Scoliosis Clothing: Part 3

We have found our local Kohl's to be a great place to find a variety of items that fit over our daughter's Boston brace for scoliosis.

Here are a few items we have found for cooler/cold weather;




This is a fairly light fabric but in a dark color to hide brace and velcro strap lines.  It looks nice over a tank top.  The belt adds a waistline that is otherwise hidden by the brace. The shirt can be worn without the belt for a looser fit.









A denim jacket is a great layer over shirts, tanks, long-sleeved tops, etc. and hides the velcro straps well, allowing you to wear a shirt underneath that might not otherwise be a good fit over the brace.  Styles come in a variety of lengths.  We found this one hid all the back straps well.  Shorter ones may not do to the same job so make sure it is long enough.








This pairs a nice, thick, warm sweater with a long-sleeved top.  The sweater has some texture to it with different woven patterns and can be worn open or closed.  The length hides any trace of the brace in the back of the pants.  The shirt has a wavy design on it, front and back, that do hide the brace lines well even without the sweater overtop.








Button-down casual shirts are a terrific layer over t-shirts and tank tops.  They can be worn either open or closed and many have the option of rolling the sleeves up and fastening them in place for a shorter-sleeved look.  These ones have some subtle lines and shape to them which can be seen best from the back.





For more clothing suggestions, check out some of our other posts:
In Scoliosis Clothing: Part 1 we posted about pants we found at Kohl's that work well with her brace.
In addition, Scoliosis Clothing: Part 2 talks about tops we found at H & M, another store where we have had success shopping for brace-appropriate clothing.

Songs of Hope and Encouragement

One of the first things we did when our daughter was getting her Boston brace was to compile a playlist of favorite songs that provide hope and encouragement.

We listen to a lot of Christian music artists in our home so the list is mainly selected from that genre, but not entirely.  A few are simply songs of friendship and support.  We find many of the lyrics talk about finding hope in God in the midst of hardship and pain, and about finding our worth in Him rather than in the world.

Here is what we have so far:

"Gold"                                  Britt Nicole 
"Angel by your Side"           Francesca Battistelli   
"The Sun Will Rise"            Kelly Clarkson
"Worn"                                Tenth Avenue North
"You're Not Alone"             Meredith Andrews
"Let the Waters Rise"          MIKESCHAIR
"Beautiful, Beautiful"          Francesca Battistelli
"Come to Me"                      Jamie Grace 
"The Sun is Rising"             Britt Nicole
"Always Enough"                Casting Crowns
"Sovereign"                         Chris Tomlin
"Be Still and Know"            Steven Curtis Chapman
"Not Alone"                         Jamie Grace
"Here"                                  Kari Jobe   
"He is With Us"                   Love & the Outcome
"Blue Sky"                           Francesca Battistelli
"Hold on to Jesus"               Steven Curtis Chapman
"By Your Side"                   Tenth Avenue North
"Lift Me Up"                       The Afters

I am sure we will be adding more to this playlist - we are open to suggestions for more songs to add to the list!

Homeschooling Scoliosis

We are homeschoolers.  Or, we have had at least one of our children homeschooling for the past 7 years.  Right now we have two at home and one in school.

Dancer Girl is at home, but she is not homeschooling because of her scoliosis. Homeschooling came well ahead of the back problems. Scoliosis impacts our homeschooling world, our daily routine, and my expectations for her accomplishments.

Even before the diagnosis of scoliosis it was clear that Dancer Girl had back pain.  We tried ice packs, heating pads, exercises.  All of this would interrupt our schedule, and on particularly bad days could derail us for a short while.  But the beauty of homeschooling is the flexibility. So, we would derail for the moment and then work to get back on track once the pain was under control.

Now she has a brace for her scoliosis.  She doesn't have to go to school every day and face worrying about what kids might say, or figure out the logistics of taking it off for gym class, but she does participate in homeschool classes during the week, as well as church, youth group and other activities, so she is not completely free of wearing it amongst her peers.

