Green Smoothies

I know what you are thinking.......YUCK!  I was very unsure too when I started drinking them a year ago.  And contrary to what you might think(like I did)you are not in the bathroom all day. 

I have tried many different fruits, but have yet to try more vegetables.  The only veggie I use is organic baby spinach.  Baby spinach is a must.  It is much milder and the taste is not so strong.  Belive me.....once regular spinach was on sale so I thought I would try it in my smoothies.  Now that is YUCK!

This morning I made a new concoction and I loved it!  Even the boys tasted it and wanted some!

Strawberry Orange Green Smoothie
5-6 strawberries
half an orange
a bunch of baby spinach(I add about 2 handfuls.....go less at first to get use to the flavor)
1 tablespoon flax seeds
honey to taste
1 cup of water
**(I would have added a frozen banana, but we were out)**

This makes a great breakfast, snack or lunch.  I usually drink this with a slice of Ezekiel bread with a peanut butter schmear for breakfast.  But I also love a green smoothie with a salad for lunch. 
We do lots of smoothies around here and my goal is to start adding the greens in the boys' smoothies.  This morning was a first for them to say they really liked one of my green smoothies.  So maybe we are getting somewhere! 

My favorite is still the Hairy Green Supreme .

Do you drink green smoothies?  I would love to know your favorite!  Leave me a comment....give me your recipe!  And have a green day!

Infantile Scoliosis-Devyn's Story

Devyn's Story

Devyn was born October 3rd, 2005. The pregnancy and delivery were anything but normal. I had a sub-chronic bleed until my 5th month of pregnancy that almost caused me to miscarry. The delivery started out normal until I started to push…. He got stuck twice and then was not breathing when he was born. After they resuscitated him he was fine except for his purple and blue bruised face.
Devyn seemed very healthy as a baby except for a milk allergy. He rolled over early, sat up at 5 to 6 months, and started crawling at 9 months, and walking at a year. It was then when we noticed something alarming. He stood in front of me one day in just his diaper, when I noticed that his back looked different. I mentioned it to my husband who knew it was there, but found it easier to pretend there was nothing wrong. We had a family get together for Thanksgiving, and I asked my mom and sister what they thought. They too said it was not normal and something was wrong.

The first week in December we had an appointment with his pediatrician for his shots, and I asked her to look at his back. She said that it was curved and that we needed x-rays and to see an orthopedist. Sure enough, the x-rays showed that he had scoliosis with a 24-degree curve in the lumbar area. The Orthopedist wanted an MRI to see if the spine was tethered at the base. So on January 11th we had the MRI done, what an experience—that drained us all. The results showed that the chord was not tethered and he had abnormally shaped cerebellar tonsils. The Orthopedist said that the pediatrician needed to refer us to a neurosurgeon and that she didn’t want to do anything at the time for the scoliosis, and to come back and see her in 4 months. So we saw our pediatrician again and she said we were not going to watch and wait. She sent us to Children’s Hospital in Denver to see an orthopedic surgeon for the scoliosis and a neurosurgeon.

We saw the orthopedic surgeons PA on February 2nd, 2007. He told us that he could definitely do something to help correct the scoliosis from progressing. He explained the early treatment process with the POP jackets and how it works. He said that we had to see the neurosurgeon first to make sure there were no neurological problems that would be affected by the casts.

March 7th we saw the neurosurgeon, who informed us that Devyn had Chiari Malformation along with his progressive infantile scoliosis. Chiari Malformation is where the lower part of the back of the skull does not form properly and is flat rather than curved. This pushes on the cerebellum (part of the brain) and causes the cerebellar tonsils at the base of the brain to descend downward into the spinal canal instead of under the skull and can cause pressure. This can cause the balance to be very unsteady, headaches, numbness, and in severe cases paralysis. He did not believe that the two were related because the Chiari malformation was not severe and not causing pressure on the spine. He told us at first that he wasn’t sure that surgery for the Chiari was necessary. He then asked if he could keep the MRI and share it with his colleagues to get their opinion. Of course, we had no problems with that—I want the best for my baby. The week after our appointment I received a call from the doctor himself. He explained that he shared the films with the other doctors and they decided that the surgery was necessary to make sure the two were not related.

