The Story Of My Life

Hello! This is Allie!

This post is my first post on this blog, the rest my mom has done. So I am going to talk a little bit about me.

As stated in the beginning, my name is Allie and I am 14 years old.I never really thought I would be known all over the world. I am pretty much a ordinary girl living a normal life, but with just a little secret that not a whole lot of people know about, so for those of you internationally who have seen this blog, thank you so much for your love and support!! I love you all a WHOLE bunch!! The night before my surgery, my mom came in my room, while I was doing FaceTime with my little brother and his friends, with a sticky note. I asked her what it was and she just handed it to me. It was a list of 10 countries who have seen my blog. After that, I pretty much broke down in tears. It was a HUGE surprise to see this list.

So after surgery, it was pretty painful. I almost passed out the next morning because they had me stand up and I wasn't used to the "new normal". I also felt pretty nauseous because of all of the medications I was on. It was really rough, especially being a teenager in middle school, going through something this big at such a young age.

As my escape from everything that was going on, I listened to music. I started listening to One Direction a LOT more and I started listening to 5 Seconds Of Summer. My best friend told me how AMAZING they were, so I eventually saw them on YouTube and that's when I fell in love with them. After the first week or so of listening to them on YouTube and Pandora, I started singing their songs throughout the day. I hope that one day I will be able to meet them in person.

Because of them, I love to sing in front of people. I really hope that i will become a famous singer. I have had a lot of hope and dreams since surgery (I will put a picture of both bands at the bottom).

Thank you again for being really supportive of me throughout this whole journey.

Follow me on Instagram: @alliethompson_official
Or shoot me an email of you have any questions or just want to talk to me: curvygirlallie@gmail.com

                                               

Dispatch Article

Thanks to Allison Ward at the Columbus Dispatch for this great article that appeared in the Tuesday, September 24, 2013, edition. As a result of the article, 3 ladies attended our meeting on Friday and shared their scoliosis experiences. One was diagnosed prior to 1950 and wore a brace for 5 years. One was diagnosed at the end of 1955 and had surgery very early in 1956 and told of her months of treatment including traction, a body cast and surgery. The third had surgery at the age of 25 in 1985. Another lady wrote a letter to the group of her experiences. It was so good to have their words of encouragement and to learn of their stories.

The Good Life | Girls who have been there back others with scoliosis

Less than eight weeks after spinal surgery to correct her scoliosis, Allie Thompson was experiencing many of the usual side effects.

The eighth-grader relied on friends to carry her books at Worthingway Middle School.

 To sit more comfortably, she propped up a pillow on the back of her desk chair. She itched because of pain medications.

“A friend asked me, ‘How is ... (your shoulder) numb and hurting at the same time?'" Thompson, 14, said at the August meeting of the Columbus chapter of the Curvy Girls Scoliosis Support Group. “ I told her, ‘If you were me, you’d understand.'"

Lakeitha Baker and Alyse Dorton understood: Both had had similar surgeries to install metal rods to correct curved spines — Dorton in June 2011 and Baker a year later.

Eight months ago, the two Columbus Alternative High School seniors started the support group to give girls such as Thompson a place to discuss uncomfortable back braces, calm fears about surgery and educate the community about scoliosis.

Eight girls, ages 12 to 17, attend the monthly meetings.

From 2 to 3 percent of the population has a spinal curve of 10 degrees or more, said Allan Beebe, a pediatric surgeon at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Teenage girls who have a curve with no identifiable cause outnumber boys with the condition 10-to-1.

Few patients progress to a 50-degree curve, the point at which Beebe begins talking about surgery as a treatment.

The support group, he said, gives him another resource to offer families confronting the disorder.

“I can tell them it’s going to hurt, but what does that mean?” Beebe said. “They can ask someone who has been through it, and it can allay some of their anxieties.”

Dorton and her mother, Sandy, were overwhelmed when the diagnosis of scoliosis was made in sixth grade.

Doctors recommended that she wear a back brace for 23 hours a day.

The brace made Dorton feel different.

