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Tangled in the Curves: Real Life with Idiopathic Scoliosis
Receiving a diagnosis of scoliosis - a condition where the spine bends and rotates for no known reason - can be an emotional time full of questions and concerns. You might feel like you have to navigate it all by yourself. But, know you are not alone.
Tangled in the Curves is an honest firsthand account of real life with idiopathic scoliosis that fully captures the scoliosis journey through teenage diagnosis, bracing, surgery, and adulthood. It’s also a useful tool that provides easy access to an abundance of practical resources, options, research and expertise, tips and tricks, and personal stories from “scoliosis warriors” around the globe.
All scoliosis warriors, no matter what stage they’re at in their physical and emotional journey, will find something that speaks to them in this book. New scoliosis patients and their families will obtain the information they need, in easy-to-understand language, to address their immediate worries and questions. Bracers will find tips and tricks to make life with a back brace easier. Those receiving surgical treatment will learn what to really expect during surgery day, hospital recovery, and home recovery. Adult warriors who feel alone will find a large and relatable scoli community sharing their challenges, solutions, and support.
Tangled in the Curves will inspire you to find your inner strength, resilience, and determination. Scoliosis does not define you. You can handle this!
Tangled in the Curves is an honest firsthand account of real life with idiopathic scoliosis that fully captures the scoliosis journey through teenage diagnosis, bracing, surgery, and adulthood. It’s also a useful tool that provides easy access to an abundance of practical resources, options, research and expertise, tips and tricks, and personal stories from “scoliosis warriors” around the globe.
All scoliosis warriors, no matter what stage they’re at in their physical and emotional journey, will find something that speaks to them in this book. New scoliosis patients and their families will obtain the information they need, in easy-to-understand language, to address their immediate worries and questions. Bracers will find tips and tricks to make life with a back brace easier. Those receiving surgical treatment will learn what to really expect during surgery day, hospital recovery, and home recovery. Adult warriors who feel alone will find a large and relatable scoli community sharing their challenges, solutions, and support.
Tangled in the Curves will inspire you to find your inner strength, resilience, and determination. Scoliosis does not define you. You can handle this!
218 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 27, 2023
5 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 10, 2024
Say you are an adolescent heading out to the school bus one day when your dad notices something doesn’t look right with your back. That’s exactly what happened at the very beginning of what would be living with scoliosis for author Caroline Bell. She writes about her experiences with scoliosis as well as providing information about this condition in her book, “Tangled in the Curves: Real Life with Idiopathic Scoliosis.” Hers is the story of a young person who discovers she has a condition that occurs during the adolescent years. One day, she is able to bend over to touch her toes just like everybody else her age, and then the next, she cannot. Scoliosis is a mystery to many people and this book shatters the mystery so that readers can understand it better. Not only this, but readers can also better understand what life with scoliosis is like.
When I selected this book, I thought it was a personal account of the author’s experience with scoliosis. It’s not and it is. It’s mostly an informative guide on what scoliosis is and the many things a person affected by it will go through. Even so, some of the author’s experiences are mixed in with the things she writes. Some of the personal experiences are humorous and others are there to give readers with scoliosis a heads-up about what she went through so that they might not have to.
I think the passage about braces was very thorough and helpful. All that information is mixed in with the author’s own experience of wearing a brace. I liked how the author reminds readers that wearing a brace is only temporary and not a life sentence. I also appreciated how she showed that she kept a good sense of humor about her brace and having to wear it. It helps to have acceptance and support from family and friends. Because scoliosis makes its appearance during adolescence, there is a “letter to parents” at the back of the book offering some tips and advice.
The downside of a layperson writing a book about a medical condition is that while they may be an expert in what they have learned and experienced of the condition, they are not a medically trained professional or an expert on the condition overall. And, yes, most books written by such professionals can seem boring, unlike real life, and outdated but at least those professionals know the medical condition a lot better than most folks. I bring this up because there is one part of a chapter where the author admits she does not know about all of the surgeries for scoliosis well enough to write about them. I appreciate her honesty here and her refusal to try to “hack” her way through it.
Reading a book about a medical condition that is written by someone who has been through it does have its advantages. For one thing, it offers a reader going through it some sound advice from someone who has already traveled this road. It helps to know what to expect, and that is ultimately what a majority of this book provides. Also, where the author is not able to cover something, she does provide suggestions on where readers can find the information they need. (The Resources section at the back of the book is likewise helpful.)
Even though I don’t have scoliosis, I learned a lot just from reading this book. It is jam-packed with information. For example, I didn’t know that with the rise of people living with scoliosis, there are now scoli- and fusion-friendly yoga and Pilates classes. There are also lots of support groups and networks out there to help people who live with this condition. I also learned certain terms associated with this life (such as “fusioneer”) and reading this book made me more aware of people who have scoliosis (and thus may be wearing a brace for it), as well as accommodations needed for those who have had spinal fusion surgery.
