Left Periacetabular Osteotomy

Now that I am about six weeks out from my left periacetabular osteotomy I think it's time to write about my experience and share some pictures :)

On December 15th, 2014 my dad, boyfriend and I flew out to Salt Lake City Utah to have the surgery done. Unfortunately there are no doctors in New Mexico or any of the surrounding states that could perform this particular surgery so for my RPAO and my LPAO we had to go out to Salt Lake for them. We got to Salt Lake and met with my PAO family who reside in Salt Lake and have been through the process like I had with the same surgeon. It was so nice to meet up and talk to people who really understand what I'm going through and can sympathize without me having to explain much.

The next morning I went to the hospital at 6:30 am and got checked in and started the pre-op process. I was in my awesome gown, hair net and socks when the nurse came in and started giving me the talk, my surgeon then came in and asked if I was ready, I said "as ready as I'll ever be." I then asked him if we were also doing the screw removal on the right side and he looked confused but said no problem. I was ready to go when his PA came in and told me, "unfortunately we won't be able to do the right screw removal because it wasn't cleared with your insurance so you'll have to do it another time. We are also not doing the epidural like you had last year which means you won't need the catheter." Well you can understand what I was feeling at this point, 30 minutes before surgery getting told everything you planned for isn't going to happen the way you hoped. My dad and I were pretty pissed off, but Noah did a great job at calming us both down and making us realize there wasn't anything we could do at that point. The anesthesiologist then took me back and started the spinal block which was pretty painful and next thing I know I was waking up in the recovery ward. I didn't feel too much pain and was pretty wide awake considering I had just had anesthesia. I was then wheeled up to my room where my dad and Noah were waiting, funny enough we were in the exact same room we were in last year which was pretty cool.

I was in great spirits and was enjoying being taking care of. The first day I got up and went to the bathroom and made sure to make a big deal about how much I could pee, I wanted to set a record :P it was really important to me to make the nurses laugh and enjoy their time so they'd be happy when they came in my room :) They had me on dilaudid as well as oxycodone and I started to feel pretty nauseous and wasn't sure which medication was making me feel that way. The nurses took me off the oxycodone and kept me on the dilaudid because it was controlling my pain really well and they also had me on nausea medication so it was controlling my nausea fairly well. The food was really great and the company was even better, I had amazing nurses and PT staff who took such great care of me.

After feeling ready to be discharged and not really wanting to be charged an arm and a leg for the hospital room my dad, Noah and I decided to head back to the hotel and then head home the next day. Well that night in the hotel was pretty horrific, the hospital had sent me home with 120 pills of dilaudid and that was the only medication I had to control my pain so I was forced to take it. Well it turns out that's what was causing my nausea. I projectile vomited everywhere that night at the hotel and felt really sick the day we were going home so that sucked to say the least. Finally we arrived home and my mom made the decision to get rid of the dilaudid and put me on hydrocodone which I had from last years surgery as well as tramadol. That worked great and controlled my pain really well.

So there's the first week, I'll write the next part in a few days as I don't want to bore you with six weeks of hip crap in one blog :)

TO BE CONTINUED :)

Thanks for reading :)

<3 B

Stressed

My dad is one of the most perceptive people when it comes to my emotions and what's going on in my life. Today I woke up and it really hit me hard that next Tuesday I'll be undergoing my second PAO surgery within a year of the last one. I barely slept last night, got maybe four hours and just felt drained, he picked right up on it. He told me exactly what I wanted to hear, that it's okay to be down and depressed and just want to lay in bed for a while, but he then told me what I needed to hear, that this surgery is necessary, that it will get me to where I want to go. I took that part and put it in the back of my head, because what he said initially is what I wanted to do, lay in bed, feel sorry for myself, but tomorrow is a new day.

There's no doubt that what I'm undergoing next Tuesday is scary, my doctor will be cutting a five inch incision, cutting through muscle and nerves and then fracturing three sides of my pelvis and rotating it so that my bone fits better in my joint. It's scary, but knowing that I've already had it done on my right hip calms me. I've been through this before, I think my mind has forgotten a lot of the recovery, partly because I was on some heavy drugs and partly because I don't want to remember most of it. Truth is, I don't want to go through this, but I have to.

