Living with Scoliosis and the Hump

​Many people living with scoliosis live with a "hump".
 
What's it like to live with a hump? Well,...in addition to wearing loose clothes so nobody could see my brace, I wore loose clothes so nobody could see my hump. I was always conscious of my hump. I rarely wore strapless clothes or tight clothes (on top) unless I wore a sweater, blazer or unbuttoned button down shirt over it. Bikinis were my friend because you could see my hump if I wore a one piece. I hated looking at my hump in the mirror, I hated looking at myself from the side. Actually, I don't have any physical pictures of my back other than x-rays. I always asked my friends when we were shopping or going out, "Can you see my hump?" And like my brace, I feared someone touching my back, feeling the hump and asking “What’s this?” It only got worse and more noticeable over the years as my scoliosis progressed, my spine twisted more and my hump got bigger. I could see it through my blazers (and you know I love a good blazer) and occasionally so could others and without pause, the question followed. Guess what the question was?? And my answer was “my hump”. Yes, I gave it a name.
 
Living with scoliosis is unique to those with the condition as it presents many challenges. At least it did for me. I'm sharing my personal experience as we acknowledge National Scoliosis Awareness Month.

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