Bad News / Good News

Bad News: Max came home from school yesterday with a badly sprained finger from an attempt to catch a football in P.E. class. (Stupid stupid football.) He texted a photo during lunch which I thought looked pretty awful but I am trying to be the calm mama these days so I texted back saying we would put some ice on it when he got home. By the time he got out of school he was in a lot pain and we spent thirty minutes debating whether or not to call the doctor. Unable to get in to see his pediatrician, we went to the local emergency care clinic and the people who saw Max there were wonderful. They were reassuring and kind.

Good News: It was all covered by our insurance! As I was pulling out my debit card and doing frantic calculations in my head, we were waived away with a cheerful you are all set!

Bad News: Max's finger is sprained and bruised and swollen and it hurts. There is some concern about damage to the growth plate which cannot be seen on the x-ray.

Good News: Max's finger is not broken. His NO BROKEN BONE streak continues!

Bad News: Max must wear a splint for a week and cannot practice his cello and there is a playing test next week and if he can't practice he's going to lose First Chair to that new kid he's been watching out of the corner of his eye who seems pretty good...

Good News: Max will most likely be able to play his cello again by next week.

Bad News: Max cannot play Minecraft with just one hand.

Good News: Max can play World of Warcraft with one hand.

What a Difference a Year Makes

First day of 5th Grade / First day of 6th Grade

The Wait Is Almost Over

Tomorrow afternoon we return to the pediatric orthopedic surgeon's office. Max will be examined and have x-rays. Then we will wait as patiently as we can in the tiny exam room for the orthopedist to come in and tell us what he sees.

We are optimistic because of the report from his pediatrician last week. We also are walking into the appointment with a game plan.  Thank you for sharing your own stories and solutions with me. They helped me envision some alternatives that we are all comfortable with.

Thanks to every one of you who traveled this bumpy patch of road with us. Thank you for your prayers and good thoughts. No matter what tomorrow's news, we are in a much better place because of your kindness and  support. When times get tough, you are my village and I am eternally grateful to you all.

Perhaps Some Good News

Max had his well child checkup yesterday. You may remember, it was his pediatrician who first noticed the slight curve in his spine and referred us to the orthopedic surgeon. When she first noticed it two years ago, she measured it at 9%.

The orthopedic guy measured it at 15% at our last visit and we started to worry a little and pray a lot. Here's the whole story, if you need to catch up.

Yesterday, she measured it at 4-6% which is awesome, which is completely within the normal range for a school-age boy!

Now there's still the orthopedist to see next week and xrays to be evaluated, but I am taking this as a sign that he's outgrowing the curve and that all it will take is stretching and exercise to make his spine grow straight and true.

We won't really know anything until next week but I will take this opportunity to celebrate perhaps some good news and say thank you to everyone who said a prayer or lit a candle or held us in the light or lifted us up or send good thoughts our way. Really, truly, you made all the difference in the world.

Max & Martial Arts

Max sparred yesterday for the first time in his new Taekwondo class. For those who've been around a long time (yeah, I'm looking at you Original Laura and Debbie K and Mrs. G) you may remember the unpleasantness of Max's first karate school and the changes in instruction and focus on aggressive sparring that caused us to drop martial arts like a hot potato.

This school could not be more different. (It's in the basement of a church, ya'll!) The atmosphere is collegial and supportive.

Max did a great job especially considering it was the first time he had sparred in over three years.

As he moved through opponents and got to the higher ranked kids, I spent a good deal of the class with my hands over my eyes. Afterwards, I explained that sometimes when I was watching I saw him in all his ten year old ferocious glory. And sometimes I would look up and see this guy.

Max's Back Wednesday

Yesterday I made the appointment for Max to return to the pediatric orthopedic surgeon and have his spine x-rayed. In one month and a couple of days our wait and watch four month period will be up and we will see what at least an inch and a half of growth has done to the 15% curve in Max's spine.

Your prayers and good thoughts and candles and light mean the world to all three of us. Keep it coming!

Max's Back Wednesday

Frank & Max are on their way back from Austin this afternoon after a day-long playdate with Max's very best friend. We are about a month away from our appointment with the orthopedic surgeon to see how the curve in Max's spine has fared in the last four months. I think he's at least an inch taller.

Send up a good thought, light a candle, say a prayer.

Max's Back Wednesday

Prayers, candles, good thoughts... Whatever you got today, we'll take it.

Dispatch from Summer

We are having a summer that is a little different this year. Max and I are both doing more than usual, so we have fewer of those long event-less days to string together. We're spending more time in the car and we are both actively trying to step a little bit outside our comfort zones.

