Shar's Hip

We were just thinking today...

Some folks haven't seen us much in the last year or 2 and maybe need a play by play on why we're going for surgery for Sharlene in Saskatchewan in 2 months.

Shar has hip dysplasia. If you google it, you'll find more references to it for dogs than people! It is a congential condition (she was born with it) and in some kids they find it early and are able to work on it so that it does not need replacing until into senior adulthood. They didn't know Shar had it when she was a kid.

When Elijah was born, Shar's left hip started to hurt during and after pregnancy. We read that it was normal and likely due to a "loosening" of the hip during pregnancy. It never really got better and would espescially hurt when she put Elijah on her hip and walked around.

After 2 more kids, the hip would ache sometimes, but not alot and not very intensely. When we moved to Loon Lake, SK (2003) She went to the Dr. who would give her cortisone shots saying that it was bursitis. It only got worse, but it was not painful all the time, just mostly after a long day on her feet.

Think of a circle that starts in your inseam, and goes around the upper part of your leg to your lower behind area...

In 2003 Shar would occasionally get pain in the mid behind region (Back pocket area) - only deep in the hip joint.

By 2005 Shar was getting pain there almost all the time whether she was on her feet lots or not.

By Spring 2006 she started using a cane, but usually only after work, or after walking lots, espescially on stairs or hills. The pain also started to spread occasionally to the mid part of the hip- around where your cell phone sits.

By Fall 2006 the pain was in both of those places all the time and would occasionally spread to the lower-inseam area ( front pocket area) when she worked lots. She would use her cane after work about half the time.

By Winter 2006-2007 the pain was in her back end and cellphone part of her hip all the time and most of the time in her inseam. She used her cane almost all of the time and the pain was constant and throbbing.

Since March, She is in contant pain, has trouble getting throughout the house without her cane and lots of times has trouble sleeping because of the intense, throbbing pain.

July 9th she goes in for hip replacement surgery, which is good, because if we waited until next year, there is a good possibility she would be unable to walk by then, it has progressed so rapidly in the last year.

We covet your prayers as we return, as Shar ges for surgery and recovers in Turtleford at our friends the Stein's house.

We are thankful that we were able to keep our Saskatchewan Health Insurance for this time so that we are able to go back and get the surgery! Praise God that we have good dates, a place for her to recover and something for the boys and I to do in the meantime (Camp-speaking!)

Blessings until next time,

Mike





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