I graduated!

I officially graduated from physical therapy this week! I have been going to physical therapy for 8 months! Now it is up to me to continue my exercises. I'm going to miss all the people that I used to see every time I went there. However, I am excited to be able to do it all on my own. :)

Jogging, jogging, joggin'

During my physical therapy session today I jogged on the treadmill again! This time was twice as long as the last time I jogged. Also, I increased the jog to 4.0 miles an hour! It felt so great to be able to do this! I just kept thinking about how much I have been through and how far I have come.

As for right now, my left side is still weaker than the right, but it is MUCH better than it was before. I still have a ways to go in recovery. I will most likely be stopping physical therapy at the end of this month and it will be up to me to keep at it! I will probably start up again in the summer when I can start running on the road.

A concern right now is that I have a little bump on my left hip. It is most likely scar tissue and doesn't give me any pain. I just need to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't increase in size. My thigh is still numb and I am planning on it being that way the rest of my life. It might take two years to come back, but it most likely won't. The best thing for me to do right now is stick with my physical therapy. I slowed down on it for a few weeks and really noticed the difference! It helps so much!

This journey has been a long and eventful one.

 

"Remember the feeling you get from a good run is far better than the feeling you get from sitting around wishing you were running."
-Sarah Condor 

6 months and 26 days POST-PAO!

I JOGGED FOR THE FIRST TIME!

Today during my PT appointment, I jogged on the treadmill! This is the first time I have ran since my initial diagnosis of the stress-fracture in my hip way back in August 2011!!!! Yay that's right! Marathon here I come! haha. Just kidding, not even close to that yet....

This is a huge milestone for me. I have been dreaming about running for over a year now. It just happens that I wore my "Marathon Training 101" t-shirt today to therapy. It was perfect. I literally was so happy I even got emotional over the fact that I was able to jog. It means that much to me. I felt like I was re-imagining this whole journey and realizing how far I have come.

Right now my PT is starting me off EXTREMELY careful and slow. We were doing one minute walk/one minute jog. We only did this for 10 minutes, so 5 minutes walking/5 minutes jogging. His goal is to get me to 10 minutes of continuous jogging. During the exercise I felt great. It kinda felt weird still having my leg partially numb but other than that it felt better than it did before surgery! Probably because I was running on a stress-fracture and multiple ganglion cysts! Who knew that running can be painless?!
The real test is going to be how I feel when I wake up tomorrow morning. Right now I feel a good sore after the whole workout today. I hope tomorrow I feel the same because that means we can up the time that I jog! 

Overall, I needed to post something about this! I wish I could of had my PT take a picture of me running for the first time...I might during the next appointment :) If I do, I'll be sure to post it on here!

Let's just say this makes me SOOOO happy! I have had a really hard year, with so many things happening that I can't control. Now, I finally feel in control. It's an amazing feeling!

Invisible Disability Awareness Week

So I missed Invisible Disability Awareness Week (Sept 8-14), however, I wanted to still post this....

30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know

1. The illness I live with is: Congenital Hip Dysplasia and Acetabular Labral Tear
2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: December 2011
3. But I had symptoms since: I was 11 or 12. It's been about 10 years since the symptoms first started. I went to the doctor then and they acted as if I was making it up. The doctor would not believe me that I wasn't sexually active. He kept asking over and over and wouldn't let it go. I think it was because he couldn't think of any other reason why I had so much pain in my hip. He was very rude about it and I never went to him again.
4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: constantly thinking about what is good for my hip and coming to terms that I might never be able to complete the full marathon.
5. Most people assume: that I am cured. The truth is, I will have this the rest of my life. I do not have a normal hip and never will.
6. The hardest part about mornings are: not being able to get up and go for a run
7. My favorite medical TV show is: Scrubs
8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: elevators...they are the only way i can get around campus without hurting the next day
9. The hardest part about nights are: getting comfortable. I have to make my hip comfortable and now make my shoulder comfortable too (due to my rotator cuff tendinitis)
10. Each day I take ALOT of pills & vitamins.
11. Regarding alternative treatments I: think many work, you just have to find the best one for you
12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: Invisible. I can hide it better when I don't want to think about it.
13. Regarding working and career: It is really a burden since I will be working in the healthcare field where I could potentially have to lift, walk and be on my feet a lot.
14. People would be surprised to know:That I ran 15 miles on a stress fracture, multiple ganglion cysts and a dysplastic hip.
15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: that my hip will never be "normal"
16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: walk a 5K 4 months after surgery
17. The commercials about my illness:there are none. There definitely needs to be more awareness of hip dysplasia due to the doctors not even knowing what was wrong with me for so many years.
18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: running. I miss it so much.
19. It was really hard to have to give up: completing a full marathon. Someday I might feel ok to complete the half. But a full marathon probably isn't the best thing for my hip.
20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: Crochet and reading. I never used to read. During my recovery I have read so many books! My brother even got me a Kindle!
21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: Go for a looong run, go to cedar point, and jump up and down just because I can.
22. My illness has taught me: So much. It would be hard to summarize how much I have truly learned over the past year.
23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is:that I am too young for this! I am so f***ing tired of that statement! (excuse my french). You have no idea how often I hear this.
24. But I love it when people: give my the "VIP" treatment (opening doors, getting me stuff, etc).
25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is:"Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength."
26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: To join Hip Chicks support group. It may be a life-changing diagnosis but it isn't a terminal one.
27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: that my family and friends are extremely supportive. I'm not surprised about this because I have such a caring and loving people surrounding me. However, I am very appreciative. Thanks everyone!
28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: the list for this could go on and on...a)when people came over the apt to stay with me all day b) when Chris just held my hand and told me everything would be ok even though the pain was immobilizing c)when people took me out to do things even though I couldn't walk. I felt like such a burden to them but they didn't even care. d) the fact that everyone waited over 9 hours for me to come out of surgery e) there are just so many nice things....
29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: I want to spread awareness about hip dysplasia and other invisible illnesses. Just because you can't see that someone is hurting doesn't mean that they aren't hurting.
30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: appreciated, loved, and proud to spread awareness

Invisible Injury, Invisible Pain

I've heard the term be used so many times about hip dysplasia. It's an "invisible injury". It's something that can't be seen by strangers. I am walking unassisted now but I still think about my hip with every step I take. The "VIP" treatment is gone. I finally "fit in" with the rest of society. I have been waiting for that for so long. However, as soon as I didn't need the cane anymore there was this idea that I was healed. That my hip was magically fixed and I could go about my life like nothing happened. That is not the case. I still have a long way to go in recovery. My left hip is still a lot weaker than my right. I'm in the point of recovery where I wish I was done. I noticed the whole process has affected many things in my life. It's like there is a part of my brain that is always focused on my hip and I don't have room to focus on anything else completely. I read a fellow hip blog the other day. He was two years out from his FAI surgery. He still favored his hip and said that it never really will be what it used to. When I first decided to have this surgery, I thought it was so great that this could be fixed and it would be like I have a new hip. Thinking that I wouldn't have to favor it anymore and I could live the rest of my life not worrying about it. After my last appointment with my surgeon, I realized this was not the case. He explained to me that I do not have a normal hip. I never will have a normal hip. I always have to think about that and try and take care of it the best I can. This was an eye opener for me. I didn't realize how much I was in denial about the hip dysplasia. I thought this surgery would erase it. It would be that magic fix I was waiting for. Coming to the realization that I would have to think about it the rest of my life was stressful, but now that I acknowledge that I know that I can deal with it.

