Pre-PAO Surgery

My husband and I starting dating in December 2007.  Around the same time, I started experiencing pain in my right hip every so often.  It wasn't a consistent pain so I didn't think much of it, and thought that it was possibly a nerve.  As the years progressed, so did the pain and frequency.  I also started to experience pain in my left hip as well, but I just thought I was going crazy!  I continued to live in denial because I was so young and I didn't believe that anything could be wrong with my hips.  I ended up having two beautiful little boys, our first was born in August 2010 and our second was born May 2012!  During my second pregnancy, if I squeezed my hips together I could feel them pop out of place and pop back.  At the time, I just made the excuse that I was getting close to delivering my son, so it had to be my hips expanding.  In June 2012, my Dad was experiencing hip pain as well and went to the doctor to have it checked.  He has always avoided the doctor unless there was a good reason to go.  I am just as stubborn as my Dad when it comes to going to the doctor.  But, I finally gave in and decided I should probably just have them checked.  First, I found a Primary Care Physician (Dr. ET) and made the appointment.  Dr. ET ended up taking X-rays and found that my Pelvic Bone never developed all the way when I was born.  She then referred me to an Orthopedic Surgeon (Dr. WD).  Dr. WD reviewed the X-rays that the Dr. ET took and also took a few more to see my left hip.  He then diagnosed me with Bilateral Congenital Hip Dysplasia in July 2012, and told me that I would need a reconstructive surgery called Periacetabular Osteotomy (PAO).  Unfortunately, none of the Orthopedic Surgeons at his practice could do the surgery.  He referred me to a doctor at Northwestern University Medical College in Illinois, but my insurance would not cover an out-of- state procedure unless it was an Emergency.  I called Dr. WD back up and he then found a doctor in Madison, WI.  I called the doctor in Madison several times to set an appointment, but every time I called they stated that the referral wasn't approved yet.  This went on for months, but I was persistent and just kept calling to follow up.  Finally, in November 2012, I was fed up and I search for a doctor myself!  I found Dr. JS, who practices at Froedtert Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW).  Dr. JS started at MCW in September 2012, as he just came back from studying Hip Preservation and Reconstruction at the University of Bern, Switzerland (directly where the PAO procedure was created).  After doing a lot of research I decided that Dr. JS was the doctor that I wanted to do the surgery so I made an appointment in November 2012.  During the appointment he took more X-rays and confirmed my condition.  Dr. JS was very thorough and made sure that I understood my options. He highly recommended that I get two reconstructive PAO procedures, one on each side (that the prior orthopedic surgeon discussed).  The next option was that I could continue to live my life in pain and would ultimately end up getting an artificial hip replacement in my 30's.  Even though I was prepared for the appointment and knew my options (as I did a lot of research after seeing Dr. WD), it was still hard knowing that I have two kids at home and how I was going to get through this.  I explained my situation to Dr. JS and that I was still breastfeeding my youngest child.  He told me that there was not a rush and that I could wait a few months if I would like.   I couldn't believe how much he worked with me and didn't push me to give him an immediate answer.  He encouraged me to go home and take some time to think about my options.  That was exactly what I did!  After a lot of thought, I decided that I wanted to get the PAO surgery as it will preserve my hips, and will have nothing artificial except the screws (which can be removed).  But, it was too important for my son to continue breastfeeding until he was closer to one years old, so I waited and I decided to get the first surgery done in March 2013.  My youngest son isn't quite one yet, but I know that the faster I get the surgery done, the more mobile I can be for my boys!  I have an appointment scheduled to meet with Dr. JS on March 4, 2013 to get more X-rays done and then schedule the PAO procedure.  I am very nervous for the next steps, but I can't wait to be able to start walking without pain and a limp!  I will give updates periodically in hopes to help someone else who may be going through this as well.