Surgery

This is her sister writing for her, because she is recovering at the hospital right now. Surgery went well,it took a total of five hours. Her bones were tougher than the doctor thought and she had a lot more muscle than he thought. She was in recover for 2 1/2 hours. So far everything is going well, and we're hoping for a smooth recovery. More to come once she has had her rest and can get on a computer for herself.
xx Kirsty xx

It's Time!

I never thought this day would actually come! 6 months of watching and waiting has made it very surreal. 
So those of you that have not been following, I have hip dysplasia; Hip dysplasia is a condition affecting the hip socket (acetabulum), and the thighbone (femur). In someone with hip dysplasia, the hip socket is too shallow, or the femur is in the wrong place. In congenital hip dysplasia, the incorrect development of the acetabulum causes the femoral head to ride upward out of the socket. If this isn't corrected, the hip joint will be unstable and over the years, the cartilage in the joint will wear down prematurely and unevenly. 
To correct my hip dysplasia, I am going to have what is called a Periacetabular Osteotomy, or PAO. Using a series of cuts, the surgeon will separate my acetabulum from my pelvis (on my left hip). The surgeon can then rotate the acetabulum into a better position to cover the femoral head. This surgery generally takes 4 to 5 hours depending on whether additional procedures are performed at the same time. Research suggests that a PAO can halt the destruction of the joint or prolong the use of the joint for those in early adulthood, postponing the need for a total hip replacement (THR).
Anyway, I hope that helps! If you would like to know anything more, to the right of my blog are links to websites, other PAO blogs, and a video. 
My Surgery is at 10am, so I have to be there at 8am, so we are leaving at 7am! So expect me to be out of surgery around 2pm! 
I will have my little sister update how I'm doing and what room I am in at Northside Hospital. 
Bye for now!!
I wish everyone good luck on their PAO surgeries!! 

"Stop being so Narcoleptic"

...is something my Mum jokingly says when I am feeling overwhelming tired.... truth is, she may not be far from the truth. In an effort to finally fix all my numerous ailments, my doctor sent me to see a sleep specialist. The sleep clinic that I went to has a neurologist, ENT, and a couple other different types of doctors there and they all work together to determine what could be disturbing your sleep or making you excessively tired. 

Yesterday, I went for a consultation and through answering a plethora of questions, they believe I may have Narcolepsy! Wait, wait. Narcolepsy? I thought that is when you fall over with episodes of sleep throughout the day? That is correct, however, not everyone with Narcolespy has accompanying cataplexy (loss of muscle tone/control). The most common symptom of Narcolepsy is extreme daytime sleepiness with periods of extreme drowsiness every 3 to 4 hours during the day. You may feel a strong urge to sleep, sometimes followed by a short nap (sleep attack). I just don't have the involuntary sleep attack part. The Doctor stated that Narcolepsy often begin as a child and is due to low hypocretin levels which affects your 'wakefulness.' My parents have always told me stories of me falling asleep at the kitchen table, having to hold onto a chair during dance class, and constantly complaining of excessive sleepiness. Throughout my life I've been battling extreme fatigue and urges to go to sleep, I even admit practically nodding off while driving to the point where I've had to pull over and take a 20 minute nap before going on the road again. 

Narcolepsy, due to your body not getting the right kind of sleep, can cause: impaired memory, brain fog, clumsiness, anxiety, headaches, decreased energy, and extreme fatigue; Which helps explain why I have such a HORRIBLE memory and am so clumsy! 

Anyway, so determine whether I have narcolepsy or not, I have to have two sleep tests done: first I have to sleep overnight at the clinic hooked up to a bunch of wires, this is called a polysomnogram and tests for airway obstructions and record your sleep patterns. Then, I will stay into the next day and get a multiple sleep latency test or MSLT where I will go to sleep for about 15 minutes every 2 hours. Unfortunately, due to my surgery on Wednesday, I have to wait to have the tests in July. They want me to be off all medications and to be sleeping 'normal,' meaning not being awakened by pain from my surgery. 

Maybe this year will be the year of the cure to all my problems! hahha

So surgery is in FIVE days! Eeek! I'm starting to get really nervous! Especially because I know I'm going to be sleeping horribly from the pain and having to sleep on my back with pillows under my legs. 

Now just to sit and wait!

