Wow, I completely forgot about this blog! I didn't even know people still read it, until I received an email from a fellow-hip patient this morning. A lot has happened since my last post. First, I was lucky that I healed rather quickly from my left hip arthroscopy. I was able to return to the gym around four months post-op. I hired a personal trainer who is also an osteopath, and we worked at strengthening my hips before my PAO (periacetabular osteotomy). When I saw my surgeon's PTs at my pre-op appointment, they were amazing at how strong my legs were. I had quite a busy summer, filled with weddings and family shoots. My left hip held up quite well, but my right hip was struggling more and more as time went by. My surgeon booked my PAO for November 16th. November 16th. Even if I had gone through four hip surgeries, I never felt so nervous going to the hospital. I sat in the waiting area on the op-floor, nervously biting my nails. And then it was time. I walked into the OR, glanced at all the tools that were being laid out by the surgical staff. There was a LOT of tools. The anesthesiologist then said "ok, we're going to put you to sleep now" and I surprisingly answered "um, I am supposed to have an epidural, too." So it was quite nerve racking when he seemed clueless, said he would check with my surgeon, then coming back in and saying "oh! you are right!" What is the point of having a pre-op two weeks before if he didn't even seem to have read it? Anyway, putting in the epidural was a mess. I have a fear of those kind of procedures ever since my needle accident, so when I felt him poking in my back, I burst out in tears. He was unable to get it in, and after trying for what seemed like an eternity, asked me to sit down so he could try in that position. My eyes were filled with water, and I could see my surgeon, blurry in the distance. I clearly remember the anesthesiologist barking at the nurse "CAN YOU GIVE HER SOMETHING??" and the nurse, nervously replying, "I already gave her two doses." Clearly, they were not working! They then must have then given me a ginormous dose, as the next thing I knew, I was waking up in recovery. I never have smooth wake-ups, as I often wake up in pain and somewhat confused. This was no exception. I woke up and my epidural was NOT working. At all. So I felt everything. Every. single. bone. break. The brain is smart in the sense that I do not clearly remember what happened, but I know I was crying and the nurses felt terrible for me. My surgeon even came to my bedside, and placed his hand on my shoulder. They couldn't give me any pain medication as my epidural pump already had some in it (although I wasn't receiving any). They could only give me Tylenol, and we had to wait for the anesthesiologist to come out of surgery. It was terrible. The anesthesiologist then nonchalantly walked up to my bedside, and fiddled with the pump next to me. I finally had relief. I was in the PACU for close to six hours due to hard to control pain, fast heart rate, and low oxygen levels. The fast HR was partially due to the amount of blood I lost in surgery (1400ccs according to my nurse). I was in the hospital for six days, and the first three days were really, REALLY difficult. I had so many issues with the epidural pump (broken tubulure, wrong dosage programmed, catheter not perfectly placed) and it took a while to figure things out, pain management wise. Luckily, the surgery went as planned and my surgeon was satisfied. Recovery has been quite intense, much harder than what I had previously experienced with hip scopes. I am now six months post-op, and I still have daily pain. My surgeon expect my recovery to take longer due to my previous surgeries, and also because I am hypermobile. I do feel that my hip is WAY more stable, so definitely am happy I went forward with this surgery. I am doing PT twice a week and I am working hard at strengthening my hip. We are planning to get the screws out sometime in the fall. I look forward to it because they are quite uncomfortable in certain positions, or in specific weather (worse when it is damp days)
Anyway, I don't want to bore you with my story! Let me know if you want more details and I can post more in the future. Cheers!
