Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk

June is National Scoliosis Awareness Month! Although I really don't like to get serious on my blog, or really serious about anything in my life, I thought I'd take a moment to talk about scoliosis for all of my homies with this medical condition.


Two weeks ago Princess Eugenie (the one in blue at the wedding, not in the ridiculously fabulous pink hat) came out to the public about her experience with scoliosis and surgery when she was 12 (Scoliosis Talk in Us Magazine!). It just makes sense that I should follow Princess Eugenie's lead and share my story with the world.

I first started to read blogs when I was 12 years old and was just diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis. The curve in my spine was severe, and I was scheduled to have surgery a few months after to correct it. I was terrified. I would spend hours reading blogs on the internet dedicated to support for scoliosis and spinal fusions. It was extremely helpful.  I hoped to one day have a blog of my own dedicated to scoliosis. However, now that I am old enough to blog, I can no longer blog exclusively on scoliosis because it isn't a big  part of my life anymore, which is a very good thing! My surgery and recovery were extremely long and painful, but I got through it!


There was a time when I never thought that a day would go by when I didn't think about my scoliosis; but now it happens all the time. Here are some of the only times I get a friendly reminder that there are two metal rods fused to my spine:


Picking things off the floor: My back doesn't bend in a way that I can pick things off the floors without either bending my knees or sticking my bum in the air.
Driving: I can't slouch at all, my posture is so that I am most comfortable sitting upright. I drive with my seat extremely close to the steering wheel because it's most comfortable. I was once called out for this by someone I didn't know driving a car right next to me. I screamed: "I have scoliosis you freak! Don't comment on random people you don't know. What the hell???"
Metal detectors: I am told that Israel is the only place that has metal detectors strong enough to detect my rods. But I get scared every time I go through airport security that my back is going to go off.
Swinging from chandeliers: When I had my surgery I was seriously told that the only things I wouldn't ever be able to do were bungee jump, and swing from a chandelier. Fortunately, I have no desire to bungee jump and I have not yet found a chandelier that looks fun to swing from.
Bathing suit season: I still have a long scar that spans the length of my spine. Luckily, I live in Chicago and it's freezing here, and it's June.


Those reminders of my scoliosis really aren't a big deal. But when I was 12, I was terrified and upset because I had a medical condition that I would have my entire life. What really got me through it all, besides reading blogs, was this quote by my ideal man (who had scoliosis):

"You can't really correct scoliosis, because it's a growth in the spine. [...] It gives me a back pain all the time. That really adds to the pain in our music. It really does. I'm kind of grateful for it."~Kurt Cobain


So basically, without scoliosis, the 90s would have sucked. Kind of makes me proud.