We still need to find her clothes to wear over it that conceal it (see our other posts on clothing for scoliosis: Scoliosis Clothing: Part 1, Scoliosis Clothing: Part 2, Scoliosis Clothing: Part 3) for when we go out to co-ops, classes, lessons, church, shopping, special events, etc.

We need to deal with the fact that sleeping in it is hard.  It is not going well.  It makes her tired if she gets through the night in the brace, or if she doesn't make it through the night. Either way she is having restless, broken sleep right now.  That means she can't concentrate as well or stay focussed on her work for long periods of time. I need to remember that and not diminish the impact it will have on her learning. I can reconstruct our day, making it in shorter blocks or incorporating more breaks. Or, if she needs it, I can put it all off until "later" and just pause.

But sometimes I forget and get impatient and wish she would just try harder.  I need to realize that every moment she wears the brace she IS trying harder.  The brace makes her body sit up straight when she would rather lean over a bit or curl up on the couch.  She gets tired just wearing it even if she's had a decent night's sleep. Going to the bathroom takes more time because she needs to remove the brace. Certain things take more effort with the brace on - like picking up the pencil she dropped on the floor or reaching for the book on the shelf - and over the course of the day, this effort can get tiring.
I am grateful that we are homeschooling in the midst of this - it eases some of the stress for her by having much of her brace time at home. I just need to remember to use the flexibility we have to adjust my plan and my expectations.

School will happen, even if it's not the way I originally planned. Sometimes I just need to let her be, let her deal with the pain or discomfort first, let her figure out when she is able to handle a difficult new math concept, or if it would be best to try something else for a while.

I need to trust her to learn.

Scoliosis clothing: Part 2 (Tops)

Thanks to various blog posts from other teens with scoliosis (see the sidebar for links to some of those) we knew to look for the following when we went shopping for tops:

1. Colors, textures, patterns, and stripes are your friend.
2. Loose, flowing clothes over a tank look very nice.
3. Dark colors can often hide the velcro strap lines better than lighter ones.
4. Layers are a great way to mix and match, and also hide the straps.
5. Wear tops below the hip to hide any brace lines in the pants.
6. A belt can help define a waistline that is otherwise covered by the brace.
7. Try a size up (or two depending on the style) from your regular clothes.

H&M shopping spree:

Sweatshirts and sweaters are a great coverup but don't have to be boring.  We found this nice soft woven one with a hint of a stripe pattern.

If Dancer Girl put her hands in her pockets and pushed down a bit it did pull the sweater in the back and showed the straps, but if she is just wearing it casually it hides it all.




This is a lovely, light, flowing peasant top style with a simple tank underneath.  It is airy so won't be too hot as it gets warmer out.  It came in a few colors but Dancer Girl liked this one the best.  It is long enough to cover any brace lines in the pants.









This is a similar idea for style but adds the element of a pattern to further hide any brace lines.  The material isn't as light as the pink one above but is still not heavy so is a good option for Spring or Fall weather.









Dancer Girl loves this T-shirt.  The pattern in front hides any lines from the brace and it has a slightly slimmer fit to provide some shape but isn't too tight.  It didn't do a great job though of hiding the straps in the back as you can see in the photo.









BUT, if you add a cute denim jacket as a layer you have a nice outfit!  The jacket is from Kohl's and was purchased earlier, but H&M had a good selection as well. A different jacket or sweater with short sleeves would also look cute with this outfit if you don't want long sleeves.









This is an oversized style loose fitting shirt over a tank.  The stripes do a nice job of hiding the velcro strap lines in the back even though the material can cling a little.  The sleeve style looks like it would be quite open along the sides exposing the brace, but in fact the fabric goes right up close to the armpit like a regular shirt.






And finally, we found this cute, silky tank top for warmer weather.  It can be casual with jeans or dress it up with pants or a skirt. The length covers any brace lines on the pockets and the loose fit and small pattern hides the velcro straps.