I'm hoping that tomorrow is a better day, being done with school hasn't given me too much to focus on up until Monday when I leave for Salt Lake City for my pre-op appointment. Until then, i'll definitely be taking advantage of my mobility, taking as many showers and baths as I can fit in, drive a little bit, sleep in every position I can and take advantage of my independence, because next week all of that will change.

I'm grateful for all the support I've received throughout the past few years, it definitely hasn't been easy, but I'm almost done. Last surgery for a while I hope!

Lots of love,

<3 B

Minutes in my shoes

Let's flash back to about a year ago. Life through Bridget's eyes was beautiful, everything was going in the right direction. Of course there were always improvements to be made, but things were going pretty good. Working as a personal trainer, in tip top physical shape, single, great friends, great relationships with most people around me. Nothing was stopping me. I spent every second I could in the gym, because I thought I loved the lifestyle, things were working for me.

Pan camera to my life now.

Jobless, out of the gym for 2 months now. Lost.

Let's sum up what my issue is right now.

I have had a hip pain for about 4 months now, I didn't know what was causing it, for about a month a chose to ignore it and push forward, until it started hindering my work outs. I went to the doctor and was told to rest and ibuprofen. Hmm, ok.
That wasn't good enough for me, so I decided to see an orthopedic doctor, he told me he didn't know what was wrong, that I needed to get an X-ray, so I got an X-ray.. next appointment: Bridget has a fractured bone in her hip... O shit, ok NO more lower body work, including cardio.
Wait 6 weeks to get a follow up X-Ray to see if there is any healing in the hip whatsoever, new X-ray shows NO healing, Dr calls me and tells me I need to get an MRI. (During this time I spent 4 weeks in physical therapy where they were doing exercises with me that I did to initially hurt myself. So I stopped going, because $50 a session, 2 a week, and no progress, SEE YA!)
Schedule MRI and wait for a new appointment. Next appointment original doctor comes in WITH a sports specific physical therapist. There is no sign of anything on that MRI- didn't receive a radiology report or any diagnosis whatsoever.
Screw this, I thought. So I scheduled with a hip specialist in SANTA FE. Drove up for the initial appointment, he tells me we won't know ANYTHING until I get a contrasting MRI.
Schedule arthrogram (contrasting MRI) Drive back up to santa fe a week later and receive an arthrogram (2 needles inserted into my hip joint to put dye, pain reliever and a numbing agent) MRI done..
See a doctor at NM orthopedics who tells me that the MRI doesn't show a significant enough of a tear in my hip cartilage to take any extreme measures, so I'm directed to continue physical therapy. Last resort is surgery. I told him I AM AT LAST RESORT. Scheduled surgery for December.
See my Dr in Santa Fe for a second opinion, decides he is not a specialist in hips specifically so directs me to see another dr at NM Orthopedics, who is NOT the doctor I saw who I scheduled surgery with. The Dr I was referred to does not take my health insurance..
I am now at a stand still.

In pain on a daily basis, unable to do much of anything.

If you have an opinion on what I should do to fix this problem, I appreciate it, but I don't want to hear it. I am doing the best I can to be as positive as I possibly can. But if you know me, you know I am a physical person, I am being limited from working, joining the military, working out, EVERYTHING.

I am pissed, to say the least.

Rawr.

I made this blog post about a year ago and thought it would be important to include this so people understand and can get a glimpse of my journey. As you can see from reading this post I was extremely lost and at a stand still. I had no idea what was causing my pain and was so fed up with medical professionals who were supposed to be able to help me. Reflecting back on this post, it's hard to realize that I went through all that and am where I'm at now. If you haven't been keeping up with my journey, I was finally diagnosed with hip dysplasia and have gone through a reconstructive hip surgery for my right hip and in just 2 short weeks I will be going through my left surgery so I am almost (fingers crossed) on the other side of it all, but dang what a few years it's been. My dad went in for a routine health procedure the other day and after seeing him coming out of anesthesia and taking care of him it was a huge wake up call for me; I'm 24 years old, I am going through surgeries where my pelvis is literally broken so that it can heal properly, it's so surreal when I really think about it. My dad, in his fragile drugged state cried when he thought about what I've been through and what I'll go through. It touched my heart, because I don't think I even realize how somewhat callused I've become to it all. After dealing with this for almost 2.5 years it's become my life, pain is normal for me now. 

