Titanium Girl

It’s been four years since I had those three surgeries. Hard to believe, I know, but four years have gone by and I’m thankful for every day.

I’m now a sophomore in high school and I’m sixteen, and I’m still taking honors classes and of course, band. I’m in the upper level band at my school, where normally only juniors and seniors are, but I’m one of a few sophomores in it (I think there’s like six or seven of us, and there’s a few freshmen as well). I’ve survived two marching band seasons now, and it’s not as hard for me to do as I thought it would be. Some practices it’s fairly easy and I get through hours without pain, and some are hard and I have to sit down after an hour and a half because of lower back pain. My band friends are always supportive and make sure I’m okay and that I sit down, drink some water, and take some Advil. Marching band is definitely a different experience and the performances are so different than concert band, but I love it. The number of people I’ve met and become close with is amazing, and I’m friends with people in all grades. I’m also on the school newspaper, and that’s super fun too. Several of my band friends are in it with me, and I’ve become friends with others as well.

The last time I went to the doctor for my back was in March for my yearly follow-up, and Dr. C told me I didn’t need to come back for two years (when I’m seventeen). Whatever kidney problems I dealt with in sixth and seventh grade are gone, and no one would really guess, from looking at me, that I have scoli. I still have a leg length difference, which effects the way I stand and walk, but it’s not super noticeable. I haven’t grown all that much, obviously since I can’t, except for in my legs. Since they measured after surgery, I’ve grown an inch and a half, maybe two inches.

From now on, I don’t plan on posting much. I’m not dealing with huge after-surgery effects like I dealt with even three years ago, and I’m fairly healthy and normal now. Thank you to everyone who has been there for me through it all–it really means the world to me.

If any of you are out there reading this because you’re dealing with what I dealt with, I know you’ll get through it. It’s tough, I know, but you have to be strong and get to the other side. Once you do, you’ll feel so much better. My twelve days in the hospital–and the five months after–were hard. I wanted to give up at times, but I’m glad I didn’t. My grandpa’s friend, who unfortunately passed recently, wrote messages to my grandpa a lot about how brave I was and how inspiring it was how I was dealing with everything at such a young age. I know anyone who goes through it like I did can be that way as well. Looking back, dealing with it in the way that I did has changed who I am as a person. When dealing with problems today, I know I can do it because of what I’ve been through. Nothing I’ve ever done is as hard as that was, but I’m thankful that I made it, and I know you can too.

With love,
Titanium Girl

It’s crazy that we are already registering for high school. At this time just two years ago, I wasn’t even back to school yet (I was almost back). I’ve picked my classes and gotten them approved and everything. I chose Algebra II Honors, Biology Honors, English 9 Honors, Spanish II, Band (of course!), Journalism, and a couple one-semester classes that I’m going to get out of the way freshman year. I’m doing the IB (International Baccalaureate) program, which is Junior/Senior year. It’s a super hard course for the IB Diploma, but it looks great on college apps and I think it’s managable.

In band I’m working on a solo and an ensemble for the solo/ensemble in less than a month (!!!). My ensemble group is the same as last year, my clarinetist friend D and R, my flutist friend who is in my Girl Scout troop and also has scoli.

For Girl Scouts, there’s something called a Gold Award (Girl Scout equivalent of a Boy Scout Eagle Project) that can get college scholarships and is a great community service project. I’m already thinking of what to do, but I know I want it to involve awareness about scoliosis. While my case is rare, there are more people who have it than it seems. Most of the girls in my Girl Scout troop have it. G has it, as well as L, R, S, M, and me. Only a couple of them don’t.

No one should have to have scoliosis, but unfortunately they’ve stopped screening for it in schools in lots of places. I’m hoping that I could change that with my Gold Award (I can’t start working on it until next year) and make sure the people in our community have a lower chance of it getting to my case (even my current one, it’s still 35/41!).

Anyway, I’m sorry I haven’t been able to update TG in awhile. I kind of feel like it doesn’t need to be updated super often anymore since it’s not like I’m recovering anymore. The next time I update, I’m hoping it’ll be for seating (we haven’t taken it yet so it’ll be awhile) or Solo/Ensemble or ISSMA.

Titanium Girl 😀

When I got on my phone this morning, it said “first surgery anniversary, tomorrow.” I was kind of blown away that it’s pretty much already been two years. I don’t know how that’s possible! Monday will be the second surgery, and Thursday will be the third.

Anyway, I’m sorry I haven’t been able to post much lately! The last time I posted was August, I believe. I’ll update you now! I had just gotten my seating and then school started ramping up (with tons of homework, a few projects here and there, books to read, etc). By then we had fall break, and we went on vacation from the first to the fifth of October. Fall break sped by and then school started again. We got word of something in band that I had been waiting very nervously for all break (more on that in a different paragraph…..), then we were busy over the weekend, and I never got around to posting.

