Scoliosis

Scoliosis is an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine. I was diagnosed with this condition in the 6Th grade by an annual scoliosis check through the school. I eventually found a scoliosis specialist at Scottish Rite Hospital in downtown Dallas. Going into my first visit my family and I thought I had only a possible 10 degree curve of my spine. However, after multiple x-rays and many hours at the hospital it was concluded that I had what is the called the "double S curve." Which means my spine is actually in the shape of an S and I have two curves. A person with scoliosis is physically in danger when the degree of their curve reaches 60 degrees. My top curve (at the time) was around 35 degrees and the bottom was around 23 degrees. The treatment action we took was wearing a plastic back brace that covered my entire midsection and was extremely tight.
I wore my brace for four years and int he middle of my freshman year in high school I received the news that I had stopped growing in height and could now discontinue the wearing of the brace, however, surgery could still be a possibility one day. Today my curve is 61 degrees on the top and approximately 44 on the bottom. The plan is to have surgery before I turn 20 years old and it will probably take place next year. The recovery period is extensive but it will benefit me int he long run and hopefully prevent future severe back issues.