30 years old
Scoliosis Correction
It was during a routine middle school screening that Trisha Barnes found out that she was slightly different than her classmates. Barnes was told that she had an “abnormal curve” in her spine. Trisha was an avid dancer, she “took dance classes the majority of [her] childhood and was on [her] school’s drill team in junior high and high school.”
Being diagnosed at a young age, it would have been easy to let her curve define her life and hinder her from doing the things that she loved. Regardless, Trisha was determined to not let that happen. She stated that, “I did not let scoliosis affect my ability to do the activities that I enjoyed, but it was always in the back of my mind.” It was her determination to not let her curve alter her future, and her understanding of the severity that helped keep her everyday life normal.
Trisha and her family continued to monitor the curve in her back over her adolescent years. When she was 21 years old she realized that her hips and shoulders were uneven and she went to get it checked out. She was told that her “spine progressed into a double “S” curve and surgery was recommended.” At this point, only part of her curve was corrected.
Eight years later, she started to experience pain minor aches and was soon left limited by the pain. Barnes’ decided that it was time to get her second surgery to correct the rest of her spine. Having already had one surgery, Trisha was nervous, “the thought of having another surgery was terrifying at first, but I knew it needed to be done.”
Being that this was her second surgery, she was more nervous about this operation. She soon became comfortable with having the surgery, “After learning about Dr. Francis’ qualifications and his expertise in new surgical technology…”. Trisha, “felt confident that [she] was in good hands.” It was then that she decided to start her journey with Dr. Francis and the Spine Associates team.
Trisha is a part of our Patient Ambassador program to get the message out to future patients that “… scoliosis does not have to define you. It can be successfully treated and it is possible to live a normal life after scoliosis surgery.”
Since having her surgery, Trisha has gone on to compete in marathons, something she never thought she would be able to do with her condition. She stated that, “In the last 3 years, I have run several 5Ks, 10Ks, and 2 half marathons!” She even signed up to run a 5K at 11 weeks’ post-operation. Her ability to run marathons after surgery has been a testament to her determination to not let scoliosis define her. She only asked that Dr. Francis help her to walk. Instead he helped her run. Trisha is now back in the race and Back to Normal.