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Oh, I've been very bad at updating this thing! So I didn't even update after my 6 week follow up. Oops! Everything went well, my surgeon wasn't too concerned with my swelling or pain. He said it's totally to be expected between 6 and 12 weeks, so to simply be more patient. It was reassuring to hear! Good news is he said the damage wasn't too bad when he went in. As mentioned previously, I personally felt my left hip scope recovery was going slower than my right hip revision. I was on a cane up until 8 weeks. I'd get tired quickly. The swelling, etc. But I really feel I recently turned a corner. Because guess what? NO MORE PAIN! I occasionally have some pain if I overdo it, but it happens on very rare occasions now. Sitting is fine, as long as a get up and move around after an hour or so to avoid stiffness. My PT exercises have increased. I'm also able to do 30 minutes on the spin bike, moderate intensity! Standing on my pedals is not painful, and I'm finally able to break a sweat (a small one, but better than nothing!). My scope incisions are healing up nicely, and luckily they aren't scarring like my open procedure incision. They also aren't indented like my right hip scope incisions. So far, they're the best behaved ones! I started walking everyday as I want/need to build my endurance...wedding season is quickly approaching! Two days ago, I went on a 6km walk with my dog and I didn't feel ANYTHING! No pain, no tightness. Just tired when I got home but that was to be expected. My PT now wants me to integrate some hills to add some difficulty, which I'll be glad to do if it ever STOPS RAINING. Ugh the weather is so crappy here! But whatever...no weather is going to stop me from getting better! The only downside has been my right hip. It's been miserable, and getting worse and worse every week. I was expecting it to be hard at first, as I knew the added stress from bearing all the weight would be hard on my right hip. But I did not expect it to get worse over time. The pain is daily, between 2 and 6/10. Sometimes my hip catches painfully, and stops me in my tracks. During my long walks, it's my right hip that calls out for attention. I am grateful my left is cooperating so well though. I'm hoping it keeps going in this direction for my left, and I'll be taking care of my right in the fall.
I have my 12 week follow up next week. TWELVE! Can't believe it's already been three months. I'll try to remember to post on this thing! Guess it's time for an update!
I'll be six weeks post left hip scope in two days. Tomorrow morning I'm heading out to Quebec city to see my surgeon. I'm seeing physical therapy at 10:30am on Wednesday, then my follow up is at 11:30am. So, how am I doing? Over the past few weeks, I felt that things were going fairly well. Slow, but well. Pain was on/off, but manageable. On Thursday, my husband and I went to see the Habs play the Panthers. I sat on the tiny hard chairs for the entire three periods and despite getting up several times (Habs scored 6 goals!), my hip was feeling pissed. We decided to take the metro home, just because getting out of the city by car/taxi after a game is practically impossible. We had to walk a LOT to get to the metro, I even had to take breaks because my hip felt so weak despite using my cane. When I got home, I was in quite a lot of pain so took some Tramadol, which worked great for pain but then led to disturbed sleep. Over the following days, my hip was really swollen, and painful almost all day long. Today I had PT, and my physical therapist was stunned at how swollen my hip was. She said she couldn't even check my quad tension because all she could feel was the oedema. We spent most of the appointment trying to flush it out. I'm on exercise break until my next PT appointment. She said the swelling could be due to several things...it could be poor circulation, surgical site inflammation, bursitis... I'm looking forward to what my surgeon will say. I don't think there's anything abnormal, probably just me being a slow-healer as usual. I also wonder if he will suggest anything to make it better. It's a bit frustrating to have this set back...I wasn't expecting such a turn of events, this early, with so little "activity". This hip recovery definitely feels different than my right hip revision. I think I had more sharp pain due to tight hip flexors/capsule with my right hip. But my left seems to be healing slower. Less pain, but slower. My VMO is atrophied and I'm having trouble firing it, which was never an issue with the other side. At my right hip 6 week follow up, I remember walking through Chicago with my cane, without any issues. Like...10000 steps a day. Tonight, I had trouble walking my dog across the street. :( The fatigue is considerably worse too. My entire leg has felt weak ever since I got home from that hockey game. And as soon as I do something in my day, I'm exhausted. Trust the process. Be patient. Words I must constantly remind myself. Hopefully Wednesday's visit brings some positivity! Well I clearly am not as good as updating this thing compared to my revision scope. Oops! In my last post, I was explaining how easy this recovery has been so far. The first two weeks went really well. I barely had any pain in my operated hip, my right hip was surviving. I got a little worried about that red patch on my thigh. I emailed my surgeon and it was amazing that he replied quickly asking if it had progressed. I saw my PT, who reassured me by saying it was blood from the surgical site that pooled into my leg. He said that blood outside of vessels tend to create a chemical reaction, which brings inflammation. Explains why it was warm, swollen and painful! He massaged it and it gradually went away within a few days. PHEW! No DVTs, no infections! I clearly remember my surgeon saying "Many patients feel great the first two weeks, and then struggle" Damn right Dr. B. As soon as my exercises were moved from isometrics to active, my hip started to voice out its frustrations. As of now, my exercises are: - 10 clams x3 - 10 hip bridges with pillow between legs x3 - 10 "laying down squats" with elastic x3 - 15 minute biking with no resistance I've been trying to move around on one crutch in the house but I get tired quickly. And when I do, it throws off my back and I start hurting everywhere. But I have to remind myself that it's part of the game. My right hip has been absolutely horrible. Back in October, I traveled to Croatia and it gave me such a hard time. It would be mega pinchy when I sat in a chair, and achy. And that exact feeling is back. I know it's taking a beating from the added weight. I'm really looking forward to getting off crutches so it can be distributed more evenly. It made me realize that I hope my left recovers quickly. I really . need to start strengthening asap. And I need to prepare my left for my surgery in the fall. Dr. B said I should be on crutches for about 10-12 weeks after my PAO. My left will have to be strong for the both of them. Buuuuuuuut, right now I need to focus on recovering. Day by day. It will get better. And until then, I can have fun with the K-tape my PT puts on to lower my swelling! By the way, my incisions look GREAT. Holy moly. Dr. B did an amazing job. one of them barely even shows. Pretty sure they will disappear quickly. Yay!
