Tomorrow is the day for THE SCAN. Day 78 with only about 50 or so hours to go.
I will probably be posting every day for a bit as this is a transitional phase. Things will be happening much quicker for a bit. If this bores you, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be the days to check the blog for definitive information. They will be later in the day so as to get the pertinent information included.
Here's a little movie I managed to construct of the scan images taken the day of the accident. It is only of the first and second cervical vertebrae (C1 and C2 respectively) and only takes 12 seconds total. I've learned a lot about spines and the upper cervical structure in the last few months, mostly out of necessity.
The circular bone in the first few seconds is C1 with two fractures at roughly the 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock positions. These fractures are very visible at the two second mark. Pausing it may help. C1 is the base on which the skull moves about at the top of the spine. This is how you make the 'yes' gesture.
You can also see the top of C2, the odontoid, as the round object at 12 o'clock. This vertebrae is what allows the head to rotate left and right as in the 'no' gesture. As the image progresses, you can see the odontoid fracture from about five seconds to 10 seconds. Look at the 11, 12 and 1 o'clock positions to see these C2 fractures.
This is where we find out if the vitamins, calcium, yogurt and not the least of all, prayers worked! The obvious voids of dark area on the 12/14/2008 scan should show some gray and even flecks of white where the bone has healed and started to mineralize. That is what we are hoping for. By the end of tomorrow I should be able to post the updated version with any healing indicated.
Interestingly enough, I am having a hard time finding a definitive answer about the strength of a bone after a fracture. Some information says it is not stronger, which is certainly true in the first few months after a break. Still other information says it will be stronger than before.
Exercise and especially weight bearing workouts done properly will cause the bone to be stronger but that is also true of non-fractured bones. Bones are not static, they are constantly being remodeled due to loads and use. It may take up to a year or more for the bone to be fully remodeled but that does not mean it isn't completely healed. It should already be very strong and most reports state it should be 80% of pre-injury strength by the eighth week. After the eighth week it slows down dramatically. So, here's to stronger bones and more yogurt!
Prayers and good thoughts much appreciated!
I will probably be posting every day for a bit as this is a transitional phase. Things will be happening much quicker for a bit. If this bores you, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be the days to check the blog for definitive information. They will be later in the day so as to get the pertinent information included.
Here's a little movie I managed to construct of the scan images taken the day of the accident. It is only of the first and second cervical vertebrae (C1 and C2 respectively) and only takes 12 seconds total. I've learned a lot about spines and the upper cervical structure in the last few months, mostly out of necessity.
The circular bone in the first few seconds is C1 with two fractures at roughly the 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock positions. These fractures are very visible at the two second mark. Pausing it may help. C1 is the base on which the skull moves about at the top of the spine. This is how you make the 'yes' gesture.
You can also see the top of C2, the odontoid, as the round object at 12 o'clock. This vertebrae is what allows the head to rotate left and right as in the 'no' gesture. As the image progresses, you can see the odontoid fracture from about five seconds to 10 seconds. Look at the 11, 12 and 1 o'clock positions to see these C2 fractures.
This is where we find out if the vitamins, calcium, yogurt and not the least of all, prayers worked! The obvious voids of dark area on the 12/14/2008 scan should show some gray and even flecks of white where the bone has healed and started to mineralize. That is what we are hoping for. By the end of tomorrow I should be able to post the updated version with any healing indicated.
Interestingly enough, I am having a hard time finding a definitive answer about the strength of a bone after a fracture. Some information says it is not stronger, which is certainly true in the first few months after a break. Still other information says it will be stronger than before.
Exercise and especially weight bearing workouts done properly will cause the bone to be stronger but that is also true of non-fractured bones. Bones are not static, they are constantly being remodeled due to loads and use. It may take up to a year or more for the bone to be fully remodeled but that does not mean it isn't completely healed. It should already be very strong and most reports state it should be 80% of pre-injury strength by the eighth week. After the eighth week it slows down dramatically. So, here's to stronger bones and more yogurt!
Prayers and good thoughts much appreciated!
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