As a young teenager, every difficulty I faced, whether I fought with my sister or the hairdresser chopped off two inches instead of one, felt like a challenge I would never overcome. By the time I left eighth grade, I realized that these seemingly life-altering difficulties were insignificant. I attribute this realization to November 12, 2012, the day I underwent scoliosis surgery. Scoliosis, the curvature of the spine, is a hereditary disease common in females. Prior to my surgery, I was ordered to wear a back brace for twenty-three hours each day to keep my spinal curve of twenty-five degrees from increasing. I failed to follow the doctor’s exact instructions because of the pain the brace caused, resulting in a greater curve of fifty degrees.
