I just want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has emailed me and messaged me kind words about my blog this year, there's been so many lovely emails and I feel overwhelmed. It is really appreciated and it makes me feel so happy that people are actually reading my blog and it's helping people.
I also want to apologise if there is anyone who has emailed me over the last 12 months and I haven't replied to your message. I try my best to reply to everyone but sometimes emails slip through the net. I have also been very busy this year with completing my MSc and so have had less time than I would like to focus on my blog.
I am just posting to say I'm still here and I plan to blog a lot more in 2016. I will also try my hardest to get back to everyone who emails/tweets/messages me.
2015 has been a year of ups, downs and achievements - the first part of the year saw me completing my dissertation for my MSc in Digital Marketing. I then graduated in July with a distinction and a top performing student award and later in the year I travelled to Australia and toured the East Coast.
In terms of my back, earlier in the year I took part in 10K and 5K races for charity, something I never thought I'd be able to do following surgery. Unfortunately, I have now injured my shoulder through running and am undergoing physiotherapy - mostly because I threw myself into running without building up my back/shoulder muscles, which are still weak following my surgery.
In 2016, I plan to strengthen my back/shoulder/core muscles and hopefully get back into running as I love it so much!
Anyway, enough from me for now... I just wanted to say a big HAPPY NEW YEAR and see you all in 2016 :-)
Louise xx
Thursday, 31 December 2015
Saturday, 25 July 2015
5 years post op
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| Me a few weeks after surgery |
My life is very different from this time five years ago and it got me thinking about how far I've come since my surgery. If anyone reading this is currently facing the prospect of scoliosis surgery, or are in the early stages of recovery, I just want to reassure you that it DOES get easier and you WILL be able to achieve things post surgery you never thought were possible. It just takes time and patience.
I continue to push myself, and this week I graduated from University for the second time, with an MSc in Digital Marketing Communications (with distinction), which I have been studying towards for the past three years.
In the few months since finishing my MSc, I have also really got into running and I feel fitter and healthier than ever. In May this year year I completed my first ever 10K race for Cancer Research, in June I completed a 5K fun run (Run or Dye - really fun!) and I've just signed up to complete a 5K run in Manchester in September to raise money for Breast Cancer Care.
I am surprised that running doesn't hurt my back and in the past I have always avoided it for fear of causing myself damage or causing pain. When I first started it did feel a bit strange - but now it feels fine and my fitness has improved immensely over the past few months.
I'm not saying everyone with scoliosis can / should do running (you should always check with your doctor/specialist) BUT I'm saying that having scoliosis should NEVER hold you back, or stop you from trying something, and that you should always feel like you can do anything you put your mind to.
After 5 years, yes I get the odd bad pain day, but on the whole I feel better than ever and my flexibility has also continued to improve, which after surgery I didn't think would be possible.
I don't know how long this will last and whether I'll get more pain in the future but as a result, I am determined to enjoy my life while I can and I will always continue to push myself to achieve for as long as I am physically able to.
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| Taking part in Run or Dye 5K in June 2015 |
Here's to the next five years!
Louise xx
Friday, 26 June 2015
International Scoliosis Awareness Day 2015 #ISAD15
Saturday 27th June marks International Scoliosis Awareness Day, so I thought I would share my own scoliosis story to help raise awareness of this (surprisingly!) common condition.
When I was 14, I was diagnosed with scoliosis, a sideways curvature of the spine, after my dad noticed that my shoulders were uneven. Unfortunately for me though, when my scoliosis was diagnosed, the Drs discovered that I actually had two spinal curvatures (in an 'S' shape) and both curves had already progressed to over 70 degrees, which is considered to be 'severe.'
The one benefit was that, despite their severity, my scoliosis curves were relatively balanced and so were not that noticeable to the untrained eye, which is why I think they were spotted so late in my case.
I was so terrified of the surgery that I endured 10 years of living with two large scoliosis curves, this resulted in considerable back pain and discomfort, severe muscle spasms and breathing problems, not to mention the emotional trauma of living with a very noticeable 'rib hump,' which was caused by my spine pushing on and rotating my ribcage. As the pain got progressively worse, I was told that my curves were progressing and would likely progress year by year as I got older, which in itself could also result in breathing and heart problems in the future.
Eventually, as a result of increasing pain and discomfort, I got put on the list for surgery and had to wait over a year, before finally having corrective surgery five years ago on the NHS. At the time of surgery my curves had progressed to over 80 degrees.
The surgery was 10 hours and involved my surgeon straightening my spine as much as was safely possible, fusing my spine with bone from my ribs and inserting two titanium rods and a whole lot of screws to hold the correction in place whilst the bone fused. I also had a 'costoplasty' procedure at the same time, which involved the surgeon breaking and removing sections of several of my ribs to improve the appearance of my large "rib hump." This was a painful surgery with a very painful and long, uncomfortable recovery, including 6 months in a back brace, lots of strong painkillers and intensive physio.
Due to the severity of my scoliosis, my spine will never be 'straight' but my surgeon did an amazing job and I cannot thank him enough - he changed my life for the better. If you were to look at me today, you would never know that I had scoliosis and had been through everything I have, and sometimes, I even forget myself. Now, I rarely get bad back pain and the only giveaway of my condition is the impressively long scar down the centre of my back, which I am incredibly proud of.
