I feel the need to apologize to my readers who have come to expect detailed accounts of my recoveries and experiences. I guess with 3 kids aged 7,6 and almost 3, I just don't have the time. Keep in mind that at my first surgery I had 2 kids aged 1 and 2, yes, they are busy ages as well but there was no homework, after school classes, projects etc.
At 26 days things are going a lot slower than I had hoped. I am still on 2 crutches, desperately trying to get down to 1. I am using my brace when outside the house and trying to wean off of meds. I am still on Lyrica 2x/day for nerve pain. It is a lot better and I am trying to go to 1. I had to stop Mobic because I went into a horrible Crohns flare up. I occasionally take 1/2 Percocet at night to hep me sleep. I have a lot of pain in 2 out of 3 of my incisions, I'm not really sure why. They look good, have closed up but have a hard, marble like piece of scar tissue under the surface. I have been to PT a few times but am in miami now for 10 days so won't be going until I get home.
PT until now has included quad sets, glut sets, bridges, prone quad/abs/glute sets, hand heel rocks, bike, gentle shoulder theraband exercises with 25/75 weight bearing. At my last session we added stool rotations but at my own discretion I have stopped them. ROM is not my goal at this point and I don't want to push it. I am concerned that I already have regained too much ER so I don't need more.
I am extremely annoyed bc I still have posterior hip pain and pain with sitting and quite frankly it is a pain in the ass. I haven't addressed it w my OS as I just want to give it more time and there isn't anything he can do abt it. If I stay in bed I feel pretty good but when I do any amount of activity I get pain, mostly in the area of the incisions and occasionally it will move medially to the groin. I am using Lidoderm patches in that area, idk if they help or not though.
I am flying home alone with the 3 kids so I need to be much better in 8 days! Keeping my fingers crossed!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Op Report #5
Op report
Preliminary diagnosis:
1. Right hip instability with labral deficiency
2. Capsular tear
3. Ligamentum teres tear
4. Loose body
Post operative diagnosis:
1. Right hip instability with labral deficiency
2. Capsular tear
3. Ligamentum teres tear
4. Loose body
Name of operation:
1. Right hip arthroscopy
2. Labral repair:augmentation using semitendinosus
3. Synovectomy
4. Removal of loose bodies
5. Debridement of ligamentum teres tear
6. Capsular shift procedure
Indications:
The patient suffered from persistent right hip pain and instability secondary to ligamentum teres rupture, iliofemotal ligament and capsular tear, loose fragmentation and labral deficiency. She failed non operative measures. She had clinical, radiographic, and diagnostic studies consistent with this pathology. Given her persistent pain and lack of improvement with non operative measures, she was indicated for a right hip arthroscopy and associated procedures.
Procedure:
After the patient was correctly identifies in the holding area, she was brought to the operating room. Spinal epidural anesthesia was administered She was placed in a supine position on the traction table and approximately 10mm of distraction were achieved across the femeroacetabular joint. The right hip was then prepped and draped in a standard surgical fashion. The lateral portal was established under fluoroscopic guidance using the seldinger technique. Then, a mid anterior and a distal anterolateral accessory portal were established. The distal anterolateral accessory portal was established as a separate incision for removal of loose fragments and also for the placement of the labral augmentation.
Initial evaluation of the central compartment demonstrated the cartilage surfaces to be in good condition. There was scarring and deficiency of the labrum between 12:00and 3:00. There was capsular attenuation anteriorly. There was a ligamentum teres tear with chondral and osseous loose fragmentation and subtle ligamentum teres tear. At this point the ligamentum teres Debridement was performed with removal of loose fragments, the largest measured approximately 5mm and this required an anterolateral accessory portal for removal. The scar tissue and adhesions were then removed from the area of labral deficiency and the edges of the acetabular rim were clearly demarcated. A good bed of bleeding bone was prepared between 12:00 and 3:00.
A semitendinosus allograft tendon was prepared on the back table and was inserted into the defect using multiple 1.4mm PEEK anchors. A total of 7 anchors were used to secure the graft in position and then side to side suturing of the labrum was performed to the native labrum anterior-inferiorly and posterior -superiorly. The labrum was then contoured to a normal anterior-inferior and normal posterior-superior labrum.
At the completion of the labral augmentation and the labral repair, removal of loose bodies, synovectomy and removal of scar tissue, all debris was evacuated from the central compartment.
The scope was then placed in the peripheral compartment, after the release of the traction, using the mid anterior portal. A capsular shift procedure was performed removing the distal aspect of the iliofemoral ligament to the proximal fragment using four #2 Orthocord sutures. Once this was completed and no further pathology was identified, the instruments were removed from the hip joint and it was drained of fluid and the arthroscopy portals were closed with 3-0 nylon sutures. A Marcaine cocktail was placed in the joint. The wounds were cleaned, dried and sterile dressings were applied.
The patient was awakened from anesthesia and was brought to the PACU having tolerated the procedure without complications.
Preliminary diagnosis:
1. Right hip instability with labral deficiency
2. Capsular tear
3. Ligamentum teres tear
4. Loose body
Post operative diagnosis:
1. Right hip instability with labral deficiency
2. Capsular tear
3. Ligamentum teres tear
4. Loose body
Name of operation:
1. Right hip arthroscopy
2. Labral repair:augmentation using semitendinosus
3. Synovectomy
4. Removal of loose bodies
5. Debridement of ligamentum teres tear
6. Capsular shift procedure
Indications:
The patient suffered from persistent right hip pain and instability secondary to ligamentum teres rupture, iliofemotal ligament and capsular tear, loose fragmentation and labral deficiency. She failed non operative measures. She had clinical, radiographic, and diagnostic studies consistent with this pathology. Given her persistent pain and lack of improvement with non operative measures, she was indicated for a right hip arthroscopy and associated procedures.
Procedure:
After the patient was correctly identifies in the holding area, she was brought to the operating room. Spinal epidural anesthesia was administered She was placed in a supine position on the traction table and approximately 10mm of distraction were achieved across the femeroacetabular joint. The right hip was then prepped and draped in a standard surgical fashion. The lateral portal was established under fluoroscopic guidance using the seldinger technique. Then, a mid anterior and a distal anterolateral accessory portal were established. The distal anterolateral accessory portal was established as a separate incision for removal of loose fragments and also for the placement of the labral augmentation.
Initial evaluation of the central compartment demonstrated the cartilage surfaces to be in good condition. There was scarring and deficiency of the labrum between 12:00and 3:00. There was capsular attenuation anteriorly. There was a ligamentum teres tear with chondral and osseous loose fragmentation and subtle ligamentum teres tear. At this point the ligamentum teres Debridement was performed with removal of loose fragments, the largest measured approximately 5mm and this required an anterolateral accessory portal for removal. The scar tissue and adhesions were then removed from the area of labral deficiency and the edges of the acetabular rim were clearly demarcated. A good bed of bleeding bone was prepared between 12:00 and 3:00.
A semitendinosus allograft tendon was prepared on the back table and was inserted into the defect using multiple 1.4mm PEEK anchors. A total of 7 anchors were used to secure the graft in position and then side to side suturing of the labrum was performed to the native labrum anterior-inferiorly and posterior -superiorly. The labrum was then contoured to a normal anterior-inferior and normal posterior-superior labrum.
At the completion of the labral augmentation and the labral repair, removal of loose bodies, synovectomy and removal of scar tissue, all debris was evacuated from the central compartment.
The scope was then placed in the peripheral compartment, after the release of the traction, using the mid anterior portal. A capsular shift procedure was performed removing the distal aspect of the iliofemoral ligament to the proximal fragment using four #2 Orthocord sutures. Once this was completed and no further pathology was identified, the instruments were removed from the hip joint and it was drained of fluid and the arthroscopy portals were closed with 3-0 nylon sutures. A Marcaine cocktail was placed in the joint. The wounds were cleaned, dried and sterile dressings were applied.
The patient was awakened from anesthesia and was brought to the PACU having tolerated the procedure without complications.
Post op Appointment x 5
I saw my OS yesterday, he is extremely happy with the way I am looking. I actually think he was pleasantly surprised to see me looking so much better than last week. He showed me the pics from my surgery (op report to follow). He is also really happy that my joint and cartilage look so good, despite having been in there 4 times already. He created me a new labrum with a semitendinosis allograft. At this point the most important thing is to protect the graft. I have to avoid extreme flexion and external rotation. At this time he wants me on crutches another 2 weeks and wearing my brace another 2 weeks.
He is also on board with me taking care of my shoulder in a few weeks. He thinks it makes sense to just get it all taken care of at once. So I will have the shoulder surgery on January 9th.
Things are coming along slowly. But I think that slow And steady is the way to go with this surgery.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Having a Meltdown
Today has really been a challenging day for me. I woke up with all my nerve pain all over again. I know it's only been a week since surgery, and I don't know what I really expected, and I know in the past I have always gone through a rough patch. On top of this I can't get my mind off of the upcoming shoulder surgery. I had a long talk abt it with another hip friend last night, what she said was extremely helpful. She said no one else is going to understand. No one else gets it. You have to ignore the stupid comments and get over it. It's good advice for any of us in these situations. And of course, the worst possible comment is "you must like having surgery"
I texted my PT early today bc I am freaking out about the nerve pain coming back. His suggestion was avoid ankle pumps, avoid prone knee bend and go back on Lyrica. I am really not a fan of Lyrica and was thrilled when my OS told me I could come off of it. I guess I have to suck it up and stick with it bc my pain was great while I was on it
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
PT day 1
So today was my first day of PT. Let me backtrack a little and tell you how my week has gone. Since I got home from the hospital, I have been incredibly dizzy and lightheaded all the time. I spent the majority of my day in bed with ice and my CPM. I was having a lot of nerve pain and having a lot of trouble getting into a comfortable position. On Sunday my OS and I emailed a little abt what to do. He wanted me on some sort of blood thinner to prevent blood clots since I was so immobile. He also wanted me on Lyrica for the nerve pain.
