Check out below images of my hip! Can you see the rod and screws? Can you see where the intentional osteotomy (fracture) occurred? Can you see the bone fragments that “spewed” out the top of my femur? Crazy to think this is my leg now!
I feel amazing. I am constantly smiling and my kids can already see a change in me. I am no longer suffering. It is almost too good to be true. This is the best I have felt in about 10-15 years. I am still on 1 crutch, but I am slowly transitioning away from it. I have not posted in a while, because I have been scared to get too excited about my progress. Especially, due to my history of failed surgeries in managing this chronic hip pain. I used to hurt a lot when sitting and lying down, but that has SIGNIFICANTLY improved due to this surgery. I can tell that my hip is no longer catching on my pelvis. My hip feels more FREE in movement. I have really enjoyed being able to get into my outdoor spa and swimming pool! This is the best rehab setup ever! I am also continuing my weekly massages to keep everything well aligned. I am so thankful to Jesus, my Lord and Savior for my healing.
I have been back to work for 8 weeks now. I am getting around pretty well. My patients are always asking “what happened to you?” when I walk into the room with my crutch. It is so kind of my critically ill patient to ask how I am feeling, but I always let them know that THEY are my priority. The hospital nursing staff and other providers that I work along side, have also been so kind and interested in my progress. I feel loved! To show my gratitude I am throwing all of the ICU staff a pool party next month. I am truly blessed by such a wonderful team.
I have been significantly cutting back on many of my chronic pain medications, with Cymbalta (SNRI) being one of them. I weaned it a little too fast this past week, and developed Vertigo, which is considered a symptom of withdrawal for that medication. So, I restarted the Cymbalta and the vertigo resolved. I will wean it much slower this time. I purchased the Advil II (ibuprofen 250mg/acetaminophen 500mg) from Sams last month, and it is working well for me. It helps with the post op pain. I do still feel some occasional sciatica (which I think is nerve damage from my first hip surgery), but it is definitely manageable. Occasionally, I take low dose Gabapentin for this. I am no longer taking flexaril at bedtime…woohoo!
My left foot is pretty sore because I am walking on it differently now. I no longer walk flat footed and the outside arch and calf are yelling at me. My left knee is not giving me much trouble yet, but my surgeon reports that in the future I may need the remove these screws to avoid discomfort. We will see. Also, he noted some extra bone fragments created during the surgery at the insertion site of the rod into the femoral head. He says that he may have to go in and remove those in the future as well. Either way, he is very happy with how things look.
This has been quite the journey and I hope to help others that are in a similar situation to mine. I want to be there for other people who cannot get relief from their pain and who cannot be fully understood. I want them to know that I am on their side. Without experiencing chronic pain, I am sure it may be difficult to understand what that person is going through. All I can say, is just love them. Just listen to them. Just offer a helping hand. Don’t judge them.
Living with Chronic Pains 