Becca

Becca, Steph and Ralna (Becca's sister)

You all remember me talking about my BFF, Becca, right? Well, I'm heading up to Moncton to spend night with her and her hubby on Sunday, so that I can hang out in the hospital with them on Monday.

Becca and I have been through a lot together in these last almost 12 years. The list of significant, definitive events in our shared history is so long that it might take me all day to list them. Let's just suffice in saying that there have been lots of laughter and lots of tears and sometimes the tears and laughter have been intermingled.

On Monday we will be adding something else to that list of significant, definitive events. On Monday, Becca will be getting her hip "resurfaced".

Two years ago this past November I was spent the weekend with Becca. I knew she was having problems with her hip, but I didn't realize how bad it was until after we went to bed. Because Becca and I are 12-year-old girls, we used to sleep in her bed so we could talk until we fell asleep. That night, I woke up because she was moaning in her sleep. I woke her up and she went to the kitchen to take something for it. The next morning we had breakfast with my dad and my SM, who were also in town. My dad, being a pharmacist was worried about her and told her to ask her doctor for every test they could do.

By the time Becca's parents arrived for the holidays that December, the doctor had diagnosed her with Osteoarthritis in her hip. It was a teary time, but thankfully her mom and dad were there with her.

Now, just over two years after her diagnosis, Becca is getting a new ball and a resurfaced socket. It's not as invasive a procedure as a total hip-replacement, so her recovery time will be much faster. Here's a link that shows what her new parts will look like.

I can't begin to tell you how excited she is to have this surgery. She's wavering between tears and joy, as am I. Over the years I have watched my friend go from running 10km races to visibly limping and walking very cautiously. While she is stubborn about not letting her hip affect what she does, it has, especially in this last year, had a significant impact on her lifestyle. Think about, gang: A bad hip seriously cuts into the shopping trips, the strolls around the market and any kind of exercise. This new ball and socket is going to be amazing!

This whole process has been a source of more tears and laughter for us - especially when she lied to me earlier this week and told me that her incision would measure approximately 3 feet long and I responded with shrieks of "WHAT? NOOO! That's awful." instead of the more supportive "Oh, really? Only from the middle of your back to the back of your knee? That's not so bad."

On Monday Troy, Becca's adorable husband, and I will be hanging out at the hospital in Moncton. We'll be the ones attempting to study and attempting to knit (respectively). If you happen to work there, please turn a blind eye when I go in to visit her. I may not be immediate family by blood, but after all these years, who could tell the difference?

Why does she have Osteo-arthritis? Her hip has been slightly out of alignment for years and has rubbed away at the socket.