Then, in September of 2000, almost a year after the previous segment of their journey began, Mihdi underwent the next follow-up series of x-ray, ultrasound, and MRI diagnostics. His parents were alarmed to learn from the results that the curvature of his spine had increased by 2 degrees per month during the previous eleven months. While he had grown 3-1/2 inches and added nearly 3 pounds to his frail little body during this same period, this growth and the accompanying increased activity of being a toddler had only served to aggravate the increase in the curvature.
Their fears and concerns only grew as they consulted with Dr. John Emans, pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Boston Children's Hospital, about the results of these tests. He described the only treatment protocol available in Western medicine for Mihdi's condition. This entailed a surgical procedure during which expandable titanium rods would be buried between the muscles and the skin on either side of Mihdi's spine with the rods being screwed into the sacrum, and attached to the upper ribs with hooks; it was possible that some of the spinous processes would have to be removed in order for the two rods to be connected. Dr. Emans explained that infections occur, rods break, screws undo, hooks loosen. It would be necessary for a body brace to be worn to help prevent such things happening from excessive movement; however, even with the brace, these things could occur. Any surgical procedures necessary to repair such mishaps would be over and above the surgeries that would already have been scheduled for every six months in order to extend the rods to accommodate Mihdi's growth. This could conceivably amount to a surgical procedure as frequently as once every other month.
Dr. Emans went on to explain that ideally this treatment protocol should continue until Mihdi's bones ossified (hardened) somewhere in the vicinity of ages 18 to 21. He quickly pointed out that they would probably be begging him to cease these procedures long before that, likely around ages 7 or 8, at which time his spine would be fused. Dr. Emans believed the fusion would be necessary sooner or later with permanent rods inserted to stabilize the spine. This would result in severely limited mobility for Mihdi, and lifelong disability. Dr. Emans stated that if the curvature continued to progress at its current rate that it would be necessary to perform the surgery within the next 4 to 6 months as this protocol was not effective beyond 90 degrees of curvature.
Besides the extreme "S"-shaped curvature of the spine, it was also twisted or torqued to the front which threatened to diminish his lung capacity. It was feared by Western doctors that Mihdi would never live to see his teenage years and would suffer a slow and painful death from respiratory failure if intervention did not occur.
Then, on top of all of this, a renal ultrasound had shown that Mihdi only had one kidney. So with all of these burdensome thoughts on his mind including thoughts of the psychological trauma that this treatment plan would mean for his beautiful little baby, Mihdi's father told Dr. Emans of his experience with Oriental medicine, and that he saw it as a modality of medicine that needed to be pursued before resorting to surgery if they should decide to choose that option. On that note, Marvin once again took his little boy in search of where the best place would be to treat his condition.
