Ivana was diagnosed with scoliosis when she was just two-years-old. The family were devastated. Ivana was seen by countless spinal specialists and surgeons but yet they were told the same information every single time; 'Ivana is too young for us to do anything. When she reaches puberty we will fit her with a brace which should stop progression and when she stops growing we will fuse her spine.'
Ivana’s parents took her home from the hospital and continued with everyday life until the day Ivana was fitted with her first rigid brace. By the age of 11 Ivana’s scoliosis was clearly visible through clothes and was having a severe impact on her self esteem and confidence. Her mother decided to enrol her in a local dance class to try and encourage her to one keep fit and to make some more friends.
Ivana took to dancing like a duck to water. It quickly became her life and she was extremely passionate about it. Despite having to wear a brace her confidence increased. As she learnt to hold a better posture in her dance class, the appearance of her curvature improved.
However, by the age of 17 it was very obvious that the brace was not doing its job. Her scoliosis had continued to progress and she was now in an excessive amount of pain.
"I was terrified of having surgery, I loved dancing and I knew that having fusion surgery would have a massive impact on my flexibility. The consultant I had always seen was so blasé and never explained the procedure to me in any detail. When the pain started to get worse I spent a bit more time researching the surgery and what it would involve. I was horrified, the risks were substantial and the list of things that could go wrong was endless!"
Ivana decided to stop wearing the brace after she was told her scoliosis had progressed. She was outraged that she had suffered with discomfort for nearly 5 years, only to discover that the brace had been ineffective. After this Ivana and her family disregarded any medical advice they were given and choose to continue with life.
At the age of 20 Ivana was taking a cocktail of medication just to get through the day. She had had to give up both her beloved dancing and her job, as she was in too much pain to do either. She suffered financially due to the loss of earnings and her self-esteem dropped dramatically once again. Ivana was now withdrawn. She spent most days inside the house and rarely saw her friends.
Years passed and nothing changed. It was not until Ivana turned 38 when she discovered Scoliosis SOS that life really started to pick up for her.
Ivana amused herself on the internet most days. One day she became so fed up with the pain and the effect it had had on her life she started to research alternatives to surgery and pain relief.
After discovering Scoliosis SOS she immediately enrolled on a four week treatment course.
"Since I left the clinic in London I am a changed person. My pain has gone from around 9/10 to 1/10. The odd twinge I experience now is manageable and I have been able to return to my career as a dance teacher; something I am so ecstatic about I just cannot put into words. I know it sounds cliché but this clinic really does perform miracles. Until I got my life back I hadn’t realised how badly my scoliosis was affecting me. I would recommend this treatment to anyone and the few hours you have to spend on a plane to get there is no big deal. London is an amazing city and I will definitely be visiting it again. The only thing I regret is being so stubborn and waiting so long before looking for an alternative to surgery. I have missed so many years of my life due to pain and I fully intend to spend the next few years making up for lost time!"
Ivana came to us from Slovakia, but we are more than happy to welcome scoliosis sufferers from anywhere in the world. Please contact us today to arrange an initial consultation and find out more about the accommodation we can provide for overseas patients.
Scoliosis SOS – London Clinic