Today I was walking in between classes and passed a person in the hall because I was walking faster than them. It made me feel so good that I was able to do this again. I wanted to look back and say that they walk slower than a girl that had a major hip surgery a few months ago! But I didn't. I am so happy on how much I have progressed over the past few months. I am happy that I am able to walk to class without everyone wondering why a 21 year old girl is using a cane. I'm glad that I don't have to explain to everyone in my class why I have the cane. However, I will admit it was nice having that support of everyone around me knowing the pain I was in. I'm glad to say that I do not have any more pain deep in my joint. Occasionally, I do get pain in random places but I can deal with that.

I have just been taking one day at a time. I am in an intense semester with some of the hardest classes I have ever taken and am in the point of recovery where I don't really know what is going to happen next. I just need to take a deep breathe and wait for this part to pass, because I know that after it's over, I am going to be in such a better place.

Doctor Appointment Update

I went to my surgeon today. He said that the only thing I really need to be worried about is that I am having some pain in the groin muscles. He thinks this could be from the nerves or from the muscles just being very tight. I'm hoping it's from the tight muscles because otherwise, it might not go away. I still am numb on my thigh which will probably take about 2 years to come back if it comes back at all. I also should not be squatting or doing any kind of squat movement because I am susceptible right now to tear my labrum again. This is very good to know since I have been doing this in PT a lot! It always hurt a little bit and now I know why.

The good thing is I CAN WEAR HEELS AGAIN!!!! You have no idea how happy this makes me. I have been drooling over all the heels in my closet and in the store because I want to wear them so bad! I'm so excited that I don't have to worry about that anymore!

Right now I still can't run. He said that I should focus on the elliptical and the treadmill. I can't do any road running for about a year...that means no running 5Ks anytime soon :(

I also have rotator cuff tendinitis in my shoulder due to the overuse of my upper extremities after surgery....ugh! It does seem to be getting better. I have added exercises for this with my physical therapist to get that back to normal. Not being able to rotate my shoulder= no swimming. Ugh, it sucks.

Right now I'm feel like I'm in a stage of recovery where everything is falling apart. My groin muscles hurt, my shoulder hurts, my back hurts, etc. A couple days ago I really was feeling discouraged because I felt like I have gone so far and just hit a wall in recovery. However, every day gets better and I just have to get through this part. Once my shoulder is healed up, I can start swimming again. I think once that goes away I will feel much better.

Also, I don't see the surgeon again until NEXT SUMMER!! It feels so far away! I can't wait until then because I'm guessing that is the appointment where he tells me I can run on the street again! Yay!

Here's a picture of my scar: 4 months and 18 days after PAO.

I WALKED A 5K!!!!!

I haven't written a post in awhile. I have been too busy progressing like crazy! Over the weekend I walked a 5K!!!! Yes, 3.1 miles! I felt so great that I was able to do this. I did not have pain during the entire thing! This hasn't happen is such a long time I forgot what it felt like!

In PT yesterday I upped my weight on almost every exercise and added some new ones. I did the elliptical for the first time and swam 30 laps in the pool! I'm so sore today but it feels so good to be able to be active again without being in pain and taking pain pills to fall asleep at night. I can't express enough how exciting this is for me. I haven't been using my cane but always keep it in my bag just in case. I still can't trust myself completely without it.

I feel like I am finally getting back to "normal". I feel like I have been stuck in this long dark tunnel. When I got diagnosed I saw a light appear at the end. Now, I feel like I am on the last leg of it and almost out into the sunlight. At this rate, I will be running again in no time!

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

Today after pool therapy my therapist took me over to the "cold water" pool. I swam laps in the pool for the first time since surgery!! I was so excited and I think my smile went all the way to my ears. I did one flip turn and was ok swimming freestyle, breast stroke, and back stroke! I didn't try butterfly because I need to be in way better shape to do that! haha. I can't wait until I can start working out in the pool again! Its going to be soon!!!!

On the road to recovery....

I am miles ahead of where I thought I would be at this point. Speaking of miles...I walked ONE MILE yesterday!!!! I walked to entire mile with a cane and actually felt pretty good! Today I had physical therapy and it kicked my butt! It felt so good to actually be able to kind of work out. My muscles are still really weak in my hip and I still have a long road in front of me. However, I am feeling so great!

Right now my goals are to be able to walk without a limp and without a cane. I don't think that it is too far away! 

NO MORE CRUTCHES!!!!

That's right! Today I got the OK from my PT that I do not need crutches unless I am going long distances! This may be the most exciting news I have had in 2 years!!!!! I have been on and off crutches for the past year and been constantly on them for the past 3 months. I feel like I have my independence back!! Today is such a huge milestone in my recovery process. However, like I have said before I really need to be careful and not do too much. This is the time where I can get ahead of myself and get injured.

On the other hand, last night I had the first dream where I wasn't on crutches (foreshadowing maybe?). I didn't need them at all and I was in a race where I was biking for 26 miles! And I finished! I felt so accomplished in this dream and had the support of all my family and friends there to cheer me on. I think this was a good sign. One day I will complete a Triathlon! It may not be for a few years but one day I WILL FINISH IT! That is my goal right now.

I can finally see the light at the end of this long, dark, dreary tunnel!

Learning to Walk Again...

I thought I would start out this post with a quote by Abraham Lincoln:

"I walk slowly, but I never walk backward."

I think this quote is pretty appropriate considering the fact that I went to the surgeon today and officially am FULL WEIGHT BEARING! Yeah that's right, I can walk!!!! Obviously, I am still using crutches and strengthening my muscles. However, this means that I am in the next stage of my recovery. The stage where I progress to lose my crutches and start on a cane! I can't wait! 

I think that I really need to be careful during this point in recovery because this is the time where I can push it too far and hurt myself. I need to be conscious of everything that is going on. 

Here some pictures of me taking my FIRST STEPS!!!

I'm putting weight on my leg for the first time! Yay!

 "He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying." -Friedrich Nietzsche

Bye bye crutches! (just kidding...still need them for now)

My other hip chick also turned 15 years old this week! 

We celebrated my first steps and her 15th birthday together <3 

FUNDRAISER for HIP DYSPLASIA!!!

Last month was National Hip Awareness Month!!!!

Due to the time of my surgery and the intensity of my recovery, I wasn't able to organize anything. However, it's never to late to give money to charity! I decided to start a fundraiser for hip dysplasia awareness. One Hip World has done a great job at getting people together to raise money. So far they have raised $11,172.61!!!!!! Isn't that awesome!!! So now I would like to add to the pot!
ALL PROCEEDS WILL GO DIRECTLY TO THE INTERNATIONAL HIP DYSPLASIA INSTITUTE!

So please help me raise awareness as well as money for HIP DYSPLASIA!!!!

If you would like to donate please email me at myjourneythroughhipdysplasia@gmail.com or send your donation to:

The International Hip Dysplasia Institute
83 W. Columbia St.
Orlando, Florida 32806 




For those of you who know me personally, I will be selling the hip dysplasia awareness wristbands at my parent's garage sale for $1 donation! Please come by and help raise some money :)

Disability, deformity, problem? I call it an OPPORTUNITY!

