Hello, it’s me! My name is Laura and I was diagnosed with severe scoliosis back in 2015. Initially, my curves measured eighty-four and seventy-eight degrees each, but, by the time of my surgery in 2016, they were both over one-hundred degrees each. The inspiration for this blog was really just to rant my feelings about my scoliosis as well as to (hopefully) help other people that are also going through scoliosis know that you’re not alone and help is always there if you need it!
I have just finished my A Levels in History, Business, and Economics, as well as an EPQ I wrote on how Richard III’s scoliosis affected his life and the reputation he has today, and I am now (not so eagerly) waiting for my results. I have an unconditional place at the University of East Anglia to study History in September and, after that, I hope to continue studying through an MA and maybe even a Ph.D. one day!
Since my operation and six-week recovery, I have pretty much been able to go back to doing the things I love, some of which I’m about to tell you about! So, here’s a quick ‘get to know Laura’ that you can use to get to know me before you read my blog posts!
What is your name? Laura
How old are you? Eighteen.
Where were you born? England, United Kingdom.
How tall are you? I am 5″7′ now, but before my operation, I was just 5″4′!
Do you have any siblings? I have one sister, Lucy, who is three years younger than me.
Do you have any pets? I have a cat called Leo. He’s ginger and white and six years old.
What do you want to be when you grow up? I mean, I’d like to think that I already have grown up, but, after university, I would either love to go into politics or become an academic and teach History at a university level.
What is your favourite subject? History (obviously), but my favourite time period is the Wars of the Roses and my favourite historical figure in Richard III (probably because he also had scoliosis)!
What do you do in your free time? I love to read and write, and am currently working on my first novel. I love watching TV and films as well as amateur photography and traveling all around England, with my favourite destination being Cornwall.
What is your favourite book? This is such a harsh question! My favourite non-fiction book is probably ‘Richard III: Brother, Protector, King’ by Chris Skidmore, and my favourite fiction book series is the Rose Gardner Mystery Series by Denise Grover Swank.
What is your favourite film and TV show? Anyone that knows me knows I spend all day every day watching my TV. In terms of films, I love Star Wars, Marvel, Lord of the Rings, but my favourite film either has to be ‘Thor Ragnarok’ or ‘Kingsman’. Watching TV shows is my favourite hobby- my Netflix subscription is definitely worth the money! But, if I had to pick an all-time favourite, it would have to be ‘Doctor Who’, though Sherlock, Merlin, and comedies such as Plebs, Friday Night Dinner, and Cuckoo come in close.
What music do you listen to? If you’re under the age of thirty, it’s likely you’ve never heard of these bands, but I love The Wonder Stuff, Carter USM, The Stone Roses, Oasis, James, Envy and Other Sins, The Inspiral Carpets, Ned’s Atomic Dustbin and New Order.
Do you play sport? Before my operation, I used to play tennis, rounders and do climbing quite often. I played in quite a few tennis tournaments and I even played for Prince William once! I’ve just started to ease back into playing tennis, so I should hopefully be back to a royal-standard soon!
So, now you know a bit more about me, I hope you enjoy the rest of my blog and feel free to contact me if you have any questions or want to see anything particular written on this blog!
Titanium 