I can't believe it's already been one week! So far, this recovery has been MUCH easier than my revision right hip scope. Mobility is much better. I'm able to get dressed on my own (beside my left sock) since day one...whereas it took almost 3 weeks in 2015. Pain levels have been pretty much in control. Yesterday I was narcotics free, yay! I'm still on super basic exercises as my surgeon's protocol is mainly rest up until 10 days post op. I'm doing a lot of isometrics and pROM. I'm scheduled to have my sutures taken out on Monday, and then I'll finally be able to get on the bike! Exciting :) I've developed this weird redness/swelling on the back of my thigh. I was worried about DVT, even though I know it's not classic presentation. I asked the PT replacing my usual PT, but she wasn't too concerned. She seemed to think that it's my hamstrings that are knotting up. I'll keep an eye on it, hopefully it goes away soon! Today I stopped laying around all day like I've been doing since my surgery and decided to get some work done. I worked from my office, and I tried getting up every 30 minutes to avoid tightness in my hip. It was clearly a lot to ask my hip as it's been angry from this morning. I decided to stop taking Oxy, and use Tramadol instead. Tramadol isn't as strong as Oxy, and has a lower risk to addiction. Luckily it took away the pain, and now I'm back to laying around/resting.
I'm preparing to launch my new business, and I definitely cannot spend my days resting. Today, I wondered how nice it must be to have 3 months off a regular job...and simply be at home and focus solely on recovery! Oh well, I can't complain. At least I get to work my own schedule and take breaks when needed. Speaking of breaks. Yesterday after PT, I was completely EXHAUSTED. I forgot how little it takes to get tired when you're so early post-surgery. I told Oli I'd go for a quick nap. And then I woke up 6 hours later. LOL. It was 9pm! Oops. I thought I'd be awake all night...but turns out I went to bed at 11pm and slept until 9 this morning. Ha! Good news! I slept through the night! Went to bed at 10:30pm and woke up at 6:30am. Everything seems easier this time around compared to my surgery in 2015. I don't know if it's because I know what to expect, or if my body is simply responding differently. I think surgery itself is pretty similar... Right side had: labral repair, cam resection and capsular plication Left side had: labral repair, cartilage repair, cam resection, ligamentum teres debridement and capsular plication I'm able to put on my underwear and pants on my own, as well as shower by myself (minus the leg shaving part) whereas it took me over two weeks to achieve in Chicago. It may also be because my right scope was a revision. Who knows...whatever, I'm enjoying this easier recovery so far! It also helps that I'm at home, compared to staying in a patient housing apartment in Chicago. I had my first PT appointment this morning, and it was pretty chill. Some passive range of motion and massaging. My quads were TIGHT. Mega tight. She suggested that Oli does some massaging at the same time he does my PROM, which is either once or twice a day. I then had an appointment with my cardiologist so he could go over my stress test and cardiac echo results. I've been having palpitations for a while now, and it's currently under investigation. When I sat in the waiting room, an old man sat next to me and started talking to me. At first it was cute, he was saying how he had noticed when I walked in the waiting room (I was the only person under 60 years old lol). But then he started saying how he was in love with me, how he wanted to take my photo and how he'd like to see me again. Ummmm. NO. I got up and left hahaha. Once I got home I was exhausted. PT + cardiology and my body was not impressed. Good thing about being freshly post-op? Being able to nap! I strapped myself into the Game Ready and slept for 2 hours.
