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...
Wow! I Can not believe that her curve was cut in half! This is really a good encouragement to wear my brace.
ReplyDeleteIt was definitely encouraging. The next appointment is in August so we'll see how things are going then. Looking forward to following your blog!
ReplyDeleteI was sent in for an x-Ray today to see if I have scoliosis. Is the brace uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteSorry but I just saw this - it got marked as spam for some reason. I know this is a year later, but... What was the result of the x-ray? Do you need a brace? What degree of curve do you have?
DeleteAbout the question as to if a brace is uncomfortable. The quick answer for the Boston brace at least is, unfortunately, yes. But, it is also doable, possible, and manageable. You can get used to it, adapt, and learn to live with it. And, depending on your curve you may not need to wear it all the time. Ours is just one blog that talks about ways to live with scoliosis and with a brace. The community has been incredibly supportive and helpful. Do not be afraid to ask questions, get suggestions, etc. People genuinely want to help and support each other.
My youngest daughter is 11 1/2 yrs old. She was diagnosed with scoliosis last fall. Baseline 16 degrees upper and 17 lower. In April of 2016 her curvature went to 21 degrees and 3 months later to 24 :( She also grew 5" during this time. We are in the beginning of this journey and feeling quite overwhelmed. After processing the changes and need for a Boston brace, I continued to pray for something that would help my daughter to cope and feel more supported. I came upon you site, not by accident in my mind! She has been reading it non-stop! We have both learned a tremendous amount of info on your blog. Thank you so much for sharing!!! We too are a homeschooling family. This is my 14th year and it is our second year with Classical Conversations. Loving it so much!! Thank you again for you commitment to creating this blog!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you are finding the blog to be helpful. It sounds like your experience parallels our own quite a bit! We have never used Classical Conversations but have heard good things. We found homeschooling to allow for flexibility with the scoliosis brace as far as timing of when to wear it. our daughter could get most of her hours in at home which was nice. I pray that all will go well with this stage of life - it is just a stage and while it seems overwhelming now it sounds like you are on the right path for your daughter. I don't read this as often as I used to but I do check it now & then so feel free to ask questions if something comes up that you'd like an opinion about.
DeleteI'm very worried that my brace won't be effectve and that I'll have to get surgery :( My curve is 27 degrees.
ReplyDeleteI understand the fears. They are very real. We went through that too. While there is no guarantee, I can tell you that Dancer Girl's curve was around 28 degrees when she got her brace. She wore it as directed even though at times it was very, very hard. Her curve did not get any worse and her back pain was significantly reduced. It continues to be stable even after she no longer wears the brace.
ReplyDeleteTry your best to wear the brace as much as your doctor advises. It really can help. Find a good exercise/PT program. One that pinpoints your specific curve/s. How long do you wear it now? What does your doctor say about how long you will need it? Please do let us know how things are going now & then. You can do this!