“We’ll not talk about the times I snuck out of it,” Dorton said of hiding it under her bed or in her locker.

“You get creative.”

Baker, whose ailment was diagnosed in seventh grade, “locked the brace away in her closet” when she started high school.

Their spinal curves had worsened to the point that they required surgery despite the braces.

Without surgery, a curve could eventually limit physical activities or cause breathing problems.

After her surgery at Children’s, Dorton wasn’t allowed to lift anything heavier than 5 pounds for almost a year.

The 15-inch scar on her back attracted the attention of Baker, who realized, along with Dorton, they had a “common bond.”

Dorton supported Baker through her surgery, after which they discovered Curvy Girls, an organization founded in 2006 that has almost 50 chapters nationwide.

Although the first meeting drew just one girl and her family, Baker’s mother, Shauron Kelsor, saw the potential.

“That family was so confused, so scared,” Kelsor said. “I could see the ministry of it.”

Thompson had surgery in July.

“My friends at school have never heard of scoliosis, have never had surgery like this,” she said. “It’s a blessing to know that there are people like me and I can ask questions.”

News

At our last Curvy Girl meeting the Columbus Dispatch was there to take pictures and interview our leaders, Alyse and Kiki.  Allie was also interviewed. the article is due to be published in the September 24 edition of the paper.

On October 9, Curvy Girls will be participating in a health fair at Worthington Park Elementary school. They will be doing their first fund-raiser and will be selling friendship bracelets made available through the Threads of Hope mission. The bracelets are made by Filipino women and children. The Curvy Girl fund-raiser will not only support the efforts in scoliosis awareness, but a portion of the sales will go back to Threads of Hope to further support the mission. we are very excited about this opportunity.

Determination

Allie has always been an independent and determined girl. Before she was 4 months old, she was determined that she was going to sit up. One day she managed to throw herself forward in her bouncy seat to a sitting position.

Last week she pulled out that determination. The first two weeks of school were rough. She was physically hurting. But also she had some concerns about what others were thinking of her. Over the long Labor Day weekend, something changed. On Monday evening as we talked about the schedule plans for the week Allies said that she would go a part day on Tuesday, but the rest of the week she was going full days. And that is exactly what she did! She did say that there were times when she felt that she should call us to come home. But that determined spirit took over and she stayed the full day.

The pictures below are another Before and After look. The picture on the right was taken on August 17, 2012, at Mandi and Josh's wedding. The picture on the left was taken just a couple of weeks ago.

Back to School!

The first week of 8th grade is now history! Allie did ok, making it about 5 hours the first 3 days. We are trying to figure out that balance of what she can and can't do as far as carrying things. By Thursday, she was getting sore, particularly the right shoulder. So, she'll get some rest this weekend and try it again next week. The staff at school are very supportive and her friends have been great so far!

Allie also had another follow-up this past Monday and Jill, the APN, is very please with her progress. Allie can carry up to five pounds. The big activity is walking, but she can go into a pool as long as she doesn't swim. If she wants to ride a stationary bike she has to wait until October or November. It is all slow but steady progress!

Follow-up appointment

Today was a follow-up appointment from last week of the fluid collection. I am happy to report that it is now completely gone and Dr. Beebe is very pleased with Allie's progress.

Many have asked questions about the instrumentation and whether she will have physical therapy. Dr. Beebe laughed at us when we asked if he stopped at the hardware store and picked up some rebar and deck screws. This picture is from the Medtronics website and I assume this is what is in Allie's back now.






As for physical activity, she is still very limited. She is not allowed to lift anything and cannot even do arm exercises/strength training for her shoulders and upper back. Dr. Beebe explained that in order to access her spine he had to cut through the trapezius muscle. It was then sewn back together. This will take time to heal. Allie will have to be cautious that she isn't straining this muscle and causing separation before it is completely healed.


Her incision (which is pretty much the length of her back) looks great but it still has some scabs on it. She will not be able to go in a pool or even have her back to the shower until the scabs are gone. Once the scabs are gone, she will still have to wait until Dr. Beebe clears her to do any type of swimming--she will be able to get in the water but will be limited to what she does with her arms and upper body.

