The Harmonious Hip: Fire and Ice

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Fire and Ice

Not gonna lie. Not gonna sugar-coat it. Worked two "full" days...and I feel like I've been stabbed in both hips with a fiery hot poker. It has been absolutely WONDERFUL to be back at work, and my Day Surgery girls have been amazing to me! But, when my very sweet nursing manager called me to let me know that we were overstaffed for tomorrow, and would I like to be called-off...well, I nearly leaped through the phone! Ummm YEAH I'll take a day off! So, here I am...back on the Tempur Pedic, with my ice packs and laptop. I am starting to wonder what exactly IS this pain I am experiencing. Is this just the residual pain from the underlying deformity, that really isn't going to go away until surgically fixed? Or am I simply just still healing from the scope, nearly 4 weeks ago? Or, has the labral tear that Dr. Stocks trimmed, torn all over again? He said that was a likely possibility if I'm walking at all...but this soon?? And...not only am I having the typical sharp, bone grinding, catching, popping pain in the groin...but having those sensations deep into the buttocks as well. What's up with that??? Well, all I know is...it HURTS!!! Like, "I wanna cry and hollar and throw things" hurts! And that's just not 'me'. I'm not my typical "ziploc bag full of sunshine and crack" Amy (as my dear friend, Carla calls me). I'm not my usual smiley and fun and uber-friendly self....not at all. And that hurts more than anything....

Yup. Feels kinda like this....

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What is Hip Dysplasia?

You may hear about babies or pets with hip dysplasia, but it can affect adults, especially young women. Hip dysplasia is an abnormal condition affecting the hip socket, oracetabulum, and the thighbone, or femur. In someone with hip dysplasia, the hip socket is too shallow, or the femur is in the wrong place. Doctors check for hip dysplasia in babies before sending them home from the hospital -- it's an easily treatable condition in newborns. But if hip dysplasia isn't detected and corrected at an early age, the health of the hip will deteriorate over time because of its misalignment. Depending on the severity of the situation, this could result in pain, osteoarthritis, difficulty walking or an inability to walk. It can also contribute to a marked deterioration in a person's basic quality of life. It's not just dogs and babies, y'all!

Periacetabular Osteotomy (or PAO)

PAO: The Mother of All Hip Surgeries... A procedure that cuts the hip socket out of the pelvis to allow the socket to be repositioned and then screwed back into place. This allows the ball & socket to move fluidly, preventing further cartilage damage and preserving the joint in patients with faulty hips. The PAO preserves and enhances the patient's own hip, NOT replacing it with artificial parts like a hip replacement. The hip may still develop arthritis over time, even when the operation is successful. However, PAO is still the preferred treatment in young adults to postpone the need for hip replacement as long as possible.