It was ninth grade before I had x-rays done again. I was around thirteen or fourteen at this point. My mother said it would be a good idea to have my spine checked again. She had made an appointment with an orthopedic doctor. I remember hoping that I would go to the doctor and miraculously they would say I don’t have scoliosis anymore; that my spine was now straight. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
At the doctor’s office they did a series of x-rays and had me wait in a room with my mother while they were developed. When the doctor came in he said I had severe scoliosis. I remember him commenting that if I didn’t have surgery right away I would be unable to breath and would die. I started panicking! How could we go from a few years earlier where the scoliosis was nothing to worry about to where all of a sudden it was a life or death situation? I was confused and scared and the doctor was no help. But, I instinctively knew surgery was not for me. The doctor told me that was the only option. He asked my mother to make an appointment so I could come back. We never did.
As I was getting older my scoliosis was starting to cause me some mild pain. It wasn’t anything major, but at times my back would feel weak. At High School I found a girl who had scoliosis and started talking to her during gym class. She had the surgery and told me that she lost a lot of mobility because of it. She informed me there were metal rods in her spine. I had always been active and I didn’t want to lose my mobility, let alone I did not want metal rods in my spine!
My anxiety kicked into overdrive. The doctor said surgery was the only answer. I was going to die without it. I would not be able to breath. I did not want metal rods in my spine. I did not want to lose my mobility. I felt hopeless and alone. I didn’t know what to do.
My mother and I didn’t have a computer at home. The internet wasn’t a big part of our lives, and it was still pretty new. It’s not like it is today where information is at your fingertips. There was no instant way to find out about scoliosis and research and treatments. I was on my own.
Looking back I believe it was a scare tactic that the doctor used by saying that I was going to die. What teenager wants to hear that? Let alone how can you just come out and say that? A lot of doctors I have found through my own research, through talking to people, and through my own face to face interactions are quick to suggest surgery. Don't get me wrong. There are reasons for surgery if they are the right ones. So many people go in for scoliosis surgery that actually don't need it. If you truly can't breathe then by all means have the surgery. But, in a majority of cases surgery should be the very last final option. All other options should be tried first. I'm a big believer in trying alternative methods. I am a big believer in thinking outside the box. And you'll be surprised by what you find! The one thing I truly hate about scoliosis information out there today is that surgery is always mentioned but other non-surgical methods that truly work are not mentioned and they should. I believe all people with scoliosis should have options and should know all the options available. That is part of the reason I am doing this blog and sharing my story. The other part is I don't want a child to go through what I have and to be told what I have been told. To this day those doctor's words still haunt me. Please check back tomorrow when I will share more about my story.
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