The condition that I have leads to the loss of cartilage and osteoarthritis. While I thought that I was setting myself up for better adventures, I was actually rushing myself toward the inevitable surgical intervention that comes with all of this. My medical file listed me as leading a sedentary lifestyle, and given that I was diagnosed at birth it was assumed that I knew how to manage this condition. Meanwhile I thought that I had a handle on things because the problem was more or less solved at age 1.
So I set up an appointment, and started reading everything that the International Hip Dysplasia had to offer. It wasn't encouraging, but it was certainly educational. I had been doing things backward, and I was trying to outrun something while actually heading straight for it.
The appointment came and my primary physician asked me some questions, rotated both legs, accidentally dislocated my right hip, then quickly referred me to a specialist and sent me off for X-Rays. I got to see the images and to me they didn't look as bad the deformed and worn out joints that I had seen online. Meanwhile my Dad was here visiting from out of state, we had a lot to talk about with this, and he had some insight to offer with how it went when I was little. He knew the name of my specialist back then, even though 30 years have gone by and he's very likely retired.
A week went by and I saw the specialist who pulled them up and agreed that things weren't as dire as they seemed at first discussion. I still have cartilage left, and I'm not a candidate for repair or replacement at this time. There is a bone spur on each side, and both sockets are too shallow to fully encase the ball of the joint, but it's not so bad that I'm bone on bone. However it appears that there's a labral tear on both sides. My right side is definitely in worse shape than my left, which isn't a surprise as it's quicker to go out, harder to get back in, and experiences more low-level pain when I've done nothing to agitate it. We're aiming for physical therapy first and surgical intervention as a last resort. The surgery would be minimally invasive and outpatient which is a big improvement over a hip replacement.
I was sent off with orders to get an arthrogram MRI for both hips and told I would hear back after results came in.
Maybe in defiance of all of this, I went immediately after this appointment to pick up my Jeep, the vehicle meant to take me out to more places, more adventure.
The takeaway was this: No running, no impact exercise, no backpacking with heavy loads. If it makes things hurt I need to back off. I can go back to walking, hiking, stretching, yoga, and pilates. But the biggest thing was being cleared for the Camino in April!
Things are ok, and pending results of an MRI with contrast I'm good to go with little or no change to the life I've worked for. Maybe not being sedentary and taking things slow will speed up the inevitable, but I'm making a conscious decision to do what feels right with the time I have before then.
https://hipdysplasia.org/adult-hip-dysplasia/
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