Hi, my name is Emily. I am a 28 year old student trying to finish my BS in Exercise Science, or Kinesiology. I have a long history with injuries and health problems, which is why it has taken so long to finish my degree. I recently found out I have Hip Dysplasia about a year ago, a diagnosis which has changed my life dramatically. At the time I was working as a rock climbing instructor and a Physical Therapy technician. My health declined quickly after my diagnosis, and I stopped being able to climb and run and hike. Luckily, one of the leading Hip Dysplasia experts/surgeons in the US works in the same state where I live, and I made an appointment to see him soon after my diagnosis. At the appointment, he told me both of my hips were in rough shape with grade 1 arthritis on both sides, subchondral cysts, and moderate arthritis in my sacroiliac joints. He recommended I not wait until graduating college to have the dysplasia addressed, due to the ‘extreme’ nature of my hip dysplasia and the loss of intra-articular cartilage. On June 22, 2018, he performed a periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) on my right hip. This procedure involves breaking the pelvis in 3 places around the hip socket, also called the acetabulum, rotating the socket to better fit the head of the femur, and screwing it back together. I began walking about 2 months (8 weeks) after the procedure, and started physical therapy around the same time. It was a long and arduous effort to rehabilitate my right hip and leg; the surrounding tissues were swollen, sore, and cranky after being cut and repositioned. I have substantial damage to my lateral femoral cutaneous nerve because of the surgery; my right thigh does not have much sensation other than feelings of lightning bolts and disproportionate responses to temperature changes. Soon after my right PAO, my left hip began to present significant symptoms. My surgeon recommended I ignore the left hip pain and focus on my right hip recovery. I tried but could not ignore the pain in my left hip. Upon getting an MRI on the left hip, my surgeon noticed the extensive damage in the cartilage and told me he would like to do a PAO on that hip before college graduation as well. Seven months after my right PAO, I had a PAO on my left hip, on January 15, 2019. I am currently 2 weeks post left PAO. I have a hematoma/fluid buildup in my L hip flexor area which makes moving the leg extremely painful. It feels like my skin is ripping apart every time I bend in that area. It is supposed to go away with time, but so far it has not changed much. In regard to activity, I have strict orders from my surgeon to not walk much on crutches, which could irritate my still-healing R hip. So...I sit. I sit and hate my life and feel ashamed for becoming a blob. I am ashamed of not being able to hold a job because of my pain and inability to take care of basic life needs. Once my incision heals, I can begin to walk in chest-deep water in the pool and ride a stationary bike. In the meantime, I am working on finishing my last 2 classes of the EMU Exercise Science program and trying to find motivation or determination within myself to see the program to its end and graduate. This is hard. This is the hardest thing I have done. I used to be someone who could run 30+ miles a week and swim and hike and bike and rock climb, but now I can’t even tie my own shoes.
