5 things I do because of my scoliosis…

5 things I do because of my scoliosis…

Posted on by Louise
1. I constantly look at my back When I'm at the gym, or walk past a shop window or mirror, I just can't resist sneaking a look at my back. Sometimes, I swear people think I'm checking myself out. I'm not, I'm just looking at my back. I can't help it. Post-surgery, sometimes it's admiration. As in, I can't believe how straight it looks from the side and that the rib hump is gone, even 5 years later! Although, other...Read More
Happy New Year…and thank you!

Happy New Year…and thank you!

Posted on by Louise
I just want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has emailed me and messaged me kind words about my blog this year, there's been so many lovely emails and I feel overwhelmed. It is really appreciated and it makes me feel so happy that people are actually reading my blog and it's helping people. I also want to apologise if there is anyone who has emailed me over the last 12 months and I haven't replied to...Read More
5 years post op

5 years post op

Posted on by Louise
So this week it is five whole years since my scoliosis surgery. My life is very different from this time five years ago and it got me thinking about how far I've come since my surgery. If anyone reading this is currently facing the prospect of scoliosis surgery, or are in the early stages of recovery, I just want to reassure you that it DOES get easier and you WILL be able to achieve things post surgery you never thought...Read More

International Scoliosis Awareness Day 2015 #ISAD15

Posted on by Louise
Saturday 27th June marks International Scoliosis Awareness Day, so I thought I would share my own scoliosis story to help raise awareness of this (surprisingly!) common condition. When I was 14, I was diagnosed with scoliosis, a sideways curvature of the spine, after my dad noticed that my shoulders were uneven.  Unfortunately for me though, when my scoliosis was diagnosed, the Drs discovered that I actually had two spinal curvatures (in an 'S' shape) and both curves had already progressed...Read More

Happy New Year – 2014!

Posted on by Louise
A bit late now I guess but Happy New Year! I wanted to write a bit of an update on me and how my back is doing now I'm 3 1/2 years post op. Flexibility wise my back is the best it's been since surgery and bending to pick things up off the floor, rolling over in bed and things like that no longer seem to be an issue for me, which if you'd told me that at around 3 months post...Read More
Body image

Body image

Posted on by Louise
I've recently got back from a lovely holiday in Greece, and it got me thinking about how I felt about my back while I was on holiday. Ever since I was diagnosed with scoliosis, body image has been a difficult subject for me. All my body confidence issues seem to magnify by 1000 whenever I go on holiday and my back is on 'display' more. For me, post surgery, dealing with my body image hasn't got any easier. Pre-surgey I...Read More

3 years post op!

Posted on by Louise
Today I am three years post op from my scoliosis surgery and I really can't believe how fast that time has gone. So much has changed in the last three years and I've come so far, I am now very busy studying an MSc course whilst working full time - hence why I havent updated my blog for a while! I've been so busy getting an assignment done this month that I almost forgot that it was my three year...Read More

Scoliosis scar: 2 years 8 months post op

Posted on by Louise
Here's a picture of my scoliosis scar at 2 years 8 months post op, as you can see its faded quite a bit. I thought I'd take a picture now to show those facing surgery, or those at the beginning of their recovery, what the scar can look like later on during recovery. I get asked quite a bit about how my scar looks so.. there you go!

Richard III: Channel 4 documentary and scoliosis

Posted on by Louise
It's all over the news at the minute, it has been confirmed that the skeleton buried underneath a car park in Leicester discovered several months ago is in fact Richard III.  What interested me more though, was his skeleton showed that he had scoliosis, which shows just how long the condition has been around. I can sympathise with Richard III, as looking at his skeleton reminded me of my curve pre-surgery and I really felt for the guy knowing the...Read More
10 tips for Scoliosis Pain Relief

10 tips for Scoliosis Pain Relief

Posted on by Louise
This post contains affiliate links Luckily, since my scoliosis surgery I don't get too many bad pain days. In winter, the cold weather tends to cause an achy type pain and extra stiffness in my lower back, which for some reason I've noticed even more since my surgery. This is one of the reasons I detest winter, that and fear of slipping on icy ground. During winter, you'll usually find me with a hot water bottle or heat pad permanently...Read More

2012

Posted on by Louise
So it's nearly the end of another year and it's got me thinking about how good of a year it's been for my back and all the things I've managed to do. At the start of the year I was still doing physio, my back still felt weak and stiff and I was scared of doing things which might cause damage. As the year progressed, I found myself gaining more strength and more confidence to push myself as I began...Read More
Inspirational Scoliosis Quotes

Inspirational Scoliosis Quotes

Posted on by Louise
When I was recovering from scoliosis surgery, reading and sharing inspirational quotes helped me to stay positive. Here are a collection of some of my favourite quotes that I think relate well to scoliosis, scoliosis surgery, pain and recovery. Please feel free to share any of these quotes on social media or your own blogs :-) Scoliosis Recovery Quotes  You can't see the view if you don't climb the mountain. You never know how strong you are, until being strong...Read More

2 year post op checkup

Posted on by Louise
Today I had my 2 year post op checkup.  After scoliosis surgery you generally get seen for a checkup after 3 months, after 6 months, after 1 year and after 2 years, so this was my final post surgery checkup (hooray!)  Like last year, it was very weird going back to the hospital I had my surgery at, it's easy to forget what you went through sometimes but going back there again and walking past the ward I was on...Read More
Pain days

Pain days

Posted on by Louise
I don't like to post about pain too much as I don't want to put people off having this surgery, as I know that in many severe cases like mine, surgery is unavoidable. However, this is an honest blog about life after scoliosis surgery and if you need to have this surgery you will be interested in what it's really like living your life after this type of surgery. Today has been a bad pain day. Actually the past few...Read More