On March 29th, 2007 Devyn had decompression surgery for the Chiari Malformation. They opened up the back of his neck and cut out half of the C1 vertebrate, and took out the left cellebellar tonsil, and cut the right one back. They also opened the Dura, which is on the back of the brain. He spent four days in the hospital, and is doing great. We have noticed small improvements of things we never knew were wrong with him. His balance has improved greatly; he used to scream in the car non-stop and now is not bothered by car rides. These are things we didn’t know because he was too young to tell us.

Although these things are better his scoliosis had not improved. They did x-rays on March 7th after his appointment with the neurosurgeon. His curve had progressed to 37-degrees and his rotation was at 30 degrees. His right foot turned in like a pigeon when he walked and seemed worse every day. His curve also looked like it was getting worse.

We were finally cleared for Devyn to get his first POP jacket on May 9th 2007. They did not do x-rays when they casted. The doctor tries to expose them to as little radiation, as possible. They were figuring the curve at a little over 40 degrees at the time he got his cast. He did better than we had expected in the hospital, a little mad at first but got used to the idea that it wasn’t coming off. The first week was a little rough as he had a hard time adjusting and moving in the cast. He couldn’t bend over or sit on the floor and sleeping was really hard at first for him, as well. After the first week he improved, and he learned how to accomplish something new every day. After two weeks he was back to his old self, getting into everything and climbing on everything.

On June 8th we went in for his first x-ray in cast. The doctor walked in and said, “refresh my memory, what did we start at?” He handed us the x-ray and told us to guess….. I was amazed, the x-ray looked almost straight! He said it measured 15 degrees and hopefully one more cast and a good growth spurt should do the trick. On July 6th Devyn received his second cast. They didn't x-ray on the day of casting this time either, they used the numbers from his last x-ray. On August 9th they took his in cast x-ray. This time it measured 10 degrees. As you can imagine we were very happy. The doctor said lets do one more cast to see if we can go any lower or if we hold this degree.

On September 10th Devyn received his third cast. We followed up on October 5th for his x-ray. The curve was holding at 10 degrees. We are still so happy because it’s better then when we started! On October 27th they took off Devyn’s cast and molded him for a brace. He received his first brace on October 31st. They did an x-ray to make sure the brace was adjusted correctly. He still measured 10 degrees. He wears his brace all the time except for bath’s and swimming. We went in on November 30th for his first x-ray with the brace, this time they had us take an out of brace x-ray. He is still holding at 10 degrees.


Fast forward to today........................
Devyn has been cast and brace FREE for 3 years now!  And has a straight spine!!!

If you should have any questions regarding Devyn's story please feel free to contact Rochelle, Devyn's mom at

 coolesttwinkie@yahoo.com

Speekee TV Review

Hola, soy Tasha(Hello, I'm Tasha). The people (Jim) at Speekee TV—an online Spanish Language Course aimed at young children, contacted me to try out their new Spanish language web application designed to teach children how to speak Spanish.  I was a little hesitant at first because we already do so much with school.  It looked as if the boys would need to know how to read.  They are learning, but are not there yet. I thought it might be fun so I went ahead and said we would review it.

Yesterday after our regular school lessons we started with Speekee TV.  We LOVED it!!!  Yes, it would help if the boys knew how to read, but I sat with them stopping the video and discussing the words. 

We are learning Spanish!!!  Y tu?(And you?)

There are 10 videos(lessons)you can choose from.  Such as.......el parque (the park) , el jardin (the garden), la playa (the beach), etc. and Speekee, a purple little puppet, starts talking and singing in Spanish while a group of children perform all sorts of things behind him to illustrate what he is saying.

Speekee TV is an online subscription that gives you access to 10 episodes of the Speekee program, as well as learning worksheets to go with each episode.  It costs $7.50 a month and the first two weeks are free.

"Hablo espanol, hablo espanol".....this has a cute little tune with it that I could NOT get out of my head all day long!  I even heard Matthew singing during the day......in case you are curious about Ryan....he just does not sing.

 We only did one lesson yesterday about el parque (the park).  They wanted to do more, but I am going to try to take this slow and easy.  I think we can all learn a little Spanish if we take it slow.    All day I could hear the boys trying to say words they had learned from Speekee.  It was basically a fun video that kept the boys attention.  Because we do not watch much TV in our home this was perfect for them.  A real treat with learning. 

