I was first diagnosed with scoliosis during elementary school and my doctor at the time attributed my scoliosis to piano-playing. Indeed, being 10 years old and trying to play the length of a grand piano keyboard was no easy feat and, looking back, it required odd contortions and twisting of my body. Doing this for several hours a day clearly could not have benefited my scoliosis.
My doctor at the time strongly suggested that I get a brace. However, I decided (with the mind of a naïve 10 year old) that I was having none of that. My parents, perhaps because they were not fully aware of the severity or future consequences of my scoliosis, did not oppose my decision.
Thus, I spent the next ten years without a brace or undergoing any real treatment. On the surface, I looked normal, but silently, within the confines of my body, my spine was becoming more and more curved.
It was in 2001 that I was forced to face the true extent of my scoliosis. I had started college and, while others were out discovering themselves and enjoying new found freedom, I was in my dorm room, writhing in pain. My body was sending me a very loud and clear wake-up call. I knew, at this point, that I had to do something about my scoliosis and was fairly certain that my scoliosis had progressed to the point where my only option for treatment was surgery.