Tag: crochetaddict

Scoliosis and Crochet

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Some of you who have visited my website might be asking “What does Scoliosis and Crochet have to do with each other?”  “Why are you selling Handmade Crocheted Creations and writing about Scoliosis?”  Well if you are asking these questions or ones similar this is why, I am a 45 year old woman, married with 2 adult children, I have been Crocheting for over 25 years, and I have Scoliosis.

If you have read my previous posts, then you know my life with this disease, yes Scoliosis is a disease, has not been a pleasant one.  I have undergone 5 surgeries on my back and I suffer from chronic pain.  I just seen a Spine Specialist who says I have Severe Scoliosis and I need to see another specialist who deals in such deformities.  I can’t say I’m surprised by his diagnoses.  I was 13 years old when they found my Scoliosis.  I know I have a deformity because it causes me grief daily and I have to look for ways to distract myself from the chronic pain.  That’s where Crochet comes in.

Crocheting for me is my life line.  It has been something I have enjoyed doing for over 20 years.  I was taught by my Gran and my Mom when my kids were in school and I needed something to do to fill the time.  Crocheting did not start out as my lifeline, it was just something I enjoyed doing while I had free time.  In 2000 I went through a really rough time.  I had my second back surgery and I was struggling every day with pain.  I felt like I was fighting for my life.  I had 2 young children to take care of, I had a husband that needed me, I had other family that I used to see once a week, and I had a job in the church.  I desperately wanted to get back to all of them.

During the last months of 2000 I was bedridden.  I couldn’t walk let alone move without serious pain in my back and shotting down my legs.  I didn’t know it at the time, but the surgery and the instruments installed during the surgery were causing damage to my spine and nerves.  So I had to find something to do to get my mind off of all of these issues!  This is where Crocheting started to become my lifeline.  It was where I learned to endure my struggles; where I learned to cope with the pain; where I learned that I could survive the challenges I was facing in my life.

Now, 18 years after that horrible surgery and the consequences of it I have turned what I love to do into a business.  The business is a way for me to use my suffering.  I have found a way to turn it into an opportunity, to share all of the lovely things I have made into something that could benefit me.  I did this by opening an online shop at Etsy called Jo’s Crafty Hook.  Over the last 3 years I have Crocheted enough items to stock the shelves of my shop.  I have turned pain into pleasure for others.  My customers get the finished product of my coping with my disease, something beautiful or beneficial.

I have used my lifeline many times over the years.  I underwent 3 more surgeries and thousands of procedures on my back.  I am still battling my disease today.  I am facing the possibility of not being able to walk; of having to undergo yet another surgery; of not being able to interact with my kids and husband.

But I use my lifeline everyday. I carve out time to crochet every day.  I have learned that I can be productive, that I can make others happy, that I can share my experiences by letting others know there is a way to survive Scoliosis.  I want others to know there are ways for them to endure and cope no matter what struggles they face.

So I hope I have answered your question on what Crocheting and Scoliosis have to do with each other.  Crocheting not only helps you make beautiful creations, but it helps you overcome and cope with the struggles you face every day no matter what they are.  Crocheting for me is not only something I enjoy doing but it is a way for me to use my struggles to make others happy when they purchase my products.

Feel free to check out some of the Handmade Crocheted Creations I have made and listed at my Etsy Shop by clicking on the page from my website.  You can also check out my shop here.  You can also find out more about Scoliosis and my survival with it by clicking on the Scoliosis Awareness Page at the top of my website.  As I tell my customers “be sure to pop back every once in a while to see what my Crafty Hook has created next!”

I would love to hear from you.  If you have a story or want to share information about Scoliosis I welcome your feedback!  Just fill out the form below and I will get right back to you!

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Signs and Symptoms of Scoliosis

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Signs and symptoms of Scoliosis may include:

  • Uneven shoulders
  • One shoulder blade that appears more prominent than the other
  • Uneven waist
  • One hip higher than the other

If a scoliosis curve gets worse, the spine will also rotate or twist, in addition to curving side to side. This causes the ribs on one side of the body to stick out farther than on the other side.

Causes

Doctors don’t know what causes the most common type of scoliosis — although it appears to involve hereditary factors, because the disorder tends to run in families. Less common types of scoliosis may be caused by:

  • Neuromuscular conditions, such as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy
  • Birth defects affecting the development of the bones of the spine
  • Injuries to or infections of the spine

Risk factors for developing the most common type of scoliosis include:

  • Age. Signs and symptoms typically begin during the growth spurt that occurs just prior to puberty.
  • Sex. Although both boys and girls develop mild scoliosis at about the same rate, girls have a much higher risk of the curve worsening and requiring treatment.
  • Family history. Scoliosis can run in families, but most children with scoliosis don’t have a family history of the disease.

Complications

While most people with scoliosis have a mild form of the disorder, scoliosis may sometimes cause complications, including:

  • Lung and heart damage. In severe scoliosis, the rib cage may press against the lungs and heart, making it more difficult to breathe and harder for the heart to pump.
  • Back problems. Adults who had scoliosis as children are more likely to have chronic back pain than are people in the general population.
  • Appearance. As scoliosis worsens, it can cause more noticeable changes — including unlevel shoulders, prominent ribs, uneven hips, and a shift of the waist and trunk to the side. Individuals with scoliosis often become self-conscious about their appearance
  • Mayo Clinic

 

The reason I am telling you my story is that not everyone hears about Scoliosis.  If they do it is because their children had to have a screening or someone you know has Scoliosis.  I am just one person who has suffered through some horrible things because of this disease.  Yes it IS a disease, it changes a person’s outlook on life and they undergo some major trials as they become a “Scoliosis Survivor.”  Every day for me with Scoliosis is a challenge.  Not everyone has gone through the things I have and not everyone diagnosed with Scoliosis will.  I am just 1 out of the 7 million people affected with the disease.

I am a Scoliosis Survivor because even though I am in Chronic Pain I still get up every day and endure!  I endure Chronic Pain every day. I endure my body’s ever changing shape. I endure walking slowly or not at all.  I endure my clothes not fitting right. I endure living every day of my life with not knowing what my tomorrow may be like.  “Will I fall again? Will I be able to make it to the bathroom without pain? Will I be able to crochet anything today? Will I be able to feed myself today?”  These are just some of the questions that constantly go through my mind while I survive Scoliosis.

If you are a Scoliosis Survivor, I would LOVE to hear your story, so please feel free to share it with me by filling out the Comments section below.  If you don’t want your story shared on my post, you can email it to me and I will be happy to read your journey with Scoliosis.  You can email me at jo@joscraftyhook.com.  I look forward to hearing from you!

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