Surgery Completed, Rehab Begins

11 days post op DFO. I was in the hospital for about 3 days and once I was able to go up and down the small staircase in the PT room, they discharged me. I am not going to blog about by hospital stay. It was a painful experience but the staff was fine and met my needs. It's a busy place but they know what they are doing there.

I came home sunday night. It was a 1 1/2 hour ride home and I was so stiff when I got home. I was tired and could barely make it up the stairs. The pain has been excruciating at times, nothing like I've ever felt before. I have to keep on top of taking the pain meds so I can get around and do my activities of daily living.  I stayed upstairs for a few days until the home PT worked with me with crutches to get me down the stairs. I was able to do that for Christmas morning and have been going up and down twice a day. I can't do it alone. I have carpeted stairs and no railing, so either the therapist or my husband have to help me.

The shower chair is a great thing to have as is the walker. I swore I would never use a walker but it really is much easier to use after having something like this. At times I think I can feel where the bone is broken and where the rod is, but it's probably in my mind! I don't have any restrictions, meaning I can bend at my waist and move my leg any way I want, just go by how painful it is. Well, it's painful alright! And I hear a lot of cracking and things moving in the leg. It's been realigned, so it's going to take a while for the alignment to take form. Sometimes when I stand and put weight on it, it wobbles, like the center or gravity is off, which it probably is. All this is normal according to the doctor. 

I was lucky enough to get a very good home physical therapist. She has rehabbed people that have had FOs before, mostly children, but at least she is familiar with the procedure. I only hope that when I go to out patient I have just as good of a therapist. So far no post op injuries or complications, fingers crossed!

Preparing for DFO

I finally had my appointment with Dr. Buly to discuss my hip pain now that I had lost weight. I trimmed almost 30 pounds since spring and my hip joint still bothers me. It is more so in the front and sometimes radiates through my hip joint to my outer hip. He did a lot of ROM with my hip and it was so uncomfortable when he extremely externally rotated it out. He also didn't like my walk and limp. He was impressed with the weight loss and when I asked if it will,help,with recovery, he said that weight loss helps with everything. I am so relieved to finally have definitive answers as to my problem and that I can finally have it fixed.

I am having a DFO - derotational femoral osteotomy, on December 17. I have to do pre op testing and xrays, I am in the process of finding GOOD crutches, I've read some great things about the Mobilegs, and also in process of finding a good physical therapist. Not a lot of therapists are familiar with this surgery so I am looking into a place that the hospital recommends. I have had secondary problems with each of my therapy places from my previous surgeries that I am hoping to find one where everything goes smooth. I know no one is perfect, but some of the things that happened to me were just stupid things, lunges after tearing the labrum in the hip? One therapist told me I had a back problem, not a hip problem. And another threw a 2 lb weight on my ankle to "strengthen my hip" that had been sprained from the traction boot during the 2nd arthroscopy. This is why I don't stay with the same therapist.

I am confident this will help get rid of my pain. Dr. Buly can't guarantee that I won't need a hip replacement in the future, but at least if I do, the femur will be aligned correctly to make it easier to replace. 

Getting Closer

Hurricane Joaquin is upon us. Lots of rain today, kind of dreary, and my joint starts to feel unstable at times. Is it because of the rain? Sorry, just don't buy that! I have been getting my 30 minute workouts in everyday and watching my portions, no counting points or calories, it's a great diet! I am down 17 pounds and 16 inches since starting the 21 day fix, but since April I am down 25 pounds. The outer hip and thigh pain is a lot better, but the joint still bothers me a lot. I still "walk funny" and limp some. I still think about my hip.

About a 2 weeks ago I called Dr. Buly's office and told them my updates. They suggested I make an appointment so I am going in November. I hope to see my 3D CT scan and MRI and discuss my options, which most likely will include a Femoral Osteotomy (FO) to correct the anteversion in my left hip. If he tells me I need a replacement I will be very upset. I have been trying to avoid that right now. I need this fixed. I am tired of it, tired of the compensation, tired of wondering if I will tear the labrum again or not. Oh, and I am hoping that doesn't happen again! I do not want to be in hip traction ever again!!

To keep myself focused and committed to losing weight and staying on track, I've created a closed group on Facebook for daily accountability of diet and exercise. Here there will be tips on recipes from other members as well as ideas for eating options. This should also help me to lose the 7 remaining pounds I have to lose. My goal is to be at my wedding weight before I see Dr. Buly in November.

