So I know this story pretty well, but I’d thought I’d share it for those who don’t know. Or for those who do, it’s fun to see things from a different perspective.
In sixth grade my whole class was screened for scoliosis. Scoliosis is curvature of the spine, may or may not be inherited, and can range in severity. We had been screened for other things in the past, like bad eyesight; I’m not sure if the school just thought our parents weren’t responsible or what, but they had decided to take it upon themselves to determine the various maladies of elementary school students. I had heard of scoliosis because one of the kids in my class had it. Also, the teachers had explained it to us so that we wouldn’t think they were crazy for looking at our backs. Anyway, we were all rounded up and herded into the auditorium.
My teacher told us that this was just to make sure that everyone in the school was ok and that, most likely, nothing would be wrong with us. I’m sure this was said because of the fairly low occurrence of scoliosis in the United States, about 4%. It didn’t even occur to me to think that I could possibly have a curved spine. I would feel that, right?
The screeners were just doing cursory checks on most people: make sure shoulders and hips were even and check for visible curves. If there was a question about a certain child, they would go see the Head Screener, a fairly intimidating woman who, I guess, had the final say.
Finally, it was my turn. Like I said, it hadn’t even crossed my mind that I would have anything less than a straight spine. The screener did his initial scan, checking my shoulders and hips, etc. It didn’t seem like my screening was any different than anyone else’s, but it slowly dawned on me that he was taking a long time. He had already checked my shoulders twice! And now he was doing it again! I started to get worried. I don’t remember what he said to me, but I was taken over to the Head Screener.
Words were exchanged between the two screeners and the woman made me bend over so she could check my spine. She said “Oh yeah, there’s a definite curve.” She ended up making a lesson out of me for the other screener, showing him how it was easy to tell that I had a curved spine from this and this and this. And while I’m sure he appreciated it, I certainly did not. My world had just been turned upside down! I had scoliosis?? How could this be? They were being so insensitive to my little 12 year old self.
I ended up going to see a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, because I guess they deal with this kind of stuff. But not before my mom had had a friend look at my back at my sister’s indoor soccer game, how embarrassing J.
Well, that’s the diagnosis. Tomorrow I’ll share what came after: the brace!!
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