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about what to consider my hip. A disability? A handicap? A deformity? A problem? All these don't seem right but they're hard not to think about.

DISABILITY/HANDICAP:
The first terms that comes to mind are disability and handicap. I have a disability/handicap pass. To be honest, I don't feel like I have a disability. Obviously during recovery I am going to have some disability. Using crutches makes it hard to do anything. Also, I've noticed people think just because I can't put weight on one leg I can't do anything for myself. Like I not only can't use my arms but also can't use my brain! It's frustrating. I also get self-conscious about using a wheelchair. I now have my own wheelchair (since most stores unfortunately do not provide them to their customers). I feel like because I have my own, more people look at me in a "disabled" way. You know, the "what's wrong with her?" kind of look. Or, even worse, the sympathy look. I do enjoy the "VIP" treatment from people helping open doors, offers to carry things, or helping me up and down stairs but I can't wait until I can blend in with the rest of society.

DEFORMITY:
Physically speaking, yes, I guess you can consider my hip dysplasia being a "deformity". My hip was not formed correctly at birth, thus it is a deformity. However, I hate thinking of it this way. The word deformity has such a negative connotation to it. You think of someone being deformed as being really ugly. I will be honest though, it crosses my mind every once and awhile. I feel broken at times. I know that no one is perfect but I feel that this just shows the imperfection more. Most of the time I try to ignore this part of hip dysplasia as it is hard to think about.

A PROBLEM:
This word may not be the first word that pops in my mind like disability but it is the most frequent. Going through this entire process has shown me the problems with many different things, not just my hip.  

1. Problem #1: It has shown me the problem with handicap accessible public areas and stores. You don't realize how difficult things can be until you have a wheelchair, crutches, and no hands available to do things. Store aisles are too small for wheelchairs, doors don't have buttons to open them, restrooms have papertowels/hand dryers/soap not easily accessed, and most stores don't even provide wheelchairs to their customers. For me, this is a short lived experience and thank god! I would hate having to deal with this stuff for more than a year. I feel so much sympathy for the people that deal with these problems their entire lives.  
2. Problem #2: The organization of hospitals. It is amazing how disorganized the healthcare community is. I am going into healthcare and have been dealing with this a long time but being on the client side of healthcare is completely different from the employee side. I am so glad I had this experience to show me what the patient is really going through. I never knew how little different departments talk. One says one thing, the other says the opposite! What is the patient suppose to think? No wonder people hate doctors. The constant hospital bills in the mail doesn't help either. Even though my insurance/ financial assistance pays for most of my bills they still send me one before the insurance even processes it. I am still getting bills for last year...
3. Problem #3 and most important: My hip. I have to be so careful right now. My bone is healing and I can't do anything wrong right now or I could seriously mess it up. I worry about sleeping on it wrong, slipping while crutching around, stepping on it without thinking, etc. The pain and discomfort also is not pleasant of course. I have actually gotten to the point where the pain isn't what bothers me most, its all the stuff I can't do on it. I know I shouldn't think about it but I can't help it at times. I can't drive, walk, run, bike, swim, play....the list goes on and on. I am proud of where I am in recovery and I feel very confident that I am doing better than they thought I would. However, I can't wait to start getting back to normal. I see someone run by in my apartment complex and I just think to myself how much I really want to get out there and join them!

But what it all comes down to is that the good in the situation out weighs the bad! There is no disability in the fact that I am learning and having experiences that no one in my OT field will have. The ones that are disabled are the ones without this type of experience.  Also, I may have had a "deformity" in my hip since birth, but I have accomplished so much on that hip. I have been on cross country, swim team, swing danced, walked around the entire city of New York and Chicago (with a cyst), trained for a marathon (on a stress fracture and multiple cysts), and I plan to do so much more! And as for calling it a problem...I call it an OPPORTUNITY! An opportunity to learn, to experience, to educate others, and to grow. One of my favorite quotes (as seen in the photo above) is that "Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength." I feel like this is such a good quote for my situation.

Feeling coming back

Yesterday started the new wave of pain. It feels like a sin curve. Up and down, up and down. It has been like this for the past year. Obviously right after surgery was the peak. The pain has been going down since then. Until, yesterday it went right back up. I have been numb in part of my hip since surgery. I couldn't feel anything on certain parts of my skin and I was starting to get that feeling back the other day. The nurse told me that the nerves had to rebuild themselves. Well, I found out that it wasn't only my skin that was numb. I'm gaining feeling back in my pelvic bone as well. It HURTS! Unfortunately, I had to start taking my pain meds again. I know that this is a good sign though because everything is healing. Regaining feeling is a good thing, I just wish it wasn't regaining pain. I'll work through it. This experience is definitely a difficult one. One of the other hip chicks described it perfectly. This surgery is "not one for the weak". It tests all your emotional and physical limits. After this experience is over, I know that I am going to have gained so much strength not only in my hip but also emotionally.

This is how I see it....

I was playing around and decided to make a sign that speaks the truth....

Update on progress!

I saw my surgeon today. What an adventure! You can never be bored when there are people waiting a long time. They all get so angry!

X-Ray:
So I first had to stop by X-ray before I saw the surgeon. There was an hour wait here. People were getting very impatient. There was this one patient that was standing right next to the door where they called people in. Every time someone came up to call a patient, he explained to them (not very nicely) that he was waiting a long time and this was "ridiculous"! One employee looked through the stack of papers and said he was 4th in line. You would think this would calm him down and he would sit down in the waiting area like everyone else. No. He preceded to keep asking over and over when he was going to be called. He thought that this was so absurd that he was not next. He should be able to go in now! Why should he wait? Not even thinking about the other 20-30 people in the waiting room, also waiting. It got to the point where he didn't believe any of the employees anymore that he was going to be called soon. He started looking at the papers while the employees back was turned! Finally, thank god, he was called. The woman didn't even need to call his name because he decided he could read it off the paper himself and told her that was him. Thanks for the privacy. I was actually surprised that the employees didn't make him sit down in the waiting area. He was getting in the way and stressing the employees out. However, this was mild compared to the next waiting area...

Orthopaedic Waiting Area:

Crazy #1:
So we were told as SOON as we walked in the door and started to sign-in that the surgeons were running an hour behind. We totally understood knowing that this happens sometimes. Sometimes there are emergency surgeries or just get behind. However, not everyone understood this. The first obnoxious patient was this really big woman that would not let me through with my wheelchair and then decided it would be a good idea to walk right in front of me while I was moving. I almost hit her, I wish I did. She was complaining (very loudly so everyone could hear) that SHE NEEDED TO SEE THE SURGEON NOT HIS TEAM! I guess she decided that she would walk-in and get an appointment right away. However, this surgeon was booked for over two weeks out! She said fine and was about to go sit down. As she sat there she decided that this was not a good idea. Her other doctor wanted her to see the surgeon! Not his team, not his team!! This was a horrible idea in her mind and she voiced it! Then the receptionist was nice enough to get her an appointment in two weeks with the surgeon. Oh but the complaining didn't stop there. She was going to make her an appointment for July 3rd! "That's a day before the holiday! Is that such a good idea? I mean that's the day before July 4th don't you understand that?" But she ended up making the appointment. Who knows how she will be on that day! Oh and she DEMANDED her $5 back!

