Photo Challenge #314

Written for Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie: http://Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie

My story

Many years ago, I was a lot younger and in better shape. I loved yoga and all of its benefits. I was good at it and loved that too! I am, or was, very flexible and after practicing for probably over a year, I was strong enough to do some of the more challenging poses. I just loved how I felt.

I cannot remember the exact year, but my hip suddenly began bothering me. It ached and hurt when I strained it. It slowly got worse, so bad that I couldn’t even stay in child’s pose because having my hip bent like that became terribly painful.

I went to see numerous doctors. Orthopedists, Rheumatologists, Primary Care…Finally, I found a doctor who specialized in hips (sort of) and found that the labrum in my hip was torn. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hip-labral-tear/symptoms-causes/syc-20354873 I had surgery and thought I would be okay.

For two more years I endured so much pain, so much to the point where I finally got the remedy I needed. My hip doctor sent me to a Hip Specialist (there are different levels of expertise in hips) and I found that the previous surgery hadn’t worked like it was supposed to. Apparently, when I had the first hip surgery the doctor removed the torn labrum in hopes that scar tissue would build up in the joint and act as cartilage. Well, it didn’t happen so for over two years it was bone on bone in my hip. So, I got a hip replacement at 45 years old.

Jump ahead to now….I’m 48. My hip still hurts almost all the time. It healed perfectly and looks fine under the xray but the doctor said I need to lose weight to keep the joint from hurting. That is great except too much movement makes other joints also hurt. That is the psoriatic arthritis.

Long story short, I am dying to get back into yoga and do the things I used to be able to do. I just need a way to get there. I will find that way, I know I will. I feel it coming.

Someday, that picture up above will be me, easily stretching, getting warmed up for a beautiful yoga practice!