At first I noticed that it would bother me if I sat for too long. Sometimes I would even say to myself or my friend "oh my broken hip" just kidding around. The pain continued to get worse. I started to walk with a limp. I could not run, dance or workout at all without the pain becoming very bad. As time went on I started not being able to cross my legs in front of me without having pain. I always used to sit Indian style in front of my full length mirror and put make-up on. Sitting Indian style became impossible. It even hurt sometimes when I slept at night.

Then one night I took a fall and fell on my right hip. The next morning I could not even walk, the pain was so bad. I went to a local hospital, they took x-rays and told me that it was most likely badly bruised and that they didn't see anything wrong. After a couple of days the pain decreased but still I had pain. I finally decided to go see a local doctor, then another, then another. I had x-rays, MRI’s, no one could tell me for sure what it was. One doctor even wanted to do arthroscopic surgery just to see what was going on.

After several frustrating months of not knowing what was wrong, a friend of mine from work recommended that I go see Dr. Macaulay at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Macaulay made me feel so much better, he thought he had an idea of what it was after my very first visit. As it turned out I had something that was so rare that only a hand full of people in the country were diagnosed with it. Dr. Macaulay finally had some answers to my questions. He told me that I had something called Synovial Chondromatosis which is something that causes the bones in your hip joint to decay. My bones had begun to decay and that was causing my pain. He told me that I would most likely need surgery. I never had to have any sort of surgery before and never had to stay in the hospital so I was very nervous and scared. After many visits with Dr. Macaulay and talking it over with my family it basically came down to two things: either live with the pain and eventually get a hip replacement when I was older, or have the surgery now. I was told that I needed to have a right hip arthrotomy and excision of the lesion. I was very nervous but knew that I did not want to live with this pain anymore. After all I'm young and wanted to be able to do things that I should be able to do. I trusted Dr. Macaulay and he thought that surgery would be the way to go considering my age.

So on January 9, 2000 I went to Columbia University Medical Center and had the surgery. Recovery was tough. I was in the hospital for four days. The first two days I was out of it. I could not get out of bed. Then they sent someone from physical therapy to get me out of bed and show me how to use crutches. The nurses were great but no one wants to be in the hospital. I used the crutches for a couple of weeks and then went to a cane. Then I began physical therapy so I could gain the strength back and learn how to walk without a limp which I had become so used to doing because of the pain. Physical therapy included various stretching and strengthening exercises and swimming exercises. Therapy lasted about three or four months, two days a week.

Currently I am almost as good as new. I can dance and I can workout without pain. Of course I can't push it and I'm not as flexible as I once was but I'm much better. If I walk around all day for hours and over do it in the gym then yes, I have some pain. But as for everyday I have very little pain. I'm told that when I'm older the possibility of me having arthritis in my hip is greater than most. But that's a long way ahead of me. Except for the scar I have no complaints. I am very glad that I decided to get the surgery. I'm like my old self again and I have Dr. Macaulay to thank for it. He’s the best.

Thank you Dr. Macaulay.