My husband didn't like the way I looked on Sunday so he called my brother in law who is a doctor to come over. He said the Percocet was dropping my heart rate too much which is why I was so dizzy.
I got off of the Percocet by Tuesday but it seems Lyrica also makes me dizzy.
PT went ok. My ROM is good and my strength too. My OS came by to see how I was doing since it has not really been smooth sailing for me. I told him the nerve pain is a lot better and I asked if I could stop Lyrica. He said yes so I asked for Lidoderm patches for the small areas of nerve pain.
My PT put me on a short crank bike but I developed groin pain after a few minutes. I did quad sets and glute sets and then iced.
I also had the opportunity to visit another hip friend in the hospital who had an FO yesterday.
I am now having groin and butt pain. I guess I overdid it today. I ended up taking half of a Percocet and hopefully I will wake up pain free tomorrow.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
What My Day Consists Of
Apparently nerve pain is worse than surgical pain, and I have a lot of it. My OS prescribed Lyrica and Mobic in hopes that it will go away. In the meantime, I gave a lot of trouble getting into a comfortable position. CPM is now my best friend!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Surgery#5........ Done!
My surgery went well. My OS found exactly what he expected, a torn ligamentum teres, small labrum and very stretched out capsule. He debrided the ligament, augmented my labrum with an allograft and re-tightened the capsule.
The surgery was long and with prolonged traction time. The total time in the OR was about 4 hours and total traction time was 2 hours. My OS never keeps ppl in traction longer thx 1 hour. He needed the extra time to place the allograft down perfectly. He didn't think it would cause major issues given the instability that I have, there wasn't very much resistance when i was in traction.
The surgery was long and with prolonged traction time. The total time in the OR was about 4 hours and total traction time was 2 hours. My OS never keeps ppl in traction longer thx 1 hour. He needed the extra time to place the allograft down perfectly. He didn't think it would cause major issues given the instability that I have, there wasn't very much resistance when i was in traction.
I had a lot of trouble in the PACU between pain control and being dizzy so I spent the night in the hospital.
The traction is causing my leg to feel tingly and heavy and hard to move/walk. This is my 5th scope and I have never really used the hip brace but I am finding it to be extremely helpful in supporting my leg. I am also getting my money's worth w the cpm, I stay in it all day, even if it's off. I find the position comfortable. My OS doesn't want me in that position all day bc he's nervous I'll develop a contracture. If the leg issues r not better by Monday he will put me on Lyrica.
I think I covered the basics.
The traction is causing my leg to feel tingly and heavy and hard to move/walk. This is my 5th scope and I have never really used the hip brace but I am finding it to be extremely helpful in supporting my leg. I am also getting my money's worth w the cpm, I stay in it all day, even if it's off. I find the position comfortable. My OS doesn't want me in that position all day bc he's nervous I'll develop a contracture. If the leg issues r not better by Monday he will put me on Lyrica.
I think I covered the basics.
From what I recall, the report from my OS was that the looked great despite everything that it has been through. He also wants me to be extremely careful and mentioned something crazy about being on crutches for 4 weeks. I see my PT on Wed for my first visit so we'll see what he thinks.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Surgery is still going on
for all you interested folks, susie is still in surgery. she's going on almost 3 hours now. here's a little pic of her walking into the or.
speak to you all later
- the most supportive husband susie has ;)
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Surgery #5...Tomorrow
I am having minor panic attacks but I should be ok! took Valium this morning and will probably take another one tonight. I am also going to try to have an acupuncture session tonight to help calm my nerves! Will keep you posted.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Fighting for out of network reimbursement
Its funny how time flies and how little free time I have. Over the past week I have finally been able to make some real progress on my appeal to UHC for the amount that I was reimbursed for my out of network expenes. this was for the hand surgeon in August and my hip second opinion in August as well. I'll give you a hint of how things went...I did not get 70% of what was billed by the doctor as UHC makes you think you will. Check out this link to see what really has been going on with UHC concerning out of network reimbursement.
PS- In summary, the resolution of the class action litigation provides for UHC to pay a total of $350 million to fund the settlement for health plan members and out-of-network providers related to out-of-network services from March 15, 1994 through November 18, 2009. The settlement will be entirely funded by UHC and no recovery of funds will be sought from any self-funded customer plans.
Monday, November 21, 2011
T-10 days
I can't believe my surgery date is just around the corner, I feel like I scheduled this ages ago, but yet here we are. I am eerily calm these past few days, I think once the whole snafu with the blood work was worked out I felt better. There was another issue with the letter form my gsatro, my OS office said they think it should be within 30 days of surgery. It is 33 days before surgery. I am not getting another one, this is going to have to be good enough, I am putting my foot down. They told me its possible that my surgery will be cancelled if the anesthesiologist has an issue, I am willing to take that chance! So the countdown begins now!
Aetna's policy #0736 is UNFAIR and UNETHICAL
As many of you can attest to firsthand, Aetna is still not covering FAI surgery and still calling it "experimental", despite hundreds of peer reviewed articles that say otherwise. Although I do not use Aetna, I feel for all of you who do, and are not able to have your surgery paid for. Below is a link to a petition started by fellow FAI sufferer Ryan. Please take a few moments to look over the information and sign the petition if you agree.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Sodium
Well, the good news is that I was indeed dehydrated, my new labs showed that my sodium levels are normal!!! So, the good news is that I don't have some crazy hormonal issue, the bad news is that I have no excuse to get out of this surgery!! 17 days to go!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
The Stress is Killing Me
I am so sorry that I have not been keeping you updated with what is going on with my hip, but since we are 3 weeks away from surgery #5, I figured I'd better catch you up.
A few weeks ago, my OS office told me they would need a letter from my gastroenterologist saying it is ok for me to undergo a "low risk" surgery, since I have Crohn's disease. Keep in mind that they have never asked for that before. Fine, I took care of it. My gastro also wanted to run blood tests. As an added side note, the week I went to see him I was really sick and completly abusing Mucinex and Robitussin! I emailed him for the results of my bloodwork and was rewarded with this message: "your sodium level is too high. You cannot have surgery with these levels. You are probably dehydrated, drink lots of water and we will do the test again".
You can imagine that that email did not help my stress levels in the slightest bit. I was also leaving on vacation the next day, so I had all the time in the world to worry but no time to get the test redone!
Today I finally went for the blood work, I did notice that the first time my blood came out sluggishly, probably due to dehydration. Today it flowed nicely! Keep your fingers crossed that it is ok this time!
Vacation is a wonderful time to relax, rest, and de-stress. I did all of those. unfortunately there is absolutely no carry-over. When you get home all the shit you left is still there for you to deal with.
Today was also my second pre-op appointment. I was hoping that this appointment would calm my nerves but it didn't.
The message I left with is that my OS is really confident about this surgery (apparently he hasn't always been this confident in the past!) and a lot of my questions will not be able to be answered fully until he actually goes in, sees the damage, and repairs it. His repair will also dictate a lot in terms of how the rehab will go.
So I was hoping for a lot of concrete answers, and a little bit of inner peace. I got none. I did get to try on the new hip brace he is using and decided to get one. He also wants me using the CPM machine for 2 weeks post-op.
I wake up in a mini panic attack every morning. Dec 1 can't get here fast enough!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Shoulder Update
I was able to get an appointment today for my shoulder, luckily, as I don't think I could have gone on for one more day with that pain. My shoulder OS was not happy to re-inject me at all :-( He was worried about fat atrophy and warned me that if ti happened I would not be happy. I explained that I am having hip surgery on 12/1 and cannot address shoulder until after that. I also added that it is hard for me to work and function at the moment given the pain. He thinks I need to get it taken care of, possibly before hip. Given my current mental and emotional state regarding my hip, that is not even up for discussion. He asked me how often I use my hip to manipulate a patient!!! Good point, but I'm still not even considering that. I think I am probably going to schedule it about 5 weeks after hip surgery, I know it is crazy but I need to get everything taken care of once and for all.
I spoke to my PT since I was at the hospital and we discussed my upcoming hip surgery and I wanted his take on the shoulder. He agrees that it needs to be taken care of and thinks 5 weeks after is not at all unreasonable.
So...hip then shoulder.......HEELLLPPP!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Why Why Why
Aside from my ridiculous, drawn out hip issues, I think I have mentioned that I also have a shoulder issue. I have had 2 cortisone injections, the each last about 6 months. I am at that 6 month mark right now and in excruciating pain. the last time I saw my shoulder doc he warned me that he won't keep injecting me forever, eventually I will have to "address" the issue. "Addressing" the issue obviously means surgery, which at this point is just plain funny to me, I mean, how many surgeries can one person have in such a short amount of time?
At the same time though, how much pain can I deal with in such a short amount of time? People have suggested that I have my shoulder and hip done at the same time which must be just about the dumbest thing anyone could say. But, I am seriously considering doing it 4 or 5 weeks later...the pain is that bad. I have an appointment with my shoulder doc in about a month but there is no way I can wait that long. I am going to call today and beg and plead for an appointment tomorrow, I need an injection just to work, sleep, take care of my kids etc. And I will be open to discussing (not scheduling) surgery...I can't keep living like this.
