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DIAGNOSIS - HIP DYSPLASIA
I decided to start this Blog as a way of sharing and educating others as well as keeping my friends and family updated on my progress.In the Spring of my 37th year, I started having severe groin pain which eventually deferred into my left knee. There were days when I could barely walk 1/2 a block with a cane. Simple daily chores and personal care became very difficult to perform. I had xrays and a CT scan where we discovered that I have Hip Dysplasia. I tried pain medication while waiting to see an orthopedic surgeon locally. After my visits to the surgeon, he referred me to another orthopedic surgeon for an Osteotomy. These were only performed in Vancouver or Calgary in Canada. I chose Vancouver for a matter of convenience and so that my family could visit easier.I have an awesome surgeon who performed the Osteotomy on my left hip. Preparation for this surgery involved xrays, and trips to Vancouver for workshops, working with physiotherapists, the surgical team, several nurses and the anestheisiologist. The outcome has been phenomenal! I got my life back and the pain is gone! I will, however, require hip replacement surgery on this hip further down the road. My right hip will need surgery also. HIP DYSPLASIA: an abnormal condition affecting the hip socket, or acetablum and the thighbone or femur. In someone with hip dysplasia, the hip socket is too shallow, or the femur is in the wrong place. Hip dysplasia can exist from birth or can develop within the first few weeks, years or later in life. 80% of people with DDH (developmental dysplasia of the hip) are females. Depending on the severity of the situation, this can result in pain, osteoarthritis, difficulty walking or inability to walk. It can also contribute to a marked deterioration in a person's basic quality of life. For more information, check out this link http://health.howstuffworks.com/hip-dysplasia.htm
September 08
Still waiting for an appointment for the referral, wishing our medical system wasn't so backlogged. In the meantime my daughter gives birth to another boy making me a grandma twice! The time off is relaxing but the pain level has been kicking up since about June when I started to walk with a cane. Somedays I even tried the crutches hoping I could at least go around the block but it didn't help. I started swimming 3 times a week in August to keep my muscles moving. We had a couple of bad wind and thunder storms over the summer which brought me literally to my knees and laying low for 3 days. I don't remember the pain being like this the first time, but with the arthritis in this hip, thats what most of my pain is from. I have been on anti-inflamatories since about Feb and have increased my dose in August. Thank goodness for sandal season! Socks are not fun to put on!
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