Written by Ella Grace Ross
How It Started:
It all started very early in 2025; I could feel mild pain in my lower neck/upper back. Aches, if you will? Yet only when I sat, which led to me ignoring it. It wasn’t constant, just when I sat. So, I just assumed it to be normal and carried on living my life.
Turning point:
One night in May 2025, it was a Thursday. I remember the evening so clearly! I was lying in my bed, relaxing after such a long tiring day when I felt some pain in my back, different pain, constant pain which stayed. Quickly, I headed downstairs to my mum who gave me some painkillers, and I went back up to bed.
The next day, Friday, I did my usual day-to-day routine. In the afternoon when I came home, I told my mum again about the pain in my back which hadn’t gone away from the night before. I asked her if she could take a look, just to make sure everything was okay. I literally just thought I may have bruised my back. No. That’s when we saw. Usually, I wear baggy/loose-fitting clothes quite a lot, so we never really noticed much before that. It was a shock, my ribs tilted, my hips and shoulders imbalanced also.
The following week, my mum got me an appointment to see my GP. After a physical examination and a chat, I was told I had a spine curvature, and that they’d refer me to hospital for further support and help.
Waiting game:
Then from May through to October, we heard nothing. The pain increased, my back ‘tilted’ more and got worse. I’d take pictures before I’d go out, to make sure my back looks ‘okay from behind’. I’ve been keeping them and comparing them to see how it has been progressing.
I went back to the GP an additional four times after to ask for updates, stronger pain medication, advice and if they could speed up my referral in any way possible.
I’ve had to stop playing football alongside sometimes cancelling plans, not going out to join in with activities because of the pain. Telling my family, friends etc. every single day that my back hurts.
Hospital appointment:
One morning in mid-October 2025, I was at home. However, my mum, who was out walking at the time, received a notification from the NHS stating that they had an appointment with the hospital for me in early December. She ran home and told me the amazing news. Finally, we all thought.
About 2 weeks or so later, my mum got another notification that my hospital appointment had been cancelled and I cried. My mum, being the absolute superhero she is, rang up asking why the appointment we had been waiting so long for had been cancelled. They proceeded to explain that the original appointment had been booked with the wrong department, orthopaedics, and that it had been rearranged for a week earlier with the spinal disorders team at my hospital.
A whole week earlier… it was a blessing in disguise.
The only ‘issue’ we had, which was very easily solvable, was that the new appointment was on one of the days that I was away on a little pre-Christmas trip at the end of November. But we made a plan!
The day of my diagnosis:
The first full day of my holiday-Christmassy trip. Me and my mum woke up very early; I hadn’t slept the best that night, as you do on the first night of any holiday/trip when you stay somewhere away from home! I am also a massive overthinker, so I was quite nervous about the appointment as well. We got in the car around 7:30am, drove back down home and to my hospital for 9:30am.
When we arrived, we checked in and sat in the waiting area. We didn’t really know what to expect to be honest. A receptionist soon came over to us and told us that the doctor wanted me to have an X-ray. After going to radiology, I got my X-ray then went back over to the waiting room where we sat until my name was called.
After my name got called out, we headed down a long corridor to one of the consulting rooms where my appointment was being held. The spinal consultant/surgeon asked me some questions such as what has been going on for me alongside my medical history. We did a physical examination of my back and then he showed me my X-ray. I just remember being so shocked and scared, with lots of emotions just flying through my head. He explained that I have a very large right-sided thoracic and left-side lumbar scoliosis. My main thoracic scoliosis measured 68 degrees (as of November 2025, my first appointment).
Due to the magnitude of the curve being too severe, I was told a brace would not be much use in my case, leaving me to do nothing OR have spine fusion. After discussing it more, I decided to go down the surgical route. The whole appointment went well, and I got put on the waiting list!
Building up:
In January this year, I went back to hospital for my first ever MRI, with a 6pm appointment that had me overthinking all day because I had no idea what to expect. I had to remove all metal like my earrings and clips and lock everything away, but the radiographer was so kind and spoke to me through the headphones the whole time, which really helped. I was in the scanner for around 40 minutes and got to watch Disney+, plus my mum was able to sit in the room with me after taking off all her metal too, which made the whole experience way less scary.
I’ve been keeping up to date with my pre-operative physio! I have physiotherapy appointments every few months or so, to help strengthen my muscles for fusion and especially recovery. I got a yoga ball and mat for Christmas which I use to do small exercises on, given to me by my physio.
I also had my pre-op not too long ago, where I had my bloods taken, an ECG, spirometry, another X-ray and medical photography to get some before photos of my back, as well as seeing my nurse specialist who answered loads of my questions and helped put my mind at ease.
Fundraising for Scoliosis Support & Research:
Around mid-January, I set myself the challenge of walking a marathon across February, breaking the 26 miles down into roughly a mile or more each day. I started on 1 February with one of my best friends, walking 3.58 miles around our local park. I kept it going daily at about three miles, raising awareness for scoliosis, sharing information and videos on my socials, and collecting donations through my JustGiving. But on 11 February everything changed when my right leg suddenly went completely numb and I was hospitalised for three days, which was heartbreaking as it stopped me finishing the challenge myself, even though I’d already smashed around 18 miles solo by then.
The feeling slowly returned but stayed weak, and now my right foot has gone numb again, meaning I’ve been on crutches for about three weeks. But my incredible mum stepped in to help complete the final miles, taking us to around 33 miles in total, well over the original target, and knowing we finished it together honestly means everything to me.
All together, we raised £312 for Scoliosis Support and Research, and I am honestly so incredibly grateful! I set a target of £200 and knowing that we raised over that fills me with pure happiness.
My dream:
I’m also an aspiring sports journalist with a real focus on women’s football, and I’ve been using my platform to document my scoliosis journey while connecting it to football. Through articles, match coverage and personal pieces, I’ve been exploring themes like resilience, recovery and visibility in women’s sport, using my own experiences to add depth and honesty to my storytelling and to raise awareness in a way that feels relatable and real!
I also enjoy doing art in my downtime as it helps me relax and take my mind off things, so recently I decided to sketch my own X-ray. It was a way to process my journey creatively and make sense of what’s happening inside my body, turning something medical and intimidating into a piece of personal expression that’s both therapeutic and meaningful to me.
I want to be a strong advocate for scoliosis and make sure everyone’s stories are told and truly heard, especially those that often get overlooked. By sharing real experiences, amplifying different voices and creating space for honest conversations, I hope to raise awareness, break down stigma and help people feel less alone while pushing for better understanding and support around scoliosis.
Looking ahead:
With my surgery expected around summertime at the latest, I’m going to keep raising awareness and advocating for scoliosis both before and after my operation, sharing the reality of it all and supporting others every step of the way.
You’re strong, you’re brave, and you can absolutely do this.
Ella x