Pre-assessment, Check!
Pre-op Visit, Check!
Lab work, Check! Complete with handy dandy red hospital bracelet I must wear all week!
3-in-1 Commode, delivered today! Check!
Power recliner, CHECK! This thing is awesome!
Crutches, Check!
Comfy clothes, Check!
Baby gate with door, Check! So I can still get out, but the big thundering puppy can't get in!
Remote for fan/light installed, Check! I installed it myself, pretty proud, I must say! ;) haha
Met Claire and her parents! Yay! (not really a "check" haha)

So now all there is to do is just wait around till Wednesday gets here!

Hectic day at the Doctor

Okay, so remember I said my appointment was on Tuesday!? Well apparently it's NEXT Tuesday. My Mum and my Dad both took off work to come with me and so now they are going to have to take off another day of work! Go me! I could swear it was suppose to be May 17th, I've had it written down for two months!! I even have it posted in my blog back in February. Anyway, I still went to see Andrea and she just took a few measurements and showed me how to use crutches and how to go up and down stairs with them as well. After that I went to Dr. Schrader's office where I found out my appointment is next week, then I went downstairs to get my lab work done, because the lady at the front desk said I could still do that. So, I went downstairs, filled out paperwork, and sat in the waiting room for about half an hour before I got called back to get my blood drawn. Once I got back there the nurse informed me that I could not get my lab work done as Dr. Schrader had not completed the paperwork for me yet! OMG! So I basically wasted my time!
So, long story short, I have to do all this again next Tuesday! Minus the PT.
On another note, my mum and brother got their blood types checked and they are not a match. So my dad, mum, little sister, and little brother all are O+; Heather, my older sister, is the only O- besides me. So this means I only have one pint of blood for my surgery, but according to Yolanda, this will still be okay as there is only a 20% chance that I will even need the blood and it's even less likely that I will need two pints.
I meet Claire on Monday, we are going to go to lunch and have a chat about all the going on. I'm excited to meet her and get to go through my surgery with her. I can't believe there is only 12 more days till surgery!!

I'm dying!!

I am in sooo much pain right now!! I graduated Saturday and had to pack my car with the entire contents of my apartment, which entailed going up three flights of stairs, then down three flights of stairs, then up three flights of stairs, then down three flights of stairs... so on. Like 100 times! 
Stairs are BY FAR my worst enemy.
So I had my on-the-phone pre-assessment today with Northside Hospital and got everything situated. Tomorrow, I have my appointment with Andrea, the Physical Therapist, she is going to test my strength and teach me how to use crutches. After that I have my pre-op appointment with Dr. Schrader, and then off to get lab work done.
Surgery is getting close! Just two weeks away. I am so ready for it at this point.
Hoping to meet up with Claire, the girl having her surgery the day after mine, some time this week so we can talk about our hips and such! haha
Anywho... I'm going to go, so I can die in peace somewhere. Hopefully my dad with help me unpack my car tomorrow, there is no way I'm doing it tonight.

Less that a Month to go

So there are about three and a half weeks until surgery...
Claire, a patient of Dr. Schrader, is now having her surgery the day after mine, so I will have a surgery buddy!! We've already agreed to have wheelchair races down the hospital hallways! haha
So I was given incorrect information, my dad cannot give me blood; as I am O-, I can only receive O- blood. My older sister, Heather, has O-, so she is going to donate; my little sister just got tested, so we'll see what she is soon.
I was asked to be a part of a study about the development of hip dysplasia. I was sent a questionnaire in the mail that I need to fill out, as well as a request to go to Dr. Schrader's physical therapist to test my strength before surgery. That is all I have been informed of as of yet, but I'll let you know more about it later.
Graduation is on Saturday!!! SATURDAY! I can't believe it's been five years already! I am soo excited!! Now, just to find a job!!

One Month till GRADUATION!! :)

Today is exactly four weeks until graduation! I cannot wait! That means surgery is just six and a half weeks away! As much as surgery seems scary, and I hate that it will take over most of my summer, at this point, the sooner the better. This week my hips, yes plural, have been terrible; my left hip has been in so much pain, even as soon as I wake up in the morning. I've had to sit as much as possible all week at school and I'm tempted to bring crutches next week. The only thing is, I don't want to look silly, since no one at the school where I teach knows I have hip problems. Because of my left hip bothering me so much, I've been putting all my weight on my right hip, so it is feeling a bit sore as well. I'm glad it didn't take any longer than it did to find out I have hip dysplasia, it would be terrible to have to live with this pain and having doctors not knowing what's wrong with me.
So, I got my blood type tested, I'm O-, and my dad was O+, so he is going to donate for me. My sisters still haven't got tested so my dad may donate two pints; he'll just have to wait a few weeks between each donation.
Over spring break I went to look at recliners, my parents and I figured that I'd be easier to have my bed and a recliner so that I'm not stuck in bed all day. I also got rid of a bunch of stuff in my room so that when I move back home it won't be too cluttered. I'll need plenty of room to move around with my crutches.

