i still live crooked
i could never tell the entire story of being diagnosed with scoliosis. i could never explain all the feelings associated with that experience, the feelings i had when i saw a new doctor every week who would tell me something different, something more scary.
i recently discovered a blogger who wrote about her experience, in detail, and actually had the corrective surgery. i commented on her post, and in that comment, i was the closest i have ever been to describing my experience:
i was diagnosed in high school. i had grown up seeing regular physicians, so my parents were immediately stunned that the curve in my spine could’ve been overlooked.
we spent a full year, perhaps more, consulting with doctors and monitoring the progression of the curve. every week, i was taken out of school early to see another doctor. we discussed surgery, the back brace, the possible effects of simple exercises. some doctors told me that surgery was the only way for me to go.
i saw a specialist at ucla medical hospital and he was the last doctor i ever saw about my scoliosis. he told me that i had stopped growing (i’m not even 5 feet tall) and thus, the curve would not worsen.
i’m lucky that it hasn’t. i never had the surgery or wore a back brace. i haven’t even seen an x-ray of my back in years. i have no idea how bad the curve is now. i have no pain, except for the memory of being thrown to doctor after doctor with tales of this “necessary surgery.”
i admire you for having had the surgery, and i admire you for writing about it.
2 responses so far
I’m glad you got something out of my post. That’s always good to hear. The surgery was tough, but it’s been 7 years ago now and I’m glad that I got it out of the way. I’m glad your scoliosis doesn’t seem to be having any adverse affects on you.
oh my. i just got chills reading this. when i was in 10th grade, the school nurse was giving sports physicals and told me that my one shoulder was higher than the other and that i had scoliosis. she called my mom, freaked her out and i, much like you i would imagine, was shuffled from doctor to doctor being told that i would need at the least a back brace or worse, serious surgery. i remember getting myself all hysterical and i remember being so scared. i must have seen a hundred different doctors. all my mom wanted was to hear something different, that they aren’t going to have to cut her little girl open. eventually, we went to childrens in philly and they ran test after test and the doctor firmly assured her that my curve wouldn’t get any worse, but i also wouldn’t be getting any taller.
damn, i really wanted to be a basketball player too. i guess 5′1 isn’t so bad. everyone in my family is 5′10+, i like to stand out. :o)
thank you for sharing your story. it’s not something that’s widely talked about, so yeah… it was nice to relate. xoxo