Walking him into Summer Writer's Camp this morning I thought - less than two weeks until vacation,( after which we are adopting our very first dog) then my retreat and then we board the rollercoaster downslide to the beginning of the school year. When we signed up for writer's camp, July 18 seemed so far away and yet, here we are.

I haven't had enough time just the two of us this summer. Not enough long lazy mornings bumping into each other as we wander from computer to bookshelves to kitchen table, not nearly enough picnic parties on the living room floor watching bad cartoons, not enough bargaining about how much is too much Lego Universe, not enough people watching, not nearly enough afternoon art projects.

I know we still have time to do a lot of these things and I know we will. I just wish summer would slow down a little bit.

Max's Back Wednesday

We are having the busiest week of our summer so far and I have some bananas that are about to go nuclear on me if I don't get them into some bread.

Still, in the midst of our summer fun, I want to take a moment and ask you for prayers, for whatever good thoughts you can spare for Max.

May his spine grow straight and true.

Sometimes I Stumble Across Things

Max's Back Wednesday

Send up a prayer...

Max's Back Wednesday

I want to thank each and every one of you for your good thoughts, your prayers, your concern. Thank you for every candle you've lit, every visualization you've sent our way. Thanks for sharing your own stories and for pointing me toward Yoga for Scoliosis. Ever day I am more and more certain that we are on the right path.

Send up whatever good you can spare today for Max and his spine - may it grow straight and true.

It's Max's Back Wednesday Again

It is Wednesday, the day I ask for good thoughts, prayers, straightening vibes, and any mojo you might have to spare for Max.

If you're wondering why, the rest of the story is here.

Dreaming the June Full Moon with Max

I always create my dreamboards alone. Even if Frank and Max are hanging out in the living room, I create them in this cocoon of personal space around the dining table.

Max mentioned making a dreamboard back when we first began making our plans for the summer, and yesterday he joined me at the table and made his very first full moon dreamboard.

It was a very different experience to do the creating together and I really enjoyed the energy we bounced off of each other as we brought our boards together.

Here's mine.

If you'd like to check out Max's handiwork, you can see it here.

Max's Back Wednesday

Hey! It is Max's Back Wednesday again. Send us some love in any format you are comfortable with.

If you're wondering why, the rest of the story is here.

Stay tuned for our Full Moon Dreamboards later today...

Another Max's Back Wednesday

Whisper a prayer into the breeze. Telegraph a good thought through the clouds. Visualize Max's spine growing straight and true.

If you're wondering why, the rest of the story is here.

Max's Back Wednesday

Here is a reminder to send up a prayer, light a candle, or just send some general good in Max's direction.

If you're wondering why, the rest of the story is here.

Max's Back

Yesterday on Facebook, I confessed how difficult it is for me to ask for help or support. A part of this is wanting to put a pretty face on things. I definitely blog more about the ups than the downs. Maybe I am more willing to ask today because I'm asking on Max's behalf and not my own? Maybe this will stretch my "asking for help" muscles so that the next time I need help for myself, asking will be easier.

Here's the story. Two years ago, Max's pediatrician noticed what looked to her like a slight curve in his spine. She made a note in his chart and said we would keep an eye on it. I promptly forgot about it.

This year, she notice the curve again and whipped out ( I kid you not) her iPhone and used an app to measure the degree of curve. It was 9% which is in the normal range but high enough that she referred us to a pediatric orthopedic surgeon who has been keeping an eye on Max's back.

We saw him earlier in the year and he could not see any curve at all on Max's x-rays but could see with his eyes a curve of about 9%. Yesterday, he could see a 15% curve on the x-ray. We are still in wait and see mode and will go back in four months to see how things look.

Max is growing so fast these days. I am certain, way down deep in my being, that he can grow the curve out of his spine. It happens all the time.

So here's the part where I ask for help. I am asking all of you to pray, light a candle, hold Max in  the light, send good thoughts, whatever you believe will help. I'll take whatever you've got. I know the universe doesn't care what form the positive energy comes in, just as I believe wholeheartedly in the power of positive energy to heal and create change. We have four months before his next exam. Surely that's long enough for the power of good to make a difference?

And if this makes me sound like a nutcase to you, well, this is my boy we're talking about. What mother would not be willing to try everything to help her child?

Here's what I'm praying: Bless Max's spine. Let it grow straight and true.

I'm going to post a reminder every Wednesday for the next four months. I can already feel your support as I'm typing this, so thanks in advance for your care and concern.