Dublin model has a new back for the New Year

AN aspiring Southside model has told how she almost endured a 12-hour operation to fuse her spine solid and that it was unlikely she would ever have full flexibility in her back again.

Lizzy Makai (19), from Lucan, had always been very fit and active throughout her life until she started to suffer from severe pain and found sitting at a desk almost unbearable.

It was shortly after the pain started that Lizzy was diagnosed with scoliosis, a severe spinal deformity.

From this point on her life spiralled out of control and she was often left curled up in bed or collapsed in a heap due to the excruciating pain.

Within months, Lizzy went from being a fit and healthy woman with bags of energy, to behaving like an 80-year-old.

She had to give up shopping as she could not walk for long periods and she could not carry heavy bags.

Lizzy had also started to wear huge, baggy jumpers to avoid how distorted she felt her back looked. This was a huge problem as Lizzy had previously spent the majority of her spare time modelling.

Scoliosis causes the spine to excessively curve sideways. The condition affects more than four per cent of the population and if left untreated can lead to fatal heart and lung problems.

Current treatment in this country is to wait until the curve becomes so severe that the only option left is to operate.

The major operation is an incredibly risky procedure which involves metal rods being inserted either side of the spine, before the spine is fused solid. 

Lizzy loved fashion and her image had always been really important to her right up until her health started to seriously deteriorate.

Lizzy found herself very distanced from her social group and she went from never spending any time at home to constantly avoiding contact with friends and relatives.

Her work suffered terribly as she was unable to concentrate and often found herself getting up every few minutes to try and alleviate her pain.

This was until she came across Scoliosis SOS and for the first time in a long time, she saw a glimmer of hope for the future. 

Founded and run by Erika Maude, who has scoliosis herself, the clinic opened seven and half years ago and has since brought relief to hundreds of sufferers.

Located in central London, it is the only clinic in the world to offer treatment following the ScolioGold method, which is the combination of internationally renowned non-surgical treatments, which have been practiced separately in Europe for several decades.

Lizzy decided that this treatment could not do any harm and if it worked it could change her life. She booked onto a four-week treatment course and was overwhelmed by the results she achieved.

Within weeks of being on the course, Lizzy’s condition dramatically improved. She was no longer lying awake at night with pain and her confidence soared.

Lizzy learnt a set of exercises that strengthened the muscles surrounding her spine and meant that her scoliosis stabilised.

She also made huge improvements to her cosmetic appearance and realised that her condition was not going to ruin her life if she kept it under control.

Since completing a course of ScolioGold treatment, Lizzy has returned home and has been able to shop and feel confident in her clothes again for the first time in months.

She has regained all of her passion for life and has bounced back to her normal, fit and sociable self. She is looking to re-start her modelling career and is very excited about what the future holds.

 “I am so happy,” Lizzy said. “It is remarkable how far I have come. I was in constant pain, on a daily basis and my whole world had fallen apart.

“I lost interest in everything and I had no quality of life at all.  I had gone from being really confident in my body to wanting to hide away at every opportunity.

When I found the SOS clinic my life changed. I could see a future with my condition and I was back in control. I wanted to avoid the surgery, but it was an option I would have considered if there was no alternative.

“Being in constant pain and discomfort and being paranoid about what my back looked like was just not an option. I am not yet 20 and I am a very ambitious person. Keeping fit, my appearance and my education all mean everything to me so I was always going to do whatever it took to get my life back on track.

I feel like a new person, with a new back for the New Year.”

For more see www.scoliosisSOS.com


Source : Dublin People , 3rd Feb 2014