Health Update: Next Hip Surgeries, PNES, Grieving My Service..

Health Update: Next Hip Surgeries, PNES, Grieving My Service Dog

Hey sinners! I wish I had enough words for how much I miss regularly being around and posting/interacting and making connections with you all! Things are just a bit more intense right now than usual!

My next hip surgeries are scheduled for November 18th and 25th, which is earlier than I originally planned. The discomfort from the screws in my right hip has become unbearable, so we’ve decided to push forward with the next set of operations on my left hip early. These surgeries will not only address my left side’s hip dysplasia but also remove the hardware from the right. It’s all part of the bilateral process—just on to part 2 of this bullshit ride.

For those who are new to my PAO process, what’s happening is that my hip sockets are being strategically broken in multiple spots, rotated to better fit my femoral head, and then screwed back together to heal up all nice and pretty! When it’s all over with, it’ll be a total of 5 operations to repair my torn labrums, adjust my hip dysplasia and remove all the hardware.

To be honest, these upcoming surgeries (my 8th and 9th since 2021) are expected to hit me harder than any of the previous ones. I’ve been having a lot of PNES (nonepileptic seizure) episodes, which have been a nightmare to deal with- especially lately. We worry about how this might impact my recovery, particularly with my already well established POTS which deplores every time I go under.  Recovery’s going to be a bitch, and I'm prepping for it mentally and physically.

Separately, my service dog Betty left us early this summer, and it’s been really tough. I’ve taken the entire season to myself as I process. She passed naturally at 14, but it was unexpected, and I was unprepared, which made it harder to cope. I’m starting to heal, but it’s definitely not an easy journey.

I want to thank everyone who’s been patient with me—especially those long-haul fans who’ve been waiting for me to get back to posting new content regularly. I’m doing my best, but right now, I need to focus on getting through these surgeries, my mental health and my long recovery ahead. For those who miss me, don’t worry, I’m still posting regularly on my premium OF (thank you, queue!) and I'm able to chat on snapchat still!

Wish me strength as I head into this storm, and I’ll share updates when I can. It’s tough to stay open when there’s not always good news to share, but I promise I’m fighting through it. Leading up to my operations, I’ll be focused on prep, and then recovery will be a challenge for sure. Thank you for sticking with me. I appreciate all of you more than words can say, truly.

Love, strength, and don’t forget to punch an ableist today!

~Sarah 💚