Tomorrow will be 1 week since I had my CT scan, and I have been waiting to speak to BK about it, since I was rather concerned about the findings. Ironically, my friend B was also waiting to hear from him. B is a "hip friend", but we were friends before the "hip thing", so it is a unique "hip friendship". Tonight J and I invited B and her husband for a late (i.e after the kids were in bed) dinner.
B has had one hip scoped by BK and was waiting to discuss her latest injection on the non-operated side with him. At 9:45, her phone rang....you guessed it......it was him!!! B, being the good friend/ hip friend that she is, prefaced her conversation by saying "you know, its funny that you're calling now because I am actually sitting in Susie's living room and I'm sure she would love to speak to you too!" So, 20 minutes later, when B was done, she passed the phone on to me! Who would have thought the waiting game would have ended like this!!!
So....it looks like there may be some overcoverage on the acetabular rim....FML. I asked if he thought it was new bone growth or old...he wasn't sure. Apparently, he is (has been) concerned about ossification at the site of the labral debridement, plus that tiny ossification in the joint capsule.......all of this points to the possibility of heteroropic ossification (HO). It is treated with NSAIDs once it is removed to prevent it from coming back. I have never taken NSAIDs post-op bc I also have been "blessed" with Crohn's disease. If I cannot take the NSAIDs post-op, the alternative is a single dose of radiation... so I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. I put an email in to my GI to see what his thoughts are on my lovely predicament. I am leaning towards the NSAIDs and dealing with the GI issues as they come. Radiation in that area (close to the ovary) does not thrill me.....Any thoughts??
8 comments:
I hope he apologised for not calling you!
I don't know what is worse...that he might have missed the over-coverage or that it is new bone. Surely he can't have missed it 2 times?? I'd be seriously p****d!
Anywho, that doesn't help you right now. I hope for your sake he knows what he's doing and can fix your hip for good! Have you thought of seeing someone else for another opinion?
I'm just amazed your OS actually picks up a phone to call patients himself, this is amazing.
And, when you say radiation...can you explain what it accomplishes and how? If you don't mind, just curious.
vanessa
Jess, I am breathing a sigh of relief that I went ahead with the CT. The overcoverage was the impingement that was initially addressed, I am feeling pretty strongly that this is HO. I don't think I could have felt as good as I did if there was any residual impingement.
Vanessa, I don't know much abt how the radiation works or why. I am hoping not to have to know and not to have to spend the week researching it.
HO Info:
http://www.orthosupersite.com/view.asp?rID=22300
(CME article for physicians)
Includes info on various treatments, including NSAIDS and radiation, pre-op and post-op.
Hmmm...interesting developments!
Yeah, I think I would want to avoid the radiation, too - but I'll be interested in learning more about what it does. Is there something you can take to counteract the effects of the NSAIDs?
I am going in for two (yes, TWO) MRIs the same day as your surgery. Which, I'm sure will show nothing, but I can take a nice nap in the tube. :P
i would try real hard to skip the radiation.....
soccermom
If you're thinking of having anymore kids I agree skip radiation.
Is there anyway to ID if old or new bone, any signs to give clues, if new bone, fair enough (and bloody hell now I'm scared!) if original impingement run for it, or at least limp onto a second opinion!
Just as an aside thought...do we know how much radiation we are exposed to during surgery? All the x-rays, CT's and surgical image intensifying must add up to a crap load of radiation in itself...I'm terrified my eggs might already be cooked!
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