Throughout my childhood, I maintained my fighter spirit in overcoming my condition. I started to love playing soccer, and despite my condition, I continued to play the sport I love whilst being cautious of my condition. In light of all this, I received much reassurance from my friend’s sister who also was diagnosed with scoliosis, so we got to bond with each other during our journeys.
Up until age 11, my spinal curve didn’t approach any major concerns until I started growing through puberty. At my semiannual orthopedic checkup with my doctor, they found out that my curve had started to worsen as a result of a growth spurt. Along with that, my rib bones were increasingly poking out of proportion to my body, raising much concern to my doctors.
During that meeting, my entire world tumbled down. The doctors had brought up the idea of surgery before, but I never assumed this idea would come to life. They told my parents and I that I would need to undergo spinal surgery to correct my severe spinal curve. My parents and I were extremely worried due to how major this surgery would have to be for me, and I have never stayed overnight in a hospital or even gone through such a procedure before. This was one of the most monumental moments in my life.
When we got home, we were cautious and worrisome of the doctor’s words. Over the next couple months, we traveled between a couple doctors to seek a second opinion. I didn’t know whether to tell my friends, teachers, or other extended family because I couldn’t even process what was happening. I seemed to be in the belief that my denial would carry me through this time in my life.
Luckily, after much-needed advice from other orthopedics, my parents and I concluded that we should take measures that would be an alternative to the major surgery. We switched doctors, and I had to wear a bright blue back brace for the second time for around a year. During lockdown, I felt ashamed to wear this brace because I perceived it as a burden to my everyday life. When I returned to school, I refused to take my hoodies off at times because my back brace was underneath.
As many things do, this time of wearing the brace passed me by, and I was able to withhold from wearing it after two years. Looking back at it now, I’m extremely grateful for the help of my doctors and parents in helping me through this journey in bettering my health.
Currently, I go to biannual checkups with Dr. Newton to check up my spine, and my curve has steadied out from any unregulated growth. The thing that I take most from my journey and condition is to trust in the process and embrace the embarrassment. In the end, doing what the doctor prescribed was very beneficial to my overall health, even if it took a couple of opinions. I am 16 now and I don’t let my condition defi ne me, but rather as a medal for what I have overcome, and it has given me an overall sense of pride in my identity.
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