Hip-hop anonymous - a PAO journal

I'm not much of a snow person. I detest being cold and hate having to bundle up. Despite that, my sister talked me into trying snowshoeing, an activity that I used to fear not only for the aforementioned reasons, but because I knew it would hurt my hips. But fear not, because on my first snowshoeing adventure, it was so warm that we shed our coats, and my hips hardly hurt! We hiked almost four miles and had a wonderful time. On the straight stretches, my hips did start to ache, but I didn't have problems going up or down, which I find strange. So that's the great news. I'm still trying new things that I was unable to do before surgery, and I'm pushing myself to new limits. The not-so-great news is that I am starting to have more pain than I did six months to a year ago. (I'm coming up on the two-year mark for the left hip and the one and a half year mark on the right.) After an hour or two of activity, and sometimes for no reason at all, I feel random pains in e...

Last weekend, I did something I never would have been able to do prior to surgery: 4 hours of intense workouts. In a row. My gym released new programs for its group fitness classes and invited us to try them all in a day. Doing so meant I was eligible for a free trip to the mountains. I didn't win the trip, but I did get the awesome feeling of accomplishment (and exhaustion) when it was all over. My hips were a bit sore but not too bad. Body Pump | Body Combat | Body Flow | Body Jam The biggest part, though, is simply the feeling of empowerment. Things have been tough for me the past couple of weeks, and it feels wonderful to be able to compensate my lack of emotional strength with physical powe r .

This is the first year since 2006 that I have zero commitments regarding my hips. No doctor's appointments, no physical therapy, no thoughts about healing. I'm doing very well, continuing to make progress the right hip that has been hurting since surgery. Around the 14-month post-op mark, I was finally able to sit cross-legged again. It's still a little uncomfortable, but getting easier each time. The burning sensation is getting better and so is my strength and flexibility. My right thigh is still a bit smaller than my left, proof that there still is work to be done. I'm still in awe at how long the recovery process is, but I'm happy that I keep doing better and better. Happy new year!

A year ago today, I woke up in a plush hotel that overlooked Commencement Bay in Tacoma, Washington. My mom and I took an early morning walk in the misty weather and picked up giant, brightly colored fall leaves from the ground. A few hours later, my pelvis was cut open for my second surgery in seven months. It seems like much longer than a year since that day. My initial recovery was smooth, and though it was not easy going through the long process, I'm so glad I did. Happy to report I can: Walk, run, do squats, lunges, with no pain in the joint, no matter how hard I work it. (And I've been working it pretty hard.) No limp or sign of dysplasia/surgery. Sleep on my side all night. Feel a larger percentage of my thigh (85 percent), though with a tingly sensation. Wishing these things get better: Strong burning sensation that remains on the very front of the hip when lifting my leg, aka my "Captain Morgan" position. I still have to lift my leg with my hand to avoid pain...

My second PAO is long since over. But the bills may never stop. Just this week, I got insurance paperwork and a bill in the mail for the CPM machine I used almost one year ago. One year. I swear I don't know what I've paid for and what I haven't. And I'm pretty darn sure the health insurance company, hospital, clinics and equipment companies don't have a clue either. But one year later? Please. End rant.

No lunges and no squats. That's the infamous "doctor's orders" I was given. The thing is, I just don't plain like the doctor's orders. See, I've found a new love, which requires movements that mimic the lunge and squat. The new love? BodyPump . The lunge and squat-type movement? Lunges and squats. BodyPump is a one-hour class in which you do 60-100 reps of weight in a two-three minute span on the following body parts: Chest, back, biceps, triceps, shoulders, hamstrings, quads and gluts. It's completely intense, and I'm toning my entire body. My legs (especially the latest op side) are still weak post surgery. I'm not pushing myself on the lunges and squats, but I think it's important to try to get my strength back. I'm tired of the hamstring curl and leg extension machines, so I'm giving this a shot, rebel that I am.

Today I went to a baby shower for my good friend, Sarah. Among other things, we talked about babies, go figure. Baby names, baby gear, baby this and baby that. My thoughts turned to my hips. My friend Adrienne and I (the only unmarried ladies in the group) spoke of how more and more women were having kids later in life. I admitted that I was scared that my hips might not hold up that long. Since I've learned of my dysplasia (age 27) I've wondered about carrying and delivering children. Will I be able to do it? Will it affect my PAOs? Will it cause early deterioration? At my appointment with my surgeon in May, I asked -- and he answered -- that my birthing canal wasn't affected by the surgeries. Good news, of course. However, I wonder. There's not much data out tying obstetrics and orthopedics, especially PAOs. Each specialty knows an infinite amount about itself, but not much about the other. I guess only time will tell if I will end up being a mother, and if my hips wi...

Many nights, I wake suddenly as fear rushes through my body. Simultaneously, I feel relief. The dream that woke me was simply that -- a dream -- and I am not having another surgery. Anymore, I don't often think about my hips during the day. But at night, thoughts and fears creep through my subconscious and into my dreams. In them, I usually am getting prepped for surgery, awaiting the masked faces that will roll me to the cold operating room. Sometimes, I'm through surgery, with no one to help me to my crutches. Truth is, I'm still scared of both. What I hate worst about my future is the near certainty that I'll need more hip surgeries, coupled with the possibility that I may have no one to help me through them. Before dysplasia and PAOs, I didn't think twice about being alone. Now, I'm terrified, and I hope I make the right decisions down the road so I can find and keep the people in my life who will be able to help me. Sweet dreams.

... and I held together pretty well! Last weekend, I put my hips to the test, hiking more than 10 miles in a new natural area. The first trail was mostly flat, with a few deep coulees. The second trail was up, up, up and then down, down, down. Around mile 6, my left hip started to ache pretty badly. I made the last mile to the end and was able to sit for a while. By the time I started the second trail, the pain was gone. And that was the only problem I had. I used to feel terrified that I won't be able to make it back when I walked only a few blocks. Now, though I have random pains, I know the actual hip dysplasia pain isn't going to keep me from a few blocks ... or a few miles. Happy girl.

Sporadic. That's my right hip. At nine months post-op, each day seems to be different. This hip has behaved much differently than the left side, and honestly, some days I want to send it to its room. Some days, like today and yesterday, I have enough soreness that I almost limp. Oh, who am I kidding? ... I limp. My Captain Morgan problem is magnified and it even hurts to lie on my stomach or the right side. Other days, I feel no pain, and Captain Morgan only shows up when I'm really lifting my leg while bending the knee. As for the rest: Numbness remaining: about 20 percent still numb in spots. (Much better than left side.) Deep itching/stabbing sensation comes and goes. About one instance per month. Clicking every so often. (I hardly notice.) Scar is still healing. I hardly pay attention to these anymore, so I really can't say how it looks. Plenty of pain on certain days in the front of the hip above my thigh. It's a burning sensation, unlike most other "hip dyspl...