I'm also proud of how far I've come, as when I was lying in that hospital bed, barely even able to sit up or get out of bed by myself, I never imagined that once recovered I'd continue to travel the word, climb a mountain, run a 10K race, complete an MSc with distinction or walk 26 miles for charity - just some of the things I have achieved post surgery.
This condition has never held me back and I think going through scoliosis surgery has made me appreciate everything I can do, as well as given me the determination to continuously push myself.
More awareness of this condition is needed because if scoliosis is spotted early enough when the curves are small, it can be treated through physio and bracing and sometimes, surgery can even be avoided.
It's important to realise though that every case of scoliosis and scoliosis surgery is different. Find out more about scoliosis and how you can raise awareness of International Scoliosis Awareness Day here.
When I was 14, I was diagnosed with scoliosis, a sideways curvature of the spine, after my dad noticed that my shoulders were uneven. Unfortunately for me though, when my scoliosis was diagnosed, the Drs discovered that I actually had two spinal curvatures (in an 'S' shape) and both curves had already progressed to over 70 degrees, which is considered to be 'severe.'
The one benefit was that, despite their severity, my scoliosis curves were relatively balanced and so were not that noticeable to the untrained eye, which is why I think they were spotted so late in my case.
I was so terrified of the surgery that I endured 10 years of living with two large scoliosis curves, this resulted in considerable back pain and discomfort, severe muscle spasms and breathing problems, not to mention the emotional trauma of living with a very noticeable 'rib hump,' which was caused by my spine pushing on and rotating my ribcage. As the pain got progressively worse, I was told that my curves were progressing and would likely progress year by year as I got older, which in itself could also result in breathing and heart problems in the future.
Eventually, as a result of increasing pain and discomfort, I got put on the list for surgery and had to wait over a year, before finally having corrective surgery five years ago on the NHS. At the time of surgery my curves had progressed to over 80 degrees.
The surgery was 10 hours and involved my surgeon straightening my spine as much as was safely possible, fusing my spine with bone from my ribs and inserting two titanium rods and a whole lot of screws to hold the correction in place whilst the bone fused. I also had a 'costoplasty' procedure at the same time, which involved the surgeon breaking and removing sections of several of my ribs to improve the appearance of my large "rib hump." This was a painful surgery with a very painful and long, uncomfortable recovery, including 6 months in a back brace, lots of strong painkillers and intensive physio.
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| My scoliosis - X-Rays before and after surgery |
Due to the severity of my scoliosis, my spine will never be 'straight' but my surgeon did an amazing job and I cannot thank him enough - he changed my life for the better. If you were to look at me today, you would never know that I had scoliosis and had been through everything I have, and sometimes, I even forget myself. Now, I rarely get bad back pain and the only giveaway of my condition is the impressively long scar down the centre of my back, which I am incredibly proud of.
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| My back and scar today - 5 years post op! |
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| Me post surgery |
This condition has never held me back and I think going through scoliosis surgery has made me appreciate everything I can do, as well as given me the determination to continuously push myself.
More awareness of this condition is needed because if scoliosis is spotted early enough when the curves are small, it can be treated through physio and bracing and sometimes, surgery can even be avoided.
 |
| Photo from Facebook: SHIFT Scoliosis |
It's important to realise though that every case of scoliosis and scoliosis surgery is different. Find out more about scoliosis and how you can raise awareness of International Scoliosis Awareness Day here.
Tuesday, 19 May 2015
Race for Life!
This weekend I did something I thought would never be possible following my scoliosis surgery. I ran 10K (!) through Delamere Forest for Race for Life to raise money for Cancer Research UK.
I'm not going to lie, the training was hard for me. Especially as I only signed up 5 weeks before the event and so had limited time to train (plus I had never really 'done' running before!).
I always thought running and scoliosis didn't really go together and have always found running difficult. But in 5 weeks I managed to build myself up to complete the race in 1 hr 17 minutes, which I'm so proud of. Now I feel fitter and stronger than ever and hope to improve my running and fitness in time and build up to a quicker time.
After surgery I had to learn how to walk again, so after all I've been through with my back I'm really not bothered about being the fastest. I'm just grateful that I can be IN a race at all.
It just goes to show that even after scoliosis surgery I can do anything I put my mind to and I'm so proud of myself.
Now I'm more determined than ever, if you tell me I can't, I'll prove to you I CAN ;-)
Louise xx
I'm not going to lie, the training was hard for me. Especially as I only signed up 5 weeks before the event and so had limited time to train (plus I had never really 'done' running before!).
I always thought running and scoliosis didn't really go together and have always found running difficult. But in 5 weeks I managed to build myself up to complete the race in 1 hr 17 minutes, which I'm so proud of. Now I feel fitter and stronger than ever and hope to improve my running and fitness in time and build up to a quicker time.
After surgery I had to learn how to walk again, so after all I've been through with my back I'm really not bothered about being the fastest. I'm just grateful that I can be IN a race at all.
It just goes to show that even after scoliosis surgery I can do anything I put my mind to and I'm so proud of myself.
Now I'm more determined than ever, if you tell me I can't, I'll prove to you I CAN ;-)
Louise xx
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