After putting my first pair of dance shoes on at the age of 3, performing became a significant part of my life for nearly 17 years. My dance school (Diane Bradbury Theatre Dance School) was my second home and I was there nearly every day, after school and over the weekends. Dancing came naturally to me partly due to my joints being very flexible and hyper-mobile, especially my right hip and leg. I never experienced any pain or problems with my hip until I was having intense one to one dance lessons as preparation for my university auditions at the age of 18. My dance teachers noticed I was lifting my right hip as I was kicking, so I tried to do this keeping my hip down, and as a result started to get a twinge and pain inside my hip. In order to rest and recuperate and to save myself for my upcoming auditions taking place in the following month, I did not dance for 6 weeks. Over the next 8 months, I completed all my auditions as well as my final dance show with the dance school I had been with for 15 years and had no pain or problems. The day I found out I had been offered a place at Guildford School of Acting on the Actor Musicianship course I was full of emotions; I could not believe I had achieved this great honour and although I was nervous, I was excited to start my journey.
I began my course at the end of September 2017, danced for 2 weeks and have not danced since. Again, the dance teachers noticed my right hip was rising during my kicks. After a few adaptations and advice on how to correct my technique, I felt an awful tearing pain inside my hip, and this is when the initial horror all began…
The start of my investigative journey began by seeing an osteopath who was visiting the university. He was unsure of the problem and thought I would need to have a steroid injection in the near future to assist the pain. Hearing this drastic statement so soon after the pain began worried me significantly and so I wanted to get a second opinion. During an appointment with a GP, I managed to get a referral to the musculoskeletal clinic at the Surrey Hospital but there was a long waiting time for the appointment. My mum suggested finding a chiropractor in Guildford due to her positive experiences of them in the past. Upon seeing the chiropractor, he manipulated my back and hip without having any investigation or x-ray done. I trusted him and he claimed he could help me get back to dancing within a few months. Because I was worried about my hip, I allowed him to make the adjustments he suggested. These adjustments gave me no relief and afterwards, I was in much more pain than before. Unfortunately, the chiropractor informed me that I would not be able to get an MRI scan through the NHS. So he suggested paying for a private MRI scan clinic in London which he recommended, and he instantly referred me to them. My first MRI scan was of the front of my hip joint as that is where all my pain initially was. Due to the results coming back as clear, I had another MRI scan of my lumbar spine – the chiropractor believed the problem was originated there, but that the pain was being transferred to my hip. The results for this scan came back as partial scoliosis which was a big surprise to me as I had no problems with my back.
My appointment at the Surrey Hospital finally came through for the 15th December, on my last day of term at university before Christmas. I had x-rays completed as preparation for before this appointment and saw the specialist’s assistant (Helen Soothill). She believed that I had a labral tear in my right hip and needed an urgent arthroscopy (MRI scan with a purple dye added to enhance the image). Helen also said that she thought that I may need keyhole surgery in the future if the scan did detect a labral tear. In February 2018, I finally saw the specialist doctor at Surrey Hospital (Dr Acton) who wasn’t sure if I had a labral tear and refused to do any surgery on me, being unsure of the problem and not wanting to affect my dancing career. I had a steroid injection in my hip joint to see if it helped my hip pain. Unfortunately, the injection made my pain worse for several weeks before the pain levels returned back to their original level. Dr Acton discharged me as he could not help me any further. For the next month, I had physiotherapy at the Surrey hospital with Helen, to help relax the muscles in my leg and round my hip as she believed this would help my hip pain. I started feeling lost and left behind because I wasn’t moving forward or finding a solution. I messaged my great aunty who was in contact with a soft tissue specialist and physio, Derry Suter, who used to treat Jessica Ennis and managed to get me an appointment with him during my Easter holidays at home. He treated my legs and back and believed that the muscles were just too tight around my hip and that he didn’t think there was a serious problem. He told me to do some exercises to release muscle tension and that I would be able to dance again very soon.
On my train journey back home for Easter, I researched dance injury specialists and physios and found a lady called Emma Batchelor at Birmingham Hospital. This was through the NHS and dance institution and she worked for the Olympic Hockey Team. Luckily, I was able to get my GP at home to refer me and I got an appointment at the end of the Easter holidays just before I went back to Guildford. This appointment was the day after I’d seen Derry so I could use it to compare what they believed would be best for me. The initial appointment was brilliant, and I felt so relieved that I’d found someone who could help. She did a full investigation into all my medical history, looked at all the scans of my hips and back and a performed a physical examination. Emma believed the problems were present in the left side of my back and in the angle of my right foot which was pushing my right hip out of place. I travelled to Birmingham by train from Guildford, every other Wednesday afternoon for a 45 minute session with Emma. She used a metal appliance to manipulate my back and foot rather than using her hands as this got deeper into the muscle tissue. She also used sports tape to pull my right foot outwards which helped to relieve some of my hip pain. Every appointment I came out feeling incredibly sore and the long journey did not help with recovery. The next day I always had to miss Uni because I couldn’t move with the pain in my back, hip and legs and was covered in deep black and blue bruises. After having 4/5 appointments with her, I was starting to lose any positivity mentally and physically because I knew deep down there was a problem with my hip, and I needed to see someone who could actually understand and listen to me.
