Leigh's Story

Hi, my name is Leigh and I am 14. My story, thank God, is a very good one.
When I was 5 my mother noticed that one shoulder was higher than the other.
She decided that it was normal in a growing child, I was her first child.
Well when my right shoulder blade stuck out of my back, she was worried. So
she took me to the doctor who said that he wouldn't be surprised if it was
scoliosis. Well, I had no idea what was going on, I was too little. Next
thing I know, another doctor is looking at my back and smiling sadly at me.
"Have you ever had an x-ray of you back before?" He asked me. I had no idea
what he was talking about but luckily my mom knew so she told him I didn't.
He took about a million x-rays and then we sat down and talked. He asked me
if I had had any bone difficulties. I had. I had hip displacia when I was
born even after the labor was induced when I couldn't stay in the womb any
longer. My teeth are also behind schedule. He realized that my bones matured
VERY slowly.

Next he told us that I had scoliosis. He said that my I had a curve that went
to the right. (I had no idea what this meant) Well, they decided that it was
nothing worth looking into (never let ANYONE say that!!) and that it would go
away (my curve was only 18 degrees).

That was the last I heard of it for 6 years. Then in sixth grade the nurse
spotted it. I went back and, very surprisingly, my curve turned into a
double thorac-lumbar curve. It had changed too much for my doctor's liking. I
went under chiropractic care and I had some stretches to do. He discussed the
possibility of a brace.

I was supposed to go back in 3 months but my mom went into surgery and it
wasn't possible. Now my chiropracter has been worried and is switching me to
a different chiropracter. He says my lumbar muscles are fighting the
treatment. I, most likely will be fitted in a brace. But, I haven't had the
time to get x-rays yet, or the nerve. I am a very athletic and active
teenager. I run 4 miles a day(I love track) I play basketball, softball, and
checkers(just kidding about checkers.). I help out recognizing birds for bird
lovers at a not-so-local environmental park. I also ride horses and sing. Not
to mention the idea of starting high school with a brace is scary. Now I'll I
can do is worry and wait.

Like I said this is a good story cause no surgery is mentioned, yet.

By Leigh, Spring 2000