So what I have not explained is a very important band for really good players in seventh, eighth, and ninth grades. I was given an invitation by Mr. T back in September and I immediately applied. We were supposed to know if we had gotten in or not by fall break, but that got pushed back to during fall break, which got pushed to the day we came back. I had been patiently (not!) waiting to see if I had gotten in (I jumped every time a phone call came through the last few days of fall break). My 7th grade friend C (trumpet, she’s so good she got into our 8th grade band!) also applied and we texted each other over break, eagerly waiting. On Monday (the day we got back) I sat through Geometry first period and US History second very anxiously waiting for band third period to see if I had gotten in. They stalled, showing the video of the high school’s marching band (some eighth graders were invited to the marching band a year early) and then it seemed like they just kept talking about how well it went and such. Finally, Mr. Y and Mr. T stopped talking about it and Mr. T got a paper and a stack of sheets. He stood up on the podium and stated that he was going to announce who had gotten in. First he said my friend E’s name (bassoon), then me (!!!!!!!!!), then a bunch of other really good players (including C!) J hadn’t signed up, in fact he had called me and C (second chair clarinet who happens to be in seventh grade, not C the seventh grade trumpet player) crazy for bothering to sign up. C didn’t get in but I assume there were only so many people who could be taken.

We had two practices this week for just the kids from my school and the high school, one Monday and one yesterday (Wednesday). The actual rehearsal is Saturday and the concert is Sunday. There’s already eight pieces (we literally got another one today during band) and at this point it’s a little worrying. But I know I’ll do fine.

-Titanium Girl 😀

School has been great so far! I love most of my teachers and classes I’m in.

Anyway we took our playing test in band last week and we got them this week. I got first again! My scores were A+ and A+. The seventh grader (he was so good that they brought him to our band) C got second and beat J. J got third, which I’m assuming he wasn’t too happy about (I was sick that day so I was only told what I got and then when I got back I got my test back). D (the one who got second when I got first during my surgery) got sixth and he said he got two A’s. J got an A+ and an A. It must have been hard for Mr. T to decide who got what chair…

First concert is September 21st! We’ve already got three songs; Serengeti, Mallet Maniacs, and Zombie Dreams. Zombie Dreams has, like, five parts to it. It’s got “Zombie Wakes” which is the beginning, “Zombie Walks” which is the beginning-middle, “Zombie Waltzes” which is the middle, “Zombie Crush” which is the middle-end, and “Zombie Flee” which is the ending. Serengeti is something I’ve been looking forward to for a few years (ever since I heard the eighth graders play it when I was in 5th or 6th grade) and now we get to play it. It has multiple sections, too. There’s Daybreak, Safari, Celebration, and Sunset.

The song I’m looking forward to is a song that they’ve apparently done for years at the Christmas concert. It’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, but it has music. Mr. T gets into a robe and slippers (over his suit) and a chair and footstool is brought out along with a fake fireplace, table, lamp, cookies, and milk. Then he reads the story, stopping for us to play a couple notes or a snippet of a well-known Christmas song.

Honestly I can’t believe this is my last year at middle school. I go to the high school next year! 🙁 I’ll miss the school I go to, but the dress code is easier to find clothes for at high school than my school. At our school we’re required to have shorts that are knee length, shirts that cover the shoulders, shoes that are closed toe and heel (no sandals/flip-flops), no hats, no bra straps showing, all of that is really irritating. Unfortunately a lot of people get away with WAY TOO SHORT dresses and pants. I got in trouble once for wearing a skirt that was two to three inches too short, but these people get away with dresses that go to their mid-thighs. It doesn’t exactly sound fair.

Anyway, I know I haven’t posted in awhile, but the amount of homework that they give in eighth grade is ridiculous! Especially when you miss one day. I can’t imagine what my schedule will be like after I join tech crew for the play this year. Probably: Go to school, stay after until six o’clock, eat, get home ~7PMish, practice for half an hour, do homework until midnight. Seriously! I hope it doesn’t get that bad.

Titanium Girl 😀

This year I will be going into eighth grade! It’s hard to believe that it’s been two years since I was going into sixth grade and dealing with my newly found scoliosis. It’s also hard to believe that I will be doing my fourth year of band this year, and next year I go to the high school and have to do marching band. I remember when I was going into fifth grade, I was trying to decide to do band, orchestra, choir, or general (general refers to a general music, art, PE, and health rotation) and eventually chose band and I’ve been there for FOUR YEARS now.

Anyway, I’m a little nervous…it’s the same go to class, bell rings after fifty minutes, four minutes to get to the next one, rinse and repeat schedule but I don’t know any of the teachers except for an English teacher who is my friend K’s mom (K plays Bass Clarinet in band, I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned him). Last year, at least, I knew my geography teacher Mrs. B (she’s AWESOME!) and who would’ve been my English teacher, Mrs. M. I’m also worried about workload. Obviously it should be similar to last year, but since we go to high school next year (how am I that old already?!) I assume they’ll be prepping us to get a high school workload. My backpack has already been heavy lately, I really don’t want it to be any heavier. Next year, when we get to high school, we get iPads to replace our textbooks, which gets rid of some of the weight of the books. Unfortunately, I know that studies have shown you retain more of your notes if you hand-write into a notebook (or some other form of paper) instead of type them into a laptop or tablet. I will always write my notes into a notebook as well as put them into the device they want me to use.

