Lily

Hey HIPpies, today we are excited to introduce you to Lily.

Lily is a 17-year-old #hipwarrior from the UK – and here is her story, in her own words. 💚

“I was diagnosed with Hip Dysplasia at birth after being born by cesarean due to my placement. I was breech and weighed 10lbs 2oz.

I had three surgeries by the time I was 2 years old – 2 on my right hip and 1 on my left – as well as a spiker.

After my operations, I spent months in a cast from my ankles up to my chest and then had yearly check-ups and x-rays.

At 11, I was discharged completely as my hips were both developing normally.

At 14 I began experiencing some really severe pain in my right hip. It became more frequent and intense to a point where it was bothering me every day. I also had an extremely clicky hip when I woke up, and with every step I took, there would be a sound!

I was put on a list to have my right PAO surgery as soon as I could, however, due to Covid the wait lists were very long. I got moved into private and after 2 years of waiting, I had my surgery at 17 years old.

I am now 5 months post op! The surgery and recovery has been really tough and I've put a lot of work into getting better – but I'm so glad I have done it.

I already feel so much better and my pain has decreased so much from before. I work 12 hours a week in retail where I can be walking for hours at a time non stop, and I even go to the gym!

My results have taken so much hard work. It's not easy at all, but it is absolutely worth it!

It is likely that in the future I will need hip replacements, but this most recent operation has prevented me from having them in my 20s. It's more likely that I will have them in my 40s.

Hip replacements need to be re-done every 10-15 years so it's really good that I have extra time before I start having them.

I hope this helps someone going through something similar or even just to help people understand. Thank you so much x”

– Lily 🌸