Hannah, 15

If I'd never had that big long chest infection which wouldn't go away I might never have found out that I needed an operation. About a year ago I started feeling really ill. I was coughing and sneezing all the time and didn't want to get out of bed.

Curving spine

My mum took me to the doctor who gave me antibiotics, which didn’t help at all. Then after four lots of medicine the doctor got worried and sent me for a chest x-ray. When he got the results back he said: "There is nothing wrong with your chest but did you know that you have scoliosis?" I didn’t know what this was but he made me bend over and showed my mum the way my spine curved. My mum said it made sense as she was always nagging at me about standing up straight.

I then went to see another doctor who made me have an MRI scan. I was really nervous but it was OK. I thought it was funny because the man operating the machine was too fat to fit in it himself!

Scoliosis

I learnt that the curve in my back was 49 degrees and that I would need surgery to correct it. My mum and I were really upset, but we decided to have the operation, as without it, the curve would just get worse.

A year later, we got a letter from the hospital telling me when my operation was going to be. I packed my bag to take with me and we left for the hospital. I was really scared but when we got there, all the nurses were really nice.

Just as I was about to go to theatre, the doctor came in and said: "There are no beds in intensive care for afterwards. We are sending you home for two weeks and then you will come back". So I went home and had Christmas with my family before going back to the hospital.

Operation for my back

The anaesthetic smelt of bubblegum which nice and that was the last thing I remembered. During the operation, the doctors screwed metal rods into my back to straighten my spine. I spent a night in intensive care, which I don't really remember because I was drugged up. But my mum told me I said really stupid things like: "What about the bus?"

I then spent a week on the ward recovering. The morphine made me itch all over and I kept being sick. I had five drips in and it really tickled when the tube came out of my nose. Now I'm recovering at home and I have to have six weeks off school.

Before the operation my curve had got worse and was 62 degrees! Now my spine is almost straight and I've grown a whole inch, which makes me taller than mum. At last!

This story may have been edited by Children First for Health for editorial and confidentiality reasons only.

For more help and information:

• If you would like more information or advice on curved spines ask your doctor.
• You can also get in touch with Scoliosis Association (UK)
• Check out Strongbones Children's Charitable Trust

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