On a brighter note, I have had to pop Advil like candy just to function with this shoulder pain and my hip is reaping the benefits!!!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
The Pre-op Appointment
I field a lot of questions from fellow hip pain sufferers, whether it be about surgeons, surgeries, insurance questions etc. I am more than happy to help since I know first hand what it is like to be alone and afraid and not have the answers. The only question that often times annoys me is "what should I ask my surgeon"? I really can't answer that, you need to ask him the questions that YOU have about your hip. What may be important to me may not be important to you and vice versa. With that being said, I went to my appointment with a LONG list of questions for my OS.
I needed this to help calm me down and get all of my questions answered. I also needed this to make it more "real" for me! It went really well and he answered a lot of my questions before I even asked them! Its good that we can still joke around about things bc it makes difficult decisions a lot easier! When I told him that I need the post-op/ rehab to be perfect bc this is the 5th time we are having this conversation, he jokingly said "No, its the 4th time, don't exaggerate!!"1)What r we calling the procedure?
Labral reconstruction
2)How long will the procedure take?
Forgot to ask!
3)Will I be able to go home that day?
Yes
4)What will u be using for the allograft for the labrum and the capsule?
Labrum- sometimes uses a rectus femoris autograft but will use semitendinosus allograft
Capsule- achilles allograft with synthetic scaffold
5)How do u secure the allograft?
The same way as a labral repair- with anchors and sutures + scraping bone to make it bleed a little
6)What exactly is the scaffold that u want to use for the capsule?
He used a name but I forgot! It has been used for rotator cuffs for abt 10 years
7)I really think its impt for the capsule to scar down- brace? For how long?
Not the philippon brace bc its not too effective, not hip dislocation brace bc I will be miserable- he found a different brace at bauerfiend, looks like philippon brace but "better", also 1 boot @ night to prevent rotation
8)What will my WB status be and for how long? Do we need to protect the graft?
Same as labral repair, labrum is not load bearing and only stressed in extreme ROM, so 2 weeks of 20lbs wb and mostly to my comfort
9)How long until I can drive?
When I am off narcotics
10)My hamstring tendon has a chronic tear, r u going to address it?
Prob not, it tends to tear with hip pain bc you post tilt your pelvis and it becomes shortened and can tear and in severe cases rupture. He may put in PRP
11)Sub spine impingement- do I have it?
Prob don't have it but will double check- doesn't really matter bc the part he will be scraping down to attach the allograft is where he would shave down
12)What do I do abt PT? I only want P...does he only see professional athletes these days :-)
Yes- professional athletes and me!!! Absolutely, he wouldn't have me go to anyone but P
13)Shoulder- when to get cortisone injection? I already had 2, shoulder OS said only one more- so do I get it now? Or will my shoulder be worse on crutches, should I save it for then? Or can I convince shoulder OS to inject 4x?
It will prob hurt on crutches but don't worry, I can inject it for u a 4th time but don't tell him :-)
14)Pre-op Class, do I have to go?
Yeah, if u want to teach it!!
15)Pre-op online questionnaire do I fill it out?
Yes, its like a report card on me! Hopefully one day ur score can be high!!
16)Post op appts- I want to see my OS at suture removal- receptionist said I can only see nurse- I was pissed!
I can see OS
16)Post op appts- I want to see my OS at suture removal- receptionist said I can only see nurse- I was pissed!
I can see OS
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
I Scheduled It...AAAHHHHHH
I was at work today, minding my own business, and my cell phone rang. It was my OS' surgical scheduler. And in a peppy voice, she said "Hi, I'm calling to schedule your surgery", as nonchalantly as someone would call and ask what I would like to order for lunch. I was a little caught off guard, but managed to hold it together long enough to get this done!
So, surgery #5 is scheduled for....drum roll please....December 1, 2011
Let the countdown begin! (anyone have a Xanax)
Monday, August 29, 2011
More Problems With UHC
I know a lot of you are drawn to my blog because of the battles I had with United Healthcare at the time of my last surgery. I hope my blog has been helpful to you. Now I am back in the trenches with them and extremely mad. This time, it is not about my hip, but it is about reimbursement. If anyone can share some advice on this, I would be grateful.
About a month ago, I had a bad infection on my hand that required me to go see a hand surgeon. I needed to be seen right away and ended up going to someone out of network who saw me that day. I paid upfront, she did a procedure in the office, and my hand got better. United Healthcare is allowing a fraction of the amount I paid the surgeon and reimbursing me very very little. Has anyone ever dealt with this before? I have to appeal this now, but don't have as much time as I did with the last appeal since I am currently working, and not home recovering from surgery.
Please comment here for others to see as well, or email me suzq613@aol.com
About a month ago, I had a bad infection on my hand that required me to go see a hand surgeon. I needed to be seen right away and ended up going to someone out of network who saw me that day. I paid upfront, she did a procedure in the office, and my hand got better. United Healthcare is allowing a fraction of the amount I paid the surgeon and reimbursing me very very little. Has anyone ever dealt with this before? I have to appeal this now, but don't have as much time as I did with the last appeal since I am currently working, and not home recovering from surgery.
Please comment here for others to see as well, or email me suzq613@aol.com
Sunday, August 28, 2011
The Plan...Finally
So after 6 months of pain, x-rays, MRIs, injections, talk of alternative therapies and talk of crazy surgeries, I think I have found my happy medium. I spoke with my OS and this is what we decided.
First of all, he is not upset at all that I went to see OS2, he said he prob should have sent me himself.
The only reason he has suggested open surgery for me is bc he feels that after 3 failed scopes, we prob should try something different. But at the same time, the scopes were all done for different reasons. Other than having to send a young patient for a hip replacement, one of the things he really hates is unnecessary open surgery. He told me there is nothing he cannot do arthroscopically that can be done with an open surgery. I think this was one of my happier moments of the past 6 months!
He said usually, in a scope, he will use an autograft from the capsule and rectus femoris to augment the labrum. Since my capsule is already compromised he will do it with an allograft. Since my capsule has already been repaired once and failed again, he will use allograft tissue there as well, he will also use a scaffold to strengthen it (this is apparently done often in shoulder surgery).
We discussed the ligamentum teres and my wishes for a new one! He said that u don't need it unless ur capsule is compromised. My thought is if ur already scoping me, just do it. He said it is EXTREMELY experimental surgery, they still don't know a lot about the biomechanics of it, and he wouldn't know how tight to make it, and he thinks I will hate it. He said right now I am having trouble bc the ligamentum teres is torn and getting caught. Once he debrides it and fixes the capsule, I will be happy again.
First of all, he is not upset at all that I went to see OS2, he said he prob should have sent me himself.
The only reason he has suggested open surgery for me is bc he feels that after 3 failed scopes, we prob should try something different. But at the same time, the scopes were all done for different reasons. Other than having to send a young patient for a hip replacement, one of the things he really hates is unnecessary open surgery. He told me there is nothing he cannot do arthroscopically that can be done with an open surgery. I think this was one of my happier moments of the past 6 months!
He said usually, in a scope, he will use an autograft from the capsule and rectus femoris to augment the labrum. Since my capsule is already compromised he will do it with an allograft. Since my capsule has already been repaired once and failed again, he will use allograft tissue there as well, he will also use a scaffold to strengthen it (this is apparently done often in shoulder surgery).
We discussed the ligamentum teres and my wishes for a new one! He said that u don't need it unless ur capsule is compromised. My thought is if ur already scoping me, just do it. He said it is EXTREMELY experimental surgery, they still don't know a lot about the biomechanics of it, and he wouldn't know how tight to make it, and he thinks I will hate it. He said right now I am having trouble bc the ligamentum teres is torn and getting caught. Once he debrides it and fixes the capsule, I will be happy again.
I am concerned about the post-op period, since I tend to be lax with the brace and weight bearing. I asked him to put me into a very restrictive brace post-op. He said absolutely, he will have me fitted for a hip dislocation brace and have it set to slight IR, and not allow more than 30' ER for the first 6 weeks. He warned me that I will hate it!! I'd rather be miserable for 6 weeks than be back to where I am right now in another 2 years.
I asked if he's ever scoped someone's hip 4 times, he said never his own patients, other ppls screw ups yes, but never his!
So I have to let him know when I want to do this, so he can plan accordingly, get his allografts and scaffolds together!
Even though it will be my 5th surgery, I am so happy that we have found a way to do it that doesn't make me want to throw up every time I think about it!
I asked if he's ever scoped someone's hip 4 times, he said never his own patients, other ppls screw ups yes, but never his!
So I have to let him know when I want to do this, so he can plan accordingly, get his allografts and scaffolds together!
Even though it will be my 5th surgery, I am so happy that we have found a way to do it that doesn't make me want to throw up every time I think about it!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
The Second Opinion
Surprisingly, I got a call back from the second opinion doctor's office on Monday, and they were able to see me on Wednesday due to a cancellation. I was so happy but a little nervous because I was not really prepared yet. To simplify things, he will be referred to as OS2. OS2 took about 30 minutes to go over my films, re-checked all of my angles on my x-rays, and read my latest MRI. He was wonderful, I explained my long history to him. He did a clinical exam. He found that I had almost no IR and about 90' of hip flexion (I was having a really bad day yesterday). The test he did for instability was positive, but not as positive as he would like it to be. He would have liked me to have jumped off the table with that. I dont know what to think, I don't think I have "instability", I think it is "micro-instability", so I am not sure what that test should show. OS2 then suggested that it would probably be a good idea to call my OS...uh oh!!!! This was a 'top secret' appointment. I explained to him that my OS hadn't sent me, and didn't know I was here. He assured me that he wouldn't be upset, that he would actually be relieved to have help with this complicated case. I told him that what I wanted to do was hear what he thought and what he proposed, and then decide if he should call my OS. He agreed to that!
