The year 2011 started off alright... This was my first year (school
year) with an actual full salaried position. Heck, I even received a
signing bonus! So we spent said bonus, we - being the
family (husband and 2 kids - one boy, one girl) on a
trip to Hawaii, to dig out of the long, cold Alaskan winter.
We
returned with several days left of break and spent it at our cabin.
Days full of snow-machining, hot cocoa (with Baileys) and fun. On New
Year's Day (this should have been my clue for the upcoming 365), I slipped on the icy stairs
at the cabin and landed on my wrist - breaking the scafoid bone in my
hand. I went back to work with a cast on my hand and the beginning of a
never-ending cold.
After a couple months of feeling horrible and multiple failed anti-biotic courses,
my primary care doc sent me for my first MRI which revealed a
stupid-crazy-stubborn sinus infection and... An Arnold Chiari Brain
Malformation. A random thing where part of your cerebelum, your
cerebular tonsils, hangs down too far in the space of your spinal
column. It cause headaches... problems with your vision, balance/gait issues... etc...
So now I have a reason for my clumsiness right? :) Silver lining...
Well that whole ordeal actually took months. I was sick from January to April before the MRI and its miraculous discoveries. I was put on a 6 week regime of painfully large antibiotics and continued on with my summer.
Well prior to this evil sinus infection, I was a runner... Not a great runner, not a fast runner, but someone who loved to put on a good playlist, head outside, and run til her worries seemed less stressful or her legs gave out. I had done several small triathlons (not Iron-Man by any means), a handful of 5ks, and one Half-Marathon. I ENJOYED my running time. So when I could no longer breathe and didn't have an extra ounce of energy, beyond climbing the stairs to my bedroom at the end of the day, it felt crappy, REALLY CRAPPY. Once the antibiotics did their job and I was returning to my old self - I also returned to running. I told myself to train all summer and my plan was to sign up for another half-marathon at the end of the summer in August.
I had to start off a little slow (since I had taken about 5 months off). I very quickly worked my way back up to 3-3.5 miles at least every other day, if not daily. I was getting my groove back and feeling great... until July 19th.
I was running near my house. My hip felt a little achy. This had happened maybe a couple times in the past couple years... so not regularly, more like rarely. I sat down after about a mile to kinda stretch it out a bit. Then I got up and continued to run..........until, mid-stride, I felt a horrible ripping pain in my hip area - which brought me to the sidewalk. I limped my way back home (another .5 mile) and by the time I got to my front door, I was crying and couldn't make it up the stairs. I had to crawl up, dragging my right leg behind me.
Long story short (or trying to be short, this is already long)... I ended up going to a Urgent Care where I was told it was likely a torn muscle - 2 weeks on crutches and here are some painkillers & muscle relaxers.
That visit led to a visit with an Orthopedic Physician's Assistant for follow-up. I also had 8 weeks of physical therapy which didn't help. Although, learning that such a thing as an underwater treadmill exists - is kind of awesome. PA ordered x-rays, an MRI, a diagnostic numbing injection (no cortisone just a numbing agent to help decide if the pain was located in the joint) and an MRI arthrogram (with contrast). The likely culprit - a labral tear. This is a tear in the cushy cartilage that cushions your hip joint, kind of like the meniscus for your knee (this is how it was explained to me). I was referred to a great Dr. for a scope (arthroscopic surgery) to repair the labrum.
When I met this Dr. he looked over my films and ordered more x-rays - weight bearing & false profiles. This led to the shocking moment when he informed me that I had hip dysplasia on my right hip. My acetabulum is shallow and the head of my femur is large so my actual hip joint was not structurally sound or supported by anything other than my soft tissues (ligaments, cartilage & muscles), which had been under severe stress daily and running likely caused the whole system to fail (this = labral tear).
So no scope for me - instead I am the lucky recipient in need of a extremely more intense surgery called a Periacetabular Osteotomy or PAO. This is considered a hip preservation surgery where they essentially break my pelvis surgically, rotate it to better support itself, and screw/pin it in place while I recover, which is essentially sitting around growing new bone. This surgery is supposed to have a great success rate and reduces the likelihood that I will need a Total Hip Replacement in the next 8-10 years (which was my prognosis if I don't have the PAO).
So this blog... it is to help me understand and get through all the information about my body and mind - both which appear to be .... structurally unsound.
Thanks for tuning in......
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