Category: shriners hospital

Scoliosis: an explanation with my actual x-rays

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After posting about the video shoot at Shriners Hospital for Children in St. Louis, I got a couple of emails with questions about scoliosis. So, let me give you a quick explanation. It’s best told with pictures.


This was my spine (I was around thirteen and a half) BEFORE spinal surgery. See the “S” shape? That’s an S-curve from scoliosis. Doctors aren’t sure what causes most cases of scoliosis. Maybe, with more research, they’ll soon have answers to that question.

So, it’s pretty obvious that my spine was waaaaay out of shape. Even after years of wearing various back braces and doing different exercises–it looked like that. My spine was so twisted that it was pressing on my heart and lungs. Not good, you know?

That scary x-ray led my doctor at Shriners to do this…

Yep, two titanium rods and a handful of screws. Can’t feel a thing and I don’t know that any of that “hardware” is there. Before surgery, I was in constant pain, had shortness of breath and wasn’t living a full life. Isn’t the difference in spinal curvature AMAZING?!

After surgery, the pain disappeared and I can do almost anything. (Except for skydiving, football, etc. Things with jarring impact on the spine.)

I had that spinal fusion in November 2000. Now, I counsel Shriners patients who are going through similar surgeries and are nervous. For more info about Str8 Spines for Shriners, just check out my Website.

Hopefully, that brief explanation answers the questions I’ve received about scoliosis. So many kids I talk to are embarrassed and teased about their condition. DON’T BE EMBARRASSED, GUYS! C’mon, now. You didn’t cause it and did nothing wrong. Scoliosis isn’t something to be ashamed of. Explain it to your friends and they’ll understand. If not, maybe they’re not the friends you thought they were.

If you have more questions (those who emailed me), feel free to email again.

Shriners Hospital for Children visit and film shoot

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Outside shot
First shot of the day…where I had to make a basket. Yeah, that was tough!

Still filming that scene because I kept missing the basket!

Tammy Robbins from Community Relations and Chris Layhe (Chris Layhe Associates, Inc.)–our producer/director.

In between takes…

On camera! (Look at that awesome Sony!)

I’m finally back from St. Louis and I’ve got pics to share! These were taken during the filming of the videos for Shriners Hospital for Children in St. Louis. I had a wonderful time and learned so much about the film biz!

I’ve got SO much to catch up on, so the blog may be a little quiet this week. But I hope you like the pics! 🙂

You’ll be able to watch the actual video on Shriners’s Website after January 1. Woo hoo!

Books for my St. Louis trip

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I’ve started to gather books for my trip to St. Louis and since I wanted to try different genres and new authors, I got some help from 1001 Books for Every Mood by Hallie Ephron. It’s a cool book with lots of recommendations, summaries and tidbits about, obviously, 1001 books.

So, for trip reading, I’ve got on my list:

A Confederacy of Dunces
Girl, Interrupted
Girl with a Pearl Earring (then I’ll have to watch the movie!)
The Historian (tried it and didn’t have time to finish it, but I’m ready now!)
Sideways

Anyone read any of these? My bookbag will be full. Especially since it’s going to have those books plus YA and MG.

I made the mistake of watching The Black Stallion over the weekend and now I’m obsessed with the series again. I ❤ Walter Farley. I'll be rereading a couple of those books on the trip.

I’ll be doing a Diary of a Debut Author video from Shriners and am excited about it!