This is awful!!!!
Posted , 3 users are following.
This is just awful!
About three months ago, I woke up, and it felt like someone had taken a sledge hammer directly to my right hip. Walking hurt ferociously. I don't recall falling, nor slamming into anything, and I certainly don't remember getting hit with a 10 lb sledge.
It stayed that way for a week, so I found a Chiropractor, and let him go to work.
After the first adjustment, the next day hurt like hell, but the next day was better, but quickly degenerated back to where it was before.
The pain began moving into my right cheek, then into my right groin, then it has gone from my upper hip, all the way to my previously shattered knee. (5 or six years ago)
Getting an MD appointment has reached the stage where it takes well over a month to see anybody about anything. Then when you do get one, they hand you off to someone else, which is now another month away for an opening. So I went to the ER.
They took xrays, said my hip looked swollen, gave me a Tylenol 3 and sent me home.
I have now seen my chiropractor about 6 times at least. I went to his office and told him we weren't getting anywhere. I also told him that I had an appt a month away to see Dr so and so.
He called the whole thing BS, and put in a call to a specialist he knew.
I was now at the point where I was about to get desperately nuts.
My hip hurt, and my whole upper leg felt like it had been wrapped with an ace bandage way too tight.
I was losing sleep, because laying dow hurt like hell.
I was gobbling Advil, Ibuprofin, Naproxin, percocets, and anything else I could get my hands on. Most provided a little relief, but not tons.
But as I said I was about to lose it. I was just about ready to walk into my upcoming DR. office, and wave gun just to get seen immediately.
My chiropractor got me into his colleague in two days.
They used ultrasound, and gave me an injection in my right hip.
About 3 hours later, the pain was mostly gone and I could just about walk normally. About three days more and I was about back to square one.
I got desperate again, and drove 150 miles to a hospital that was of higher quality, hoping they'd just admit me and get to the bottom of this.
I was given a script for 6 percs, a shot of morphine and valium, and told to go find a specialist because I probably needed an MRI. I told him to admit me.
They told me they don't do it that way when someone needs one, or they'd be there just doing MRI's all day.
I got to my the Specialist again thurs. He gave me two different shots. I don't remember what they were. One for each cheek, and I was told one takes about 24 hours to work, and the other 72. He put in an order for an MRI, but that will take weeks to get scheduled and done, then another week or two before I get to visit the specialist again
I felt better after that, not great but better. He also gave me a crash course of Methylprednisolone to take for 5 days. This is day 2.
This morning when I got up, the whole leg just wanted to crumble, and collapse in a pile. I couldn't barely make it to my desk even with a cane, except for the jolt of pain that rocketed me there.
This morning with my coffee, I ate 5 methylwhatevers, 2 alieve, 2 Ibuprofin, 1 valium, and 2 percocets.
The wife rubbed my back and Leg with CBD oil, and biofreeze, I also imbibed in a little medical MJ.
I'm feeling pretty good at the moment, although I'm afraid to stand out of fear of pain.
I'm freakin' crippled, and I'm mad as hell. I've tried a few stretches I found online, but nothing serious yet.
I tried the hangerupsidedown thingy my wife has, but I don't if it helped my back any, but now my ankles are wrecked. I've tried the heating pad, maybe a hair of relief.
What can a person realistically expect in this situation? I'm sure the MRI in two or three weeks will tell them something, but how to cope until a real solution is applied.
I'm ready for bed and a morphine drip until then.
0 likes, 22 replies
mimm14 bbqjoe
Posted
I know where ur coming from its agony ,I too cannot lay down ,sit or stand for long ...completely house bound and now in a pit of depression living till my next pain relief , I managed to get a scan and it showed I needed an op on lower L4/5
Now waiting for letter or call to go in ..
Its hell it just came on and have been.hoping for it to go ..not slept for more than an hour as as soon as I lay down the pain is so bad I feel like taking all the pills... I hope you get a scan soon wishing you well soon ...
CHICO_MARX bbqjoe
Posted
"I also imbibed in a little medical MJ...I'm feeling pretty good at the moment..." Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.................
You need the MRI...probably with contrast. Docs have to see what's going on in there. Back in 2009, mine showed that 30% of my hip was dead...immediate replacement or it could have cracked. Fast op...4 days hospital...6 days rehab and then PT, the therapy pool and gym work. I'm a rehab nut so I went 5 hours a day, six days a week...full recovery in six weeks...IF it's a hip replacement that you need.
Hip and back pain can come from a lot of sources. A few years ago, I had crippling sciatica (hip, butt, down one leg) that responded to nothing. Took a neurosurgeon and an MRI of my lumbar spine to find a bone spur at L4 "crushing" (his word) my sciatic nerve root. Simple laminectomy...on my feet the next day.
You have to find the root cause of your pain. If not hip, then where? Spine? Need the imaging and some good docs. All the pills and shots are minor, temporary stopgaps. Find the real problem. Meanwhile, pass the blunt...
mimm14 CHICO_MARX
Posted
Im waiting for operation ,,
Can I ask when you was bad did you have a symptom where when you sat then to get back up it was as if you hips are locking forward and its very hard and painful to try and stand up as your bent over ,it feels like someone put a knot in your muscles ..
This is one.of my symptoms im scared that when I have op im still going to have this problem also my left leg keeps pulling in tight ...im in so much pain everywhere now I cant cope ...
How are you now ??
CHICO_MARX mimm14
Posted
First...don't be scared of anything. Jedi mind trick.