Crazy #2:
This woman had been sitting in the waiting area when we got in. She was complaining to the person next to her that she had been waiting there since 10am. It was now 11:30a. She rounded to noon and decided she was waiting for 2 hours! She, also couldn't believe that she had been waiting this long! She was going to miss her bus, she said. What really got me aggravated was when she said that she was waiting so long and she was so pissed off that the workers were going to go on lunch! How dare they take a break out of there stressful jobs dealing with bitches like you to eat a lunch! I mean, they better not even go to the bathroom, Right?! The thing was I didn't notice ANYONE go on lunch. They were all working really really hard! My surgeon had been working all morning and said he still had a long night. What an inconsiderate ass hole! (Excuse my french).

Crazy #3:
This woman really reminded me of crazy X-ray guy. She also did not sit down in the waiting area. She stood right by the door. She first was just standing, staring at the door huffing and puffing making everyone know that she was stressed. (She was really big also and it seemed like she was making herself tired by standing). But she insisted on standing right by the door. She then got too impatient and started telling every employee that opened the door that someone else told her she was next (we were there the entire time, no one told her she was next except herself!). The employees she was complaining about did not even work for her surgeon. They tried to explain this to her but she could not understand. This one really nice nurse told her that he would check. She decided that this wasn't good enough and she just walked in back on her own!!! Who knows what happened to her because I got called not long after and she wasn't in any of the rooms. She was a crazy one!


So the moral of the story is...when you are waiting for a long time, just realize all the other people that are waiting too. You are not the center of the world and you can't magically get called next, it's not a restaurant! They can't just put you at the top of the list! Be considerate of how hard they are working and the crazy, bitchy people they deal with all day long!



However, the surgeon said my X-ray looked great and I'm healing nicely!! YAAAAYYYY!!!!! I start pool therapy first week of July, see him again last week of July, and most likely will start weight bearing first week of August! WHOOHOO!!! What a summer this will be!

Is it over yet?

I'm at the point of recovery where I wish I did my time and it was over. It's been a little over 3 weeks since my surgery. Don't get me wrong, I'm progressing wonderfully and am way farther than I thought I would be. However, I still wish I could do things that I used to. It's funny how you don't realize the little things until you can't do them anymore. For instance, carrying things (my crutches take up my hands so I can't carry anything around), lying on your side at night or even moving around at all at night (I can only lie on my back and it could be possibly one of the most frustrating things!), standing/walking unassisted, walking up stairs, etc. There are many things lately that I wish I could do. I wish I could swim, I wish I could run, I wish I could dance. However, what keeps me going in KNOWING that this recovery will get me back to "normal". I wasn't able to do these things for almost a year now. I was getting progressively worse throughout the year before my surgery. I am finally on the way to recovery and the way to being able to walk (fingers crossed) without pain. I've spent 9 years dealing with this problem. The last year being the worst. It has really helped me grow as a person and given me many experiences that otherwise I wouldn't have had. However, at this point in time, I'm ready for it to be over. When I am able to completely walk unassisted I am going to have a huge party! It is going to be one of the most exciting times of my life! I can't wait until then.
However, I am very thankful that I have had such a wonderful recovery so far. I see the surgeon next Tuesday for the first time since surgery. I'm ready to talk to him and get some more information on what I'm in for.
Your hip is located in the center of your body. So if you move your legs the wrong way, it hurts. If you move your torso the wrong way, it hurts. Sometimes I just feel like I can't move comfortably at all! It's so frustrating. I can't do weight bearing on my hip for 10-12 weeks after surgery based on bone healing. That means I still have 9-10 weeks of no weight bearing! Seems like forever right now. I'm going to be so happy in the future when I look back on this post and think how far I've come.

Even in dreams, I'm on crutches!

I am still making progress every day. I see the surgeon in six days. This will be the first time I have seen him since the morning of surgery. I am so excited to see him and just talk about how great I feel!

Right now I can only have 20-30 pounds of left lower extremity touch down only on my left leg, no active hip exercises, no weight bearing for 10-12 weeks after surgery with evidence of bone healing, cpm machine for one month after surgery, and pool therapy 8 weeks after surgery. I'm now 22 days post surgery! It's gone by so quick!

This recovery has gone by quick but I've learned a lot on the way. One of the most significant things I've learned is to have more patience. Patience is so important right now. I started to get ahead of myself. I was feeling good and thought I was getting back to normal. What really showed me that I can't think this way was seeing my X-rays for the first time. Now I've seen plenty of X-rays of other people with this surgery but it was completely different looking at my own. It was a different feeling. I tried to see if I could feel where the bone was cut, where the screws were. And the scary thing was that I kind of could feel it!! I can feel the screws when I turn certain ways. Today I took my medicine late an could feel the part of the bone that was cut. I've always been very in-tune with my body but right now I wish I wasn't. It's so weird to feel it. Luckily, the pain is managed well and I even keep reducing my pain meds.

Along this recovery, I have had to answer so many questions. Repetitive questions. All the same. "What happened to you?" (hip dysplasia); "Isn't that only in dogs?" (No, it's common in adults and children); "You're too young for that" (No, actually it's very common in young females); "When can you walk again?" (a LONG time, don't remind me). It's always the same conversation. And it's amazing how nosy people that don't know you can be. People expect you to answer very personal questions. Just because I'm on crutches doesn't mean that I feel comfortable telling you my medical history! But I have come accustomed to that and the rude stares. It doesn't bother me like it used to. I've been on crutches/cane for a year now and I'm finally used to it! As used to it as one can be.

I had a weird dream the other night. I had a dream that I was walking UNASSISTED! I walked into a store and half way in, I noticed that I didn't have crutches! I got scared and thought I was going to screw up the surgery so I carefully walked back to my car and got them. Yes, I even have to be on crutches in my dream!!! I think right there shows how long I have been on them!

This journey has been long and there is still a long way to go. However, it is one that only I can experience and I can learn from. That is keeping me going. I can't wait to see what other things I learn along the way!

16 days POST PAO!

I've been doing so great recovering! I'm really impressed on my progress and how much I am able to do! I did find out today that I am not suppose to be doing any active hip exercises, which someone failed to tell my PT! I stopped doing them and hopefully I didn't hurt anything. Every day I can feel the progress, however. I'm getting stronger and my range of motion in the joint is increasing. So far I've been out of the house a few times! It was Memorial Day weekend so I've gone to bonfires, cookouts, shopping etc! I'm still being really careful though! Right now is the time where someone can think they can do more than they really can. I need to keep telling myself that I still need to keep myself limited to what I'm suppose to do and not go to far.

I always loved when other bloggers told me some tips on what they needed for their recovery so here you go:

-Underwear (boy short style) that is 1-2 sizes bigger than usual for the swelling
-Crutch pillows (I bought them at Walgreens and they help so much!)
-Grabber
-Back Scratcher (since you can't really reach your legs/feet very well)
-Shorts/Pants that are usually used for maternity (they have a band on top so it doesn't hurt the incision)
-Good living room chair to sit in with enough support and arms
-Pill organizer (I take meds every four hours so its nice to have something to organize everything!)
-Fan (I found that when I get hot I get sick from the pain meds. Keeping a fan on makes me feel a whole lot better!)
-Family/Friend support (you need a lot of help in the beginning)
-Shower chair

What I'm most excited about today is that I finally got my X-rays from during surgery!!! I can finally see my internal body bling!!!