I found a hip group on Facebook and asked if anyone could recommend a hip specialist for me and every single person said the same name: Mr Witt of University College London Hospital. Through this page I started talking to many others similar to my age going through various hip problems and they have been the biggest network of support imaginable. I privately messaged a few of them and we have become great friends, we can help and support each other in different ways as a result of our varying backgrounds. I also met up with a girl called Tilly who was waiting for a hip replacement, we are now very close friends and help each other through everything. Eventually I got the GP at my University campus in Guildford to refer me to Mr Witt and I got an appointment on the 27th July 2018. Somehow, I had managed to make it to the end of my first year at GSA having had to watch 5 dance lessons a week for the whole year, which took a toll on my mental health, and I struggled to do the other elements of the course due to my hip pain. The whole year was extremely difficult both mentally and physically because I couldn’t push myself, show my true ability or engage in the activities I love. I wasn’t sure what would happen for my second year because I wasn’t in a good place to be trying to do a full-on physical course.
My first appointment with Mr Witt was very tough and overwhelming but finally finding someone who understood my own feelings and wanted to help me in every way he could was a miracle. He did not diagnose me with anything on my first appointment as he wanted to do a steroid injection in my iliopsoas to see how my hip reacted. He told me very definitely that I would not be able to go back to Guildford School of Acting that September and I wouldn’t be dancing for a while. I knew that this was probably going to be said but the actual words being heard out loud from the most prestigious hip specialist in the country was extremely upsetting. The week before this appointment, my mum had been offered a teaching job abroad in an international school. The timing of this appointment was initially difficult as she only had 4 weeks before leaving for Turkey.
On the 2nd October 2018, I had my second steroid injection in London under general anaesthetic and had to wait another 8 weeks before seeing Mr Witt again. Sadly, after the injection I had the same response of my hip pain getting progressively worse and then back to its original pain level. Mr Witt had explained to me at my first appointment that if the steroid injection did not have a positive response that he may look into doing key-hole surgery to investigate deeper into the hip joint. On Friday 16th November, I went to London for my second appointment prepared to be told I would need key-hole surgery. Firstly, I saw a member of Mr Witt’s team who did a physical examination, checked my scans and asked me about the last 8 weeks. He believed I would need key hole surgery but wanted to chat this through with Mr Witt before finalising this. Mr Witt then came into the room and undertook another physical examination, looked very closely at all my scans and x-rays and asked me several questions regarding the injection I had previously had. He knew straight away that there was a much bigger problem with my hip and that key-hole surgery would not be the solution. Mr Witt diagnosed me with hip dysplasia and retroversion and possibly a labral tear too.
A PAO (Peri-Acetabular Osteotomy) was the only thing that was going to help me due to the extent of my hip condition. This came as a shock to me because I did not know my hip was in such a poor state, but it was also a huge relief that someone finally knew the cause of my pain and that my own instincts had been correct the entire time. The array of emotions did not appear until I left the hospital when everything suddenly hit me. I was absolutely relieved I had finally been diagnosed but very scared regarding the future and also having to wait 6-9 months for the surgery. Suddenly I did not know how to react or feel due to the intense emotions I was feeling inside at this time. Chatting this through with GSA, the head of my course was incredibly kind and supportive and told me that I could have another year away to recover and that my place was still available for me until September 2020.
The ‘hippies’ from the Facebook page I had joined invited me to the PAO group which has provided the utmost support through every physical and mental feeling, along with any questions I had. I waited many months to hear anything from the hospital and was gradually deteriorating with my hip pain and needed to have the surgery as soon as possible. In February, I was given a cancellation for the 25th April 2019 and it was a relief to finally have a set date so I could plan. During these few months, I attended my local gym with my boyfriend to help strengthen my arm muscles in preparation for using 2 crutches after my operation. On March 25th I attended UCLH for my pre-operative assessment running through all the information and having checks to make sure I was able to go forward with the surgery in a months time. On Friday 29th March I received a phone call from Mr Witt’s secretary explaining that my surgery had been postponed to the 9th May due to an urgent matter. This knocked me back and made me quite upset because I had planned for the 25th April physically and emotionally, as well as my mum and sister being around as it landed in the Easter holidays. Luckily, this was only 2 weeks later than the original date, so I did not need to worry about dealing with the pain for many months after that. During April I had the most perfect 21st birthday with 3 very wonderful people. This was very special to me that I could celebrate this and forget some of the stresses of the upcoming surgery. Med-equip provided all the necessary equipment in my house to aid me after the surgery – 2 raised toilet seats with handles, a stair handrail, kitchen stool, bath board and bed handle. Furthermore, I bought a litter picker (which would be used as a knicker picker!), extra large tracksuit trousers, shorts, pants, T-shirts, ear plugs, dry shampoo and wet wipes all in preparation for my time in hospital and the following months. My surgery is now very close, and I am feeling extremely scared but also prepared and ready because my hip is causing unbearable pain and needs this help urgently. The support I have received from my mum and sister even though there is much distance between us is remarkable. Friends and other family members have assisted me when I was in need of lifts to appointments and supermarkets, but the biggest support I would not have survived without came from my boyfriend who has provided support in every way imaginable and is a truly special person.
Along with all the rollercoaster of emotions I have experienced with the pain and thoughts of surgery, I have had to attend many appointments at the jobcentre and health assessment clinics in order to gain PIP (Personal Independence Payment) and Universal Credit. This has caused a tremendous amount of stress because I am unable to work with my hip condition and needed financial and mobility assistance. In addition, I have been on amitriptyline and pregabalin for the past year as well as needing to take paracetamol, codeine or naproxen, on days of increased pain. The last 20 months has been a debilitating experience. I cannot wait for my life to positively change after the surgery. I know that the first few months after surgery will be very difficult, but I will finally be recovering rather than deteriorating and I absolutely cannot wait to have my normal quality of life returned to me. I look forward to being able to do the simplest things pain free, which are taken for granted when you are fully fit and capable.