Redhead With a Twist

[redheadwithatwist]

Cool Things About Being a Scoliosis Genius

If you are a scoliosis genius you get to tell someone,(if they ask,) about your disease, and sound all smart. People will be wowed by your knowledge of medical stuff, and think you are someone who study's bones and stuff,(I forgot what they are called,) and will be proud of you. Also, in any way, scoliosis makes you stronger than most, and gives you, in a way, and adventure to do! I said in a way, I just think that. Scoliosis could be a great subject for just about any report, and a story to tell if you want to be in some kindness club or something. Even though this blog sounded like a sales pitch,( if I am being really honest,) I hope you still enjoyed and never, ever, judge a girl by the size of her curve.

[redheadwithatwist]

Pros and Cons of Your Brace

I know what you are thinking,” Karli, there are no pros about your brace!” Yes there is, it is hard to believe, but I will teach you young one. Here are pros and cons of your most favorite, and most expensive item you own:

Cons:

#1. It is big and clunky.

#2. You can not move your torso around.

#3. It is very uncomfortable at times.

#4. You can get rashes from your brace.

#5. Sitting with no chair, is like the end of the world.

#6: You cant wear v neck shirts

#7. You have to explain to everyone who bumps in to you your brace.

Pros:

#1. You get to customize your brace.

#2. Your brace could be an excuse for some activities, of it gets in the way.

#3. Baggy clothes could be a new trend stared by you!

#4. Your brace, is a suit of armor from you siblings or enemy.

#5. You will get stronger from the “brace experience,” and you will have a great, strong personality. 

#6. You will have better posture. 

#7. You can’t feel the hard backs of chairs.

#8. When you finally feel the joy of getting rid of your brace,( However you do it, I don’t know,) it will pay off, hopefully, I mean I haven’t gotten rid of my brace yet but, I am almost positive it will pay off

Anyway, thanks for viewing and I am sorry about my grammar, and punctuation if i did it wrong. Also sorry for not posting so often, I try, but life ensued, and school, I will try as much as I can. And as always, Don’t judge a girl/boy by the size of her/his curve! (I added something new to the saying!)   

[redheadwithatwist]

Schroth method : The real thing

So, I have done my duty that is attending my three day stretching course, and now I have to do them at home everyday for six months. I do have to check in every Wednesday when I am at my dads though. I am sure all of you know that scoliosis comes with a price! Anyway, here are all my stretches of schroth, that are on my home exercise program, examine carefully :

I do look very silly in those pics, and my photography is terrible, but you get the picture, hopefully? Here are the exercises in this order: Hamstring stretching,Pec stretching,Neck stretching,Core strengthening,Scapular strengthening,more Scapular strengthening,Semi hanging( Which I can’t do at home because i don’t have a wood ladder thingy,)Supine,Prone on a stool. Thank you so much for viewing, and I’m sorry if I don’t have all my grammar right. Anyways as always,Remember to never judge a girl by the size of her curve.

[redheadwithatwist]

Schroth Method

 Today I am here to tell you about my upcoming Schroth Method appointments! So, in two weeks I am going to a hospital to do the Schroth Method. I will have three, three hour lessons learning to do the Schroth Method. After I will have to do the exercises from the lessons for six months. I will make you a deal. Each of those three days I will try to do a post for every day, if you don’t get mad at me for not posting until about two weeks from today. My post will be explaining about how the lesson went, what I did, and pictures. The Schroth Method exercises are supposed to change my curves to a much lower degree, maybe when I do’t have to wear my brace. Anyway see ya in two weeks or less! Remember, don’t judge a girl by the size of her curve!

[redheadwithatwist]

Random Thoughts About Scoliosis

Hey blog viewers! Today I will be talking about some thoughts I have on scoliosis.

#1. If scoliosis can be way worse for other people, why is it still hard to deal with?

#2. Can people really notice if you have scoliosis or not?

#3.How many kind of braces are there, or is it just unlimited?

#4.  Does your doctors office always seem to be behind schedule?

#5. Scoliosis is hard for everyone.

#6. Do you think people notice when you have your brace on?

#7. Why do doctors say your back isn’t supposed to hurt when you have scoliosis, even though it does?

