My Journey With Scoliosis

Hey guys !! My name is Jaclyn and I am 21 years old. I have severe scoliosis and have found great relief in reading blogs about other people's journeys with this disease. One website in particular is http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/ . It is full of great people that are willing to offer advice and guide you along the way. I have met a couple of people through that website that I continue to keep in contact with. We are each other's support system. They have encouraged me to start my own blog. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or advice. I am here to make friends and to support others.

I was diagnosed at the age of 13. I was not born with scoliosis, but somewhere along the line my spine began to grow crooked. My spine developed an S shaped curve. The top curve is currently at 56 degrees and the bottom curve is currently at 47 degrees. Between the ages of 13-15 I wore a brace for about 12 hours a day. It was supposed to be more, but I was too embarassed to wear it to school or out with my friends. Scoliosis was a huge secret and no one was supposed to know. My best friends only found out this year. I didn't know anyone else with this problem and was embarassed of it. It had a huge effect on my self esteem and my social life. I developed a slight case of anorexia because of these issues. While no one can see it, I know it's there. My ribs portrude more on my right side and if pointed out, my scoliosis is noticeable. I always wear my hair down and long which does a great deal in hiding it.

After being braced for a year and half, my orthopedist told me that I was done growing and wouldn't have to ever worry about my back again. He said that it would most likely be stable and not cause any future pain or medical issues. April 2009 I started to get pain in my lower back. This prompted me to return to my orthopedist almost 6 years later for new xrays. My scoliosis did advance to the curves I said above (56, 47). This left me with one option, spinal fusion surgery.

In protest against this surgery that I thought was the end of the world, I began to go to the chiropractor. She was amazing and I continue to go to her today. While she was not able to correct the curve or prevent it from getting worse, she does greatly help with the pain and has become a friend.

After going to three different spine specialists, I have chosen my surgeon and scheduled my surgery for January 4, 2010. While I am very confident with the surgeon I chose, I am very nervous about the risks of the surgery. I have been using blogs written by other people who have gone through it as a support system. I am excited to be able to look in the mirror and be straight!! (Don't think I'm hunched over or anything. No one knows I have scoliosis. When I show them my xray, they can't believe my spine is curved!! I know it's there, so I daunt on it.) I am also excited to regain some of the height that my twisted spine has taken away from me. I was told I will be about 2 inches taller after surgery. The most important things I'm excited for is that my heart and lungs will be taken out of danger and the pain will go away.

I will keep you all updated about my journey!! I'm sure I'll use this to talk about my regular life as well. Hopefully, my story will make a difference to others.