When I was 14 years old and a freshman in high school, I tried out for and made my school’s field hockey team. Previous to this, I was a total non-athlete and didn’t do too much physical activity. About a month into my first season, I noticed tenderness in my hip area and began to express pain complaints to my Mom. After this continued for a couple of months, she made an appointment for me to see an orthopedic surgeon at the local hospital. After what I remember to be a very brief conversation, the orthopedist told me that I had bilateral tendonitis in my hip flexors, and to “take it easy”. I took his diagnosis at face value and for the next 10 years I tried to “take it easy”.

At the age of 23, the pain started to become unbearable. After a brief 1 mile walk with my dogs, I would find myself curled up in pain. After walking through the mall with my mom and grandmother for only half an hour, I would need to go home because I couldn’t take any more pain. I had to take breaks and sit during concerts because I couldn’t stand for long periods of time.

I went to a different orthopedic surgeon in my state, who did some quick x-ray imaging and immediately told me that I had bilateral hip dysplasia. It made so much sense. I did research and found out that I was probably born with this condition. How did the first doctor fail to catch this? Why did he dismiss my pain so easily? Why didn’t they find this when I was born and put me in a brace like the other babies? I had so many questions and was so frustrated. He explained that as the pain got worse, I may need to explore surgical options and sent me home with an anti-inflammatory and a physical therapy prescription. I gave this a chance and found no improvement whatsoever, so after sometime, I sought out the best. I contacted and was accepted into the Hip Preservation Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, after providing some of my x-ray imaging. Shortly thereafter I met with Dr. Eduardo Novais.

We did lots of comprehensive imaging of my hips and confirmed the diagnosis of bilateral hip dysplasia, as well as minor labral tearing. It was then that I first learned about the periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) surgery. He explained what happens during the surgery, how involved it can be, and what could be a grueling recovery process. He told me that while I was a good candidate for this surgery, he wanted to make sure I truly knew the magnitude of the decision I was making. With this conversation under our belt, I left the office agreeing on giving some more physical therapy a chance, with an emphasis on strengthening the core and the glutes. He told me that after 90 days if we had no improvement, it would be time to consider the surgical route.

And as it went, I strengthened those muscle groups to the best of my ability, often times leaving workouts limping and in pain. The 90 days passed and back to Boston I went, and the surgery was scheduled. In the time between the scheduling and my surgery, I watched just about every video I could find on the matter and looked for any resources and support groups. I found such a community in the PAO group on Facebook and in Miles4Hips, as well as the @PAO_resource_centre on Instagram, but noticed an overall gap in representation of this sort of “rare” operation on social media. I decided when my surgery came, I would document each day as a resource to others that were planning on or currently going through the same thing.

On August 6, 2024 my parents and I made the hour and a half drive up to Boston from our home and Rhode Island and I had a PAO on my right hip. I stayed in the hospital for two days following and everything went absolutely fantastic. Today marks 10 days since my surgery and my recovery has been more than ideal. I was able to wean off of pain medication very early on and am finding little to no trouble getting comfortable.

I have been surrounded by the love and care of friends and family, something that is very important during this surgery’s recovery, but also a luxury. And every day, I post an update on @gab_is_so_hip, my Instagram diary with a growing following of other people experiencing the same thing. I can’t wait to see where the next months take me, I can’t wait to see my body walk without crutches. I can’t wait to go see Dr. Novais in September to discuss my progress and healing. And I’m ready to operate on the left hip when he is. While this journey has been far from easy, the things I have planned when it’s over will be more than worth the wait.

Thank you for enjoying the hip dysplasia stories. The stories shared by our community members are intended for information and entertainment only. We are incredibly grateful to our hip dysplasia community members who have taken the time to share their experiences and journeys through hip dysplasia. These stories reflect individual experiences and journeys. Nothing in these stories is intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultations with qualified health professionals who are familiar with your individual medical needs. Miles4Hips does not endorse specific healthcare providers or institutions, and information or opinions shared in these stories does not necessarily reflect those of Miles4Hips or the International Hip Dysplasia Institute.