One week Post PAO

I'm seeing improvement every day. It is amazing how much can change within one day. Sometimes I am in extreme pain when the pain medication wears off. But overall I'm seeing a decrease in pain. I'm getting around better and becoming more and more independent! Yesterday I got completely ready for the day ALL BY MYSELF! (with the help of my boyfriend getting the items from around the house for me of course). This included washing up, brushing my teeth, and getting dressed in pants! I was even able to lift my left leg on my own! I'm so happy to be in such a good spot one week after surgery. Last Monday I would have never imagined I would feel this good!

Hal

I had my first PT appointment the day after I was discharged. My PT's name is Hal. I couldn't have a better home-based physical therapist. He knows so much about everything. He thinks on his feet and knows all the tricks. He can look around the apartment and come up with equipment out of household items. Here are some of his ideas:

• Use a cookie sheet under the heel of your foot (on your bad leg) upside-down to reduce friction. Bend your leg up and down and much as you can. You can put a tissue under your heal also if there is still too much friction. This helps you use your muscle that our usually wouldn't be able to.
• Homemade ankle weight: Put two soup cans in a long sock and tie it around your ankle.
• Use a milk carton (or something the height of a milk carton) to help boost yourself up and the top of the stairs. This is helpful so when you are scooting yourself up the stairs, you aren't on the floor at the top. It gives you a little boost so that you can then boost yourself into a chair from there.
• Use a leather belt and wrap it around your foot on your bad leg. Use this to help move your leg where you need it to go. 

Hal is great and makes me really want to do my exercises. He knows what exercises that help the most and I'm really seeing improvement fast!  He even personally got me a shower chair really cheap from someone he knows that owns a discount shop!

Coming HOME!

I was discharged on Friday (4 days after surgery!). I felt great and was so excited to be home. Luckily I only live 40 minutes from the hospital. I'm glad because the pain medication can make me a little car sick. I got into the car fine. I ended up scooting backwards onto the bench seat in the back of my boyfriend's car and had my left leg resting flat. This was the easiest way to get in. Getting out, however, was a different story. I had to maneuver myself around and get out of the door I was resting on. It was difficult, but I did it!

My hospital bed was set up right as we were pulling up to my apartment. Perfect timing! I got inside and felt immediate calmness. I missed being home! My favorite part of coming home was the reaction I got from my cat, Callie. She came around the corner and looked at me, her eyes lit up! She meowed and meowed really loud and ran over to me. She rubbed up against my leg telling me she was so glad to see me. This made me feel so good! Later that night she made sure to come and snuggle with me to make me feel better. This is something she doesn't always do, so having her do this meant a lot! She tried to lay right on my incision. When I didn't let her, she moved to my right hip.

I think she knows that my hip is hurting. I really felt this when I was lying on my stomach a few months ago on the couch. She came up and sat on my back and started massaging my LEFT hip! It was hurting really bad at the time and it really made it feel better! Animals seem to be able to sense a lot! I love my little kitty :)

Here are some pictures of the car ride home:

Day 2-4

The last days in the hospital went pretty well. However, there was one big problem. My epidural ran out of fluid and the nurses didn't know how to change the bag!!! This was on Day 2:

I woke up at 6am from my epidural machine beeping. I paged the nurse to have her check it. She said she would call anesthesia because she didn't think they were allowed to change it. (This meant I would have to wait for someone from anesthesia to come up to my floor and change the bag. That would take forever!). About half and hour later she came in my room with a new bag. She said they told her that she was allowed to change the bag. What a relief! Right? Wrong! No one on the entire floor remembered how to change the bag and the password to unlock the machine. They were messing around with it for an hour before they finally decided they needed to call someone. (This has been 1 1/2 hours without the epidural controlling my pain. I was in so much pain I couldn't move. I started crying but had to stop myself because it hurt so much. I think I was gripping the blanket so tight my knuckles turned red). They kept messing around with it and it seemed like forever until they got someone that knew the code. Luckily, my boyfriend came as quick as he could and got to be with me the last half hour of this. I think I almost broke his hand I was squeezing so tight! Overall, I was without an epidural for around 2- 2 1/2 hours. It then didn't kick in right away. The anesthesiologist finally came up around 8:30 and boosted up the amount and told the nurses to give me some pain meds. Finally the pain calmed down.

Sometimes this happens. Things go wrong and people don't know what to do. I was a very unique case and the nurses weren't trained in my specific surgery. However, what really made me upset is that...IT HAPPENED TWICE!!!! The next night again the nurses didn't know the code to unlock the machine. They didn't take in account the increased amount of fluid from when the anesthesiologist changed it and it ran out quicker. I was thinking to myself "NOOO!!". But luckily they worked quickly and got the code within half an hour.

My hospital stay was very nice. Everyone was very kind and seemed to care about me and how I felt. Other than this the pain was controlled extremely well. This was the only major hiccup.

GREAT INFORMATION!

If you are wondering about my situation and the surgery this is the best article! It has excellent information and describes everything very well so everyone can understand. Please read this if you are interested in learning more about Hip Dysplasia.

http://www.hipandpelvis.com/patient_education/periace/page1.html

(There are 4 pages to the article. At the bottom of the website you can go to the next page)

DAY 1

The first day actually wasn't that bad. The epidural was working great! I barely had any pain in my hip. The only pain I had was from the incision. I wasn't allowed to eat anything other than clear liquids which was making me hungry. All I had was tea and broth.

The PT came for my first session. I sat up and got to the edge of the bed pretty easily. I felt good and then she had me stand up. As soon as I stood I got really light-headed and told her I had to sit down. The last thing I remember is her saying, "O.k. lets sit back and the bed". The next thing I know, I was lying down with the PT in my face saying my name over and over again. I was so confused. As soon as she said I passed out I remembered what was going on. I think this happened because of a few different things. I was dehydrated, I wasn't eating real foods, and I was lying down for almost 24 hours straight. My body just couldn't handle it. She gave me some exercises to do and said we would try again tomorrow.

They started me on real food finally after this. They realized that I needed the nutrition. I felt so much better once I started getting "real" food. I say "real" because the hospital food was probably the worst food I've had since I was in my middle school cafeteria. I try to eat as healthy as I can. This food was processed, dry, flavorless crap. However, I was so hungry I would eat anything. I also was thinking that I was already paying for this so I might as well eat it. I was very surprised how many calories they would let you eat. Before I choose my own meals, they gave me disgusting ones. For instance, for breakfast I had eggs, potatoes, canned fruit, bread, cereal, etc. and on top of that a Sara Lee doughnut type thing that was 450 calories!!! All together, that breakfast was way too much. Picking my own meals was much nicer.

Overall, Day 1 was a success. Family came in and out. Everything seemed to go by pretty quick. My favorite part of the day was when my sister came with my brother's present who lives in Texas. IT WAS A KINDLE! I love it!

Waking up...

