I have Spina Bifida. I am 17years of age. How can I tell if I will be able to have children. Paralyzed at L4?
613848
This is a question for doctors and counsellors and not "SOME" of the idots that use Yahoo Answers.\n\nYou are sure to have someone say some nasty things, prepare yourself.\n\nI've provided a very useful link to the Canadian, "Rick Hanson", the paraplegic that circled the globe in his wheelchair (and has kids) in his Man in Motion tour.\n\nMy best wishes for you in your future.\n\nI've read all of the questions you have asked. These questions are "MUCH TO PERSONAL" to be asking through this kind of medium. I admire your straight forwardness, but your questions are better left to your medical people.\n\nContact your Doctor, your Counsellor, first!... and then Rick Hanson.
643173
There are many disabilities that are not genetic. Some simply happen by chance, some because the egg was old, some are only possible if both the mother and father are carriers of the disability. If you are really concerned, you and your boyfriend can see a genetic counselor who will be able to tell you if a child produced by the two of you would be at risk.
612103
I have scoliosis & found out in the 5th grade--I am now 33. I have been able to do anything that I want to. \nYou may want to use a back brace &/or start practicing now for good posture to prevent future complications, but many people have curvature of the spine and most of those who do don't even need medical supervision for it. \nRemember, thru God, all things are possible!
236845
There are programs to help you & your children. What state are you from? What disabilities do your children have? If you give me more info. I can help.
520604
i dont' suggest it. do you want to use stem cells to help yourself when they had to kill babies to get it? i wouldn't. i'm sorry for your MS though. truly.
350958
Unless you were born with an anomoly or have had a severe vaginal infection resulting in permanent damage, there is no way to know whether or not you are incapable of having children without a complete infertility workup.  A ob/gyn  doesn't even do an infertiity workup unless you have been trying to conceive for at least a year.
440754
My husband and I tried for about nine months, and now we're expecting in early September.  I think it was the pressure of trying that kept us from attaining our goal for so long.  As soon as I stopped worrying about it, it happened.  I will tell you some of the things I read about on the internet before we got lucky.  Several sites on infertility suggested missionary position, with hips elevated (like on a pillow or something), and not moving for about 30 minutes or longer afterwards.  There were suggestions that taking a teaspoon of robitussin (or any other cough medicine containing "guaifinessin") would produce favorable "cervical mucus."  Also, counting the days after your period so that timing the intercourse with the most fertile time of your cycle makes sense.  We almost bought a fertility predictor, but then I read that the predictor kits can only predict whether or not you have ovulated.  This can be helpful if you have irregular periods, so that you can plan for the following month's tries.  Also, take lots of folic acid (I bought a big bottle at the dollar store, the pills are very small).  Folic acid helps the fetus develop its spinal cord and brain, but it has to be in your body early on in embryonic development in order to do the best job.  A good prenatal or women's vitamin wouldn't hurt, even if you don't get pregnant right away!\n\nHonestly though, each time I've gotten pregnant (This is our third pregnancy, and hopefully second living child, our second was stillborn), I have had to completely give up hope of conception before getting pregnant, which leads me to believe that sometimes, if you don't have any physical problems, infirtility can be alleviated by letting go of the "I need a baby" worries.\n\nBelieve me, the worries really begin then!!  :)  But it's worth it--- like a million times over.  Good Luck, and hey!  don't forget that the funnest part of making a baby is making the baby!!!!
367295
see the doc. i have a family member that could'nt have kids until she was in her 30's or 40, somethiong like that, but anyway something about her overys, but she finnally had kids after being treat from a doc.
143956
I have spina bifida (I use crutches): http://www.sbaa.org
259045
I think the age when I won't be able to have children - menopause age then I'll be old.  \n\nBut "old" is not a bad thing.  I can't wait to be old!  I won't have to work, I'm going to cash in on my retirment fund, and vacation til I can't vacation any more.  I'm just going to get fat because I can!  And I'm going to have sex until I break my hip.
1079986
Nothing can be certain until the baby is born.\nI know someone who intentionally married his aunt and they had 2 children.\nOne has had some slight mental problems  (phobias & such) and the younger girl has a serious medical problem which causes her muscles to deteriorate. When she was younger she could walk, as she got older she had to use crutches now shes in a wheel chair.\nBcos she cannot walk she has put on quite a large amount of weight causing more problems to her health.\nShe cant hold a pen and has to use a laptop for school and cannot put her back straight.\nFrom what ive been told  this genetic disease will cause her to live till only about 30. Shes 14 now.\n\nIm not meaning to put a damper on things but the fact is some things go wrong especially with inter family relations.