He thinks I have a loose body in the joint. He does not think that my labrum is too small at this point and he is recommending a scope to look around and try to fix things. He thinks an open dislocation is a huge deal and thinks that by trying a scope I am not burning any bridges, and if there is a possibility that I can be helped with a much smaller surgery, then he sees no reason to try it.
I decided to let him call my OS and discuss. And he did, while I waited!! They spoke for a while, and I patiently waited. When they finally got off the phone, OS2 called me into the room that he was in to discuss.
He said my OS agreed to do a scope, he wasn't too keen on the idea since it failed so many times, but OS2 pointed out that my left hip is awesome! So I should have scope potential! OS2 said that he still doesn't think my labrum is too small or should be causing me issues, but my OS fought him on that and said he has been in my hip 3 times and knows what it looks like and it is definitely too small. So he will put in an allograft to create a new labrum, re-repair the capsule, and...here is the kicker....they will do it together!!! OMG...I was laughing so hard, but I was so happy. I've never been happier being told I need surgery, but a scope vs open.....I am thrilled!!!
Friday, August 19, 2011
What A Long Journey This Has Been
I definitely owe everyone a quick summary of what has been going on lately with my hip, but today is my 10th wedding anniversary, and all I can think of is that I have been dealing with my hip for half of my married life. It is making me very depressed.
To quickly summarize what has been going on, my OS really would like to avoid operating on me, for the 5th time. I can't blame him! So he is proposing we try something called ARP wave therapy. No one really can tell me what it is, other than a certain type of electrical stimulation. No one really knows if it will work but it can't hurt, so why not. I will hopefully know more about it in the next week.
In the meantime, I have decided to get a second opinion from another surgeon, an unbiased, no baggage, black and white, second opinion. I think that my OS and I have too much history for either of us to make the right decision at this point. If in the end I do need surgery, I will probably go with my OS, but I would like someone else to look at my films and tell me what they think. Someone who doesn't know me, and frankly, doesn't care if I have more surgery or not. The appointment is not set up yet, I left a message for his office staff.
In the meantime, I go through good days and bad days, and of course, this makes the process so much more difficult. If I always had good days, well, you wouldn't be reading about this. If I only had bad days, I wouldn't question anything. Its the good and bad that make me doubt everything, make me question everything, and quite frankly, are driving me crazy. There is no rhyme or reason at times either as to why I feel the way I do. I wore heels for a few hours yesterday without a bit of pain. I can actually usually wear heels and my hip doesn't hurt. It does feel awful in the sense that I don't walk well with them, I feel unstable, and my feet hurt!! I actually often have a sense of instability in my right hip, I try to avoid extending it fully when I walk by doing a strange rotation thing with my pelvis. Very strange!!
So the waiting game continues. I am waiting to hear more about the ARP wave, waiting to see if it works, waiting to get an appointment from my second opinion, and waiting to see if this will all go away, just as quickly as it came on!!!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Thinking and Worrying
Since I had spoken to my OS on a Friday evening, I had to wait until Monday to really explore my options. The first thing I did was call the chiro to see if he was a good fit for me, and to see what his fees are since they do not take insurance. To make it short, sweet and simple, I hated him! He was arrogant, condescending and an all around asshole. There is no way I can work with someone like that.
I also have gone over the MRI report and gone over it again and again. I have discussed things with my husband to no end. He thinks I am being silly and stubborn and need to bite the bullet and agree to an open surgery. I think I am starting to agree, but the thought of it scares the crap out of me. TO scare myself even more, I watched a video of the procedure today....probably a very bad idea.
I emailed my OS because I have a ton of questions and think we need to address a lot of issues, mainly that I am freaking out!!!! Of course he has to be on vacation at the exact time that I am having an emotional breakdown, but I guess it doesn't really qualify as an emergency!
So I will "patiently" wait to hear from him, and go from there!!
I also have gone over the MRI report and gone over it again and again. I have discussed things with my husband to no end. He thinks I am being silly and stubborn and need to bite the bullet and agree to an open surgery. I think I am starting to agree, but the thought of it scares the crap out of me. TO scare myself even more, I watched a video of the procedure today....probably a very bad idea.
I emailed my OS because I have a ton of questions and think we need to address a lot of issues, mainly that I am freaking out!!!! Of course he has to be on vacation at the exact time that I am having an emotional breakdown, but I guess it doesn't really qualify as an emergency!
So I will "patiently" wait to hear from him, and go from there!!
Monday, July 18, 2011
MRI # 7 Report
On the current examination, there is no occult fracture or osteonecrosis. No bulky synovitis is seen. There is however, marked attenuation of the iliofemoral ligament with some progressive hyperintensity in the interval since the prior study in 3/10 but overall residual discontinuity and poor tissue remodeling. There is considerable scarring of the synovium adjacent to the ligamnetum teres and this is progressive in the interval since the prior study. Effects of neck debridement are noted. There is high grade cartilage loss over the posteromedial parafoveal aspect of the femoral head extending focally down to the subchondral bone. Marked hyperintensity and high grade partial loss is seen anteriorly over the dome with progressive hyperintensity and partial wear since the prior study. No defined bone on bone contact is seen. There is intrasubstance degeneration of the superior labrum as well as degeneration of the anterior labral remnant but no defined split.
The hip abductors and short external rotators are notable for mild insertional gluteus minimus tendinosis. Insertional iliopsoas tendinosis is seen with a remodeled insertional partial tear. There is no atrophy of the iliacus muscle in the pelvis. There is no trochanteric or iliopsoas bursitis. No ischial bursitis is seen. Bilteral hamstring tendinosis is seen with a nonacute low grade partial tear affecting the semimembranosous origin on the right.
Subsequent quantitative MR imaging demonstrates prolongation of relaxation times, most strikingly affecting the parafoveal posteromedial aspect of the femoral head, some prolongation anterior medial dome with relative preservation over the superolateral dome.
Impression:
MRI of the right hip demonstrates features of instability with poor remodeling of the iliofemoral ligament and progressive scarring of the synovium, adjacent to the ligament teres in the interval since prior study 03/10. There is also progressive wear of cartilage with corresponding prolongation of relaxation times, as outlined above. Degeneration of the anterior labral remnant is noted without acute split.
The hip abductors and short external rotators are notable for mild insertional gluteus minimus tendinosis. Insertional iliopsoas tendinosis is seen with a remodeled insertional partial tear. There is no atrophy of the iliacus muscle in the pelvis. There is no trochanteric or iliopsoas bursitis. No ischial bursitis is seen. Bilteral hamstring tendinosis is seen with a nonacute low grade partial tear affecting the semimembranosous origin on the right.
Subsequent quantitative MR imaging demonstrates prolongation of relaxation times, most strikingly affecting the parafoveal posteromedial aspect of the femoral head, some prolongation anterior medial dome with relative preservation over the superolateral dome.
Impression:
MRI of the right hip demonstrates features of instability with poor remodeling of the iliofemoral ligament and progressive scarring of the synovium, adjacent to the ligament teres in the interval since prior study 03/10. There is also progressive wear of cartilage with corresponding prolongation of relaxation times, as outlined above. Degeneration of the anterior labral remnant is noted without acute split.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Psoas Release...something to consider
A few years ago, prior to my first revision surgery, I had an argument with my OS about whether my psoas tendon should be released or not. I, under no circumstance, wanted it released. He insisted that I should let him release it. I ended up not allowing him to, and 4 years later, we have this study. I do not have increased femoral anteversion, but I am having other types of instability and cannot imagine where I would be now if we had to add a lengthened psoas to the mix of issues.
Study Identifies Patients Who Should Not Undergo Surgery for a Snapping Hip Tendon New York—July 10, 2011
Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery have identified a group of patients who may have increased difficulty for surgical treatment of a snapping psoas, a condition that usually develops because a teenager or young adult has a pelvis that grows faster than their psoas tendon. The study will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), held July 7-11 in San Diego.
“The conclusion from this study is that you should be cautious about releasing the psoas tendon, particularly in cases where there is some structural instability in the hip, specifically increased femoral anteversion, because although the tendon may be causing pain, it is also providing some dynamic support to the hip so it can cause problems if it is released,” said Bryan T. Kelly, M.D., who led the study and is co-director of the Center for Hip Pain and Preservation (www.hss.edu/hippain) at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York.
The study received the 2011 Herodicus Award given annually by the Herodicus Society at the AOSSM meeting for the best paper submitted by an orthopedic resident or sports medicine fellow.
The hip is a ball-and-socket joint where the head of the femur (thigh bone) rotates within the cup-shaped socket of the pelvis. The head of the femur is supported by an angled neck which joins to the long thigh bone. At the base of the femoral neck is a boney protrusion. The psoas tendon is one of two hip flexor tendons that attaches to this protrusion. When the pelvis grows faster than the psoas tendon, this tendon becomes tight and snaps over the pelvis during walking or other activity. This condition, which can be painful, is known as a snapping psoas tendon.
“The reason that it snaps usually has to do with the anatomy of the pelvis. We usually see it in adolescent hips where the pelvis is growing at a faster rate than the tendon can accommodate for the growth,” said Dr. Kelly. “Structurally the tendon is not long enough to accommodate the bony anatomy.”
Doctors usually treat a snapping psoas tendon with physical therapy that involves stretching and strengthening, anti-inflammatories and corticosteroids, but if this doesn’t work, doctors resort to surgically lengthening the tendon. Because the tendon does not have the ability to stretch, surgeons cut slits in the tendon in what is called a partial release of the tendon or a fractional lengthening. “You cut it in a way that allows the muscle to elongate,” Dr. Kelly said.
