Spring 2013 Brace-friendly fashion trends

This year, there are many great choices for dressing in your scoliosis brace.  There is also one trend that is NOT recommended.  Let’s start there.  A very popular fashion trend right now is the a-symmetrical tank, t-shirt, blouse, or other top.  My daughter tried on a bathing suit that is a-symmetrical and let’s just say that if you are already a-symmetrical due to Scoliosis, an A-symmetrical top does not do you ANY favors – it just accentuates your Scoliosis curves.  I recommend trying one of the other great trends and foregoing the asymmetrical top.

Fashion trends to try:

Pops of color – use these strategically to bring the eye away from your brace- bright shoes, layering bright tanks under a different bright shirt.

Ruffles – these are coming out all over – on bikini tops, skirts, vertically, horizontally, around necklines.  Again, ruffles are great to hide bumps and bulges caused from dressing over a brace.  Try a bright, long tank top under a cropped, ruffled shirt and you have the recipe for fashionable brace camouflage.

Great finds we found this season:

We finally found denim shorts that stretched enough! Justice, $15 after discounts

Cargo shorts with a knit waistband. Perfect combination of waistband stretch and fashion. Kohls, $20, Juniors section

 

Also at Kohls (although we didn’t buy) – Camis without a shelf bra, perfect for layering over a brace without adding too many layers

Long bright rib knit tank tops – Justice – $6 after sale discounts

 

Lacy long tanks for layering (in bright colors) and tees for layering overtop- Old Navy, $9 tanks, $7 tees

 

My daughter in one of her new looks. Justice denim shorts, Justice Yellow tank, and Justice egg and bacon t-shirt. (Don’t forget her new bright green crocs with ice cream jibbits!) 🙂

Happy Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms out there who work tirelessly, advocating for their children.  For all the Moms who forge their own path and won’t take “no” for an answer.  For all the Moms who somehow, miraculously, find 5 minutes to support another Mom when their lives are already filled up to the brim.  To all the Moms who take a step out in faith every day, armed with the best decision they think possible, yet void of any guarantees.  As Moms, we support our husbands, our children, and we also support each other.  We advocate, accelerate, and (hopefully) meditate through our lives…we find fountains of strength and mountains of courage and faith…always faith…that nothing we do is in vain.  Our hearts stay focused on the prize – healthy and happy children.  There are a lot of really great Moms out there…I salute you.

Sometimes health care care be a nightmare

Scoliosis treatments can be expensive.  That is just the bottom line.  Even those with “good” insurance plans find that treatments they are accustomed to and feel are completely necessary to their overall health are deemed “non medically necessary” by their providers.  Customers tell me all the time how they are laying out huge amounts of cash to get their children (and themselves) the best medical care possible.  Many times the treatments they need to keep the curves at bay are not covered by insurance and, refusing to accept defeat, parents do what is necessary to find the funds and make it happen anyway.  It has always amazed me that insurance will cover a $70,000 surgery, but balk about paying for treatments that are a fraction of the cost and may PREVENT the $70,000 surgery.  Or, if a Doctor orders a test because the “standard” tests are not figuring out the problem, then all of a sudden it is considered “not medically necessary” because it’s not in their standard list of acceptable tests for acceptable ailments.  My feeling is that if a Doctor prescribes it, it should be medically necessary.  Sometimes I feel navigating the world of the health care industry is a part time job in itself and that I need another part time job just to pay for it.   But, I just have to keep plugging away, making phone calls, advocating for our health care needs.  I have to become that proverbial “squeaky wheel” in order to get our needs met.  It is frustrating and time consuming, but necessary.  As I have always said, we have to be our children’s biggest advocates.  I have to keep our medical team in place and find ways to cover expenses.  The disease of Scoliosis is unrelenting, and, therefore,  I must be unrelenting, too.  And have faith, of course, that it will all work out the end.  Thankfully, I serve a big God and sometimes I have to heap big requests on his plate.  But, we will work it out together, always keeping in mind that, without our health, we cease to be effective at life.