My diagnosis was almost perfect timing- it was that time where all you wanted was a sprained ankle so you could have crutches, or bad vision so you could wear glasses. When the doctors at Stanford Children’s Hospital told me I would have to wear a brace, admittedly, I was a little excited. I wanted to have something that would make me a little different than everyone else. Sure, it seems shallow, but as a 9 year old, it was pretty exciting. I had no idea this diagnosis would lead me down a 5 year long path. My curve was only about 20 degrees at the time, and my parents didn’t believe I needed a brace, so we went to a second opinion. We went to see Dr. Diab at UCSF Children’s Hospital and he’s been my doctor ever since. He was adamant that I definitely did not need a brace and that it was best to monitor it every 6 months. I was a little disappointed. No more back brace.
Now, I realize that I had a lot of autonomy with my treatment options, I realize it’s a privilege most don’t have. I was never forced to wear a brace, I wasn’t even forced to get surgery. They were just recommendations because the severity of my curve and my pain were never that bad.
I did get a night time brace in 6th grade. It was either that or a daytime brace. And I told my doctor I would rather have surgery than wear a daytime brace. I knew how detrimental it would be to my self esteem. And at an age were all you want to do was fit in, I never let it become an option. Night bracing sucked though. I had to wear it to sleepovers, bring it on trips, and it was intensely uncomfortable. The brace completely corrected my curve while wearing it, and I stuck with it for about a year.
My Scoliosis Journey 