aMusing Monday

Okay, okay so it's a bit of a stretch.... :P

I Write, Therefore I Am....

Today when I woke up, I was considering one of the things that makes ME the most ME. I got a whole list of things in my head:

• dancing
• God
• my family

I paused there, considering any other options. I sometimes feel like I don't even know who I am anymore, which apparently is a common feeling in teens. I am trying to "rediscover" myself. As I lay there, one thought floated into my head.

• WRITING!!!!

Writer Flannery O’Connor said, “A story is a way to say something that can’t be said any other way, and it takes every word in the story to say what the meaning is. You tell a story because a statement would be inadequate.” I am trying everyday to take this to heart, whether it's on my blog or in one of the numerous stories I'm writing or in my essays for school. And I hope, by sharing my heart on this blog, you'll take this to heart too.

Fairytale Tuesday

Wolf and the Lamb A WOLF, meeting with a Lamb astray from the fold, resolved not to lay violent hands on him, but to find some plea to justify to the Lamb the Wolf’s right to eat him. He thus addressed him: “Sirrah, last year you grossly insulted me.” “Indeed,” bleated the Lamb in a mournful tone of voice, “I was not then born.” Then said the Wolf, “You feed in my pasture.” “No, good sir,” replied the Lamb, “I have not yet tasted grass.” Again said the Wolf, “You drink of my well.” “No,” exclaimed the Lamb, “I never yet drank water, for as yet my mother’s milk is both food and drink to me.” Upon which the Wolf seized him and ate him up, saying, “Well! I won’t remain supperless, even though you refute every one of my imputations.”  The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny.
Translated by George Fyler Townsend. Aesop's Fables

Wordless Wednesday

2 am by Anna Nalick

Bending the Rules

I recently had to write a research paper for school. Hope you guys like it!
Luv,
Emi

There’s a twist in everyone’s story. In mine, it is in my back. Ever since I was eleven years old, I have had scoliosis, a condition in which my spine is not straight. While scoliosis is not fatal, it can lead to many problems if not monitored and properly dealt with, because many steps are needed to control and/or fix it.

             Scoliosis is a three-dimensional deformity of the spine and rib cage. It may develop as a single primary curve (resembling the letter C) or as two curves (a primary curve along with a compensating secondary curve that forms an S shape). Scoliosis may occur only in the upper back (the thoracic area) or lower back (lumbar), but most commonly develops in the area between the thoracic and lumbar area (thoracolumbar area). A physician attempts to define scoliosis by the shape of the curve, its location, direction and magnitude, and, if possible, its cause. The severity of scoliosis is determined by the extent of the spinal curvature and by the angle of the trunk rotation (Shah).

            One of the first steps is noticing symptoms, which are most likely based on the type of scoliosis you have. In my case, I had lower back pain that bothered me, sending me to our doctor. Other symptoms can include fatigue or uneven shoulders or hips.

            The next step is to determine which kind of scoliosis you have. The three general types of scoliosis are Congenital, or present at birth and due to problems while the spinal bones are developing while still in the womb; Neuromuscular, which is caused by problems such as poor muscle control or muscle weakness, or paralysis due to diseases such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, and polio; or Idiopathic, scoliosis of unknown cause, which is the most common type in adolescents. (Shah)

            Numerous tests are performed to determine how bad the curve is. The “forward bend test” is the most common test in which the child bends forward dangling the arms, with the feet together and knees straight. The curve of structural scoliosis is more apparent when bending over, and the examiner may observe an imbalanced rib cage, with one side being higher than the other or other deformities. In a few other tests, the patient is usually requested to walk on the toes, then the heels, and then is asked to jump up and down on one foot. Such activities indicate leg strength and balance. The physician also will check for tight tendons in the back of the leg, which is usual in adolescence but may also indicate nerve root irritation or spondylolisthesis, a condition in which one vertebra has slipped forward over the other. He also will check for neurologic impairment by testing reflexes, nerve sensation, and muscle function. (Shah) An x-ray will be taken to determine the exact degree of the curve. If the physician notices anything unusual in the x-ray, or if there are any neurologic changes noted in the exam, a possible MRI may be performed.

            Then comes the decision of how to treat the curve. If it is small and the child is done growing, the doctor may suggest just watching her to be sure she does not experience any more side effects revealing a larger curve. If it is small but the child is not done growing, the doctor will want to check it every six months to a year.

            If the curve is severe, the doctor and the patient will have to make a more in-depth decision: brace or surgery? Both options come with major physical and emotional side effects and recovery.

            For medium curves (24 – 40 degrees) bracing is most often recommended. The types of bracing include: the Milwaukee Brace, a wide flat frontal bar with two smaller ones in back that attach to a ring around the neck with rests for the chin and back of the head (Shah); the Wilmington, Boston and TLSO Braces, several styles of braces that can be worn close to the skin so that they don’t show under clothes (Shah); and the Charleston Bending Brace, a type worn only at night.

                The physical downfalls to bracing are that it may decrease lung function, causing the patient to find it hard to breathe if she does not exercise right while wearing it. One small study showed that patients who performed torso flexibility exercises experienced less spinal twisting and had improved curvature. Another reported that young girls who wore the Boston brace and performed aerobic exercises for 30 minutes four times a week experienced improved, instead of declined, lung function (Shah). Another downfall of wearing a brace is that it may not work, causing the patient to need surgery anyway.

                The emotional downfalls are the ways that patients may be treated while undergoing treatment via a brace. Adults who have had scoliosis and its treatments often recall significant social isolation and physical pain (Gelb). Many families indicated that establishing a daily routine was helpful in coping with wearing a brace (Walker).

