Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy

So...Camden had a stroke when I was pregnant with him.  We are unsure of the timing of this, but the neurologist believed it was during my first trimester at some point.  The Lord was watching over him even then.  As we all know, it could have been much more serious.  Camden was diagnosed with having Right Hemiparesis.  This is a form of Cerebral Palsy because it has to do with damage to the brain.  The stroke occurred in the left frontal lobe of his brain, so the right half of his body is affected. The stroke has caused tightness (spasticity) in his right leg, foot, arm, and hand.  He struggles with fine motor skills and toe walks on his right side.  The left side of his body is completely "normal" and functions as it should.  Because of his severe "toe-walking", it could lead to some pretty major harm done to his body as it grows over the years.  Camden has been doing physical therapy, occupational therapy, aquatic therapy, receiving Botox in his right leg, and wears a brace to help his toe walking.  All of these things have been very helpful, yet as Camden continues to grow, the tightness is only getting worse.  The Botox doesn't work without casting his leg (to get his foot/heel at a 90 degree angle), and he has to get Botox every 3-4 months because it wears off (Botox relaxes the muscles in his calf).  He has had to be put under twice for botox and casting, and has had to go in twice to another doctor who just gives him the shots in his office without anesthesia or casting.  Let me tell you, he is not a fan of either!  He has become very anxious when we go to see a doctor of any kind....as you can imagine.  He also hates wearing a brace.  It is uncomfortable and it hurts during those tighter times.  

Last year we came across a procedure that is common with many children with CP...although previously done for children with severe cases of CP, it has become more common for "Hemi" children as well.  It is called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR).  Because of the cost and of the intensity of the surgery, we just couldn't wrap our minds around it at the time.  Camden was only 3 and we hadn't exhausted our other options such as Botox and bracing yet.  However, the surgery came to light again a month and a half ago.  A year has gone by and we are only seeing him walking on his toe worse and his ankle is very tight. 

We did more research, asked many questions from parents who have gone through this with their child, talked with our physical therapist, visited with the director at St. Louis Children's Hospital, and of course, prayed.  We have come to the conclusion that this would be the best route for Camden.  SDR is the only procedure that can take away most if not all of the spasticity involved in his right leg.  It will cut back on future surgeries he may have to have in the future due to CP.  There is a small window to have the procedure done, ages 2-5.  He is currently 4 years old.  Camden was evaluated by St. Louis Children's Hospital's Dr. Park.  He is considered to be an excellent candidate and the surgery is scheduled for the end of the month.  "Dr. Park is one of the world’s leading pediatric neurosurgeons. In 1986, he started the SDR program to improve walking in children who suffer from spastic cerebral palsy. Today, he has performed SDR surgery on more than 2,600 children and young adults from 53 countries." -St. Louis Children's Hospital Website.  Your thoughts and prayers are very much appreciated during this time.  Camden is a go-getter, and we are focusing on the positives that we hope to come from this surgery. 

Please follow this link to find out more about the SDR surgery Camden will undergo:

 http://www.stlouischildrens.org/our-services/center-cerebral-palsy-spasticity/about-selective-dorsal-rhizotomy-sdr