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livingtwisted

“The scoliosis saga”

January 27, 2011 A Week in the Brace

Today I had my one week follow up with the orthotist, Gez. The week of bracing started out pretty rough, but it got easier quickly. The pressure point pain got a lot better and I’m able to contract the convex side to pull it away from the brace. I can definitely see and feel differences in my back already, and my husband, the skeptic, sees it too. I realize this doesn’t mean its permanent, but at least there’s hope for someone at the old age of 30. Seeing the results makes the pain more bearable.

Gez seemed to be pretty encouraged too. He said my back had loosened up a lot and he tightened the top strap a good two inches, which is encouraging, but it also means I have to start all over in terms of adjusting to the pain. I was hoping he would say he could shorten the extension on my right hip, but he thinks its adding leverage that is helping and wants to keep it, at least for now. Hopefully at least tightening it will keep things in the right place so it doesn’t rotate so much and jab me in the wrong places.

The hardest part of it though is the breathing. I still get winded and tired very easily in it. And Gez said that wouldn’t get better for a long time, if at all. He said my husband can massage the concave side to stimulate movement, but I’m hoping Beatriz will have some advice too. I’d like to start walking the dogs while wearing it to get a little exercise, but right now I don’t think I would make it back up our hill. But I’m not too worried about sleeping in it because already I’ve found my breath getting shallower if I get comfortable on the couch, and the next thing I know I’m asleep.

Well I’ll have another follow up with Gez in two weeks. I’m supposed to get up to 6 hours this weekend, and then start sleeping in it too. I ordered a 3 inch memory foam topper for the bed because the mattress is pretty hard so hopefully it will arrive in time. And he said after another week, I should try tightening the straps a little more. Yikes!

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