THR Me2 and Recovery

[Me2]

Fifteen months since second hip . . . and approaching two year anniversary of deciding to go down the road to have first hip replaced after years of pain. This almost three months of shoulder pain reminded me of those years of just dealing with it .. . its truly amazing how our bodies accommodate different parts not being fully functioning. And how glorious each recovery stepping stone was as I was able to once again do and do with ease.

So, today, is shoulder surgery day. I think I can, I think I can, I think can ..........................

 

[Jaycey]

All the best today @Me2 . Sure hope this surgery does the trick for you. Fingers crossed!

 

[Me2]

TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

It's been a lukewarm anniversary day. I do so appreciate the physically wonderful left hip and it's miraculous recovery. The difference in my life pre and post surgery is simply amazing!

I am so happy to have had written notes journaling what I couldn't do for the years from 2006 thru 2014. I still feel a little thrill is excitement in the simple joy of crossing my legs to put socks on or tie a pair of shoes. I remember at less than two weeks not only being able to walk with much less awkward limping and much less pain but also being able to dance with my preschoolers.

So, even though I fight off the sometimes overwhelming PTSD from that first surgery, I know that is crazy stuff. When I feel overwhelmed with this"measly" six months of severe shoulder pain accompanied by twelve weeks REAL time sling time and another twelve weeks of painful physical therapy, I try to look at it as another"I did that" "i can be proud of myself" thing right along with my "badges of courage" scars. At two years the badge is almost completely faded. Life is good







Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum

 

[Me2]

Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum

 

[JoeL]

Hey Sheryl @Me2 Happy Hippie Anniversary! Two hips and back and shoulder issues. Wow sounds like a lot to deal with. Glad to hear you're doing okay. It seems like so long ago to me.

 

[MajorHeidi]

Hi @Me2 Sheryl! Happy Anniversary to you! You have been through a lot, and I am happy to hear you are happy and well! Awesome!

 

[Me2]

When I feel overwhelmed with this"measly" six months of severe shoulder pain accompanied by twelve weeks REAL time sling time and another twelve weeks of painful physical therapy, I try to look at it as another"I did that" "i can be proud of myself" thing right along with my "badges of courage" scars.

Oh, goodness, (long story over on SI/back thread, short story here cause this is where it began), I tried a different pain specialist for my low back pain, and he said I should really see a revisionist as it seems as though my right hip is just not right. He said that yes I have problems with my back but that it really shouldn't be causing me the groin and front of the thigh pain that has been plaguing me and may be causing me the lower back pain. Little bit, no a lot disconcerted with this "tidbit" of information - as it applies not only my thoughts on hips, but my trusting and reliance on surgeon's ability to fix me - so important for me to believe in medical world now that I'm almost five weeks into this shoulder replacement.

​

 

[MajorHeidi]

@Me2 Oh Sheryl!
You have been through so much, you really are a trooper and an OA poster child for perseverance.
I read through your shoulder blog, and am amazed with how awesome you continue to be!!!

This comment above about seeing a revisionist sounds daunting, but you should probably do that
to get their opinion on it. It may be the missing link.....

Please keep us posted, Sheryl; we are all in this with you.
(I will be back sometime soon either with second hip or first knee.... )
xo

 

[Pumpkin]

Sending positive thoughts your way, I agree with others, a consult with a surgeon specializing in hip revisions is in order.

 

[Jamie]

I know this seems daunting, but you are so much stronger than you give yourself credit for. Just look at all you've come through so far and how assertive you have learned to be with your medical team! You can do this. And, as we all know, information is power. Once you have the opinion of a revisionist or two you'll feel stronger about whatever is yet to come. The fear of the unknown is the worst. It's important to get beyond just worrying about what may be going on and get some solid information. We're gonna be right there in your pocket for support!!

 

[Me2]

How about doesn't someone want to boldface lie to me and just say "Nah, couldn't be your hip!"

Just kidding, I do know

information is power. Once you have the opinion of a revisionist or two you'll feel stronger about whatever is yet to come. The fear of the unknown is the worst. It's important to get beyond just worrying about what may be going on and get some solid information.

Laughing is always better than crying

 

[Pumpkin]

"Nah, couldn't be your hip!"

I agree with Jamie, an appointment with a revision surgeon is in order.

 

[Jamie]

Okay.....your wish is my command, my friend:

"It couldn't possibly be your hip! No, absolutely no way, Jose! NEVER!!! I think it's the tacos with onions you ate followed by the double hot fudge sundae or the high dive off the board at the pool last week."