School starts 4 weeks from today. She has a note to go back for part days--she may not need it. She will not be in gym class until Dr. Beebe clears it. She cannot carry her books and will be excused from her classes early (with a friend who will carry her books) to navigate the hall with the least amount of being run into. Hmm, I wonder if she will have any volunteers to help her...

Straight Ahead!

Allie is doing fantastic! Last Monday, less than a week after surgery, she took herself off the prescription pain meds. Thursday seemed to be a turning point. She started eating better. Friday night she started getting better sleep. She went to LifeGroup Friday night and got to spend time with her friends. She went to church Sunday morning.

Yesterday was her first post-op visit with Dr. Beebe and his nurse practitioner, Jill. The bandages came off and the wound looks fairly good. There is a collection of fluid (seroma) in the soft tissue. This is slowly draining. Dr. Beebe said that if it does not improve by next Monday she may have to have a drain placed. We are praying that the fluid will either spontaneously drained or be reabsorbed by her body.

She also had another x-ray taken. Pre-surgery her curves measured 50 degrees on the thoracic/upper curve and 60 degrees on the thoracolumbar/lower curve. We were told to expect no more than 50% reduction--so after surgery we might see 25 and 30 degrees respectively. Here is what she looks like now.

The thoracic/upper curve measures about 20 degrees and the thoracolumbar/lower curve is now around 13 degrees.

Before and After

One of the benefits of having this surgery is some additional height. We have not officially measured Allie but here are some before and after pictures.

BEFORE BEING TAKEN BACK INTO THE PRE-OP AREA

JUST BEFORE WE LEFT THE HOSPITAL

We are home now!

Shortly before noon yesterday we had all of our discharge paperwork and were ready to go home. It was an afternoon of trial and error--trying to figure out the most basic things. We had a Goldilocks night--but I don't think she even found her "just right" so we didn't get much sleep. But, like I said, it was all trial and error and I went out today to get a few things that might help us tonight.

Allie is much more mobile today. She is moving around a lot on her own really only needing help when going to sit down, lay down or getting up from these positions. She is doing her own workaround to make it all happen for her.

Late evening, Grace and Lori came for a short visit and brought us dinner (I could really get used to other people bringing us dinner!). It has been wonderful to have such good friends and cooks take care us us these days.

A great blessing for us yesterday evening was having Kiki and Alyse, the Curvy Girl leaders, visit. It has been such a great thing to know them and to have them encourage Allie throughout all of this. They told her to be drinking plenty of fluids and, under no circumstances is she to be on a trampoline--ever.

Discharge Day!!!

Yesterday afternoon the nurse practitioner, Jill, stopped in and gave the orders to have Allie released from the IV and pole. She also said that if Allie felt up to it she could go home later in the day. Allie opted for one more night in the hospital which was a good thing. It gave Duane and I a chance to be hands on with moving her.

It is now 7 am and we have about 5 hours (give or take) until we get to blow this popsicle stand!

Walking on her own with Daddy close by.

Send Allie E-card

Log on to Nationwide Children's Hospital website and send Allie an E-card. I'm sure she would love to hear from you!
http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/netapps/greetingcard?pageid=246

POD 3, 8:54AM

Allie is still doing great. She was able to walk three times yesterday and sat up in a chair for about 4 hours. I'm not sure how the night went because I actually slept pretty hard. At 6 the nurses were in to roll Allie and 15 minutes later Allie was asking to be in the chair. Her diet has advanced to "real" food and she is starting to eat small portions.

We anticipate the pain med pump and foley cath to be discontinued today. We are encouraging her to walk as much as possible. Planning to go home tomorrow!

Oh, it you haven't been on the Curvy Girls website yet this month, Allie's picture and bio has now posted on the Curvy Girl of the Month tab. Be sure to check it out!

A late entry--added on Sunday, July 7
Of course, Allie had visitors. Grandpa Siebert and Aunt Louise were back for the morning. One of Allie's close friends, Taysia, came to visit and escorted Allie on a walk.

