Congenital Dislocation of the Hip | My CDH

This is going to be a very personal post as CDH is something I suffer with myself and have done since I was a baby. I'm making this post so you have an insight into what I've been through in the past sixteen years and if you know me from around school why I 'walk like a penguin'.

What is CDH?

Congenital dislocation of the hip (CDH) is a condition found from birth where the ball and socket joint at the hip does not stay locked together as it should.

The top of the thigh-bone (or femur) normally has a ball shape which rolls around within a “cup” shaped socket in the pelvic bones.

In some babies the shape of the ball or socket hasn't developed properly, which means that they easily become detached. As a result of this, the ball part of the joint may come out of the socket completely or simply be looser. If this isn't corrected the child may grow up with legs of different lengths and an abnormal gait (me being an example here), this would also cause pain and the early development of osteoarthritis of the hip joint.

Symptoms

All newborn babies have their hips checked for CDH within a few days of birth and at six weeks so that treatment can be started early if necessary. Unfortunately my CDH went un-noticed at birth and I didn't have a six week check up, so doctors had no idea I had it until I was nearly 2, which by then the condition had firmly set in.

One of the first things doctors would check for, would be a clicking sound when the baby's legs are moved apart. This sound occurs when the ball slips out of the socket, an obvious sign that there's a problem.

The dislocation can cause the following symptoms when the baby starts to walk if not detected earlier.

• Delayed walking
• Abnormal waddling gait (because one leg is shorter)
• Asymmetrical thigh creases
• Inability to move the leg out away from the body

As you can see from the photo above, there was definitely a problem.
How doctors couldn't see that, I've no idea
PS: I'm aware I look like a gimp

Personally, I don't remember much from the beginning of this very long journey with CDH,  obviously because I've had it since I was a tiny baby. I've had four big operations throughout my life, the first being when I was only just 18 months old. 

I believe my first operation was to relocate my hip into place and to do so they had to physically break my femur bone to bring it round into place, then screw it into place with little bolts. There was a complication though and I lost far too much blood. This resulted in having to have a blood transfusion. I had my leg put into a cast, but when I had it taken off, I fell off of my tricycle and broke my leg because it was so brittle so I had to go through the procedure again. I was put in a special cast (Spica) after that. A spica cast immobilises the hips and thighs so that the bones and tendons can heal properly.

I then had an operation after that to take the bolts out, this gave me a hefty 12" scar on my left leg. After that my left leg grew at a much slower pace than my right leg. I suffered with so much pain, especially in the winter, that my parents had to carry me for much longer than what a 'normal child' would be carried for. 

When I was 7, doctors and surgeons decided that I should have another operation to try and sort out the growth in my leg. I had metal staples put into my leg at the hip joint, I'm not entirely sure why as I never paid attention to what the surgeon had to say about it, I kept getting distracted by the bead roller-coaster toy in the consultation room, but never the less. 

I remember being told I had to have surgery a year after they'd actually decided to do it. They only gave me a few months to come to terms with it before I was booked in. I guess in hindsight it was a good thing they did this, because I wasn't really given the opportunity to freak out and back out of it. I completely broke down in tears when I was told, which is completely normal being a small child or a child at any age to be quite frank. 

The thought of an operation is very daunting, especially being at an age where you'll be able to remember everything leading up to and after it. I can't even express how terrified I was. The thought of somebody cutting deep into my skin whilst I was asleep made me feel sick. I was so paranoid that I was going to wake up midway through surgery and to this day that is still my biggest fear. I suffered with nightmares nearly every night leading up to it and couldn't sleep much afterwards because I was in so much pain during recovery.

I haven't had any operations since then and I only went to hospital every two years after simply for a check up but as of last June I no longer have to go for check ups! 

The surgeon said that they've done everything they possibly can and I just have to wait until my leg is in so much pain which should be within the next three years, go to my GP and get referred to the hospital again for a hip replacement. Yes, that sounds very strange I know. A hip replacement at the age of 19/20. 

CDH may not seem like a big deal but it has affected absolutely everything I've done in my life. There isn't ever a day where I don't think about it. I walk with a substantial limp which people often feel the need to point out at school. I have 2 relatively big scars on my left leg which I've always been quite self conscious about. I find it difficult to walk long distances, I have very limited flexibility in my left leg, I can't cross my legs so I've always stood out during circle time/assemblies, I can't do many exercises because it simply doesn't let me which has caused me to be slightly on the tubbier side and I'm worried that in the future I won't be able to have children naturally because of it. 

My disability is the main reason I was bullied throughout primary school whereas my weight was the focus of my bullying during secondary school. 

CDH isn't a condition which is known about that much, so when I tried explaining it to people they look very puzzled. I've given up trying to explain it to people now and simply say that I limp because I have one leg shorter than the other. 

I don't use a wheelchair as I'm still able to walk, so when I tell people that I'm disabled they give me a strange look as if to say 'How can you be disabled? You can walk! You don't look disabled' which leads me onto another point. Just because somebody doesn't 'look' disabled or they don't have an obvious disability (in the fact they're in a wheelchair) doesn't mean they aren't. 