#8. Surgery is an option for everyone right?

#9. Why does scoliosis come up without any family heritage?

#10. Scoliosis is not fun at all.

I hope you liked this list of random thoughts and, don’t judge a girl by the size of her curve!

[redheadwithatwist]

My First Check Up Appointment

Hey friends! Today I will tell you about my first ever check up appointment! So basically we drove to the doctor, and to me and my moms (not,) surprise the place was running late. My doctor has like ten trillion patients so, we got a room a little late. Once we were in our room, a guy named Brain came to make some modifications to my brace. While he was doing that, the nurse that led us in the room came to get my height and weight measured. She accidentally got the wrong name, so she had to get mine. Then she led me to the X-ray room where a lady told us, later we would be doing a X-ray with my brace on. Shortly after we got to the room, Brain came and gave me my brace, then I took my X-ray. After Brain took the brace again, My doctor came in and, guess what?........................ My curves decreased! Streamers, party Yaaaay! That made me happy. Then Brain came and gave me my brace. The worst part about the trip was, Brain added thicker padding on one of my right side pads. But My mom took some pictures so, here you go!

Yay! Also I didn’t know I had three curves, weird right! Well, I cooked up a nice long blog for you guys, I hope you liked it! Remember, Don’t judge a girl by the size of her curve.

[redheadwithatwist]

National Scoliosis Awareness Month

So, the month of June is National Scoliosis Awareness Month, and I decided to post about it. I think It is super cool there is a month just for scoliosis, It is nice to know some people care, right? Some people just don’t understand what people with scoliosis are going through, they may think “Its not so bad,” or “I am sure It is fine,” but in reality, it is not. Don’t fool your self, Let people know what scoliosis is like. And, just for National Scoliosis Awareness Month, tell all your friends and family about scoliosis, I guess you could say, Make them aware. Have fun celebrating National Scoliosis Awareness Month! Remember Don’t judge a girl by the size of her curve. 

[redheadwithatwist]

The Heat

Sorry I haven't posted in a while............I am still alive. Anyways today I am going to solve all of your problems about the heat, even in icebox Minnesota it can get hot here! Mind blown right! So, I have picked up a few things from the Curvey Girls, websites, and more. One thing you can do is take your brace off, put it by a fan and turn it on, wait for a while, and put the brace back on. Or you could just take your brace off. I also made up something, where if you get hot, take a cold shower. I know normal people don’t do that, they take sauna baths that can reach up to 100 degrees, but when you wear a brace I am sure you know, nothing is normal. I now this blog is short, and I will try to upload sooner. I could say this takes practically every hour out of my day, and I work super hard on these, but I won’t lie to you, awesome viewers. If you haven’t noticed for the last two to three blogs I have been using the saying I (Hopefully,) made up “Don’t judge a girl by the size of her curve,” I am trying to make it “a thing”. So, Don’t judge a girl by the size of her curve.

[redheadwithatwist]

Music

You are probably thinking,” You know Karli, this blog is about scoliosis, not music!” This IS about scoliosis just wait. Waiting's done! I am putting a post about music on this blog because....... music as helped me a ton of times when stressing about scoliosis or my brace.  It calms me down, and distracts me from my stress.Now I am an weird person so, I love music from the 1980′s. Yay! You people might not care but, I have some recommendations,( That you will probably never use because it is apparently “not cool” to some people.) Well here we go:

1. George Michael

2.Phil Collins 

3. Cyndi Laupar

4. Wham!

5. Bruce Springsteen

6. Toto

By the way these are artists, not songs. There you go, I hope you enjoyed! and remember, Don’t judge a girl by the size if her curve!

[redheadwithatwist]

Strait Talk With The Curvy Girls

Today, my blog will be sorta book review like. I have read a lot of books about people with scoliosis, and one of them is Strait Talk With The Curvy Girls. This book features eight girls who have gone through surgery, or wearing a brace, or both. The girls are original Curvy Girls members, and give a lot of info on what you need to know about handling your social life, and personal life, while wearing a brace.Though I haven’t finished the book, I am way into it. I really think some of the girls represent me, and what I feel about wearing my hunk of plastic. If you feel insecure wearing your brace, or feel upset with the general idea of wearing it, this book helps. I felt those things and still do but, Strait Talk With The Curvy Girls really helped me minimize those feelings, because I can relate to the girls in the book. Here Is a picture of the book I got off google:

Like I said this book helps me soooo much emotionally. A girl named Leah actually started the group, and she is the first girl mentioned. She was a scoliosis patient herself. I have a saying, Don’t judge a girl by her curve. If someone also came up with that, oops. Anyway have a great day, and be happy with yourself.

