Question renaeden

[Callaway]

What kind of spinal bifida were you born with?

My daughter has scoliosis too.  When I was carrying her, her AFP levels were high, so they thought she might have spinal bifida.  They did amniocentesis and a genetic ultrasound and saw that she didn't though.  I don't know how much credibility you should give the genetic ultrasound, though.  She had a hemivertibra and a fused rib in addition to a large hole in her heart and the ulttrasound did not see any of it.

[Calandale]

Wow, that sucks, that you got hurt
from just working. The OSHA rules
just aren't tight enough for so many
things.

[renaeden]

I was safety representative for my department. They just did not listen to me. My communication skills are not that good so I got laughed at in the end. Then I quit.

What kind of spinal bifida were you born with?

My daughter has scoliosis too.  When I was carrying her, her AFP levels were high, so they thought she might have spinal bifida.  They did amniocentesis and a genetic ultrasound and saw that she didn't though.  I don't know how much credibility you should give the genetic ultrasound, though.  She had a hemivertibra and a fused rib in addition to a large hole in her heart and the ulttrasound did not see any of it.

That is sad about ultrasounds. But they are getting better.

I am one of twins and my mum did not even know there were two of us untill half an hour before I was born. There were no ultrasounds then. We were x-rayed. Mum still has the x-ray now and I am only just visible on it.

I have spina bifida occulta. It is just below my neck. It usually presents no problems. I had no trouble as a kid until I was about 15. Then when it became the "done thing" to cross one's legs at the knee, I found I couldn't do it. Within ten seconds both my feet get numb. I also remember it was hard to sit cross legged on the ground for more than a few minutes. Also my arms and hands go numb if they are raised above my head.

I was told that the way my spine is shaped, the spinal cord gets a bit stuck on it. Sounds blech. There is a tiny bit of information about the occulta version here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spina_bifida_occulta


I am not sure what a hemivertibra is.

[Callaway]

I am not sure what a hemivertibra is.

When my daughter was developing in utero, only half of one of her vertebra formed.  This hemivertebra acts like a wedge in her spine, which causes congenital scoliosis.



That is an interesting article about spinal bifida, Renaeden.

[renaeden]

So that would be like haveing scoliosis and you can't prevent it. In my case, I think it could have been prevented. Was this how a rib became fused?

One of my ribs keeps twisting. It is uncomfortable and cracks.

I go to a chiropractor regularly and that really helps.

[Callaway]

So that would be like haveing scoliosis and you can't prevent it. In my case, I think it could have been prevented. Was this how a rib became fused?

One of my ribs keeps twisting. It is uncomfortable and cracks.

I go to a chiropractor regularly and that really helps.

Yes, she has scoliosis, which she was born with.  No amount of bracing would help, but surgery to either remove the hemivertebra or to fuse it might help.

The fused rib is on the other side from the hemivertebra, on about the same level, which is her first thoracic vertebra.  If you look at her x-ray, it looks like an extra rib grows between her first and second rib, which connects them to one another.

[renaeden]

Would it be necessary to have surgery for that? I am guessing it would because it would cause pain eventually. It is sad that your daughter has had so much surgery and may need more. But you all are tough to get through it all.

When I had jaw surgery a few years ago, my mum cried and she wouldn't see me in the ICU because she didn't want to see me that way or something. That surgery was to lengthen my jaw so I didn't have such an overbite. I recovered well from that.
 

[Natalia Evans]

Do you like fluorescent lights?

[Natalia Evans]

I have scoliosis but it's very mild. It doesn't effect me and it get marked as normal when I get a physical for school for sports. I heard it’s very common to have a curve in your spine. It’s at the very bottom above my buttock.

[Callaway]

My daughter's angle is really not all that bad, but because the hemivertebra is at the top of her thoracic vertebrae it seems to throw her neck sideways somewhat at an angle.  I have been reluctant to subject her to the trauma of surgery, for which she will need to wear a halo vest for approximately two months, when she is in absolutely no pain and she is not disfigured, at least in my eyes.  If I knew that she would be in pain later if I didn't do it, then I need to carefully consider that.

[renaeden]

SG : I am not fond of fluorescent lights. But I can tell the difference between pink ones and blue ones. I have also seen some with a greenish tinge to them.

I can't see them flicker unless it is obvious. But I can hear them hum. I can actually see incandescent bulbs flicker.

You are right about scoliosis being common. Society has played a large part in it becoming noticed. There are some repetitive jobs and jobs where people sit down driving, using computers, etc. I don't think we humans are designed to do that for hours a day.

Callaway, I guess it is one of those things that is there, but not a problem. I am guessing that your daughter's hemivertebra is in roughly the same place as my spina bifida.

[Natalia Evans]

I'm assuming they hurt your eyes too?

[renaeden]

I guess so. I have been having a lot of problems with my eyes lately and fluorescent lights are not helping at all.

I have just found out today that my Irlen lenses are not going to be in the mail to me for another ten days. Ten days. Ugh.

[Izaak]

Why didn't you do the subject human biology at school?

and what is your favourite member of the Primate Order?

[renaeden]

These: 

I went to Perth Zoo recently and was allowed as part of a tour to go in where the lemurs were. They got so close, they brushed against us. But we were strictly told not to touch them. But I felt so tempted.

I wasn't allowed to do Human Bilogy at school, I didn't make good enough grades so the school counsellor told me to not even try TEE. That was the only subject I was really interested in anyway.