Release from Scottish Rite



Dr Birch and Brandon 2007



Today we went to Scottish Rite in Dallas for a re-check of Brandon's feet after surgery and a check on Brandon's back.  We stayed last night in our favorite hotel "The Warwick" and as usual they catered to our every need.  Great room, great service and great price thanks to Expedia. 

It has been a long road of going back and forth to Dallas as we tried to determine why Brandon's feet had become worse and to track the progression of Brandon's scoliosis.  I started this blog to keep track of our trips and Brandon's progress.  I originally thought we would go to Dallas, be told that Brandon would need surgery on his foot, have the surgery, return home and it would be over.  But that is not how going to Scottish Rite works.  I want to remind everyone that Scottish Rite is free to all those kids who qualify for services, and qualification is about the medical condition and the referral from another physician.  Really it is not like any other hospital I have been to or Brandon has been in.  The minute you walk in, it just feels different.  No one asks for your insurance info, money, co-pays and referral like you usually are asked at any visit.  It is all about the care of the kids without the pressure of the finance.  Having worked in health care I am always curious about how this actually works, but I can see there is a very strong community base that supports the hospital.  There is almost as many volunteers as there are paid staff. 

During first year the doctors knew Brandon needed surgery on his foot and told us that the surgery would be a major surgery that would rebuild the foot.  I really didn't understand what that meant but I knew it was going to be intense and complicated.  Unlike the other physicians I had consulted on Brandon's foot, the physicians at Scottish Rite wanted to know the cause of the condition (cavernous foot).  The condition often is associated with more serious medical issues.  They wanted to determine if Brandon had any of these conditions before they repaired the foot surgically.  We spent an entire year in search of a diagnosis.  This is also when we all agreed that Brandon probably does not have cerebral palsy but is perhaps undiagnosed.  We never were able to find a label for the foot condition but it was not for lack of trying.  Finally before surgery, Brandon had a test that measured the impact of the condition on the rest of the body.  This is all electronic and run through the computer.  It is very high tech probably similar to those type tests used on athletes.  The results showed that there was already impact on other parts of the body having to accommodate for Brandon's foot and it was decided to perform the surgery.  Brandon had two very complicated and painful surgeries with very long recovery time. 

But it was all worth it.  Without the surgery Brandon may not be walking today.  With the surgery, Brandon is walking better than he has in many years and for longer periods of time.  The blue team and Dr Birch just did a great job as he says every time we visit.  We all marvel at how bad the foot was and how great the foot is now as a result of this surgery. 

In addition, Brandon has gone from a 30% curvature in his spine (Scoliosis) to 44%.  But the 44% has remained consistent for 2 years.  That is good news.  Will Brandon need surgery on his back in the future?  No one really knows, but for now he is doing great.  So there was a celebration at the hospital today when Dr Birch said "Brandon you are released from Scottish Rite".  Brandon immediately said Dr Birch give me a hug and he ran over to him and gave him a big hug, then he went to our favorite nurse "Emily" and kissed her hand.  I have to say there was not a dry eye in the room.  That is how great they really are because they all do care. 

For me this is great news that we don't have to drive up to Dallas again for another visit, but also scary because Brandon has now aged out of Scottish Rite.  If he does have any problems in the future they will help find an adult specialist for him to see, but I don't think it will ever be as loving and caring as what we received there.  This is also Scottish Rite's 90th birthday.  I know why they have been around as long as they have and we will miss them.  So leaving was a little bittersweet. 
More later
Leah