Why are my adventured untethered? Because for the past three years (spring 2006), my son's congenital tethered spinal cord syndrome has colored my life. He was tethered for over a year (most of that before birth,) and then had a detethering surgery at six months of age. But it's more: I've always marched to the beat of my own drummer; I've always seen the world from a slightly different perspective. Thinking that he's now experiencing the world detethered makes me realize that I've always been untethered: untethered by social conventions. Our experiences effect who we are, and in our case, tethering and untethering are paramount to our experiences.
Now, wait, how did that detethering occur, again? He underwent major spinal surgery at six months. Yes, that's right, as an infant. Pediatric neurosurgery is never fun, but we got through it. Imagine a six month old getting hit by a bus; that's what he looked like. It was a four inch scar then, and will grow with him as he grows. Eventually he'll have a ten inch scar along his spine as an adult. Just to clarify: he did not have Spina Bifida. He has a closed cord defect. Meaning, the tethering occurred well after his neural tube closed at conception. Even so, it is a neural tube defect, and he will always have the syndrome from the tethering.
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