Update: Last week was a whirlwind and the bandaid was ripped off per se. Wednesday I wasn’t going to get all my needed hours in without wearing it to my kid’s scout meeting. I wasn’t expecting as many parents to be there, but I was wrong. There were a few questions about my brace, but I think most were too shy to ask me questions in front of everyone (thankfully). I was also called earlier that day to substitute teach at my kid’s school on Thursday. Again the dilemma on getting my hours in arose. My daughter was the one who convinced me to wear my brace all day to school. Surprisingly, not a single student asked a single question about it, though one girl was very sweet to pick up my pen when it dropped in the floor for which I was very thankful. All of the kids in the three classes I taught (7th grade science) were great, and only a few of the teachers noticed. When asked if I was wearing a back brace, I told them it was my new exoskeleton without going into too many details. As a result of the all day wear, it brought me over the hump of jumping into full time wear five days earlier than scheduled. My underarms have not been happy as my brace still digs in pretty bad when driving or sitting. I took two lidocaine patches and stuck them in my armpits under a fitted t-shirt so the sleeves would keep them in place, and wore them to bed. What an amazing difference! I woke up without any armpit discomfort for the first time in over a week. I talked to my doctor who is going to add some padding there next week. I’m pleased with myself for overcoming this hurdle, and am confident that I will be able to get through the next few years with it, even with the occasional accompanying pain.
On the orthodontic side of things, my bite blocks are wearing down from me grinding my teeth since they’ve been in, and my tongue thrust has worsened now that my teeth don’t come together. I tried using tic tacos to hold my tongue in the correct swallowing position, but it kept sliding forward. At my orthodontist’s suggestion, I switched to lifesavers which has been impossible. I end up with the roof of my mouth being so sore from the constant friction of the lifesaver being pushed forward as I swallow. I feel like my situation is regressing. My appointment isn’t until later in the month.
And as if my situation isn’t complicated enough, the coup de grace is that I found out this last week that I need ankle surgery that will lay me up for several months. I feel like I can’t catch a break lately. Nothing has been simple or clear cut. I keep my head up because I know from my time in the military that things could be much worse. I had my first ankle reconstruction (which failed) while on active duty. I rehabbed next to people who were missing limbs and/or were severely disfigured. It was very humbling. I had my second reconstruction after I left the service where several ligaments were replaced with synthetic material. I will need the same for two different ligaments this time. I’m thankful everyday to still be able to walk; but I don’t know how many more times I can be put back together, and that deeply concerns me.  I’ll keep you updated.

Thanks for the encouragement. Sorry to hear that you’ve been through a lot with your ankle as well. You definitely know what it entails.

Update: Last week was a whirlwind and the bandaid was ripped off per se. Wednesday I wasn’t going to get all my needed hours in without wearing it to my kid’s scout meeting. I wasn’t expecting as many parents to be there, but I was wrong. There were a few questions about my brace, but I think most were too shy to ask me questions in front of everyone (thankfully). I was also called earlier that day to substitute teach at my kid’s school on Thursday. Again the dilemma on getting my hours in arose. My daughter was the one who convinced me to wear my brace all day to school. Surprisingly, not a single student asked a single question about it, though one girl was very sweet to pick up my pen when it dropped in the floor for which I was very thankful. All of the kids in the three classes I taught (7th grade science) were great, and only a few of the teachers noticed. When asked if I was wearing a back brace, I told them it was my new exoskeleton without going into too many details. As a result of the all day wear, it brought me over the hump of jumping into full time wear five days earlier than scheduled. My underarms have not been happy as my brace still digs in pretty bad when driving or sitting. I took two lidocaine patches and stuck them in my armpits under a fitted t-shirt so the sleeves would keep them in place, and wore them to bed. What an amazing difference! I woke up without any armpit discomfort for the first time in over a week. I talked to my doctor who is going to add some padding there next week. I’m pleased with myself for overcoming this hurdle, and am confident that I will be able to get through the next few years with it, even with the occasional accompanying pain.
On the orthodontic side of things, my bite blocks are wearing down from me grinding my teeth since they’ve been in, and my tongue thrust has worsened now that my teeth don’t come together. I tried using tic tacos to hold my tongue in the correct swallowing position, but it kept sliding forward. At my orthodontist’s suggestion, I switched to lifesavers which has been impossible. I end up with the roof of my mouth being so sore from the constant friction of the lifesaver being pushed forward as I swallow. I feel like my situation is regressing. My appointment isn’t until later in the month.
And as if my situation isn’t complicated enough, the coup de grace is that I found out this last week that I need ankle surgery that will lay me up for several months. I feel like I can’t catch a break lately. Nothing has been simple or clear cut. I keep my head up because I know from my time in the military that things could be much worse. I had my first ankle reconstruction (which failed) while on active duty. I rehabbed next to people who were missing limbs and/or were severely disfigured. It was very humbling. I had my second reconstruction after I left the service where several ligaments were replaced with synthetic material. I will need the same for two different ligaments this time. I’m thankful everyday to still be able to walk; but I don’t know how many more times I can be put back together, and that deeply concerns me.  I’ll keep you updated.

