Guest blog: Chloe’s story | Living with scoliosis

Chloe is Tourism for All’s new account manager, here she tells us about her experiences with scoliosis as a teenager.

My name is Chloe and in 2017, at the age of 15, I found out I had a condition called adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. This is where instead of your spine growing straight, it grows with a curvature, either in the shape of an "S", which is a double curve, or a "C", which is a singular curve. The term "idiopathic" means that the cause of this type of scoliosis is unknown. Scoliosis can affect people of any age, but most often starts in children aged between 10 and 15. In most children, it is stable and can be treated, however, mine was progressive, which means it would have gotten worse over time. The most common signs of this condition include a tilt or unevenness in the shoulders, hips or waist.

I first found out about scoliosis when I went to the doctor with lower back pain and they suggested that it might be scoliosis, which I’d never heard of at the time.  I was referred to Bristol Children's Hospital where I had x-rays to confirm my condition. I found out I had the “S” curve, a curvature of 69.9 degrees and 76.9 degrees, this required surgery to correct, which I then went on to have.

Since then, scoliosis has affected my life both positively and negatively. My nan and I raised money for the Wallace and Gromit Appeal to thank the children's hospital for all their help and care. My surgery changed my life in such a positive way, if I had chosen to not have my surgery, I wouldn’t be able to do the job I love and live my ‘normal’ life as I do now.

However, there are some things that I do still struggle with. I was fused from my lower back downwards, which limits my mobility and the things I can do. It is often uncomfortable to be sat in the same position for a long period of time so, long car journeys are a struggle. I have also found that being sat behind a desk to do my job is tricky, but I have found a brilliant cushion that supports me and helps to reduce my pain.

Scoliosis is not a limiting condition and I do my best to carry out a 'normal' life, it doesn't stop me from doing things that I love but it is a lifelong condition with no guarantee of how my life will be when I get older. 

It is important to raise awareness for scoliosis as it is often a hidden disability that many people do not know about. This is my story and I hope it has helped to raise some awareness about this condition.

As Chloe mentioned, being sat in the same position for long periods of time can be difficult for those with scoliosis. Like others with invisible health conditions, those with scoliosis may suffer from chronic back pain and may also need to use the toilet more often than those who do not. All things that can cause anxiety, especially when visiting attractions or travelling. You can help make life easier for your visitors by making small alterations to your business, such as providing relaxed performances in theatres and film screenings, allowing those who cannot sit in the same position to feel comfortable with getting up and moving around or by making sure there are plenty of toilet facilities.

We feature accessible performances, including relaxed performances on the blog every month and there are a host of accessible attractions to be found here.