THR dede's shiny new bionic hip is installed

[nerdgrrl]

Scary on the stairs! How's your hip feeling today? And the rest of you? I went to a gym one time that had a special glute machine that didn't require weight-bearing on your feet. I wonder if you could find one of those to help keep your hip strength up, but not set off your ankle?

I am doing well, but my left knee is being a pain in the...well,... knee. It was sooo achy yesterday. I was about ready to just call my knee doc right then and there. They aren't open on Saturday, though. I hope it is just a combination of some overuse, and this big change in the weather. This sort of thing has happened in the past, but I am more paranoid about joint pain now. I have been laying low with ibuprofen, Tylenol, and ice. I did walk the dog yesterday,and today, but nothing else. Knee is feeling quite a bit better today. OTOH, my hip is doing great! I have to remember sometimes that I still am not 100% on the hip, but really, I am feeling pretty normal almost all the time now - like I forget to ice after working out. That is still a mistake, I have discovered, but I don't need to ice or do anything special from just normal walking around and stuff. Not the hip anyway. The knee is being a brat.

 

[sissy46]

nerdgrrl whoa, I didn't know your knee was acting up. My back is bothersome---now that we warriors have good hips, we're overdoing it with the rest of our joints, I guess.

 

[dede62]

Nerdgrrl, sorry to hear your knee is not playing nicely these days, though I'm sure Katie loves those walks with you!! Hope it's just a blip rather than any gremlins trying to surface. If so, beat them down with the mantra - ice, elevate, BS cocktail! I don't feel the weather in my joints, per se, but I am feeling a bit worn down by all the pollen we're dealing with (dang trees, but we are known as the Evergreen State for a reason).

Sissy, same goes with your back! Kick down those gremlins with heat and ice! I'm sure you won't let it get you down for long!

Jury's still out on this boot. Foot wasn't feeling too good today. I had to work in an alternate work location for part of the day, so I never really got settled in to a good spot. I was tired and sore this afternoon. Ended up taking some of the cocktail and it seemed to tide me over until I got home to ice. Got a regular day tomorrow on phone support, and then have a training to deliver on Wednesday. I'm sure I'll be tired and sore that afternoon, so I'm going to pre-medicate with the cocktail and maybe ice at the lunch break or when I'm done.

Sleep tight warriors!

 

[bellaroma]

Sorry you are having to go through this now. Those boots sure increase the weight and alter your gait. It always amazes me how long it takes to get strength back, considering how quick you can lose it, but I know our IR Warrior will do it right. Hope you get your repot soon and get a break at work.

 

[dede62]

Thanks, Beth. So today was a long, tiring day with the training I had to do. BS cocktail prior to start of class helped and lunch break was much needed. Sitting on ice (more lower back than hip) and foot is also wrapped up in ice. Tasking hubby with dinner, so I'm taking the rest of the night off. Will be due to take the cocktail pretty soon, so hopefully things will quiet down.

So I got the report yesterday and as usual it is pretty cryptic so I'm reading through the lines a bit...

Tendons/Ligaments - all intact (no tears)
No bone fractures
Plantar fascia - thickened (same heel I had surgery on) no spur but bone remodeling (again probably from the previous surgery since he nipped off the spur)
Bone marrow swelling in 3rd met and also in the head of the 1st met (big toe) - considered stress 'reaction'.
8mm bone spur on anterior aspect of navicular bone (one of the midfoot bones pretty much center/front of ankle)
No fluid buildup so doesn't appear to have any impingements

If things don't quiet down by the next appointment on the 24th and depending on next steps, I'll probably schedule 2nd opinion with ortho's office (same as hip office, just with one of the foot/ankle guys). I'll talk with the PA to see if they have a recommendation for which one to see. I may talk to him sooner rather than later to get the info and get in the hopper in case the other docs have long waiting times for new patients like my hip guy has.

 

[nerdgrrl]

We'll be interested to hear how it goes. Sorry to hear about the allergies! I am doing ok, but they usually attack me when the alder and scotch broom are blooming. FYI - my laying low seems to have worked the knee is feeling much better. Worked out Monday and Tuesday and iced right after. So far, so good

 

[sissy46]

Why not go ahead and schedule the 2nd opinion for soon after the 24th? You can always cancel, and you've had to do enough waiting. Get in the hopper, as you say.
I just hate it that you're going through this.

