Summer Meadow Rose

OUR STORY

Last spring while Meadow was playing soccer, one of the homeschool moms in the sports program asked me if Meadow had scoliosis, and I was so surprised. I never saw her posture that revealed the twisting spine. So that was the beginning of this challenge. I brought Meadow to dozens of doctors trying to find an aggressive plan to straighten her 43 degree curve. I was so sad to see my beautiful princess with this strange crippling curve growing in her back. They said it was so curved that it would keep her from having the room she needed for her heart and lungs as she grew older and it would probably keep increasing. We asked so many friends to pray for Meadow, at church and with friends who have special gifts of healing prayer. We went to a local spine specialist who offered surgery, many chiropractors who offered help with pain only, a physical therapist to help strengthen the muscles in her back, and a rolfer and a cranial sacral chiropractor who claimed they could keep the curve from growing. Well, they were wrong because when we went back to get our second X-ray from the surgeon 7 months later, the curve had increased a shocking 20 degrees. So I fell apart for an evening and then moved on to super aggressive plan #2, searching for the miracle we needed to avoid that violent surgery. We found our answer, a treatment program just begun in January near us in Campbell, the only chiropractors on the West coast practicing it! We began immediately, 5 days a week, and besides the challenge of running the goat farm and being gone at the same time and paying for it all, we are so thankful and our hope is growing every day. Meadow is doing so well with the hard work and sometimes painful treatments. We are so proud of her sweet self!

Contributions

When we found our treatment plan and realized the large costs, we were overwhelmed at first, but I think God really gave me peace about this to trust that our needs would be supplied. Finding this hopeful plan for Meadow seems like such a miracle that this second miracle doesn't loom larger. First I pursued our insurance but although they would cover every penny of a $200,000 surgery, they won't help with any "alternative" medical choices. So every week we spend 5 days at Janzen & Janzens Chiropractic for $240/day or $1,200/week. They give us so much attention every day, so many doctors and therapists work together to make us feel so supported and cared for. There are other costs like Meadow's therapy chair at home for $3800. Tomorrow we go for a MRI that costs us $500. And there's gas for the trip every day. Meadow's on a special diet to give her a lot more protein and I've signed her up for a nutrition plan for $125/month... How long we continue this aggressive treatment depends on Meadow's progress, so we are open for however long it will be, we are just so thankful to have this plan! If anyone would like to help us, ANY amount will be greatly appreciated.
The ways to donate are:

Directly to her Chiropractor
Matthew Janzen, DC
256 E Hamilton Ave Ste F
Campbell, CA 95008-0237
Phone 408-379-0133

Or
www.paypal.com
send to my email summermeadow7@yahoo.com

Or
Send to us at
Lynn Selness
405 Webb Rd
Watsonville CA 95076

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Hey this is Meadow. Usually my mom does this sorta thing, but she's counting it as "school work" for me, so now it's no longer the gushy mother.
I have been waiting quite some time now since i had an x-ray because it's bad if you take too many x-rays as most educated people know. So i got this x-ray back in the beginning of December i finally got one taken and then had to wait a week to find out the results. So here they are. I found out that my curve had gotten better (yay) by only 5 degrees but still it was very exciting. But also my natural curves in my back (every one has these hopefully) are completely normal (these curves are usually around 30 degrees or so) which mine are. ;) Also my atlas (the top vertebra in your spine on the top) was unstable before I started my treatment. It is now in the middle where it's supposed to be. Well that's about all I have to say about that.

On December 12 and 13, I had a training weekend with some other kids my age that was fun :), where I learned new exercises. These exercises are the "Schroth" Method. Schroth was made by a German woman over in Germany in 1927 (surprise surprise) named Katharina Schroth. Katharina actually had scoliosis she made these exercises for her self and later taught other people and made a center. But back to the good stuff, these exercises are special breathing techniques where you breathe into one spot of your lung (only one lung) okay....sounds impossible but strangely it is possible. This helps derotate the ribs. The whole thing took a long time. Each day I was quite tired after it all. It took 5 hours each day. Now I'm supposed to do these exercises twice a day at home. Below are several pictures taken during the weekend.

The next week my mom, brother, and I went to get a brace, not a hard brace but a Spinecor brace. A Spinecor brace isn't like other braces. It is made up of straps that start at the back and cross in the front. I wear this thing 22 hours a day. It doesn't really hurt but after a while it just gets uncomfortable and annoying. Also people say that its easy to "cover" which it sorta is but it's annoying. I had to change my clothing style quite a bit. But that's just how it goes. I think this is really going to help my back. Because when I put it on my curve improved 11 degrees. I don't really have anything else to talk about so....Laters!!!

Monday, February 23, 2009

Finished 4 weeks!

We have begun our fifth week of therapy, yeah! Meadow is hanging in there with great persistence. I have discovered that I have a curve real similar to Meadow's except much smaller, so I do her exercises with her now and some treatment also. It's a great opportunity for me since I'm there every day with her. Gives me even more appreciation for her endurance. They are tough! I really enjoy all the time with her, we are pretty sweet together. Thank you to each of you who gave us such warm heartfelt responses to our situation. It helps a lot to feel supported and loved!