If you go to my school and you've read this post then I hope you're now aware that you've been taking the piss out of me for years over something I simply cannot do anything about. 

If not, then I hope this has given you an insight into a very important thing about me.

Please comment below if you've read this post and found it helpful

or 

comment below with your thoughts.

It'd mean the world.

Thank you.

Bullying | It Gets Better

It's crazy to think that half of all children are bullied at some point during their school years and more than 10% of those are bullied regularly. I myself was bullied for many years and I can't begin to tell you how that has affected me but I want you to know that it does get better eventually. 

What is bullying?

Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behaviour that is repeated or has the potential to be repeated over time. It includes making threats, spreading rumours, attacking somebody verbally or physically, excluding somebody from a group on purpose among other things.

What are the different types of bullying?

Verbal bullying - name calling, being threatened, being made to feel bad

Physical bullying - being hit, punched, pushed, having items stolen or any other form of physical/aggressive contact

Social bullying - left out of games and left out of gatherings on purpose, being deliberately ignored, having rumours spread about you, being made to feel like an outsider

Cyber - bullied through chat rooms, instant messaging, through emails or via a mobile phone

How can I tell if somebody is being bullied?

- Individual becomes more quiet/sad/dejected

- Displays unexpected anger or frustration 

- Avoids sharing a certain topic

- Change in behaviour (more secretive)

- Unexplained injuries (cuts/bruises etc)

- Often losing things they take to school

- Skipping lessons or school altogether 

- Damaged clothes, books or possessions

People are bullied for a whole different manner of reasons. From their gender identity, culture, race or religion to their sexuality, disability, interests and their appearance. Surveys in schools (as of 2013) have shown that people are most likely to be bullied due to their appearance. 

Here are 10 facts for you to put into perspective how much of a serious subject bullying is.

1) Research has shown that 60% of boys who bullied others from aged 7 - 15 were convicted of at least one crime by the age of 24 and 40% had three more convictions by that age.

2) Academically gifted students, especially those with high verbal aptitude, are often bullied and more likely to suffer emotionally than 'less gifted' students

3) 1/10 students drop out of school due to being bullied

4) 57% of students who experience harassment in school never report it to a member of staff

5) Young people with disabilities or from sexual minorities are most at risk of bullying

6) Up to 69% of young people will experience bullying

7) Appearance and interests are found to be the biggest targets for playground taunts

8) 43% are verbally bullied frequently, 16% are physically bullied frequently and 21% are bullied online frequently

9) 16% said it has had a huge affect on their studies, 17% said it has had a huge impact their home lives, 30% said it has had a huge impact on their social lives, 38% said it has had a huge affect on their self esteem and 30% said it has reduced their optimism

10) 25% said that it has caused them to have suicidal thoughts, 24% have said it has caused them to self harm and 57% were not happy at all with the support available to them

Bullying isn't a joke and it certainly isn't a subject to be taken lightly. I know so many people who have been bullied who are struggling with them demons now after the bullying has stopped. The constant name calling and being made to feel like crap really does give your self confidence/self esteem a battering. 

Bullying affects every single aspect of your life. From your relationships with your family and friends to your school work. But I think it affects your self esteem the most. 
For me, I found it incredibly hard to function. I feared leaving my house and going to school, I was scared to go anywhere outside of my house by myself and I pushed everybody away from me. 

It can make you feel hurt, scared, worthless and lonely among other things, but always know that you aren't alone. If you (or somebody you know for that matter of fact) is being bullied, there are ways of stopping it. 

1) The most important thing for you to do is to tell somebody. Whether that's a parent, teacher or school counsellor. There is no way that you should have to deal with the bully alone.

2) Avoid the bully. Obviously you'll have to carry on with your normal routine in terms of school etc, but if you can avoid the situations where the bully typically picks on you, it will make a huge difference. For example: if he/she usually picks on you on the way home, change your route or get somebody to meet you/go with you.

3) Be brave. Even though you're probably feeling like absolute poo on the inside, show the bully that you don't care. If they think it hasn't had any affect on you, they'll most likely give up. Don't be emotional either. It's going to be hard, but if you feel like crying when they're being horrible just wait until you're alone or with a close friend before you have a little weep.

4) Don't fight back. Stooping to their level will give the bully exactly what they're looking for... a reaction. Stand your ground but don't be antagonistic.

5) Stay with friends. If you stick with a friend or a group of friends whenever you think you might bump into the bully they're less likely to target you. Safety in numbers and all that jazz! 

I can honestly tell you that it does get better eventually.

I've not been bullied for near enough two whole years now, purely down to the fact that I spoke up about it. 

I do occasionally get nasty messages via Tumblr but instead of responding to them I just delete them and try to take no notice. 

Some days are harder than others but as time goes on you'll feel so much better about life in general. 

I promise you.

Comment below if you found this post helpful somewhat.

I'd love to know your thoughts!