Kelli (36), from Newquay, Cornwall was very active growing up – she’s currently preparing for the Paris Marathon, where she thinks she’ll be the youngest person with two hip replacements to race. But this was once a dream that didn’t seem possible.
Kelli was born on a farm and was always involved in sport growing up. From netball to cycling, she’d try it all. She was diagnosed at birth with hip dysplasia, a condition where there is a mismatch in the fit of the ball of the hip into the hip socket, meaning increased movement can occur. This can cause damage to the surrounding tissue and in very severe cases the ball can come out of the socket completely. “I had to wear double nappies, which was common in those days as a way to correct it. But it didn’t work and follow-up appointments failed to show this.”
Kelli always felt a deep gnawing feeling that something wasn’t quite right with her hips. “I remember whenever I had to climb over a gate my hip always felt loose, I’d have to hold my leg to make it more secure. I’d also feel a deep pain in my left hip joint, but getting a diagnosis was extremely difficult because I was always really sporty so my pain was often put down to that. When I was a bit older I started to get tears to my labrum, the ring of cartilage that follows the outside rim of the hip joint socket. It’s a common issue for patients whose hip dysplasia went untreated.”
Kelli had another round of X-rays aged 18 which unfortunately showed her hips were severely arthritic and dysplastic. For the next 10 years she had several key-hole surgeries to tidy up the cartilage damage and numerous steroid injections to help with the pain. “At around 27 I underwent major surgery to prevent having hip replacements, where a bone graft was used to create a shelf over my left hip. This was meant to help with weightbearing. While in surgery they found I had a fracture of the pelvis and severe necrosis, where some of the tissue in the hip had died. After I recovered from surgery the functionality of my hips was there, but I was in severe pain as the intervention was too little too late – I needed hip replacements at this point.
“At this time I was moved to the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham, under the care of Mr Dunlop.
“Prior to [coming to the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital], I always felt things were decided for me. What I really liked about the ROH, it was always an open conversation. Nothing was rushed – this was really important – you had time to think about things, consider things, and have options. The main thing I was asked was what do I want, from treatment. For me it was two things. First it was pain. I couldn’t function living with chronic pain – it was affecting everything, I was just miserable. I also wanted to be able to do sport. I remember him [Mr Dunlop] asking specifically what I meant by that and I found it so hard to think, because it had been such a long time that I had set goals. After some thought I knew I wanted to be able to hike pain free. Even to do a 5k slow jog would be amazing, without being in pain. Going off on cycle rides. That’s what I wanted.”
Kelli needed custom implants for both her hips due to narrow femurs, and eventually had her left hip replaced aged 30 in 2019. Her right hip was replaced in the summer of 2020, after a delay due to the COVID pandemic.
Setting small goals during recovery was essential for Kelli. “The first few weeks was really mundane, as you can’t do everything yourself, so setting micro wins for each day is really important. By day nine you’re doing things you wouldn’t have imagined on day three – the wins stack up and you start to realise the progress you’re making.
“I remember the first time after surgery making a sandwich the way I wanted to, and then I remember the first time going out with my dog on a walk. That was emotional. Before then I'd take my dog on walks, thinking is there a bench there for me to sit down on? Mentally thinking that as a late 20-year-old is really tough, so being able to go for a walk by myself without needing a bench was an incredible feeling.”
Kelli puts much of her continued fitness levels down to strength training. “A month ago when I came to speak to Mr Dunlop, he asked me how I have got to this point - I put it down to strength training. For the first few years I did a bit of this and that, catching up for lost time with lifting weights, but not lifting extensively. The last few years I’ve flipped it – now I strength train three times a week. Never in my life did I think I'd run like this and not get an injury. It’s the strongest I've ever been.”
With the Paris Marathon taking place in April, Kelli is gradually preparing for the 26.2 mile race. “One thing I always do is give myself extra time to reach a goal. I’m working towards being able to run a practice marathon in February, which gives me a few months to play with if I’m not where I need to be. I’m making sure to listen to my body, ensure I’m not fatiguing and just slowly build up to the full distance.
“I’m currently running three times a week - an easy run, a long run, and a tempo/speed run, and mixing in some cycling and using the cross trainer. I’m also taking advantage of where I live for my runs – I live in Cornwall and coastal runs are brilliant for training. Not only do you get a range of elevations, but the views are incredible and really help to boost your mood.”
Thinking back to her time before her hip replacements, Kelli can’t believe how far she has come. “I haven’t touched a pain killer in 5 years – I just couldn’t fathom I’d be where I am today, I was chasing pain killers and the impact was beyond just pain. I wasn’t really living, I was living in the grey.”
We asked Kelli what’s next for her, and the Paris Marathon is the first step. “Next stop is the Paris Marathon, but I feel I’m just getting started. I love trail runs so much - I’m a country girl and love losing myself in the elements, so I have dreams of running an Ultra marathon. I’m currently booked for the Classic Quarter in Cornwall which is a 44-mile run in June, and maybe even an Ironman in the future but one step (literally) at a time.”