Right now my exercises are: - quad/glute isometrics - heel slides - mini hip bridges - PROM - quad massaging AND focusing to walk correctly on crutches. My PT pointed out how I was dragging my op leg, which was causing the pinchy pain I'd occasionally feel as it would bring my hip in internal rotation, which could cause the femoral head to abut in the healing labrum. I have to try to keep my hips stable, on the same plane. It's tough because my flexors are so tight, so she said to take smaller steps. Tomorrow is a new day! Right now my healing buddy is making me feel better xox Hello hello! It's been quite a while since I've last updated this blog. I was finally able to return to snowboarding for the first time in two years. I've been an avid snowboarder since the age of 13 (and was a skier before that) so being unable to ride during all that time was pretty difficult. A few months before the season's start, I had a snowboard-specific training program done by a kinesiologist (who also had a hip scope)...which included a lot of squats, lunges, side-stepping, core work...everything to get my body as ready as possible for my comeback. I must admit having high expectations towards my body, and found myself disappointed by my lack of endurance, or how hesitant I was hitting steeper slopes. This didn't stop me from surprising my husband to a 5 day ski trip out west at Kicking Horse Resort! Let me tell you, that mountain is not an easy one. Tons of really steep runs, and I wasn't mentally prepared to fully take advantage of it. After my first run, I burst out in tears feeling completely defeated. I slowly gained my confidence back, and was able to enjoy my time there. I definitely want to go back in the future, when I will be in even better shape! Over the past few months, my left hip has been getting more and more painful. It had become a daily annoyance and it was becoming clear that surgery was around the corner. Back in 2015, Dr. Millis in Boston reviewed my file and confirmed I had mild dysplasia in my right hip. He referred me to a surgeon here in Quebec (in Quebec City, a three hour drive from Montreal) who studied under him and said I'd be in excellent hands. My first consult with Dr. Belzile was in December, and I was mind blown by how amazing this man was. He took close to an hour and half examining me, getting my medical history, answering my questions and establishing the plan of action. Someone pinch me, is this a dream? He was so down to earth, so kind AND an amazing surgeon according to one of the top dysplasia specialists in North America. Having had my fair share of hip surgeries over the years (one in 2014, one in 2015, one in 2016...), I really wanted to get it done with and move on with my life. I decided that 2017 would be my last year of hip surgeries. I want to make babies dammit! So we discussed doing left hip scope, and right hip periacetabular osteotomy. PAO will be in the fall after my wedding season. And left hip scope was yesterday! Dr. Belzile came to see me before surgery, and it really meant a lot that he did. He checked to see if I had any last minute questions, marked my op leg and reassured me that everything would go well. I walked in the cold operating room and was surrounded by a nice team of anesthesiologists, a respiratory tech and the nurse assisting my surgeon. I had asked them to warn me when they'd put me to sleep, as last time I wasn't and really hated the panicky feeling of losing control without expecting it. But then I woke up in the recovery room. LOL. They hadn't warned me, but it went so fast that I didn't notice anything. And boom. Two hours later, surgery was done. Waking up didn't go so well...I was in a lot of pain and felt really confused. Very similar to the experience I had in Chicago. From what I can remember, I was crying, wanting to get up, and moving around. I vaguely remember a nurse telling me to stop crying because it bothered the other patients. What a bitch. Seriously. It was out of my control. Anyway. My surgeon came to see me and it felt reassuring to have his calm presence, especially after the grumpy nurse. After four IV doses of pain killers, and one intramuscular dose, things finally calmed down. My O2 sats were dropping below 90 and I had to stay on the nasal cannula for a few hours. I was then transferred to the outpatient surgery ward, where I spent most of the time sleeping. Getting up was really hard as the first foot that touch the ground sent my head spinning like crazy. Six hours after surgery, Dr. Belzile came to see me to go over what had been done. When he went in, he found an acetabular cartilage flap, which he repaired by GLUING IT BACK. I had never heard of this! He explained that he used biological glue called Fibrin...that he injected it behind the flap and pushed back the floaty piece until it held. He then repaired my torn labrum with two anchors. Took traction down and dynamically worked on shaving down my cam impingement. Everything went as he planned, besides the surprise of finding my ligamentum teres partially torn, which he debrided. Luckily the remaining fibers were strong and he said it should heal well. My incisions look almost identical to Dr. Nho's...so three tiny holes on the front of my hip. Oli came to pick me up and we drove back