Support a Tattoo Artist's Hip Surgery Journey

When I first was diagnosed with hip dysplasia I was a dog groomer, the first coworker I told turned to me and asked "like a German Shepherd?" Yep.

I was maybe 22, and I'd been dealing with pain coming and going for almost two years, some days severe enough that it would lay me out and keep me from doing anything. I had a lot of anxiety about doctors, so I put off the appointment until it was pretty clear this wasn't a "tweaked hip" that would eventually resolve itself.

I jumped through all the hoops and ended up in the office of an orthopedic surgeon, who sat down in front of me with my x-rays. "You have hip dysplasia, the bone is misshapen and doesn't fit properly in the socket. It's not a problem right now, but you'll need a hip replacement by the time you're 40." I was a little perplexed by the not-a-problem part, it was intense pain that brought me in in the first place. I asked if the dysplasia was causing it, and he replied with a short "no, but we can give you pain medication." Not the answer I was looking for. I went home feeling pretty unhelped, did a little research, found pretty quickly that my condition made me very prone to frequent labral tears which is exactly what that pain felt like.

And in typical 22-year-old, immune-to-real-problems fashion, I decided I would be special and never need the surgery if I just took care of myself.

Now I'm almost 40, the cartilage in my hip is gone, the bone is riddled with arthritis, I can't stand more than 15 minutes in line to get a coffee, I can't walk more than 20 minutes, I can't hike or travel or get a little silly on an 80s night and dance. The one perk is I can predict rain better than the Apple Weather App. Turns out I can't will natural processes away after all.

I need this hip replacement to have a return to quality of life, maybe real quality of life for the first time after almost 20 years of chronic pain. I also am a tattoo artist and that doesn't grant me some of the benefits of other lines of work, namely short-term disability pay. I will miss a minimum of one month of work, and possibly up to (though unlikely) three months. The funds I'm asking for help with cover the out of pocket costs of the surgery itself, and partial bills for a month of missed work.

You'll be helping me keep at the job that I love, and bring back some of the joys in life that I've given up over the last few years. And you'll earn a very very grateful tattoo artist for life (it's always good to have a tattoo friend!)

Thank you for making it through this disjointed (ha) little story, and thanks for any little help you can manage!