Getting worried now ...
Posted , 22 users are following.
So it's been 5 months and not had one pain free day since. For the last week it seems to be getting worse . From day one I was in incredible pain and the surgeon seemed surprised . Wakes me every single night early hours morning with a deep nagging ache frontal thigh . Groin hurts, scar area very tender, all the muscles around scar are like concrete. Shoe insert done nothing at all. Hurts on getting up and getting into car very painful . I just want one blessed day where I don't feel the damn thing . I feel
Crippled . Ringing the surgeons secretary tomorrow to see when my
March appt is. Last time I told him it hurt he x rayed it and said it was perfect .
What is the next step hipsters? Do I ask for an MRI and will that show muscle damage ? Surgeon conceded the x Ray would not show that . I feel half my life slipping away and today just laying on bed trying to rest it sucking on co codamol and good for nothing . Think I will get my crutch out of the shed after too . I don't feel well today ... sorry to be such a negative I wish I could share in the positives but this seems to be going pear shaped . Cannot take any more time off work as was off for three months . Doctors don't want to know just dish out painkillers ...😣😣😢😢
1 like, 43 replies
julie40975 hazel14263
Posted
Oh Hazel you sound so down and I can understand why. You really need to get some help as none of the pain you have described seems right at five months. It's what I would expect to see in the early days. You will have to be tough to push for answers I fear....let me know what happens tomorrow after you make the call
Julie x
lorraine04234 hazel14263
Posted
Hi Hazel, I understand just what your going through mine's the same but gone on a lot longer, July 2015 I had the first Hip & pelvis replaced then 2016 the second one done, the pain is unbelievable.
judith12644 hazel14263
Posted
Hazel I feel so sorry for you. Surely you shouldn't still be in pain. I think your idea of having an MRI scan might be good, it would show more than an x-ray.
All the best, Judith.
AnnieK hazel14263
Posted
So sorry to hear this, Hazel. If your hip replacement parts are signed off as ok, then definitely you need a physician to check for other things. It may not be your orthopedic surgeon who would be best for diagnosing and treating soft tissue problems. That was certainly the case with my OS, who had no idea what was going on with me post THR, when my x-rays showed that everything was "perfect". Yes, the THR went well, but I had other damage that he could not diagnose.
If you get an MRI, you must make sure it will be a MARS MRI (Metal Artifact Reduction Sequence). Even then, the images can be difficult to read for people who don't know what they are looking for. My original surgeon and two radiologists missed the torn gluteal tendons that my second surgeon saw on the scans. Another method would be diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound.
I am almost 4 months out from surgery to repair the gluteal tendons, and I still have quite a bit of pain under my incision area. Other places where it hurts a lot, especially when getting up after sitting for awhile, are along the outside of my thigh and in the front of my thigh. These areas have nothing to do with my surgeries.
Let me tell you about an experience I've had that might help you a little. I've been going to physical therapy, and the PT does deep massage around my hip and the incision area. Where formerly the muscles were as tight as you call it, concrete, they are now much softer and don't hurt nearly as much. I can't believe I will ever be pain-free, but my walking is getting better as I get strength back into my surgical leg after a long time of partial weight bearing and using walking aids.
Good luck in your quest to find a physician who can help you!
hazel14263 AnnieK
Posted
Thanks Annie that is very useful to know . I am looking into
Deep tissue massage . I booked one but my 88 ye old dad had to go into hospital so I had to cancel it . The thing is although I know you say it's nothing to do with surgery .. if I am understanding your post correctly .. surely it is to do with the surgeon as that would have caused it ? I won't let him sign me off saying I done my bir as I wasn't like this before ! Thanks x
AnnieK hazel14263
Posted
I wasn't like this before either. In my case, I certainly had the hip joint pain, bone-on-bone, before my THR. Then after my THR, I was never able to fully bear weight on the surgical leg. And, after the hip replacement work healed, I was able to determine that I had gluteal pain, and a limp that wouldn't go away. Finally it was determined that I had gluteal tendon tears. During my second hip surgery, they repaired the gluteus medius and minimus tendons.
I asked the surgeon, and his physician's assistant, and my physical therapist what could have caused the tears. They all said that no one could tell for sure. As we age, our tissues become less elastic and it could be that, over time, lots of small tears happened. That combined with the extra work that my hip was doing trying to support my body post-THR, could have just been the straw that broke the camel's back, and the tears finally got critical.
There were actually two surgeons from the new practice who performed my second surgery. Neither of them could see any reason why my THR should have caused the tendon tears.
