2009-10-29
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P1010123.JPG 2009-10-29
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P1000586[1].JPG 2009-10-29
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P1000762.JPG 2009-10-29
Her parents got the news this month that she is a candidate to have SDR surgery January 5, 2010. This is for a Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR). Put simply, the surgeon will make an incision over her lower spine, lift off the bone, test the nerves to see which ones are causing muscle spasms, then cut them.
The muscle spasticity is a problem connected with Cerebral Palsy, and makes it difficult for Ellie to walk. By cutting the nerves causing the spasticity, this helps eliminate the scissor gait (legs crossing in front of each other when walking), and should make it easier for Ellie to walk.
It should also help with the discomfort of having tight muscles all the time. Imagine yourself trying to walk and always having a perpetual charlie horse in your legs!
The surgeon believes Ellie is an excellent candidate for this surgery, and the results would be “possibly life-changing”.
Obviously, we want Ellie to have the best chance possible to be able to walk, even though it hurts our heart to think of her having surgery, and knowing she will have pain from that, and during therapy afterwards. (If you’ve ever had knee or hip or any kind of surgery and/or physical therapy, think about being 4-years-old and trying to understand what’s happening and why it hurts!)
Of course, the costs of traveling to the far western side of Canada for Ellie to have her surgery and then to Florida for four months to have intensive physical therapy are huge.
If you’d like to Help Ellie Walk, check out our calendar!
