Patient Stories

My name is Lauren D’Amico Ozga and I’m a NJ Native and Ms. New Jersey! Here is a little bit more about me and my scoliosis journey:

I was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 10 which means I was starting the 5th grade. I remember being very young and not really understanding what this was but I could tell by my parent’s reactions, that it could be a cause of concern in my future. As I grew taller my curvature worsened and it was at 27 degrees and in 7^th grade when my Orthopedic surgeon decided to brace me. It couldn’t have happened at the most time in my life: Middle School. I thought to myself am I going to have to wear this to school? How will I fit into clothes with this plastic contraption being measured to my body? Will my friends be embarrassed of me? My orthopedic team advised my parents that I could either sleep in the brace or wear it to school, so I decided to take the sleeping route. I would like to share some sleeping techniques that I learned through my brace journey to stay comfortable at night. The first few weeks are definitely an adjustment process to find the way your body will be able to get the best night’s sleep with the brace on. I found sleeping on your side is much more doable than sleeping on your back flat, don’t get me wrong I tried the flat back thing and it just didn’t work for me. Trial & error is key to your sleeping technique! Always remember to stretch before you put the brace on and when you take it off because it strengthens muscles and will help mobility after having the brace on for 8+ hours.

Exercise is so important to maintain while wearing your brace, I would go on walks once a day to keep my spine in motion. A more modern way to exercise now would be to do yoga which I thoroughly recommend due to the ability for flexibility training, stress management, and getting good quality sleep while wearing your brace.

Next up, clothing. You are probably thinking about what are going to wear to cover your brace. I leaned more towards the comfortable t-shirt and sweatpants. You will soon find what feels right on your body.

It’s also very important to have a great support system around you. I’m so thankful for my friends and family. I spoke to my friends and told them what was happening and even in 7^th grade these ladies were supportive and kind and told me not to worry because they will have my back and we are still friends to this day!

I wore my brace proudly from 7^th – 11^th grade, knowing that after this brace came off, I would be a new version of myself with great posture! I couldn’t have been more thankful for my amazing orthopedic team! Now at the age of 36, I stand proudly at 5’’4 with great posture. I want to be on this platform to tell individuals that this journey is tough and can be long but look forward to the road ahead because it will be ok and you can do anything you want! Scoliosis is not going to stand in your way of anything!! It will make you stronger and you will be able to tell your inspirational story to others!