Didn't get it - schroth method

Turns out didn't quite get it.   

At my appointment yesterday, I whipped off my shirt in excitement to show Gail my breakthrough. 

But, it wasn't correct :(:(:(.  

Back to the drawing board. (Although she said it was closer)

She pulled out a breathing belt or help me figure out which areas to breath into

This seemed to help a lot.  We made a video of the breathing with my iphone. I am determined t figure this out.   (Oh... And by the way .... Insurance refuses to cover more visits.....we are appealing)

Schroth method breakthrough

I think I get it!!!!!

After a few months of doing excercises and not fully understanding, I think I may get it.

I must say it is very confusing. The combination of breath, and twisting, and realignment of both curves is nearly impossible to do.

Gail videotaped the chair excercises on my iphone and finally it clicked!  

She said at one point I would understand 

I have replicated it at home in front of a mirror and can't wait to show her Tuesday to make sure I am actually doing it!

Mental health appointment

My next appointment with Gail (after meeting with surgeon)

I told her that the whole appointment should just be a mental health visit.  She was great.  She said she works with people with 90 degree curves that have never had surgery

She reminded me of why I chose to go with schroth.  Reduce pain and HOLD curve

We talked about the lack of studies, the lack of treatments, and the lack of knowledge in USA in regard to scoliosis

I am still in shock that not much has changed since the seventies treatments. In fact I feel that it has gone slightly backwards. Back in the seventies I was given excercises to do when I was out of the brace. I remember hanging from a bar in my bedroom, and doing assymetrical excercises with cans of food.   With my daughter no excercises were give.   They were done away with (wrongfully so in my opinion)

Gail had just returned from a schroth training over the weekend. There were patients in all age brackets 20's, 30's, 40's and up

One girl in her 30's with a 47 & 47 degree curve was told by her doctor that she may not be able to have kids!!!  Everyone in the room assured her that wasn't true and it brought tears to her eyes!

I left with new hope and resolve

Energy healing and scoliosis

I went to an energy healer!! - Joanne

She was amazing. 

Although I can't explain it, and definitely can't explain to my husband, it felt great.

She focused on my back and moved a lot of stuck energy around it.

Joanne is tall like me and she told me the most amazing thing. She had minor scoliosis and 

was actually able to correct her curve.  Her chiropractor was amazed by the X-ray

She gave me a great visualization that I would like share.

She told me to picture a skeleton (like you would see in a medical school) hanging there with the straight spine. Then visualize myself walking through the skeleton and takin on that straight spine.

She said you can move bones. Just believe!

1st visit - hope

I'll admit, I was scared!  I had successfully avoided doctors, X-rays, measurements since I was a teenager.

I met Gail!  She began right away....correcting the way I sat in the chair, the way I stood, the way I laid down.  Finally someone could show me how to hold my body.  I had given up on ever knowing which way was helpful or harmful (with an s curve it is nearly impossible to visualize)

She performed a series of measurements, and we began

Because I am 49 - she said we would take it slow.  We started with some simple excercises that I would do at home

She told me that although it would be unlikely that we could correct my spine, our goals would be to relieve the pain and halt the curve from getting worse

I left with hope!

Family history

You would be surprised to know that my family is in fact very "healthy" and active. We have had family members live well into their 90's
That being said, we can't seem to grow our spines straight!

Here is a list of my family members that have worn back braces


Me
My sister
My first cousin
My daughter
My niece


I would draw the unscientific  conclusion that it is hereditary

First finding out

It was when I was when I was 9 that I remember the phone ringing.  My mother picked up the corded phone - (yes the kind attached to the wall with the rotary dial) and began to get very emotional.
She had barely hung when I found myself bent over in the kitchen.  My aunt had called to tell her that my cousin had just been diagnosed with scoliosis and that it was hereditary.

As she examined my back she started to panic.   She obsessively checked my back every second she could. For the following week, I found myself paraded in front of neighbors, relatives and anyone else willing to look - all confirming at something was not right.

I guess at one point we landed in a doctors office for the official diagnosis. I had scoliosis.

Purpose

Okay....this is a risk for me.  I have decided to share my story of living with scoliosis after years of trying to hide from it. I am 49 years old and have had scoliosis since the age of 8.
I always felt that talking about it would "draw" more attention to it. After being in a back brace through the awkward middle school years, the last thing I wanted was to create any kind of discussion about my back

Lately my curve has taken a turn (literally) for the worst and the pain is no longer deniable.  I have been forced out of hiding to explore treatment options. My goal through this blog is to take you along with my "healing" journey so that others may learn from my experience.

~ Pam