Confidence

An important part of "embracing scoliosis" is accepting your condition and being happy the way you are.  Don't think that you're "unlucky" or you were "cursed" or "how come no one else has to wear a brace or get surgery". Sure, scoliosis is disease and it may seem that you are the only one that has it but that's not true. Did you know that about 3 in 100 people have some form of scoliosis? (KidsHealth) It doesn't necessarily mean that in a school of 500 people that 15 people have it however, if there are 7 billion people in the world then there are about 210 million that have some kind of scoliosis. No one is perfect. Even if you see someone that may seem perfectly healthy that might not be the case. What if they have asthma? What if they have dyslexia? What if they have diabetes? What if they have hemophilia? Or a life-threatening allergy? Or even cancer? Now, you're probably thinking about celebrities- the rich and famous. Aren't they so lucky? They seem to be blessed with beautiful skin, faces, body, lots of money...

Celebrities with Scoliosis
-Elizabeth Taylor (Actress: Jane Eyre, Cleopatra, etc.)

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-Sarah Michelle Gellar (Actress: Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

She embraced her scoliosis! Wears whatever she wants! Back bare, don't care :)
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-Usain Bolt (Olympic Athlete: "World's Fastest Runner")

Scoliosis doesn't stop him from chasing his dreams!
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Scoliosis isn't something you should be ashamed of. Tell your friends first. They will support and respect you (otherwise they wouldn't be your friends!). In fact, I find that they help make it more bearable. To be honest, no one is going to be staring at you and your brace/back all the time (stalker, much?). Most will forget about it. Remember, a brace is temporary. Think of it as someone broke their arm or sprained their ankle and they have to wear a cast. Do people make a big deal about it? 

For me, the only thing holding me back was (well still is) my self-consciousness. I have not fully accepted myself but I'm on my way. At my school for one marking period I have to go to gym/P.E. class even though I have a doctor's note. I just get to choose what I can/cannot do... Changing in locker rooms is an issue... I am still embarrassed to change with the brace on.  I usually just change in a bathroom unless someone's in there which would be a problem. Do you guys have any advice? Should I suck it up and change out in the open? 

I know I probably sound like a hypocrite by saying to be confident when I am not... But this blog is meant to be like a journal for my journey. I am constantly discovering new things and I hope this blog can grow to be a community so we can help each other out and discuss about the struggles that we all share. I thank all my new followers! I appreciate that you took the time to read my blog. 

If you have something to share, leave a comment! I'd to hear what you say! The best thing you could do to support me is by being an active member- follow my blog or just by having a discussion on this blog or even sharing any of my posts with others who are dealing with scoliosis. 

Fashion Tips for Scoliosis Brace {Part 1}

Hey everyone! Here is part 1 of my series of posts about fashion tips geared towards people wearing a brace. This is what I wore on the first day of school.  I recommend wearing loose and flouncy tops that are not sheer to cover up any odd bumps. A nice pattern will distract others. It's nice to layer a similar color tank underneath to even out the hips if the shirt is short. In this particular shirt the sides are cut a but low so the tank will cover up the side of the brace that goes up to the armpit. 

The shirt is long in the back so it conceals the potentially awkward back area. I do recommend having long hair to cover the top so the brace doesn't seem to stick out in the middle of the shirt. I hope that's not too confusing! :)

I would definitely add some jewelry to spice up the look and pair a cute pair of sandals or flats with the outfit! By the way, both the top and bottom are from American Eagle Outfitters. ae.com They have a great selection of clothes! Click here to see my back to school haul. :)

Also, do any of you guys have an issue of your pants sliding down easily? I always have to wear a belt even if it's tight... I think the brace loosens my pants or something.

Meet the Brace...

The burden. The tormentor. The beast. Or simply, the brace. Whatever you want to call it, you still have to wear it. So why not embrace it? Honestly when I first got my brace, I was heartbroken. The hard, oddly shaped plastic contraption sucked all the air out of me. It was so tight yet sticking out in all sorts of places. How was I supposed to hide it? Was I supposed to only wear sweatshirts and sweatpants? But now I'm learning to "love" it (well not to that point yet but at least like it for now). 

So what brace do I have? I have the TLSO brace also known as the Boston Brace. The T-shaped part drilled onto the front is for my kyphosis not scoliosis. The left side goes up to my armpit and the right side goes all the way down to my hip. There's not much flexibility so if you don't like gym class you have an excuse to skip it (you have to get a doctor's note though)!

The Front

On the back, there are 3 straps to tighten the brace. If you can see the red dots that's about how far back I should tighten the brace.

The Back

I had to get new clothes after receiving the brace. Great, right? Eh... not so much. Jeans were okay because I just had to go up a size but tops were a hassle! Especially since I have the kyphosis part that reaches right under my collar bone. No v-necks or any low cut shirt. Nothing sheer. No tanks. Only loose shirts that were long or had to be paired with a long tank underneath. In the summer it was hard because some days were really really hot and I had to wear so many layers. You're supposed to wear a shirt/tank under the brace itself to prevent your skin from rubbing against it. It can be gross. But I've been learning to work around it. Fashion tips will be coming soon! Interested in just fashion and beauty in general? Visit my other blog Kassica.


Until next time,