Mallory Obenauf, 16, left, talks with her sister Megan, 14, about acrobatic water skiing this summer with the Backwater Gamblers. The daughters of Bill and Donna Obenauf of Davenport, Mallory and Megan both have scoliosis of the spine. Mallory wore a back brace and had surgery for the condition three years ago. Megan underwent surgery in December.
Zachary Obenauf, 11, talks with his older sisters Megan, 14, and Mallory, 16, in their Davenport home. Both girls have had surgery for scoliosis, but Zachary, who is being monitored, has not been diagnosed with the condition, which may run in families.
Sisters Megan Obenauf, 14, and Mallory, 16, of Davenport, look at one of the books Mallory wrote while being treated for scoliosis of the spine. Megan had spinal fusion surgery for scoliosis in December and is dealing with a variety of restrictions on her physical activity for the next six months.
These are photos of Mallory Obenauf's spine before and after the 16-year-old from Davenport underwent spinal fusion surgery for scoliosis. Her spine was measured at an 85 percent angle when she had the operation.
These are photos of Mallory Obenauf's spine before and after the 16-year-old from Davenport underwent spinal fusion surgery for scoliosis. Her spine was measured at an 85 percent angle when she had the operation.
When Mallory Obenauf was only 5 five years old, it was discovered that her spine curved at a 30-degree angle.
“That is not good,” her mother, Donna Obenauf, said from the living room of the family's Davenport home. But that was not the worst of it.
After the curvature was discovered, Mallory’s father, Bill Obenauf, said his eldest child was taken to a Davenport orthopedist, who immediately sent the family to Dr. Stuart Weinstein at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital in Iowa City.
Weinstein, an expert on the condition, diagnosed early-onset scoliosis in little Mallory and fitted her with a back brace. She wore that brace 16 hours a day for eight years. By the time she turned 13 years old, her spinal curve had worsened — despite the brace — to an 85-degree angle and she underwent spinal fusion surgery.
Weinstein performs almost all of the scoliosis surgeries in Iowa, including many patients from western Illinois. Weinstein does about four surgeries per week and has been in practice for 39 years. He is also a lead author and researcher on studies that show the effectiveness of using braces in scoliosis patients, having been published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine among other respected publications.
Today, Mallory is 16 years old and almost three years removed from her serious spinal surgery. She is back to her regular activities, including acrobatic water skiing.
However, her sister, Megan, 14, also was diagnosed with scoliosis and underwent spinal fusion surgery in December.
The experience with both girls has led the Obenaufs to try to help other families in the same situation as what they have faced. So far, Mallory has written two books and a third is being produced. She serves on an advisory panel for the children’s hospital.
The family has also counseled more than a dozen others with children facing the surgery, both at the Iowa City hospital and at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Bill Obenauf, who goes by Bill Michaels in his job as one-half of the Dwyer and Michaels morning radio show on 97X (WXLP-FM, 96.9) in the Quad-Cities, said most people had no idea that either of his daughters were dealing with scoliosis.
“They looked normal, but the spine twists inside with the muscles and ligaments. They (doctors) go in and straighten it out. Every case is different, but the twisted spine will contract internal organs," he said.
Both diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis
The scoliosis cases faced by the Obenauf girls are different. Essentially, Mallory had a more serious condition, but Megan’s worsened quickly in 2014 and she is now at a critical point in her recovery.
Mallory is in the 10th grade and Megan in the ninth grade at Pleasant Valley High School in Bettendorf. They have a brother, Zachary, who is 11 years old and attending school in Davenport. Zachary is being monitored for scoliosis, but so far his spine is straight.
When Megan attends school, she is helped by a friend because she is not allowed to carry more than five pounds at a time or raise her hands over her head. Megan meets the friend about five minutes before classes end. The two either go to her locker to get books for her next class or they may continue to the nurse’s office so Megan can lie down and rest for a while.
“We do this before the bell rings so I’m not stuck in a crowd where I could get bumped and hurt,” she explained.
“These first few months after surgery are critical,” her father pointed out.
Origins of the illness
Donna Obenauf had scoliosis when she was a teenager, and the condition may run in families. However, the cause of most cases is unknown, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“My scoliosis was discovered when I was in high school, but my degree was never as severe as Mallory or Megan,” their mother said, adding that she neither had to wear a brace nor undergo surgery. But having dealt with it, she was more aware of scoliosis and made sure her daughters were checked.
Weinstein said scoliosis affects 2 percent to 3 percent of children 10-16 years old. Of those, only 10 percent need further treatment such as braces or surgery. Mallory had early-onset scoliosis as it was diagnosed when she was 5 years old. Megan had a more traditional case.
At one point, the girls' father decided to talk about their condition on his popular radio show.
It was a difficult topic to discuss, he said, but the complicated surgery and extended recovery time gave him something to consider.
“It was eating at me. I knew I would not leave the hospital, and I didn't want to say I was on vacation or anything. So I decided to talk about it,” he explained. He has received a great deal of positive feedback from going public with the information.
A Backwater Gamblers family
The entire Obenauf family is involved with the Backwater Gamblers Water Ski Show Team. Megan was first to join; her interest began after she and Mallory were invited by a PV swimming club friend who is in the show. Both girls ski, as do their brother and father. Their mother works as a volunteer.
Right now, Megan is on the sidelines because of the recent surgery and is counting the days until she can resume the activity in June. “But I’m going to practices anyway, and I can collect money or help vendors. I want to be part of it,” she said.
Mallory has resumed all her previous activities, including the Piranhas Swim Club at PV, cheerleading, playing the flute in the band and performing in stage plays. Both girls are on the varsity swim team and swim almost year-round.
Also, Mallory is continuing her scoliosis outreach activities. She is on the Youth Advisory Council for the children's hospital, which she calls a "tremendous honor." She was invited by Dr. Weinstein to go to Washington, D.C., to lobby for scoliosis research funds at the National Institute of Health.
"It was pretty impressive," Donna Obenauf said. "Physicians from all over the United States came with patients, and it put a face on the condition."
That is something the entire family continues to do, around the Quad-Cities and beyond.
Some 10 years ago, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommended that scoliosis no longer be part of routine screenings in the school setting.Read more
TESTING FOR SCOLIOSIS
About one in 25 adolescent girls and 1 in 200 teenage boys develop scoliosis, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (healthychildren.org).
Normal spines exhibit no curvature when seen from the rear. Those with the condition have a more pronounced S shape when examined with an X-ray. A youngster is said to have scoliosis if the curvature is greater than 10 degrees.
The condition can occur as a complication of polio, muscular dystrophy and other central nervous system disorders, but four in five cases among teenage girls are idiopathic — meaning the cause is unknown. Very often, though, a family member will also have had scoliosis.
Exams are done on a patient’s back to check conspicuous curving of the upper body, uneven, rounded shoulders, a sunken chest or leaning to one side. Back pain with the condition is rare.
— American Academy of Pediatrics
Source: QC Times, 30th Jan 2015
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