Two months to the day!!

My surgery is two months from today! Oh My Lord! I am still in a slight bit of denial that it is all happening, but very excited to get it over with and to start feeling better. My millennial crutches came in the mail (I figured I'd jump on that bandwagon) and I practiced with them a bit the other day up and down the hall. I can definitely say that this will be an interesting process, especially with my chronic clumsiness!! I was already tripping myself with the springed bottoms of the crutches. My friend jokingly said that she thinks crutches are too dangerous for me because I am too much of a calamity, I should just stick to a wheel chair! haha.
Monday I have an appointment with Quest Diagnostics to get my blood type check! woo! I'll be interested to know what it is. My dad went and got his blood type checked on Tuesday and my sisters should be going soon.
I met another Hip Chick the other day through Hip Chicks Unite. She is 21 (so around my age), lives in Atlanta, has my surgeon, and is going through her first surgery this summer as well! How ironic. Hopefully we'll meet up before my surgery and we can have a chat. I am excited and glad to have someone going through it with me, in a way.
I also emailed my doctor yesterday about what medicines I can or can't take. No fish oil, no NSAIDS, no Birth Control, no meds that can cause your blood to thin. So basically I can take Tylenol!
Hope everyone is getting on well with their recoveries!

Long Time, No Update

Sorry it's been so long since the last update, I have been soooo busy with school work! I am counting down the days until graduation!
Okay, first off, I had my MRI-A, I must say the contrast part was very traumatic. I think it was half that I was overwhelmed at the thought of it and half the odd pain/pressure feeling of the needle going in so deep. I teared up a bit :( The nurse was really nice though and touched my shoulder to console me. The MRI part was fine, I mainly slept, I'm not bothered by the tight space as long as my eyes are closed.
I received the results from my MRI-A, I do NOT have a labral tear; this is good news for a faster PAO recovery, however, it confused me because I have been in so much pain. Dr. Schrader says I do, however, have a hypertrophic labrum, or enlarged labrum; this is caused by my labrum overcompensating for the lack of bone coverage. He also said I am most likely in pain from the constant lack of bone coverage, overcompensating, and acetabular rim syndrome due to my dysplasia.
I have finally set up all my appointments. May 16th: over the phone pre-assessment with Northside Hospital. May 17th: Appointment with Dr. Schrader to finalize everything and get blood work done. June 1st: arrive at 8am for a 10am surgery!
I spoke with Yolanda, Dr. Schrader's nurse; I have to have two of my family members donate a pint of blood each for my surgery. I have asked my sisters... they are not too happy. Haha, I wouldn't be either! First, however, we have to check to see if we have the same blood type. Of course, none of us know our blood type! Not even our mum... maybe it's in our baby book?
I have ordered my crutches, they should get here any day now. I figured I should practice a bit before surgery since I've never used crutches before.
I've been talking with my mum on where the best place to stay is and the things I may need. We've decided my room is the best place, even though it's on the second floor. I have my own bathroom, my own shower, and my own bed. We have decided to get a recliner and replace my desk with it for an alternative place to sit besides my bed. I am going to need to find lots of things to do! We are fixing the cable in my room before then and buying lots of puzzles, books, and coloring books! I'll have to start a new hobby.
I wonder how long I'll be stuck upstairs until I feel safe enough to go down the stairs? I better learn quick! I heard scooting down the stairs on your bum may work. I joked with my parents that they need to get me one of the chairs that takes you up and down the stairs! haha... We'll just convert the whole house to suit a geriatric! Maybe then Grandma can visit! haha. We'll be hippies together, scooting around with our walkers! ;)