Five weeks post-op I had really bad hip pain. X-ray...chiropractor. Seems that I had locked SI (sacroiliac) joints...both sides. A few weeks of manipulation and I was fine. To avoid pain, we unconsciously change the way we walk...our "gait". This can cause all sorts or problems with misaligned hips, spine and joints. Same as if you carried a heavy backpack on one shoulder for a week...throw your back out. Because of our knee pain, we do it all the time. Be prepared...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-tkr-experience-or-wish-i-had-another-kidney-stone--524499
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-tkr-recovery-bell-curve--563756
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/tkr-and-ptsd-569521
If you look at the "bell curve"...yes, there are some people who get past this real fast and others who take a very long time. Most of us (95%) fall somewhere in the middle. Does it hurt? Yeah...most probably. The meds help so stay on them regularly. You will NOT get addicted and be off the heavy duty stuff in 30-60 days.
PT and home exercises to break down the scar tissue is painful and a lot of work...but sooooo worth it, even though it seems like torture at the time. Just get past it. I'm at 15 months and barely think of the knee at all. Some minor stiffness at times...I don't think the "clunking" sound will ever go away. Small price to pay.
You have to stay focused on YOUR recovery and not how you compare to anyone else. It's all very individual but somehow, we all find the strength to get past it.
"Never give up! Never surrender!" - Tim Allen, Galaxy Quest
mimm14 CHICO_MARX
Posted
Did you have a lamectomy or decompression ???
CHICO_MARX mimm14
Posted
From The Mayo Clinic...
"Laminectomy is surgery that creates space by removing the lamina — the back part of the vertebra that covers your spinal canal. Also known as decompression surgery, laminectomy enlarges your spinal canal to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves."
bbqjoe CHICO_MARX
Posted
What I need is a home injection kit.
The Doc is a 100mi round trip.
The injections last about a day or so.
Today is day 5 of this hormone tablet blast. I'm not feeling anything from it yet.
mimm14 CHICO_MARX
Posted
I just hope it works ,very nervous ..
But have no choice this pain is making me suicidal ,unable to stretch legs out straight as there so tight ..have just gradually got worse with more symptoms as months have passed ..not left house or anything locked in this prison ,sounds dramatic but thats exactly what it feels like ...
CHICO_MARX mimm14
Posted
A laminectomy is simple...NOT a fusion. I had a bone spur at L4 crushing my sciatic nerve. Nothing worked. Drugs, shots, PT, whatever. Neuro went in, shaved off the spur and sliced a little off the L4/L5 calcified disk. Made sure the sciatic nerve was totally unencumbered. Immediate pain relief; the remaining minor nerve inflammatory pain was gone in a few days. Waaaaaay easier than any fusion even though my LLIF was very easy too. The big L3 through S1 TLIF fusion with the rails, spacers and screws was difficult. The worst was my knee replacement. I'd rather have four more kidney stones...
mimm14 CHICO_MARX
Posted
Before you had lamectomy had you got to the point were you couldn't walk ?
Wow lots of problems ...
Are you well now ,?
CHICO_MARX mimm14
Posted
The effect was severe sciatica. Could barely walk, turn over in bed, etc...all the classic sciatica symptoms. I've had sciatica many times in my life, most of then caused by falling on my hip while skating without my hockey pads on. Chiro would fix me up with a special "pretzel twist" move that fixed it immediately. I've also had a history of my SI joints locking up causing a pinched sciatic nerve. Again, chiro worked...would take a few weeks.
This one was more severe and absolutely nothing worked. That's when the MRI from the neuro found the bone spur. Sciatic pain can be caused by very many things so you always start conservatively. When that doesn't work, you progress up the ladder until you get to spine and neurosurgeons.
The laminectomy was a piece of cake...slice of pie...whatever. Go to sleep...wake up...pain's gone. Take it easy for a week...no real rehab...just don't do any heavy lifting, bending or twisting for a little while. Lots more restrictions for a fusion.
mimm14 CHICO_MARX
Posted
Just want life back ,just looking forward to going to bed and sleeping !## getting up ,no PAIN , having life back ..
Hope you to stay well ..
Seems like unfortunately you been through alot ...
CHICO_MARX mimm14
Posted
Twenty-eight ops in 17 years...not counting the four kidney stones, endoscopies, colonoscopies, heart caths and other tests. Most of the ops were minor (seven trigger fingers, carpal tunnel, two shoulder scopes, four knee scopes, etc.) but I did have my gallbladder removed, double hernia repaired, 1/3 of my stomach removed for polyps, and the laminectomy. The big ones were the hip and knee replacements plus the two back fusions.
For me, it was payback for 45 years of playing hockey...ice, roller and street. Sooner or later, your body says "No more" and smacks you back...hard. The good things are: At almost 70, I still work full time in IT as a Process Architect for AT&T corporate in Dallas (telecommute on a 750-person worldwide team) plus I still play blues bass on stage gigging with bands. Started on drums and guitar in 1959...still going. Love it too much. I substitute my work and my music in my head for the pain. Still effective after all these years.
bbqjoe CHICO_MARX
Posted
So, do your friends call you "lucky"?
mimm14 CHICO_MARX
Posted
Wow thats a crazy story ...
Well done for keep going strong and not sitting down and giving up ...
Sounds like you never stop and enjoy life
Especially playing on stage sounds amazing to still do what your passionate about ....
After getting through all that pain and ops ..
There will be alot of people reading what you wrote and be in a bad place of pain and feel abit of hope ...as when your in it you feel like there's no end to it .
Obviously there is just look at you ...
mimm14 bbqjoe
Posted
I feel like I want to be hooked up to morphine and put in a land of dream.
Till this nightmare is over ..
My legs no longer can stand they just go underneath me the pain is unreal..
Cannot believe you can just go from having an normal life and just one day wake up.like this !!!!