In some cases, spina bifida might not be diagnosed until after the baby is born.
Sometimes there is a hairy patch of skin or dimple on the baby’s back that is first seen after the baby is born. A doctor can use an image scan, such as an, X-ray, MRI, or CT, to get a clearer view of the baby’s spine and the bones in the back.
Sometimes spina bifida is not diagnosed until after the baby is born because the mother did not receive prenatal care or an ultrasound did not show clear pictures of the affected part of the spine.
Neither Peter’s dad nor I wanted to recite the surgery details. Talking more into it would scare us enough to refuse going through with it.
From the hospital waiting room, Dr. Davidson, the neurosurgeon at UMASS Medical Center in Worcester Massachusetts, took Peter into his arms and carried him off into the surgery room. We looked on wondering if we would have our baby back wholesome again. After midday, Dr. Davidson emerged with an optimistic look on his face. He said that everything looked good. However, his honest account about not being able to remove all the fatty tissues attached to the nerves met my disappointed expression. I felt sorry afterward for not showing some gratitude toward the surgeon after all his effort just because of his professional straight talk. Hopefully he understood the pain I felt for my son’s illness.
Outing with Peter could be hectic. I felt overwhelmed because as a mother, I had very little control over Peter. Time passed, he was out of the diaper and went to school with one orthopedic shoe insert supporting his left foot. His left foot had no sensation due to pinching of the nerves where the lesion was seen, a symptom known as "foot drop". The right foot though being much more sensitive had less than full functionality. We thought things were fine until at age 7 Peter repeatedly had accidents during school. After video urodynamic studies, Ultra sound, CAT scan, x-rays, consultations,and exams, Peter was determined to have need for ANOTHER spinal surgery…
On the day of the surgery, an operation involving a team of surgeons, nurses and P.A. that supposed to be for 4 hours lasted closer to 8 hours long. The waiting room seemed airless during such a long wait. Finally Dr. Oguz I. Cataltepe, the neurosurgeon, Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at UMASS and Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at UMASS Medical School, appeared all by himself. In his 50’s Dr. Cataltepe managed to show calmness and strength although the paleness on his face showed signs of exhaustion due to the extended procedure. The other doctors and his P.A. were out of sight. He sat us down and slowly announced that the surgery was SUCCESSFUL. I felt some air rushed through my lungs again.
When we saw Peter, he was wired up with all kinds of monitoring devises on him. The most awful part of the procedure was the pain that came afterward when Peter was required to lay flat on his back with an inch long “rigid” plastic insert pierced straight up into his spine to catch excess bleeding. The insert and tubing were then connected to a sac collector. For the next 6 days, Peter only stopped crying when being put to sleep by pain medication. As soon as the medication wore off, he instantly began whining then crying miserably. When the doctor ordered to have the blood collecting plastics-sac and all removed, life couldn’t be better. Those 6 days seemed to have been forever...
Outing with Peter could be hectic. I felt overwhelmed because as a mother, I had very little control over Peter. Time passed, he was out of the diaper and went to school with one orthopedic shoe insert supporting his left foot. His left foot had no sensation due to pinching of the nerves where the lesion was seen, a symptom known as "foot drop". The right foot though being much more sensitive had less than full functionality. We thought things were fine until at age 7 Peter repeatedly had accidents during school. After video urodynamic studies, Ultra sound, CAT scan, x-rays, consultations,and exams, Peter was determined to have need for ANOTHER spinal surgery…
On the day of the surgery, an operation involving a team of surgeons, nurses and P.A. that supposed to be for 4 hours lasted closer to 8 hours long. The waiting room seemed airless during such a long wait. Finally Dr. Oguz I. Cataltepe, the neurosurgeon, Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at UMASS and Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at UMASS Medical School, appeared all by himself. In his 50’s Dr. Cataltepe managed to show calmness and strength although the paleness on his face showed signs of exhaustion due to the extended procedure. The other doctors and his P.A. were out of sight. He sat us down and slowly announced that the surgery was SUCCESSFUL. I felt some air rushed through my lungs again.
When we saw Peter, he was wired up with all kinds of monitoring devises on him. The most awful part of the procedure was the pain that came afterward when Peter was required to lay flat on his back with an inch long “rigid” plastic insert pierced straight up into his spine to catch excess bleeding. The insert and tubing were then connected to a sac collector. For the next 6 days, Peter only stopped crying when being put to sleep by pain medication. As soon as the medication wore off, he instantly began whining then crying miserably. When the doctor ordered to have the blood collecting plastics-sac and all removed, life couldn’t be better. Those 6 days seemed to have been forever...
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