THR LuvDisney’s recovery journey

@Layla, thank you for checking in on me. I had my post-op appointment today and everything looked good. Sadly I went without a walker as I've been walking okay but we ended up having to park quite a distance from the office and after my appointment I walked to the adjoining building to turn in my new note that has me off work until Oct 23 (was Oct 6). and then to see if my manager was there to give a copy and then back down and out to the parking garage. All told it was about .75miles and now I am hurting.

My surgeon does agree that walking is best and says I don't really need PT but he's not sure if the state disability requires it so he encouraged my going 1x a week just to be safe. I can't afford to not have that pay! As it is my savings is almost empty and it will be another 6 weeks or so before I can get a regular pay-check.

Otherwise I'm doing well. Sleeping is still an issue some nights but getting better.
 
Ice, ice, ice until you feel better. I'm sure it will help.
Great news on your office visit. Awesome that you got the extension.

I think you can get by with PT. Just refuse to do anything questionable especially anything that hurts.
Hopefully your sleep begins to improve soon.
Thanks for the update. It was nice to hear from you :flwrysmile:
@LuvDisney
 
:hi: you are going to get there...
This is that Sloooooowwww part of recovery that is rife with frustration...or was for me!
Good for you holding on to your patience...it will serve you well...
Hope today is a Good Day!:friends:
 
Happy Two Month Anniversary for Righty!
Happy Three Month Anniversary for Lefty (tomorrow)
How are you doing? We'd love to read an update.
Hopefully all is going well and your transitioning back to life.
Best wishes for a great week! :flwrysmile:
@LuvDisney
 
:wave: @LuvDisney
What Layla said!:)
Pop by with an overview when able!
 
Hi all, I was on this forum before and for a little bit after surgery but once I had my second hip done everything was going well except for a few minor aches and pains. Then all of a sudden in October I had pain that basically crippled me, I had to call off sick from work for a week because I simply couldn’t walk without my walker (thank goodness it was still around). I had X-rays done and saw my surgeon but by the time I got in to see him the pain was gone. He said since it’s gone we won’t worry about it. Almost exactly a month later the exact pain came back. I worked one day after being on a 12 day vacation (to Walt Disney World where quite a bit of walking was done!) and went to the store after work for some groceries and then couldn’t get in my car the pain was back. I again had to call in sick to work and this time when I reached out to my surgeon he scheduled an MRI and blood work. The day I went in for that the pain was better and I was able to ambulated without an assistive device. Unfortunately it started to hurt again the following day and hurt for almost exactly one week. Surgeon said MRI results were normal and the blood work was all normal as well. Said pain shouldn’t return... well this time it didn’t even go a month and pain returned just 11 days later. This time I went to the ER and they said “oh, you have sciatica” however my back doesn’t hurt at all and I don’t have numbness or tingling. The pain is so bad I can’t walk 10ft without a walker when it’s there. I also can’t lift my knee up but can put my heel to my butt without issue. Minimal pain when sitting and it goes away laying down. This time the awful pain only lasted 3 days. After the ER visit I visited my primary doctor for a follow up and he doesn’t think it’s Sciatica from my back but could be something pushing on the nerve at the level of my hip.
I’m on pins and needles every time I stand up wondering if the pain will be there again.
I realize this was really long but I just can’t live like this! I’ve missed more work this fall than I have the previous 10 years excluding the time off for my surgeries. I had my left done in July 2018 and the right in August 2018. My right hasn’t experienced any of these pains.
 
@LuvDisney you will notice that I have merged your two threads together as we prefer that members in recovery only have one thread.

This is for three reasons:
1. if you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts others have left you in the old threads
2. it often ends up that information is unnecessarily repeated
3. it's best if we can keep all your recovery story in one place so it's easily accessed if we need to advise you.

Please keep all your questions and updates on this thread. If you would like a new thread title just give a shout.

This issue sounds exactly what I experienced when diagnosed with sciatic pain. I know your GP has dismissed this but I would suggest you go back and ask for more diagnostic tests. A spinal MRI would identify if there are pitched nerves. The sciatic nerve runs very close to your hip. I do hope you can get some answers.
 
:hi: @LuvDisney
Hope you are still pursuing answers to your ongoing issues as I hated to see you back on the forum with pain.:sad:
I don't have any sage advice, but wanted you to know I am rooting for you.:friends:
 
Hello @LuvDisney

I am so sorry you are dealing with intense pain that keeps reappearing.

I think I would get a second opinion. If you need recommendations BoneSmart forum has excellent advise.