MRI - Arthrogram

This week I played a lot of phone tag with Northside Hospital, and LaWanda the lady that schedules MRI's at Dr. Schrader's office. First of all, as I mentioned in the last post, Northside called ME and left a message. So i call them up on Monday ready to schedule my MRI-A and the lady on the phone says, "oh, there is an 'attention Dr.Lee' on this, I'll have to call you back." What!? Your the one that called me to make an appointment, shouldn't you have actually read the forms before calling me?? Anyway, the by the next day she still hasn't called me back. I called up and explained what happened yesterday and said I still need to make an appointment. She goes, "oh, I thought we did that yesterday?" !?!Were we in that same conversation yesterday? At what point did we schedule an appointment? So I say I would like my appointment for April 4th, as I'll be off for spring break and that's two months before my surgery, as Dr. Schrader suggested thats when I should get it done. She goes, "oh, well we don't have the calenders up for April yet, I'll have to check with my manager and call you back." OF COURSE! Meanwhile, I get a message from LaWanda saying that she went ahead and schedule me an appointment for an MRI February 17th! I was baffled! One, why did she make an appointment for me? Two, How did she know if I was available that day? and three, what about the 2 month rule Dr. Schrader gave me!? So, now I call LaWanda back, ask if it is okay to get the MRI-A that soon... of course, it is. :(

So now here I am, MRI-A on Thursday, and I don't know what to expect. I am scared of the dye and the big needle involved. I wish I was just getting a regular MRI :(

For those of you that don't know, an MRI arthrogram is two-part procedure, involving fluoroscopy and MRI. First, a special type of X-ray technology, called fluoroscopy, is used to take pictures of the joint after a contrast material has been injected into it. This allows the radiologist to see the soft tissue structure of the joint. The joint is then examined with MRI, a routine diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a large magnet, radio waves, and a computer to produce 2- and 3- dimensional images of the body's organs, tissues and bones.

Now, just find someone to go with me... my mum and dad will be at work, and my sister might possibly be too... hope I'm not in this on my own : /

But in a way I am kinda of glad I'm getting it done early, I really want to know the nitty gritty of my hip. I know I most likely have a laberal tear, but who knows what else they'll find in there! I'll give you all the details as soon as I know myself!

Wish me luck!

Surgeries Galore!

So I haven't updated in a while so I thought I'd make a wee note. It's now February, so there are four more months till my surgery. The lady from Northside Hospital called my parents house for me to make an appointment for an MRI... of course doctors offices never seem to call the right numbers... so I am going to call them tomorrow to set it all up! eek! I was also thinking of writing an email to Dr. Schrader and see if I need to donate my blood for the surgery; I have read that other people have done it, and to tell you the truth I am terrified at the thought of having someone else's blood in my body! On the other hand it seems that most people that have had a PAO never even needed a blood transfusion; so the question is, should I really waste my time, money, and energy donating it? I also wanted to ask him questions like, what kind of crutches I will need, will I be okay to start working after two months of recovery, and other LPAO related questions.
So I say "surgeries galore" because, firstly, I found out that I'm finally getting my turbinate reduction which I've been wanting forever to help open up my airways. I've had a chronic stuffy nose my whole life and have been on all sorts of meds, nose sprays, allergy shots, etc. this is my last and only hope! (Turbinates are the things in your nose that swell up when your sick, mine are swollen ALL the time!) It's an in office procedure so I'm hoping it won't be too bad. We'll see Friday!
Secondly, I found out that my dad is having surgery on Wednesday for a torn rotators cuff in his right soldier. Thanks for the update Dad! But he said it's arthroscopic so he should be just fine, just a few weeks rest.
Hip-wise I haven't been terrible, my left hip screamed after I worked last Saturday and thats the last time its been agonizing. My right hip is still having pains but they are weird because they are not in my groin like my left hip. My right hip gets sharp pains and they are in the back of the hip, almost like the side of my bum, but in my bone/joint still.  The pains are usually during movement in certain directions, not just all the time like my left hip... so I'm not quite sure what it is. This new found right hip pain however is making it difficult to get in and out of sitting positions such as the car or the toilet and because it causes sharp pains its something that is more likely to stop me in my tracks for a second before I gain composure.
Anyway I'm exhausted so im off to bed! Oh, btw the Packers won the Super Bowl!

You're Kidding, Right? (no pun intended)

Today was my first day back at school. I stood for about 10 hours today!! 8 of which I was teaching little munchkins Science. I definitely forgot how much pain standing all day will put you through. I was great over Christmas break, I was actually beginning to think it was all in my head as I only really had pain when sleeping.

Not only has my left hip been in immense pain since being back from school today, but since Saturday my right hip has even been bothering me. My right hip has NEVER bothered me. It’s supposed to last me at least 5 more years! (My own mental goal). I don't know what I'm going to do with myself and I really wish I had pain killers to help me through the next 4 months until surgery. Maybe I'll take some Tylenol PM tonight and cross my fingers that it does something; at least help me sleep.