Many of these tops also fit without the brace, just a little more loosely.  If you are OK with that then it makes wardrobe changes less frequent.

It was clear that there are lots of style options for wearing over her brace so this was a very encouraging day.

"Scoli-buddies"

Dancer Girl remarked one day that she would never wish for one of her friends to have scoliosis, but she would love to have a friend with scoliosis.  Someone who can fully understand what it is like.

Her friends have all been very supportive, asking questions, offering help, giving her flowers & chocolates when she has had a rough day. All this is appreciated greatly by Dancer Girl.  But, unless you have gone through something yourself, it is difficult to fully grasp what is involved.  And, it is often difficult to explain it to someone else without simplifying the issues and unintentionally diminishing the pain and frustration in the process, or just making it sound like you are complaining too much.


The other day she came home happy because one of the girls in her art class has scoliosis - again, not happy she has it, but happy to have found a "scoli-buddy"!  This girl is at the end of her journey and only has to wear it for a few hours a day.  But, she wore it to class because Dancer Girl had mentioned it would be nice to wear them at the same time.

She is thrilled to be able to share the highs and lows with someone else who really understands.  We are grateful that this friend opened up to Dancer Girl and shared her life in this way.  It is a blessing beyond what she probably realizes and we are thankful for it.

Scoliosis clothing: Part 1 (Pants)

What to wear, what to wear... this question takes on new meaning when you have a back brace.

When Dancer Girl first got her brace it was clear the immediate need was for pants.  Her current t-shirts and sweatshirts would suffice for covering the top short-term but none of her pants fit over the brace.


The fashion challenges:
1. The brace extends down in the back, sort of mid-pocket range.
2. The extended piece wraps around one hip.
3. It has a higher part right into the armpit on one side.
4. There are three large, bulky velcro straps in the back.
5. Dancer Girl is very tall and quite slim.


Our fashion solutions for pants
1.  When possible we got the same or similar pants in two different sizes - one for in brace, one for out. That way, if she needs to take the brace off she can avoid a complete wardrobe change.

2. Bigger pant sizes for the brace can mean wider legs.  If you want to go for a narrower leg, try jeggings or pencil style.  They are harder to get on and off in the brace but do still keep a slimmer look so it's a trade-off.  A slimmer styled boot-cut can also work well and will be easier to get on & off.

3. Darker colors were better than lighter ones for concealing the lower part in the back.

4. Designs on the pockets also help conceal the line of the brace in the back.

5. A belt is good to help keep the pants in place - it provides security and can look good too.

6.  I have read on other blogs that some girls like to wear leggings, yoga pants, and other stretchy materials over the brace.  Dancer Girl is not really into those styles outside of dance class but I would imagine they could work quite well with a longer top that covers the bottom part of the brace.


Problems we encountered:
1. We bought a really cute pair of pants that fit over the brace but find that when she sits down the waistband is just low enough that it falls below the bottom velcro strap.  It gets caught when she stands back up.

2. It was very tiring for her to get pants on & off with the brace on in a small changing room.  Make sure you have lots of time to spend and take breaks if you need it.

3.  Not all sizes are created equally!!  Even within the same brand, different styles sometimes fit very differently.  Grab a range of sizes and styles before heading to the dressing room!

4. She is two sizes apart in her brace and out, but we found that a fit over the brace didn't automatically mean a smaller size would fit well without the brace.

5. She has to pull the pants higher over the brace than she would otherwise wear them to get it over the bottom velcro strap.  That makes the pants a bit shorter so you might need to search for longer styles.


Stores and brands that have worked for us:
1. For pants we have had our best luck so far at Kohl's.  They have a great selection and often have items on sale.  Plus, with a Kohl's card you often get 15% off just for using the card.

2.  Wallflower brand faded bootcut jeans, (the "Curvy" line ironically!), was a favorite - trendy but not over the top.

3. Other brands we found that worked include: Rewind, Lauren Conrad, and Sonoma.

Can I Still Dance?

