Two Of A Kind

Today was the day. After seven long weeks of waiting, and agonizing, and second guessing ourselves, we met with one of the top orthopedic surgeons in the area for a second opinion on Jordan's upcoming hip surgery.

And the verdict is: DO IT. Uggghhhhhh. This is such a relief in that now we won't be worrying that we did the wrong thing by getting Jordan this surgery. But at the same time it means that Jordan is going under the knife on 25 February for a 5 hour surgery, a 5 day hospitalization, 6 weeks in a spica cast (under arms to ankles!), then 3-5 more days back in the hospital to start rehabilitation when the cast comes off.

Basically, her hip is dislocated, but still in the joint. To fix it while it's still in the joint is a BIG deal, but to fix it after it gets out of the joint is HUGE and much less successful, and that's when the pain & deformity really take hold. So, it's best to fix it before it gets out of the joint.

Of course Jordan doesn't follow the rules with her hip, no more than she follows any other rules of medicine. Considering the orientation of her "windswept" lumbar scoliosis , it should be her left hip that's drifting out of the joint, but hers is the right hip. That's our Jordan, keeping everyone on their toes!