            For the patients with curves over 45 – 50 degrees, surgery is almost always suggested. The goals of scoliosis surgery are to straighten the spine as much and as safely as possible, to balance the torso and pelvic areas, and to maintain correction. These are accomplished by fusing the vertebrae along the curve and supporting these fused bones with instrumentation (rod, screws, hooks and other devices) attached to the spine (Shah). Before the operation, a complete physical examination is conducted to determine leg lengths, muscle strength, lung function, and any postural abnormalities (Shah).

            While this infirmity can be hard to deal with, the many treatment options and the dedication many doctors and hospitals in the United States put into it make scoliosis a condition that people are able to live with.  As for me, I just don’t get bent out of shape about it!

Bibliography

Cyndi Walker. OANDP. Version 4S. American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetisists,         n.d, Web. 18 Dec 2011.

A.D.A.M. PubMed Health. U.S. National Library of Medicine, September 17, 2009, Web. 16 Dec 2011.

Suken Shah. Nemours. Pediatric Orthopaedic and Scoliosis Surgery, 2009, Web. 16 Dec        2011.

Thank you!!

Thank you for all the comments I recieved! It really made me feel better!!

Luv,
Emi

I am...

My name is Emily. Have you met me?

I am a nerd. I enjoy school and reading and have in fact written essays for fun.

I am a sister to two wonderful brothers. They fill my world with light and joy and have a very different perspective that sometimes makes me think about things differently.

I am a daughter who adores her parents. I have amazing relationships with both of them and can talk to them about ANYTHING. Who do I go to when I have problems or just need to chat about the most random stuff in the world? My parents.

I am a Christian. I have accepted the Lord into my heart and I know that even if I have no friends, I'll have Him.

I am a dancer. I can go for hours alone in my room, dancing my heart out. I danced from the moment I was born and I haven't stopped yet.

I am a music lover. I know a ton of songs and have basically grown up on music, from REM to Taylor Swift to Owl City to Michael W. Smith. I'm always singing, it just isn't always out loud.

I am 50-75% British. I can do the accent, say the slang, and I love drinking tea. I drink it all day, from my morning cup of Earl Grey to the two or three cups of regular tea I drink with my mom in the afternoon, while doing school or watching 24.

I am a writer. I write and write and write. My passions, my anger, my sadness are among the feelings I express in my writing.

I am shy. I'm often the one on the outside of groups, listening to what people say but never talking. I'm the one who listens to the problems and woes and amounts of homework. I may offer a quiet suggestion to help with your problem but most likely I'll listen.

I am cyberschooled. All of what I learn happens on the computer. I get so many questions (like: do you even do anything all day? answer: yes, of course I do, and why are you homeschooled? answer: I am not homeschooled, and I like it and feel like I do better in this school enviroment.) and so many looks (like: woah, is that kid mentally challenged? answer: no....). I feel like the stupid kid when I'm with other people, only due to the fact that they seem to associate "stupidness" with "homeschooled." I am not stupid, but when people make me feel like I am it hurts. Deep.

I am sometimes very depressed. I can spend hours in my room crying over a heart that's been hurt more times than its owner can remember by people the owner believed were friends.

I am tall. I have nearly reached 5'10. Sometimes I wish I was a lot shorter. Sometimes I get picked on for being this tall. Short people sometimes get mad at me for it. I really did not choose my height. I just kept growing after many people stopped.

I am excluded. I don't know why, or how the "popular people" always find me to pick on and leave out. I hate being left out. I've cried about that before too. Cried and cried and cried.

And finally...

I am human. I'm a human who makes mistakes and isn't perfect. I'm not afraid to admit it. I make the same mistakes you do, I'm not always as nice to my family as I wish I was, and I don't always include everyone. The one thing I do know I am not is a hypocrite. It kills me inside to see the very people who have bullied and excluded me stand up and say how they feel excluded and bullied and we should all try not to do it, and then glare at me or not talk to me even when I try to reach out.

My name is Emily. Have you met me? If not, I'd love to meet you.

The Silence of the Night

Hi, guys! Here's a short story I wrote a few weeks ago that you may enjoy. Hope you like it!
~Emily

                                                                                                                                    

            I’m laying in my bed, listening to the sounds around me. Silence. That’s all I hear. Before now, just weeks ago, I would have heard the radio going. Mum and Dad would have been laughing at some program. I might have even been awake with them, doing my homework but not really concentrating. The streetlights would have been on, cars rumbling happily down the lane, happy to be driving somewhere.

            Of course, that’s the old London now. The London we have to live in right now is dark and defensive, almost expecting bombs to pour out of sky at any moment, breaking the fragile peace we have right now.

            I wish this wasn’t happening, wish the Nazis hadn’t decided to start this. Why did they decide this was the place they wanted? Why do some people believe the world isn’t something to live in, you have to take it over too?

            I hear a noise, creaking floorboards. My parents are going to bed, making as little noise as possible. They weren’t the kind of people to creep around before this happened. My dad would stride places, hands in his pockets, back straight. He wore a lot of suits and worked in a bank. My mum wore flowered dresses and was always cheerful, always humming some tune from the radio. Some nights, I’d hear them dancing together, swaying back and forth to the crooning pouring from the radio. I longed to join them, with a boy of my own.

            The house is quiet now, much too quiet. There is no radio pouring swing music into the living room, my father and mother are in bed. My mum cries much more now, too much. My dad creeps around, tiptoeing on the thin ice the Nazis have put over the city. And the silence of the night breaks my heart.