Where is the pain exactly? Mid thigh, outer hip, knee, etc.. You mention it hurts when you raise your leg. Do you have difficulty rising after sitting? Getting in and out of a car?

Sending wishes that you get an answer to this.
 
@Jaycey thank you for merging the threads. My other one was old so I thought it would have been closed.

I’ve now had both a hip and a lumbar MRI. The Lumbar MRI was normal so if it sciatic pain it’s at the level of my hip.

@Fit4Family I’m a kaiser member so I would have to stick within the system for a second opinion.
The pain is in my butt, deep hip area and down into my thigh. It is hard to raise my leg to get into a car or into bed. It generally does not hurt when I laying down or sitting. It hurts with walking. When it gets bad it then hurts with sitting or laying but if I don’t move for awhile then it goes away till I try and walk again.

@bickypeg i have not seen PT for this. I would need my physician to refer me and they haven’t.
 
Since I posted the return of pain it came back for just a short time on Dec 21. Then came back on December 27 while I was at work. It was horrible and I limped around half the shift. Went home and it settled down. The following 2 days it was achy but not as bad and then on Monday it was super intense again, Tuesday was bad but not as bad. I worked all those days because I’d. Even calling off sick so much I just had to power through (plus except the first night I wasn’t in patient care so that helped.)
That Tuesday I had a Lumbar MRI which was normal so my primary doctor says it’s my hip.
my surgeon says he wants to see me again if the pain returns and that if it continues I may need an exploratory surgery of my hip which sounds absolutely awful to me. So here I am on pins and needles, wondering with every step of the pain will return.
 
I am so sorry you are still in pain. I hope you can find someone within your plan that will give you a second opinion. MRIs aren’t that great after a THR, because the metal makes details less obvious. Next X-ray, ask for a standing frog pose with your operated toe pointing in. Can’t imagine exploratory surgery is only answer. I’d want to know probable issue before signing up for any more surgery. @LuvDisney
 
@Fit4Family i think the biggest issue is the pain comes and goes. I don’t know when it’s going to hit. It’s been a week now and I’ve been fine. I thought it might have been starting last night but it’s been okay all night (I work night shift.)
 
Can’t imagine exploratory surgery is only answer. I’d want to know probable issue before signing up for any more surgery. @LuvDisney

I agree with Fit4Family. Do your research, please.
I'm sorry you're dealing with these sporadic and questionable episodes. I hope you can get to the origin of your pain soon.
Take care and stay in touch.
@LuvDisney
 
Believe me. I don’t want another surgery.

Ive tried to do research and I can’t find anything that describes a situation like mine.
 
If you can't attribute the pain to any type of activity, or over activity, possibly you should consider a second opinion from a surgeon unrelated to your current surgeon's practice. Something to ponder...
@LuvDisney
 
Well my pain has returned. At least this time I know what caused it though. I mis-stepped and jarred my hip which immediately set the pain going. This is the first time I’ve been able to attribute a certain action to the trigger of it. I’m thinking a little stumble (I didn’t fall) shouldn’t be causing this much pain though. It’s not as bad as some of the other times but walking is still painful. Guess we will see how it feels tomorrow. I’ve Ice’d it and used naproxen of which didn’t help.
 
Hi @LuvDisney I am reading through your recent posts and oh my goodness, how frustrating for you.
So sorry to read that you are in pain again, but like you, am glad you now have an idea of what triggered it. Maybe that will give a clue to the examining Dr.
For what it's worth, I agree with and hope you consider getting a second opinion, as Layla suggested. Especially since the painful episodes sound like they are happening more often now.

Hopefully you are able to sleep tonight and maybe the pain will be easier tomorrow.
So sorry that you are worried.. :console2:
 
Hi everyone, it’s been awhile since I updated and sad to say I’m still having issues. I had a bad flare at work almost 2 weeks ago which made me reach out to my surgeon again. The soonest he could get me in to see him was yesterday. Of course by then the pain had been gone for 8 days. It didn’t last though. About an hour after my appointment the pain started again. It settled down and I prepared to go to work. It was painful as I let my dogs out but I was hopeful I could get to work. I actually ended up being at work for 5 hours before the pain kicked back in but then it was AWFUL the last 3.5hrs of my shift. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to get the pain to settle back down since then.

at my appointment my surgeon and I discussed my options. He has shown my imaging to other surgeons and no one can see anything that should be causing so much discomfort. The only possible thing is a small Psuedotumor (fluid pocket) that could be pressing on a nerve. So the plan for now is a repeat MRI to check the size of the Psuedotumor and possibly see if anything else shows up. And then discuss surgery more based on those results.
 

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