Studies have shown that arthroscopic and open surgery can achieve similar outcomes for this condition. Few studies, however, have studied whether abnormalities in hip structure, specifically femoral anteversion, can impact outcomes. In most people, the center of the femoral neck points toward the center of the hip socket. Femoral anteversion is a condition in which the center of the femoral neck leans toward the front of the socket. This causes the knee and foot on the affected side to rotate internally or twist toward the midline of the body.
In December 2006, HSS researchers started a prospective registry of all hip arthroscopy procedures performed during a three-year period, 2006 to 2009, by a single, high-volume arthroscopic hip surgeon, Dr. Kelly. The study presented at AOSSM included all patients who underwent a psoas tendon lengthening at the time of surgery, a minimum of six months follow-up, and a preoperative high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scan to detect femoral anteversion. Patients were not included in the study if they had previous tendon hip surgery or hip trauma.
Sixty-seven patients underwent arthroscopic lengthening of a symptomatic psoas tendon, either in isolation or in conjunction with treatment for hip impingement. CT scans showed that 19 of 67 patients had high anteversion. The researchers assessed clinical outcomes both before and after surgery with modified Harris Hip Score (MHHS) and Hip Outcome Score (HOS) questionnaires. These are commonly used to evaluate a patient’s ability to carry out specific activities that involve the hip: activities of daily living, such as climbing stairs, and athletic activities, such as running and jumping.
Prior to surgery, patients who had high anteversion scored significantly worse in terms of athletic activities on the HOS, but there was no difference in either questionnaire scores in terms of daily living activities. After surgery, patients who had high anteversion scored significantly worse on the MHHS questionnaire with regard to athletic and daily living activities, but the HOS scores were similar between the two groups. Twice as many patients who had high anteversion had to undergo revision surgery.
The researchers say the psoas tendon may be an important stabilizer in the hips of patients with high anteversion, and the tendon’s release in these patients may result in a delayed return to activities after surgery and inferior outcomes.
“The results of this study indicate that there are certain groups of patients that respond very favorably to surgical treatment of the psoas tendon, but there are other groups of patients that due to mechanical reasons, surgeons should exercise extreme caution in proceeding with any tendon release around the hip,” Dr. Kelly said. He said these patients should be considered for alternative treatment strategies.
Other authors of the study are lead author and orthopedic surgery resident Peter D. Fabricant, M.D., and Katrina Dela Torre, R.N., M.Sc., at HSS, and Asheesh Bedi, M.D., former HSS fellow now at the University of Michigan.
Study Identifies Patients Who Should Not Undergo Surgery for a Snapping Hip Tendon New York—July 10, 2011
Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery have identified a group of patients who may have increased difficulty for surgical treatment of a snapping psoas, a condition that usually develops because a teenager or young adult has a pelvis that grows faster than their psoas tendon. The study will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), held July 7-11 in San Diego.
“The conclusion from this study is that you should be cautious about releasing the psoas tendon, particularly in cases where there is some structural instability in the hip, specifically increased femoral anteversion, because although the tendon may be causing pain, it is also providing some dynamic support to the hip so it can cause problems if it is released,” said Bryan T. Kelly, M.D., who led the study and is co-director of the Center for Hip Pain and Preservation (www.hss.edu/hippain) at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York.
The study received the 2011 Herodicus Award given annually by the Herodicus Society at the AOSSM meeting for the best paper submitted by an orthopedic resident or sports medicine fellow.
The hip is a ball-and-socket joint where the head of the femur (thigh bone) rotates within the cup-shaped socket of the pelvis. The head of the femur is supported by an angled neck which joins to the long thigh bone. At the base of the femoral neck is a boney protrusion. The psoas tendon is one of two hip flexor tendons that attaches to this protrusion. When the pelvis grows faster than the psoas tendon, this tendon becomes tight and snaps over the pelvis during walking or other activity. This condition, which can be painful, is known as a snapping psoas tendon.
“The reason that it snaps usually has to do with the anatomy of the pelvis. We usually see it in adolescent hips where the pelvis is growing at a faster rate than the tendon can accommodate for the growth,” said Dr. Kelly. “Structurally the tendon is not long enough to accommodate the bony anatomy.”
Doctors usually treat a snapping psoas tendon with physical therapy that involves stretching and strengthening, anti-inflammatories and corticosteroids, but if this doesn’t work, doctors resort to surgically lengthening the tendon. Because the tendon does not have the ability to stretch, surgeons cut slits in the tendon in what is called a partial release of the tendon or a fractional lengthening. “You cut it in a way that allows the muscle to elongate,” Dr. Kelly said.
Studies have shown that arthroscopic and open surgery can achieve similar outcomes for this condition. Few studies, however, have studied whether abnormalities in hip structure, specifically femoral anteversion, can impact outcomes. In most people, the center of the femoral neck points toward the center of the hip socket. Femoral anteversion is a condition in which the center of the femoral neck leans toward the front of the socket. This causes the knee and foot on the affected side to rotate internally or twist toward the midline of the body.
In December 2006, HSS researchers started a prospective registry of all hip arthroscopy procedures performed during a three-year period, 2006 to 2009, by a single, high-volume arthroscopic hip surgeon, Dr. Kelly. The study presented at AOSSM included all patients who underwent a psoas tendon lengthening at the time of surgery, a minimum of six months follow-up, and a preoperative high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scan to detect femoral anteversion. Patients were not included in the study if they had previous tendon hip surgery or hip trauma.
Sixty-seven patients underwent arthroscopic lengthening of a symptomatic psoas tendon, either in isolation or in conjunction with treatment for hip impingement. CT scans showed that 19 of 67 patients had high anteversion. The researchers assessed clinical outcomes both before and after surgery with modified Harris Hip Score (MHHS) and Hip Outcome Score (HOS) questionnaires. These are commonly used to evaluate a patient’s ability to carry out specific activities that involve the hip: activities of daily living, such as climbing stairs, and athletic activities, such as running and jumping.
Prior to surgery, patients who had high anteversion scored significantly worse in terms of athletic activities on the HOS, but there was no difference in either questionnaire scores in terms of daily living activities. After surgery, patients who had high anteversion scored significantly worse on the MHHS questionnaire with regard to athletic and daily living activities, but the HOS scores were similar between the two groups. Twice as many patients who had high anteversion had to undergo revision surgery.
The researchers say the psoas tendon may be an important stabilizer in the hips of patients with high anteversion, and the tendon’s release in these patients may result in a delayed return to activities after surgery and inferior outcomes.
“The results of this study indicate that there are certain groups of patients that respond very favorably to surgical treatment of the psoas tendon, but there are other groups of patients that due to mechanical reasons, surgeons should exercise extreme caution in proceeding with any tendon release around the hip,” Dr. Kelly said. He said these patients should be considered for alternative treatment strategies.
Other authors of the study are lead author and orthopedic surgery resident Peter D. Fabricant, M.D., and Katrina Dela Torre, R.N., M.Sc., at HSS, and Asheesh Bedi, M.D., former HSS fellow now at the University of Michigan.
MRI Verdict
I spoke with my OS abt the latest MRI. We did a T2 mapping study to visualize the cartilage and get a better picture of the hip. He reviewed my MRI w the radiologist and says that there is no question that I have micro instability bc: 1) the ligamentum teres is torn (not sure if more torn since last surgery bc its the most difficult structure to image) 2) labrum is very small and can no longer provide suction to the joint 3) the anterior capsule is thinned out near the iliofemoral ligament, this is an area that was previously thickened (after the last surgery).
All of this is causing small, excessive motion in the joint. He is not 100% sure what is causing the posterior pain but says it is most likely the ligamentum teres. The cartilage in the back of the joint is a little thinned as well.
He wants me to continue to strengthen the muscles around the hip in order to provide stability to it. The only surgical option is an open surgery- which I told him makes me want to throw up! He knows I feel very very strongly abt not wanting more surgery. We did not get into details abt what he would actually do in said surgery, other than the fact that its a big deal and he has only done 5 of them before.
He is recommending I see a chiro who deals with musculoskeletal issues and treats professional athletes (not sure how he will feel about treating an everyday housewife :-) and does "different" types of therapies. I obviously don't need ART or any release work since I already have instability, and I looked up the chiro and all his techniques are release techniques...but I guess we need to try everything, and I know enough (and have a big enough mouth) to not let him do anything I think will make me worse.
So it's off to the chiro I go!!!!!
All of this is causing small, excessive motion in the joint. He is not 100% sure what is causing the posterior pain but says it is most likely the ligamentum teres. The cartilage in the back of the joint is a little thinned as well.
He wants me to continue to strengthen the muscles around the hip in order to provide stability to it. The only surgical option is an open surgery- which I told him makes me want to throw up! He knows I feel very very strongly abt not wanting more surgery. We did not get into details abt what he would actually do in said surgery, other than the fact that its a big deal and he has only done 5 of them before.
He is recommending I see a chiro who deals with musculoskeletal issues and treats professional athletes (not sure how he will feel about treating an everyday housewife :-) and does "different" types of therapies. I obviously don't need ART or any release work since I already have instability, and I looked up the chiro and all his techniques are release techniques...but I guess we need to try everything, and I know enough (and have a big enough mouth) to not let him do anything I think will make me worse.
So it's off to the chiro I go!!!!!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Micro Instability???
I'm sorry that I haven't been updating my blog too frequently, it has been tough lately since a) I'm not really sure what is happening in my hip and b)I have very little free time.
I have been in PT for 2 months now and overall have not seen a change in pain level or symptoms. I'm pretty frustrated bc I was really hoping that this would be the solution for me. I saw my OS yesterday to review things again and decide what to do.