Somedays I am grateful for all of this, because there are quite a few good things that have come out of it and other days I am just pissed off, but don't wanna be that person who uses their ailment as an excuse when there are amputees breaking records, people with cancer doing amazing things and here I am with some messed up hips feeling sorry for myself. The bottom line is I need to buck up and realize that even though my situation is not ideal, it will improve. The future is not a guaranteed happily ever after, but no ones is. We do the best we can with the hand we're dealt. Leading up to this surgery I'm going to finish this semester strong, work hard to gain some weight because I'm sure to lose it during the process and then get through the surgery. After that, I will be ready to take on my world. I am lucky that I've been given the opportunities and resources to take care of this, because others are not so fortunate and my heart goes out to you all. Do the best you can and never give up. 

Lots of love 

B 

PAO recovery: How to stay sane!

IHey all,

I am going to be undergoing my second PAO (periacetabular osteotomy) in about 19 days and wanted to share some of the things that really helped me get through my last PAO without going absolutely bonkers. Obviously everyone is different and some people are going to find different things to help them cope, but this is what helped me, so here goes:

• Honestly, the thing that helped me get through this surgery and recovery was my family and boyfriend, without their constant support and entertainment, I really don't think it would have been as successful as it was. If you're preparing for this surgery and are under the impression that you can do everything without any one's help, unfortunately you're going to learn a hard lesson. It was a hard pill to swallow when I had to give up my independence, but once I did it was much more enjoyable, for everyone. Being stubborn and not letting anyone help you is not the way to go! 

• Comfy outfits were a must after surgery, I didn't like wearing pants too often, especially right when I got home so I got some cute nighties :) It took a lot of the pressure that pants put on your skin off and lets face it, putting pants on when your hip is immobile is not happening so these nighties were the best!

• Buy some candles before your surgery and when you're home have friends or family bring you flowers, having something bright and alive in the room with you will help improve your mood. Who doesn't love flowers and candles?

• Make your bed nice and comfy and get lots of pillows, you're going to be spending a lot of time in your bed so might as well make it as comfortable as possible. The pillows help with keeping you comfortable, I had to sleep on my back for quite a while after surgery so putting a pillow under my knees and calves really helped. When you're ready to switch to your side (opposite side of your op hip) put a pillow between your knees to help keep your hips stable. I also love having stuffed animals around. My boyfriend buys me a new stuffed animal every time I have surgery and writes the date of the surgery on it's foot. I have two so far (arthroscopic surgery and RPAO) I'm looking forward to seeing what he gets me this year :)

• This walker looks so fun, the one I had last year was not this sturdy. Using a walker was my favorite way to get around, especially in public, because if I needed to take a break and sit down, I could :) Crutches also wear me out so I definitely preferred the walker. 

• This shower seat was a life saver, I don't think I was fully weight bearing until about 6 weeks after my RPAO so showering wasn't going to happen without this seat. This is another one of those times that you have to accept that you can't do everything yourself, Noah had to help me shower, shave my legs and all that fun stuff, because I couldn't bend over to do it myself. 

• Most people may not have access to one of these, I'm not sure if you can buy them and attach them to your shower somehow, but this thing is awesome too! It allows you to shower without getting your incision wet and when you're seated in one position and can't move much it helps you get clean while sitting.

• Staying hydrated is so important all the time, but it doesn't hurt during recovery too. I got a water bottle that has measurements on it so that I could track how much water I'm drinking throughout the day. It also helps so you don't have to make multiple trips to get a cup of water and it has a lid so no need to worry about spilling! :)

• Of course it's important to stay entertained while laying in bed for weeks on end so I've decided to share some of my favorite ways to stay entertained! Smallville, Gilmore Girls and Halo are some of my favorite shows to watch and video game to play! Some of my other favorite series and movies that are on Netflix: Prison Break, Supernatural, Ink Masters, Silver Linings Playbook, Troy, Once Upon a Time. If you don't have netflix or some other avenue of watching TV shows on, I suggest you get it, it helped me a ton during recovery!!

