My Personal Battle with Scoliosis

June is National Scoliosis month. Here's my personal journey with scoliosis and what you should be looking for in your teens. 

I had no idea I had scoliosis until I was 17 years old. I didn't even know what the word scoliosis meant. For those of you who don't know, it's an abnormal curvature of the spine that usually manifests itself during the adolescent growth spurt. About 4 in every 100 teens will develop some degree of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. 85% of these cases occur in girls and only 1 in 100 will need surgery.

When I was initially diagnosed, it was noticed on an x-ray I had for unrelated chest pains. The doctor casually mentioned scoliosis, but didn't seem overly concerned.

2 years later, I was working at a bank and wearing high heels on a daily basis. I would come home everyday with my back feeling like it was on fire!! My parents took me to a doctor who took some x-rays and told me to bend over and touch my toes (which I thought was very strange, but I did as I was told.) Again, I heard the word scoliosis. I had a 39 degree curve which is significant, but the doctor did not recommend I have surgery, told me I was too old for a back brace since I was fully grown, and he slapped me on the back and told me to gain 10 lbs and no one would ever notice.

Fast forward 8 years. I had given birth to two beautiful children and my back pain was getting worse, so was my self image. I hadn't thought about my scoliosis in years, but now my back felt like it was on fire almost all of the time. I had a prominent rib hump, which made me hide under jackets and baggy shirts, and my chest was so uneven from my ribs being twisted by my crooked spine that I hated swimwear.

I went to several doctors who told me it wasn't that big of a deal and sent me out the door, but I knew through research and my Mother's own battle with scoliosis that if left untreated my scoliosis would continue to progress until I was grossly deformed, disabled, and in debilitating pain.

I sought out the best doctor in the country, Dr. Matthew Geck in Austin, Texas and begged my husband to let me make an appointment. Dr. Geck immediately deemed me a surgical candidate and confirmed that the curve in my spine was progressing.

On October 30, 2014 Dr. Geck corrected my scoliosis by placing two steel rods and 28 screws along my spine. It's the best decision I have ever made for myself in my life.

Today I am pretty much pain free, my self esteem is much better, and I don't have to worry about my scoliosis getting worse as I age.

I would encourage every parent to check their girls and boys between the ages of 11 and 17 for scoliosis on a regular basis.

Have your child bend at the waist and touch their toes. If you see any unevenness in their rib cage, or a hump on one side, take them to an orthopedic surgeon. Other signs of scoliosis include unevenness in the shoulders, hips, or chest. If caught early enough, scoliosis can be corrected through wearing a back brace or through vertebral stapling which is a much less invasive surgery as opposed to the spinal fusion that I have.

Scoliosis does not need to stop you from living life or feeling beautiful. This was an issue I struggled with. I felt ugly because I had scoliosis, but today I can see that my journey through scoliosis and surgery has made me the woman I am proud to be today. I've also been inspired through people like Miss Idaho USA 2015, Claira Hollingsworth who achieved her title despite battling scoliosis.

If you suspect your child has scoliosis and you have any questions feel free to reach out to me personally at carly.cash@townsquaremedia.com