TSAP is happy to present a chapter from The Triumphs of Scoliosis: Chapter Book, written by our founder, Kimberly Ann Cunanan Garza.
Please enjoy reading the chapter below.
Chapter 2: The Diagnosis
Early the next morning, Mom and I arrived at Dr. Marques’ office.
“Good morning Kimita, and mom.” Dr. Marques greeted us. “How are you?”
“We are doing great.” Mom answered. “However, I noticed something a bit different about Kimita. When she walks, it is uneven. It seems her right leg is slightly longer than her left. It also appears that her left shoulder is lower than her right. When I asked her to touch her toes and I followed the path of her spine, it didn’t feel straight. I’m not sure what that means.”
“Those are great observations.” Dr. Marques responded. “I am so glad you have noticed this early, before Kimita is a teenager. Before I make a diagnosis, I am going to do an assessment and take some measurements.”
As I was standing, Dr. Marques measured the distance from my head to the tip of each shoulder. She observed my back, then measured the distance from my head to each side of my hip. Dr. Marques asked me to touch my toes and she followed the path of my spine, just as Mom had done. She then asked me to lay down and she measured the distance from my knee to my heel. Lastly, while laying down I bent my knees and she observed my feet.
“My observations match your mom’s.” Dr. Marques stated. “Your left shoulder is lower than your right. Your right shoulder blade is more visible than the left. Your left hip is lower. Your spine does not feel straight as your mom said. Your right ribs are more visible than your left. Your left leg is shorter than the right. All these signs indicate you have scoliosis. To confirm, we will do an x-ray.”
Skoh-lee-oh-sis? What does that mean? I had so many questions I wanted to ask, but I held them back as I followed Dr. Marques to the x-ray room.
“I’ve never had an x-ray before.” I told Dr. Marques as I stepped into the dark room.
“Don’t worry, you will be fine. It won’t take very long. If you have questions, my assistant will be very glad to answer them.” Dr. Marques responded.
“Hi Kimita.” the assistant said. “Have you had an x-ray before?”
“No, this is my first one.” I responded.
“Stand in the middle of the square that lights up please, as it will allow me to get the perfect image of your spine. This panel I am putting behind you will then capture the image. Now please stay in that position for a few seconds, and I will tell you when the x-ray is done.” The assistant was very good at explaining the process.
I held my breath as the x-ray machine began to hum. After about thirty seconds, the machine beeped.
“Okay, it’s done. You did great! Now let’s go see how it came out.” the assistant said.
I released my breath slowly as I followed the assistant. She clipped the x-ray sheet to a board and turned on a light. An image of my spine suddenly appeared and sure enough, it was not straight. It looked like a backward ‘S’.
Dr. Marques came over and looked at the x-ray. “Yes, it is idiopathic scoliosis. Luckily, your curve is in a range where a back brace can help straighten it. I will refer you to Dr. Mill, an orthopedic doctor, so he can measure your curvature and order a back brace for you. Also, here are some shoe inserts that will help you walk more evenly.”
“Thank you so much!” Mom and I said. “We will visit Dr. Mill tomorrow.”
Interested in reading more? The Triumphs of Scoliosis: Chapter Book is available for purchase through the Blurb Bookstore. TSAP greatly appreciates your support!
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