New Brace Wearer

[Harp209]

Hi! I am Harper. I have a 24 degree curve that has progressed from 16 degree 6 months ago. Since it has doubled in less than a year, I am now being put into a providence brace for 10 hours at night. I also have back pains (alot!) so I will be getting a MRI of my spine that will last 2 hours. Yikes! So I receive my brace and the MRI on the 20th of July. Soon after that, I will be traveling on an airplane and I will need to pack my brace. Does anybody know how to pack a brace? Also, what do you do going to sleepovers? What am I supposed to wear under the brace?
Thanks so much for the help!

[nippybetta]

I got back home from CT last night, and I just wore my brace on the plane. That might not help very much, but this might: My orthotist (the person that makes the brace) gave me a Boston T- a shirt you wear under the brace that has no seams. I don't know if your orthotist will give you one, so if they don't, just buy one or two seamless shirts- make sure they are super stretchy, fit tightly, and are VERY long. Good luck with your scoliosis, and brace! Oh... and the brace will be extremely uncomfortable when it is brand new, but over time, it'll just start to feel like a second skin. Sometimes, I forget I'm wearing it!

[Harp209]

Thanks about the Boston T-Shirts. But I have a Providence brace that I only have to wear at night. So I will end up having to pack it in a suitcase or something. Another question though, Just out of curiosity, Does your brace have any metal on it? Do you think that it would buzz going through security?

[nippybetta]

My brace only has the metal for the thingies that velcro it shut, but yours might not have this. I walked through security with this on and my watch, and the alarm wasn't triggered. I don't think you'll have any trouble. The part that security was worried about was the bandage on my wrist- I sprained it at soccer. Isn't that funny? I was freaked out about the brace.

[Harp209]

haha! Yeah, TSA can be like that. I am a well experienced traveler. I was just wondering if I would have any problems if I packed it in my carry on. I'm not exactly the type to pull out my hunk of plastic and whack somebody with it. hahaha. Plus I wont have to wear it through security. I only wear it while I sleep. Just was curious!
So does anybody know, is the brace comfortable while you sleep? Even when you first get it? How do you make it more comfortable?

[nippybetta]

You'll probably take a while to get to sleep, and then you might wake up in the middle of the night. I really hope it isn't like this for you though, but it might because the brace is brand new.

[scoliodancer]

I have been in a providence brace for several years. I don't go to sleepovers that often, so when I do I just don't wear the brace. My orthopaedist even said that's okay, as long as I wear it every night that I'm at home (which I really do!).

I wear very thin shirts under the brace, and a big t-shirt over top of it. This keeps the velcro on the straps from scratching me and getting stuck to my sheets and coming undone. It makes it a lot more comfortable.

As for comfort of the brace itself, I'm not going to lie it takes some getting used to. When I first got my brace I could not fall asleep easily at all, and if I did manage to fall asleep it wouldn't last long. I would end up taking the brace off. Then after a few days of this I bought a memory foam mattress topper and it was a lifesaver! The first night of sleeping on it I comfortably slept through the night!

So with the help of the memory foam I increased the tightness of my brace over time as my orthotist directed me to do, and had very little trouble sleeping. Within a few months, putting on the brace just became part of my routine and I hardly noticed it; I would even fall asleep in one position and wake up in another, it was like the brace became part of me. I've worn it every night since then without a problem. Believe it or not, it actually feels funny if I lay down in bed without the brace.

Hope this helps! Good luck with your brace! My providence braces (I've had 2 since I outgrew one) have done very well keeping my curve from worsening. If you have any more questions just let me know, I've been there and I'm glad to help

[momw/scoli]

Hi! My husband works for an airline so my daughter flies a lot! We just stick her providence in a pillow case. Then we put it through the xray machine. If anyone asks we just tell them it's a back brace. We've never had a problem. We stick it in the overhead bin on the plane.
Becky

[LindseyDavis]

I first tried sleeping in the brace a few days after i got it and i sleep like a babe, it was really fine w/ me and i dont have a temperpidic or fancy mattress! but my brace is a boston brace so that may be a different case for you. Get used to sleeping on your back though and not stomache (even sleeping on your stomache with out a brace is bad for your breathing.)

good to know I dont have to wear it during sleepovers, i once wore it too my friends over summer and i was sweating so hot! ew! and not to comphy sitting cross legged and chatting.