My hips don’t lie.

On Monday, at the ripe old age of 28, I found out that I have a degenerative arthritis in my right hip. YUCK!

This diagnosis came from a long and winding road of doctor’s appointments, which started out 3 months ago to initially look into some facial twitching, fatigue and headaches I was having.

After seeing my general doctor I was referred to a neurologist and later a rheumatologist who over time each subjected me to a combination of blood tests, a brain MRI, a head & neck MRA and X-rays to my knees and hip.

In the end, the MRI & MRA were both clear, and I had some irregular blood tests that were investigated but eventually they ruled out Lupus, MS and other autoimmune diseases. Lastly, they looked into my joint pain and found some early degeneration in my right hip. Uh oh. So now I write this entry still with my twitchy eye & unexplained headaches but with the addition of a bum hip! Hmmm. Not the outcome I had hoped for, but I can definitely deal with it.

So in terms of what I need to do about the arthritis, I really need to just start moving. I’m in the most pain when I sit still for long periods of time, which makes it hard when I sit at a desk for 10 hours a day. Really what it comes down to is that I need to exercise and make my muscles stronger around the area in a low/no impact way. My doctor said that running outside or on a treadmill is OUT (phew! I hate running), and that an elliptical is OK, a bike is much better and that swimming is the best. But can I really bring myself to join the blue hairs at the Y for water aerobics??

Maybe so! Because today, the strangest things happened to me. And old high school friend befriended me on Facebook. (ok, I know that part is not so weird, but hear me out.) Her name is Kim. She just joined the behemoth social networking site today and of all things just happens to read my latest facebook update which read: “Stephanie has a degenerative hip at the age of 28... anyone want to join me for some water aerobics?”

She replies to it saying, “join the club...“ and inserts this link.

Intrigued, I click on the article to find a story about water exercise with who else but 28-year-old KIM quoted all over the place. She too has arthritis and is doing water aerobics despite the senior citizen stereotype! And she says it kicks her butt! What are the odds that a long lost high school friend will be quoted in the St. Louis Post Dispatch about arthritis & water aerobics, just days before I get diagnosed with hip arthritis, then finds me on facebook that very same week and shares it with me??

Too bad I do not live in STL or else I would join her class! But nonetheless, she and this article have inspired me to get over my initial thoughts about water exercise and start investigating Chicago classes I can take.

Long story, well L-O-N-G, I hope to take my new found challenge of having arthritis at a young age in stride and to find new inspiration to become more active. Even if it involves a swim cap and making friends a few decades older than me ;-) .