One day while shopping, my mom noticed when I bent down one side of my back was higher than the other. She asked my school nurse if I could have a scoliosis screening. So I had one and she sent home a note saying I needed to see my doctor.

We went to my normal doctor in May 2003. He did a scoliosis screening on me too and decided I need to see a orthopedic surgon. Well we went to him and he did NOTHING!! He just told me to go to a spine surgeon. So about a week later we went to the spine surgeon in my city. He took some x-rays of my back. When he showed them to me I was shocked. I wanted to cry when I saw those x-rays. I never would have thought my spine could be that curved. He told me that I had a 41 degree curve. He finally gave me the worst news of all...I needed to either schedule the surgery in a year or wear a back brace. My parents decided to go for the back brace.

In June of 2003, my doctor ordered my back brace. I went to "my brace guy" a couple days later. He showed me the brace and taught me how to put in on. The first time I ever put it on I could barely move. I wanted to cry.. but I didn't.

Shopping became a nightmare. Nothing would fit me. Today everything is "baby tees" or "slim fit" which stinks. My mom was very patient with me when I became angry and frustrated when I couldn't find anything to fit me.

School today is stressful. It's not the homework , it's the brace. My friends have been very supportive of me. Lately I have been very cautious when I walk through the halls so nobody bumps into me and finds out.

Somedays I even get to take a break from it and go though the school day "brace-free" which I love.

I am told I only have to wear it for another 2 or 3 years which seems forever!! My doctor sometimes tells me he might shorten it. I have a check-up in June 2004. Hopefully it is getting better so I wont have to wear it as long. It would be a miracle I only had to wear it for 1 more year. Chances are I will need to have surgery. That, hopefully, wont be until I am 15 or 16. Maybe earlier if my back got worse. I will find out in June. I will give you an update.

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