#1 ·
So, unfortunately, I finally found out what it was.
I have a 12-year-old daughter who started feeling this slight ache in her groin and thigh back in mid-August. For the first week or so, we just figured she’d pulled a muscle and didn't think much of it since it wasn't a huge deal—she was still getting around fine, hitting the beach, hanging out with friends. Then, late August, we were down in Key West for a local festival and she was out there dancing. A couple of days after that, we went to see her pediatrician because the pain just wouldn't quit. Now, you know how it goes... blood work tomorrow, results the day after, then an appointment with an orthopedist. He said it probably isn't anything serious, but he wanted an X-ray just to be safe. The nurse at the imaging center actually gave us a hard time, acting like we were crazy for wanting an X-ray on such a young kid for a minor strain, mentioning stuff about her developing anatomy and all that...
My husband is losing his mind, totally frantic, and I'm just like, if the specialist says get the scan, then let's just get the scan. The nurse took one look at the film and said, "Look, I'm not a doctor, but everything looks fine to me."
We went back to the orthopedist that Friday afternoon, and suddenly he tells us she needs emergency surgery. The diagnosis? Epiphysiolysis. We decided right then and there to head over to Salat to see Dr. D'Agostino (who is basically the gold standard for pediatric orthopedics). We scheduled her for hospital admission on Monday. But then, during the night between Friday and Saturday, the pain hit her like a freight train. She was screaming, drenched in sweat from the agony. It got to the point where she couldn't even move her leg, and I couldn't even touch the yoga mat she was sleeping on without her reacting.
She couldn't even lift herself enough for me to help her use the bathroom, so we ended up having to buy adult diapers just to manage
We arranged private transport (because honestly, if you turn down treatment in places like San Diego because they don't handle these specific cases often enough compared to NYC, you're kind of on your own for emergencies) and made it to NYC by Saturday afternoon. Once she was admitted, they put her in traction—using a 10lb weight to stretch the leg out—and she felt immediate relief. She had the surgery seven days later once the leg was properly positioned. They reset the bone, drained the fluid buildup, and fixed the leg with a screw and wire. The doctor actually suggested putting a screw in the other leg too, just in case it happens again.
She was home for a month after the surgery and has been back at school for two weeks now. She’ll need to be on crutches until mid-January when we go in for her follow-up.
Has anyone else dealt with this? What does rehab look like? They mentioned the screw might come out in about a year, but I'm wondering how the physical therapy works after that.
I have a 12-year-old daughter who started feeling this slight ache in her groin and thigh back in mid-August. For the first week or so, we just figured she’d pulled a muscle and didn't think much of it since it wasn't a huge deal—she was still getting around fine, hitting the beach, hanging out with friends. Then, late August, we were down in Key West for a local festival and she was out there dancing. A couple of days after that, we went to see her pediatrician because the pain just wouldn't quit. Now, you know how it goes... blood work tomorrow, results the day after, then an appointment with an orthopedist. He said it probably isn't anything serious, but he wanted an X-ray just to be safe. The nurse at the imaging center actually gave us a hard time, acting like we were crazy for wanting an X-ray on such a young kid for a minor strain, mentioning stuff about her developing anatomy and all that...
My husband is losing his mind, totally frantic, and I'm just like, if the specialist says get the scan, then let's just get the scan. The nurse took one look at the film and said, "Look, I'm not a doctor, but everything looks fine to me."
We went back to the orthopedist that Friday afternoon, and suddenly he tells us she needs emergency surgery. The diagnosis? Epiphysiolysis. We decided right then and there to head over to Salat to see Dr. D'Agostino (who is basically the gold standard for pediatric orthopedics). We scheduled her for hospital admission on Monday. But then, during the night between Friday and Saturday, the pain hit her like a freight train. She was screaming, drenched in sweat from the agony. It got to the point where she couldn't even move her leg, and I couldn't even touch the yoga mat she was sleeping on without her reacting.
She couldn't even lift herself enough for me to help her use the bathroom, so we ended up having to buy adult diapers just to manage
We arranged private transport (because honestly, if you turn down treatment in places like San Diego because they don't handle these specific cases often enough compared to NYC, you're kind of on your own for emergencies) and made it to NYC by Saturday afternoon. Once she was admitted, they put her in traction—using a 10lb weight to stretch the leg out—and she felt immediate relief. She had the surgery seven days later once the leg was properly positioned. They reset the bone, drained the fluid buildup, and fixed the leg with a screw and wire. The doctor actually suggested putting a screw in the other leg too, just in case it happens again.
She was home for a month after the surgery and has been back at school for two weeks now. She’ll need to be on crutches until mid-January when we go in for her follow-up.
Has anyone else dealt with this? What does rehab look like? They mentioned the screw might come out in about a year, but I'm wondering how the physical therapy works after that.