My story

This is my scoliosis story:
I was born in 1955 on a beautiful small farm outside Kongsberg, Norway. When I was 4 years old 2 things happened: my brother was born and my mum dicovered that something was happening with my back. I also complained about headache every day.




 

She took me to our familydoctor who sent me to a doctor for children in Drammen. He sent me to Oslo, to Sophies Minde the hospital that treated scoliosis.
My first doctor was prof. Alvig, a proper old,skinny professor with a bow 😏 They found out I had a S-scoliosis, idiopatic (cause unknown) and the degrees where 40+.
My first brace was a bodyplaster, it was over my left shoulder, around my body and down to my right knee! I wish I had a photo! A tiny little girl with this big plaster 😄 I could not sit straight on chairs but I learned to use my mum's bicycle! 🚴

After some months they decided that the plaster did not help me, so I got my Blounts brace.

The first was very simple, later I got Milwaukee with more pillows and straps.
I had to use these braces 24/7 for 8 years. When I was 15 I had my youth revolt and delivered the brace to the doctor and said I was fed up! The year before my mum died av malignt melanoma so I think it was part of both sorrow and beeing a teenager 💔
After these 8 years with braces my curves had increased to 60+ degrees! So I was not better, but without braces I think it would have been much worse. I don't know why I did not have surgery, but I am happy I did not!

Me and my mum 💖

I lived my life like everyone else,- studies, work, sports, hobbies and friends and family 😊
The first time I started to feel some pain in my back was when I was about 40 years old 💓
Then I ask for a new appointment at the hospital where I was treated earlier. The x-rays showed that my curves ahd increased to 90 and 85 degrees 😢 But I am lucky because it hardly show when I have clothes on! My biggest problems have been my daily headache (+ sometimes migraine) and some asthma (because one lounge has less space)

 
In 2003 I was on a discussionforum for women (this was before Facebook),- and one day I asked if there where other women with scoliosis in the forum? It was! So I decided to start a group for people with scoliosis in Norway and contacted the society for people with backproblems (Ryggforeningen i Norge) and our group was official during 2004, it still excist 💓
After a while I also started 2 groups on Facebook,- Skoliose Norge and Skolioseforeldre. They are growing and filled with lovely members supporting each other 💗

I have always been active but I have not been doing excercises like I should have at the gym, I only started May 2016 (and in September I started to blog about what I do at the gym). I have learned during this journey that my body is different from people with a straight spine,- I use other muscles and my body react different. But it is ok! Everyone is individual 💓 I hope I will get a super old age (I am only 62 now 😊), I noticed after a few months that my posture was much better, so I hope I will feel not so exhausted after a while........

I check my bone density every 3. year. This is the last photo. The black parts are arthritis, and you can see my curves are pretty big.

7 years ago Dennis came into my life 💓 He was 2 years old, Lhasa apso (sacred dog from Himalaya)

 With Dennis I have to go for walks every day, sunny,rainy,cold or warm weather 🌞⛅⛄

 2 winters for 6 months each time we lived on my paradise island Gran Canaria ( I have lived there for many winters before I got Dennis) Lots of lovely walks in nice warm weather 🌞 I hope we can go back again! Warm weather is so much better for my body.

I like to challenge my self and last year I managed to reach a top just outside my hometown again,- 30 years since last time! Asthma was bad, but I did it!

I hope you all are having a nice time? Big hugs 💖

 

 
 



 

New excersises!

The physioterapist gave me new excersises last week and I was SO sore!! It only means I have been using other muscles than ususally 💪

I use the treadmill for warming

The physioterapist want me to use excercises without the devices, he want me to do excersises where I use my own weight.
+

Plank with feet in the straps. I have the blue pillow under so I know I get high enough.

+ 

 Then I do sideplank. It is not easy to see but I lift my hip from the floor.

 Here I also lift my hip from the floor

I sit on the ball; first I move my hips to both sides and the back and forth, and then I lift one leg at the time and balance on the ball.
I do plank and sideplank 6 times X 2 and the rest 10 times X 2

I still have to train my fractured vrist,- now I do it with 4 kg

This new program is much harder, and after the first time I was soooo sore 😉 But it gets better for every time I do it! I hope I will feel a change in my body now, more than when I only use the devices 💪👍

Do you do some of these excersises? 

Now we are getting closer to winter here in Norway, I have sorted out the flowers I want to take care of inside during winter, and are taking away the rest of the plants and the furnitures. It is a sad time of the year, but today we have lovely sunshine 💓🌞

Hope you all are doing ok?
Big hugs to you all 💖