These are just a few things that really helped me get through recovery successfully and I'll definitely be using them all again in about 21 days time!! Sending all my love to my fellow PAO warriors and remember you're not alone! 

:) Thanks for reading 

<3 B

Do the best you can.

I wasn't like other many other children who knew exactly what they wanted to be when they were older. I mean ya, being a rock star would be cool, but it wasn't my DREAM. It took me a lot of trial and error to figure out who and what I wanted to be. When I was 18 I realized how much I enjoyed exercise and decided I would pursue that fully. I started college pursuing a degree in exercise science and became a personal trainer, I then realized how much more I'd rather be in the gym then sitting in a classroom, so I dropped out of college after two years. Fast forward two more years to my life changing diagnosis of hip dysplasia, that was a world rocker. I don't think people understand when I say I had to grieve the loss of the old me. The old me died. I was no longer able to rely on my body as much as I had, I am no longer able to try anything and everything with money and opportunity being the only obstacles.

It makes me laugh sometimes when I tell people what's "wrong with me" and all they can say is, "you're too young for hip problems." Well that is definitely a true statement, I am too young, but alas I have hip problems so no need to backpedal. That's almost as good as, "oh, that's what German Shepard's have, right?" Why yes, I have the same hip problems as a dog. It doesn't bother me too much anymore, that's how people understand things in their perspective. I have come to terms with the fact that I will probably never be able to run again without pain, I've definitely come to terms with the fact that I'll never be able to weight lift like I used to, because my joints just can't take it. I am nervous to someday have kids, because I don't know how my pelvis will respond after being broken 3 ways on each side. It's definitely a rude awakening, but it's an awakening I've embraced. I lost my cat yesterday, who has been in my life since I was 12; when I say she's been in my life, I mean by my side constantly, she slept with me, hung out with me day in and day out for 12 years. Noah asked me if it was worse than surgery, because he knew how hard surgery was for me, I would take surgery 100 times over before I'd lose my cat.

What I'm trying to get at with this post is that it's important to adapt to the changes that life throws at you. Everyone knows that life is not easy, nor is it fair, but it is what you make of it. Instead of feeling sorry for myself and trying to continue with a lifestyle that I know isn't good for me mentally or physically, I decided to make a 180 degree change. Working out has taken a back seat, school has taken the front seat and it has been a good transition. I am looking forward to a career in criminal justice, I am looking forward to having a bright and amazing future with my boyfriend. As cheesy as it is, everything happens for a reason. If I wasn't diagnosed with hip dysplasia, I would be in the Air Force, and I'm sure that would have worked out the way it was supposed to, but I think I got a pretty sweet deal despite the pain and suffering that hip dysplasia brought.

Do the absolute best you can with what you're dealt. Use the resources and people around you to embrace your circumstances and turn them into positive outcomes. Instead of using my hip dysplasia as a crutch and an excuse of what I can't do, I will be able to say despite my hip dysplasia I was able to accomplish......

You got this! Be the warrior that we both know is inside of you.

<3 B

One week out

Here I am! I am one week out from my right PAO surgery, it's kind of hard to believe. in this blog I'm going to do my best to do a run down of what I've been through in the past week or so, so here goes :)

Last tuesday I headed to Salt Lake City to reunite with my boyfriend who I hadn't seen in 6 weeks. We had 2 amazing days together that really helped my pre-surgery anxiety. My parents arrived on wednesday the 18th of December and I had my pre-op appointment to make sure that all our i's were dotted and t's were crossed. We then went to PF Changs for my "last supper." That night I got very little sleep because of my anxiety and nerves. On the 19th we woke up at 5:45 am and headed to the hospital where I was checked in at 6:30, I was really tired and not the happiest person. By 8 o'clock, they had my IV in my hand and epidural in my back. I was wheeled off to surgery after giving my family lots of hugs and kisses. The next two hours I had no idea what happened, because I was knocked out. I woke up in the recovery room around 10 o'clock and felt pain in my right hip, I wasn't too sure what was going on, so I decided to ask the nurse by me when I would be going into surgery, "Your surgery is done, my dear." Insane! It had gone so fast, seemed like a split second to me, thank goodness for anesthesia. I was kept in the recovery room for a couple of hours to make sure that I was stable and then they took me to my hospital room where my amazing family was waiting.