There......feel better now?? Here's some ((((HUGS)))) to go along with my poor attempt at humor.

 

[Me2]

I haven't been brave enough to make time to go get hip checked yet . . . groin hurts more and more anytime I'm up and moving especially up stairs, front of thigh (actually under where my incision was from anterior hip replacement), side of thigh hurts a bit and the lower back aches, hurts, burns all the time whether I'm sitting, walking, standing, lying down, or sleeping. Right leg is noticeably weak now where before it just felt heavy.

I really can't leave work during the day, don't have any time off scheduled and have to do that at least a month in advance. So, I just worry about it and justify to myself that I just live at this state of pain what seems like forever. Next week (of September 12), I have an appointment with pain specialist for my back as follow up to injection wherein I can at least talk to him about it and also have an appointment for follow up on reverse shoulder replacement with shoulder surgeon which incidentally I think is going wonderfully. I can at least run the idea of hip being cause of or at least part of the cause of lower back pain past the pain specialist. He was with the practice of my hip surgeon, but is with a new practice now, so I feel I should be able to get good honest answer from someone who knows my hip surgeon's work very well (not that I think he did anything wrong but actually that he has no reason to protect or accuse him or say I need surgery because he's a surgeon if that makes sense).

I am hoping too that soon I will be cleared and have range of motion in shoulders to start swimming again which hopefully give me a little better core strength to relieve some back pain. My physical therapist, still working on shoulders, is slowly adding a few back exercises but so many of them require healthy shoulders to do.

Soon life will slow down enough to get back to work and take time getting healthy. I'm going to cut and paste this on my back thread to update there also just to keep clear in my mind and that of any people sharing my back pain story and issues.

 

[Me2]

oh my . . .

Yesterday was the marking of the second anniversary of right hip replacement -- the side of my body that still is causing me problems. So, bittersweet, in that regard. I've worked so hard to get back my life and its just not happening for me. As I indicated back in early September

I haven't been brave enough to make time to go get hip checked yet . . . groin hurts more and more anytime I'm up and moving especially up stairs, front of thigh (actually under where my incision was from anterior hip replacement), side of thigh hurts a bit and the lower back aches, hurts, burns all the time whether I'm sitting, walking, standing, lying down, or sleeping. Right leg is noticeably weak now where before it just felt heavy. I really can't leave work during the day, don't have any time off scheduled and have to do that at least a month in advance. So, I just worry about it and justify to myself that I just live at this state of pain for forever.

I hadn't been brave enough (and easily had excuse of just not being able to leave work) to schedule with revisionist. Last week, when I was at appointment for shoulder replacement (which was doing really well but has plateaued in recovery partly because I just hadn't taken time to do exercises but now that I committed to doing them the last six days, I remember that I avoid doing them because doing the shoulder exercises hurts again during and after). Anyway, when I was at appointment for shoulder, I did make appointment with their hip revisionist surgeon and, since he does knees, too, asked if he could check my right knee to see if maybe that is my part of my hip/back problem or a separate issue entirely. So, one baby step toward finding answers or excluding issues.

I also took five minutes to call my original hip surgeon to see how often follow ups are suppose to happen. The schedule person did confirm that follow ups are every year, so I mentioned that I had Monday off if they happened to have any cancellations and, dammit, they did. So, I have to go face him tomorrow at 10:10. So, feeling apprehensive, don't know how to ask/tell him that pain doctor saying looks like hip bad, and I'm seeing another doctor. Also, last year, when I had my appointment for one year follow up, I had asked him about my shoulders, and he said they were fine, but scheduled PT, and then when they got so bad so fast, he did schedule MRI. When he got MRI results, he cancelled my appointment and rescheduled with shoulder doctor in his practice. His shoulder doctor triggered my PTSD with insisting that surgery couldn't be done without sedation. Then, called me Christmas Eve to say he talked to my hip doctor and anesthesiologist, and they both said I would be fine with sedation so my whole Christmas was one PTSD panic attack after another thru my surgery January 15 with no sedation with a different practice, different hospital. BUT, meanwhile, in an effort to get PTSD under control before surery, I wrote to my hip doctor and anesthesiologist ranting about how NOT okay I was as I still have PTSD events from hip surgeries while other four surgeries are all non-events. I know he sees me as a crazy patient -- I was so embarrassingly crazy after first hip surgery, then so disappointed that back hurt worse after second hip surgery, then craziness of this last year. He is going to be just delighted to see me. I'm betting, maybe hoping, that he sends in his PA. Don't like her at all. So, away from long convoluted story.