We all three had lots of FUN and can't wait to keep working on our Spanish next week! 
Thank you Speekee and Jim.......it is Fantastico!

{Disclaimer: I received free access to Speekee TV to enable this review. All opinions presented herein are my own.}

Wordless Wednesday-Happy Mardi Gras

OK a few words....THANKS Mom and Dad!

Nature with children

“It is infinitely well worth the mother’s while to take some pains every day to secure, in the first place, that her children spend hours daily amongst rural and natural objects; and, in the second place, to infuse into them, or rather, to cherish in them, the love of investigation.
                                                                                          ~Charlotte Mason


Oh how I love to get my hands in God's earth! To feel the dirt between my fingers!  Dirt covering my hands just feels good!  It's comforting.....it gives me peace.  It is very therapeutic. The boys are the same way.  What little boy or girl does not like to dig in dirt.  And make MUD!  It is exploring, it is FUN and probably feels good to them to get a little dirty.  The boys made a huge dirt pile under their fort yesterday. At one point Ryan ran is with such urgency begging me to measure how tall his dirt pile was getting.  I quickly grabbed the tape measure and ran out with excitement.  One foot!  Both the boys were ecstatic!  A one foot dirt pile!  WOW!!!! It quickly came tumbling down and then they started all over again.

 And then there is the joy in planting something and watching it grow.  Like a child I get up daily to go see what has taken root.  And I watch it closely to see every little bit of growth.....daily and sometimes two or three times a day! 

Nature is just beautiful!  It amazes me! I am so thankful for this gift from God!  As the weather is changing and the boys are out more often all day they see that beauty as well. Matthew is ready to begin his nature journal for Spring and Summer. To document what God has given us.
We have made it a point to teach the boys the gift of nature. That precious gift from God.
We talk about it, we touch it and sometimes can taste it.  Even in our own backyard! 

My hope is that the boys love for nature grows every year we plant something.  It doesn't matter if it is a cucumber growing from seeds or a potted plant on the patio. Just to see it grow is a joy for us!

Brant loves his vegetable gardens.....and some fruit!  My love is for the flowers.  Each year I try to plant something new and different.  And keep old ones that we truly loved from the year before.

Spring is near and my mind is full of ideas of gardening. What will I plant this year?  What can we watch grow?  I know I will plant two flowers that I fell in love with last year.  And they did very well in our yard.
Zinnias and Butterfly weed.  Both were big hits around here and the butterflies loved both. 

That just makes me smile!

Charlotte Mason did the world a great favor when she impressed upon parents the importance of stirring up a love for nature in our children. She observed that children are drawn to the natural world 'naturally,' but they must be instructed how to observe carefully and appreciate the wonders about them- otherwise, when they reach adulthood, their desire and keen observation will die. We feel this need especially today, in a world where our children are surrounded by contrived entertainment with technology at their fingertips. It's so much easier to watch a movie or play a computer game than to take a walk and actively engage the mind. But, if the study of nature is presented in a positive, enthusiastic manner, children will no longer spend dull, boring days outside trying to find anything to pass the time. Once children's powers of observation have been stimulated they are able to see details of God’s glory in the smallest leaf, while their playmates only see the grass as a good soccer field.
             Linda Fay-Charlotte Mason Help(http://www.charlottemasonhelp.com/)





I enjoy gardening, but I always try to make sure the boys are right there with me. Helping out in some way. Digging, placing seeds in the ground, watering, etc. They are usually looking for bugs, worms, rolly pollies, lady bugs, etc. Basically exploring the world beneath them. That is my goal anyway!

So today and tomorrow and the next and next.........we will be outdoors exploring nature.

I see GREEN!!!!!

I love the color GREEN! It is and has been my favorite color for a while now. When I think of green I think of new life, new growth and a calmness that just settles my soul.  Yet at the same time it makes me move faster and want to get things DONE!  It makes me HAPPY!

I looked up the meaning of green and this is what I found...................................

Green is the color of life, of nature.  Green is life. Abundant in nature, green signifies growth, renewal, health, and environment. On the flip side, green is jealousy or envy (green-eyed monster) and inexperience.



Green is a restful color with some of the same calming attributes of blue. Like blue, time moves faster in a green room.  •With both a warming and cooling effect, the color green denotes balance, harmony, and stability.

