Scoliosis Awareness Month 2021: Share Your Story – Imogen

Young Girl facing a mirror showing her scoliosis scar on her side

As part of scoliosis awareness month 2021, I will be sharing your inspiring scoliosis stories on my blog and via my Instagram. Scoliosis awareness month is June.

If you’d like to get involved and help to share awareness, please contact me 🙂

Share Your Scoliosis Story – Imogen.

Hi my name is Immi and I’m 21 years old.

My story began back in early 2015 just before my 15th birthday. I started getting lower back pain but my mum told me it was your usual growing pains and we thought nothing of it.

Until one particular day I stepped out of the shower and took a closer look at my waist – it was curved in on one side but the other was completely flat, as if the natural curve was filled in.

We knew this wasn’t right and the next day saw a doctor. One feel up my spine and he instantly knew and I was diagnosed with scoliosis. We went for my first xray at Frimley Hospital.

I will always remember my first consultant Dr Adam Way as he came up on the board as A Way. At the beginning, my lower curve was only 31 and the top was just forming at 27 so no treatment was considered but I would be monitored as I wasn’t fully grown. However, as the years went on, and 14 X-rays, 3 MRIs and many consultations later, my bottom curve had moved to 47 degrees and my top now 41. My new consultant was concerned that even with finished development, my spine was still moving at a progressing rate, so it was decided it would be better to intervene and have surgery. 


Before my surgery, my scoliosis had changed my body so I had my ribs sticking out on the left side and a huge dip in my waist on the right. I had a lot of self confidence issues and even had one now ex boyfriend tell me it freaked him out so much he didn’t want to see it, which caused me to suffer from depression for a long time as a result of the scoliosis.

I was told many times I would have to live with it which made me feel so much worse. The day I found out I was having surgery, and since having surgery, my life has changed dramatically.

It was a difficult process in hospital, the medication made me very sick with vomiting most days and unable to eat anything but toast and plain yogurt for 2 weeks. The physio was extremely difficult at first with the pain feeling almost unbearable and wondering how I was going to do it.

Scoliosis Scar
Immi’s scoliosis scar

But then one day it changed – I managed to get up and walk around and complete the tasks to go home.

Thankfully, my boyfriend and my family helped me and I’m now almost 6 months post op! I occasionally get some lower back pain but that’s my backs way of telling me I’ve done a bit too much either walking, bending (at the knees not with my spine) or standing. It usually this goes away with a nice lay down in bed or on the sofa or paracetamol depending on what I’ve done in the day.

One of my biggest achievements recently was being able to complete a 2 hour walk with my boyfriend and his family and being able to tie my own shoes by lifting my leg onto my lap rather than having to bend.

Scoliosis X-rays before and after surgery
Immi’s scoliosis X-rays

My advise for anyone with scoliosis is don’t let anyone put you down for your condition, you are a warrior and there is so much support out there for you. I’m so glad more people are raising awareness, as I wish I had the support available now when I was 15. If you’d like to see more of my story check out my Instagram Immiscoliosis.

If you have any questions feel free to drop me a message my DMs are always open, we’re all in this together. <3


Thank you Immi for sharing your story and helping to raise awareness 🙂 If you would like to share your own scoliosis story, please contact me via email or PM me on Instagram.

Stay strong fellow warriors,

Louise xoxo

Enjoyed this Post? Share with your friends!
FacebookTwitterPinterestShare