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 ;)