THR Need a friend who has been on the other side of a late infection

[Josephine]

Listen, no worries - that's what we're here for. In the meantime, I suggest you read this again Pain management: importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart.

 

[BarbieJ]

Thanks
I just wasn't planning on requiring constant pain pills after my tHR.
Alas, my pain is too severe. I am way worse now than before my hip replacement. Way worse.

 

[Poppet]

You had your THR about a week after mine in Nov 2011.... I am concerned that you are in so much pain.. You need answers, your surgery was 17 months ago..

Try icing whilst elevating and as Jo said take some pain meds until you can get to see your OS

 

[tashia]

Oh Please take the pain pills. You are wearing your body down with trying to deal with the pain. You are so tired trying to take care of the pain. When it is managed you can pay more attention on where the pain is coming from and just how lone. I agree something not right but you have got to get the pain down. Then you can start working with your doctor and find out what is wrong. Please take the pain pills right now, its just for now. I am getting concerned about you. Please keep us informed on how you are doing. OK? Please take care. Tashia Here are some hugs. We will help you thru this. Please believe this.

 

[C Mac]

Why on earth not? A couple of Tylenol Extra would probably help a lot.

(Comment based on your mentioning that you haven't taken anything for pain).

Hi Barbie,

It sounds like it's been a dreadful weekend and that you are just grinding to a halt. I hear everyone telling you to take the pain meds and I'd agree with what Jo told you a few posts back -- try the Tylenol. When I was further out from my surgery and still having issues I did not go back onto the big pain pills I went on to Extra strength tylenol at the full dosage and that helped with my pain. Send hubby out to the drug store if you don't already have this stuff at home and give it a try.

Also, there is a middle ground between staying at home suffering and going to the ER -- call your GPs office and speak with someone on the phone. Certainly your doc has left his/her practice under the watchful eye of someone while on vacation. Describe your situation and get some feedback.

Don't sacrifice your mobility for the sake of avoiding medications. Immobility leads to further atrophy of muscles which can add to the discomfort that you are experiencing. If you can't weight bear comfortably right now can you sit in a chair and do some of those basic movements that your OS may have suggested prior to the surgery? Buttock clenches -- alternate back and forth between butt checks and clench the muscle for a count of 5, then release and do the other check. Quad clenches -- same type of action with the muscles in the front of your legs while sitting in a chair, alternating back and forth while breathing gently. Heel flaps -- bending your foot back and forth at the ankle slowly and gently (you can do these lying down too).

Your message #193 describes a variety of sensations that may be related to various problems - outer side of thigh pain at the hip could be inflamed bursa, dull ache and pain in groin down the inside of the leg could be the adductor muscles trying to cope and adapt to the tension on them from the new hardware and struggling with muscle atrophy from inactivity. Jolts of pain in your incision could be related to the nerves in that particular location being aggravated. The area above the knee cap may be the tendonis portion of your broken link removed: https://www.higher-faster-sports.com/images/rectus-femoris.jpg where it comes in to connect with your knee cap. I don't know! I do hope that when you get to Mayo that there will be people there that can assess all these issues more deeply and figure it out so you can get back on track.

Lastly, anxiety can lead to feeling nauseated for some people and you may find it helpful to get some sort of medication that might help with the anxiety level which will in turn help to let your stomach settle down a bit.

Hoping that answers are going to come and some solutions along with them.
Take care,
Cardie

 

[BarbieJ]

Thanks tashia and C Mac, I appreciate the hugs!!!
Gosh I hope you are right.
Today was better. I did not have the nausea. That was horrible. I joined my husband with my cane on a walk with the dog. Cubbie looks shiny and fluffy, I managed to give him a bath. I iced and rested right when I got home.
Yes, this is very sad result for me. I hope I find answers at Mayo. I will be honest. Not sure I will want to know.
I leave tomorrow so I will be offline for a while. Wish it weren't so far away.
Thank you dear friends for listening to e. I feel all alone here where I live as no one can understand. I don't feel alone in the world though because of you. Today was so pretty. My daffodils finally are blooming. They decided to be the last ones in town to open up.
When I watched the news about Boston and the terrible story, I could not get over the gorgeous flowering trees in the background of the news reports.
Thank you again, all. I will get back on soon.

 

[Quee-Knee]

OK BarbieJ I do hope you have taken everyones advice regarding pain control. You have a long car ride ahead of you and you want to be able to to concentrate on talking with your new doctors. So please consider at least extra strength tylenol....and dont wait until the pain is severe....stay on top of it. Use a wheel chair at Mayo (I'm sure they will have one for you to borrow)...its a big place. Dont forget to take some ice bags with you for your car ride and if you are staying in a hotel there you can always use the ice machine and plastic bags. Sorry its habit here....I'm switching into "Mom Mode" and telling you what to do so I will stop here. Take care and good luck.

 

[BarbieJ]

Quee-Knee, good idea about the ice in the hotel ice machines. I will bring plastic bags.
As the youngest of 5 in my family, I actually don't mind any and all motherly advice.
I packed the Tylenol, and will take it. My adversity to meds is because I have had my share of adverse reactions. I am convinced that my gastroparesis condition now s a direct result of the Zyrtec. It's a horrible condition with no cure. I am eating small meals but already see that I am losing weight. That's why I have been asking you all about your eating and how you feel.

I often have allergic reactions to medications. I asked my OS about allergies to the prosthetic and he told me the prosthetic he uses is bio compatible. You know the part at the bottom of your medication leaflet that says, " in rare cases..." It should just read on all leaflets, " in rare cases or if your name is BarbieJ...