Thanks a lot for updating.

Good and bad news in your message.

It's great you manage wearing your brace outside sooner than expected. I guess you're nearly to the main goal to keep it 7/7 22/24 ? I hope your othopedist will find a solution for your painful armpits. When is your next appointment ?

So sorry on the other hand for your ankle. I hope your surgery won't be too complicated and will be fine !

Did you finally try to wear dresses ?

And like Ericspain said, when would it be possible to see the braces and brace package on you ? 

https://dereferer.me/?https://imgur.com/a/Wvdl1BH
Here’s a picture of me with my brace under my clothes. My shoulders are the big giveaway.

My posture has definitely improved. I noticed how much straighter my back has become in such a short time when I saw myself in the mirror while bending down to pick something off the floor while out of my brace.
My ankle has gotten worse since the original injury which is why I now need surgery. When I didn’t hear back after my initial MRI, I mistakenly assumed (or was experiencing cognitive dissonance) that nothing was seriously wrong; and ignored my body’s screams of pain to do things I shouldn’t have. Here is a photo of it after the first week. Don’t look if you’re squeamish. https://dereferer.me/?https://imgur.com/a/QrDyiSU
The swelling has come down some, but still pretty prominent. The pain hasn’t really subsided since the injury; but I  haven’t been pain free in my ankles for any length of time since my army days, so it’s all relative. Thanks for asking.

https://dereferer.me/?https://noreferrer.me/?https://dereferer.me/?https://imgur.com/a/Wvdl1BH
Here’s a picture of me with my brace under my clothes. My shoulders are the big giveaway.

Many thanks for the pics. Honestly, you look great !

But it seems so bulky. I wouldn't believe it if you say it's easy to wear. How can you deal when you sit ? You're so brave to endure all that stuff and I send you my best wishes to get fixed quickly ! You can walk without crutches with your ankle boot ?

Many thanks for the pics. Honestly, you look great !

But it seems so bulky. I wouldn't believe it if you say it's easy to wear. How can you deal when you sit ? You're so brave to endure all that stuff and I send you my best wishes to get fixed quickly ! You can walk without crutches with your ankle boot ?

I would say my back brace is not for the faint of heart. I think I previously mentioned (or maybe not) that the VA had fitted me with an off the shelf TLSO for the back problems they had identified without the scoliosis complication. There’s a lot going on with my back. The VA version was not as restrictive, but much bulkier and noticeable under my clothing; and because it wasn’t custom fit, it shifted up, down, and around more than it provided any beneficial support to my back; in spite of the multiple adjustments that were made.
It took several weeks of increasing my brace time to be able to tolerate full time wear. At first it was pretty painful, as I could feel my back shifting to conform to my brace. Yet when I would take it off, the pain of everything going back to its original position was worse. That incentivized me to wear it for more hours sooner than my wear schedule indicated. It’s a struggle many days, and a definite trade off between having decreased mobility (short term) or excruciating pain from not wearing the brace as prescribed or at all. I’m hopeful by following my doctor’s recommendations that I will have less pain long term than the temporary pain and annoyance I am currently experiencing.
In regards to sitting…that’s still a rough area. I can’t sit for long periods on anything soft without getting numbness in my arms, though it is getting better. I have finally found the right position for my car seat to be comfortable while driving and as a passenger. As my curves lessen, my spine should straighten and stretch more for these problems to become less of an issue. I have noticed that my underarms have less sensation which has made sitting much less painful. The only good thing about 20-23 hour per day wear is that I can plan my day to be able to go without my brace… like when going to restaurants or ballgames where the activity is all sitting.
In regards to my ankle, I am using a single forearm crutch currently. I tend to be stubborn and push myself farther and harder than I should. My original injury was in mid June, so I’ve been dealing with it for several months. I didn’t even want to wear the boot initially, but compromised with my doctor and agreed to the shorter version. In hindsight it may not have been the best choice for pain management, but probably would not have changed the course of the injury given all the prior trauma.
I really appreciate your well wishes, as well as everyone else’s who I may not have directly responded to. Everyone’s support has been overwhelming.

It sounds like things are getting a better with your brace and it's great that your hip pain has diminished. Hope all goes will with your ankle surgery and you heal up quickly.

I would match my cast to my braces. That would look good.