Waking up from surgery...how can I explain this. It kind of felt like I passed out and didn't really know what happened. I couldn't see anything when I woke up. I had double vision and it was completely blurred. I could make out the outline of the nurse and could hear her talking to me. However, the epidural wasn't working. The pain was EXCRUCIATING! I couldn't move. I felt like I was paralyzed from the pain and all my muscles were tense. The nurse was talking me through it. If it wasn't for her being so awesome I don't know what I would have done. Finally, when the pain started to decrease I remembered where I was and that I just got out of surgery. I kept falling asleep and waking up again. I some how figured out the time and asked if I could watch the Indians game because I was really looking forward to being out of surgery before it started. However, that TV didn't get that channel. I was able to watch my other TV show Gossip Girl. Again, I kept falling asleep so I got bits and pieces of it.

My throat was also really dry waking up. It felt like I was dehydrated and slept with my mouth open. Which was pretty much what happened. The nurse gave me ice chips to suck on which really helped. They started to wheel me into my hospital room and told me my family was on the way up. It was around 9:00p when they finally got to see me for the first time. Of course, I have a huge family so they barely fit in the room. (I got the room to myself the entire time I was there!) They were very excited to see me and I actually felt pretty good considering I just had a major surgery. Everyone kept commenting that my hair looked awesome. This made me feel good because I was worried I was going to look like crap when I came out. My family was starting to get loud and they actually got kicked out. Visiting hours ended at 9p so they had to go. My boyfriend stayed over night with me because I was nervous. He wasn't allowed to stay in my room with me but he slept in the waiting room. The nurses were really nice and let him come in and visit every hour. They also gave him a pillow and blanket to sleep on.

The first night at the hospital I barely got any sleep. They had to wake me up every hour to check my vitals/ take blood. Unfortunately since I was so dehydrated, they couldn't get any blood. They kept poking me and blew all my good veins. This was bad because they had to take blood the next two nights as well. The first night they ended up taking blood out of my IV, which I guess was risky. The entire time I was there they kept having problems getting blood so my arm looks like a pin cushion! And its not over yet, I'm on a blood thinner now so I have to get blood drawn once a week! But I'll talk about that more later.

MORNING of PAO Surgery

I went in on Monday for my PAO surgery. I had to be there at 10:30a and was so nervous all morning. I took my last shower and made sure to soak in the feeling of it since I wouldn't be showering for awhile. I got everything ready and headed out the door with my boyfriend and sister there to calm me down. However, they seem to make you try and forget about how nervous you are by making you as uncomfortable as possible that morning. I couldn't eat, drink, chew gum, or go to the bathroom before I got to the hospital. My stomach was growling, my mouth was dry, and I had to pee SOOO bad. Luckily, as soon as I got to the check-in desk she let me go pee. They finally called me back to get ready for surgery. My family was not allowed back with me at the time and it made me really anxious. Usually, they would distract me from my thoughts but instead I was sitting in a little room all by myself worrying. They let me get changed and by the time they were about to put in the IV my mom and boyfriend sneaked back into the room. They know me well, they knew I needed them there. I'm glad they were there too because the woman could not get the vein for the IV and brought me to tears from the pain. My hand is still bruised. Luckily, her second try in my arm worked and didn't hurt as bad. However, after I stressed about that all the anxiety started flowing out of me. I finally calmed myself down when the doctors came in to tell me everything was ready to go. They wheeled me back into the operating room. The first thing they did was to put in the epidural. IT HURT! Now, I'm very good with pain. I have a very high pain tolerance. Putting the epidural in my back was probably one of the worst experiences of my life...and they had to do it twice because the first time didn't work. As soon as that was over, they laid me down and put the mask on me. The last thing I remember is the anesthesiologist saying its going to smell like plastic.

Don't tell me I can't!

I decided to post my goals for after surgery. I wanted to be able to look back and see how far I've come....

Goal #1
I found out about my hip dysplasia when I got a stress fracture in my hip after training for a marathon last year. That dream of running my first marathon hasn't gone away. One day I want to be able to cross the finish line and think back to everything that I have gone through. I am going to have so much motivation to finish. 26.2 miles seems like such a little task compared to PAO surgery.

Goal #2
Become a tri-athlete! I love long distance running and swimming. Why wouldn't I want to complete a triathlon?! Plus, I most likely will be able to do this before I can run a full marathon!

Goal #3
Get back in shape! Since I have so much trouble walking I have really gotten out of shape. I have been trying to swim when I can, but it is hard to get to the pool. I want to be able to do the little things I used to like parking far away to get more exercise or choosing to use the stairs instead of the elevator. Such simple things but right now impossible to do.

Goal #4
I want to get a tattoo to cover up/go around my giant PAO scar. I have a couple picked out but who knows what I'll end up getting. I wanted to get a tattoo after surgery in order to help make it more exciting and take away some of the stress.

Goal #5
I know this is an obvious one, but I want to finally be able to not think about my hip. I have to think of it every second of every day because of the pain. I can't wait until I can go an entire day without thinking of my hip once! 



I know these goals are very far away right now. However, I don't want to forget about them. I am striving to complete all these goals! It's what is keeping me going.

(15 days until surgery)

Getting Closer...

As the surgery date gets closer and closer I keep trying to think of everything that needs to get done before it. Oil change in my car, clean my room, make sure all laundry is clean, clean the sheets on my extra bed (in case someone has to stay over), clean the bird cage, etc. I just hope I do everything I need to before I can't anymore. I've been cleaning all day today to prepare.


The days of ignoring the surgery are over. I can't help but think about it! I have finals coming up in my classes and I just can't pay attention. I've been trying to study to give myself an excuse to sit down and rest my hip. But even then I can't completely pay attention. I guess that is just the way it is going to be. I have never had any kind of surgery before other than getting my wisdom teeth out. Even then they used laughing gas instead of anesthesia. I have no idea how my body is going to react to the anesthesia or all the drugs I'm going to be on. I keep imagining the feeling I'm going to have when I wake up right after surgery. Honestly, I can't wait until that moment. I will know that it is just going to be up from there. The worst is over. I am so excited for it to be over.

But until then....prepare, prepare, prepare!

Blood Donation #1

This morning I had my first blood donation! Surgery is getting closer!
Unfortunately, I did not have the easiest time giving blood. The nurse (lets call her Nurse A) took 40 minutes to do the simplest of tasks like answer 5 health questions and fill out stickers for my samples. I should have known that this was going to be interesting.
I'll tell you all the "No No's" of taking someone's blood that Nurse A did not understand:
1. Wash your hands/change gloves after you wipe your nose with a disgusting used tissue from your pocket!
2. .... Or when you touch a garbage bag!
3. If you can't find someone's vein don't push in further and further and move it around until they bruise!
4. If you don't know what you are doing, act like you do! Don't frantically ask for other peoples help and then when no one comes to help say its fine you can do it... (yeah that made me feel good!)
5. Use basic knowledge of sanitizing/ cleanliness practices known by everyone!