Grandma and Grandpa Ball were in late. Angie and Sydney came to visit and brought dinner!

POD 2, 2:20 pm

It has been a good day so far. Overnight Allie started spiking a temp. There was also something else going on that oxygen was started. She ended up not needing much of the oxygen. On the other hand it has taken time for the temp to come down. Dr. Beebe was in this morning and said the temp spikes are caused by the lungs not working efficiently due to anesthesia, the pain meds and no movement. She needs to be up and walking as much as possible. Emily, today's nurse, said that it is not unusual to see the temps in fusion patients. At last check, the temp was back in normal ranges.

Late morning Tim, the PCA, got Allie into the chair where she sat/slept for almost an hour. We did a group walk from the chair to the door (Tim was guiding Allie, Duane followed, and I had the IV stand). Then it was lunch time and Allie has had some pudding, fruit, and plain noodles. We are making progress!

We have also had visitors. Yesterday, fellow Curvy Girl Payton and her parents came in. Payton has been in house and was 2 doors down from Allie. When Payton found out Allie's room she decorated the door to welcome Allie to the room. It was a great surprise.

Today Danielle, Sarah and her mom (picture below), and Grandma and Grandpa Thompson have been in.

POD 1, 10 AM

Allie did great overnight.  Her nurse, Jackie, was in every 1 1/2 to 2 hours to check on her. At midnight they started log rolling her every two hours. All through the night she rated her pain at 1 (0 being no pain). Dr. Beebe was in early and said that she can now work on sitting up and should be standing by this evening. She can also get off the hourly 30 ice chips onto the clear liquid diet.

Between 9 and 9:30 Ashley, the day nurse, and Asia, the PCA, came in to turn Allie. That led to "Let's do a dressing change" then to seeing that her sheets neded to be changed. That meant that Allie had to sit then stand. It was pretty much like watching a NASCAR pit crew in action. When Sonya (another nurse) got Allie to the standing position, Louise and I were amazed. Not only because she was able to stand so soon after surgery, but also because she is visibly taller.

For those who are curious, she has titanium rods and chromium cobalt screws.

End of surgery day

Our day started early--4am to be exact. We got to the hospital around 5:40 with my sister, Louise, just ahead of us. After figuring out how to get in the parking garage, we made our way to the surgery unit.

Charity, the nurse, got Allie set up with a gown, a red sock and a blue sock, and helped her select a scent for the anesthesia mask (root beer). Nancy, nurse practitioner, did a mini-check.

Then we met the anesthesiologists who did their checks and promised to tell her bad jokes as she fell asleep.

Dr. Beebe came in to say hello and answer a few last questions. He drew a smiley face on her back to identify the surgical site.

Our youth pastor, Adam, was with us most of this time and Louise got to come back for the last 15 minutes.

Allie was given Versed to help calm the nerves (fun). Just before it was time for Allie to go back into surgery Adam prayed for us and the surgical team.

At 7:30 am a surgery nurse came to take Allie to surgery. We were able to walk with her as far as the double doors leading into the surgery area.

It was then that I started crying. We entered the hospitality room where Adrianne, our "hostess" greeted us and got me some kleenex. She got us oriented to the area and then we sat down to wait. To be honest, the day went faster than we expected and before we knew it Dr. Beebe was out to talk with us.

Allie's day progressed by getting "giggly" gas then her IVs. Judging from the bruising on her right arm they may have had a bit of difficulty getting access. Around 9:00 am, the actual procedcure started. Four hours later, around 1:00 pm, they were starting to close. We had been told this process would take about an hour. We were watching the status board and at 1:35 her color switched from green (in surgery) to pink (in PACU). Dr. Beebe was out to talk with us at 2:10ish and said that we would probably get to see her in recovery. A few minutes later Adrianne was sending us on our way to admitting because Allie was being moved from recovery to her hospital room. She was in her room by 3:00 pm. Allie has spent the afternoon drifting in and out of a Dilaudid induced sleep.