“Tangled in the Curves” by Caroline Bell may be written for people who have or live with scoliosis, but it’s definitely recommended reading for anyone who doesn’t know much about it or knows someone who lives with it. The message that a fulfilling and enjoyable life with or without surgery is loud and clear in this book, thereby offering hope to readers pondering which choice to make. Turn to the many and valuable resources in the back of this book and reach out to others who have made either choice and it should help make the decision easier. This book will help as well, and act as a guide on this route that ultimately must be made according to the person’s needs and benefit
When I selected this book, I thought it was a personal account of the author’s experience with scoliosis. It’s not and it is. It’s mostly an informative guide on what scoliosis is and the many things a person affected by it will go through. Even so, some of the author’s experiences are mixed in with the things she writes. Some of the personal experiences are humorous and others are there to give readers with scoliosis a heads-up about what she went through so that they might not have to.
I think the passage about braces was very thorough and helpful. All that information is mixed in with the author’s own experience of wearing a brace. I liked how the author reminds readers that wearing a brace is only temporary and not a life sentence. I also appreciated how she showed that she kept a good sense of humor about her brace and having to wear it. It helps to have acceptance and support from family and friends. Because scoliosis makes its appearance during adolescence, there is a “letter to parents” at the back of the book offering some tips and advice.
The downside of a layperson writing a book about a medical condition is that while they may be an expert in what they have learned and experienced of the condition, they are not a medically trained professional or an expert on the condition overall. And, yes, most books written by such professionals can seem boring, unlike real life, and outdated but at least those professionals know the medical condition a lot better than most folks. I bring this up because there is one part of a chapter where the author admits she does not know about all of the surgeries for scoliosis well enough to write about them. I appreciate her honesty here and her refusal to try to “hack” her way through it.
Reading a book about a medical condition that is written by someone who has been through it does have its advantages. For one thing, it offers a reader going through it some sound advice from someone who has already traveled this road. It helps to know what to expect, and that is ultimately what a majority of this book provides. Also, where the author is not able to cover something, she does provide suggestions on where readers can find the information they need. (The Resources section at the back of the book is likewise helpful.)
Even though I don’t have scoliosis, I learned a lot just from reading this book. It is jam-packed with information. For example, I didn’t know that with the rise of people living with scoliosis, there are now scoli- and fusion-friendly yoga and Pilates classes. There are also lots of support groups and networks out there to help people who live with this condition. I also learned certain terms associated with this life (such as “fusioneer”) and reading this book made me more aware of people who have scoliosis (and thus may be wearing a brace for it), as well as accommodations needed for those who have had spinal fusion surgery.
“Tangled in the Curves” by Caroline Bell may be written for people who have or live with scoliosis, but it’s definitely recommended reading for anyone who doesn’t know much about it or knows someone who lives with it. The message that a fulfilling and enjoyable life with or without surgery is loud and clear in this book, thereby offering hope to readers pondering which choice to make. Turn to the many and valuable resources in the back of this book and reach out to others who have made either choice and it should help make the decision easier. This book will help as well, and act as a guide on this route that ultimately must be made according to the person’s needs and benefit
July 28, 2023
Tangled In The Curves exposes readers to the difficult journey of a scoliosis patient. The authors openness and vulnerability allows the audience to relate to her journey, but also highlights a path of least resistance for future patients. I strongly recommend the book to scoliosis patients and their families to help guide them through this difficult journey, but also to scoliosis healthcare practitioners to better understand the hardships of their patients.
August 30, 2024
This is a wonderfully written and informative book. It is such an important resource, it should be given to all people when they get a scoliosis diagnosis, especially if they will need surgery or to brace.
October 31, 2023
A diagnosis of scoliosis can stun both child and parents. My family went through this sixty some years ago when I was diagnosed. Consulting specialists, talking to physiotherapists, weighing different treatment options-- even today with all the resources of the internet, it's easy to become confused and fearful.
Well, search no longer. Read this book. Caroline talks to you, child or parent, in a reassuring, conversational tone about all aspects of her scoliosis experience - from hospital visits and x-rays to braces and surgery. Instead of being frightening and unknown, the scoliosis journey becomes understandable and familiar. And if you need more information, there are pages and pages of additional resources at the back of the book.
Well, search no longer. Read this book. Caroline talks to you, child or parent, in a reassuring, conversational tone about all aspects of her scoliosis experience - from hospital visits and x-rays to braces and surgery. Instead of being frightening and unknown, the scoliosis journey becomes understandable and familiar. And if you need more information, there are pages and pages of additional resources at the back of the book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews