It's a Pokemon Party, and June is Scoliosis Awareness Month!

Pokemon has taken the kids' world (and therefore our world) by storm!

It's been about six months since my last post.  A lot has happened (most of it good stuff!), but I'll keep this brief.

Recent Adventures:

Savanna and her brother had been doing virtual schooling since August, and they finally got to go back to in-person school in March!  Their teachers and all of the staff did an absolutely AMAZING job at keeping the kids engaged while they were at home.  However, we were all so glad when they were able to go back in person.

First days back to in-person school

Selfie time

In-person violin lesson

First camping trip in the new camper!

Spring Break getaway

New roller skates (safety first!)

Second camping trip in the camper

Neighborhood slip-n-slide

Violin gig at the Garden Tour

Somebody just turned NINE!

June is Scoliosis Awareness Month:

The Infantile Scoliosis Outreach Program (ISOP) has been instrumental in helping to connect doctors to training and families to resources and support.  Please check them out:

https://www.abilityconnectioncolorado.org/infantilescoliosis/

Here is a simple infantile scoliosis screening guide for parents and doctors, available at ISOP's website:

 

Trips to Shriners:

We went to Shriners for Savanna's 6-month check up on May 5, 2021.  The x-ray from this day shows that her curve is holding at 8.61 degrees.  ALMOST totally straight!  You and I might even have small curves like this, and we would never know it.

This is where she started casting in January 2014 at 52 degrees.  (Note that this photo is flipped from the one above.)

She has had amazing improvement and now has the most beautiful spine!  To help maintain the improvement she has had over the last 7 years of treatment, we have decided to continue with night-time only bracing.  She finally outgrew her first night-time (Providence) brace, so it was time to get measured for another one.  Slow and steady continues to win the race!

Here she is on the peg board that is reminiscent of the game Battle Ship.

Or maybe Foosball?  The white pegs and sticks (I'm sure they have better names than that) help the orthotist take measurements and indicate where the "pushes" will be needed in the brace when it's made.

We went back to Shriners in early June to pick up her new brace.  Here's the x-ray with her in it.  It's looking pretty good!

Time to decorate the brace.  More. and. More. Pokemon.

Notice the Pokeball coloring of the straps?

Here's the new brace with the old pink brace.  It's definitely quite a bit bigger.

Savanna has already been wearing the brace for about a week now, and so far, it's feeling good to her!  So, we will stay the course and go back for another check up in 6 months!  Thanks for reading!  Have a great summer!!