to our hotel room. Oli was the best, as usual. He picked up my pain medication, groceries and dinner. I was feeling super picky due to the surgery nausea...and had a specific desire for soup from Thai Express haha. Luckily there's one next to our hotel and omg...it was divine. I was so hungry. Spent the evening in the Game Ready and it really helped with the pain. I felt really good, surprisingly so. But that only lasted for so long, as pain kicked in after the first hours of sleep. Woke up every two hours with so much stiffness I could barely move. I had forgotten how painful being post-op is. Or maybe it was easier last time around? Crutching to the bathroom sent sharp stabbing pain despite going really slowly and focusing on firing the right muscles. Trying to stay on schedule with my medication in hopes of getting things under control. The PT protocol is quite different than what I was used to in Chicago. With Dr. Nho, I was in PT the following day, on the bike, moving. But his PT came to see me after surgery and said the first ten days are made to put my joint at rest. Only isometric exercises (glutes, quads, heel pumps) with passive range of motion movements. I kind of want to get moving asap...but I've always told everyone to listen to their surgeon's protocol, so I'm going to be a good girl and am following instructions. Dr. Belzile usually sees his patients 10 days after surgery, but since this isn't my first hip scope and that we're from out of town...he said we could schedule the first appointment at 6 weeks. He said I could email him anytime if I had any questions or concerns. I swear...I am SO lucky to have him. I could not ask for a better surgeon. I am definitely in good hands, and I trust him completely for this surgery and for my upcoming PAO. <3 Driving home in a few hours. Hoping it will go well. Looking forward to recovering from home. Will keep this updated! xo
Recently, I was wondering if I should update my blog. It's been a while, but then, do I have enough interesting things to say? Well, the universe heard and decided I could use a little extra fun in my life, and a story to tell on my blog. Long story short, I went in for a cortisone shot on Friday and came out with a broken needle in my hip. The pain was terrible...every step I took, the needle would stab me and stop me in my tracks. I was admitted to the ER on Friday night, and was kept under observation all weekend long. The orthopedic surgeon said I needed surgery. On Sunday early afternoon, they came and got me (I was luckily transferred to the ortho floor on Saturday night, way more comfortable than the ER gurney) ready for surgery. I was asked if I wanted general or regional anesthesia, but I just couldn't deal with the thought of having a giant needle inserted in my back. Not after all the needle mishap happening in the last 48 hours. The surgical staff was incredibly nice, which helped me relax. So there I had it, three hip surgeries total...without expecting this one at all. They had to make a 7.5cm incision to reach the needle, which I was very happy to know was fully removed. Yes, that's a chunk of muscle in the needle. GROSS!!! They had to remove part of my muscle to get it out. I asked if I could keep the needle, but they said they had to send it to path. Boooooo!!! So there you have it, my Frankenstein hip. BTW this is when they found the needle, the hook things are the retractors keeping my hip open. I'm now day 5 post op, and doing fairly well. I'm still on crutches. Emotionally, this has been very difficult. When the nurse asked me to walk (so I could get discharged), I broke down crying. I couldn't believe that I was going through this again. I was finally getting back to living a normal life...rock climbing, training, working...and now there I was, struggling to put one foot in front of another. My nurse was incredibly nice, and she gave me a hug, told me to take things one at a time. Oli has been amazing, giving me the best support hugs, running all errands, being my personal cook, etc etc. My physical therapist has also played a huge role in all of this, helping me focus on facts (I tend to be a *little* emotional) and treating my hip so it can eventually get back to 100%. The nurse who changed my dressing on day one referred me to a social worker, as she felt it could help (I broke down crying in front of her as I was explaining what had happened). The social worker was very nice, and gave good tips on how to deal with this. All in all, I'm very lucky to be so well surrounded. The medical staff, my husband, my friends/family, and my hip support group on Facebook...I received tons of message of encouragement, and it truly means the world to me. I often go back and read them whenever I'm feeling down. Fingers crossed this will heal up quickly so I can get back to my life, and so this can all be a crazy story to tell! OH! And my right hip! Haha. Forgot about that one. It's been doing surprisingly well, even if it's taking a hit as my left is weak and useless. I'm really happy...proof all those glute exercises weren't for nothing after all! Hiiiiiii! A week ago, I flew to Chicago for my 6 months (a little bit late) follow-up with Dr. Nho. It's funny, I flew here so many times now that I specifically pick my seat to get this view. Left