Turkey-Istanbul

Merhaba ben Mina. 15 yaşındayım, 9. Sınıf öğrencisiyim. Kendimi pek çok şekilde tanımlayabilirim ama bence en önemlilerinden biri şu, ben bir skolyoz savaşçısıyım.

Kısaca bu yanımı anlatırsam, ailemin dikkati ve çocuk doktorumun tavsiyesiyle , şu andaki harika doktoruma gidip, ilk EOSumu çektirdiğimde, bana skolyoz başlangıcı teşhisi kondu. Anaokulundaydım. Dönem dönem kontroller yapıldı, ilkokulda shrot egzersizlerimi haftada üçe kez yapmama rağmen ilerleme durmadı. İlkokul 3.sınıfta korse takmaya başladım.

Korseyi 7/18 takmam gerekiyordu. Ama ben o küçücük halimle, rahatsızlığını yaşayarak, takmazsam sonucu ne olur bilmeden, sürekli uyarılar altında, ne yapacağımı bilemiyor, sadece NEFRET EDİYORDUM. Okula takmayı denedim. Düşünün 9 yaşındasınız ve sert, rahatsız, sizi çirkin gösteren o korseyi takıyorsunuz. Üstüne bol şeyler giyip saklıyorsunuz, ama garip duruşunuz sizi ele veriyor. Herkes size bakıyor, kimi anlıyor, kimi anlamıyor. En yakın arkadaşlarımın dahi bazılarına söyleyebildiğimi hatırlıyorum. Ama ben ne yaptım, okulda takmadım. Eve gelir gelmez takıyor, okula giderken çıkarıyordum, Ama stres büyüktü. Yıllar, bir ilerleme ve bir gerilemeyle geçti. Sonra korseyi daha fazla takmam gerektiği ,  yoksa ameliyat olacağım gerçeğine geldik. O sırada pandemi de başlamıştı ve ben 1,5 sene, günde 20 saat korse takarak en tehlikeli süreci atlattım. Ameliyat olmadım:)

Şu an sadece yatarken taktığım, ameliyat riskimin kalktığı dönemi yaşıyorum ve dört gözle bu sürecin de bitmesini bekliyorum. Korsem benim hem dostum,  hem düşmanım. Onsuz olmayı bu kadar isterken, ona çok şey borçluyum. Ben 6 yıldır her gün onunla beraberim. İşte savaşçılık burada yatıyor. Vazgeçmeyeceksiniz, ümidiniz kalmazsa da vazgeçmeyeceksiniz.

Ben şu anda mutlu, 15 yaşında , hayattan çok şey isteyen ve gülümseyen bir gencim.

Bu sürecin başında, bana yaşayacaklarımı söyleyecek, “Korkma yanındayım, ben de buralardan geçtim” diyecek, “Bak,  sonuç işte benim” diyecek bir arkadaşımın olmasını çok isterdim. Bu bugünlere daha az acıyla gelmemi sağlardı.

İşte bu yüzden bu grupta, deneyimlerimi ihtiyacı olanlarla paylaşmak, yanınızda durmak istiyorum.

Hello, my name is Mina. I'm a 15-year-old 9th-grade student. I describe myself in many ways, however, one of the most important ones is that I am a scoliosis warrior.

After careful observation of my family and the advice of my pediatrician, I visited my current amazing doctor when I first had my EOS scan. I was diagnosed with early-stage scoliosis when I was in kindergarten. I had my periodic checks. I increased my short exercises to three times a week but the progression of scoliosis didn't stop and I started to wear a brace in third grade. I had to wear it 18 hours a day every day. I wasn't aware of the consequences of not wearing it. I was in constant pain and under strict warning all the time that I had to keep the brace on. All I knew was that I hated wearing it. Imagine that you're 9 years old and you're forced to wear a harsh uncomfortable object which makes you look ugly. I tried wearing it in school to try to wear loose clothes to hide it from showing but my strange stance gave away that there was something wrong. Everyone is staring at you. Some of them figure it out, some don't. I remember that I couldn't even tell some of my closest friends. However, I chose not to wear it in school. I used to wear it as soon as I arrived home and took it off before I left for school. It was very stressful. Years passed with some progression and some setbacks. Eventually, I came face-to-face with the painful fact that if I didn't wear the brace for longer periods, I had to have surgery. That was when the pandemic started and I wore the brace 20 hours a day for one and a half years and I didn't have to have surgery :)

Now I only have to brace when I sleep. I don't have the risk of surgery anymore and I can't wait for the time when I will stop wearing it altogether. My brace is my enemy and also my friend. I owe my brace a lot even though I long to be free. It’s been 6 years. That's where the warrior's spirit lies. Never give up even if you lose all hope. Now I'm a happy teenager who expects a lot from life.

At the beginning of this ordeal, I would have liked to have a close friend who would say “Don’t be scared, I'm here for you.” It would have made me arrive today with much less pain. That's why in this group, I want to share my experiences with you and stand by your side.

My name is Alinda, I live in Istanbul, Turkey and I am 15 years old. At the age of 10 I was diagnosed with scoliosis when my mom realized my waist was uneven while I was in a bikini at the beach. I wore a brace for 3 years for up to 20 hours a day and consistently followed my exercise program. I remember wearing my brace and not being able to cover it up duringextremely hot school days where everyone was asking what happened to me. I also remember not being able to tie my shoelaces because I couldn't bend and that my friends were tired of tying them. Currently thanks to my determination and hardwork I don't need to wear my brace but I continue doing my Schroth exercises regularly.

At the same time, I continued to focus strongly on my academic success and personal development. Balancing treatment, school responsibilities, and daily life was of course very challenging but it helped me become more organized, responsible, and hardworking. Beyondacademics, I am passionate about music and sports. I play the piano and have participated incompetitions and performances. These experiences helped me become more confident and dedicated. I also enjoy playing table tennis, which keeps me active and motivated.

My experience with scoliosis also inspired me academically. This year, I am working on a Personal Project about a special Swedish ladder for scoliosis exercises. This project is mainly focused on scoliosis awareness and support because I want to help others feel more informed,supported and encouraged.

Understanding and knowing you are sharing common feelings with other people is vital. I was diagnosedat a young age and spent years wearing a brace and doing exercises, so I understand both the physicaland emotional challenges of scoliosis. I have always wanted to share my feelings with other people andlisten to other people's experiences. Except for my family, I actually didn't get to talk to other people about my  scoliosis in my first years. I believe that for people like me, Curvy Girls provides the best support and guidance throughout scoliosis journeys.

Through Curvy Girls, I want to share my challenges and help others feel less alone. I also want to createa safe and encouraging community where girls can share their experiences and support one another. I also want to raise awareness about scoliosis and help others feel more confident throughout their journey. In my daily life, I have helped several people with scoliosis, and it not only made them feelbetter, but also made me feel better.