neurosurgery update

We saw the neurosurgeon today so she could look at Hannah's MRI films and decide what to do. She said there was little doubt in her mind that the spinal cord was tethered and that the radiologist had missed that there was also some fat in some area that's supposed to be more elastic, called the filum, I think. I've learned so many new terms lately, sometimes I get confused. Michael wrote it all down, though.

Anyhow, we're getting an MRI of her brain next week, and a full bladder dynamics study (ah, that window to the nervous system!) done and then heading back to the neurosurgeon with those results. She wants to go ahead and do the surgery to untether the cord sometime soon, probably. She said at the very least it will hopefully keep her from having some of the problems that come with a tethered cord down the road just a bit (incontinence, severe leg and foot pain and numbness, scoliosis, etc.). Once these problems start happening the neurological damage that's been done can't be reversed, so they really like to catch this early. Evidentally, they have to wait until they're in there to see what the extent of the tethering is and what all is involved, but it looks to her pretty cut and dry (with no neural involvement at all) with extremely little risk. The benefits could be quite huge for Hannah.

She told us this surgery is one of the most common surgeries done by pediatric neurosurgeons and she's done tons of them. Hmm, sounds just like what my neurosurgeon said about my neck! Good thing we have the common stuff! :)

Love you!

Nancy