This is Shara

This is Shara's story.

I have one hell of a scar on my back... When I was younger, around age 15 if I remember right! - I had bad scoliosis and wore a brace for a couple years, and when that didn't help my doctor decided to implant a Harrington rod near my spine and also fused some vertebrae (standard cure at that point for this problem). I heard all sorts of horror stories about what my life would be like after the surgery, but I have recovered well.

Often I have to sometimes be reminded there is an actual scar there. Obviously I can't see it all the time unless I really aim to -- if I wear certain shirts, people can see it and actually often will touch it, look concerned, and ask "what happened!" and "does it hurt?", quite a bit. The truth is, I think of my entire back/spine as a disaster area... I am disfigured by both the disease and the cure. When I see people with "normal", non-disfigured backs I get reminded I am all assymetrical and weird. I do like the scar itself in terms of...a conversation piece.

I also liked what you [Svea] said, in reference to your own scar, that it is actually a sign of your parents love for you (I feel the same about mine, actually, they could have said no to my risky surgery!), your personal endurance, and your body's ability to heal. That is quite beautiful.