Dr. Patel.
• Dr. Patel will send report to Shriner’s in SLC.
• Doctor in SLC will assess report and consult with collegues.
• Based on outcome, Katelyn, Lee and Kadence will go to SLC to meet with surgeon, anesthesilogist and staff to discuss surgical plan and to tour hospital.

 

 

 

Please continue to pray for Kadence and family – specifically that all tests will provide doctors with a clear option for future treatment.

 

 

Kadence did very well during the procedure although she had a rough time waking up after the MRI.  The nurse said that it often happens when they use gas to sedate kids.  We were very impressed with the hospital staff – especially the CT tech who showed us all her pictures after the scan and will give them a copy of the pictures and radiologist report tomorrow.

She continues to “work” the staff wherever she goes.  The nurse offered to let her choose a gift after the MRI and, of course she wanted cats.  This is what they brought back: a kitty blanket, four stuffed kitties and a kitty pillow.  Then she got another trip to the toy closet after the CT scan.  To say the the child made a haul is an understatement.

Once again, we wait for the results to get to SLC and contact from hospital up there.

  Many know that Kadence was “adopted” by the Shriner organization last fall. Since then she has been up to the Shriner’s Hospital in Salt Lake City twice.  When we went the first time in January, 2018 we met her surgeon and had her initial assessment.  At that time, after consulting his colleagues around the country he said that we should wait to do anything until she grows a bit more.  That changed, however, when we went in July, 2018.  This time we were told that the curvature had increased from 66% to 82%.  The risk is that her spine will collapse even more putting her at risk of Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome. The time has come to pursue surgical intervention. The tentative plan is that she will start with 4-6 weeks of Halo Traction  which will hopefully help straighten some of her curvature.  This will be followed by insertion of either expandable  Veptr rods  or Magnetic Rods to stabilize her spine. The rods will stay in until she has reached skeletal maturity at which time they will be taken out and she will perhaps have the malformed vertebrae fused.  All of this will be done in hospital in Salt Lake City – first Shriner’s and then Primary Childrens. Right now, however, we wait….and try not to obsess over how we are going to manage all of this.  We need to get a CT and MRI before going back to Salt Lake City to meet with the surgeon and schedule the surgeries. We are afraid, of course, but mostly we are so grateful to the Shriner organization who are providing for all of her care, to our family and friends who have offered support and encouragement and mostly to God who always provides Please be sure to include Jayden in your thoughts and prayers.  He adores his little sister and it is pretty hard for a nine year old to wrap his mind around the fact that his little sister is going under the knife.