PT has been addressing the muscles, and trying to correct a muscle imbalance, I have not made progress :-(
My biggest issue is that I am having all this pain, off and on, yet my MRI shows nothing. To me, this is worse than if it showed a lot of issues, I feel like I am crazy!! My OS assured me that I am not crazy :-) and agrees that we need a better way to image this hip. He is recommending a new MRI with a stronger magnet that can map out the cartilage in the hip. He thinks that I probably have some micro instability due to issues in the capsule and ligamentum teres, and hopes that this new MRI will show something. He also thinks that my labrum is very small, so it is possible that it is no longer providing the suction in the joint that it is supposed to provide.
He explained that he looks at hips in 4 layers- 1) the muscles 2) the 'inert' labrum, ligaments, capsule 3) bony structures 4) nerves. He suspects my problem is with level 2
If you have read previous posts, you will know that me and MRIs do not get along. So I was not thrilled to hear that my first MRI was not of the greatest quality and that I would need another one....So to 'cheer me up' he gave me a rx for Valium for it!
He thinks that if the ligamentum teres is the problem, it will show some changes to the cartilage around the ligament.
If this is the case, then he thinks it would require surgical intervention...then he started talking about the possibility of an open surgery....at that point I freaked out....really really freaked out!!! I told him that I just couldn't discuss it right now, and that I thought the best thing would be to get the MRI first, then discuss it, if needed. He agreed and is happy that we are both on the same page, meaning wanting to avoid surgery at all costs.
I have been in PT for 2 months now and overall have not seen a change in pain level or symptoms. I'm pretty frustrated bc I was really hoping that this would be the solution for me. I saw my OS yesterday to review things again and decide what to do.
PT has been addressing the muscles, and trying to correct a muscle imbalance, I have not made progress :-(
My biggest issue is that I am having all this pain, off and on, yet my MRI shows nothing. To me, this is worse than if it showed a lot of issues, I feel like I am crazy!! My OS assured me that I am not crazy :-) and agrees that we need a better way to image this hip. He is recommending a new MRI with a stronger magnet that can map out the cartilage in the hip. He thinks that I probably have some micro instability due to issues in the capsule and ligamentum teres, and hopes that this new MRI will show something. He also thinks that my labrum is very small, so it is possible that it is no longer providing the suction in the joint that it is supposed to provide.
He explained that he looks at hips in 4 layers- 1) the muscles 2) the 'inert' labrum, ligaments, capsule 3) bony structures 4) nerves. He suspects my problem is with level 2
If you have read previous posts, you will know that me and MRIs do not get along. So I was not thrilled to hear that my first MRI was not of the greatest quality and that I would need another one....So to 'cheer me up' he gave me a rx for Valium for it!
He thinks that if the ligamentum teres is the problem, it will show some changes to the cartilage around the ligament.
If this is the case, then he thinks it would require surgical intervention...then he started talking about the possibility of an open surgery....at that point I freaked out....really really freaked out!!! I told him that I just couldn't discuss it right now, and that I thought the best thing would be to get the MRI first, then discuss it, if needed. He agreed and is happy that we are both on the same page, meaning wanting to avoid surgery at all costs.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Or Is It?????
I am starting to have my doubts again....Over the last week or two, I have been having a gradual increase in pain. Is it because the honeymoon from my vacation is wearing off, or did my cortisone injection actually help more than I thought it did, or am I just plain screwed at this point?????
My new PT continues to address issues in my thoracic spine, ribs, abdominals, which are extremely messed up. I saw her last week, she barely touched my hip and worked a lot on my ribs, which are incredibly messed up, 2 are practically stuck together. She also worked on my thoracic spine and teaching me how to breathe. When I left, my hip was killing me. I thought it was so interesting since she barely worked on it.
What I am experiencing now is an irritation inside the joint when I try to work on hip flexion. I do it in quadruped with gentle rocking, and in standing, by hip hinging. When I try these, I end up with an extremely sore and angry joint.
I am also experimenting and seeing what happens if I only work on the hip or if I only work on the back...what will the hip do. So far both irritate the hip...so I am at a complete loss.
I saw my OS last week, and he agrees with me that I should continue to work with my new PT. He told me that he is finding a different type of problem in women. He called it acetabular-femoral impingement. When someone has regular FAI, in some people, the pelvis will tilt posterior to ease the pain of the impingement, and they end up with issues in the back, like on the hamstring etc. My conclusion is that I have the opposite, I have some sort of problem in the posterior side of the joint so my pelvis is tilting anterior, in turn, all of my anterior hip muscles are "freaking out". One thing my PT is very frustrated at times with is that my pelvis remains more anterior on that side, despite trying to hard to correct it. I am wondering if this is what I am experiencing. Definitely something to discuss this week.
My OS still cannot find anything really wrong with my MRI, which is good and bad! He wants me to come back in 6 weeks, but if things are not better in 3-4 weeks, he wants me to call him. I decided to ask a stupid question, what if PT doesn't help me...then what. He said he would want to scope it, to see what is happening......NO WAY. He promised me that he feels just as strongly as I do about NOT wanting to scope this hip...but it may be the only thing left to do. So....PT needs to start working really well ASAP!
My new PT continues to address issues in my thoracic spine, ribs, abdominals, which are extremely messed up. I saw her last week, she barely touched my hip and worked a lot on my ribs, which are incredibly messed up, 2 are practically stuck together. She also worked on my thoracic spine and teaching me how to breathe. When I left, my hip was killing me. I thought it was so interesting since she barely worked on it.
What I am experiencing now is an irritation inside the joint when I try to work on hip flexion. I do it in quadruped with gentle rocking, and in standing, by hip hinging. When I try these, I end up with an extremely sore and angry joint.
I am also experimenting and seeing what happens if I only work on the hip or if I only work on the back...what will the hip do. So far both irritate the hip...so I am at a complete loss.
I saw my OS last week, and he agrees with me that I should continue to work with my new PT. He told me that he is finding a different type of problem in women. He called it acetabular-femoral impingement. When someone has regular FAI, in some people, the pelvis will tilt posterior to ease the pain of the impingement, and they end up with issues in the back, like on the hamstring etc. My conclusion is that I have the opposite, I have some sort of problem in the posterior side of the joint so my pelvis is tilting anterior, in turn, all of my anterior hip muscles are "freaking out". One thing my PT is very frustrated at times with is that my pelvis remains more anterior on that side, despite trying to hard to correct it. I am wondering if this is what I am experiencing. Definitely something to discuss this week.
My OS still cannot find anything really wrong with my MRI, which is good and bad! He wants me to come back in 6 weeks, but if things are not better in 3-4 weeks, he wants me to call him. I decided to ask a stupid question, what if PT doesn't help me...then what. He said he would want to scope it, to see what is happening......NO WAY. He promised me that he feels just as strongly as I do about NOT wanting to scope this hip...but it may be the only thing left to do. So....PT needs to start working really well ASAP!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Wow, PT is working!
I have been to my new PT twice so far, but I am definitely more compliant with my exercises than I have ever been in my life. We (she) have discovered that my glutes have completely stopped working, my hip slides anteriorly, my ribs/ thoracic spine are really tight, all of my "large" hip muscles are working overtime and my smaller, stabilizing hip muscles are not working at all. Even if my ligamentum teres is torn, she thinks that by strengthening the proper muscles and getting the "wron" ones to shut off, I will regain my ROM and restore my pain free status.
One of he things I have been doing alot of is rolling on a tennis ball to release trigger points in my muscles. I am amazed at how tight and painful my quad is. It is by far the most painful muscle to roll out.
I still have pain with sitting but it is nowhere as bad as it used to be. I am definitely seeing a light at the end of the tunnel and am keeping my fingers crossed that this is what I have needed the whole time!
One of he things I have been doing alot of is rolling on a tennis ball to release trigger points in my muscles. I am amazed at how tight and painful my quad is. It is by far the most painful muscle to roll out.
I still have pain with sitting but it is nowhere as bad as it used to be. I am definitely seeing a light at the end of the tunnel and am keeping my fingers crossed that this is what I have needed the whole time!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Taking a Different Approach
Sorry if I left you hanging! I was on vacation for 10 days and as usual, incredibly busy with life at home. The good news is that while I was on vacation, I felt great, after a few days in sunny Florida where I did absolutely nothing, my pain started to disappear. Once I got home, it slowly started to come back, which leads me to the conclusion that I should retire now!
It is not as bad as it was before I left and I can tolerate sitting which is a huge plus. But I have decided that I need to do something, and everything that I have been doing is not working, and no one that I have worked with knows how to help me, and my brain has shut off regarding this. So I found myself a new PT. I definitely feel that I am cheating on my old PT, but since I wasn't getting better, I needed to move on.
I saw my new PT yesterday. It is a totally different experience than my old PT, who ran his office similarly to the way my office runs. Chaos, patients everywhere, running around from one patient to another. My new PT only sees one patient at a time, the office reminds me of a spa, I walked in to absolute silence. A completely different experience than I have ever seen at a PT clinic. I gave her my ridiculously long hip history, which took up most of the session!!! She found a lot of dysfunction in my back, it is stiff and I don't move well. Also instability and weakness in my hips. Surprising to me, she found a lot of tightens in my upper back and she thinks that those restrictions are what is causing my hip and SHOULDER problem. I am definitely getting a bang for my buck!!! As she started releasing restrictions in my upper back, I don't think I have ever experienced such pain before. But then she re-checked my hip flexion and I had gained ROM. She then checked my abdominals and found a lot of restriction in my external obliques. She also said my rib cage was tight. So she worked on releasing restrictions there, ouch. Ounce again, my hip flexion ROM increased. It was pretty incredible, something I had never thought of.
