July 12, 2004
The Teen Age Years.
The letter went home to my mum. I was to got to another hospital for a check up. I received my hospital appointment, went along dressed very smart. I could never understand why I had to get all dressed up to go to the hospital. It wasn't like going to a party and besides, by the time they finished pulling me about, my clothes were in a just out of the machine state. I met with a consultant, who was rather tall. Was it my imagination, or are all consultants tall? He sent me off for a series of x-rays. I had x-rays in all kinds of positions, chest x-rays I could deal with but ones that required a diploma in yoga, were somewhat daunting. Back to the consultant to get his opinion.
I was told I had Scoliosis. This was a new thing to me. By now I was pretty well up on a variety of conditions, but I had never heard of Scoliosis. The consultant explained that I had a curvature of the spine. My particular one was called idiopathic. Which in the Queens English means they dont know why it happens! Now following suit my Scoliosis was not run of the mill. Apparently a curvature on the right side is more common in girls. Guess which side mine was on? I was to be monitored for the next year to see how it went.
Now as a 14 year old I should of been in my prime, enjoying life, strutting my stuff and concentrating on gaining the affections of some pretty young girl. Instead I was concentrating on this new condition in my life. I never noticed it at first but I had started to walk slightly bent over. I'm sure my family noticed it but never said anything. Then one day while having a shower, I was washing my back and I noticed that my ribs were sticking out more on one side than the other. I began to stand flat against a wall and feel how far away my left side was away from the wall. Soon I was able to stand with my right side against the wall and was able to place my left hand right through a gap to my right side.
Upon my next appointment, there were more x-rays and the curve was measured. It had increased. But I was told not to worry as they were going to fit me with a special plaster cast support that would hopefully straighten me up. I arrived for this plaster cast fitting. Plaster of paris was moulded all around my waist back and over my hips and allowed to dry. When it was all done, little me looked like an American Football player. I had what appeared to be quarterback shoulders, with my little head sticking out. That was Friday. Weighing just over four and a half stone and five feet seven, this thing weighed a ton!
Come Monday it was back to school and I could feel eyes on me, sniggers as I walked down the corridor. Because it was so heavy, I walked with a stoop even more. I got new names, Frankenstein, and Quasie Modo. I think the latter name hurt the most. Still, I was only to have it on for six weeks and then I would be starightened up and that would be it. There was a mixed reaction at school. Some of the kids turned into super bully, while others were fascinated by what was under my shirt. I remember one ocassion when a kid from a year above me thought he would be a show off and try and impress a group of girls nearby. He came up to me and started being rude and then came his pre rehearsed display of strength for the girls. Bang he punched me in the stomach. Now normally I probably would of dropped to my knees in severe pain and tears in my eyes. Except this time he hit about four inches of plaster. I stood still while he screamed in pain and ran off red faced. Being ill sometimes has it's compensations!
The time came to have the cast off. The results were in and there was no change. In fact the curve had got worse. Which I'm not surprised, carrying all that weight made me stoop and be bent over! So the next step was to be put in a plastic body brace that would keep me upright for 23 hours a day! So they try keeping you bent over for 6 weeks and now they want to try keeping me as stiff as a board! Part of this phase of treatement was to monitor me more closely and to have some different x-rays called Houseman Pulls.
Posted by Lee on July 12, 2004 11:58 AM
Dear 'Prince',Your posts are very well written and make me feel as if we were chatting.I'm eager to hear how the plastic cast worked, and was it miserable?I have a best friend since 4th grade, Kathy, who had to wear the plastic cast for much of our 11th grade.Later, in college, they found a growth in her spinal column pressing on the cord and we almost lost her to the surgery and post surgical infections.And yet, she was up and water skiing and leading a very active life in no time.I look forward to following your story.
Posted by: Judy in AZ at July 19, 2004 04:47 AM
DATE: 7/19/2004 07:10:18 AM
Thank you for your kind comments! I shall be updating my diary today, so hope you come back adn read the next installment!
Posted by: Lee at February 8, 2005 01:43 AM