The first couple of days were pretty pretty draining, but the pain was so under control it was pretty shocking. When the anesthesiologist told me about the epidural I was slightly nervous to get it, but I am so glad I did, it completely numbed me and I felt no pain whatsoever. My boyfriend was such an amazing nurse, he did pretty much everything I asked and was so good at helping keep me calm, especially with my family. The first night was pretty intense. The nurses wanted to make sure I was stable because I had surgery that day. I've always suffered with low blood pressure, my normal is usually 110/68, but my blood pressure the night of surgery was dropping even lower, the lowest I registered was a 68/40 so needless to say the nurses came in frequently to check my blood pressure. Every 30 minutes they came in to check vitals: blood pressure and heart rate. My blood pressure got so low, the doctors decided to give me multiple bags of fluids. I went through 4 bags of fluids and my blood pressure didn't increase, finally the nurse decided that my heart rate was 68 bpm and I wasn't showing any symptoms to cause concern. Needless to say I didn't get much sleep that night. The next morning I was cemented to the bed eating every meal, getting my meds and using my awesome bladder catheter. My family spent a lot of time with me, we watched Elf, played games, but mostly we talked and they got a kick out of me on my pain medications.

The next day my catheter was taken out and I was taught to use the toilet again, that was a bizarre experience for sure. The physical therapist worked with me every morning and afternoon and helped me walk further and further each day with a walker. I also wore these amazing compression pumps, compression stockings and a CPM machine. I was so impressed with the staff at the Utah Medical Center, they were so attentive, compassionate and friendly. I really felt a connection with each one of them and was told by many that I was their best patient and my family was so fun to be around, I'm sure they tell all patients that, but it made me feel good :). My doctor came in almost every day to check in on me and answer any questions that I may have. On friday they took my epidural out which was my least favorite thing, because the doctor that took it out didn't communicate that she was taking it out to my nurse that day, so she had no idea to increase my pain medications. The pain was pretty excruciating. Finally they got my pain under control and a doctor told me that it was likely that I could be discharged on Saturday 12/21, this was shocking to me, because I thought I wouldn't be able to leave till at least Christmas Eve. We were discharged on Sunday the 22nd and flew home at around 3pm. The plane ride was pretty uncomfortable, but being that it was only an hour and a half made it bearable.

I am back home now and have had a great last couple of days. I spent the night with my boyfriends family on Christmas Eve and had an amazing Christmas yesterday with my family and boyfriend. Each day has had it's challenges, but I am so blessed to be home and healthy. My range of motion in the surgery leg is pretty great being a week out from surgery. I have yet to see my scar, because I need to leave my bandage on until next thursday when I see my doctor. I am slowly decreasing my pain meds and getting great sleep. My dad and I have started the Lord of the Rings trilogy and have been chipping away at it everyday. I am so pleasantly surprised at how smooth and painless this process has been. I was so anxious and scared of all of this could go, but none of my fears have come to be a reality.

I feel so lucky for all the love and support I have gotten. God is so good :) Here are some pictures of the process :)

"Last supper" at PF Changs before surgery (Noah and I)

Before surgery

IV in 

After surgery, feeling good!

My Rock!

After surgery, all loopy with my stuffed animals :) 

My compression pumps and stylish dress :)

Sister and boyfriend :) 

My A team :) Mom Sister Noah me and Daddy

One of my amazing nurses Courtney, such a happy and lovely lady!

Heading to the airport from the hospital

Marooned in the kitchen/living room for Christmas dinner :)

Merry Christmas from my beautiful family :)

My love and I

:) Hope this helps someone! I'll be sure to post as the weeks go on and more things happen! 

Testing testing... 1.. 2.. 3..

