Extraordinary Stories From An Ordinary Guy: The "RX: Part IV

Sunday, February 24, 2019

The "RX: Part IV - She's Almost Two Inches Taller" Story

Granddaughter Camille

It was an ordinary day. Sitting with my granddaughter Camille who had just come home the week before from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland after going through surgery to correct her scoliosis which she had inherited from my side of the family. My mother, my niece and myself all had curvature of the spine, but not to the degree that Camille had suffered through. I had driven my wife, Carol, to Maryland to stay with Camille for a few weeks so both our daughter and son-in-law could go back to work while Camille recuperated at home.

Camille's Xray.

A few years ago Camille noticed pain in her hips which is a sign of severe scoliosis. She began treatment by wearing a brace whenever possible. But, that didn't seem to help and when the curvature reached 61 degrees her Orthopaedic Doctor suggested she have surgery to correct the curvature. Her doctor arranged for surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital which is about 50 miles from Camille's home in Urbana, Maryland. The surgeon whom she recommended and obtained for the procedure was Dr. David Sponseller. Our daughter Brynn and son-in-law Dave took her to Baltimore where the surgery was performed. Brynn stayed with her for four days at the hospital until she was able to come home. The surgery itself took 4 1/2 hours and was performed on January 18. It began at 1:10 pm and was complete slightly after 5:30 pm. That evening she had a 6" Subway sandwich, since she was so hungry. Dr. Sponseller was extremely impressed with her attitude and cooperation as well as her being able to eat the sub a few hours after major surgery. It has been slightly over a month since the surgery and Camille, after going through many painful days and nights, has returned to school at Urbana High School.

This Xray shows her spine in the center with
metal rods in the upper area and screws to
hold the rods in place.

I have seen her twice during her recovery and am amazed with the results. She has an incision from the top of her spine to just about her waist which after time will disappear into the crease in the center of the back. What impresses me the most about her is the fact that she is almost two inches taller than before. The spines curvature was so severe that it had caused bending in her back that made her shorter. Now, a few notes about the surgeon who performed the surgery on my youngest granddaughter. Dr. Paul Sponseller is a professor of urology and orthopaedic surgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. His areas of clinical expertise include pediatric spine disorders, cerebral palsy, clubfeet, hip dislocations and hip dysplasia.

This side view shows some of the 16 screws
that hold her backbone in place. Some ribs
had to be broken.

He is the chief of the Division of Pediatric Orthopaedics at the Johns Hopkins Children' Center. I could go on and on, but you may tire of reading all his credits and outstanding comments. A few honors for the doctor though are: Clinical Teacher of the Year at James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute as well as Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2013. Hero with a Heart Award from the National Marfan Foundation in 2006, Teacher of the Year Award in Orthopaedic Surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1993, 2017 Baltimore Magazine Top Doctor and the 2019 Best Doctor Award from the Woods and Mencarini Families. A few days ago our daughter send a photograph taken of Camille standing next to her Aunt in their living room. Amazing! She is truly an amazing young women who this past field hockey season didn't allow a single goal scored against her the entire season. She will now be pain free while playing in goal. We all love her and hope for a complete recovery in a short time. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.