 This morning I have been in overdrive!!!  I am feeling 110% better!  Once my body is well there is no stopping me! It's amazing how much energy you truly have when your body is in good health. I am saying the green is kicking in.  I have been eating more greens, salad and drinking my GREEN smoothies.  Maybe that helps too!

Outside I am starting to see green!  In the dead grass there is life happening.  Little blades of grass or GREEN weeds are starting to grow!  Who cares it is green and it means a change is coming....new growth is on its way!!!

 It seems too soon to start planting, but I will not be able to hold out much longer.  At least for now I can start in all my pots.  Our last average freeze here is around the middle of March. So for now I'll wait for ground planting.  Pot planting will begin and if a late freeze comes I can always move the pots in.

After such a cold period, being stuck in the house and being sick for a while I am ready to move past it all and see GREEN! 
                                    Time to get out the Spring decorations!  Time to see more green in our home!  Add some life.....some change for the season!  Isn't it fun to go from dark, cold winter months to BRIGHT, happy, open the doors and windows and feel the cool breeze months?!

So today as the wind is blowing and the sun is bright, I am busy in and out trying to see GREEN!  Is it turning green in your world yet?  Add some green and feel the difference!!!

Infantile Scoliosis-Hayden's Story

I have actually had the pleasure of meeting this little guy and his sweet momma, Joan.  Hayden and Ryan go to the same doctor at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital.  Once their doctor learned Joan and I knew each other I bet he had nightmares for a week!  No doctor wants the wrath of Joan or Tasha.
Joan is very much like me..a strong advocate for her son's healthcare. There is no wrath....just love.
And she has been a wonderful support system for me through the last couple of years. Although we met through the CAST support group through ISOP we now keep up with one another through emails, Facebook and calling each other for support.

Read about Hayden's journey with Progressive Infantile Scoliosis.  And learn why it is SO important for for this to be caught early!

Hayden’s Story

When my son was born, I had to have an emergency C section. So when I woke up from the anesthesia, he was already in the nursery. My husband was standing over me and I asked where my baby was. He was silent, which was extremely scary. Then he told me that he was in NICU because he had very high levels of billiruben (he was Jaundice). He stayed in the NICU under 5 banks of lights for 6 days, and during that time they found a heart murmur that they thought he would outgrow.

The next year and a half we went to regular checkups at the Cardiologist and found out he had a heart defect, Mitral Valve Stenonis. The only way to repair this defect would be open heart surgery, but we thought that we could wait until he was older and stronger and “deal” with it then. So on we went with life. Then one day during his 18 month well check, I mentioned to the Pediatrician that Hayden wasnt’ walking or standing straight. She looked at his spine and thought it looked straight, but ordered xrays just in case.

We found out that he had about a 36 degree curvature of the spine. So we were sent to Scottish Rite Hospital in the next few weeks for evaluation. The Orthopedist felt like we should “watch and wait” to see if the curve progressed. He said he had seen cases of curves that would correct on there own and didn’t want to “jump the gun” yet. But in the meantime we needed to do an MRI to rule out any other defects or tumors. We found out that Hayden had a Tethered Cord at the base of his spinal cord which needed to be released or it could cause serious nerve damage and also not help in the correction of the spine. So the next few months were visits to the Neurosugeon at Childrens Medical Center, more MRI’s and then surgery to release the cord. We were to wait a few months after the surgery to see if the curvature corrected. Well of course it did NOT and the curve was up to 62 degrees and Hayden had a severe rib hump (rotation of the spine).

NOW, the Ortho was ready to cast him, but Hayden was almost 3 (in two months). So we casted and casted and didn’t get the correction we were hoping for. The Dr wanted to stop but we wanted to keep trying. Then after 8 months we removed the cast because the Dr felt like it was just holding the curve and a brace could do the same. So now he is in a brace 23 hours a day, and although our Dr doesn’t like to talk about numbers, Hayden is probably around a 40 degree curve and the rotation of his spine is very minimal. Of course he will need surgery when he is 9 or10, and will probably have one or two more series of casts until then, but he is a happy, functioning, active little boy. He loves cars, and soccer, and video games and loves preschool. His sister Hayle adores him and worries about her brother so much. He is loving and sweet but still rough and tough like most boys his age. He is so funny and has a great attitude. He has some anxiety issues due to the hospital visits and stays, but we are working with him and he is doing great.

