According to the Hospital - hip dysplasia (DDH) is an abnormal development of the hip joint. The hip socket is too shallow to hold the ball at the top of the thighbone and results in subluxation and/or dislocation of the hip.
According to me - hip dysplasia is a horrible thing that has caused my happy baby girl to need a harness which in turn has caused her to be inconsolable.
Today we went to Outpatients Clinic B at Monash Hospital. I knew it was going to be a horrible day right from the start when for some reason I was mopping the floor at 6.30am. I never mop, let alone at that time of the morning. The drive to the hospital was a long one - more so because I took a wrong turn & went 15km in the wrong direction. It felt good to be angry with myself about doing that, because it gave me something else to feel other than upset about whatever the outcome of our appointment was going to be.
After waiting an hour, we saw David the Physio, really nice guy. At least I thought so, not so much Eva because he interrupted her morning tea. I listened to him explain to us what was going on with Eva's hips & what would need to be done to fix it. I just continuously nodded and said 'okay' a few times, because I knew if I said anymore I would cry. Especially after hearing she would need to wear a Palvik Harness for 24 hours a day, not even allowed off for a bath or a little bit of a play, to be reviewed in six weeks plus weekly visits to the hospital clinic physio - Mel. More so when I heard that if the harness is not successful she will have an operation. I knew these things can happen to 'Hip Kids' but I wasn't quite prepared to hear it in relation to my own daughter.
Now, six weeks might not sound like a long time - but when I had been watching my little girl changing and developing, rocking herself side to side in preparation to roll, kicking and moving her legs, and imaging all that being taken away from her - it feels like forever.
Like the beautiful little girl that she is, Eva smiled and 'talked' to the ladies fitting her into the harness. She had cuddles with Papa on the way out of the hospital and fell asleep for the whole car ride home. It was not until a bit later in the day when she started to cry. It was the saddest sound I have ever heard and I swear it broke my heart. It was not an 'I'm hungry' cry, or an 'I'm wet' cry, or even an 'I'm tired' cry - it was an 'I hate this and am sad' cry. I watched her try and stretch and saw frustration on her face, it felt like a very long time until Jimmy got home and then I broke down into tears. As much as I want the harness off, I know it is going to help so I won't be touching it. My baby girl is finally sleeping, after a long cry and me trying everything to settle her. She looks comfy enough but I feel it's going to be a long night.
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