THR Constant severe pain after 15 months<

@Josephine Thanks for your help but I am going to have to give up. I don't know the names of the exercises because they didn't tell me they had names.

It's been going on for so long that I don't even remember the order of when and what was done. I'm so sorry I have wasted your time.

I did get a report on everything that was done in surgery that sounded good as far as I know, except, when I came to the last part the OS said a 6.5 screw was put upward in my patella.

Once again, I'm lost. Nothing was done to my knee and when you live in such a small town with no services it's difficult. I'll have the MRI with metal suppressant on July 23 and get results on the 25th. If that doesn't show anything, I give up. Apparently, if my records were sent to Mayo's and Omaha, they were about the wrong person and procedure. How could they come up with anything but "inconclusive?"

If it's not too late, I'll go to KC for another opinion. I guess I've just lost hope. Thank you so much to all of you with advice and suggestions. I wish you all the best. Thank you Josephine so very much.
 
I did get a report on everything that was done in surgery that sounded good as far as I know, except, when I came to the last part the OS said a 6.5 screw was put upward in my patella. Once again, I'm lost. Nothing was done to my knee
Oh my stars...the wrong report!
Crazy!
If it's not too late, I'll go to KC for another opinion. I guess I've just lost hope.
Definitely not too late and certainly you must not give up hope!
I guess that's easy for me to say, and I know this has gone on way too long, but you deserve to get this fixed!
Keeping you in my prayers and wishing you all the best!
 
Thanks for your help but I am going to have to give up. I don't know the names of the exercises because they didn't tell me they had names. I'm so sorry I have wasted your time.
Honey, I'M so sorry - I had no idea you didn't know. You haven't wasted my time. It's all good!
the OS said a 6.5 screw was put upward in my patella.
That's the diameter of the screw and it's quite common to use a screw with a large thread in the patella so it gets a good grip.

AO screw.jpg


Apparently, if my records were sent to Mayo's and Omaha, they were about the wrong person and procedure. How could they come up with anything but "inconclusive?"
Oh - my - giddy - aunt! That is just awful! Things really are stacked up against you, aren't they? But Mojo is right. You can't give up. It's your life and well being. You have to fight for that.
 
5. When I elevate my leg, the pain hits my lower back and I can't do it very long because that pain doesn't go away for a day or two.
Did or do you have back problems?
6. My activity level is almost 0. I get groceries and that's about it. I stock up so I don't have to go often.
I can imaging
7. PT came to my home every day for the first two weeks. I did 5 leg raises and 5 slides, 5 knee bends, 5 heel to chest (in bed), 5 standing leg raises to the side, 5 leg raises to the back and walking through the house with the walker two times. I did these twice a day.

Now, he told me to only do low leg raises while lying down (5) and 5 slides across the bed while lying down.
PT came to my home every day for the first two weeks. I did 5 leg raises and 5 slides, 5 knee bends, 5 heel to chest (in bed), 5 standing leg raises to the side, 5 leg raises to the back and walking through the house with the walker two times. I did these twice a day.
The first therapy I went to at three weeks when I could drive. This one told me he didn't do hips after the fact. He didn't give them a name. I lay on a table and raised my leg 10 times. He thought it was the IT band and twisted me like a pretzel and then on the exercise bike for 3 minutes the first day, 5 minutes the second day and 10 the third day. I didn't go back after that because I was sick when I got home. OS said not to go back.
After a couple of weeks, I went to the hospital's PT. I went up and down steps once, standing on one leg for as long as I could or until she said to stop, the clam shell, which was impossible. The pain stopped me.
She did strengthening by holding my leg in different positions and having me push against he hand about 3 times.
I used the recumbent bike for 5 minutes to start, then increasing to 10 over a week. I went 3 times a week.
She did massage therapy about three times for one week
total gym for I don't know how long.
I had to quit.
I couldn't do these at home but I did push against the furniture.
The session was 45 minutes, then she used the e-tens machine to stop some of the pain. After that, I had to stop because the pain was increasing.
I did walk a lot a few weeks after the surgery and for some reason, everything was so painful I had to stop. I do move around a lot at home.
Without a doubt, all of this is what has caused the pain you have now. I'm actually horrified to read it all because generally we recommend that hips actually don't need any exercise to get better and that they do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance.

But you're not taking any pain meds either, is that right? I think at the very least you should be taking Tylenol 1,000mg 4 times a day. I think you will find some relief with that. Another thing is, if your surgeon isn't helping you in regard to pain meds, that you go see your GP and see if s/he will help. Or have you already done that?
 
@Josephine I'm sure I left a lot out at the beginning, because I was walking 13 blocks at 3 months unassisted. I had no pain or trouble at all. In fact, I wanted to run so badly. At the beginning of the 4th month post-op, I took a horrible fall in the house. It was at 4:30am and I was half asleep. I turned around and lost my balance and feel straight down, full weight, straight on my knee--like a vertical fence post. I was afraid to move. My knee swelled to the size of a grapefruit and the OS told me to come immediately. He x-rayed it and said it was alright. It felt like it jammed my femur straight up into my hip. I believe after that, everything took a turn for the worst. It did do a CT scan and MRI but it showed nothing but the torn meniscus. He said that wouldn't hurt anything. So I still don't know why I can't bend my knee. When I try, it feels like it's pulling the glute muscles over sharp gravel. My knee on the inside and upwards in sunken in and it looks terrible. I can't regain any strength in that leg. Could the screw cause problems in my knee? I had no idea. How did they reach it? I have no scars.

The OS told me, and also my GP, not to take more than 1000 mgs. of Tylenol in 24 hours. I might as well eat an M&M. I try and DO get outside every day to just walk around the house. I know I have to keep the muscles working, but my leg is very stiff. All this stuff about this crazy opiod epidemic in the US keeps doctors from prescribing the drugs that would help. This is the first time I have had to take anything for pain (except for headaches) so I'm not a pill popper. I've never had to take any drugs until now. I do take two Tramadol a day and Klonopin for anxiety. Tramadol acts like a good anti-depressant but does nothing for pain. I don't take the Klonopin very often; it puts me to sleep. I didn't mean to cause such a problem. I am sincerely sorry. The US is apparently so different. I didn't have anything for pain after surgery, but I didn't need it. It wasn't until later.

Maybe this MRI will reveal something. I have to think positive. I am going to continue to read your site because it is so good. It helps when I'm feeling down, and that means a lot. I just don't want you to spend your time on me because this country is so.....well, I don't know what to say. I guess it's all politics. Thank you again. I hope you know how you and all the others have helped. I can't thank you enough.
 
The OS told me, and also my GP, not to take more than 1000 mgs. of Tylenol in 24 hours.
I can't think they really meant that because the general maximum per 24hrs is 4,000mg. Though your FDA has changed that to 3,000mg to guard against people who might be taking other over-the-counter medications with acetaminophen in the recipe. We don't do that in the UK and expect people to be grown up enough to know about this! But you are right, at 250mg at a time, you might as well be eating M&Ms!
 
When I go back on July 25th, I'll write what I find out. Best of luck to everyone and thank you, again!
 

BoneSmart #1 Best Blog

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
65,179
Messages
1,597,054
BoneSmarties
39,363
Latest member
HikerWalker
Recent bookmarks
0
Back
Top Bottom