Allie has to be on her back for eight hours. She will then be logged rolled from side to side. Tomorrow we anticipate her sitting up and perhaps dangling her feet off the side of the bed. She should be standing and taking a few steps by Thursday.

We sit her this evening as the sun starts to set witnesses of God's great goodness. We have had family, friends and friends of family and friends praying for us continually. We are blessed to be surrounded by such great love and faith.

July 2, 2:16pm

Allie was moved into recovery around 1:40. We talked with Dr. Beebe and he said that he is pleased with the results. PRAISE GOD!!!!!!

July 2, 7:38 am

Allie is now in surgery and Duane, Louise and I begin the waiting game.

The night before...

Since Allie will not be able to eat much this week, we let her decide what we would eat for supper tonight. Her choice: BD's Mongolian Grill.

We did a bit of last minute shopping for what we might need at the hospital and then headed to Sweet Frog for some frozen yogurt.

Now we will attempt to get some sleep... have to be up in about 6 hours...

An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. When life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means it's going to launch you into something great. So just focus, and keep aiming.

Pre-Admission Testing

Today was Allie's pre-admission testing. She had a brief physical, we met an anesthesiologist and a Child Life Specialist who walked us through everything from our arrival to Allie being transported back into surgery. Then we sat and waited, and waited, and waited. The last thing that needed to be done was a blood draw. They had a "situation" in another room so we had to wait until that was taken care of. I tried to get Allie to give up the bed so that I could nap but she wouldn't budge. Finally the nurse came back in, got the blood sample and gave us our instructions for the day of surgery.

Surgery is still on for July 2. It will start at 7:30 am and we have to be at the hospital at 5:45 am.

Outer Banxious

The original plan was to leave around 5 am on Saturday, June 15. A couple weeks prior to vacation we decided to leave at midnight and drive through the night. On Friday, June 14, I spent my morning talking with coworkers about vacation. By lunch I was really anxious to get on the road. I texted Duane to see what he thought about leaving earlier. He was just as anxious. As soon as I got home, we got packed and were on the road by 4:30. We drove until about midnight, stopping in Winchester, Virginia, for the night.


Saturday morning, we left early planning to stop in Williamsburg to eat at Capitol Pancake House. After traffic delays from Richmond down to Williamsburg, we made it to Capitol in time for lunch. On our way into the Outer Banks, we stopped at Morris Farm Market for yummy fruits and vegetables. Every time we stop at Morris, we take pictures of Allie and Will on the tractor. We made it to our rental house by 4:30. It was a nice house that had a great view of the sound.



Sunday, we headed down to Ocracoke. We had lunch at Howard's Pub (one of our favorite restaurants), drove by the Ocracoke lighthouse, drove up Howard street and passed Tow Mater. Then, FINALLY, we went to the beach.


Monday, we drove north to the town of Duck. We visited a couple of stores and discovered that a boardwalk had been installed along the sound. We took a little nature walk. Duane saw something moving in the water and started taking pictures. As the object moved closer to the boardwalk we saw that it was a river otter. Duane was able to make out that the otter had a crab in its mouth.




Tuesday, we headed south to the Pea Island Nature Preserve. Once again our turtle friends met us at the bridge. We counted over 20 turtles. We walked about halfway up the trail and saw only ibis. It was hot and not much breeze/wind to keep us cool so we decided to head back to the visitors center. On the porch is a display of a variety of items you will find on the beaches. Duane picked up this dried out skate--a relative of the stingray. I think it looks funny because of its lips sticking out.



On to Bodie Island Lighthouse. This is our favorite lighthouse. Five years ago, the base was open and we were able to go in. Soon after the decision was made to restore the lighthouse. This past April, the lighthouse was opened for the first time for the public to climb. This was something that Duane was looking forward to doing. When we got to the lighthouse we found out that the next few tours had been sold out. Duane bought tickets for the last tour of the day. We then headed to Manteo to have lunch at Big Al's. Late afternoon we headed back to the lighthouse. Will did not want to climb so I stayed on the ground with him while Duane and Allie climbed. It was very windy and we had heard that one of the groups did not get to go out on the gallery because of it. Luckily, that wasn't the case for Duane and Allie. In this picture they are standing in the middle (Duane has on a black shirt and Allie has on a blue shirt). Allie did say that she felt like she would be blown off.


