Londyn's 2 Year Hip Checkup

We had our much anticipated two year hip checkup for Londyn in December. As per normal with my daughter’s hip appointments, I was a bundle of nerves, feeling sick to my stomach with fear of hearing bad news again.

Adding to my anxiety was the fact that since we had moved states away from our ortho we loved in WI, this was our first time going to the Children’s hospital in Richmond for an appointment. Thankfully my husband got off work to drive us, and we followed our google maps and wove our way through tolls, busy streets, parking garages, elevators and finally arrived at the orthopedic clinic.

Daddy accompanied Londyn for her x-rays and we were shortly thereafter seen by our new orthopedic surgeon. She looked at Londyn’s leg lengths, examined her hips and pulled up her x-rays to show us on the computer . . . nearly PERFECT hips!! She told us that Londyn’s hip angles are only a degree or two off from being perfect, and that there is no need for further intervention.

“I couldn’t do surgery and make them look better than they are. We only do surgery for grossly abnormal hips.” She then told us she would like to follow up with Londyn in one year, and if everything still looks great, she won’t need to see her any more! 

Jaw dropped. 

After the last two years of constant worry, tears, living through events we only once dreaded, and advocating for our beautiful “hippy” baby, we are now given the words we have longed to hear- she is free and clear!! My eyes filled with happy tears as I tried to process the reality of these words.

I loved calling our parents on the way home and relaying our good news and all of us were just crying together; these people who have loved and prayed for my daughter tirelessly. We stopped at Sugar Shack to celebrate with some of the best donuts I’ve ever eaten. I just kept looking at my girl, thinking of the days ahead where she won’t need to think about hip dysplasia, and will only know what she went through from hearing us tell her, or seeing photographs. Her world is full of baby dolls, fruit snack negotiations, swinging on our swings, running around with her brother, Barbie Dreamhouse netflix shows, and bedtime stories and songs. She’s too busy dressing up as princesses and practicing her ballerina moves to worry about hip dysplasia! 

We thank God for this blessing of our daughter’s healthy hips after a difficult journey. We hold our babies close, knowing that every minute with them is a gift.