A little over half way through the procedure, another nurse took over. Thank god! She was much better and seemed to know what she was doing. Unfortunately, I still almost passed out at the end. I lost all my color, couldn't think straight, and felt really light-headed. A different nurse got me an ice pack and helped me get back to normal. A procedure that I was told takes about 7-8 minutes took me around 20 minutes because of Nurse A. Right now I can barely move my arm (4 hours after the procedure) because of the pain. I think from the first nurse poking and moving the needle around so much, my arm is going to bruise like crazy!
I wrote a complaint to my chapter of the Red Cross about nurse A's cleanliness. I hope she is better with people in the future!

Why me?

You know that feeling of being completely submerged in water with only your nostrils above able to get air? The feeling of all sounds being blended together. All colors and images smudged. You can feel pressure on your chest when you breathe. Flickers of light pass by your eyes. You can feel the top layer of water like it was a layer of jell-o. Take a moment and just image yourself in that position. No way to get out of the water further than that. You just have to stay there, breathing little by little, hoping that no water sneaks in your nostril. Can you put yourself being stuck there? If you can, you know how I am feeling right now.
No control over the situation, questions as to why and how I got there, questions as to how to get out.
Right now, there are so many questions. Questions with all the wrong answers.

Sometimes I wonder to myself, why me? Why should I have to deal with such a life altering situation? Why should I have to deal with pain constantly? Why can't I run anymore? Dance anymore? Walk anymore? Why is it difficult to do minor things like walk to the kitchen? Why should I be worrying about my hip every second of every day? Why me?

However, there have been times where I can see "why me?" Why am I able to fight through the pain and still have a good time with friends? Why am I able to keep a positive attitude even though I am going through so much? Why do I put everyone else's problems before my own? Why can I still put a smile on my face even though with each step I should be wincing? Why is it possible for me to get through this? So why me? Because I am strong enough to deal with this head on! I am strong enough to be able to deal with the pains and struggles. I believe its "why me?" because I know that I can do this!

So if you ever get yourself into a state of mind where you think you can't handle it. Stop and think for a minute. Why me? But don't answer that question with a negative like it usually is. Answer with all the positives that you can think of. All your strengths. Because this is the only true answer of Why me?

One month to go.....

I just read a fellow "hip sister's" blog. She is now running 1/2 marathons a few years after her PAO surgery. This is really an inspiration. I aspire to be able to complete a marathon and after my diagnosis with hip dysplasia I never thought that I would get to. I was told by one of the surgeons that I would never get to! However, this girls blog shows me that there is a chance that I can. I realize that these races will be far in the future and I am going to have to start small. But just the idea that it is possible gives me so much hope.

My surgery is exactly one month from today. I have an appointment scheduled on Monday to give my first blood donation to the Red Cross. I have never given that much blood before and I must say I am kinda nervous. I know that giving blood marks that the surgery is close. And, yes, that freaks me out! I have heard such positive things off of other hip blogs and I can't wait to be writing those myself. I wish I didn't have to wait another month and could be already done with surgery and in recovery. I know the closer it gets, the less sleep I'm going to get. I already toss and turn at night from the discomfort of my hip. 30 days to go and I'm ready now!

Precious: My closest fellow Hip Chick

There has been one fellow Hip Chick that has been there, right beside me throughout the years. Her name is Precious. Precious is a 14 year old Yorkshire Terrier. She has been by my side her entire life. She too has hip dysplasia. When she was young, no one would have known. But just as mine had progressed to the point where I couldn't ignore it anymore, so has hers. I know this sounds ridiculous to compare yourself to a dog, but Precious is something special.

She was saved from a puppy mill where she was so ill she would have died. Our family nursed her back to health and her stomach has been controlling of her decisions ever since (she loves food!). Precious has started to show her age the past few years. Especially when it comes to her hips. She has a lot of trouble walking, standing, sitting, pretty much anything except laying down. But she's a trooper! I look to her for inspiration when I feel down in the dumps about my hip dysplasia. Precious always seems to just deal with it and get to where she needs to go even though it may take her a little bit longer than the others. She has fallen down steps (luckily not hurt at all!), had bad illnesses, and loss her companion, Chewy. But even though she has gone through so much, she still gives me a smile when I walk in the door. She comforts me when I am feeling down and is always there to make sure I give her a treat when she deserves one.

There has always been something special about my relationship with Precious. Something that I haven't had with any other animal that I have owned. And now I know what it is. We are both Hip Chicks. We both look at the positive in a situation and just work through the tough stuff because we know that there will be a positive reward at the end (for Precious, a treat!). She inspires me and I absolutely love her for it. Precious is the best Hip Chick that I have ever met.

Playing the Waiting Game

I have around 40 days until surgery and I can't wait! Even though I am extremely nervous about the whole thing, I just can't wait to get it over with and be done with dealing with this!!! Right now I'm playing the waiting game. I have good days and bad days. Most lately are bad. I don't know if it is just nerves or I am doing to much on my hip. I tend to clean, shop, etc. when I'm nervous.

I am extremely lucky to have family and friends that are so supportive throughout this entire thing. They are all SO supportive that there are times where I have turn them away. I have had to not let them go to a doctors appointment with me or tell them that someone else is handling it because so many of them offered to help. I really appreciate everyone around me. I think that is what is getting me through all this. Most of the time I can ignore how much pain I am in and enjoy what I am doing, however, there are times where it really gets in the way. That is when I am able to turn to the people around me for support.
I know everyone is not as lucky to have such a supportive surrounding. What I also have found extremely supportive is if you join a support group online such as Hip Chicks (http://hipchicksunite.ning.com/). Here you can talk to everyone on the website that has gone through or is going through the same thing as you.  You can get advice and share advice. The entire website is wonderful and has helped me tremendously.

As the date draws closer and closer, I get more and more nervous. Soon I will start giving my own blood to the red cross to save for my surgery (4 units!!!). When that starts, I know that everything will become very real. Right now it seems so distant and unreal. I am excited for recovery and to be able to learn so much from this experience. I am going into Occupational Therapy and I know this is really going to help me become a better therapist in the future.

My best advice to anyone else going through this, is to stay positive and make sure you have support. This is something that you can't do alone and there are so many resources out there to help.

SET THE DATE!

I finally set the date for my surgery! May 14th!!!!!! It's three months away and I'm really nervous. However, to keep myself feeling better I have been doing different things to get prepared:

• Started swimming to get in better shape and strengthen my muscles
• Started doing morning and evening hip strengthening exercises that were approved by my PT
• Started taking Vitamin D and Calcium
• Started using Shea Butter every morning on my hip where the scar is going to be (to hopefully reduce the appearance of the scar)

Like I said, I'm pretty nervous that this is all happening so soon. However, I am so glad that everything is set in stone because I can finally plan around it. Right now I don't have anything to do until May 7th when I go in for pre-surgery testing. To keep sane, I'm going to concentrate on strengthening my hip and doing everything I can to be 100% by May.

~Mary Lynn

My MRI arthrogram Adventure

So today I went in for my MRI arthrogram. I arrived early just to make sure that everything was settled and ready to go by my appointment time. As soon as I signed in the receptionist sent me back to wait for the technician. The technician, confused why I was in the X-ray hallway sent me back to the receptionist. I guess they overbooked the arthrograms that day and had to do my arthrogram in the X-ray room. Also, to make it even better, they scheduled my arthrogram to be at 1:30p when it really should have been scheduled at 2:30p. This was only the beginning to my very eventful two and a half hour wait.