I am going to try to see her 1x/week, I have appointments set up for the next 6 weeks. It is pretty far away and she doesn't take insurance, but I think that if she can help me, it will be priceless.
My homework is the continue to work on releasing restrictions in my abdominals, and try to expand my ribcage. Also quadruped rocking to maintain my hip flexion, and learning to breathe properly with diaphragmatic breathing.
Keep your fingers crossed that this is the solution!!!
It is not as bad as it was before I left and I can tolerate sitting which is a huge plus. But I have decided that I need to do something, and everything that I have been doing is not working, and no one that I have worked with knows how to help me, and my brain has shut off regarding this. So I found myself a new PT. I definitely feel that I am cheating on my old PT, but since I wasn't getting better, I needed to move on.
I saw my new PT yesterday. It is a totally different experience than my old PT, who ran his office similarly to the way my office runs. Chaos, patients everywhere, running around from one patient to another. My new PT only sees one patient at a time, the office reminds me of a spa, I walked in to absolute silence. A completely different experience than I have ever seen at a PT clinic. I gave her my ridiculously long hip history, which took up most of the session!!! She found a lot of dysfunction in my back, it is stiff and I don't move well. Also instability and weakness in my hips. Surprising to me, she found a lot of tightens in my upper back and she thinks that those restrictions are what is causing my hip and SHOULDER problem. I am definitely getting a bang for my buck!!! As she started releasing restrictions in my upper back, I don't think I have ever experienced such pain before. But then she re-checked my hip flexion and I had gained ROM. She then checked my abdominals and found a lot of restriction in my external obliques. She also said my rib cage was tight. So she worked on releasing restrictions there, ouch. Ounce again, my hip flexion ROM increased. It was pretty incredible, something I had never thought of.
I am going to try to see her 1x/week, I have appointments set up for the next 6 weeks. It is pretty far away and she doesn't take insurance, but I think that if she can help me, it will be priceless.
My homework is the continue to work on releasing restrictions in my abdominals, and try to expand my ribcage. Also quadruped rocking to maintain my hip flexion, and learning to breathe properly with diaphragmatic breathing.
Keep your fingers crossed that this is the solution!!!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Video Presentation on the Ligamentum Teres
During my "research" today, I came across this: More than 120 physicians from around the world gathered in Vail, Colorado on March 17–19 for Smith & Nephew’s 5th annual Vail Hip Arthroscopy Symposium. The three-day educational event was led by Marc J. Philippon, MD, managing partner of the Steadman Philippon Research Institute. Link to Symposium info The focus of the symposium shifted to “New Procedure and Unique Cases” on Day Two. Richard Villar, FRCS, Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital, UK, opened the session with a presentation called “Ligamentum Teres: The Forgotten Ligament.” Mr. Villar described the three classifications of ligamentum teres injuries; Type 1 (complete tear), Type II (partial tear) and Degenerative (not torn but not functioning). Treatment options include removal (with RF or shaver) or reconstruction. Mr. Villar reached the following conclusions: The ligamentum teres is likely to have a function; do not ignore it Arthroscopic surgery (of whichever sort) appears to work The ligamentum teres may have healing potential Video
PT...Again
I had my latest PT appointment on Thursday, it was incredibly disappointing. I guess I am looking for a miracle and there really isn't a miracle out there at the moment. I said to my PT "so, he didn't know what to do with me so he dumped me on you", he agreed!!! He is at a loss, pretty much, and with his expertise, if he is at a loss, I am screwed!! He said he wants to treat it like an ACL/PCL injury in the knee, where all the stabilizing structures are gone. So we started with some gentle isometrics and proprioception exercises. I am going on vacation tomorrow so will continue to do them while I am away and see him when I get back. In the meantime, I deiced to explore some other options and contacted another PT who may have a different kind of approach. I am going to see her at some point as well when I get back from vacation. I hope she is more optimistic and can help me, bc I don't know how much more pain I can take at this point.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
The Latest Appointment, Still No Answers
I saw my OS yesterday...he still doesn't really know what's going on. His best guess is that ligamentum teres is torn, which is why I am having so much posterior pain and so much trouble sitting, and that the capsule got stretched out, which is why I am having muscle spasms, to try to stabilize the hip. I have a lot of clicking going on, he initially said its prob psoas but then he actually heard it and said it is not psoas, sounds like intra articular clicking, maybe ligamentum teres...bottom line is he said avoid doing it! He also said that he was actually really upset that I had relief from the cortisone injection since it does mean that the problem is coming from the joint, he was hoping that it wouldn't help at all and we could address things outside of the joint. We discussed the drugs I have tried so far, Celebrex made my Crohn's disease flare up, and Ultram made me dizzy and crazy. "Lucky" for me, I brought J along with me for "support", my OS wanted to know how Ultram made me crazy, "basically, it turned me into a psychobitch", to which J added "well, it was hard to tell the difference from how she normally is". Thanks J, really appreciate the support :-) I made him compare my 2 MRIs side by side, to actually see if there was a change in the capsule, they both looked pretty good (one from this month and one from last year), so he doesn't think the capsule is actually torn. He wants me to go back to PT, gave me Baclofen for the muscle spasms, and see what's happening in a few weeks. He also wanted to give me a medrol dose pack for the pain but we ended up agreeing that it wasn't what I wanted bc of the very remote possibility that it can cause AVN. He wants me to be patient and try to work through it w PT and see what happens! When I came out of the room his PA was there, so I said to him "he basically has no idea what is going on", and he told me that my OS studied my mri so hard, trying to see a problem. "I guess I have really photogenic hips" I said So that's the story!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Turning Point
Last Friday was definitely "rock bottom" for my latest hip saga. Things began turning around this past week, I think I was wrong about the cortisone and it is finally kicking in, it took its sweet time but yes, I began feeling its effects mid week. Most importantly, sitting is not excruciating anymore. The best days were Wed and Thurs I think, I had absolutely no posterior hip pain at all, I had some groin pain those days, but I did well physically and emotionally. Friday was not as good as Thursday and Saturday was not as good as Friday, but I hope to continue to get some help from this latest injection. Yesterday I had an event to go to and I had to wear heels. I had no pain while wearing them, but I just did not feel good about it. My hip could not handle the heels and the joint just felt "slidey", like it could not control my leg in the shoes. Ironically,I came home and put on sneakers and had a ton of pain, go figure!!! As I sit here writing this, It is getting a little difficult to sit. My husband keeps telling me to "stop thinking about it", but how can I not, I am still nervous, and I am still in pain. I see my OS on Tuesday, stay tuned for an update Tuesday night!!!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
And The Saga Continues
Monday was my cortisone injection, Tues-Thurs were a little bit better. I went for a session of reflexology on Thursday afternoon, since it usually helps relax me, and my nerves have been shot lately, Ive never had so much anxiety in my life. I was speaking to the massage therapist about my "issues", and he thought I should get a massage. My muscles are in horrible spasm, I kind of wanted a massage but was scared of getting one because in my mind, the muscles are in spasm for a reason. I texted my PT, he said to ice and tape my hip. I really cant tape it on my own, and I cant stay in bed all day with ice. I texted him again on Friday morning and asked if I should just get a massage to ease up the spasm. He called me back and said that a deep tissue massage would be a bad idea, but a lighter massage may help. I told him that if one more person at work asked me if I was ok, if I should be working, if I should be doing this, I was going to scream. He gave me permission to punch the next person in the face :-) He also, again, said I need pain meds! So he called my OS office and I got Ultram. I took one Ultram late Friday afternoon, it helped with the pain but not fully. so I decided to take another. Bad idea. I could barely get off the couch, I was so dizzy and lightheaded for the rest of the night, and I didn't sleep well. Saturday I took 1/2 of a pill and was less dizzy, but dizzy nonetheless. The good thing is that for me, a little goes a long way and it has really helped my pain. I don't want to take one today because it is L's b-day party in the afternoon and we have a lot to do, and I don't want to feel like crap. Icing also goes a long way for me, unfortunately its hard for me to find time to do it. The second I lie down with ice my kids either need my ice, need me to get up and do something, or decide to jump on my leg.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Hip Injection #8...done
I was able to get in for an injection yesterday afternoon purely by the grace of G-d...and maybe a little begging on my part to "please take me out of my misery"!! Driving down I could barely sit, the posterior joint pain and lateral posterior pain (what I believe to be ischiofemoral impingement (IF) was really awful. Before I had left my house, I tried some pain provocation tests so that I could have a baseline and a before and after. I did a lunge with the left leg in front and on a stool, some impingement tests and some other movements of the leg. The injection was more painful than I remember it ever being, probably because I have scar tissue built up in there. Before the injection the radiologist tried to provoke pain, he did some FAI tests and they hurt in the groin, he could not reproduce the posterior pain but I explained that I had been able to earlier. He told me to check those maneuvers out again later. I said if I could drive home without pain I would be thrilled!! After the injection most of the tests he did provoked no pain anymore. I limped back to my car, sat down and panicked...the back of my hip still hurt. After a minute, I guess the drugs made their way back there and posterior pain was GONE! I drove home comfortably and happy. The IF pain was still there but without the posterior joint pain it seemed a lot more manageable. After 3 hours my "honeymoon" was over and the pain hit hard. When the kids were finally in bed I was able to ice for about an hour. I then decided to go to sleep but the pain was there so I went back for the ice and ended up falling asleep with it on until I woke up 3 hours later! This morning I think the posterior pain is better, the true test will be when I get into the car in an hour! Keeping my fingers crossed
Friday, March 25, 2011
Why Why Why
Thurs morning after PT I was in the car and using the "water bottle trick", after about 2 minutes I began having anterior hip pain. When I got out of the car my psoas/ iliacus were in spasm. That's when I began to freak ot. I texted my PT with a desperate message. He called me back, said to stop doing that bc it was causing my femur to be pushed anteriorly and making the psoas try to stabilize it. He also said I needed to get my pain under control ASAP, I coldn't sit down. So I tried to get in touch with the OS office.....