side of the plane, window seat. Early weekend flights are the best, no wait time to get through security and border control. One hour and half direct flight into O'Hare, done. The great thing about being 8 months post-surgery is that I now have enough endurance to walk through the city, almost like a normal person. I bought a weekly train pass, which got me around the city during my 4 day stay. I stayed at the IMD guesthouse again, which is a bit further west from downtown Chicago. It's a five minute walk to the pink line, which brings you to Millenium Ave in approximately 20-30 minutes. I did about 8-10km of walking per day, which is way more than what I usually do back home. Felt super sore and had to resort to NSAIDs everyday...I tried taking Tylenol vs Celebrex and realized that it makes a huge difference, the Tylenol only has an effect for an hour or so. On Monday, I had a an appointment down in physical therapy so that Lindsay could evaluate how things are going, and for some well-needed manual therapy (after the flight and all that walking, I was sure happy to see her). I always enjoy her company, even when she's jabbing her fingers deep into my thigh to relax tense muscles. This time around, she did a lot of work near my incisions, which was definitely not the best time of my life. The sad part is that she's now moving back to Colorado, meaning I won't get to have her as my PT back in Chicago anymore :( Boo. But I am happy for her, I mean...Colorado! How awesome must it be to live there. When we were about to say our goodbyes, I said "before I go...can I have the Game Ready?" She laughed, she knows how much I love that thing. After spending 15 minutes in pure heaven, I actually had to say goodbye...clearly I was sad. Lindsay has been amazing with me, she's such a competent physical therapist, ultra specialized with FAI/hip scope patients...but her personality is what makes it all even better. She always took the time to listen to me, reassure me, and that, as a patient, is truly valuable. Tuesday was the big day, I had my follow-up with Dr. Nho at 9:30am. A few weeks before the appointment, Sara - Dr. Nho's PA, asked if I would be interested in doing a promo video for Canadian patients. After all they've done for me, I immediately jumped in. I was connected with Lisa, who would be coordinating the whole project. I was going to be interviewed on my entire experience with Dr. Nho's office, my initial story (had to try to not say mean things about my first surgeon) and how I am doing now. One thing for sure: I am WAY more comfortable BEHIND the camera than in front of it. Holy smokes I was nervous. They asked me to do a mini photo shoot so they could film me in action, as getting back to my job without any pain is one of the biggest goals of having this surgery. I realized I'm a control freak when I would be suggesting locations for them to film me, haha the poor video guy must of hated me. Then came the interview and I feel I just blabbered out random words that made no sense lol...I'm crossing my fingers the editing will be solid so I don't look like a complete nut job. Again, I'm way better behind the camera. They filmed Dr. Nho and I in an exam room, from the initial handshake/hey how's it going, to a physical exam of my hips, to reviewing images from my surgery. Found it pretty funny listening to the video guy "can you put back the image...the red one...it's good for the camera" haha. So apparently the inside of my hip will be someday exposed to the world lol. I did have an actual consult with Dr. Nho though! He's really satisfied by how things are going. The fact that I'm back in the gym (still not doing any plyo though), doing rock climbing, etc...that has him very happy. I'm still dealing with a lot of anterior hip tightness, and lack of endurance...but he's not worried as revisions take longer to heal - up to a year, or even a little more. He wants me to keep working in physical therapy, respect my bodies' limitations and be patient. We also talked about my left hip. Two years ago, when I had my first surgery, my left barely ever hurt...maybe once every few months or so. I still had imaging done, and it showed that I had the same issues than my right: cam impingement and a labral tear. Then a little while after revision surgery, it started to be more symptomatic. Back then, Dr. Nho told me not to worry about it, as it could solely be compensation. So as the months went by, my left bothered me on and off. But lately, I'd say since the past 6-8 weeks, it has gotten significantly worse. It is now a 2-3/10 daily nagging deep pain, going up to 6-7/10 when more active. It's very similar to the pain I dealt with my right hip, except I don't have the locking when I walk. The thing I love and Dr. Nho is that he doesn't pressure his patients to get surgery. He isn't rushing his patients to go under the knife, preferring to take the conservative route first. He basically told me to wait a year before making any decisions (which my PT had also suggested). If my right is doing well when I'm back at my recreational activities/work, but my left is the one holding me back, then maybe surgery would be the best option. I'm going to be a good patient and listen, will keep up with my physical therapy. Won't jump into making harsh