I never thought preparing for a surgery could be so stressful (I joke). I guess it comes with the territory of preparing for a PAO, but the past month or so has been pretty intense. Being that I'm having my surgery in Salt Lake City, Utah, I wanted to have my body checked out here in Albuquerque before I flew out for the surgery to make sure that everything was good for the surgery. I have been having a few dizzy spells and fainting episodes the past couple of months and thought it may be time to address it, my doctor decided to send me to a cardiologist to check my heart out. After wearing a heart monitor for 24 hours, having multiple EKG's as well as an echocardiogram the doctor decided I needed a tilt table test. What a horrible test to put people through, pretty much the point of the test is to cause you to pass out to see how your body responds before, during and after. I was hooked up to an IV just in case they needed to administer medication and the test began... This is the angle that I was brought up to:

After the nurse tilted the table up, I started to feel sweaty, nauseated and just yucky, it took me 15 minutes to pass out, what a horrible feeling. I literally blacked out, all I could see were white spots all around me and I heard the nurse telling me to stay calm, that she was there and everything would be fine. After sweating like I just ran a marathon, she gave me some saline and let me lay on the table until I felt ok. My cardiologist doctor then came in and talked to me and told me that the condition I have is not life threatening, that there are medicinal options that I could try, but she advised that I should be intaking more water. Because I have such a big surgery coming up, we both decided that this wasn't a priority to deal with at the moment, but she reassured me that it wasn't as big of a deal as I thought and gave me the go ahead for surgery. Glad that ordeal is over!

I am now 5 days out from my RPAO and I feel okay. Some moments I'm freaking out, others I am calm and ready to be done with it. I think the thing that freaks me out most is that I am completely mobile right now, able to do things for myself, in 5 days I will be completely immobile and completely reliant on others. It's a hard pill to swallow (pun intended.) I wanted to make a list of things that have been the most helpful to me personally to prepare me for this whole process, so here goes:

1. I noticed my hip problem over a year and a half ago, I was extremely active at that time, but began to notice how detrimental being so obsessed with exercising was becoming to my life. It has taken me maybe a year, but I have come to peace with the fact that I can't really be active at the moment, I have gotten pretty used to having a somewhat sedentary lifestyle so I think that may be one less thing to get me down during recovery. 

2. I am a home body, I very much enjoy my time alone and would most of the time prefer to stay home and watch a UFC fight, a good movie or even write blogs and clean my room (weird I know.) I know being at home for long periods of time will be difficult, but I know it is critical to my healing process and will be very thoughtful of that. 

3. I have such an amazing support system around me, I don't have tons of friends, but the ones I do have are so unbelievable. My family have been so good to me through this process as well, I am not fortunate enough to be able to sustain a full time job, because of my hip issues and my parents have been nice enough to allow me to live in their house until I'm back up on my feet. I have a dream come true boyfriend, he is flying to Utah to go through the process with me and will be coming back to take care of me after surgery, I haven't seen him in months so it's an understatement to say I'm excited to see him :) 

4. I have found many women who have gone through this process before and even though a lot of people say not to go on the internet, not to read into things too much because it'll freak you out, it has been such a blessing to find support groups and blogs. I am a very plan oriented person and I do really well with mental preparation before I face something. My mentality for this surgery is to expect the absolute worst so that I can be prepared for that. If I expect that it will all be unicorns and rainbows, it's going to be a rude awakening when things aren't that at all. 

5. My bodybuilding definitely helped teach me determination and never giving up, I carry those characteristics with me every single day and without them, I guarantee I would have given up by now. 

6. God, having God by my side gives me so much strength it blows my mind at times.  I used to be the person who didn't understand how people could rely on someone who they've never seen, change their lives for someone that a lot of people don't believe in. Faith is a strong reason why I've gotten through the past year and a half. This process has been depressing, completely life wrecking, but having that higher power to rely on and know that He has a path for me has given me all the hope in the world. I never try to tell people what to believe in, that's not my place, but for me, it has been very important through such a rough period in my life to have someone to rely on that I know will always be there. 

These are just a few things that have gotten me through this beginning process.. we'll see if they get me through the real tough stuff. I'm hopeful! 

I recorded a video last weekend that I'm a little apprehensive to share, but I think it's important to get the real truth out and how I'm really feeling. I get a little emotional at the end so prepare yourself for that, and I ask that you don't judge me, it takes a lot of guts to share all of this. I hope that I can help one person like others have been able to help me!

Link to my video:

http://youtu.be/Lm41UbNc2k4

Thanks for reading :)