Instead of sending me back to the waiting area up front, they had me wait in the X-ray hall. Here I saw many different characters go in and out. The first was this poor guy that just went in to get his tooth pulled. I guess during the procedure he accidentally swallowed the gauze and couldn't breath normally. They had him sit out in the hallway and try to cough it up. How embarrassing! This poor guy was constantly coughing for about a half and hour! I hope that he finally coughed it up.

The next character that I came across was this sweet little old lady. She got her X-ray done and was waiting for a transfer person to bring her back to her room. The person that was suppose to transfer her took FOREVER! She explained to me that she had to go to the bathroom really bad and just wanted to go back to her room. There were no X-ray technicians around so I tracked down a really nice RN and she got her the help she needed. The transfer person came within the next ten minutes. The longest ten minutes of this ladies life. The whole entire time she complained to me that all she wanted to do was go back to her room. I tried to change the subject to get her mind off of it, but she didn't want that at all. So I just listened and nodded my head. She was very happy once they took her away.

The next woman that came through was there for a swallow test. She was explaining to her daughter that she was having a very difficult time swallowing. Not even two minutes after she stated this, she pulled out a bag of M&M's and starting eating them. Ugh.

As patient after patient went in and out of the X-rays, I waited and waited on the most uncomfortable chairs I have ever sat on! I literally at one point had to just start walking up and down the hallway to give my hip and back a break from the chairs. Finally, two and a half hours later they said they were ready for me.

As I got ready for the arthrogram and layed on the table, the nurse and resident were getting the procedure table ready for the doctor. It was obvious that they had no idea exactly what they were suppose to do. The one technician joked with me that it sounds like the first time they were doing this, but he promises me that it wasn't. That instilled a lot of confidence. Haha. But, honestly, I didn't really mind. I knew that the doctor would make sure they were doing everything correctly and they did. The resident did the procedure with the doctor looking over his shoulder. The doctor kept giving him compliments on how well he was doing and everything looked perfect.

The procedure:
They first injected the local anesthetic to the top layer of skin (which really burns when it goes in!). They then proceeded to do this deeper and deeper into the joint. That really was the worse part. Once they had that done, I couldn't feel anything. He then put the needle in that they were going to use for the procedure and I couldn't feel it until they got really deep into the joint. Even then it wasn't really that bad. I was told that I would feel a lot of pressure in the joint when they put the contrast in but I didn't. Honestly, it was so numb that it felt great! I have had constant pain in my hip for the past 7 months and now I couldn't feel it at all! It was such a relief!

Once the procedure was done they sent me to MRI. I was told to walk over to MRI in order to make sure the contrast moved all around my joint and fulled covered everything. The ladies in MRI were very nice and made me feel really comfortable. I am claustrophobic and they made sure I was OK every step of the way. This is my THIRD MRI now! However, this one went the best out of all of them. I was given medicine to calm my nerves and oxygen to make sure I felt like I had enough air. It was over before I knew it and I was heading home.

On the car ride home the pain started to come back. However, it doesn't really hurt as much as I thought it would. Overall, the whole procedure wasn't as bad as I prepared myself for. It is a little stiff and I can't really walk much right now, but not unbearable. I did have a major headache when I got home but I think that has to do with the medicine they gave me. Right around the time the medicine was suppose to wear off was when the headache came. My headache is pretty much gone now and I'm feeling great.

Overall, I wanted to let you know that even though the procedure sounds scary, it really isn't that bad at all. You just have to breathe and get it over with. This is just one of the first steps to my journey and I'm ready for it!

MRI Arthrogram

I was suppose to go in and get an MRI arthrogram done the other day. However, it had to be rescheduled. The doctor explained that because of my allergies he did not want to risk anything. I now have to schedule the procedure to be on a different day (almost a month away)!

On the bright side, I learned a lot when I initially went into have the arthrogram the first time. I was talking to the technicians while waiting for the doctor (there was an emergency case so the doctor was busy). I thought they would just have to inject me with the contrast and send me into the MRI. However, I was wrong. The procedure is much more intense than I thought. The contrast for the MRI is added into the stuff that they need for the arthrogram. The arthrogram is a way to see the "soft tissue structures of the joint, such as tendons, ligaments, muscles, cartilage, and your joint capsule. These structures are not seen on a plain X-ray without contrast material. A special type of X-ray, called flouroscopy, is used to take pictures of the joint." However, this is a very common procedure that the technicians do about 3 times a week. They made me feel a lot better about the whole thing and were very nice. I hope that I get them again the next time I go in. 

Overall, going in to this appointment made everything seem really real. So far the most I've gone through were MRI's. Thank god that I don't have to be awake when they do the actual surgery!

Tips

Here are some helpful hints before surgery:

• Get a cane that folds up so you can put it in your purse/bookbag
• Take up a hobby to do since you're going to be sitting a lot more than usual (ex. knitting or reading)
• Plan out how much you have to walk when you go some where so you know if you need crutches or just a cane or nothing at all
• Educate yourself on your condition and the procedures you are going through so you know what's coming
• Keep ALL your medical records organized in one place
• Get support from family members or friends
• Join a support group

A little about me

Hi, My name is Mary Lynn. I started this blog in order to help others also going through hip dysplasia. Whether you are 16 or 60, hip dysplasia is a hard thing to go through. There is constant pain and difficulty in daily activities. I hope my experiences can help.

Here's a little background on what I have been going through:

I have been having hip problems since I was 12 years old. When I was 12, I went to the doctor because I couldn't put any weight on my hip without extreme pain. They couldn't find anything wrong with me and sent me on my way with no answers. I had to be on crutches until I found out something to help. Fortunately, a woman I ran into hours after the doctors appointment was a dance instructor. She said her girls would have the same type of pains. She suggested that I go to a chiropractor in order to help. Her advice really helped. After going to the chiropractor, my pain was minimized and I didn't need to use crutches. At the time, I thought I finally found what my problem was and how to fix it.

I kept going back to the chiropractor for a period of 8 years with the same pain in my hip. The chiropractor would help for a short period of time but the pain would always come back. I remember nights where I would wake up from the pain and days where putting any weight on my hip would be excruciating.

This past summer I decided that I wanted to train for a marathon (I know crazy right?!). I have run in the past and was in Cross Country in middle school. I signed up for a marathon training course with my boyfriend in order to complete the marathon in a healthy and supportive way. During the training, I was going to the chiropractor every 2 weeks. Being so used to the pain in my hip, I ran through it. The most I ran during the training was 14 miles! I ran this non-stop which was a really big milestone for me. I went to the chiropractor two days before that run and had no pain the day of the run. The next week was our 16 mile run. On this run my hip started hurting around mile 3 but I kept going until I got to mile 12 (I was stubborn). I decided that I couldn't go any further because of the pain. This time the pain was much different than before.

Since the pain was different, I decided to go to a "real doctor" instead of going to see the chiropractor. The doctor sent me to physical therapy for about a month. When my pain was not getting any better the PT decided I should see the doctor again. I was sent to get an MRI and found that I had a stress fracture and ganglion cyst in my hip. I was put on crutches immediately. This was only the beginning.

After being sent to three different surgeons over a period of 6 months, the third one finally knew what was going on. I have hip dysplasia and need PAO surgery.