My Ups & Downs. Walking with hip dysplasia, differently-abled.
So picture this…I come back from a walk only to find that my FitBit has categorised half of it as ‘outdoor cycling’ and half of it only as ‘sport’. This happens to me quite often, because where walking is concerned – I’m differently-abled. I was born with severe Hip Dysplasia (DDH/CDH for short). Which in plain English means that my hip joints didn’t form properly before I was born. I can walk but it’s not something I do with ease, speed or grace!
I’m writing this blog to share my own journey with my funny walk – in an open, vulnerable way. Being ‘different’ has been a positive and a negative in my life. It has definitely shaped who I am. My unusual hips are not ‘who’ I am – but they are part of my story. Where I go, they go and so does their impact. In 2018/19 I walked 100 miles of the South Downs Way – to see how far I could take my different walk – and my blog – where I also write about my various orthopaedic surgeries. I hope you enjoy reading about it. You can follow updates on Facebook: @WalkingJill
Post-Op recovery: 1 month milestone
17th July 2025
Hip Revision Surgery: my first day and night in hospital
27th June 2025
Time for a refit. Hip revision surgery and DDH
13th June 2025
“Still on crutches?!” 9½ months post knee-replacement with hip dysplasia
26th September 2022
Leg-length discrepancy – a DDH journey of shoes & surgery
23rd April 2022
3 months post-op: back to hip rehab to get off crutches
6th April 2022
A diary of ‘firsts’ for my two-month-old knee
10th March 2022
The knee-replacement rehab rollercoaster
7th February 2022
Getting my new knee moving: hydrotherapy
28th January 2022
Sleepless in Surrey: my knee replacement
22nd January 2022
I’m a hip girl, not a knee girl!
14th December 2021
Taking Steps by talking DDH
6th October 2021
Hips, Knee and boomps a daisy!
30th August 2021
Winter walks & wobbly hips
19th February 2021
Virtual Walking Challenge: 16 miles imagining Edale to Crowden
17th January 2021
Unlocking my lockdown joints with a 5K walk.
7th June 2020
The ‘Wonky Dog’. Yoga and hip dysplasia.
24th March 2020
The Freedom to walk differently. Diff-abled on tour!
9th March 2020
100 miles per year! My ups and downs with hip dysplasia
11th November 2019
Want to join my last legs? Join WalkingJill in October.
13th October 2019
Adult DDH: walking and talking with different abilities
28th September 2019
Route 66? Finding my DDH rhythm at Devil’s Dyke.
18th August 2019
Over half-way. Looking back on our right to roam.
4th August 2019
A step too far….Cocking to Amberley
27th July 2019
Walking when it’s hard to breathe
19th May 2019
An early Spring in my Steps…
5th April 2019
Paddling with my hands: pain and hip dysplasia
17th February 2019
Hip-py New Year!
31st December 2018
These hips weren’t made for walking
25th November 2018
Best foot forward. Winchester to Exton in 46,000 steps.
28th October 2018
Walking Test Two: Jill (not Jack) goes up Beacon Hill
25th September 2018
Walking Test One: Ditchling Beacon
30th August 2018
Left hip, right path. Getting me walking with hip dysplasia.
17th August 2018
If the shoe doesn’t fit… orthotics and hip dysplasia
8th July 2018
My 10K Walk. Fitting in by Standing Out.
11th June 2018
The Obstacle is the Way. Walking the South Downs Way?
26th March 2018