So Many Methods of Treatment

Dear Tattered Angel,


Not even a week has passed since you were taken out of your rigid Spica and casted in your new green and pink broomstick cast.  In discussions with other parents I have learned your type of cast is called by so many different names: broomstick, a-frame, bachelor, and petrie cast.  With so many different titles to be called, locating information on what to expect can be nearly impossible.  Even groups of parents who all have children with hip dysplasia rarely identify with the same name.  Quite often a lengthy description of the cast is required before another parent replies,"That sounds like the cast my daughter had."  I am always amazed at the variety of treatment plans proposed and executed around the world by the different doctors and surgeons.  With so many methods of treatment for hip dysplasia, a parent can easily begin to question which method has the best odds for success? Will my child have to wear one of those braces day and night?  For how long?  What type of rehab can I expect?  Even the type of surgery, the age of the child, and surgery method all have different answers presented by the experts in their fields of work. Sometimes the quest for answers only serve to raise a whole new variety of questions on different topics, I have never been exposed to, lengthening the search for answers in newly discovered concerns. In my line of work, I am often tasked to find solutions to everyday problems quickly,  then design, implement, and qualify those solutions into our manufacturing process.  Quite often the question is raised, "Have you solved all our problems yet?"  At my desk I keep a quote, hanging on the front of my computer, I have memorized and often per verbatim quote to my interrogator, "We have not solved all your problems as of yet.  The solutions we found only served to raise a whole new set of problems and we are confused as ever.  However we do believe we are confused on a higher level and about more important things."  As a parent of a child with hip dysplasia our quest for answers often mirrors the tone of the author of this quote.  So often the answers you find only serve to raise a whole new set of concerns, fears, and opens unexplored doors concerning the treatment of your child; however with the knowledge as a parent your constant questioning has taught you, you continue to press forward with the faith your decisions for your child are moving your child directional correct in a path that concludes with a stable hip and a happy child.