decisions. I'll consult the amazing team around me - the staff at Rush and my physical therapist - and consider their objective point of view on the whole situation. Deep inside, I kind of want to just jump in and move forward with surgery on my left hip. My right hip has been doing so much better, so to me is proof that I can have a better life, even though it's months of effort, hurt, struggles. My right hip showed signs of cartilage damage due to the bump on my femoral neck, and I wonder what would have happened if I never had it addressed? Will it have degenerated in early osteoarthritis? Hip replacement at the age of 40? I'm the type of person that if a problem rises in front of me, I want to confront it head on, and deal with it right away. Which is why I'm having a hard time just waiting and seeing how things go. I have a bump on my femur that's rubbing in my joint, that caused a tear, that creates pain. If I just ignore it, won't it get worse? I'm not sure I'm mentally strong enough to go through this process for a third year in a row, but I'm also not sure I'll be able to deal with this down the line, when I will have a baby (fingers crossed it happens someday). Better peel off the bandaid and get it done, no? Right now, there's no one else than Dr. Nho I would trust with surgery on my left hip. This would mean having to go through the whole process again. Flights, accommodation, facility fees, surgeon fees, follow-ups, etc...meaning a whole new chunk of money. I still believe there's no price on one person's health, and I know my husband and I would be able to get through it a second time. But it's still a lot of money, and we'd have to figure some things out before going forward with this decision. I wish there was a 2 for 1 deal on this surgery! Or like...buy one get the second half price lol. How about group pricing? I know a few Canadians that would be ready to get surgery, maybe if we all band together? Make it like a surgery tour? Arrive in a tour bus? Haha. Anyway. We will see how the summer goes. One of the cool things of the online support groups I've encountered is that I've had the chance to meet fellow patients going through the same situation as me. So far, I've met Rodney from Calgary who had both his hips done by Dr. Nho, Steven from Montreal who had his hip revisioned 3 months after me, Jennifer from the Maritimes. When I had surgery, I met Nicole and Katherine in physical therapy, then at my 3 week post up visit I met Stephanie. Happy that this visit to Chicago allowed me to meet Shane, who's from Saskatchewan and who also had revision surgery with Dr. Nho. Went for coffee before I headed out to the airport for my trip back home. Flight was delayed, which seems to be a given when you're flying out of O'Hare. Anwyay, I'm not so good at updating this blog...and don't even know if people still read it, but I'll still journal this whole journey anyway. If not for others, for myself...who knows maybe one day I'll be super bored and want to re-live the whole thing through my posts lol. Alright, off to walk the dog now, have a good weekend!
Hiiiiii!
Quick little update. I'm currently in Chicago for my 6 months follow up with Dr. Nho. I'm seeing him on Tuesday, and PT on Monday. One of my friends recently told me "omg, you must be so excited to be signed off from your surgeon!!" but I highly doubt that this will be my last appointment. I'm still dealing with some pain, especially with prolonged work days. Sports have been pretty good (I'm still restricted from plyo/cutting), usually only causing fatigue during the activity, and slight pain right after. Ice and rest makes it go away within the day. My issue is more when I shoot weddings, which are 10-12, sometimes 14 hour days. Halfway through the day, my hip starts feeling tired, and I start compensating. By the end, every step is painful...not a sharp, stabbing pain, but a dull, throbbing pain deep in the joint. My PT says he believes it's simply lack of endurance, and that it should get better the more I shoot, and also reinforce through training. I sure hope he's right. Yesterday, I walked through the city all day long. Health app says 10km! And boy, did I feel it. Halfway throughout the day, I took some Tylenol, which slightly took the pain down a notch, but that only last an hour and half or so. When I got back to my room, I immediately took some Norco, as my pain was a solid 6/10. Luckily, the Norco kicked in 20 minutes later, and I finally found some relief. Good news it that I'm feeling better today. I'll most definitely take it slower today. I have to remind myself I can't run around like a normal person. Still have to respect my limitations. Anyway, today I'm going on a Frank Lloyd Wright tour, I'm pretty excited! I'm Ubering it as I'm not sure it's 100% safe going that direction by train/bus. I'll keep you posted on how things go in the next few days! xoxo |
AuthorMy name is Marie-Christine. I'm 34 years old and live in Montreal, QC, Canada. I have had two failed hip scopes on my right hip to do undiagnosed hip dysplasia. My amazing surgeon, who is in Quebec City, performed periacetabular osteotomy in November 2017. He also did one left hip scope (non dysplastic) in February 2017. Archives
May 2018
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