The Harmonious Hip: Status Post....Day #4

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Status Post....Day #4

Made it back to Texas, safe and sound. Praise God!!! All involved in the transport of not only my broken self, but crutches, bags, purse, husband, etc. were wonderful!!! Thank you to U.S. Airways and United Airlines for your compassion and "safe handling" getting me home!

Finally, FINALLY had my 1st shower this morning. Amazing! And exhausting.... Either my meds are REALLY awesome (and they are!) or I'm completely delusional (which is highly possible), but I actually feel LESS pain than I did with the 1st hip scope! I have better range of motion, better stability and I can put quite a considerable amount of weight on this leg. Perhaps it's because it's actually been FIXED!!! Hallelujah!!! Still using my crutches for stability, but I can actually go short distances (like bed to bathroom) WITHOUT them! Amazing!!! Needless to say, the shower was incredible....and boy, I sure do smell a heckuva LOT prettier! But I'm EXHAUSTED! And have a general feeling of "I've just been run over by a Mack truck" (or Peterbilt....ya know, whichever you prefer). So, a well-deserved nap is in order! Post more later. Maybe MUCH later..... Zzzzzz ;-)

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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.