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,