Classic Rant #205 (March 2, 2010): Scoliosis Part 2

My family and I went to the company that makes the device that will hopefully help cure my son's scoliosis. After a few days of wracking our nerves, the explanation that we received from the person designing this contraption pretty much put us at ease with what has to be done.

Gone are the days when the brace was really that--a metal construction that had to be worn pretty much the entire day, protruded out of clothing, and was very visible, as well as uncomfortable.

Today, the "brace," if that is what you want to call it, is pretty lighweight, made of heavy plastic with foam padding inside.

The best thing is that since my son's malady is the most common form of scoliosis--don't ask me to explain it, I can't--and thus, the most highly treatable, he only has to wear this thing when he gets home from school and while sleeping.

So, in all probability, he will have to wear it between 12-16 hours a day.

This leaves a lot of room for not wearing it, such as when he goes to school and when he plays and works out.

Sure, it will take a lot of getting used to--for both him and us--but it appears to be manageable.

While there, the technician took multiple measurements of different parts of his body, and told us that our son must wear a tight shirt underneath the device so it doesn't rub against his skin.

My son took it all in stride, although I could see that he was a bit nervous.

Pretty understandable, because my wife and I were pretty nervous too.

But it looks like this is something that we, as a family, can kick together.

We should be getting this custom-made device in two weeks or so, and then we will be instructed on how to put it on. There are multiple straps all over it, and we know that it must be tight, but not suffocating. They will show us how to do it.

Personally, after yesterday, I feel I can breathe a sigh of relief. Honestly, I know my wife and I did not know what to expect.

Now that we know, we will beat this thing together.