Scoliosis: My Story

Chapter 3

Today I'm going to start from the beginning up till know, so you guys get the whole picture of my experience. I have 2 curves in my spine and am using the Boston brace.

At last, 7th period was finally over. I'm starting to think that 2nd period PE is better than 7th period PE. I made my way to the lunch tables with my twin. We saw our best friend, then all three of us walked to the fence to get to our moms. Thats when I remember. We have that dumb physical today. We say hi to our friends mom, then to ours. Being the typical latina family, we kiss on the cheek.

We pile into the car after saying bye, and make our way to the doctor. I keep complaining. Finally, we get there. We get out and head inside. We check in, then head to the elevator. I am hesitant to get in because I have a deathly fear of elevators. We wait in the waiting room, then get called and go in. After waiting our doctor appears, and our physical starts.

Before that they of course took our height, blood pressure, weight, and temperature. Then, since we were at the physical, they checked our ears and did the eye chart test.

Anyway, our doctor, who is very kind, does my twin first. Then it is my turn. When we get to my back, she doesn't say anything. Then, she tells me to touch my toes. I did. She asked my mom if she ever noticed anything weird with my back. My mom said no. My doctor said that I had one arm and leg longer than the other, and that I needed x rays.

The day came were I would get my x rays done, and I was scared out of my mind. We did the x rays and left.

We had got a call and had an appointment scheduled. We went to see a specialist. We went in the room. The doctor pulled up my x rays. I was more than shocked. What was supposed to be a nice straight spine wasn't. This spine was curvey. The doctor said that I had scoliosis and explained what it was. He did tests. My back was 14 degrees at the top and 23 at the bottom. He said that I would need a brace because I was growing to fast. He said I would wear it for 4 years, or until I stopped growing. I didn't expect that. I was shocked. He told me that I would have to wear it for 23 and a half ours, only to be taken off for showers.

That night, I searched up images of scoliosis braces. I was dreading having to get one, but was still oddly excited.

After a while I told my friends, and was shocked that one of my friends had scoliosis to.

I went to an appointment with the person who was going to make my brace. He took measurements with a ruler, and showed us a brace. It was plastic. The first thing I thought of was summer.

About a month or so passed, and we finally got the call. I was to get my brace on a Tuesday, January 12. I waited till the day came.

It was Tuesday and school ended. We made our way to the clinic. We went in the room. He showed my mom how to put it on. It wasn't uncomfortable. I was shocked by this. We went to my friends house, and my mom showed my brace to them.

The next day came, and it was surprisingly easy. I was sad though, because I had a brace, and because the brace squished my butt, that was, by the way, was decent sized.

After a while I was able to put my brace on by myself, but my mom did it for me in the mornings.

I went to appointments with my brace maker. I had x rays 6 months later. May 9. We did them, then my specialist checked the brace. He recommended that I get blood work done for pain in my hands, arms, knees, legs, and feet.

The next day I went to my eye appointment and picked out new glasses.

Days passed, and my mom received a call from my specialist. My spine had gotten worse, even with the brace. That day my mom called my brace maker to get my brace adjusted. Today, Friday, my mom is supposed to get a call to schedule my appointment.

I came home from school and started to write this.

So that is my journey so far. Please wish me luck with my brace maker.

I got new glasses today.

My sister and I had a fight yesterday. I learned that my sister doesn't want to accept what I have. You see, I'm the sporty one out of my twin and I. She said that if I end up needing surgery, it wouldn't be fair for me to not be able to play rough sports anymore.

I want control over my life back. Every morning, except weekends, my mom is their to help me get dressed. She watches TV in my room while waiting. I want yo be able to run fast again. This brace is ruining my solid A. Now I have a -A. I want to be free. I want control over the next steps in my life. I want to be in the Marines when I grow up. But how do you suppose I do that if the people in the Marines all have straight backs?
I want to be able to wear what ever I want to wear. I want the pain to go away. I never got much pain, but lately everything, but my back has been killing me. Ironic. I want to be able to feel my close on my skin, feel hugs fully. I don't want my family, or anyone, to pity me any more. I want to be free.

Every single person out there with scoliosis is a true warrior. No one but us will understand how scoliosis has changed our lives. No one will understand how much scoliosis affects us mentally and physically. No one will understand how much pain we are constantly in. No one else will have to live with the constant worry and fear of surgery. What if it doesn't work? What if I get stuck in a wheel chair? No one will ever come close to know how it feels like to be us every day. Cheers to all of us. We are true fighters. I congratulate you guys. We all have earned a round of applause.