When I was younger and in my teen years, I had knee pain most likely from being a long-distance runner. In the Fall of 2022 I had an ankle sprain and had pain in my hip during physical therapy (PT).  

I was first diagnosed by a sports medicine specialist with bilateral hip dysplasia in March 2023. From studying nursing and shadowing in pediatric orthopedics, I knew that hip dysplasia was not a great diagnosis for someone my age, since surgery is often recommended. About a month later, I saw an orthopedic surgeon to go over the treatment plan. I got an MRI, CT scan, and X-rays on both hips and had multiple follows up. I tried some conservative management, but I ended up planning surgery for May 2024. This was soon after my college graduation and about a month after running my first marathon. The week of surgery was quite the whirlwind and included some of the best moments of my life as I graduated college, to some of the hardest days of my life with surgery 4 days later.

I was in the hospital for a week due to complications. Getting up to sit in a chair the first day after surgery was the one of the hardest parts and trying to take a few steps while experiencing low blood pressure when getting up. Two days after surgery, I was able to sit longer in the chair and take more steps. I was able to be cleared by PT after doing stairs the third day after surgery. I was improving each day and found that I could walk more and had better mobility each day. This especially improved after having a blood transfusion. I went home after a week but, within a month, I had a few infections.

Going home was a learning curve! However, I was able to get outside to sit in my sun chair to study for my nursing board exam. When I first got home from the hospital, I started walking every day with a walker for the first week. I then switched to using crutches and was able to increase my walking distance to up to two miles by two months after surgery. By then I could put on my shoes and clothes, since I had more mobility to bend. At the time of this story, I am two months post op. I already have a lot more range of motion and flexibility at my hip. I am able to walk with one crutch for some short distances and can walk longer distances with both crutches. I am starting to walk without crutches in my house, but I will continue to use at least one crutch outside for a few more weeks until my hip muscles get stronger and I can walk without any limp.

Despite the challenges of having to use crutches, they certainly haven’t stopped me from doing much! I have been able to go to the beach, explore the city, go to the aquarium, create no sew blankets, and hang out with my friends. Some of the hardest parts of recovery for me were trying to get to sitting up in a chair the first day after surgery, learning to walk, and not being able to do nearly as much after surgery as I am used to doing. I used to run almost every day, so not being able to run for the next 5-6 months is hard.

I have a unique perspective since I worked as a certified nursing assistance (CNA) on an orthopedic unit at the hospital while I was in school, and I cared for patients after their PAO surgeries. This experience was helpful in some ways since it was good to know what to expect. However, my surgical experience was different in many ways, and I had many bumps in the road. 

I have learned that it is important to not compare my journey to others since everyone moves at their own pace. I was fortunate to have some of my best friends who also had this surgery help guide me, so I knew what to expect. I also had the help of my family and friends. 

All of these patient experiences and surgeries will help me as a nurse to understand the patient perspective. A few things I have learned over the years from several complex surgeries is to not take anything for granted such as walking, running, eating, daily activities, and much more.

Colette’s 2026 Update

Update: I recovered from my first PAO at 23 years old and actively participated in physical therapy for several months. I started working as a nurse and returned to running ~5 months post op and ~10 months post op ran a half marathon. One year postoperatively, since my previous hip surgeon moved, I had my screws removed with another local surgeon at Boston Children’s Hospital, Dr. Kim. I made a shadow box with the screws. This caused a lot of soreness and pain with walking for a few days, but it did improve my hip flexor pain. I went on to train for 2 marathons, including Chicago ~1.5 years post op.

Shortly thereafter, I underwent a right PAO at age 24 years old. My surgeon for my second PAO was Dr. Kim. I remained in the hospital for six days due to a situation similar to my previous hip surgery. The first few days after surgery were challenging, with significant pain and bruising. On the first day, I was able to get up to a chair. On the second and third days, I worked on ambulating further with a walker and practicing stairs.

Going into surgery and the postoperative period, I had an idea of what to expect; however, this recovery was very different. Each day, I made progress and gained more mobility compared to my previous experience. Therapy dogs visited me several times during my stay. I developed urinary retention and was discharged with a Foley catheter. The day after discharge, I returned to the ER due to a bladder infection. Shortly afterward, I transitioned to using crutches, which made mobility easier. Around one month postoperatively, I progressed from using one crutch in the house to walking without crutches indoors. I walked almost every day, gradually increasing to one hour per day over approximately two months. I began working with physical therapy on my gait and gradually weaned to one crutch while walking. Eventually, I was able to walk short distances without crutches. I finally felt that I was regaining my independence, engaging in more activities with friends and going to watch the sunset at the beach. It was more challenging to have the surgery in the winter than the summer, dealing with being on crutches in the winter with snow/ice.

I am now 3.5 months post-op, and overall my hip feels great, with hamstring pain and some discomfort from the surgical screws in the hip flexors. I am passionate about working out and  and worked my way up to walk three miles a day; it will be a few more months before I return to running. I recently had shoulder surgery and am currently in a sling, so I quickly weaned off the crutch, as managing both a crutch and a sling was challenging.

Over the past few years, I have undergone multiple surgeries, requiring me to relearn many daily activities. Having two surgeries within three months has been particularly challenging; however, I focus on my daily progress and soon getting back into running! This unique perspective as a patient has helped me working as a nurse.