Julie had an aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC). An ABC is a benign tumor in the bone itself. In Julie’s case, it was a little larger than an egg, and it “blew out” her L3 vertebrae. Surgery took place on July 21, 2008 at Children’s Hospital in New Orleans. They removed the ABC, and they installed pins, a plate, and bone grafts. They also fused her L2-L4 vertebrae. The surgery relieved the pressure on her spine and nerves, especially those causing pain in her right leg. Initial recovery of the bone will take 3-6 months, with full recovery taking about a year. Julie’s prognosis for complete recovery is good. Your prayers are appreciated.

These pages are blog entries chronicling Julie’s journey, and they also serve to provide an update for our friends and family when we know something new. You can catch just the latest by clicking on the title for the first entry below, or you can follow the whole journey by clicking “Go to archive,” reading the first entry at the bottom, and then clicking “next” at the end of each entry.

Julie’s Situation