Shivolski's story

I used to think scoliosis was just something that affected your spine, but I never realised how much it would change my life and the way I saw myself.

The Diagnosis

My journey with scoliosis started when I was 16 years old on a hockey tour away from my family. During the tournament we were seeing physios and specialists and one of them mentioned a curve in my spine. At the time I didn’t really understand what scoliosis was or what it meant. I just remember being completely shocked. I was so young and far away from home and suddenly being told something about my body that sounded serious and unfamiliar.

I had no idea in that moment how much it would impact the rest of my life. At 16 you don’t think about surgeries, pain, recovery, body image or anything like that. You are just focused on being a teenager, playing sport and enjoying life.

Getting officially diagnosed was one of the hardest and most overwhelming moments of my life. My first thought was that my active sports life was coming to an end. I felt trapped and scared of what was to come with surgeries, treatments, hospital visits and recovery. It felt like there was no way out.

At the time I was in my final year of high school while all my friends and classmates were excited about finishing school and starting their university journeys. My life looked completely different. Instead of focusing on graduation and my future, I was dealing with doctors, treatment plans and trying to process everything that was happening to me.

After high school I had to take a gap year to focus on treatment and my health. Emotionally it took such a massive toll on me. I felt left behind while everyone else was moving forward with their lives. I constantly asked myself “Why me Lord?” and what I did to deserve something so painful and different. At that age all you want is to feel normal and scoliosis made me feel anything but normal.

The Treatment Journey

My treatment journey was honestly a complete rollercoaster.

In the beginning it felt like endless hospital visits, scans and appointments where I kept being told I needed surgery. Because I didn’t have medical aid at the time, my surgery kept getting pushed back to another date and another month. At the time it was frustrating and emotionally exhausting because it felt like I was stuck waiting without getting help.

Looking back now, I truly believe it was a blessing in disguise.

Because we waited so long without real treatment, my parents decided to get a second opinion and that completely changed my life. I started seeing a chiropractor who gave me hope again. For the first time someone told me surgery was not necessary and that we could maintain my scoliosis because my curve was not severe enough. She also made it very clear that if I didn’t put in the work, it would only get worse.

That was the moment I realised my recovery depended on me showing up for myself every single day.

From there I started seeing my chiropractor weekly and attending biokineticist sessions twice a week for almost a whole year. My whole life became focused on recovery. It was physically exhausting and emotionally draining. While my peers were enjoying university, making friends and living their lives, I felt like my own life was standing still. I had to sit out of social activities and focus completely on getting stronger and healthier.

The struggle with body image

Scoliosis affected so much more than just my physical health. It affected my confidence and the way I saw myself.

For a long time the clothes I wore were more about hiding my body than expressing myself. I constantly felt like people could see something was wrong with me even if they probably couldn’t. I became so aware of my back, my posture and how I looked all the time.

As a young woman that was incredibly difficult. I would see other girls wearing bikinis, open back tops and fitted clothes so confidently and I felt like I could never do the same. I felt like I always needed to cover up so nobody would ask questions or notice my scoliosis. More than anything I just wanted to feel normal.

I struggled a lot with self-confidence and feeling comfortable being seen. There were moments where I avoided certain clothes, photos and social situations because I didn’t want to explain what I was going through.

My daily life was also a rollercoaster. Some days were manageable and other days the pain was so bad I couldn’t sleep properly. Those difficult days would completely affect my mood and mentally drain me. Living with scoliosis is something people don’t always understand because so much of the struggle is invisible.

Lessons learnt

One of the biggest lessons scoliosis taught me was resilience, patience and not giving up.

There were so many moments where I could have given up or allowed my situation to define me, but instead I learned how strong I really am. Most importantly I learned to love myself even more because I realised being different does not make me weak. If anything, it made me stronger mentally and physically.

I stopped wanting people to feel pity or sorry for me and instead started using my story as inspiration. I realised that I am capable of so much more than I thought and that having scoliosis does not mean your life is over.

Today I can honestly say I am thriving.

I have learned how to live with scoliosis and work with my body instead of against it. Not only am I stronger than ever, but I am also able to inspire others through fitness and movement. One of the biggest things I love showing people is that having scoliosis does not stop you from working out hard, being active or becoming strong.

I have spent so much time putting in the work and I’ve learned that consistency is where the results come from. Healing and confidence do not happen overnight, but every small bit of effort matters.

To anyone going through scoliosis right now, especially on the tough days or cold days where your body feels sore and tired, please don’t give up on yourself.

I know how easy it is to ask, “Why me?” because I’ve been there too. But every small thing you do for yourself helps more than you realise. Every appointment, every exercise and every moment you choose to keep going instead of giving up matters.

Those hard moments build strength, resilience and character.

Scoliosis may challenge you, but it does not have to stop you from living a full and beautiful life. Keep pushing, keep believing in yourself and trust that the work you put into yourself today will become part of your strength story one day.

You are stronger than you think.

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