[redheadwithatwist]

My MRI Scan Part 2

Hey bloggers,( or viewers,) today I am going to share about my second MRI scan. Technically my MRI was pointless, but why not do it just for fun, am I right? So I guess my doctor thought there was something that was wrong in my brain, and she sent us to get an MRI scan. Once we wait for about ten minutes, a guy named Marty came and took me and my mom to a room with a curtain and gave me a pair a paper pants and lead me to the MRI room. There sat my favorite white tube, The MRI scanner. ARRRGH, I thought. First they put on the movie I chose Mr. Popper’s Penguins, then the put a thing over my head which was a mirror to see Mr. Popper’s Penguins. after they started, I watched the move about thirty to forty five minutes later When a girl named Gina came and told me  I could wiggle for a sec, also she said she was covering for Marty. after about thirty minutes, with my shoulder hurting, Gina took me out again and had me lay with my chin to my chest, for three minutes  and then with my head back , with my neck rested on two foam pads, for three minutes. By the way I wasn’t watching Mr. Popper’s Penguins in those wacky positions. After that Marty took me out again, He took me out and lead me to the cabinet where my brace pants, and coat were. Then  lead me to a bathroom, and I changed into my brace and pants and carried my coat. After Marty took me to the waiting room where my mom was waiting we went strait to my doctor, a floor up, and she told us, after the nurse came in, that everything was fine. My mom was worried that something was wrong, and I would have to get a minor surgery, so she said, “It took a lot of weight off my shoulders.” I was a little bit worried but, my worries were gone after the news. after this long text how about a picture of me in the room with the curtain:

I had my paper pants on  then. I hope all you MRI people found something in common with this, and sorry it was soooo long. To be honest this MRI was worse than my first but, If i have to get a third, Third times the charm! Bye Bye people!

[redheadwithatwist]

Swimming With Your Brace

I am truly sorry I did not upload, and I would say something like, I was recovering from my FL trip but I really wasn’t,  at least the truth counts? Anyway today I will be blogging about swimming with your brace. Now hopefully, you should know I swim. Some times going to swimming with your brace can be embarrassing, or make you feel uncomfortable. That is not what we want here at Kari blogs & co, (Which isn’t real.)But, My advice is feel confident. What I am trying to work on is feeling confident, even with the stares and questions. If someone asks, “what is that”, you could say, Its my torture chamber, or something like that, just to be spunky. Also, I would avoid the stares or, just don’t pay attention to anyone in the period of taking your brace off. Just to be nice, I took two pics of my brace right in front of my locker to give you viewers some pictures for once. Here they are:

Do you feel that enhancing locker room feeling, probably not, but anyways, Moral of the story “Don’t worry be happy!”

[redheadwithatwist]

I’m Going To Florida!

Sorry I haven't uploaded in a couple days but... I have some big news! Drum Roll please! I am going to........ Florida!! Yes, that is right, tomorrow, Saturday, at 4:00 pm, am leaving on my flight To FL. Now , hopefully you are wondering, How are you gonna blog for the next week?! Well my grandparents  condominium has a computer, we are staying in a 50 or older condominium town. I hope it works, and I will get to blog all about my brace, and my trip, and my trip with my brace. I can’t imagine how sweaty and sticky i am going to get in April in southern Florida. If you guys have any advice as fellow brace-wearers please let me know I will greatly appreciate any advice.  I am staying in a town called Dunedin, its by Tampa. If you see me wave a hand! I really hope that computer works at my grand parents’! I hope to blog all about the trip! I will see you at Florida, (Hopefully!) Audios!

