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 ran my first marathon a month before surgery!
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. After going home a week later within the month I had a few infections.
1st day after surgery
Spending time with the therapy dog 6 days after surgery
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 made it to the beach one month after surgery!
Me with my best friend, Lauren S., who also had this surgery! We walked several miles around the city when I was 9 weeks post-op.
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!