Stewart 1

Evan Stewart

Mrs. Cramer

College Comp Pd. 3

18 September 2020

From Surgery to Success

“Fifty-seven degrees,” I heard from my doctor. My scoliosis had advanced to a point of

no return. At this point, I would need to have a spinal fusion. In a way, I was ecstatic to hear this

news. I was absolutely drained from wearing the same constrictive back brace day in and day out

for the last two years. In time, I realized the process of going through this surgery would be

grueling and would physically handicap me for the rest of my life. Despite this, I had no worries.

I did not consider the future implications surgery would have.

As the days drew nearer to my surgery date, my nerves did not grow. I felt like losing

mobility would have no impact on my life. I wasn’t athletic, and I had no interest in participating

in any sports. I vividly remember the day of my surgery, sitting in a vacant room in the hospital,

changing into my light blue hospital gown. The nurses soon came, and I was wheeled away on a

stretcher to be sedated. The last thing I remember was the freezing anesthetic being pumped in

my hand before I was put to sleep for the next five hours. When I woke up, I was three inches

taller and wired to seemingly thousands of tubes. For the next four days, I was stuck in the same

room, waiting to go home as I recovered from the surgery. While the pain was intense, especially

the first time I sat up, it did not phase me. I was glad to finally be relieved of the long-term pain

having scoliosis caused me.

 Stewart 2

What I didn’t realize at the time was that something I had been looking forward to for the

last two years had been taken away from me – marching band. While not the most physical of

activities, my newly rearranged body needed time to recover. Instead of being able to march my

instrument of choice – trumpet, I was forced to be in the front ensemble. Unlike the last two

years, where I had been helping the high school band with props, I felt no excitement when I

arrived at the annual two-week band camp. Instead of being a part of the section I had grown to

love throughout middle school, I would be pressing buttons on an iPad. This greatly infringed on

my motivation, and I initially considered quitting and never returning.

Luckily, I was to be fully cleared for all physical activity by the next season. Once I

realized this, I was determined to keep pushing myself through the grueling summer. After

talking to my band director, I was given permission to play trumpet in the stands, and in the

much less physically demanding parades. I finally felt like I was able to be a part of the group I

always wanted to be. Not only did my abilities on my instrument improve greatly, but so did my

social anxiety. I began to feel more comfortable talking to people, and I finally began to feel

socially welcomed. The following year, I was on the lead part for our show, and I continued to

involve myself in any way I possibly could with my high school’s music program, taking every

possible opportunity to improve myself. This drive also translated to my academics, where I

began to excel.

I used my newfound skills to my advantage and applied for Brass Captain my senior year.

While I was writing my application essay, I was asked to reflect on my past experiences. This

made me realize undergoing a spinal fusion taught me an incredibly valuable lesson –

perseverance. This perseverance allowed me to blossom from being socially awkward and

“playing” an iPad to becoming Brass Captain and socially confident. This shaped me into the

person I am today.