A Farewell to Hip Dysplasia!!

Well, Wednesday was officially the end of an era - Lyla's hip dysplasia era.  No more X-rays, doctor's appointments, double and triple checking, and long trips south to the Mayo Clinic.  She passed her final appointment - 4 years old and still no sign of the shallow hip sockets she was born with!  That big ol' harness they put her in when she was teeny tiny did the trick and we're finally at the point of being able to trust that her little body won't revert back to the way it was.  PTL!

I was dreading this appointment and kept pushing it back.  There was just something about an hour and a half drive each way alone with our littles that wasn't really calling my name.  But I knew I had to get it over with just to have that final peace of mind after all the years of follow up. 

I finally made the decision to make the best of it - I thought hey, it can't be that bad.  Rochester is kind of cute, we'll make it a fun last trip.  I wish I could say it was as fun as the pictures look.  Man, I don't know if it was a full moon or what but these chicks gave me a run for my money.  All.  Day.  Long.  I think probably waking them up and strapping them right into their car seats for an hour and a half, followed by being locked in tiny patient rooms wasn't exactly conducive to their high energy levels. 

Anyways, it was a long day, but we were so happy to have it over with!  Her hips look good, and this whole thing is officially behind us.  I still remember when they detected the click in her hips at 2 weeks.  And then the flurry of appointments and ultrasounds and finally a harness being put on my tiny baby.  Getting an 8 week sentence of this contraption which only allowed for sponge baths at first could have been a death sentence in my brand-new-mommy-brain.  It was longer than she'd even been out of my tummy and I couldn't comprehend anything being wrong with her, even as slight as it ended up being.  I remember the doctor saying that it seemed so overwhelming now but at a year when she's running around without any concerns it would feel like a blip in history.  And that is more true than I could have known.  I still have one of her harnesses around, and it is so crazy to look at.  I barely remember that thing being on her at this point.  With her ability to turn almost anything into an obstacle course which requires running, jumping and climbing...I'm pretty sure her hips can't remember the whole ordeal either.  ;)

Here are some photos of my tiny Lyla and a couple of hooligans I found running around in Rochester. 

- K

Immediately after putting her harness on.  Believe me, I was crying too.

 



Harness baby with Grandma Kay

 



With Grammy.  Oh man, what happened to that cute tiny baby?!

 





 

Milk drunk with Auntie Kate.

 

With Uncle Joe.

 



We started our hip dysplasia adventure at the Children's Hospital in Colorado.  When we moved to Minnesota our doctor recommended a friend of theirs at the Mayo Clinic.  Within a week of moving we had our first visit there, which Autnie Jo got to come along for.  This is at the hotel the morning of her first appointment.

 



Heading out to our very last appointment!

 



Lyla in her super cute X-ray shorts.  :)

 



This was right before they started climbing around the room like wild animals.

 



She thought it was pretty cool that she got to see her bones.  Hips looked great!

 



 

The view from the 16th floor Children's Orthopedic Center.

We found a fountain to run around before I had to endure another hour and a half ride with them.

 



 

Rochester really is a cute little town.

Then we headed to the play area at the local library.

 



 

I was thankful they slept the whole way home.  :)