Yesterday I iced, took Vicodin, Motrin....Was in a lot of pain. I was up in the middle of the night icing and medicating...its been rough.
I finally spoke to the PA today, he called in Celebrex for me and I am going to try to get a cortisone injection next week into the joint to calm things down. He said the psoas is going into spasm to stabilize. I don't like this one bit.
Yesterday I iced, took Vicodin, Motrin....Was in a lot of pain. I was up in the middle of the night icing and medicating...its been rough.
I finally spoke to the PA today, he called in Celebrex for me and I am going to try to get a cortisone injection next week into the joint to calm things down. He said the psoas is going into spasm to stabilize. I don't like this one bit.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Still No Answers
I got home from PT last night with more questions than answers. My PT thinks the hip is loose and and lax,this is about all I got. I am also really weak in the glutes, he is not sure if it is a straight out weakness or if they re inhibited by pain. The rest kind of went in one ear and out the other. I am so overwhelmed with all of this that I cant even process anymore. He thinks there may be a coverage issue somewhere (don't ask me where) but I could be getting pinching from some sort of impingement posteriorly. Honestly, this is all too much for me to handle. I was doing a lunge yesterday (just to demonstrate for a patient) with the good leg, the bad leg was behind me, in extension. This set off so much pain I think I saw stars and almost passed out in the middle of my office. My PT wanted me to try that with a posterior pelvic tilt and an anterior pelvic tilt to see if one was better, I was too scared to reproduce that pain again that I couldn't do it. He thinks I may need a stress test to check for laxity in the hip, I'm not sure what this would accomplish, or what it entails, I was too scared to ask.
In the meantime he gave me one exercise to do at home, a standing hip abduction with my hip in IR. He also told me to put a small water bottle under my thigh near my butt when sitting to make sitting less painful, it takes the pressure off of the ischial tuberosity.
And so the roller coaster ride begins, and the psychosis, paranoia etc. Because there will be days when I have no pain at all, and days that are excruciating, and it will drive me up a wall!!
In the meantime he gave me one exercise to do at home, a standing hip abduction with my hip in IR. He also told me to put a small water bottle under my thigh near my butt when sitting to make sitting less painful, it takes the pressure off of the ischial tuberosity.
And so the roller coaster ride begins, and the psychosis, paranoia etc. Because there will be days when I have no pain at all, and days that are excruciating, and it will drive me up a wall!!
Monday, March 21, 2011
It's Official, My Shoulder Officially Sucks
Tomorrow will be 2 weeks since I had my AC joint injected and my pain is back full force. I guess I was dreaming when I had hoped to get 6 months out of this latest injection. I don't know what to do now, But working is killing me. I had someone in my office work on it today, I got a whole 90 seconds of relief...so not worth it!!!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Hip MRI #6...done
Yes, I had yet another MRI on my hip. Last week my x-ray was fine, over the weekend I was able to ice and rest and was feeling better. Monday the pain was back with a vengeance. I freaked out and emailed the PA from my OS office. He said to have an MRI and come in today.
Since this latest "episode" of hip pain started, I have been having a ton of anxiety and been having trouble eating bc I am so scared. I took (my first ever) Xanax on Monday night. this morning I woke up at 3:30 with my heart racing and my stomach in knots. By 5:30 I decided to eat something since my stomach probably hurt from lack of eating. By 6:30 my heart was still racing and I felt like I was going to throw up. Xanax #2 was a god send. It totally calmed me down and took the edge off. The MRI was almost relaxing!! It was the first time I was able to rest with no kids calling me, no blackberry, no work!!
Right after the MRI I went to see my OS. I explained what happened, and that I was having posterior joint pain. He looked at the MRI, the labrum and capsule were fine, thank goodness. There seems to be a little abnormality at the ligamentum teres, which could cause posterior joint pain. there is also irregularity at the quadratus femoris, which is what can get impinged with ischiofemoral impingement. I have not done all that much research on ischiofemoral impingement but I guess that will be on my to do list. It is an extra-articular impingement, he thinks its possible that bc I have some more motion now that that is getting pinched. But, I have pain in the joint with internal and external rotation, which leads him to believe it is being caused by the ligamentum teres.
The plan is to keep trying to ice and rest, go back to PT, in 2 weeks if its not better then we can discuss an injection. Where? I'm not really sure, but I'm hoping that PT can help decipher where the pain is coming from, and better yet, eliminate it to avoid an injection.
When I left his office, I was feeling better, less anxiety, but later in the day the pain got bad again and all of my anxiety came back....I don't know where I am going to find the strength to deal with this...again
Since this latest "episode" of hip pain started, I have been having a ton of anxiety and been having trouble eating bc I am so scared. I took (my first ever) Xanax on Monday night. this morning I woke up at 3:30 with my heart racing and my stomach in knots. By 5:30 I decided to eat something since my stomach probably hurt from lack of eating. By 6:30 my heart was still racing and I felt like I was going to throw up. Xanax #2 was a god send. It totally calmed me down and took the edge off. The MRI was almost relaxing!! It was the first time I was able to rest with no kids calling me, no blackberry, no work!!
Right after the MRI I went to see my OS. I explained what happened, and that I was having posterior joint pain. He looked at the MRI, the labrum and capsule were fine, thank goodness. There seems to be a little abnormality at the ligamentum teres, which could cause posterior joint pain. there is also irregularity at the quadratus femoris, which is what can get impinged with ischiofemoral impingement. I have not done all that much research on ischiofemoral impingement but I guess that will be on my to do list. It is an extra-articular impingement, he thinks its possible that bc I have some more motion now that that is getting pinched. But, I have pain in the joint with internal and external rotation, which leads him to believe it is being caused by the ligamentum teres.
The plan is to keep trying to ice and rest, go back to PT, in 2 weeks if its not better then we can discuss an injection. Where? I'm not really sure, but I'm hoping that PT can help decipher where the pain is coming from, and better yet, eliminate it to avoid an injection.
When I left his office, I was feeling better, less anxiety, but later in the day the pain got bad again and all of my anxiety came back....I don't know where I am going to find the strength to deal with this...again
Thursday, March 10, 2011
##$%#&* Right Hip
Ok, so if you read the yahoo group postings yes, I am having hip issues again. At first I was having throbbing in my hip at night mostly. The pain started getting worse, it was radiating to the side of my hip, the back of my hip and down my thigh. It was for the most part groin pain though. I was trying to stretch it and stretch it since it is tight in the front still, and at times it bothers me that it is so tight. Yesterday, i was stretching it and got a good pop, which is not abnormal for me, when I had it in external rotation. Since then, I have a lot more range into ER, but when it gets to endrange, I have pinching in the back of the joint and behind the greater trochanter. I also have a ton of posterior hip pain, all the time, it hurts to sit down which is really hard for me.
I had an xray today, and of course I had no idea what happened to me (it wasn't until later that I was able to clear my mind and and remember these events, and even now, I'm not 100% sure if this is the issue). Thank goodness the xray was fine, no fracture or infection, which was a big concern of mine. As of now, my butt really really hurts, and ER, which used to be my position of comfort, is not uncomfortable. I am limping at times....this stinks.
Hopefully hopefully hopefully, it was popping of scar tissue, and now there is localized inflammation and it will pass in a few days. I will keep you posted!!!
I had an xray today, and of course I had no idea what happened to me (it wasn't until later that I was able to clear my mind and and remember these events, and even now, I'm not 100% sure if this is the issue). Thank goodness the xray was fine, no fracture or infection, which was a big concern of mine. As of now, my butt really really hurts, and ER, which used to be my position of comfort, is not uncomfortable. I am limping at times....this stinks.
Hopefully hopefully hopefully, it was popping of scar tissue, and now there is localized inflammation and it will pass in a few days. I will keep you posted!!!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
The Good and Bad News
I had been putting off going back to my shoulder doctor for fear that he would want to order an MRI. The good news is that things looked bad enough on x-ray so an MRI is not needed. The bad news is that I am practically bone on bone in my AC joint and he is recommending a distal clavicle resection. It does not need to be done now, he did give me another cortisone injection, but warned me that I cannot keep having them, and I will have to have it 'fixed' sooner rather than later. I am hopefully going to get a long stretch of relief from this injection and not have to think about this for a while.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Popping In To Say Hi
I haven't bothered anyone with my woes lately, life has been busy, the kids are 6,5 and 2, and getting big! My left hip as always, is perfect. My right has been once again giving me some trouble, I'm not sure exactly what is going on, I see my OS next month, so we will find out then. My shoulder is a mess, I see the shoulder OS on Tuesday, hopefully for another lovely dose of cortisone!!! I just wanted to add a few cute pics of the kiddies and day hello!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
New 2011 CPT Codes for Hip Arthroscopy
◦29914 – Arthroscopy, hip, surgical; with femoroplasty (ie, treatment of cam lesion)
◦29915 – Arthroscopy, hip, surgical; with acetabuloplasty (ie, treatment of pincer lesion)
◦29916 – Arthroscopy, hip, surgical; with labral repair
◦29915 – Arthroscopy, hip, surgical; with acetabuloplasty (ie, treatment of pincer lesion)
◦29916 – Arthroscopy, hip, surgical; with labral repair
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