Teen horror – my body was crushing itself
Tahlia didn’t realise her sore back could’ve killed her
Rolling out of bed in the morning, I groaned as the dull ache in my spine returned.
‘It’s getting worse,’ I complained to my mum and dad, Petra and Lachlan.
‘We need to get it checked out,’ Mum said.
Aged 13, I was sports mad, spending every free minute kayaking, dancing or going running. But the constant back pain was stopping me from enjoying it.
The next day, Mum and I headed to a physiotherapist.
‘How long have you had scoliosis?’ she asked casually, inspecting me.
I shot Mum a look of confusion.
‘Scoliosis?’ I repeated.
The woman looked astonished.
‘Your spine is curved into a C-shape,’ she explained. ‘And it’s getting worse.’
She told me to see my GP. From there, I was referred to an orthopaedic surgeon where I was given an X-ray.
The results showed my spine had curved to an unbelievable 67 degrees.
The surgeon said I’d need regular appointments to keep an eye on it.
Back home, I got Mum to take a photo.
I let out a gasp when I saw how severe it looked.
One of my shoulder blades was clearly higher than the other and my spine was curved to the side.
How could I not have known? I thought, horrified.
One afternoon, when I arrived home from school, Mum surprised me with some new clothes.
Picking up a backless shirt, tears welled in my eyes.
‘I can’t wear that,’ I said. ‘Everyone would see my back!’
Within a couple of months, my spine had turned into a complete S-shape.
Now at a devastating 76-degree angle, it started to crush my lungs and liver.
I had trouble breathing and had to sit up in bed to sleep.
With only 50 per cent lung capacity, I could barely walk without feeling exhausted.
Sitting in the surgeon’s office, I was given an awful ultimatum. I could either wear a back brace for 23 hours a day until I turned 21, or have scoliosis surgery.
‘There is a chance you could end up a quadriplegic,’ the doctor said gently. ‘But if you do nothing, you could be dead by 25.’
I stared at the ground in silence as Mum started to cry. I couldn’t take it in.
Back at home, Mum, Dad and I went over and over the options. I was 14, facing an impossible decision.
Surgery was scary, but the idea of wearing a back brace for the next seven years was unimaginable.
Two weeks later, I agreed to the operation.
It was scheduled for February – less than a year after we discovered I even had scoliosis.
On the day, Dad tried to hold back tears as he watched me being wheeled into theatre.
‘You’re going to be fine,’ Mum said, hugging me.
Waking up after the op, I was in agony.
The surgeon had fused my spine with metal to straighten it.
One day after surgery, my physiotherapist walked into my hospital room and told me to sit up.
‘You’re going to walk again for me soon!’ she smiled. And she was right. By day four, I was already standing.
It felt excruciating and I bawled my eyes out as the physio cheered me on.
Amazingly, I noticed I had grown by a staggering 10cms, from 165cm to 175cm.
I’m so tall! I thought.
It was a much-needed bright side to a painful recovery.
For the next six weeks, I managed some light walking.
Every hour I needed someone to roll me over in bed, too.
Three months later, I started to feel human again.
Sadly, I couldn’t return to kayaking or dancing, as it could damage my spine.
Instead, I signed up to the gym. Starting with light cardio, I slowly built up my strength again.
I loved it so much I decided to pursue a career in fitness.
I began working at my local gym as a receptionist, and after completing my Certificate 3 in Fitness, I landed my dream job as an instructor.
Now, it’s been five years since I had the surgery.
I have a long scar, which stretches from the nape of my neck to above my tailbone – and I am proud of it.
It’s a beautiful reminder of how lucky I am to even be able to walk.
When I saw Princess Eugenie showing off her scar in her wedding dress, I thought it was brilliant.
Every day I am thankful I live a full, happy life.
In my job as a personal trainer, I love to train other people with scoliosis. The condition affects mostly young people going into puberty, so it’s important to correct it before it is too late.
I encourage parents to monitor their children’s posture and to have regular checks for signs of curvature.
It could be the difference between catching it early or a lifetime in a wheelchair.