Post by kazza on Jun 4, 2008 5:58:05 GMT -5
I was diagnosed with Perthes at age 13 - very odd in Australia to have a girl diagnosed let alone a 13 year old! Mum took me to heaps of doctors, each diagnosis different - from growing pains to bursitis to cancer scares. We had lots of doctors visits before a very good Paediatrician knew why I was feeling so much pain - Perthes Disease or degeneration of the hip bone.
So for me, the option of traction or surgery was just out of the question. I was 13 not 5. I knew what was happening. I told my parents no to both and thank goodness they agreed.
My treatment was 1 year of no sport (which in itself was enough punishment as I was a very active girl). Actually it was no activity at all other than limping around. In only 1 year of no sport, my muscle tone in my leg was so bad I couldn't lift it up. Then after a year, my bike became my best friend. It was a type of physio which I needed. So in a total opposite of what I was told, I started to cycle, I did sport and gym (as much as I could bear with the pain) until my muscles improved so much that they seemed to support my hip. It did take years, actually a lot of years, but throughout it all, I kept up my activity - even through the pain.
I still had a limp and sometimes it was very very painful, but looking back it was the best thing I did - keep my muscles active, but without tooo much impact. My hip bone on xray doesn't look so flash, but I am 33 years old with practically no limp at all and have 2 gorgeous kiddies (my son is 3 and my daughter 3 months). On that note, both were naturally conceived and naturally delivered with no problems.
I do pray that they do not have this problem, and I would be very reluctant to put them in traction or operate.
Although there is no splits for this ballerina and the possibility of a hip replacement is inevitable, life is good.
Kaz
So for me, the option of traction or surgery was just out of the question. I was 13 not 5. I knew what was happening. I told my parents no to both and thank goodness they agreed.
My treatment was 1 year of no sport (which in itself was enough punishment as I was a very active girl). Actually it was no activity at all other than limping around. In only 1 year of no sport, my muscle tone in my leg was so bad I couldn't lift it up. Then after a year, my bike became my best friend. It was a type of physio which I needed. So in a total opposite of what I was told, I started to cycle, I did sport and gym (as much as I could bear with the pain) until my muscles improved so much that they seemed to support my hip. It did take years, actually a lot of years, but throughout it all, I kept up my activity - even through the pain.
I still had a limp and sometimes it was very very painful, but looking back it was the best thing I did - keep my muscles active, but without tooo much impact. My hip bone on xray doesn't look so flash, but I am 33 years old with practically no limp at all and have 2 gorgeous kiddies (my son is 3 and my daughter 3 months). On that note, both were naturally conceived and naturally delivered with no problems.
I do pray that they do not have this problem, and I would be very reluctant to put them in traction or operate.
Although there is no splits for this ballerina and the possibility of a hip replacement is inevitable, life is good.
Kaz
