Patient Stories

Hi my name is Adriana!

At what age were you diagnosed?

I was diagnosed when I was 5 years old at my yearly check up with my pediatrician. My doctor told me to go visit a specialist so that they can monitor my spine and make sure that it was not progressing rapidly.

Did you wear a back brace?

Yes, at the age of six to seventeen I visited my doctor every six months so that they can monitor the progression of my spine. At the age of 11 during my check up, my specialist recommended me to start wearing a back brace. I wasn’t very happy about it given the fact I would have to wear it 20 hours a day. That would also mean that I would have to wear it during school, so it was a pretty hard transition for me but I wanted to do everything in my power to not get surgery since I knew it would hinder my pre professional ballet track.

Were you self conscious about your spine?

I was a little self conscious on the way my torso looked, especially since I was dancing six days a week in front of a mirror wearing a leotard. And ballet is such a tedious and demanding art form, when it comes to alignment and placement of the body, so yes, at times I did feel a little insecure with the way my torso looked.

When did they recommend surgery?

My doctor recommended surgery when I was 15 years old. I knew that if I were to get surgery my ballet track to becoming a professional dancer would have been ruined, so when my doctor told me this news, I was scared that everything that I had worked for would come to an end. I decided to hold off on the idea of surgery and try an alternative method (schroth method) which can help some people with reducing their curve. I decided to try these exercises because I wanted to do everything in my power to not get surgery so that I can dance professionally.

Why did you decide to get surgery?

I decided to get surgery when I was 17 years old because even though I was trying to do alternative methods it was not working for me, so my curve began to worsen. And I knew in the long run surgery would be a better option for me since my curve was at a degree where most likely it would continue to progress over time, due to the severity of my curve.

Are you still dancing?

Yes, I am still dancing but not as intensely. But given the fact that I am not dancing as much, I am able to explore other interests of mine that I was never able to do before.

Are you happy with your decision?

I am so happy and grateful that I chose to have surgery. People never realise how easily your body adapts to things. Now that my spine is straight I feel a lot more aligned and comfortable with my body.

Do you like your scare?

I LOVE my scar, I would never hate it. It is a small but an important representation of who I am now.