My Hip Story - Unabridged

I was 12, that was 9 years ago. I actually can tell you dates. On March 20th I was at school and we had won penny wars so we got an ice cream party (yay middle school). For some reason, I got there and I couldn't sit, I couldn't stand either. I was in so much pain all I could do was cry.

Of course my parents were not answering their phones - more tears - so my neighbor (my 2nd mom) came and picked me up.

Originally the orthopedist thought I had pulled my hamstring - which made sense since that was where the pain was and I had played football with my dad that past weekend.

Well...cut to April 1st: after days of agony, MRI's where they had to tape my feet together because my right one started to turn out, and no luck, my mom took me to the hospital. My neighbor describes it as..the worst pain she's ever seen anybody in.

I had to scoot down the stairs. My dad helped me descend on my bottom one stair at a time. Because of the tremendous pain that worsened with movement, my neighbor had to hold my leg as still as possible with a pillow. She described it as a scream so loud that I just went silent.

Reason why this happened: an invasive MRSA infection had somehow made its way into my body and settled in my hip joint and femur.

They managed to get me to the children's hospital right after I went septic - I rode in an ambulance and the EMT refused to use the siren - he was quite the jerk.

As soon as I got to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, I had a surgery to clear out the infection (which hadn't been declared MRSA at this point). About a week later they sent me home.
A week after that I saw my surgeon, Dr. Dennis DeVito. He saw I was still in a wheel chair and just sent me straight to the hospital. I then had 7 more surgeries, a wound vacuum, and lived in the hospital for 6 weeks.

The most I remember from the hospital was my family friends the Engs visiting - but only when I decided I needed to poop, Mr. Rosing sitting on my bed and sending me into the silent scream of unbearable pain, and telling my mom a joke (How do you make a tissue dance? You put a little boogie in it!)

It took me 2 years, home physical therapy, out of home physical therapy, and aquatic therapy at the YMCA to be able to walk again. I used a wheel chair, a walker, crutches, and a cane before I was able to walk on my own. 


It was odd at first. I felt like I should just be able to get up and walk, I wanted to try, I knew I should be able to do it - I didn't try, because I knew I couldn't.

And well..now I'm diagnosed with Crohn's Disease and have a hip that makes even the most seasoned doctors cringe when they look at the x-ray. 


Plus side..my life is changing and while I'm scared shitless, I cannot wait to live my life to the fullest potential I know it has. And through all of this I have my family, my best friends, and my team of doctors to thank..and I will never be able to thank them enough.


I love you all more than I'll ever be able to express.


P.S. Look at my bucket list and leave a comment telling me what I should do with my new hip!