Your case may, of course, be different, with the new damage caused by the surgeon who did your THR. Unless it is completely egregious and obvious in nature, you will probably have a hard time getting any other physician to admit to that. It may be best for now to just focus on what is wrong and what can be done to treat your problem(s). If it becomes obvious down the line that your doctor messed up, you can deal with that later.
Do your best to get second, even third opinions from doctors in a different practice.
hazel14263 AnnieK
Posted
Thanks Annie . Yes his reaction in Uk was its perfect and he has done loads . But point being although I had bone on bone pain before it wasn't this bad . That has gone obviously but the leg hurts in the groin and outer thigh in all sorts of positions and scenarios . I still lump and he conceded when I pushed him to measure it bad leg is 6mm longer now so referred me to podiatry . Shoe implant did nothing . So now I am having to shell out money on private massage and osteopaths and that shouldn't be the case. I know it's long recovery but at 5 months I have hit a plateau and every single night awake with rigid leg spasm that makes me groan .
Ringing secretary today . Your replies most useful thanks x
hazel14263
Posted
linda81469 hazel14263
Posted
Good morning Hazel. So sorry that you are still suffering from pain and discomfort and difficulty. I understand fully.....I too have been struggling with hip stiffness, stretched muscles and tendons. Nerve pain. I don't have any issues with leg discrepancies. I was almost 2 inches short. The dr gave me back all my length mayb a hair short still as he did not want to over stretch sciatica as would get a dropped foot. I'm 6 months out from hip revision. It's been a long hard recovery. Still on this road. I cry sometimes and want to feel better already too!! But I'm getting there and I really think you will too. With proper physical therapy and massages and icing and heating. I'll keep you in my prayers that all will get better for you and you will get relief from all your sufferings. I know it's discouraging and frustrating. Hopefully the drs will find a solution and get you back to feeling better soon!! Hugs 🤗, LD
beth2509 hazel14263
Posted
Oh Hazel, there's no need to apologise for sounding negative. I think we'd all sound negative if we felt this bad! The while point of the op was to not feel this bad, so obviously it must be devastating to feel this awful.
Is there any way you could bring your next appointing forward - March is still a long way off if you feel so bad, and getting some medical support now sounds like what you need. The hip "bones" may be perfect, but clearly something isn't "perfect"!
I know you don't want them to just dish out painkillers, but as a temporary measure, perhaps you should be asking for something stronger? At least that way you could be a little more comfortable whilst they sort out what is wrong.
And yes, use your crutches if that helps to take the pressure off. There aren't any prizes for suffering - if you need them then you need them. Can someone else get them for you?
Take care, and let us know what is happening.
hazel14263 beth2509
Posted
Thanks Beth
I asked for three days of Valium for its original purpose as a muscle relaxant and doctor just poo pooed it and gave me co codamol . I am
Chasing surgeons secretary tomorrow to hasten appointment .. second time I have done this .. and may go see a different GP as well as look into massage . I have sat on sofa all day as too painful to move . I mean I can move but would rather be painfree so choosing not to !
I know it's a long haul but it's defo worse this week and I don't understand the night waking at all . Surely in bed your leg should be rested ? Co codamol and ibuprofen don't do much any
More .. than you x
steve86482 hazel14263
Posted
hazel14263 steve86482
Posted
Hi Steve I am in Wales UK. Had 6 hip classes where you do various exercises for 6 weeks then that's it . Will chase surgeon and ask
Him why the goddam leg
Hurts so much whether or not the b****y x Ray looks perfect ! 😬😬😬
hope4cure hazel14263
Posted
Hazel I went 5 years with a hair line fracture in the greater trochanter the upper most area of the femur. Never showed up in X-ray or MRI's until surgery for revision showed the source of pain I was complaining about since THR was done in 2011.
It it seems if nothing shows up in tests then the pain is ignored. I fought with many surgeons for years to help was on a cane yet ignored . The THR doc community here all seem to be the same .
Apologies from surgeon didn't quite resolve the neglect I suffered for many years. In fact it could be considered malpractice by many who find surgeons dismissal of patients pain without further investigation. They are the specialists why don't they use their knowledge to help those of us that need their help and expertise rather than turn around on their heels out of the exam room leaving us with no alternatives.
Very annoying and frustrating.
My experience unfortunately seems to be the normal,theses days .
hazel14263 hope4cure
Posted
Yes I am
Beginning to get that picture Hope . He did say I promise to resolve it so I will quote that back . He said he wanted to know that I was in pain .. then said it was early days whereas before it was most people out of pain by now . I won't qualm at all about quoting malpractice which is a dirty word here in the Uk but he did this and I want him to resolve it . I shouldn't just be grateful the arthritic pain has gone .., this is worse !