This school year I will be two years post operation…I feel like it hasn’t been that long, but it certainly has. I hope that I can keep my first chair position streak like last year (I was first chair every test last year).

Again, thanks to everyone who has read the blog (either for the entire time it’s been up or just for a little bit, however long you’ve supported it is great and appreciated!). I really hope that this blog can be supportive to someone who is about to go through what I went through, or is having a tough time. I know that I haven’t really written about my scoliosis in awhile (it’s mainly just been my normal life now) but it’s only because there isn’t much else for me to say since the issue is pretty much as resolved as it can be. For doctor’s appointments I will post about it, and stuff like that but it’s not like there’s progress I am making at this point, except growing in my legs which I have done! I went to the doctor and I am now five foot three and three quarters of an inch! I had been five two when surgery was done, and then I was five two and a half but I have grown an inch and a quarter since my last measurement.

Continue to look for updates about school soon as I will probably post after school starts. Unfortunately, I won’t post much during the school year unless there’s an update and I can find some time. Schoolwork takes a lot of time and hopefully I can find some spare time that I can update everyone.

-Titanium Girl 😀

School ended last week and we had awards day on the last day of school! I got All A Honor Roll as well as the Band Award like last year. We also got playing tests back last week and I got first again. This means that I’ve been first chair all year!
This month, June, is scoliosis awareness month. I think June 27th is awareness day, but I’m not for sure. I’ll probably do something special in posts this month. I don’t know what I’ll do. If you have a suggestion then please tell my parents via social media/email/text/etc.

Titanium Girl 😀

First, the doctor’s appointment…I had a doctor’s appointment on Thursday with Dr. C and he doesn’t want me to come back for another YEAR. I thought he would release me, so I made him a card with a drawing of my spine on it.

I got to see E again (she used to be Dr. C’s assistant). We told her about this blog and she said she could give it to patients. She said that there were some kids who were FREAKING OUT about their upcoming surgeries, and that they could read it. I hope that some kids and teenagers like me read about my experiences get an idea of what they will go through.

Anyway, band contest. Last night I wasn’t feeling so good, and I got sick. Last year I couldn’t ride the buses with my friends to contest, and I had been looking forward to it. So when I got sick last night, I worried that I wouldn’t be able to go to contest today. Mom said I could go if I wasn’t up all night getting sick and I felt better in the morning. I felt better this morning (I felt achy and weak though) and I went. I ended up not feeling that great, but I powered through it and ignored the nausea. It was hard to keep my 4-measure breath phrasing stuff going, especially on the loud pieces, but I did what I could (I took some breaths where I shouldn’t have, but I don’t think it was noticed).

I think it was worth powering through the nausea and breathlessness, since we got gold!! It didn’t make me feel better, in fact, I was more tired after the contest than before, but it felt good to get gold.

We were a half a point away from gold with distinction (the highest level, then gold, silver, bronze, and participation), just like last year. Last year we got gold as well, half a point away from distinction.

Titanium Girl 😀

Hey everyone! 

So I realized today that I am over 14 months post op. WHAT?! How did this happen already?  It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long since my surgeries…

So you’ve probably noticed the change here…we redid the colors and formatting last night. I chose gray for titanium and blue because I liked the blue and it’s my favorite. Soon, probably this week, there should be a new picture at the top that a friend drew me. Her name is Stephanie Powell and she drew one for another friend of hers, Lauryn. Mom found it, contacted her, and we’ve been pen-pals for awhile now (Stephanie, not Lauryn. I haven’t talked to Lauryn yet). She even drew me one! Thank you, Stephanie!

Anyway, I hope you like the new changes! I wasn’t present to make the blog at first, to format it and stuff, so we redid it to my liking. 

 

-Titanium Girl 😀

Last night I was FREAKING out that I would mess up and get my group a silver or even a bronze (also there’s no gold with distinction for solo/ensemble, it’s only for the big band contest in the spring)…but, Dad told me that I should relax, that I don’t need to freak out because that’s what is going to mess me up.

During the warm-up this morning, I messed up a few times. My group didn’t hear the mistakes, because of all of the other people practicing loudly around us in the same room (R, D, & I all thought that we would have a private room to warm-up in, but nope……). So anyway, the last time we practiced before going to our performance room, we mastered it (another group had just left so it was a little quieter) and Mr. T came in to tell us to come to the performance room. Mr. T watched the performance along with our parents. Then we went into the hallway to wait for our results…R said “Now the agony of waiting.” Then a judge came out and handed Mr. T a card. He looked at it, gave us a look, and then turned it around. We saw a “G” in the corner. A GOLD!!!

We went to the table where we got our medals and they were so cool! They say “District Ensemble.”

We got gold!! Yay!!

-Titanium Girl 😀