The Harmonious Hip: 2 Weeks Post-Op

Friday, August 31, 2012

2 Weeks Post-Op

School started for the kiddos, and well....for me too. I started Physical Therapy this week and feels like I'm learning how to use muscles that haven't been awake for a very, very loooong time! It's funny though...during PT, I feel some tightness and discomfort, but it's not too bad. I'm a pretty tough bird anyway, so I don't complain unless it's REALLY painful. If anything, it actually feels GOOD to be using my legs again! I absolutely cannot wait until I am well enough to start working out again....like really working out! This weight gain has been most depressing and the sedentary life I've been forced to live is nothing short of torture. So, to get back into a "gym" per se, is wonderful!! However, it's after PT that the pain really starts to kick in. Ya know, we talked about those deceiving endorphins last time, right? Yeah.... So, nights have been rough. LOTS of muscle spasms! But, I'm very happy to be seeing some progress. My Physical Therapist says I'm trying to do too much too soon though...that I need to slow down and take the progress little by little and allow ample time for the joint to heal itself. Hard, but I'll try to control myself. I'm like a lone sled dog with A.D.D....LET'S GOOOOO!!!! Good thing sled dogs love the cold, since I'll be spending most of my "off time" looking a little something like this:

Brrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!! MUSH! MUSH! MUSH!!!

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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.