We are still dealing with his heart defect and hopefully can wait a year or two before surgery. I wanted to tell his story to make people aware that if you notice a curve whether it is slight or severe in your baby, DO NOT WAIT because I believe if we discovered it a year sooner, Hayden would not have it today.

If you should have questions about Hayden's story you can contact his mom, Joan, at hayro1611@yahoo.com

Getting ready for Spring!

After a couple of weeks of being stuck in the house due to cold weather and illnesses we are enjoying Spring like weather now!  Some more than others!

We have cleared out the gardens from Winter and will soon start planting for Spring.  Brant is working hard to get everything ready.  He has his list ready for what we will plant and will start some seeds today to later plant in the ground. 

I love this time of year!!!!!

He also has been working on a new compost bin. Below is our old compost bin.  Chicken wire(I think).

And here is the newly finished product.........our new compost bin.  Nice job honey!  I am anxious to give it a turn!  And you know who loves to turn it too.

Let the Spring plans continue.  What are you planning for Spring?  A new garden?  Lots of potted plants?  A new flower bed.  Whatever you decide start your planning and watch it GROW!

Wordless Wednesday

Goat LOVE!

It was all the boys have been talking about for several weeks. They wanted to spend their Valentine's Day evening at Homestead Farms feeding the baby goats.  Oh and making Valentine's Day treats for the big goats.  So that is what we did late yesterday afternoon.  Us and about thirty other boys and girls!!  The boys were excited to find some friends showed up too!

First off the children made the Momma goats some Valentine's Day treats.  I was surprised by what it was, but the goats LOVED them! 

Broken ice cream cones filled with pink icing and goat feed on top! YUMMY!

They were begging for more!

Next it was time to feed the babies.  Since early January over 60 goats have been born at Homestead Farms.  You may remember when the boys got to feed the newborn goats........you can read about it

here.

Anyway they only have the female babies now, but there were still plenty to feed.  Over 30!

So all the children stood in line(some better than others!)to fill up their bottle to feed the babies warm milk.

Matthew and Grace waiting to feed a baby.

Their turn finally came and it was time to feed some baby goats!  Ryan and Mia went first.  And then after waiting another couple of turns Matthew and Grace had their chance.

There were baby goats in three or four different stalls.  All crying because they knew what we were in there for.  MILK!  "FEED ME!", they would cry. 

They ate and ate.  The boys had fun feeding the babies, but really just enjoyed being around the animals too.  I am so glad they are not afraid of animals and enjoy being up close and personal with farm life.

So that was it.  Valentine's Day at Homestead Farms.  It was more fun than any $50 bouquet of flowers and much better than dinner out!  And I got dirty sneakers to prove it!

Will we do it again next year?  Who knows......maybe we'll have our own goats to feed on Valentine's Day!

LOVE is........

 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant  or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;  it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV



As we "try" to get back into the swing of things this week I sure did need to read that verse!  Being sick for a week and stuck in your house does something to your nerves.  I could so easily let it get the best of me, but what a blessing to wake up(feeling much better!)and find this verse to be part of my daily devotion.  Most appropriate!

The boys were so excited for this day to begin.  Mostly because later we are headed to a local farm to make goats Valentine's Day treats and to feed the babies, but also because they knew they had candy.
I mean what other day can you have popcorn and chocolate for a mid-morning snacks! Don't ask and please do not judge!

My boys+a box of chocolate=the last part of that verse..........love bears all things and endures all things.

But hey I can do this!!! 

And the part about being patient?  I am really working hard on that part today.  And probably will all week.  But if anyone can do I CAN!  OK this positive attitude is making me sick again.

WE I struggled through our hour of school and now it is time for me to regroup and try to get this house in some sort of order. 

I hope your day is full of LOVE and you get lots of yummy treats today!  Check back later for an update on our trip to the farm. 

Taking a break

Illness has hit us again!!  Well for me and the boys that is, Brant seems to have a superior immune system and never gets sick!

This time around I seem to be the one who is suffering more. Suffering where you just want to curl up in bed and not move.  Sleep all day and pray you wake up feeling 100%!  That is what I was praying for this morning, but it is not so.

