The Harmonious Hip: April 2014

Monday, April 28, 2014

With A Vengeance

I am lying here, while my baby girl gives me a back rub (she is so precious to me!), feeling that oh so familiar sensation deep in my hip bones. And I just want to weep. It's back. The pain is back...with a vengeance! Well, or did it ever really leave in the first place? Who knows? So, I'm back on the good 'ol blog again...pouring my little heart out. I thought we were done. I truly thought that we were through with all this hip mess. There was always a chance the surgeries wouldn't completely work...that the dysplasia would be too severe...but we didn't want to believe that. Besides, I recovered so well! I did all the Physical Therapy and even started to RUN!!! But that soon came to a screeching halt, due to pain. Thinking that maybe I just need to get a few pounds off these poor hips, I dropped 20 pounds....and instead of the pain subsiding, it's grown worse and worse with each passing month. We can no longer call this "post-op pain"....this is a much bigger beast and has been growing every step of the way.

I finally got the "stubborns" out of the way and saw my family doctor today. "I thought we were through with all that hip mess!" declares Dr. S. Yeah. Me too, buddy. Me too. So, we're back at square one. Referral to the hip specialist and back I go to Texas Children's Hospital! (I recall they have good food there, which is a plus!) But for now, it's Tramadol and Celebrex and very hot baths. And prayer...LOTS of prayer. Prayer that the doctors will figure out what's wrong. Prayer that they can fix me with minimal to no further surgeries. Prayer that I can make it through another work day, tears pushed aside, so I can be the best nurse possible for my patients....and the best wife and mother for my precious family....and the best doggie-mommy to our sweet baby boy, Gunner. ❤️

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.