If you are on the East Coast, stay dry!

A visit With Dr. Heart

Here I sit in the cardiologist office awaiting to see if my cholesterol came down, I had it checked back in March at which time I was also 212lbs, I've since lost 23 pounds and have been following the 21 day fix diet. I am able to modify all my exercises to burn calories and protect my hip at the same time. I really don't know what I would have done if I didn't "give in" to that infomercial! 

As for my hip, i still don't walk normally and I get twinges and pain if I move wrong. The hip flexor muscle gets very sore if I walk too much and this week I went back to work 2 nights in a row, teaching my students in the hospital, so I was on my feet a lot. On wednesday I actually skipped my workout because my groin was sore. Although I think I've reached my tolerance for this, I've yet to call Dr. Buly. Will he remember me? I was considering calling him. Gong into NYC for me is an effort, so I have to be 100% ready. I've been praying everyday about it and look to God for my decision.

Ok, visit is over. What a great doctor, Dr. Heart is! He helped me figure out the hip thing. I told him I don't know what to do, no one is telling me anything. He said no one can, but it's all about the quality of life. He said I'm young and should be able to do more. He said if I've done all I can, then the Orthopedic should "fix your hip"! He is also my dad's doctor and said he had to tell my dad to " go for the bypass" to improve his quality of life. He also said he's never known anyone with this problem so I had to educate him a little. He said he could tell my hip was bothering me by the way I went to get on the exam table. I am tired of waiting. My better half said now that I lost some weight it will take time for the compensation to adjust. I don't want to wait much longer. In fact, I am considering emailing Dr. Buly tonight.

Oh, and the cholesterol? My LDL went up! Go figure. He said to get it checked in 3 months, not take meds yet. He thinks it might be a wrong reading. Who knows, but my weight was great! I was down another pound since last week:)

Summer ends......again!

And so the pain continues. I made it to the HipHop 5K/10K for Hip Dysplasia awareness in Boston,Ma, and we walked the 2 mile course. It was a nice morning and a surprise to see Dr. Millis (one of the best hip doctors in the country) there, supporting everyone. The 2 miles was enough for me and then we went on to Salem to do some witch hunting! More walking, but coming upon the catholic church around 4:00 was a good reason to rest, attend mass, and take some tylenol. The next day we went into Boston via the T, walked from Park to Boylston to see Berklee College, and then around Prudential, anyway, it was way too much for me. The anterior part of my groin was extremely sore and the hip flexor muscles were tired. We drove home that night and when we stopped for a break, my hips were so stiff (FroYo helped!). The next day was monday and I had to give my whole body a rest. No exercising, just tylenol and rest. I know God helped me through that and the whole summer. School starts next week and I return to teaching my nursing students.

So now what? I don't know. I managed to lose 3 more pounds even being on vacation so now my total is 11 from July but 19 from April. Keeping on track with hopes of losing 13 more and see how my groin feels then. If I find that I am so sore after being on my feet at work, I may call Dr. Buly's office just to see what they say. Femoral Osteotomy is such an involved surgery but at this point I don't care. What's another year recovery? After dealing with hip pain daily since February of 2013, another year isn't going to make a difference. And if there is an end in sight from this hip pain, I'll do it. If he had told me he'd do the surgery back in June when I saw him I would,have signed up then and there. But hopefully weight loss will help with recovery should I have the surgery. 

It's hard knowing if you are making the right decisions. I have a lot of faith, so I know God will help me when no one else can.

Well, It's Been A Year

Today is the 1 year anniversary of my left hip scope. I am down 21 pounds since last summer which has helped my outer hip and thigh soreness. The groin pain remains and gets very sore by the end of the day. If anyone is reading this and has been through the same thing, please tell me this isn't normal. I have been exercising regularly and probably have been doing some moves that I shouldn't be, but it is helping me lose weight. All the weight loss in the world isn't going to fix the structure of my hip. I want to get through the summer and see how much it bothers me this fall and decide if I should call Dr. Buly. I feel like I am not walking normally and that I physically cannot. I can't walk fast either. All this I know isn't normal, but can I live with it the rest of my life? 

