Hi! My name is Courtney. Im 16 years old. I live in Iowa. I am a sophomore in high school. I was diagnosed with scoliosis in 8th grade. I was going for a routine physical, so that I could play softball. The doctor took my reflexes, checked my eyes and ears and then told me to stand up and bend over to touch my toes! I thought this was kind of weird. I did it anyway because I had to. The doctor felt and looked at my back, and then she started whispering things to my mom. I kept saying “what are you talking about, what’s wrong?” My mom said, “Nothing, its ok.” I was kind of freaked out by now. The doctor then told me to put my clothes back on and she would be right back, I did.

When the doctor came back, she explained to me that I had scoliosis. I didn’t even know what it was. I asked her, “What’s that?” she said “It’s when your spine is curved instead of straight; you will need to go see this doctor.” She gave us a paper with an address, number and name.

The next day, we went and saw him. I was so scared. We signed in and waited in the waiting room with what seemed to be forever. Finally, the doctor’s assistant called us in. We walked down this long hallway into his office. I was still very scared. I put on my gown, and the doctor took me to the X-ray room, they took a lot of X-rays. After about 20 minutes, the doctor brought in the X-rays to show us. When my mom and I saw the X-rays we both started crying! It looked pretty bad, compared to all of the pictures I’ve seen in books at school, my back wasn’t supposed to look like that. He then explained that I had a 32 degree curvature in my spine. My mom and I were still balling. The doctor gave us another card with an address, number and name on it. We made an appointment for this other doctor.

The next day, we went and saw him. My grandma and my mom came. We walked in, and we were the only ones there. So of course, we didn’t have to wait that long. I went in the room and they had explained that they had to wrap me in this plaster stuff and I would have to be naked, except for my underwear, but I put this thing on that they called a “moo moo.” The two doctors made me feel very comfortable. They were cracking jokes and I wasn’t so nervous anymore. After they put all this gooey, plastery stuff on me, it felt so weird. I had to stand for like twenty minutes so that it could dry, if I sat down, it would get ruined then they would have to do it all over again. After a while, it started getting hard and hurting. But, I lived through it. They cleaned me off, and told us that they would call when the mold for my brace was made.

For the next few days at school and home, I felt like a weirdo, I felt so different from everyone that I just didn’t want to go to school or anything because I thought that people would notice my curve and make fun of me. Finally, the doctors called back. We planned to go pick it up on a Friday, my friend Jennifer was supposed to stay the night that night, so she had to come with us. I was kind of scared of what she would think when she saw me put this big, plastic thing on. But, I trusted her not to judge me. I put it on, it kind of hurt. The only thing that I could ever compare it to is a corset! It squeezed so hard. My mom, Jennifer and I got into the car; it was so weird sitting down. My mom was trying to crack jokes so that I would feel better. She kept saying “that brace makes you look like you have a big chest and flat abs!” I said, “Yeah, it does, I look like Pamela Anderson!” By this time Jennifer was laughing so hard.

I was required to wear the brace all day except for when I took a shower or bath. When I took it off, it hurt so badly. Instant tears came down. I hated this. I decided that no one could make me wear it. So I didn’t. My back started to hurt worse and worse every day. Today, my back hurts and gives me problems just doing simple things like folding laundry or sitting or standing to long. My spine cracks, grinds and just plain hurts all the time. I have been contemplating getting the surgery for my back, mostly because I am scared to get cut open; I have never had surgery. So, if there is anything that I learned from this experience in my life, it is, wear the brace. It will help.

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