533459
better get an EPT and find out...sounds like there is a good chance of it. \nour baby is the joy of our life, if she is she needs to know asap so she can start taking prenatel vitamins and taking good care of her self. \nBest Wishes...this is a big deal and really serious. be positive and know that each and everyone of us are here because of the same condition. it will all work out one way or another. stay positive! Life is a gift...this could be the most important thing she ever does. Do it right and learn as much as you can together. your help is going to mean a lot to her, plus you will be an Auntie!!!!
683371
Kerrie-\n\nWow, that's a big question.  First of all I'm a parent, not a neurosurgeon so don't take this as gospel.  My daughter is almost five and has spina bifida, hydrocephalus and Chiari-2 malformation.  She also has a g-tube (more on that later) but has not suffered from seizures.  She has had the Chiari surgery (it's called decompression) at a very young age-about 13 mos-because her Chiari is pretty pronounced and prior to the surgery she would quickly become sympomatic if her shunt failed (I think we're on about the 20th shunt!).  She was also de-tethered at the beginning of last year because of severe lower back pain.\n\nBasically Chiari means that the brain is shifted down and back in the skull.  This forces the brain stem down into a sort of funnel where it connects to the spinal cord.  When pressure builds in the brain the stem is compressed and nerves are temporarily or permanently damaged.  Typically the nerves that are affected control upper neck and head stuff- breathing, swallowing, vocal cord mobility, etc.  My daughter's cords were paralyzed at 6 mos which caused stridor and aspiration of small amounts of food- hence the g-tube.  During the Chiari decompression surgery bone is removed from around the brain stem making more room for the stem- when the pressure increases there is less effect on the nerves in the stem because there is more room.\n\nTethered cord means that the cord is attached to either the spinal column or scar tissue (in the case of spina bifida).  As the person grows the cord is stretched instead of floating in the CSF in the column.  Stretching the cord usually causes a loss of mobility but can cause back pain.  Actually you are the first parent I've heard from whose child is experiencing pain like my daughter did- usually mobility is the issue.\n\nIs your son suffering from lower back pain?  I haven't heard of Chiari causing back pain but I'm a salesman, not a neurosurgeon.  What I have learned is that the brain and spinal cord are all floating in one interconnected and balanced system of fluid.  Pressure building in one part of the system can cause issues with other parts of the system.  Unfortunately I've also learned that neurosurgery is basically a science of highly educated opinions.  Only so much can show up on an MRI and there are no hard-and-fast rules.  Some kids can tolerate a lot of ventrical pressure and some can't.  Some kids have severe Chiari but are never decompressed because they never show any symptoms- basically their nervous systems can just deal with it.  Some kids lose mobility when their cords are tehtered and others are in pain... you get the point.  At the end of the day it comes down to how much you trust and respect the surgeon and what they are basing their actions on.\n\nI still haven't answered your question, have I?  If your son is experiencing back I would think it's probably caused by the tethered cord so it makes sense that the surgeon wants to do that first.  It really doesn't matter, anyway.  If the cord is tethered that has to be fixed whether it's the cause of the pain or not.  For my daughter the de-tethering was much more difficult to recover from than the decompression surgery but the surgeons were clear that because of the amount of scar tissue from her spina bifida repair that it was probably the most complicated one they had seen.  The decompression was much simlpler- surgery took a few hours and she was home in a week.  It took her a while to get full mobility back in her neck (the surgery is done at the base of the neck) but that was just from the surgical pain.  The Chiari symptoms eased almost instantly and the whole thing was behind us in a month or so.  De-tethering was a much longer procedure with 6+ weeks in the hospital but again her procedure was VERY complicated because of her unique circumstances.  The pain went away after the surgery healed and two months after surgery she wa
740822
If you've been having this for a couple of months, it's definitely time to see a doctor.  You could have an infection of some kind that could damage your ability to have children.  You could be very ill.  Whether you can afford it or not, this is your health.
231685
Spina bifida is a birth defect of the spine and occurs in 1 in 2,000 babies in the U.S. each year.  There are three forms of spina bifida: occulta, meningocele and myelomeningocele.  It is caused by a lack of folic acid in women who are pregnant.\n\nSpina bifida occulta is the least severe form of the defect while meylomeningocele is the most severe form of the defect, resulting in the baby being born paralyzed from the waist down depending on the location of the lesion.  Spina bifida requires surgery to close the lesion, usually two to three days after birth.  I was born with spina bifida, specifically myelomeningocele, the most severe form of spina bifida.
186440
Oh you were definately right! You are way too young to get pregnant! I would wait until you are at least 18 or until you feel ready to have children (after you turn 18) My mom had me when she was 16 and I'm sure that there are a lot of things that should would have wanted to do it her life would have been different. I had my son at 23 and still wasn't ready!
577358
sorry, i'm too old for you, but wheelchairs don't make the person. wheelchairs just means life is lived differently. a quality woman would see you for your great personality, your confidence, and your sincerity. work on being the best you there is and you won't have problems wondering if anyone would go out with you. take care. :)