My friends have all been questioning me on whether I'm doing the right thing; is surgery the right way to go? Honestly, I don't know. But physical therapy doesn't work and neither does chiropractic (unless I went every other day, just to manage pain, not to actually fix my hips). I mean, honestly, do they think I want surgery? I've never had surgery, why would I jump at the chance now? I just want the chance of being able to walk without constant pain. I'm just hoping I'm not just caught up in the excitement of finally feeling that one of my many ailments can be fixed. Migraines and allergies have had no luck yet!

Any opinions/facts are greatly appreciated on the subject.

SNOW!!!!

It's snowing! There is lots and lots of snow! (For Atlanta anyway). MacIntyre (15yr old brother), Kirsty (19yr old sister), and I are going to build an Igloo in the morning... it shall be interesting! The snow is so fluffy, it's amazing. Argyle (my kitten), and McFluff (my brother's kitten) already went and tested it out as I chased them around the front yard trying to catch them. Of course, I slipped in the powdery mess and got snow all up my shirt, but did indeed catch them in the end. Those boys need leashes, they're sneaky! 

Hip has been doing pretty well lately... it's weird. My hip always hurts to a degree, but it seems to have a "schedule," for lack of a better word. Every, two weeks or so, it flares up and will hurt pretty bad; it even aggravates my left lower back and my entire left thigh, and then it will calm back down again.

No MRI scheduled yet, just waiting on Yolanda’s call. I was going to give her a call in the morning but because of the snow I think most businesses are closed. My dad’s doctor’s appointment was cancelled for tomorrow; my dad was going to get the results from his MRI. My dad injured his shoulder doing P90X; he may be having surgery along with me this summer. He thinks he tore his rotator cuff or something like that.

I start back to school on Friday… I’m dreading the drive back to Statesboro on Wednesday; I just want to graduate already! All I can think about is this surgery and what I need to get together beforehand. I don’t know when to begin organizing (is now too soon?). I need to donate blood for my surgery; I need to buy things such as crutches, commodes, and shower chairs; I need to look into renting a wheelchair and/or walker. Who knows what else? This is going to be a long 5 months! 

A Date Has Been Set!

Yolanda called me this morning and we scheduled my surgery for Wednesday JUNE 1st!!
My mum's last day of work is on May 27th (she's a teacher), and Dr. Schrader only does surgery on Wednesdays and Fridays; Therefore, June 1st! Setting a date makes it all that more real. I DON'T WANNA HAVE SURGERY!
We're still working on the dates for the MRI; Yolanda said she would give me a call when she knows more details on what he wants. From reading others blogs about the MRI appointment disasters I'm ready to ask a lot of question and make sure everyone knows what the plans are, even me!


For those friends and family members that aren't familiar with blogs I figured I'd take this time to give you a little tour. On the right hand side of my blog are some links. First of all I have the link to Dr. Schrader's bio, in case anyone is interested in who my surgeon is. Secondly, under "other hip happening adventures," I have links to other ladies blogs, in particular "I am PAO'd" and "Limp along with Rachel" as they are both patients of Dr. Schrader. Lauren (I Am PAO'd), is currently going through her 2nd PAO and has offered to give all the help she can give. Thirdly, I have websites that links you to hip dysplasia related articles, such as sites that will explain Periacetabular Osteotomy (PAO), hip dysplasia and support group sites.

Off to Dr. Schrader I Go

The phone tag begins. First of all I called Children's Ortho to find out if they would even see me, seen as I was not quite a child. I wasn't sure if I had to see him at Northside or what the deal was. After being put on hold, and transferred to a few other ladies, I was told I was good to go to see him at Children's Orthopaedic of Atlanta (they even had an Alpharetta location!). I was then transferred to Yolanda, where I left a voicemail. Later that week Yolanda called me back, of course, while I was in class, and left me a voicemail; then, I called her back... left a her a voicemail... it was chaos. Finally, after talking to her phone to phone I scheduled an appointment to see Dr. Schrader over Thanksgiving Break... the only time I had off from school.
After all of that I and finally making an appointment I get told that Dr. Schrader ISN'T covered by my insurance! It'll be $250 to see him... uhhg. I guess I have no choice.
A week goes by and I find out that in December, just a month from the appointment I had made, Dr. Schrader WILL be taking my insurance!! Thank the LORD! (BCBS). Back to the phone to reschedule.
Because of my School Schedule and my broken voicemail box, my mum offered to help me out and gave his office a call. Of course, when my mum called she spoke to a lady that told her I was too old to be seen at this office and that I must have it wrong.... don't you just love miscommunication!
I spoke to my mum later that week and informed her that I had spoke to Yolanda, Dr. Schrader's nurse, and she say it was ok, that other lady must have been wrong. Long story short, I got in touch with Yoldanda myself and made I final appointment for Dec. 22nd 2010.
The visit to Dr. Schrader was fairly uneventful... my mum came with me and I felt like the biggest kid in the room. After waiting about an hour we were taken back to talk to Dr. Schrader. He looked at my xrays and confirmed that Dr. Whelan was correct in his diagnosis, Hip Dysplasia. I was sent back for more xrays, then he showed me on his computer where my dysplasia was and how significant it was (I can't remember what the exact degrees were), along with blog sites that I can go to for support and questions about this procedure. We discussed my options and it appears a PAO is the best way to go and here is where I stand today.
My surgery will be set for this summer, just after graduation. Happy Graduation to ME! Now all I have to do is get a call from Yolanda and see when and where I need to schedule my arthrogram MRI. She called me Monday... but of course my phone was missing all day. But most importantly... make sure my insurance company will pay for this surgery!

