TC

In my last post I talked about orthotics and concerns about Nick's foot turning in. SB mommies know what I'm talking about, but for everyone else, it may see like a bit of an over reaction.

The answer is TC, or tethered cord

I talked with his neurosurgeon who agrees that we should get it checked out.
Not as an emergency or anything, but a MRI in early spring.
Good, that means we are still getting it checked out, and I'm not handing my child over for major surgery because of a foot turning in... yet

I'm trying very hard not to freak out. To think of how all of the kids I know did after their TC surgery. And how their parents survived it. Even if they did worry a lot before hand
And we aren't even there yet! Maybe it is just the excitement and busyness of the day at school.

But let me back up a bit.

Here is a video by the show The Doctors that helps to explain it a bit

The spinal cord normally hands loose in the spinal column

As children grow older, the spinal cord raises up in the bony spinal column, but when it is tethered, it doesn't raise, and is pulled tight. And there is nerve damage.
A picture is available here

The symptoms are not obvious, but are gradual changes. And that's what we are supposed to be watching out for, subtle symptoms. So here I am, unsure if there are any subtle symptoms.

My understanding is that any damage that is done from the nerve damage, is permanent. So you don't want to wait for huge changes, because surgery doesn't fix it. It just prevents further damage (and hopefully doesn't cause further damage - with the spine surgery and everything)

Surgery can free the scar tissue, but creates more scar tissue.
So I'm always watching out for symptoms, while hoping that I won't see them.

So I have a couple of months to think and wonder and watch.