To add to us being sick we are stuck in the house due to the weather again.  It has been frigid cold with ice and a little snow. 

I am taking a break from blogging until Monday, but wanted to leave you with a picture I snapped yesterday before my fever started going back up.  I so want to be in the Valentine's Day spirit, but just do not have the energy.

So I'll rest, take my meds, sleep and dream of feeling better.  And pray I am all better for a day full of LOVE on Monday.  Hope you all have a great weekend.  Stay warm!

Wordless Wednesday

EASY Valentine's Day Crafts

I have a few EASY Valentine's Day crafts or treats to share.  I can not take credit for any of these, but would love to share.  So I'll show you what ours turned out to look like and then you can click on the link if you are interested in making your own.

First up was this cute little DIY Valentine Candy Jar to give to a friend, your sweetie or your kids.  I love the conversation hearts, but the ones with Hot Tamales are my favorite.  And will be perfect for two friends I am meeting up with on Friday night.

Very few supplies!

Surely you have HOT tamale in your life!

Up next is this sweet little wreath we made last week when we were stuck in the house during all the bad weather.  Turned out so cute!  And very easy!!!!

And then last are our XO(hugs and kisses)cards.  Super easy and fun to make.  Little ones could help glue if you cut out everything.  The only thing missing is the candy we will attach to the cards.  These cards would be cute to give with the DIY Valentine's Day candy jar full of Hugs and Kisses chocolate candy.

You can find all the instructions for these sweet crafts at the links below:
DIY Vday Candy Jar
Conversation heart wreath
XO cards

Hope you are thinking about adding some sweetness to your Valentine's Day.  What types of crafts are you doing?  I would love for you to share.

Infantile Scoliosis-Teresa's Story

Look at that sweet smile!  I first learned about Teresa's story through my support group through ISOP.

The Infantile Scoliosis Outreach Program(http://www.infantilescoliosis.org/)

  Read Teresa's story written by her mom, Valerie.

Teresa's Story


Teresa was born in August 2006 weighing 9lb 8oz, the second largest of her five siblings (who are all boys!). Shortly after birth, she began to have frequent spitting-up episodes and was diagnosed with mild laryngomalacia (partial airway collapse) associated with this reflux. Her pediatrician suggested that we keep her in an upright position and that sleeping in her infant carseat/carrier was a good idea. Teresa slept semi-upright in her infant carseat for all naps and at night, from age 0-9 months. Whenever we would try to take her out of her carseat to sleep, she would sleep horribly and cry a lot, so we would go back to letting her sleep in the carseat. She was actually a great sleeper and a very healthy, happy and content baby. Developmentally, she was “on schedule”. She rolled over (both ways) at age 3 months and sat up unassisted at age 6 months. Instead of crawling, Teresa shuffled on her bottom to get around, which we thought was unique and cute! (We would later question this and now assume it was somehow associated with her scoliosis.)

At age 8 months, I noticed two “bumps” on Teresa’s left front ribcage. When I asked her pediatrician, he said they were probably “just slightly deformed ribs” and he would “watch” them as she grew. At her 9-month check-up, though, I mentioned to him that her back seemed to have a “bump”, too. He looked at her spine and suspected that she had scoliosis of the spine. She was x-rayed later that day while being held in an upright “standing” position (even though she really wasn’t bearing weight on her own yet). We would have to wait a few days to get the results back. I had never noticed a curve in her spine, but when I got home, I saw her sitting up without a shirt on, and I immediately noticed the severe curve. I couldn’t believe it! I was very upset and worried. Believing that the “carseat sleeping” had something to do with her developing this curve, we took her out of the carseat and laid her “flat” for all sleeping.

I immediately began researching “baby scoliosis” on the internet and learned that although infantile scoliosis is very rare, in 80-90 percent of the cases, the curve is 25 degrees or less and self-resolves without any treatment at all. With this information, plus our prayers and faith in the Lord, I was confident that the x-rays would show Teresa’s curve was minor.

A few days later, we found out that her curve was actually 45 degrees, with a 21 degree rotation. I almost didn’t believe the doctor when he told me! He said that 45 degrees is “very significant” and Teresa would need to see a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. I was sort of in shock and I spent the next couple of days going from being fearful to being “at peace”.

