At the age of 11, I was told I was a curvy girl, meaning I was diagnosed with scoliosis. Most individuals aren't aware that a significant percentage of people have some form of scoliosis, but most don’t need any treatment at all. In my case, the curvature degree in my spine was significant enough that I needed a back brace. At the onset of the diagnosis, knowing that the doctors couldn’t tell me how long I needed to wear the brace for, was difficult. Would it be six months or three years? They only said my time in the brace depended on my growth. The degree of my curve would never get better, but wearing the brace would prevent it from getting worse. There was also a higher likelihood the curve would get worse if I didn’t wear the brace for the recommended 16-18 hours a day. A worse curvature would result in having spinal surgery, where growth rods would be put into my back. Needless to say, I was 100% on board with wearing it to the full requirement. 

Before my brace was ready for me to wear, the doctors recommended physical therapy. 

It was dreadful. Riddle me this, close your eyes and try to take a breath through your right rib, rather than your nose. (take a second to try it) This was an exercise my physical therapist wanted me to practice every day to help my spine. Like what you are probably thinking right now, I thought to myself, “How is this even possible? Is she crazy?” 

Starting my journey with the brace wasn’t easy. At night I would unconsciously rip it off my body and wake up the next morning wondering how it got all the way across the room. I also began to feel self-conscious about it when going to school. I thought by showing it, people would ask questions, and judge me because of how stiffly I moved or how it looked if the brace showed out the bottom of my shirt. There’s a website called “Curvy Girl” that I once looked at for clothing to wear under or over the brace. When looking at it, I immediately rejected it, thinking it was embarrassing. Instead, I began to wear baggier clothing like t-shirts, and sweatshirts, but seeing other girls around me wearing whatever they wanted made me somewhat frustrated. 

Also as an athlete, I wondered from the beginning, “How will I play sports with a plastic barrier around my body?” Although I wasn’t limited from doing the things I love to do, I still had a constant clock ticking in my head timing the amount of hours I had been in my brace for. 

Finally, after many hours of physical therapy and 6 months with the brace, I went in for a checkup with my doctor. Thankfully the brace tracked the hours I wore it and when the results came in, I saw I had been wearing it for an average of 18 hours a day. Relief overflowed me! This result was worth every hour I put into wearing the brace. I realize that my journey wasn’t as dreadful as I thought it would be.

Now that I am much more comfortable wearing my brace in public, people ask questions, like, “Can I try it on?’ or ‘Is it bulletproof?” Some people even knock on it. I’m also now happy to say that I’m on the other side of the journey, and after 3+ years, my physical growth is at a point where I can start reducing the hours I have to wear the brace. Although my brace is to help keep my spine as straight as possible, I will always be a curvy girl and the knock-knock-knocking is one of my rights of passage into adulthood.