Amanda’s guest post is the 8th post in the segment on my blog, called “The Reality Of…” which gives others the ability to share their story and raise awareness of the disabilities, illnesses, impairments and invisible illnesses that they have.
Meet Amanda!
My name is Amanda Linton. I live just outside of Tampa, Florida but am originally from Mississippi.
My Story
I have severe scoliosis and degenerative disc disease. I’m only 32 years old, so knowing that my spine is literally collapsing on itself is a hard pill to swallow. What’s more – it’s not “bad enough” for surgery yet, so doctors usually shrug my pain off.
Common Symptoms
I am in pain every day. My low back aches and my discs cause shooting, electric-like pain across my back and into my hips and legs. By the end of each day, I have to lie down with my heating pad and a glass of wine. I have to be very careful about pacing myself so I don’t overdo. If I do, my pain will be much higher for the following few days.
How It Affects Me
This affects me tremendously. My pain affects my mood which can be a problem in my relationships at home. I struggle with anxiety and some mild depression because of it. I think of my disease as if I’m standing on a cliff. Yes, I’m in a precarious spot, but I have a choice of looking up to the rising sun or looking down into the depths of the rift below. Sometimes I struggle to pull my vision up from those depths. I try not to fall down into it. But any time I get new information about what’s happening in my back, it’s a lot to process.
Learning To Adapt
I have learned to adapt by exercising, focusing on the positive, and doing the things in life that bring me joy. I love running (when I can), doing yoga, and lifting weights. I’ve found that the stronger I keep my body, the less overall pain I’m in. I work really hard to keep a positive mindset and to look at the good things in my life. Yes, I have a rebellious spine that doesn’t want to do its job. But I can’t let that steal my happiness. I enjoy hanging out with my three sons, being outdoors, and gardening.
Changing As A Person
This is a tough one! It’s challenging to extract how my invisible illness has caused me to change, as growing older itself has also caused me to change. I would say that I am more open and accepting. I trust people more – if someone says they’re in pain, I believe them, no questions. This experience has also taught me that no one is going to stand up for me. I have to say what needs saying. I have to be specific about what hurts, what’s happening in my body, and what I want to be done because of it. I can’t trust a doctor to intuitively know that… which has been hard to learn! I love shows like Grey’s Anatomy and House. While I understand those are just TV shows, I kind of grew up thinking doctors would help me like that. And they don’t.
My Favourite Superhero
Well, I have to go with Spiderman. I love his witty sarcasm!
Thanks Amanda for sharing your story with my readers and me!
If you would like to stay up to date with Amanda, then you can follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook
Wow this was a really eye opening post. Thank you for sharing
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Thank you for reading Amanda’s story! 💚
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Thank you Amanda for sharing your experiences! It’s so interesting to see things from another persons perspective, and I’m always trying educate myself on different conditions etc. As a human biology student I find it really intriguing, but I feel like it also helps me to be a more empathetic person overall. It’s such a shame that healthcare professionals aren’t like the ones you see on tv – the world would be a much better place if they were! xx
El // Welsh Wanderer
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Thank you El for your kind words and reading Amanda’s story! I hope you are enjoying university and I wish you all the best for your future endeavors! 💚
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Thank you to Amanda for sharing her story! I think some of the medical shows have a lot to answer for in terms of expectations of Doctors – I was always upset that the Doctors and Nurses weren’t as kind and patient as in Holby City!
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Thanks for reading Amanda’s story! I used to watch House all the time, by the time I was undergoing tests and what not, I was disappointed that no doctor was as thorough as him!
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Thank you for sharing your powerful story, Amanda! You do a great job of articulating the struggle between maintaining a positive mindset and the pain in your body, and how that impacts your mood. All the best and good luck moving forward!
Roger
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Thank you Roger for your kind words for Amanda! Thanks for also reading her story 💚
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hi Amanda. thanks for sharing your story! i have degenerative disc disease too and had a preventative cervical surgery (laminoplasty). my legs and arms and back are all effected by the pain unfortunately so i can relate.
Joy at The Joyous Living
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Thank you for briefly sharing your experience, I am sorry to hear that you’re in pain and i hope they can find suitable pain management which is best for you! Thank you for reading Amanda’s story 💚
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This is a really insightful post into life with Scoliosis. Thank you for sharing, Amanda. I love your spirit! Wishing you all the best for the future. x 🙂
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Thank you for reading Amanda’s story and for your kind words Aileen 🙂💚
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This indeed was a very touching post. I’m really glad that you do your best to stay positive. Thank you for sharing your story and spreading awareness.
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Hi Ami, I think it’s great that you’re building this blog both to help you cope and to spread awareness. My Mom has scoliosis and it has affected her in various ways but not as much as you. I hope the medical community finds a way to reverse and manage the effects soon.
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Thanks for reading Amanda’s story 🙂
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