 

[bellaroma]

Dede, hope you scheduled that second opion and that your hip is not compalining too much from the adjustment from the foot boot. I agree with Sissy, wish you were not going through this, but there is noone I can take a whack at

 

[dede62]

Still hanging in there. It feels just "a little" better. Not what I expected after being in a boot for two weeks, ugh... I woke up this morning about 4:30 and it felt like there was a blow torch on the side of my foot. I had some gabapentin that I had prior to my hip surgery and I took one. It finally subsided about 20 minutes later and could slumber back off to sleep for about another hour before I had to get up. So now I know there is something going on with the nerves down there (otherwise the gab wouldn't have worked). One more week and I see the first doc. I did schedule the 2nd opinion for May 1st. I think I'll keep it either way. That way if it gets better, then takes a turn, I'll at least have seen someone and won't have much of a wait. My hip OS's office has two foot specialists, and either way it was going to be about 2 weeks. I think I may have gotten in earlier since I was already a patient in the practice. I don't have to do all of the pre-paperwork since I'm already a patient there. Just the normal photo ID and insurance card stuff. I requested a copy of my x-rays the other day. Good thing I asked ahead of my appointment. Apparently the xrays are at another facility, so they'll burn a copy for me and have it ready for my appointment next week. I already have my MRI and report, plus the OS office can log into the CDI site to get results and scans as well. With my discs they can download it into their system and have them on file and I shouldn't have to get new xrays...

I was just telling someone at work today, that I really want to get this resolved. I was hoping to do a little hiking this year (nothing too big). If I'm not able to get out much this summer, it will be the 3rd summer that I wouldn't be able to get out and about to do some of the fun hikes with my workout buddies. If things just progress slowly, I'll be happy just to get out and do my measly 1.5 mile walks every day (or every other day if that's what it takes). I have an app on my phone called Runkeeper where (when I remember) it will track my distance and progress. At least I have some activity on there I can show the docs that I didn't just try and go full bore right away when I started back up in February.

Hope everyone else is doing well!

 

[bellaroma]

That stinks, I wishI could majically fix you. Don't pick on your 1.5 miles, today was the first time I was able to do 1.46. After which I look like a drunken sailor, my legs start going spaghetti on me. Do you know what causes yournerve problems, is itbecause of a pinch?

 

[nerdgrrl]

Argh! I feel so sorry and helpless. I hope the doc(s) have some good ideas of how to fix this. Let us know how it goes

 

[Poppet]

dede62... This is no good.. We can't have a warrior girl down

Take care honey xx

 

[sissy46]

Two summers without hikes is two summers too many. Gosh, I hope this gets resolved quickly.
You are so organized. It is amazing how you think ahead and think of everything, and I'm so glad you have that appointment for May 1. Smart to keep it, just in case.

 

[dede62]

Thanks for stopping by gang! I really appreciate all of you.

Beth, I'm not sure at this point what's causing the nerve irritation. Hopefully one of the two docs will figure it out and get me back on both feet!

 

[dede62]

Well, I had my appointment yesterday to check on my tootsie. Well, it's not healing as well as we had hoped just being in the CAM walker/boot. So he wanted me to still keep the boot, but ace wrap the foot/ankle and use crutches to be partial weight bearing (as little as possible). He mentioned the scooter, but I have so many stairs in my life, it's not worth the investment. He said if it still doesn't heal well, then we could try a bone stimulator, but he said that we'd need about 8 weeks of non/light weight bearing to prove it to insurance for its use. I go back to him in four weeks (which will be 7 weeks in the boot). Crutches suck wind!!! (bellaroma I'm sure will agree!)

I had/have quite the fiasco getting my x-rays. I asked for them on the 16th, and when they confirmed my appointment on the 23rd for the next day, they still didn't have them from the other office (they get inter-office mail twice a day from them). So they contacted them, but it wasn't there when I went for the appointment, but of course, it showed up later in the day. So I picked the disc up and after I got home I decided to take a peek on my computer. Well not only were my x-rays there for this issue, but my x-rays on the other foot from 18 months ago, AS WELL AS, someone else's x-rays!!! I felt obligated to call them today to let them know as I know I wouldn't want someone else getting my films. They were a bit shocked as well. So they are going to order another copy for me (of just my films) and I have to take the other one back to them when I pick up the new one. I'm not taking it to them unless I get the others first since I have my 2nd opinion appointment next Wednesday.

