Editor’s note: Milana Herrera , 8th grader, underwent major hip surgery — an experience that kept her out of school for an extended period of time. She shares some of her experience here.

January

On January 29th I had a PAO (periacetabular osteotomy) to correct my hip dysplasia. Hip dysplasia is where your hip socket is to shallow for the ball of your hip giving you to much range of motion that inflicts a lot of pain and stress on the cartilage around your hip making it wear down causes degeneration in the hip so you’ll need a artificial hip in your 20’s rather than your 70’s and 80’s.

How the surgery is performed is they make about a three inch incision right were your pelvis and hip meet, (bikini line) dislodging the hip and hip socket from the pelvis rotate it and screw it in with three to four screws.

The surgery took four and a half hours.  (went in the operating room at 7:30 and went into recovery at 1145) When I woke up they were pulling the air tube from my throat, pulling out one of my main IV’s in my right wrist (which hurt a lot !) taking the stickers off of my chest they use to check vitals. After that, I was moved to the PEDS floor where I later stayed for five nights.

The second day PO (post operation) I was taken off my IV’s and given oral medicine. Two hours after receiving percocet I received oxycontin and had an allergic reaction…. I became lethargic and almost had a code blue called. After an hour or so I working on me I was back to normal… I blacked out a lot don’t really remember anything. I was then taken off of oral medicine and put back on IV’s with over-the-counter Motrin…. I was told I had to stay in the hospital the rest of the week.  

February

I stayed at the hospital from January 29th ’till February 2nd. I stayed a day later than expected due to my allergic reaction. Since I’ve been released from the hospital I’ve been doing good, very little to no pain. I’ve had one check up since the surgery and I’m due for my second check up on the 20th of march to get off my crutches; luckily three days before my birthday….. I can get up and move around easily I can go to stores, just very difficult to stand for long period of time.

March

On March 20th I went to get x-rays to see if my screw is filling in my bone. I then went to see the doctor and he said I’m basically healed rather than an average person takes up to 3 months to fully heal….Dr. Schmitz said since I was so young, healthy and very athletic I should up in half the time as an average person.

He then cleared me of my crutches I thought the day would never come but when it did I didn’t throw my crutches out the window and start walking a marathon like I planned too.When i finally ask if I could walk he said yes I was nervous I would collapse or my screws would shatter. After about fifteen minutes of waiting and gaining the courage to walk I finally take a step I feel very wobbly and it feels as if a child is hanging on my leg when I walk.

The doctor said to just use one crutch until I feel confident enough to walk. I walked out of the hospital and then I really hated the crutches so I just decided to walk on my own. It was a very bad idea but I didn’t care I just wanted to be off them. I’m now back at school better than ever walking from class to class.