I'll hope to report back tomorrow.

BUT, left hip is still simply FANTASTIC!

 

[Pumpkin]

Me2,
Sorry for all the stress in your life.
You do not have to tell the original surgeon about seeing another OS to look at your hip. See what he has to say, and be on your way.
Good luck tomorrow.

 

[mystikfairy61]

Me2, Sorry this has been an issue for you. Know that I am thinking of you and praying that you find out what is causing the issue. Also wanted to let you know that since we talked on the phone, I have scheduled my shoulder surgery for Nov 10th. Best of luck with the appt.

 

[Granny Di]

You are one tough gal! Do I understand you correctly ? Are you STILL working? I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to go through all of that pain and treatments. I sure hope that you find some relief soon.
Hugs hugs hugs!
Diane

 

[Me2]

Hey, folks. Have had my head in the sand just muddling thru, avoiding thinking, too busy to stop and drop. But, had some progress the last two weeks, and admittedly just too, I don't know, afraid/frustrated/depressed to think let alone, talk about, write about with my dear friends, support people here. So, unfortunately, this is a little long to update, but I really need some suggestions.

Update, I did go to see my first hip doctor. Sent me into a bit of a further mind spin. (Should say first here that they have plenty of good reason to be wary of me as patient: with all my crazies surrounding hip replacement AND that I went nuts of them with very explosive phone call and letter to them when my shoulders fell apart last year) So, I got to appointment, they took xrays, were very cold/offensive that there was nothing wrong with hip, why was I back, only need follow-ups every two to four years so long as everything is fine. I reasoned with him that everything was not fine, that pain specialist had said to have a hip revisionist look at hip to see if cause of my problem. Since he did the hip, I wanted his opinion also. So, the xray looks like this: (hoping to load picture)
I pointed out that the left side that feels so terrific looks different than right side -- on the right, the cup itself is deeper shape and hangs out a little bit on the top. He acknowledged that though same brand the company made it a little different, but that he is 100% satisfied with placement. He acknowledged also that slight chance with how small I am the little bit of overhang may be catching the soft tissue as it rides over the joint? BUT, that a revision is not a good idea since not guaranteed, would likely weaken pelvis, etc.

So, I next went to well-respected revisionist who basically said same thing plus that with anterior approach (which he also does) a surgeon is operating inside bottle with no direct sight of joint. Thus, no way to knowing if any soft tissue caught in the joint? He gave an even less of chance of success with any revisions.

Then went for follow-up with SI joint surgeon since I hadn't done that in year. He said possibility of SI joint causing these problems, wanted to schedule CT scan. He further said that since none of back injections had significant effect then would set the things showing on MRI aside as causing pain. Then, very interestingly, did several manipulations. This, he says as he moves my body, "is most likely back pain, very possibly SI joint. This is hip pain. And THIS (OUCH OUCH OUCH OUCH says Sheryl as he causes pain almost to pass out point) is hip bursitis."

​

That horrendous pain caused by his manipulation that he labelled hip bursitis felt like everything that has been hurting so terribly. Back, hip, groin, side of hip, upper thigh and down to outer ankle. Like a lightening bolt of deep ache, hurt! As I left, hmmm Sheryl thinks -- bursitis would be SOOO easy, such a relief.

So, called pain specialist that first suggested hip as source ----- OH, NO . . . the practice answers phone to give me the dismaying news that they (the staff) just received letter from doctors that practice is breaking up with my pain doctor AND shoulder doctor leaving. No further information is available!!!!! No appointments being taken/available.

So, anxious to not only get relief but to get some confirmation that this is it, I reluctantly call my hip doctor practice. He agreed to see me and was cold at first. As I went thru my story as to why back, he lightened up considerably. He examined and, as humbly as surgeon can be, said okay, do you want to try injection. If that's indicated, says I. So, he did and indicated as "Well, good thing is that the more pain this causes, the more likely this is the problem and chance of improvement."

So, the injection hurt like crazy, that night, iced and rested as directed, the next day was quite bad, iced and rested as much as I could with working. Limited activity and lifting kids. BUT, woke up the next day and absolutely NO PAIN . It has come back some, about 50% in the four days since injection. So, not quite sure where to take this, where to go from here?

Anyone with any ideas?

 

[Jaycey]

@Me2 Weird to say but I guess bursitis is good news. Let's tag @Josephine to get her input on keeping that pain at bay after an injection.