June 19--HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALLIE! She is now 14! We started the day at the Aquarium. This has always been one of our favorite places to go but this time there were so many people that we didn't stay very long. We then went to Elizabethan Gardens. The flowers were amazing--especially the hydrangeas. They were in bloom throughout the gardens in all different colors.

In the evening we went for a cruise on the sound. Always a good time.

Thursday was a beautiful day. We went to the Wright Brothers Memorial and then spent a few hours on the beach.

Friday came much too soon. We didn't go back to the beach to swim because there were beach hazard warnings for rip currents. We played putt-putt golf in the morning (Allie made hole-in-one on two holes!), hit a few more stores, then went back to the house to start getting our things organized and packed for the trip back home.

For dinner that evening we went to Miller's Waterfront Restaurant. Allie had Mahi Mahi, Will had a cheeseburger (couldn't get him to try any seafood during the week except shrimp) and Duane and I got a platter that included scallops, shrimp and crab. All of it was very good. After dinner we did go to Coquina Beach to take pictures of the ocean and to collect more shells. Because of the strong currents, the waves crashing on the shore were absolutely beautiful.

PAT

A lot has been going on in the past few weeks and I am hoping to get it all posted by this coming weekend. Curvy Girls held an open house on June 10 and Allie gave a speech. It was a fun evening and Allie did awesome! June 14 through 22 was vacation in the Outer Banks. Today is pre-admission testing. A week from today is surgery.

It's quotable...

Allie has been saving quotes that are inspiring. Here are a few of them:

• I don't need easy, I need possible. Bethany Hamilton
• Scoliosis doesn't happen to everyone. It only happens to the girls who have enough courage to fight it.
• Hope is the only thing stronger than fear. President Snow in The Hunger Games

WHEN LIFE GETS YOU DOWN, JUST BOUNCE. Allie Thompson (you thought I was going to say Tigger)

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, MAKE APPLE JUICE. THEN PEOPLE WILL WONDER HOW YOU DID IT. Allie Thompson

Pit Stop at the Dublin Sports Med Office

June 3, 2013
We met with Dr. Beebe, our surgeon, and his team. It was a very encouraging pre-op conference. Here are some of the points that we found out:
The surgery will take 6 to 8 hours, with the first hour being for anesthesia.
There will be two surgeons working on Allie--Dr. Allan Beebe (top picture) will be the primary surgeon and Dr. Jan Klamar (bottom picture) will be the secondary.
Allie will be in the hospital 3 to 5 days dependent on when her belly "wakes up".
At this point we do not know what type of metal will be used--it will be either titanium (a stronger metal) or stainless steel. She will not set off metal detectors but should she fly she will need to be hand scanned at security.
There will not be a need for blood donors. They will use a system called "cell saver" that recirculates her blood.
She will have electrodes attached to her head and will be monitored from head to toe throughout the procedure. This system will let the surgical team know if any adjustments need to be made whether it be moving a rod, loosening a screw or even adjusting the temperature in the operating room.
We did not ask about what kind of music will be played in the operating room but I am going to suggest Lawrence Welk. July 2 is the anniversary of when the Lawrence Welk show debuted on TV and Allie loves watching the reruns with us (not).

A full set of x-rays was taken at this visit. This is the standard scoliosis view. Her thoracolumbar curve has increased in the past 3 1/2 months. It was between 45 and 50 degrees. It is now closer to 60 degrees. With the continuation of the increase in the curve, there is no question that she needs to have the surgery.

The other x-rays done included bending and stretching. This is done so that Dr. Beebe knows how flexible Allie's back is and can plan out which vertebrae will be fused and where the hardware will be placed.

