|Scoliosis: a spinal disaility where the spine curves in an S shape
Chances are most people haven't heard of scoliosis. Chances are the people who have heard of scoliosis either know someone who has it or they have been diagnosed with it themselves. Do you remember having to bend over and touch your toes while a stranger traced her finger along your spine in elementary school? That, my friend, was a test to see if your spine was straight or not, and most elementary schools in the U.S. give them. Scoliosis is more common in females than it is in males, and it is hereditary. So, if you're worried that carrying around a heavy backpack could give you scoliosis, I'm here to tell you that you'll be just fine.
Luckily, there are treatment options for people who have been diagnosed with scoliosis. The most common treatment is called bracing. A brace is exactly what it sounds like, except this one covers your entire torso and is meant to slowly straighten the spine. My mother has scoliosis and had to wear a brace throughout high school. Needless to say, she hated it. Thankfully, braces have become much more comfortable and also much more attractive. Doctors have tried to make wearing a brace much more fun... well... as fun as it can be.
Now, here's where the title of this article will begin to make sense. The other form of treatment for scoliosis is surgery. The surgery is called spinal fusion surgery and isn't as scary as it sounds. During the surgery, the surgeon will straighten out the spine and screw two titanium rods in on either side of the spine. Hence the title, I am titanium. I received spinal fusion surgery when I was twelve years old. My scoliosis was so bad that it was fatal. I wouldn't have lived to see the age of 30. For a twelve year old, hearing that surgery was in my future was terrifying. Lucky for me, I had one of the best surgeons in the world, and I knew that I would be better than ever once the surgery was done.
Six years after my surgery I decided to get a tattoo next to my scar. The tattoo says "I am titanium". Yes, I took the lyrics from the song "Titanium" by Sia and David Guetta. Yes, that song is my theme song. And yes, I love my scoliosis story. Now I am 7 years post-op, and most of the time I forget that I have rods in my back. I have turned my scoliosis into a motivational story for other people going through the same thing. I turned an extremely negative thing into something positive, and something that makes me who I am today. Scoliosis is not a weakness, it's a certain kind of strength. I am proud of my scoliosis. I am stronger because of my scoliosis.
I am titanium.
