Hey everyone!! My name is Erin, I am 15 years old. I have had a right periacetabular osteotomy (PAO), Right Labrum Repair/femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) Repair, and a screw removal (4 screws)

My story goes all the way back to the end of 6th grade. I was a dancer and in the typical jazz class. When doing a “combo” my hip made an extremely loud pop noise. It was so painful that getting up and off the floor was hard. I was told that I was faking it, but I knew something was wrong. This pain went on for weeks until I saw my first doctor. This person told me my body just wasn’t meant for dance and nothing looked wrong.

Then I got a second opinion where he sent me to get  further imaging. This lead me to getting my diagnosis in 7th grade. A labrum tear, FAI, and bilateral congenital hip dysplasia. I was told to stop everything by my surgeon and I needed to have hip surgery. On March 5, 2021 I finally had my surgeries.

 
This included a labrum repair, FAI repair, and PAO. I was in the OR for 10 hours, I had a blood transfusion, and was admitted to the PICU for a day and a half. Before my surgery I had a major panic attack as well. While I was in the hospital I had many complications with medication and panic attacks. I was in the hospital for almost a week and when we got home I had a major reaction to the zip lines they put on my incision. I had a PICC (intravenous catheter) line in my arm to administer blood clotting products for my blood clotting disorder. I was on crutches for a total of 3 months.

I was doing well until about November of last year when my left side started to not feel well. After about a week with similar pain, I asked my mom to see if I could get an MRI. Yet again, I had a labrum tear and I had zero idea on how it happened. Not too long after, the physical thearpist who I had worked with for over two years told me she had “no more tools in her tool box to help me.” I ahd multiple physical therapists tell me this before but, from someone I trusted, it took some time to heal. I now see my wonderful new physical therapist who wants to help me and see me succeed.

Present day, I am in chronic pain and trying everything to feel my best. I am having my left PAO and labrum repair in November. I am nervous but I am excited to get in the path to feeling better soon!

I hope that my story shows that you are not alone