I went onto the internet again and did more research on babies with significant scoliosis curves. I learned that 45 degrees indicates that the curve will more than likely not resolve on it’s own, but instead require some form of treatment. Current “conventional” treatment consists of years of plastic braces, followed by surgery to implant metal rods in the child’s back to straighten it. Of course, this was shocking and very frightening for me to imagine.

While researching, I also learned about an early treatment procedure using several corrective plaster casts applied to the torso of the child. The casts gently support the spine in a straight and de-rotated position as the young child grows, possibly removing any need for future surgery. This sounded like a great alternative to us, and Teresa was found to be a good candidate for this procedure. Her first cast was scheduled 2 days after her 1st birthday at a Shriners Hospital.

In the mean time, Teresa had an MRI and neurological exam, which ruled out any congenital deformities and abnormalities. She also had an appointment/x-rays with a local pediatric orthopedic surgeon (as a “second opinion” to the Shriners doctor). These x-rays were taken with her lying down and showed her curve at only 27 degrees. The doctor told us that plastic bracing and future rod surgery was the only option for little Teresa. When I asked him about the serial casting option, he actually hadn’t even heard of it! I was perplexed, as this procedure had been published in medical journals and was showing great success in permanently correcting infantile scoliosis without any invasive surgeries. I learned that because it was a newer form of treatment, and because infantile scoliosis is so rare, many doctors were simply unaware of this treatment. (Thankfully, the positive results over the last few years are beginning to get the attention of more doctors.)

A month later, at her appointment at the Shriners Hospital, she had a 3rd set of x-rays taken (again, laying down). The doctor measured her curve at 21 degrees and said her rotation was “almost 0”. He said her spine appeared to be very flexible and he was “very sure” that her curve would self-resolve without any treatment at all. Her first cast was cancelled and periodic x-rays to monitor the curve were recommended.

Over the next year, 3 x-rays were taken of Teresa’s spine. They all showed her curve to be staying about the same. This put Teresa in a sort of “gray area”, as the curve wasn’t progressing, but it also wasn’t showing signs of resolving, either.

We decided to see another orthopedic surgeon who had recently begun applying the special casts. He took 2 more x-rays, 5 months apart, and determined that her curve and rotation were slowly progressing and would not resolve without some type of treatment. Even though she was almost 3 years old and approaching the end of the “4-year ideal window” for casting, he recommended she start a casting program right away.

Teresa received her first Mehta-style cast a few days after Christmas at 3 years 4 months old. X-rays taken standing up in cast #1 showed her curve reduced to 23 degrees (from 36 degrees) and the spine’s rotation reduced to almost none.

After 2 months in cast #1 and immediately following it’s removal, cast #2 was applied. X-rays showed her curve further reduced to 14 degrees with no rotation (this x-ray was taken in the OR, laying down, in cast).

After 3 months in cast #2, cast #3 was applied and her curve showed further reduction to 10 degrees with no rotation (again, this x-ray was taken in the OR, laying down, in cast).

Teresa stayed in cast #3 for 2 months, at which time she was put into a plastic brace that had been molded in the exact style as the casts. It was actually molded at the same time as cast #3 was applied. The bracing option was suggested as a temporary treatment, which would allow her to remove the brace so she could swim during the hot summer (with her brothers!).

At this time (6 months after cast #3 was removed and she was given the brace) she is, unfortunately, still in this “summer brace”. We are actively seeking having cast #4 applied as soon as possible, as Teresa is now 4 years 5 months old. Unfortunately, the doctor who applied her casts is “between hospital contracts” and unsure when/where/if he will be returning to our local area. Because of this, we have decided, once again, to seek the advice of a “casting doctor” at the Shriners Hospital for Children.

Teresa continues to be a happy, very energetic, and active little girl. Although this journey has at times been difficult, our faith is in the Lord. We know that His ways are not our ways, His plans are not to harm us, He works to bring about what is good, and we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! God bless you and your little ones.

Pre-casting: Cobb 36 degrees/RVAD 24 degrees (standing)
Cast #1: Cobb 17/Rotation 0 (laying); Cobb 23 (standing)
Cast #2: Cobb 14/Rotation 0 (laying)
Cast #3: Cobb 10/Rotation 0 (laying)

If you should have any questions regarding Teresa's story you can contact Valerie at vanddcharron@yahoo.com