Hi! My name is Aarushi Sheth and I was diagnosed with Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis of thoracolumbar region when I was 12, during the summer of 2020. It started with a routine check up with my pediatrician, where the doctor told me I had scoliosis. He told me that it didn’t look serious and is mainly common among girls my age, but recommended for me to go get an X-Ray just in case. After getting my X-Ray I found out the severity of the situation, the curve of my spine was bad enough that I immediately had to consider bracing or surgery.
Bracing was supposed to be good enough to help me, so I went with that. Soon after I made my choice I immediately had to go to another specialist who prepared me for my brace. A couple weeks later I obtained my back brace and started wearing it. I constantly felt uncomfortable and hated wearing it. I felt like I couldn’t breathe, and when I had to wear it out I always felt weird and uncomfortable. During this time my mental health got very bad, I felt different then every one else and so unhappy that this was happening to me. I stopped doing the sports I was in, stopped going to sleepovers, and overall became a shell. Over time my feelings about the brace got better, especially with my friends’ help, but during my two years of bracing my curve got worse. This is because I had another condition that caused my scoliosis called Chiari Malformation specifically type 2. Due to this I got my first surgery and when I went to my next back appointment I found out that my curve was so bad I had to get surgery.
So the summer before my freshman year when I was 14 I got the surgery. I was very scared at the time, but now I have no regrets. Recovery isn’t easy, I won’t lie, during that time I was in a lot of pain and couldn’t always do everything I wanted, but now the back that once kept giving me pain barely hurts. I no longer have a curve, and with my surgeons I am able to do so much. Currently I am an active member of many of my school’s clubs, I exercise and practice taekwondo, where I am training for black belt testing, and I enjoy the things I always felt I never could prior. I am proud of myself for doing what I did, and as a senior in High School now I have no regrets- bracing and surgery really worked out for me. For all those struggling there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and if you ever need anything don’t be scared to share!
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