St. Patricks Day

Today marks 2 years since Kadence started her casting journey. She is now in her 7th cast. She started at 78 degrees and has been as low as 38 degrees. She is currently at 58 degrees, in cast. I am hoping she continues to tolerate the castings as well as she has. She has started asking questions like, "When will Shelby get her cast" and "Why doesn't anyone else have a cast?" It breaks my heart, but we just explain it the best we can to her. We are so grateful for Shriners and all they have done for us. We are also very blessed to have gotten accepted and schedule immediately to start treatment based on the severity of Kadence's curve. Kadence was getting about 12 degrees worse every appointment (every 3 months) and the doctor at Primary Childrens still just wanted to "watch" it. He also told us that at 80 degrees they have to start worrying about damage to their internal organs....but still at 78 degrees he wanted to still "watch". I'm so glad David and I chose to change doctors and hospitals. When we switched we were informed that bracing Kadence didn't hold her in place like it does other kids. Kadence's back is "wired" differently and still gets worse while in a brace. Most kids don't get better, but the brace will at least hold them where they are at. The castings get more correction than bracing, but we still have to brace 3 months of the year. It gives Kadence's skin time to breath, her active body time to move, and keeps her back muscles strong. We are just casting as long as we can to postpone fusing rods, and are hoping we can postpone until she is 13 or 14. If we can wait until 13 or 14 her spine will be mature and we won't have to do multiple surgeries. If we aren't able to postpone that long she will get growing rods that will need to be adjusted as she grows with multiple surgeries until a final rod fusion at 13 or 14. We are hoping and praying we can postpone long enough, but are realistic and know in the back of our minds that it might not be possible. We will do castings until she no longer socially tolerates it. Most kids stop at about 5 when they are in school. Kadence is spunky and has such a positive attitude that I am HOPING we can make it a year or two longer. Once we stop casting it will be bracing until we fuse rods. Like I mentioned before, she gets worse in a brace so the longer we can go in a cast, the better! Thank you to all of our family and friends who have supported us these past two years. It means more than you will ever know. Even though I try to act like it's no big deal, I am usually a wreck! Thanks so much to my amazing husband who puts up with my meltdowns and negativity. He is my rock and helps remind me that it could be so much worse. And lastly, thank you to the anonymous giver on our very first casting. We were surprised with a basket full of all of Kadence's favorite things and $100. I wish I knew who it was so I could tell them how much that helped us and that we will never forget their kindness. I will always pay it forward by donating in March. (Hopefully my kids can get rid of their colds so we can actually go bring our donations to the hospitals) THANK YOU THANK YOU everyone involved! We feel completely blessed!