It was the summer going into 8th grade. My mom was driving my brother and I to the doctor’s office for our yearly checkup. Obviously, I hate visiting the doctor’s office, but I did like being reassured that I was healthy. I was nervously fidgeting with the pen attached to the health forms when the nurse opened the door to the waiting room and called our names. While we are waiting in the light pink painted room for the doctor, the nurse is taking my blood pressure. I was up first and my brother was going second. I took a seat on the paper covered chair and the doctor knocked on the door and walked in. I wanted nothing more than for him to tell me everything looks good once again and send me home. Instead he asked me to bend over and touch my toes, then he bluntly stated that my spine was curved and I have Scoliosis.
At the time I had no idea what Scoliosis was, or how it could be treated. I was completely shocked, my whole life was thrown upside down and I was confused by my own body. The unknown of Scoliosis freaked me out, and the idea of Spinal Cord Surgery freaked me out even more. Within the next couple of months I had started seeing an orthopedist, physical therapist, and an orthotist for a back brace. I did my physical therapy exercises in my basement with my dad every morning for 45 minutes before school for two years. All these mornings I was exhausted and drained from my schoolwork and sports practice. Although I was frustrated and tired, I knew this was an obstacle that I had to overcome. Wearing my back brace underneath my dress clothes to school everyday and sleeping with it at night was extremely uncomfortable physically and mentally. After wearing my brace for two years my doctor told me my curve decreased from 31 degrees to 28 degrees. I didn’t need surgery.
During the struggle of being diagnosed, wearing a brace and doing physical therapy, I found support from my friends, family, and doctors. I realized that when speaking of my struggles to friends and family, I was not alone. Many people face obstacles and have to dig into their grit and determination to get through them. I have learned to always be there when somebody I care about is struggling because I know what it means to have a good support system. In life, people are fighting silent battles that we know nothing about. This is why it is important to be kind and supportive because you never know what someone is going through. Although physical therapy and wearing a back brace was distressing, Scoliosis deepened my relationship with other people through their constant support. Their support helped me to stay determined and never give up on myself, a skill that I strive to still use today.
