HI!!!!! :-) My name is Courtney Jade!!! I am 14 years old. I was diagnosed with scoliosis a year ago.

I found out that I had scoliosis when I went to my chiropractor. I was there because I had tripped over a hurtle doing junior olympics for summer track. The day after that I pulled a muscle along my back bone while spiking a volleyball in my backyard. My chiropractor told me that I had a 37 degree curve in my backbone. He suggested that I go see one of the best scoliosis doctors in our state so we set a date and went to Dr. Buzz a month later.

In one month my curve had progressed 44 degrees. Dr. Buzz told me that this wasn't good but it could be fixed! So about two weeks later I went to see Dr. Tom and he made me a brace!! At first I was really bummed out that I had to wear a brace. Especially since I was involed in so many sports. I had enjoyed doing volleyball, basketball, and track. My favorite thing to do in track was the hurdles and 400's!! But despite my brace I succeeded in all of these sports!! I was very glad!! After the first six months I went for another check up and to my surprise my curve got better it was only 36 degrees. I was very glad! so after that my doctors told me just to keep wearing my brace and do everything that I could to keep my back at 36. So I did I wore my brace despite the fact that I had pneumonia I still wore it.

This year in track I won everything!! I got first place in my hurdles and 400's and people were amazed that I could do it with my back problems! I sure showed them!! But now six months later at the 1 year mark I went in for my checkup and my back has progressed. It is now a 58 degree curve. I was horrified!! For that first day I just cried. My doctors didn't know what to say so they just cried with me. I didn't understand how my back could have gotten so bad it such a little amount of time. But the night after I found out that I would need to get surgery and soon. I went to a Christian concert with my family and I heard a song by Casting Crowns called Praise you in this storm. I just started crying I felt relief. The words from that song touched me, and it made me think about how I should deal with my surgery, and my life after it.

So now I am living life free and happy. And I am so thankful for everything I have. This past year has taught me a very important lesson. "You don't know what you have until you don't have it". I am going to be a freshman this coming school year and it will be my sisters senior year so it will be the one and only year that I will be able to do sports with her. I have been waiting for this year for a long time!! And my coaches have offered me a spot of the varsity team!!! But now that I am getting surgery I won't be able to play sports this coming year. When my sister found that out she was devestated!! We are very close and have bee waiting for this year since we started playing sports. It is going to be very hard having to watch her games from the sidelines instead of being out there with her. But I am going to be ok!! My sister has been the one who has gotten me through this hard time. But I understand that if I have a good attitude about my surgery then maybe my attitude will inspire people. And inspiring people has been my dream since I was 2 or 3 years old. So through my experience I hope that people will be inspired and learn the lesson that I have learned. And I hope that I will show people that no matter what storms you may go through in life that you can get through it if you trust in God! Believe in yourself and have a good attitude. And if anyone reads this that is going through bracing or surgery know that when you get down singing has always helped m. I sing a song off of the movie Annie!! The lyrics are..

-- (spoken) This is Bert Healy saying ...
(singing now) Hey, hobo man
Hey, Dapper Dan
You've both got your style
But Brother,
You're never fully dressed
Without a smile!

Your clothes may be Beau Brummelly
They stand out a mile --
But Brother,
You're never fully dressed
Without a smile!

Who cares what they're wearing
From Main Street,
to Saville Row,
It's what you wear from ear to ear
And not from head to toe
(That matters)

So, Senator,
So, Janitor,
So long for a while
Remember,
You're never fully dressed
Without a smile!

So that's all I have to say!! When you are going through a storm in your life just smile, relax, and have a great attitude!!!

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