Ortho Update

I paid the orthopedic a visit today to discuss discomfort in my right hip. They took a few X-rays. I sat around and waited for my name to be called. To my surprise, he was on time and it didn’t take long for the results. The right Femoral head is breaking down around the hip socket in the exact same manner the left femur is fracturing around my knee joint.

There are several treatment options. 1. Bite the bullet and deal with the pain. 2. Injections, such as cortisone. 3. Weight loss and low impact exercise IE; water aquatics, elliptical trainer, & stationary bike. 4. Hip replacement.

I am choosing options 1-3 for the time being. A hip replacement is inevitable, but we’ll start with a hip injection next week. The goal is get me through knee replacement and rehab without needing to focus too intensely on the hip.

As for the knee, there is nothing to do between now and Oct 4th. I questioned the possibility of a cortisone injection in attempt to control pain. This was shot down. To my surprise, they don’t perform joint injections within 3 months prior to surgery. I am supposed to stay as immobile as possible, avoid stairs and attempt to lose 20lbs in 3 weeks. The weight loss is little steep so I’ll shoot for 10lbs.

Breakdown: Good news – Surgery is still on for Oct 4th. Bad news – There is little to no pain relief in sight for the next 3 weeks. The Crystal Ball – The right hip will eventually need surgery. That’s the long and short.

Cheers!

The Painful Truth

For almost 2 years, I anxiously awaited a surgeon to approve knee replacement surgery. Here is the twist. Less than 4 weeks out from surgery and tomorrow I will be calling that very same orthopedic surgeon to discuss my hip and possibly to postpone the replacement.

I fractured my right hip back in November and it hasn’t been the same since. It has actually been a larger distraction than the left knee. The pain has become intolerable and needs addressing. Horrifying to think there is a more pressing matter than fixing a broken femur and faulty knee but it is true.

If nothing else, it gives me a reason to write more every day. Honestly…What’s the point of a blog if you don’t write?

Cheers…

The Spoon Theory is a savior

Five years. Five years, I’ve struggle to explain the invisible. If you saw me in a booth at your local diner drinking coffee and enjoying breakfast, you’d say I look normal. “He’s nothing more than an overweight, bald man stuffing his face.” You can’t see the blood disease that lies dormant in my veins. You can’t see the broken leg, cracked knee cap, or fractured hip. You can’t see the never-ending pain pulsing through my body.

You can’t possible understand how each moment of my day/week/month needs to be planned and scheduled. Most people just get up and go. They know not of restraints or limits of energy. They know not of the invisible diseases, aches, pains, etc., that limit so many people.

Today, I was introduced to The Spoon Theory written by Christine Miserandino. I thank Raine Vollor for the introduction. I repeat. Five years, I spent trying to explain something, which Ms. Miserandino writes about so easily. She lives with Lupus and found herself trying to explain her chronic pain and daily routine to her best friend. Hence, she created the Spoon Theory. The theory based on Lupus can easily be used for cancer, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and many more.

Attached is a link to her article. I found solace in her words. When you hear me referencing “spoons” for now on, you’ll know why. It will be our inside joke.

http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/wpress/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/

PS. There are no surgical updates as the date was moved to Friday October 4th.
Cheers!