New Year, New Adventure

Where do I begin? Well it all started when I was a freshman in college, let’s say about 4 years ago (2006/2007). I was walking home from campus and felt a grinding pain in the joint of my left hip. As strange as it felt, I just chalked it up to walking too much in heels around campus and suggested to myself to wear comfortable shoes tomorrow. This pain happened on and off for the next couple of years; I ignored it as I have had similar pain in my left knee since high school and was told it was nothing a little rest wouldn't heal. It wasn't until about my junior year in college, almost two years later, when I starting to notice my strides becoming sorter and my pain coming on much sooner after a walk around campus.
Then came the moment that I think changed it all. On January 6th, 2009, I caught the left heel of my boot on the stairs twisting my leg around and causing me to fall down an entire flight of stairs, head first (This is not the first time, might I add. I am quite the calamity). Despite the giant welt on my forehead, I relatively felt fine and just took it easy for the rest of the night. It was shortly after this event when my pain began to worsen and I began to think to myself, "something just isn't right." I assumed some sort of arthritis was developing in my joint as I haven't drank milk since I was about 12 years old -- I began to research.
In about November/December of 2009 I finally got an appointment to see an orthopedist in Atlanta. A few x-rays later, the doctor strolled in and he and I both saw something a little off about my left hip; the socket almost looked jagged. Of course, knowing nothing about x-rays, I trusted him to tell ME what was wrong; it appeared he had no clue. He ordered an MRI. A few days later I was back for an MRI and received the results just a few days after that. I was told I had bursitis; the prescription: physical therapy. Long story short, after weeks of PT and no improvement I went back for a cortisone injection. The cortisone shot did nothing for the pain and increased my blood pressure so high that I was kicked out of PT for a few days until I "recovered." In my return, my physical therapist noticed my lack of progress and decided to give me a exam of her own, she agreed, it was definitely my joint.
Fed up with dealing with this nagging pain I made an appointment with a second doctor in May (2010), he also looked at my x-rays and saw... nothing. He ordered an MRI with contrast this time concluding that it is probably a labral tear and he will see it better with contrast. Unfortunately, I had planned a trip to live and work in Scotland for the summer and my flight left earlier that next week. Needless to say, I never got the MRI.
After months of trudging around Scotland with a bad hip I came home more determined than ever. I was recommended, by my PT, this hip specialist in Statesboro, the town I attend Georgia Southern University, Dr. Whelan. Dr. Whelan was my savior! I walked in, explained my symptoms, and was whisked off for yet again, more x-rays. (Between my hip and my sinuses I'm sure to have my fill of radiation for the year!) As I sat there and waited I just imagined all the BS that was going to be thrown my way... at this point I was fed up with all doctors and seriously considered if they actually knew anything. Boy I was wrong. Dr. Whelan came in and sat down, papers in his hands, and said, "You have Hip Dysplasia and will need surgery to correct it," and then handed me all sorts of article on it. I was shocked. Partly because he seemed so sure of himself and partly because this was something I only heard of my Golden Retriever having. On the other hand, I was so glad that I finally had a reason for my pain and that it was fixable! He handed me an article, at the top it read: "Children's Orthopedic of Atlanta, Dr. Tim Schrader," (wait... he know's I'm 22, right?) and he explained to me that he was the only man for the job. He explained that he was a pediatric doctor but did PAO's on the side with young adult patients suffering from hip dysplasia..... and this is where my journey began.
I will stop here for now but will come back soon to explain how making an appoint with Dr. Schrader worked out ;)