Right PAO

2019 – Hardware Removal, Bilateral Scopes, Right PAO, Hardware Removal

Early in the year we did extra- and then intra- articular injections to try and locate the source of the left hip joint pain. With the three metal screws in there, we couldn’t do an MRI; it wouldn’t yield a clean image. Ultimately, we decided to redo the left hip scope at the same time we began working on the right hip – same day bilateral hip scopes! Maybe I’m exceptionally weird, but this idea excited me.

But first the screws had to come out.

March 2019 – Hardware Removal #1

I did this 100% anesthesia free with just a touch of lidocaine at the incision site. It was a cool experience! At the end, while still in the OR, my doctor asked me why I chose to do it that way. Nobody had ever done that before. I told him that I didn’t feel that it was necessary, that it didn’t seem like something that rose to that level. It felt like big dental work, hot like moving wood screws, but not painful. But the question caught me off guard so I didn’t get to fully explain what I felt and went away thinking about it for some time, seeking to fully understand it for myself.

I can see it all clearly now. In surgery you are asleep, the work is being done to you, and you are unaware, not participating, not a witness, just the physical subject. You don’t get to understand what has happened. You don’t get to appreciate the mastery and excellence of your doctor. You cannot comprehend the ingredients. Therefore, you can’t completely visualize the healing and outcome.

I’ve always asked a lot of questions before surgeries to understand the approach and process, but that’s all I can get. For me, understanding how things work is a key part of who I am. In regards to surgeries and healing, it enables me to visualize what is happening and channel my energy accurately. With the hardware removal, I got to be fully present and participate, witness, feel, close the gap that is left with being asleep in surgery. Not that I didn’t believe any of this was real, but actually seeing and feeling the hardware come out made this entire process more tangible and that I was part of the team. Plus, it was exciting!

This was my way of getting closer – moving from “this thing happening to me” to “this thing happening with and for me.” This shift in perspective helps me take more ownership of it all and work more effectively afterwards toward the best outcome.

It was most excellent to walk out the door afterwards, fully alert, energized, badass. I drove myself to Whole Foods afterwards for breakfast, screws in my hip pocket rather than my actual hip. Check out these pretty jewels:

April 2019 – Bilateral hip scopes

The left scope was for repairing whatever was going on. (We did an MRI after the screws came out, but answers weren’t obvious.) The right scope was to repair labral tears and other damage, and assess for necessity of a PAO – was the joint damage due to dysplasia, or could we get away with not doing a PAO? This was a long day, and ultimately the decision was made that we’d need to do the 2nd PAO.

May 2019 – Right PAO

At least I didn’t have to wait long! Boom! Back into PAO recovery mode.

And then back into “what is going on with these hip capsules” mode. Both hips were tightening and scarring, more as time went on. My ROM was going to crap, but at least this time I was symmetrical. (!) We did a lot of injections, new MRIs, PT PT PT, but nothing was helping. The entire year of 2019 was packed full of appointments, PT, diagnostic testing, injections, and deeply furrowed eyebrows.

November 2019 – Hardware removal #2

Again, anesthesia free.

More jewels:

2019 was productive but problematic. On to 2020…

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