For the stretching x-ray, Allie laid on a table and one tech held her head and the other her feet and they stretched her out. This is the results and this is what Dr. Beebe will try to come close to in the corrections. However, it is estimated that the curves will be corrected only up to 50%. We are looking at her thoracolumbar curve being corrected down to maybe 30 degrees (provided it doesn't increase any more over the next 4 weeks).

Our next stop will be either at the hospital for pre-op testing (has not been scheduled yet) or the Outer Banks (we leave on June 15 for a week at the beach!).

Congratulations!

Be checking the Curvy Girls website in the month of July. Allie is going to be featured as Curvy Girl of the month!

http://www.curvygirlsscoliosis.com/

Monday, June 10, from 6 to 8:30, Curvy Girls Columbus will be hosting an open house at the main branch of the Columbus Public Library in the auditorium. Allie will be presenting a speech on her scoliosis experience. All are welcome to come!

Allie was named a Student of the month for the month of May at Worthingway. To earn this recognition a student must demonstrate the core values of Be on Time, Be Prepared, and Be Respectful. She also received a certificate for being on the honor roll!

Surgery info--part 1

Surgery has become a bit more real now. Last week we received a packet with basic information about Allie's surgery. We got this booklet that tells us what is considered clear liquids (is Mott's apple juice considered "clear" apple juice?), when she needs to stop eating, what she is to wear on the day of surgery (no nail polish), and what objects to bring (pacifier, blankie, iPod). Like I said, just basic information.

There was also a letter from Dr. Beebe's office with the dates for the pre-op conference, surgery and the first post-op visit. It also has the title of the procedure (posterior spinal fusion, posterior spinal instrumentation, allograft). For those of you who know what I do for a living, no I do not have this coded--yet. I need more detail.

We have our list of questions started and will have them answered on June 3 at the pre-op conference.

Some have asked about being at the hospital on the day of surgery. We have been told that only 2 people can be there that day due to the space in the surgery waiting areas. It is relatively small when you consider the number of operations Nationwide Children's Hospital performs on a daily basis. So, it will just be Duane and myself and our pastor--because apparently pastors are not people and/or don't count.

This is pretty much what we know at this point. We have a lot of questions--some that will be answered around June 3 and more that will be answered after surgery.

Allie is still doing well with all of this. She says that she is excited to have the surgery and is looking forward to how God may use her throughout this process.

At the beginning of May, Allie was in her school's play productions. They performed two 1-act plays: A Little Princess in which she played the baker and Bernice Bobs Her Hair in which she played Mrs. Harvey and the barber. She did a great job with both! This picture is of Allie as Mrs. Harvey (along with Brittany and Savitha). She is planning to join the drama team again next year and they will be doing a musical! We are hoping for The Sound of Music, or anything that my side of the family knows so that we can sing along with the cast (and embarrass Allie).

65 days...

We have 65 days until Allie's surgery. It will be on July 2. On June 3 we will have our pre-surgery conference with Dr. Beebe and will get all the details about the surgery.

They've got my back!

Shortly after Allie was diagnosed with scoliosis we started seeing a chiropractor, Danielle Rice. She is a great person and friend. She has been so encouraging through the years and has helped to keep Allie's head on straight!

Another group that we are really excited about being a part of is Curvy Girls. It is a peer-led support group that we found out about in February. It is an international support group and the Columbus group had their first meeting at the end of February. The leaders, Kiki and Alyse, have both been through the scoliosis surgery. At the March meeting we got to tour Nationwide Children's Hospital where Allie will have her surgery. We saw the surgery waiting and pre-op areas as well as one of the patient rooms. At the April meeting, Allie and I got to share about our trip to Wisconsin and the Schroth physical therapy. Kiki brought in the brace that she wore before surgery. Another girl in the group is Payton. She has scoliosis and is also a candidate for surgery. It has been great to be a part of this group and to know that we aren't alone. The Curvy Girls and Curvy Parents are definitely counted among our blessings!

The Curvy Girls--Peyton, Kiki, Allie and Alyse

http://www.curvygirlsscoliosis.com/