[redheadwithatwist]

What Is Scoliosis

Now, when you read the title of this blog, you might think, “Why would I need to know more about scoliosis, I already know the basics.”  Well, the basics are, scoliosis is a abnormal curve in your spine, normally in a c or s shape. But behind the scenes scoliosis has a level of coolness......... sort of. Scoliosis can be measured normally by just looking at someone bending over, trying to touch their toes. You are probably thinking, “ Yeah, duh.” But, think isn't that at least sort of cool, I mean its like scoliosis is screaming “I am here! I am here!” Also scoliosis can make your whole body look out of place. Scoliosis has a power like that, to make your torso look a lot different. Yes, that is not a good thing, but it shows you how much power scoliosis really has, Especially to the way your spine looks. Here is my profile picture of my x-ray. Take notice of how my spine is very curved and in a weird form, not straight. 

My spine curves and makes my torso look a little dented and crooked. My wish for this blog is that you learn about the power of scoliosis, the title may be misleading, but I still hope the lesson shines through. See you later! 

[redheadwithatwist]

Wearing Your Brace

I know I haven’t really told you guys about my experience in the brace so far, and told you guys what I think is some good advice. So, I think this blog might help you guys with wearing your brace. At first, with my brace, I was very self-conscious, and didn’t want anyone to know about my brace. Luckily, I realized that your brace really is only something to be ashamed of if you think it is something to be ashamed of. Your brace shouldn't hold you back from doing the things you love. But,I think that you brace is useful for some things, like if you little brother or sister tries to punch you, you have your suit of armor. Or, if you like poise, you can sit up strait. Also, here is some useful advice:

Cleaning your brace is very important, I think it is so annoying when there is a lot of grunge in your brace. 

Putting a pattern on your brace is fun to do to and can cheer you up a bit about wearing your brace. 

Normally, you should get some seamless tank tops or t-shirts so the seams on normal tank tops don’t rub on you when you are wearing your brace.

Try to wear shirts that aren’t short, so people don’t see your brace under  your shirt. 

When you have an itch try your best to itch it, but don’t  stick anything down there.

I hope this post helped you with your brace. See you next blog! 

[redheadwithatwist]

My First Curvy Girls Meeting

Saturday was my very first Curvy Girls Scoliosis meeting! I totally recommend going, it was great! One thing we did was a craft where we had a little mini art canvas with small color in sheets, like in coloring books, except a lot smaller. We could draw on with sharpie. One Curvy girl got her brace off and brung powdered doughnuts to celebrate. We talked about school, our braces, our family, when we were getting our brace off, was our brace comfortable, and many other things. I would highly recommend going, because it is nice to have girls to talk to about what its like to have scoliosis, and a brace. If you want to find out the location of your meeting, or more about Curvy Girls, go to Curvy Girls Scoliosis. You can find the Curvy Girl leader of your state, email her find out your meeting  location, and also many other things about scoliosis emailing back and fourth. There are some t-shirts you can buy for your family, and so much more on Curvy Girls Scoliosis website. Thank you for viewing, and I hope this info helped you! Bye bye!

[redheadwithatwist]

My Kinesioligy Appointment

On Friday I had my kinesioligy appointment with SL2,( Stretch Lady Laura.) As we have done in the past, we did a lot of exercises, some new, some old. One of my absolute favorite exercises we do there is called jumping . We did it with a machine that has springs, and you lay down on it. SL2 puts a sort of head board on the machine, and I put my feet against it. Then I push off and land with my feet on the headboard. We also do different versions like cris-cross, where I cris-cross my legs before landing back on the head board, and many more. 

Another exercise we do is I lay on a bed looking thing, ( With no pillows,) and rest mt feet on a board connected to a spring. With my feet I push the board down then up, then I slowly lift my bottom up. After I slowly lower my feet, and bottom back to the bed thing. Here is a picture: 

 After SL2 and I do some more exercises, its almost time to go. Some times, though, SL2 shows me an exercise to do at home, I already have done a post about some of them if you would like to take a look. This time she did show me an exercise! For this one, grab onto something stable, like a door frame. Then grasp your hands on one side of it and move in the opposite direction. dtrech like this on each side. here is a picture of me doing both sides:

So there is my kinesioligy update! I hope you found this helpful, and fun to read! See you in my next blog!