MelHipster
new member
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2018
- Messages
- 5
- Age
- 56
- Country
- Australia
- Gender
- Female
Hi there, fellow hipsters.
My friend Diane told me about this forum, she's had a successful THR in New Zealand.
I'm in Melbourne and finding it really difficult to get care! So if you know of anyone good in Melbourne, PLEASE post!!!
So the thumbnail story:
* pain in right hip for 7 years.
* totally fine prior to this - running, walking, stretching, cycling etc, with no issues.
* had baby #4 at age 43, three weeks later, took one step - ouch. Hip pain.
* rapid deterioration since then, with erratic grabbing pain in the hip - it's random, you never know when it's going to grab.
* GP said, "Oh it's because you gave birth. From being up in stirrups". (The fact that I gave birth kneeling at home in a birth pool wasn't sufficient to dislodge this fixed opinion).
* Tried physio - same
* Tried chiro - same
* Finally, the CHIRO (!! not the GP!) referred me for an Xray!
* Xray notes state: "There is a right femoral CAM deformity. The right acetabulum appears to be mildly dysplastic. Further workup would be appropriate particularly with the history of 5 years of hip pain"
Finally the GP deigned to refer me to an orthopaedic surgeon. Of him, I asked, "What are my option?" He decided that at the age of 48, I was TOO OLD to have the procedure to repair a CAM deformity (I believe this is the procedure where they use a powered burr to "trim" the CAM via arthroscopy?) His reply: "You'll just have to suffer until you are 'ready' for a hip replacement". This was 2 years ago.
He referred me for an MRI. I went to Box Hill for this (2 hours drive from my home). There, they let me fill out paperwork and wait for about an hour, then took me in to the Xray rooms where they informed me that "We don't do 'that kind' of MRI here." Neither could they inform me just where exactly, I could get 'that kind' of MRI done ...
So now, we are going to see a guy called John O'Donnell. Apparently he is an orthopaedic surgeon. However, the GP told me today that because he is a private surgeon, he will not see me because I do not have private health insurance (I have a Health Care Card).
At this point, after 7 years of being unable to walk or run or climb stairs without pain, even rolling over in bed is painful, I am concerned at my deteriorating condition and fitness. I am 51 years old and I feel like they are just fobbing me off as too old and female to be bothered with.
So if anyone out there has any clue at all about what to do for CAM deformity and dysplasia (note - I was born breech) - I would LOVE to hear from you.
I was a runner, hiker and outdoor adventurer, all my children are rock climbers, campers and hikers. I am really grieving my life-long fitness and the ability to do things with them.
(I should add what I *have* been doing: trying to reduce inflammation: cutting out sugar, coffee, dairy, wheat, taking turmeric, white willow, prickly ash, devil's claw, boswellia, celery seed, ginger, black pepper, brocolli sprout powder, fish oil, glucosamine etc.)
Thanks for listening - and bring on the pearls of wisdom!
My friend Diane told me about this forum, she's had a successful THR in New Zealand.
I'm in Melbourne and finding it really difficult to get care! So if you know of anyone good in Melbourne, PLEASE post!!!
So the thumbnail story:
* pain in right hip for 7 years.
* totally fine prior to this - running, walking, stretching, cycling etc, with no issues.
* had baby #4 at age 43, three weeks later, took one step - ouch. Hip pain.
* rapid deterioration since then, with erratic grabbing pain in the hip - it's random, you never know when it's going to grab.
* GP said, "Oh it's because you gave birth. From being up in stirrups". (The fact that I gave birth kneeling at home in a birth pool wasn't sufficient to dislodge this fixed opinion).
* Tried physio - same
* Tried chiro - same
* Finally, the CHIRO (!! not the GP!) referred me for an Xray!
* Xray notes state: "There is a right femoral CAM deformity. The right acetabulum appears to be mildly dysplastic. Further workup would be appropriate particularly with the history of 5 years of hip pain"
Finally the GP deigned to refer me to an orthopaedic surgeon. Of him, I asked, "What are my option?" He decided that at the age of 48, I was TOO OLD to have the procedure to repair a CAM deformity (I believe this is the procedure where they use a powered burr to "trim" the CAM via arthroscopy?) His reply: "You'll just have to suffer until you are 'ready' for a hip replacement". This was 2 years ago.
He referred me for an MRI. I went to Box Hill for this (2 hours drive from my home). There, they let me fill out paperwork and wait for about an hour, then took me in to the Xray rooms where they informed me that "We don't do 'that kind' of MRI here." Neither could they inform me just where exactly, I could get 'that kind' of MRI done ...
So now, we are going to see a guy called John O'Donnell. Apparently he is an orthopaedic surgeon. However, the GP told me today that because he is a private surgeon, he will not see me because I do not have private health insurance (I have a Health Care Card).
At this point, after 7 years of being unable to walk or run or climb stairs without pain, even rolling over in bed is painful, I am concerned at my deteriorating condition and fitness. I am 51 years old and I feel like they are just fobbing me off as too old and female to be bothered with.
So if anyone out there has any clue at all about what to do for CAM deformity and dysplasia (note - I was born breech) - I would LOVE to hear from you.
I was a runner, hiker and outdoor adventurer, all my children are rock climbers, campers and hikers. I am really grieving my life-long fitness and the ability to do things with them.
(I should add what I *have* been doing: trying to reduce inflammation: cutting out sugar, coffee, dairy, wheat, taking turmeric, white willow, prickly ash, devil's claw, boswellia, celery seed, ginger, black pepper, brocolli sprout powder, fish oil, glucosamine etc.)
Thanks for listening - and bring on the pearls of wisdom!
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