 

[tashia]

BarbieJ, You are going to be ok. You are like me having a little longer time recovery, and it can be so trying. Once I got the pain under control I found that my anxiety and the way I was walking was causing some of the pain. I hope you start finding how you can help your recovery. I do really hope you get pain free soon? Here are some hugs. By the way have you hugged your dog today. Tashia

 

[glynis]

Hi Barbie

I do hope you got some answers at your appointment - or at least some good pointers for the way forward.

I look forward to hearing how you got on, when you feel up to it.

Glynis

 

[Poppet]

Looking forward to an update from your appointment Barbie?

 

[tashia]

How did the appointment go? We need to know how you are doing. Take care. Tashia

 

[BarbieJ]

UPDATE AFTER MAYO

Just when I think things may be showing hope I get another problem. So I am back from Mayo. They did more blood tests for C reactive and Sed rate plus cobalt and chromium. All were same as last time and normal.
X-rays also looked good. My OS said he thought that my original surgeon did an excellent job and other than the cup being a teeny bit too proud all looked normal. He said such a minor thing like that would not account for my pain.
They did an aspiration of my hip even though my blood was normal to be thorough and it was a dry tap. No fluid, so no culture. Afterward they did a cortisone injection in my iliopsoas tendon.
So I could not bear weight at all the next day after that and 48 hours later woke up with a rash on my anterior surgical sar.
This is third day and the rash has spread to the back of my hip and across the front to my groin. It burns like a chemical burn. I can weight bear now and though I have zings of deep nerve pain I actually walked Cubbie yesterday afternoon with my cane.
I have a feel zing of pain about once every 5 or ten minutes. It's located mostly in my hip socket but sometimes it is on the top back part of my hip bone,
Thanks, tashia and Poppet for thinking of me. I am pretty scared. I think I have the doc at Mayo stumped. He has referred me to a neurologist and dermatology. That appointment is in two weeks. I don't want to wait that long.

I asked the OS about his experience with two stage revisions. He said he does many. There are 8 docs in his department and they all do. He told me that their hospital does more of those surgeries for infection than any other hospital in the US. I did not know that. The hospital also has an A rating meaning that their own infection rates are low.
It is a one of a kind experience. The hospital 's communication within departments is phenomenal. It's unbelievable how they can schedule procedures and appointments for you on the same day. They apologized to me when they could not get me seen by the neurologist on the same day. I am not used to that.

So I am very worried now with this rash. Not good.

 

[Quee-Knee]

Barbie , sounds like you didnt get all the answers you wanted but they are getting to the bottom of things. I would like to say be patient and dont worry....but you would probably smack me. So I wont say those things. Just try and be good to yourself these next few weeks.

 

[tashia]

Oh, Barbie What can I say. I am so sorry. Know that I care and that I am praying for you. Please keep me informed on whats going on. Please take care. Tashia Here are some hugs for you. I know its not enough but do know I got lots for you.

 

[Teacat]

BarbieJ
I'm so sorry you are still having pain for so long and nothing from Mayo seems to be conclusive. I know it must be so frustrating for you! It's been a while since I've been through your thread, but is it possible that you have some kind of nerve damage from the surgery that is causing all this pain? I hope & pray you can find an answer soon!

 

[C Mac]

Hi Barbie,

So, no one got to see the rash that cropped up after the injection? Did you get some good pictures of it so you can take it to the dermatologist appointment?

Did the doc you saw at Mayo think that the cup being proud was what was causing the broken glass sensation that you describe in the joint?

A neurology referral is good. Too bad they couldn't get you in for that while you were there -- I thought that was the whole deal with the Mayo clinic, sort of a one-stop see everyone experience.

Take care,
Cardie

 

[BarbieJ]

ER

Yesterday (Saturday) I went to the ER here because my rash was spreading and becoming very painful. I had hoped it would go away and it was beginning to spread into my lower spine. The chemical burn stinging pain was becoming much worse and so was my intermittent deep intense pain. They got me in a room in 15 minutes. I was expecting to wait for hours. They did more blood check for c reactive and sed and still normal. My arm has been stuck more times this year. The doc has me on cephalexin to be safe although he did not understand the rash. Again, I am in the twilight zone.
I think I understand my rash. I think it is my hip. Why on earth it is not showing up in my blood I have no idea. The intense burn has calmed down but I still have pain to walk on it. I think I just got a preview of what will return once I am off antibiotics.

This thing is not only on my hip. It is spreading to my good leg. I don't see a rash on my good leg, but I feel the pain although it s mostly on and around the scar of my leg with the hip replacement. I also feel pain on my butt both sides. I am scared because of the off and on pain, which has now simmered down, returns and becomes constant, how could I handle that until the hospital could intervene correctly. It was a ten out of a one to ten scale.

 

[BarbieJ]

Oh, btw, not hot to the touch and I do not have a fever.
No oozing.
Thank you to my faithful friends here who are holding my virtual hand.
My OS told me he cannot do a surgery without some sort of data to go by. Some obvious sign in the X-ray and elevated levels in blood, so now they just have nothing to go on.
So now I am watching and waiting for things to advance to a level that can be understood in a lab.
Secret confession. I don't know how I will make it through another surgery of any kind. I was so strong and well at the start of all of this.
I am not now.

 

[Quee-Knee]

Barbie....I know they have tested you for about everything imaginable...but did they mention Shingles? I am so sorry you are suffering this way.