Patient Stories

Ryleigh’s Story

Ever since my daughter began walking I have questioned her pediatricians about her waddling gait and both said that she would grow out of it. Fast forward to when she briefly attended a new school about 2 months ago and the teacher asked me on her first day what was wrong with her…. I scoffed of course saying nothing.. Her doctor suggested she would grow out of it.

But that comment haunted me. No one had said anything to me since when she first started walking sooo I assumed that all was fine. It was just how God made her different.

So I made an appointment with a new pediatrician to finally end my crazed idea that there may be something wrong. I even had to convince her to get the refferal for the next level of an ortho eval.

Still when we went I still did not see coming what happened. He sent us down for an x-ray and when we came back up and he looked at them… there was a long silence. When he finally told me ‘Her hips are dislocated’ My literal thought was (oh.. well that makes sense I think… I wonder what he does, just stick her on the table and pop them back in?)

That thought was quickly forgotten as he began to describe to me what the procedure is for this age of a child with this disorder. In fact he has never seen it in a child as old as she is. Every time I think about any of this it makes me feel sick to my stomach. I am having a very difficult time with accepting this and accepting what seems to be the only solution for her which is imminent surgery.

He is at an orthopedic confernce this week and brought her x-rays to consult with others and we are going back in a couple of weeks to discuss a treatment plan I guess.

I am so upset by all of this and don’t know where to turn. Has anyone gone through this with an oder child?

Is there any one that has had treatment later in life as opposed to this young?

I just don’t know what to do.

Thank you!!