Life with a Spinal Fusion

So you may be wondering what it is like to live with scoliosis.

In this blog post I will be providing a little insight into how my life has changed after my diagnosis.

I was diagnosed with severe scoliosis in 2015 (11yrs old). My spinal curvature was 75 degrees thoracic and 67 degrees lumbar. I proceeded with treatment in 2016 (12yrs old) and had a spinal fusion to correct the curvature. The reason I have included the severity of my own curvature is because it is important to know that each and every person has different struggles, experiences and recovery rate. This depends on many personal factors including but not limited to age, spinal curvature, gender, fitness and consistency with recommended recovery exercises.

Life Pre Spinal Fusion Treatment

Scoliosis is known to worsen over time if left untreated. During the time of my diagnosis I was suffering from extreme back pain and my posture was getting progressively worse. I had uneven hips and shoulders, twisted ribcage, right shoulder blade sticking out dramatically and the curvature of my spine could be seen.

Before my operation the biggest struggles I lived with was the pain I endured every day, along with the "odd" appearance I had which led to bullying/teasing from other children my age and my mental health taking a negative turn. I learnt how to switch this mindset and focus on the big picture by remembering these 3 things, 1. I am not alone through this journey, 2. scoliosis is a treatable diagnosis and 3. this diagnosis will not change who I am or what path in life I am meant to take.

Life Post Spinal Fusion Treatment

After my spinal fusion operation, I had a lot of recovery and healing to do. I was in hospital for a week and had physio appointments where I learnt how to walk again and adjust to my newly fused spine. It took time to learn my limits and restrictions but 7 years on and I now have little to no back pain. The journey of recovery has not only pushed me physically and mentally but has made me stronger. I will never be able to bend my back unlike the average person which plays a big impact on my everyday life but I also now have incredibly great posture 24/7 which I believe is a blessing in disguise. There will always be restrictions with movement for example, picking things up from the floor, putting particular shoes on, heavy lifting, certain sports/hobbies and any sort of movement that requires bending your back. However, there are ways around it that you will find works best for you. I was able to start playing basketball again whilst also continuing dance after 6 months of recovery which I found helped with flexibility, movement and getting back to what I considered to be a normal part of my life.

I believe that motivation, determination and consistency with strength and flexibility training, physio exercise recommendations and practicing mindfulness is the key to pushing through limitations caused by scoliosis (to an extent).

Scoliosis does not define you, unless you let it.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post! Keep an eye out for some more educational posts where I will be covering many different topics involved with scoliosis, along with an insight into my own journey.

If you have any questions or would like to chat to someone who has been through the process of scoliosis treatment, please do not hesitate to reach out. My inbox is always opened :)

Let's Chat!

Don't forget to check out my previous posts if you haven't already and subscribe to the myscoliosis site if you would like to be kept updated!

Subscribe