Morgan K

I’ve always avoided leg workouts due to pain and discomfort, and pushed through the pain of running daily to stay fit. In November 2021, I felt a weird sensation in my left hip while sprinting during a workout class. I pushed through and when I got off the treadmill I could barely walk or stand up. I went to a doctor in TX who said I had a stress fracture, impingement and a labral tear and advised me to stay off my hip for 6 weeks. I did exactly that, went to PT once I “recovered” from the stress fracture, but things never returned to normal. The pain got worse in both hips to the point I could no longer do what I loved without limping: hiking with friends, HIIT classes, and running.

Over the next several months I went to multiple doctors in different states, tried injections and more PT with no improvement. I had no idea what any of this meant but I was eager to get back to my active lifestyle as well as my demanding job that requires a lot of travel. I didn’t know what else to do, so my colleague referred me to her doctor at HSS with hopes of fixing my hip problems. That doctor couldn’t help me but fortunately his team at HSS referred me to a doctor there who could, Dr. Sink.

I trusted Dr. Sink and his team from my first appointment. He took the time to make my family and I feel comfortable and educated on hip dysplasia (as it was a new concept for us) and what it meant. He made sure we were informed on the PAO surgery/recovery process and we felt very supported by his expertise and kindness. Dr. Sink genuinely cares about his patients as a whole and I knew I was in the best hands.

I’m currently 1 year out from my first PAO and 6 months out from the second. I've been working consistently with Cristina, the best PT I’ve experienced. She is beyond knowledgeable in hip recovery and helped me get my strength back and better than it was before my PAOs. It's been a long tedious recovery but she has kept me motivated and as patient as possible (especially as I begin to run again for the first time in years).

One year, 2 PAOs and 2 screw removals later, I’m nearing the end of this dysplasia journey. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been in my life, and pain-free finally. I am grateful for HSS, Cristina Dr. Sink, Katrina, and Lauren for everything they’ve done to help me. They made this past year as easy and efficient as possible and were there to support me every step of the way.