Saturday, March 14, 2009

Dr. Keim

Unlike my scoliosis, pain was the symptom signaling the presence of my spondylolisthesis. It was at its worst when I first woke up, as this excerpt from my memoir details:


The cacophony of morning songs from assorted, northern New Jersey birds swirled through the open window with a gentle, early autumn breeze, waking me from a restless night’s sleep.

The pain was waiting for me. It would be sharp, breath-taking and unavoidable.

With a resigned grunt I rolled onto my stomach and slid my body – knees first – toward the hardwood floor. Gripping the headboard, I pulled my 13-year-old self up and grimaced at the familiar, yet surprisingly intense, sensation of an ax grinding into my lower back.

On my feet, but bent at the waist, I walked the length of my room. As my feet shuffled along the cold, dark wood floor, I massaged the muscles of my lower back. Minutes passed and the tight ache subsided, rendering me an upright Homo Sapien, as opposed to a hunched Neanderthal.


After more than a year of this daily ritual, my parents took me to a general practitioner, but he was less than clueless. Subsequent visits to two different orthopedic surgeons were equally frustrating. They knew what was wrong, but wouldn’t tell me -- much less offer a solution. The reason for their silence was yet to be revealed (can you say “fear of malpractice?”).

Enter, Dr. Hugo Keim.

He was slight of build – not much taller than my own 5’ 3” frame – with a thinning hairline and round, wire-rimmed glasses perched before two eyes -- one normal, the other not. We’d heard he was “da man” when it came to adolescent orthopedics, and I will forever credit him for saving me from a wheelchair-bound existence.

Dr. Keim explained that one of my vertebra (the fourth lumbar, aka L-4) had fractured and the two halves were separating, or "slipping." His plan: surgery, post-haste, because the severity of my slippage – measured from Grade I (minor) to Grade IV (severe) – had already progressed to DEFCON 5. There was only a 45% chance that the surgery would be successful. If it wasn’t, I would eventually become paralyzed. If I didn’t have the surgery, same outcome. Nothing like having circumstances dictate a major decision. I took my chances with the surgery.

Dr. Keim corrected my spondylolisthesis with a spinal fusion, taking grafts of bone from my right hip iliac. No instrumentation was used, and I was in a body cast for six months post-op -- bed-ridden for the first three, to enable the fusion to properly heal.

I continued under Dr. Keim’s care for my scoliosis. He’s retired now, but I thank God for his knowledge and expertise, and the impact he had on my life.

5 comments:

  1. Maria,

    I wore the Milwaukee brace for five years under the care of Dr. Keim. I, too, am thankful for him because the first doctor my mother took me to wanted to do surgery. Despite the severity of my "S" curve, Dr. Keim was willing to try the brace, and we caught my condition before a major growth spurt. I wore that contraption faithfully for 23 hours a day and had good results. My curves were corrected to about 10 degrees. I started with it in 6th grade, 1970. Wore it for 5 years. Great to meet a fellow "twisted sister," to borrow from one of your other posts.

    Hey, I'm a writer, too. Keep in touch!

    Candace

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  2. Hey, Candace:
    Always a pleasure meeting another twisted sister :)

    Thanks for your comment about my Dr. Keim post. I'm pleased to hear that the Milwaukee Brace worked for you. I think timing is everything and your early intervention is probably what made it an effective treatment for your S curve.

    I'd enjoy hearing more about you. How is your spine health now? What kind of writing do you do? And, how did you find my blog??

    Look forward to hearing back from you soon. Thanks for stopping by!

    Best,
    Maria

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  3. Hi Maria

    I was also a patient of Dr. Keim. My parents also searched for the best doctor at that time and we found out it was him.

    I wore a brace for about a year and a half before he said it was time to have the spinal fusion. That was when I was in 8th grade.

    Unfortunately, I had to have the surgery again about nine years later. Dr. Keim was retired by then, but sent us to Minnesota to see Dr. Lonstein.

    He was wonderful. I had to have a double fusion done, but the after care was so much more advanced - no cast, just a brace for about four months.

    That was nineteen years ago when I was 21 years old. I now have four children and haven't had any problems since then.

    Melissa

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  4. Hi, Melissa:
    Great to hear from you. I'm glad you're doing well following your second surgery. Thanks for stopping by!

    Best,
    Maria

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  5. January 2,1980. Dr. Kevin corrected my scoliosis. Didn't like him much for a few weeks but after that I sure did. Forever grateful that he was my surgeon. I know a few others that were done by different Doctors and I am by far much better off then they are! He was a nice man and a brilliant Doctor!

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