Do you notice anything wrong with this picture? Look closely. It might be obvious; it might not be. It certainly took me a really long time to notice it and it's my body; however, I think it's *SO* obvious now.
I'm crooked!
I may not be 100% square with the camera, but I am seriously standing up straight in this picture.
Let me take you back to January 3rd. We had some friends over for the Colts game which we watched in the basement. I spent a lot of time on the floor watching the game and playing with the boys. My back started to really bother me and it would catch every time I moved or tried to stand up. It took my breath away. By the time I went to bed that night I was in a world of pain. I could barely get in bed, let alone change positions. I ended up laying in somewhat of a diagonal positon (because I couldn't move in either direction) and Loren had to stuff a pillow behind me and in front of me. It was excrutiating. I was still in a lot of pain the next day and Loren had to take off work because I could barely move and I couldn't lift anything or anyone. I went to the doctor and he said I strained my back. He prescribed me a muscle relaxer, Naproxen, and lots of rest. I took it easy that day, but I felt I could manage after that and Loren went back to work. It was tough, but I did it and my back gradually started to feel better. It never got back to normal, but it was better.
For some reason last Thursday night was difficult for me. Every positon I laid in (left side, right side, back) was uncomfortable. I was able to sleep, but every time I woke up I was pretty uncomfortable, and my back continued to hurt pretty bad once I was up and moving around. After I took a shower in the morning I just happened to notice that my hips were lopsided! It was bizarre and it freaked me out. I thought it was partly due to the pain I had (I was favoring the side where I felt the most pain), but it was obvious that something wasn't quite right. I called my friend, Jess, who has had a lot of experience with back issues and chiropractors and who was (and still is) recovering from back surgery to see what her take was on my issue and chiropractors.
I ended up taking both boys to a chiropractor later that morning. He looked at me and took x-rays, but I didn't find out until the following Monday, the 25th, that I have scoliosis. I was shocked, but things started to make sense. It certainly explained my lopsidedness and my pain. I have had episodes of back pain periodically throughout my adult life, but I always attributed it to pulling something, lifting improperly, even lifting weights. I really didn't have an exact explanation, and there was always a large gap in time between episodes. There was a time in college when I tried sleeping on my bedroom floor for awhile because my back bothered me. I remember being in a lot of pain after one of (if not the) first trips to Virginia. I remember not being able to bowl one night around 4 years ago (yes, I was on a league once), because my back hurt too much, and most recently was last summer. I was in a lot of pain for several days and it took all I had to get out of bed several times in the middle of the night to pick Austin up out of his crib, nurse him, and then lower him back into his crib, all while cringing in pain. There were probably more episodes, but those are the ones that come to mind.
I have had a stressful week of going to the chiropractor (4 times!) and doing some research and wondering if this is the best treatment for me, and what is scoliosis? and what does it mean for me and the rest of my life? I kept trying to figure out if I did this to myself, if it's genetic, and how in the world did I not notice my lopsided hips before? That still baffles me. Dr. H is pretty certain I've had scoliosis for quite some time, and it possibly went undiagnosed as an adolescent. Remember the scoliosis screening we had to go through in P.E. class? It's quite possible I had it then, but maybe not as bad...who knows. He told me I shouldn't beat myslef up over it and most cases of scoliosis happen for unknown reasons. He also told me that the likelihood of me needing surgery is pretty remote.
I'm feeling better. I have been squatting to the floor instead of bending at the waist, and I even walked on the treadmill yesterday, but I have to be careful with every movement. My range of motion is limited and I could pretty easily hurt myself. I sit with a pillow behind my back and a 'lumbar roll' behind my lower back in the car. I can get down on the floor if I sit on my knees, but I can't sit Indian style criss-cross applesauce(?) style. Even though I've probably had scoliosis a good part of my life and not known it, it seems to be bothering me more now. The entire month of January I have been in some degree of pain or discomfort. The chiropractor is going to help get me sorted out. He won't be able to reverse my scoliosis, but he will hopefully be able to improve the curve a little, lessen the pain, improve my range of motion, and, most importantly, help me lead a normal life. The goal is to do this drug free and surgery free. If there are exercises I need to do at home, I will do them. I will do whatever he tells me to do. My biggest fear is that my back issues are going to affect my kids, and I'm going to do everything in my power not to let that happen.
