jasminesmom
member
My daughter had been limping for months (normal weight at 12 years and very sporty). Doc said growing pain but it wasn't! She slipped in school, diagnosed with severe slipped upper femoral epiphysis. Four weeks in hospital, four large screws and months of rehabilitation. Movement loss and flagged up to surgeon about pain.
Year later, no improvement, surgery to take screws out, steroid injection into joint. Relief for approx 6 weeks. Back to hospital in pain, unable to do any sports or walk around town with her friends and takes more pain killers than her grannies. I am told that her bone is still healthy but her joints have collapsed and cartilage has thinned. Not sure if this is the same joint/cartilage because we have very little time with her surgeon and communication is quite poor.
Basically we have been back and fourth to her surgeon many times over the past two years and what could go wrong has and is going wrong. My daughter Jasmine has a leg length difference of 2.5cm which makes her walk with a bad limp. Surgeon said they would rectify this if it got to 2.5cm which it quickly did after her initial surgery. I think this is because her joint collapsed and cartilage has thinned but I'm given very little info about any of it.
She has been in almost constant pain and becomes upset almost every day that she can't join in with every day activities with her friends and sports. she was a keen surfer and loved running around.
jasmine had the four screws removed 9 months ago but this did not improve her limp or her pain. When she has overdone it (walked around town for a couple of hours) she can barely walk or put any weight on her leg and has to take painkillers and rest for the next day. I took a video of how she walked and showed it to her surgeon. More scans, more steroids and we were told that Jasmine needs a new hip - great ! At last she can be pain free and regain some normal teenage life.
Oh yes, nearly forgot, I have been trying to get them to address her leg length and were told that she could have an op in good leg that would inhibit the growth in the hope that the bad leg would catch it up and make up the difference. She can't wear nice shoes/flip flops etc and as you can imagine this is a BIG issue for a teenage girl. Now they said they had left it too late for that and she had stopped growing despite my continued requests for info about this from the beginning (now two years). Soooo, surgeon said that with a new hip they could make it longer on one side to level her out.
In July she was told by surgeon and registrar that she needed a new hip and that was going to be the only way she would be pain free and lead a normal life. She had a scan a few weeks ago and I rang to find out what was happening. I would like to organise a family holiday and make sure her schooling is sorted out.
So I rang to speak to surgeon. Secretary informed me that no appointment is due until February which is a normal 6 month follow up. I became upset at this and asked about the hip replacement and what time frame would we be looking at. Was informed that registrar doesn't want her to have hip replacement because she is too young. Too young for what ?
They already told me she has stopped growing. I have told them until I'm blue in the face how much pain she is in, how sometimes she can't weight bear, can't ride a bike, can't reach her foot to put her sock on etc etc. I have told them about the quality of her life and her increasing withdrawal from her peers and lack of confidence etc. I don't know where to turn or what to do. How long does she have to wait? Why is she waiting? what can I do?
Year later, no improvement, surgery to take screws out, steroid injection into joint. Relief for approx 6 weeks. Back to hospital in pain, unable to do any sports or walk around town with her friends and takes more pain killers than her grannies. I am told that her bone is still healthy but her joints have collapsed and cartilage has thinned. Not sure if this is the same joint/cartilage because we have very little time with her surgeon and communication is quite poor.
Basically we have been back and fourth to her surgeon many times over the past two years and what could go wrong has and is going wrong. My daughter Jasmine has a leg length difference of 2.5cm which makes her walk with a bad limp. Surgeon said they would rectify this if it got to 2.5cm which it quickly did after her initial surgery. I think this is because her joint collapsed and cartilage has thinned but I'm given very little info about any of it.
She has been in almost constant pain and becomes upset almost every day that she can't join in with every day activities with her friends and sports. she was a keen surfer and loved running around.
jasmine had the four screws removed 9 months ago but this did not improve her limp or her pain. When she has overdone it (walked around town for a couple of hours) she can barely walk or put any weight on her leg and has to take painkillers and rest for the next day. I took a video of how she walked and showed it to her surgeon. More scans, more steroids and we were told that Jasmine needs a new hip - great ! At last she can be pain free and regain some normal teenage life.
Oh yes, nearly forgot, I have been trying to get them to address her leg length and were told that she could have an op in good leg that would inhibit the growth in the hope that the bad leg would catch it up and make up the difference. She can't wear nice shoes/flip flops etc and as you can imagine this is a BIG issue for a teenage girl. Now they said they had left it too late for that and she had stopped growing despite my continued requests for info about this from the beginning (now two years). Soooo, surgeon said that with a new hip they could make it longer on one side to level her out.
In July she was told by surgeon and registrar that she needed a new hip and that was going to be the only way she would be pain free and lead a normal life. She had a scan a few weeks ago and I rang to find out what was happening. I would like to organise a family holiday and make sure her schooling is sorted out.
So I rang to speak to surgeon. Secretary informed me that no appointment is due until February which is a normal 6 month follow up. I became upset at this and asked about the hip replacement and what time frame would we be looking at. Was informed that registrar doesn't want her to have hip replacement because she is too young. Too young for what ?
They already told me she has stopped growing. I have told them until I'm blue in the face how much pain she is in, how sometimes she can't weight bear, can't ride a bike, can't reach her foot to put her sock on etc etc. I have told them about the quality of her life and her increasing withdrawal from her peers and lack of confidence etc. I don't know where to turn or what to do. How long does she have to wait? Why is she waiting? what can I do?