This was one of the first questions that came up when we found out Dancer Girl needed a Boston brace. Dance is what she loves doing most in the whole world.  It is what brings her joy.  Not being able to dance would have been devastating to her.

                 The answer is "YES!  You can still dance!!"

Here is how it works for us:
1. She takes the brace off for dance classes.  On heavy dance days she won't get her full 18 hours in the brace but that is OK if she is being consistent other days.

2. There are no restrictions at this point on the styles and dance moves she can do.  No official restrictions that is. The reality is that there are certain dance styles and moves which hurt her back more than others.  They are, of course, the ones she enjoys the most.  In those classes the teachers accommodate her by letting her take breaks as needed.

3. We did cut one class to break up a heavy dance day.  She is taking jazz classes, ballet, contemporary, modern, and she is on the competitive dance team - we dropped a second hour of ballet.

4. She does specific stretches and exercises that are good for her back.  The instructors are very understanding with this.  She has a list of exercises from a PT to help with her flexibility and back pain.

What about ballet en pointe?
We have heard mixed reports about dancing en pointe with scoliosis - some say it is particularly hard on your back so it should be avoided, others say plenty of dancers with scoliosis do it without any more problem than most dancers.  She is curious about pointe but since ballet is not her favorite style we may just be able to avoid that whole issue anyway. She would be ready for it in the fall so the summer will be decision time.

What about after surgery?
We know that if this bracing doesn't work and the curve worsens surgery is a possibility.  There are no guarantees. In that case we may have to face this question again.  I know that many girls do still dance after corrective surgery (see the sidebar list for some blog posts we found about that type of situation) but it can't help but impact the dance styles and moves you are able to fully commit to as a dancer. Depending on where the spinal fusion is and how much of the back is involved will ultimately determine the level of dance that can be continued.

But for now at least, she can still dance and that is worth celebrating!!

In the beginning...

We are still near the beginning of our scoliosis adventure and learning how to adjust.  I have included a brief summary to date below, but will probably blog about specific parts of the beginnings in more detail later.

A brief history: About a year ago was our daughter's first visit with the orthopedic specialist following her routine check-up with her pediatrician.  She was almost 12 at the time, growing very fast, and her doctor wanted to be on top of things.

The first visit showed a curve of about 21 degrees in her lower back.  The doctor decided to see her again in four months to check if there was any further progression.  Four months later it had progressed to about 24 degrees, borderline for him for needing a brace. In the meantime he ordered some PT to deal with back pain.

In November we went back for more x-rays.  This time the curve was 28 degrees and he decided she needed a Boston brace.   Dancer Girl held off tears until after the appointment but then we both had a good cry together.

Getting the brace: In January of this year we got the brace.  It was a long, emotional day.  Dancer Girl handled it all so well, even being able to find some humor in things, but I know it was hard for her. She has to wear it for 18 hours a day and we are now up to that point.  It took longer than we expected to adjust and she is still having a hard time at night.

Our recent check-up at two months went very well.  In her brace the curve is at 14 degrees - a 50% correction!  The doctor was very pleased with this.  A few minor adjustments were made to padding, and a little bit was shaved off here and there to try and make it more comfortable.

Life as it is now: After about two months with the brace Dancer Girl averages about 14-15 hours.  Some days she gets the 18 hour goal and others only about half of that.  She dances a lot during the week and plays basketball as well.  So, on days where she has both activities the brace was off for quite a few hours.  Making it through the night is still hard for her so we lose hours if it comes off at night.

She has moments of tears and frustration but has so far had an incredibly positive, accepting attitude about it.  She realizes she needs it and with the recent appointment can now visually see how it is helping.  We expect her to wear it for about a year or so depending on when she actually stops growing and her bones develop fully.

This is where we are at right now... we plan to post regularly and really want this to be a helpful place for others dealing with scoliosis.  Dancer Girl isn't ready to blog herself, or be identified in the posts (she is a very shy, private person) but that day may come...