I have quite the spur on the top of my foot, but the foot guy doesn't think that would be causing some of the nerve pain I'm having along the side or front. I'm looking forward to hear what the other doc says. My appointment got moved to the morning (he got called into surgery that afternoon), so I'll post when I have more to tell...

 

[dede62]

Well, I had my second opinion today on my foot/ankle. This is from an OS in my Hip OS's practice, so I was able to get in in a reasonable amount of time based on both of our schedules.

I had to switch to a morning appointment and man the traffic was UGLY this morning. Sunshine slowdowns and who knows what else (no reported blockages). Being the planner I am, I left in plenty of time as no one can predict that factor around here!

So when I went to check in, they didn't have my record (I know it has to be about 1-1.5 inches thick, so they couldn't misplace it, but it was coming from another office.) Luckly (again the planner in me) I filled out the online health questionnaire when I made the appointment and I handed that over instead of spending 20 minutes filling out the stupid forms. Finally got to the room but still waited there another 45+ minutes for the doc to show up. Kinda burns me I didn't get a "Gee, the doc is running late." I have left a doctor's office before when that happened, but having travelled all that way I wasn't going to waste the trip.

The doc walked in with a foot model in his hand and says, 'here, try this on for size.' Nice way to start the appointment - I just rolled with it and asked where he was going to cut and where the rods were to get it connected... Anyway, he took a look at my foot first, poked around, made me jump once or twice, made me stand while he looked at my foot/heel alignment and had me raise up on my toes (not fun). He then exited to go review the scans/x-rays. When he re-emerged, he basically said there wasn't much there except for the swelling in the bone (3rd metatarsal); didn't even mention the spur. I asked him about the ankle pain and burning, and if it could cause the problem with the foot (kind of a chicken and egg thing), and he thought that all of the compensation over the last 9 months could have just been too much. He actually thought that the burning/ankle pain was coming from my back more than the ankle based on the films and the fact that he couldn't "reproduce" specific site pain with pressure on certain points (but he really didn't push much on the spots I told him were bothering me there). He commented that I have a fairly high arch and a "peekaboo" heel (turns slightly inward causing me to walk more on the outside of my feet (yep, got that right!). I think he called it a vagus foot. He looked at my expensive orthotics and said that they really wouldn't help the realignment and suggested some others I could purchase online. He also said he probably wouldn't have me in the boot or on crutches, as he's not really sure how much that is helping at this point. I did mention that it was a little better since last week, but not significantly so. He also was concerned that it seemed to be taking longer than usual to heal (being in the boot for a month), so he had me do a Vitamin D blood test. He said that a lot of people here in the NW are Vit D deficient since we get pretty sporadic sun and for a short window of time in the summer. Being very fair skinned (and not one for going in the sun since I tend to burn) also raises the question of the Vit D level as well. If it is low, he'll order a mega dose rX version, then I can take supplements to get things improving. He felt that it should definitely should be better by 3 months (yikes that's 2 more months if you don't count the time from first x-ray, otherwise we're at 7 weeks). Anyways in a month or two if it's still punky he would like to see me again. I think I'll stay in the boot until I see the other doc and until I get a chance to get and try out the new orthotics and start any additional Vit D (I'm already taking some Caltrate +D, but I also have some D3 supplements I can start taking as well to see if things improve).

I stopped on the way back to work to do the bloodwork, so we should know something fairly quickly.

And we wait...

 

[bottomshollow]

So much of life seems to be hurry up and wait. Sure wish you could have gotten something more definitive for all your time and trouble, Dede.

Take care and keep us posted on what's going on. We care.

 

[sharonslp]

Dede, sorry to hear you are struggling with foot problems. I'm under the impression that they can be hard to fix. Makes the whole plunk in a new hip thing so simple in contrast. Hope to hear this gets steadily better.

Sharon

 

[bellaroma]

Wouldn't it be nice, just for once to get a clear answer and solution. I am sory you are going through this, but glad you are going to keep the boot on till you see the next doctor. I didn't feel overly warm and fuzzy over his information or approach.

 

[dede62]

Thanks for your kind words bottomshollow, sharonslp, and bellaroma. It means a lot and will help keep my spirits up until the healing spirits come and FIX MY FOOT!!! I appreciate you all!

You would think that after 6 weeks at home for my hip recovery that I could tap into that patience that I had all through that recovery. ...maybe I'm all out. Ah, it'll get better, eventually!