friends, family, and brace

[Cheergrl]

hey its cheergrl and i have talked to my parents about my brace and it helped a little bit, but things like that just cant go away on its own and what if my brace affects ALOT the doc said it wouldnt but it may. i know i sound like a baby but im really scared but i know im in gods hands and hes all i need

[StephanieSmiles]

You don't sound like a baby.
Everyone goes through these jitters when they first get a brace. If you ask anyone if they were nervous about their new brace and someone says "no not at all," I will be extremely shocked. =)
Anyway, I don't really know what you mean when you say "what if my brace affects a lot?" All I have to say is that you shouldn't be worrying "omg what if my brace doesn't work and my scoli gets really bad?!" that's what I kept thinking at first. The important thing to know is that Yes, you have scoliosis, but you are being treated. Your doctors have seen your specific curvature and they think that a brace is best for you! And most likely, if you wear it the perscribed number of hours, your curve will stay stable and you will never have to worry about scoliosis again!
Don't fret, you are right, you are in God's hands!
Oh, and make a spineKIDS account. There are more kids to chat with.
I have one, under the same name. Feel free to ask me any questions on this site or that one. Best of luck =)

-Steph

[Dina]

Braces

hey its cheergrl and i have talked to my parents about my brace and it helped a little bit, but things like that just cant go away on its own and what if my brace affects ALOT the doc said it wouldnt but it may. i know i sound like a baby but im really scared but i know im in gods hands and hes all i need

Hi
I'm wearing a boston brace, so you are more than welcome to ask questions about anything you want - you have a lot of questions, when you are getting a brace! (;

I have worn my brace since january 2008, so I have some experience in it - and you must know that it isn't as bad as you think, when you are told that you have to get a brace! Of course there are times when you want to throw it as far away as you can, but your expectations are waaaay more scary than they have to be!

Hope it was a little help and as I said, I would be glad to help with some answers!

[Samiro]

Hey, me too!

I'm possibley getting a brace too, as you can read in a thread on this page, so I'm going through the same thing. I am scared as heck...what's going to happen? Will it be uncomfortable? Will I get made fun of for it?...I know EXACTLY how you feel. I would love to have someone to talk to that understands, and I bet you do to. And, yes God's in this too, and hey...God made everything happen for a reason...we may not know the reason yet, but there is one, so let's wait and see...I hope to hear from you sometime!
~Samiro~

[StephanieSmiles]

I'm possibley getting a brace too, as you can read in a thread on this page, so I'm going through the same thing. I am scared as heck...what's going to happen? Will it be uncomfortable? Will I get made fun of for it?...

Samiro, to answer your questions, if you would like, yes, at first it will be uncomfortable. for the first few weeks, the brace will be your worst nightmare. But you WILL get used to it. I remember I seriously doubted I would be able to get through a whole day wearing this monstrosity. Now I'm wearing it 21 hours a day, and it's just turned into the norm! You may be worried about a few "firsts" such as first public outing with brace, first in brace x rays, first day at school with brace, first time sleeping with brace. But it all becomes second nature FAST! And I mean it. Within just one month (and that month will fly) you will be completely used to doing everything with the brace. Chances are, you will not be made fun of for wearing a brace. Most people won't even notice. But if someone does, and they make some sort of rude comment, just brush it off. Don't waste your breath on a jerk. Live your life. A brace won't stop you from doing that. Seriously, if you have any other questions (don't be embarrassed about anything) just ASK. I will be happy to answer your questions. At first, I let the brace get me down. It's okay to feel sad, but don't stay down. Pick yourself up off the ground. So many kids go through this. You're not alone. You're definitely not.

[txmarinemom]

Cheergrl,

It was 30 years ago (I was 10) when I started wearing my Boston brace, and I remember it like it was yesterday.

Yes, the breaking in period will be tough, but it only lasts a few weeks. Usually by then your skin has toughened up. If you're wearing a Boston, you'll likely feel it at your waistline and under your arms at first ... they may feel rubbed. It's important not to wear it so much in the beginning that it actually rubs you raw because that sets you back a few days. When I wore mine, they recommended rubbing alcohol (ack!) on the rubbed spots, and we didn't have the creaseless brace shirts they do now. They sound like they'd be SO much better than just the cotton cami undershirts that seemed to always be sweaty and creased up. You want to avoid creases in anything you wear under the brace ... not comfortable, for sure.

The brace fits very snugly, and at first you may not feel much like eating. One way to get around this is to eat small meals throughout the day. That helped me a lot, and eventually, you really do grow somewhat used to the tight fit.

You'll feel pretty restricted at first as far as movement goes, but your orthotist can make adjustments to the brace so it better fits your body. I caught (softball) when I was initially braced: After a month or two they actually removed about 2" from the bottom of my brace, and even cut out holes in the area around my hipbones (I have a thoracic curve, so it didn't really matter) so I could more squat more comfortably. Be sure to talk to your parents and your doctor if you have areas (and this is most common at the bottom front when sitting) that hurt or pinch. It won't be 100% comfortable, but it shouldn't ever cause you severe pain either.

Your doctor will also likely change the inside pads periodically. As your curve changes, they may fit you with a new brace altogether. I know I went through 3 of them, and one was because it was just SO gross from wear - LOL.

Hang in there, kiddo ... it's the unknown that's scary. Soon enough you'll be the one reassuring someone else it's not the worst thing that can happen to you.

Regards,
Pam