Category Archives: MRI

Maybe Actually Good News!?!

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Quick update.  I had my MRI yesterday at HSS.  If you haven’t had an MRI, imagine laying on a too-narrow super firm bed, having your hips locked into place with a brace, your feet taped together, under a sheet with a light breeze blowing over you, while you slide into giant, thumping, magnetic sardine can.  Some people freak out — I’ve had so many done I literally fell asleep.

So, I got a preliminary “heads-up” from my dr’s office that there are no significant areas of concern in my right hip, that the labrum looks good, but that I have tendonosis in my abductors and iliopsoas muscle.  This may be caused by use or may be related to the fact that I previously had an arthrscopic procedure and my hip may just need extra time and TLC to bounce back.

The reason I am cheerfully optimistic is that 1) the protocol for getting over tendonosis is typically RICE (Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevation) — and once I have my surgery on my left side all I am going to be DOING is resting!, and 2) physical therapy.  Know what’s missing from that list?  Surgery!  I may be able to get away with not having another surgery on my right side!  I didn’t realize how much the fear of another surgery was getting me down until I felt the stress literally float off my body since I got the news.

Again, all of this is preliminary and I still need to meet with my Dr. on Monday to go through the full MRI results.  BUT, it looks like I will be under the knife on my LEFT side come May 8th — and maybe, just maybe, that will be it for a while.  Yea!!!

Here we go again

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Nuts. I’m anxious. I’m also 9 days away from surgery which makes sense that I would be anxious but last time, I was utterly zen. Totally calm. You’d have thought I didn’t care that I was about to be broken and put back together. Admittedly, before my last surgery I only became zen in the final 2 weeks leading up to my surgery — prior to which time I was a paniced freak. This time, though, I have totally ignored the impending surgery so I never had a chance to panic. Apparently now’s the time.

As I type, I am at HSS in the midst of my surgical pre-clearance, including a physical exam, blood work, EKG, chest x-ray, and a meeting with the hospital GP that is assigned to me for the surgery. The day started at 9am and should be done by 2pm. I’ve been through this before so unlike last time, I knew what to expect (and to bring something to read – there’s a decent amount of down time between appointments).

Most importantly, I already had my appointment with my surgeon. We briefly discussed my impending surgery (the Open SDD) but the majority of the appointment focused on my (still crabby) right hip. I still have pain in the joint and around the greater trochanter but the majority of the pinchy pain is in the area between the hip and my groin – likely caused by the psoas tendon and break in the pubis. So, I am scheduled for an MRI tomorrow, an Active Release Therapy session on my tendon on Thursday, and a follow-up with my surgeon next Monday to see if the pain is caused by a torn labrum, nonunion or seething else. My surgeon has never had to go back in to repair a torn labrum after a PAO so, lucky me, i’d be the first. As of today, we are still moving forward with the left hip but the final decision will be made next Monday – 2 days before my surgery on my left. Apparently it is gonna be a busy week.

Photos from pre-surgical screening – I like to get dressed up for my HSS appointments!

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In the beginning

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I’m trying to figure some witty way to start this blog but really, I can’t think of anything witty.  I’m not one of those people that’s quick on their feet with a sarcastic retort.  I normally don’t realize when people are being sarcastic and I am incredibly gullable.  However, I am exceedingly introspective and have a lot to say about what’s going.

I’m 35 and I feel like my body is giving up on me.

First things first, though.  I am only starting this blog now because I have some potentially serious situations ahead for me, in terms of my hips.  My right and my left hips, not one or the other but maybe both.  Maybe.  Who knows.  Anyway, so I have a ton of stuff on my mind right now and I think that anyone who is my age would have a lot of things going on in their head if they had pain every day and weren’t able to run anymore and were told they might someday need a total hip replacement if they didn’t take it easy — I’m getting ahead of myself.

OK, so I have hip problems.  Maybe.  The facts that I know are as follows:

I had arthroscopic surgery in my right hip in January 2012 to repair a torn labrum.

When the doctor did the surgery, he found that I had moderate dysplasia in my right hip (“not mild, not severe” as I understood, after the fact, that described to my husband and mother).

I recouperated from the surgery and thought I was doing really well.  Then the pain came back.  And now it won’t go away.

My left hip hurts.  Similar to the right but I have no idea why.

I have had MRI’s, X-Rays and CT Scans.  I have been through numerous physical therapy appointments.

I have two herneated discs in my lower back (L5/SI and L4/L5).  The L5/S1 is pressing on the nerve root.  I am never without lower back pain. (I only mention the lower back pain because I am worried what implication any surgery or procedures on my hip would have on my back.  That and the fact that it literally hurts ALL the time — I haven’t been able to sneeze standing up straight in years)

I have appointments to see doctors and I am scared.  And excited.  I am hopeful but worried.  I am pissed off.  ALL at the same time.

I want to believe that I am not alone in this so I am writing this blog and NOT publicizing it but if someone stumbles on it, more power to them.

I will try to keep it updated, as the process unfolds.  I make no promises.  It is selfish to keep a blog – this is my selfish attempt to connect and yet remain unconnected.  I do hope it helps, both me and someone who might read it.

And so it begins.