Sep 21 Limping after Spica and Salters Osteotomy. #DDH

Last Friday we spent the day in hospital as DDH still haunts our lives. Erin has been doing so well, her walking was really fluid and the limp was not noticeable. It all changed last week when Erin started complaining of knee pain, after an emergency doctors appointment we were sent to the children’s ward where they could see the pain she was in. I know the limp can remain for up to a year post Salters, but what concerns me is that the limp had gone and now it is back.

The staff were fabulous with Erin as usual. She had bloods done (a task in itself with her chubby hands and non existance veins), x rays and finally an ultrasound that all came back fine. We didn’t see her consultant as he was in theatre but an SHO was following his orders. After hanging around for hours one of the lovely nurses even managed to rustle up fish and chips for Erin as she was hungry! We finally left some 6 hours after arriving. I left feeling reassured but also reminded that DDH doesn’t just disappear.

One week on I now feel at a loss – I hope beyond hope that it is ‘just’ muscular. Thankfully she doesn’t seem in pain anymore, but more and more people are noticing the limp. It is becoming quite pronounced and I just have that gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach. Today we got a letter as her surgeon wants to see her. I am frightened by what this means. I hope he is just wanting to reassure me, to tell me to calm down, give it time. Tell me to enjoy her new found freedom and not dwell on the past. But my over active imagination is already wondering if he saw something in the Xray that isn’t so good. Did the SHO miss something? I have rung the hospital today but can’t get hold of the secretary I need. I am desperate to know whether the consultant saw the xrays last Friday as he was in theatre or if he has looked at them since and wants to see Erin because something is not right. More waiting and still the irony remains that this is mimicking the same chasing and appointments we were doing this time last year. Erin was diagnosed on September 16th and Erin first went into Spica in the October ironically the same day as this appointment is scheduled for. 

My gorgeous girl loves life and lives it well at the moment.  Although I don’t compare Erin to her peers in a ‘is she behind’ way it is still hard to see watch how much DDH holds her back.  I long to see her running, jumping and keeping up with her friends, not dropping to her knees to get in and out of door ways or holding on two walls when she is walking.

Here is where we are at right now

I find it so frustrating that there is so little advice and knowledge out there about DDH especially the post cast time. I know lots about spica care and the various operations but there is very little available about what to expect after treatment.