Hump not noticeable?

[lray]

Over the past month or so I have been telling friends of my upcoming surgery. Almost everyone has said to me that they never noticed my back deformity. I'm glad that I have been successful in hiding it all these years, yet I'm shocked that it wasn't noticeable. I look in the mirror and it's very obvious to me. But like I've said before, I've become a master of disguise all these years!

I just spoke with someone that I've known for quite a while and told her of my upcoming surgery. She ended up telling me that she also has scoliosis. She never had x-rays done and didn't even know where her curve was. She's been having increasing pain but thought it was just "older age." Her daughter was informed recently by her pediatrician that she also has scoliosis and she should get x-rays, but she has been putting it off. My talk with her shook her up, I think, and she will be getting it checked out.

Wow. If I can help even 1 person by educating them a little about scoliosis or at least help to get this 1 girl monitored, I would feel pretty good!

[Mojo's Mom]

You did a good thing. This is what got me in to a spine specialist ten years ago for the first time since my teens. A friend had surgery for scoliosis that came from polio, and when she found out I had scoliosis she gave me a talk that might have been similar to what you did with your friend. At first I was in total denial, no, I don't need anything checked, I'm fine for life, yes, I have some pain, but it's nothing, I'll never need any more treatment....but that was the first step leading to where I am now.

Sometimes you have to hear things you don't want to hear. You did the right thing!

It's nice to have people say they've never noticed your hump. I get this too, and I have a significant hump. I don't think it's because it doesn't show; I think it's because most people just don't look at other people all that closely. Or so I guess.

I went through a stage where I wore only bulky things, stopped wearing bikinis, etc. Then one day when I was uncomfortable in my bathing suit I just decided to Hell with it! My body is what it is, and I'm going to wear t-shirts that fit, bikinis, etc. I'm 52 and I don't give a damn what anyone thinks about how I look, I want to be comfortable. And I want to be proud and comfortable in my body, whatever it looks like. And when I have my surgery, I still won't be straight, and I'll have an ugly scar, and I'll wear it all with pride. So THERE!

[debbei]

Over the past month or so I have been telling friends of my upcoming surgery. Almost everyone has said to me that they never noticed my back deformity. I'm glad that I have been successful in hiding it all these years, yet I'm shocked that it wasn't noticeable. I look in the mirror and it's very obvious to me. But like I've said before, I've become a master of disguise all these years!

I just spoke with someone that I've known for quite a while and told her of my upcoming surgery. She ended up telling me that she also has scoliosis. She never had x-rays done and didn't even know where her curve was. She's been having increasing pain but thought it was just "older age." Her daughter was informed recently by her pediatrician that she also has scoliosis and she should get x-rays, but she has been putting it off. My talk with her shook her up, I think, and she will be getting it checked out.

Wow. If I can help even 1 person by educating them a little about scoliosis or at least help to get this 1 girl monitored, I would feel pretty good!

When I told friends over 2 yrs ago that I needed this surgery, and why, they said they couldn't believe my spine was so curved, I always seemed 'normal' to them. WELL.....after surgery, some of those SAME people said, "I can't believe how STRAIGHT you are!!!"

So apparently there was a big difference. My huge curves were perfectly balanced (66 degrees each), but there was no disguising the fact that I continued to get 'squished down' from the top.

As far as helping others that come after us, it's all about giving back because of all the many people who have helped us.