Question
Hi Sharon,
I have been reading all of your past helps that have related to my issues the past few days--they have helped me a lot!  Thank you for taking the time to do this to help frustrated and hurting people.
I have been having hip pain for over six years.   I am now 38 and had my first grow-in hip done on March 3, 2008.   I have had a time getting any Dr. to figure out what was wrong with me!   They all said I was too young and that it couldn't be my hips b/c the pain was in my buttock.   Not a one of the seven or more took an x-ray and I began to feel as though I was crazy and the pain was intensifying and I could not sleep and I was on too much Advil.   Do you think it would be proper to write a kind letter to the Dr.s so that young men and women who come to them with the same problem won't have to suffer so long? (or would this be a rude gesture on my part?)
I am so thankful to have my surgery past.   It was tougher than I thot it would be but would do it again and I will need to in a couple of years for my left. (dysplasia)   I am experiencing some pain and a great discrepancy in my leg length resulting in very bad back pain but my Dr. wants me to go another 7 weeks or so as he feels it will maybe get less as time goes on.   I do want to get a shoe lift and feel that will help immensely.   Have you heard of this waiting period before?   I am still using one crutch and feel like moving to the cane soon.  Could the "odd feeling" in the hip area be from my muscles not being "right" yet?   My activities have been very limited the past few years due to all of this.   Have you heard of the "odd feeling" spoken about or felt it yourself?   Maybe I just don't know what a good one feels like!?  :D
We have 5 children and I home school---things have gone OK but I do want you to know that what you are doing has encouraged me more than any other site I have been too!   Thank you for your time.   I think I'll have more questions after this but this is a start---I found that your answers to others pregnancy/birth questions and lef length and what NOT to do helped me and encouraged me to ask as my ?'s may help someone else some day.
Thank you---Jodi

Answer
wow Jodi, so many questions!  Let me see what I can do to answer them in order:

1.Hip pain can be in the buttocks, but it's not the norm.  I am blown away that not one of seven doctors took an X ray.  I guess it turned out for you, to be a lesson, to ASK for a diagnostic test next time.  I would NOT write a letter, every case is different and each person's case is different and all a letter would serve to do, is piss off the doctor, and you never know what happens in the future.  What happens if you are referred back to the same doctor?  I know and understand how you feel.  And about 10 years ago, I probably would have popped off a letter and then regretted it. I don't think it would serve a purpose, UNLESS....you refer only to yourself.  You can send a letter that states that you have found out what was wrong with your hip and you just want to update that doctor for his files.  That would be all I'd say.  It's safer that way for you in case you ever need that doctor again.

2. The doctor that is asking you to wait 7 weeks is correct, I believe. Your surgery was about a month ago It takes a long time to bounce back from surgery, and 7 weeks is not a terribly long time to wait to see if things get better.  I would agree.

3. The odd feeling in your hips is probably healing pain, and I'd lighten up on activities if you can.  With five children, I am sure you've been pushing things a bit.  I also would encourage you to get back on two crutches until the seven weeks are up.  I know that crutches are cumbersome, and a real pain at times, but the two crutches might even out your gait a bit more than the one crutch.  And it's also true that because you have had such pain for years and years, you did forget what a good hip feels like.  It may be tightness in the muscles that you are feeling.  

4.I would also encourage you to look into the shoe lift.  That was a godsend to me.  The shoemakers can only put up to 1/2 inch in a shoe and if you have a larger difference that that, they will either build up one shoe, or cut the heel of the other to even your legs out.  But bring the actual shoe to the shoemaker so he can design the lift to fit the shoe exactly.  I paid about 30 dollars for each lift.  I have three.  One for sneakers, two for dress shoes.  And they last a very, very long time.  In ten years, I've never had to make up any more.

Please feel free to email me at any time.  

Sharon