Spending a few days at the Jersey Shore and I am thankful that I can bike ride and swim. Walking on the boardwalk gets tough after a while though and a wave knocked me down and I thought I injured my hip. Thanks God for Tylenol Arthritis. With a husband and 2 active kids, you do what you have to do. I feel like I push myself sometimes and am just used to the pain and how the hip feels. I am so unsure if I should have the FO. I guess if something drastic happens, then I will have my answer,

Taking It Seriously - the 21 Day Fix

Ok, so a few months have passed. The day after Dr. Buly suggested I try losing weight first to see if that will help with the hip pain, I made a conscience decision to crack down and really watch my diet. I found out my cholesterol level was high and the doctor said I would have to go on meds if it didn't come down when I have it rechecked in September. Well, as in previous posts, I don't like to take medication, so that made me even more motivated! I wasn't overly disappointed with the number on the scale as I thought it would be higher, but still way more then I should be. I've put on a lot of weight since the whole hip issues came up and it's been a battle. I didn't quite know how I would overcome this, then I found the 21 Day Fix.

It's been an infomercial for a while now. Made by Beachbody, it includes brightly colored portion controlled containers and dvds. I was and still am hesitant to do some of the moves on the dvds, but I had to try something, my stationary bike and Total gym just were 't cutting it. I've always done power walking in the past to keep my weight stable but that is not possible now. I ordered it before I left for camping so it would be in my mailbox when I came back. And there it was. Finally there was hope!
I am more then 1/2 way through the 21 days so far and I feel great when it comes to my weight. I haven't weighed and measured yet b/c I will do that after the 21 days but I can see a difference in my clothes and feel it too. The pain on my outer left hip is a lot better and the thigh pain seems better as well. My joint/groin is a different story. It still hurts to abduct the left and my groin feels unstable sometimes. It just doesn't feel normal, and my right one is starting to be sore in the front of the joint but not as bad as my left. I am planning on walking for the Hip Hop 5K for Hip Dysplasia Awareness on August 22. I'm sure I'll make it, just might be sore.
So right now I am just focusing on losing weight and see how much better my hips get. I'm not going to get ridiculous with the weight loss and if I am still having pain, I will be seeing Dr. Buly.

The answers I've been looking for

So I had my second opinion with Dr. Buly at HSS on monday and I'll have to say I wasn't impressed with the whole place at first. Arriving in the pouring rain and waiting in the xray waiting area for an hour would turn anyone off, but once they took me in for xray, my thoughts completely changed. Everyone was very nice and explained everything to me. Dr Buly's office took me in right away after the xrays and he was very nice and answered all my questions. He gave me a thorough exam and went over my xrays with me. He even looked at the films I brought from my previous surgeries. In the end, he said he didn't know why I was having the outer hip and groin pain. He ordered an MRI and a 3D ct scan which I was able to get that same day.  The day was long but I was relieved after it was over.
The final outcome? Dr Buly said that I have femoral anteversion , 33 degrees, on the right and 39 on the left. Arthritis minimal, no synovitis, shallow socket (on the left). The heterotopic ossification is still there but isn't impinging on anything so that isn't the source of the pain. He said a femoral osteotomy would be the surgery but since it's so involved he suggested trying weight loss first and see if that will help with the stress on the hips. I know I have to do that but it's been hard to lose weight with the hips hurting so much. But i have to try. It's just more waiting, another summer in hip pain. I am determined now but if I lose, say, 30 pounds or so and still have pain, then what? He said I don't need a replacement right now. I guess I should take 1 step at a time but I am so tired of it.

At least I finally now know what's wrong with me and why it this is happening!

Finally, a second opinion

I finally got the strength to phone for a second opinion. I've requested my medical records for my surgeons office which was a first big step for me. Luckily, I didn't have to speak to anyone in their office, only the med record department. I had been thinking a lot about getting a second opinion with Dr. Buly at HSS in NYC considering my age and specific issues that have arisen from this whole thing. I now feel that my surgeon can no longer help me and I don't know that I want him to. I'll have to say, after talking to the scheduler at Dr. Buly's office, I felt that I will be in good hands. She made me feel comfortable and spoke highly of the doctor. My only concern is that he won't spend a lot of time discussing things with me and I will forget to ask him things. The scheduler assured me that he does spend time and considering I am taking the trip to NYC, I hope this is true. Again, I have started praying to my saints, Cosmas and Damian, for the physician. My left hip and thigh get very sore by the end of the day and I know this can't be normal. After doing some research on Dr. Buly, it seems that he is one of the best around for hips. I have faith that this is the right decision. My appointment is in June so at least I won't have to worry about snow (at least I hope not!)

8 months post left hip arthroscopy

I've reached the 8month mark for my left hip. When i was 8 months post with my right hip, I was having surgery on my left. The way my left hip feels now, there would be no way I could do surgery on the opposite side. It definitely is not perfect. My range of motion is less then my right and I get aching soreness in my thigh and glutes. I also have pinching at the bend of my hip. I am seriously considering getting another opinion. I mentioned that I still have stiffness in the hip to Dr. Hip when I spoke to him a few weeks ago and he said "I'm not a year out yet"! Really? How long does this go on? I feel at this point that I am being brushed aside, but maybe he can't do anything else for me. He doesn't say that though. Again, I have to figure it out for myself. That's why I want to go to HSS, hoping to at least get evaluated. Tell me all the things he didn't or wouldn't. I just hope it's the right decision.

Yet another diagnosis

I finally got to speak to Dr. Hip and told him about my sharp radiating pains on the side of my pelvis. He said it could be a tendonitis in my glutes so I am going to be doing stretches to help with that. The stretches helped when i had hip flexor tendonitis where I didn't need a cortisone shot, so hopefully this will help too. I told him my hip still feels stiff and my thigh soreness never really went away. I feel I have another tear on the lateral part of my left hip but I didn't really mention that. Guess I am not ready to pursue that yet. Do folks have 2 scopes on the same hip? I wouldn't say I have a "failed scope", just a new painful area. He said I could go see him and he would check me out but the timing isn't right, not right now. So I will do the stretches and if I have any other issues I will go see him.
This has been 2 years+.  Chronic pain is no picnic. People don't think you are in pain because your face doesn't show it. Fact is, you get used to it and forget what it's like to not have pain.

March 30th, 2015 7+ months post left hip scope

I'd like to say that I am not even thinking about my left hip, but that would be lying. By now it shouldn't be bothering me. My right one doesn't bother me at all. Over the past few weeks I've been getting shooting pains from the outer part of my left hip up to the left side of my pelvis. Seems to get worse with activity but its to the point where I wake up with it. I have started taking Tylenol Arthritis meds again especially when I am on my feet all night at work. To me this is a change. I should be getting better and it doesn't seem like that is happening. I have had some sort of hip pain for over 2 years now and I am really getting tired of it. I just want this to be over so badly!
I called my surgeon last week only to miss his return call on friday afternoon. I was bummed, but oh well. I know they are busy. But pain consumes you and all you want is answers. Again, as in one of my previous posts, it's all a waiting game. Sometimes you can get tired of waiting.

February 14, 2015 6 months post hip scope

So it's been 6 months. I am supposed to be recovered right? I think it can take up to a year so I need to see how I am doing then. I will say this. If my surgeon called me today to see how I was, I'd tell him that my ankle is a whole lot better, my knee still feels weird after hyperextending it before christmas, and the repair of my hip feels ok but my outer left hip is still very sore especially after activities. I've gone back to work 2 days a week on my feet for 7 straight hours and need the heating pad when. I come home. I've been drinking green smoothies, watching my diet trying to lose the extra weight I gained, and have been strengthening and toning almost everyday. I feel I retore my labrum but don't want to pursue that just yet. I need to get my life back with my husband and kids.
   As for the HO, I am trying to find out what to do. I've read things here and there but don't know what to do about it. Guess I'll wait and see if it gets worse.

Could it be....? Finished?

My 6 week check up past the HO discovery and hip flexor tendonitis went really well.  My follow up hip/pelvis xray showed no real advancement of the HO. The stiffness that I have on my outer hip is still recovery from the arthroscopy. I was cleared of all restrictions. As for the ankle, I can still feel it especially when I am on it for a while. It just hurts a little and feels a little tingly. Nothing like what it was and I don't even have to take anything for it. But I know it's there. Dr. Hip said it can take from 12-18 months to fully recover. As much as I respect Dr. Hip, it amazes me how he said the recovery from nerve injury can take 2-3 months and now that I am at 5 months out, he says 12-18. I guess we are all learning here. I believe that for the nerve injury to last this long in a patient is a first for him. I didn't think he would even ask me about it again, but I guess he is concerned.
My right knee started giving me problems after I started walking normally again. I think it's because I shocked it when I took all that extra weight off. It has gotten better and we are keeping our fingers crossed. I don't need knee problems right now.
Anyway, Dr. Hip discharged me and said to see how I feel in 2 months and if I feel I need anything to call him first. I guess this hip chapter of my life is over for now, and hopefully won't have to be opened again.