Slowly getting answers down at Mayo Clinic
 

Hi any and all who are following my thread,

I have been down at Mayo for the past two days. Had to be off the coumadin for 6 days. So today I finally had the MRI with contrast injection into my right hip. The bottom line basically is: the MRI is showing, of course, alot more than the stupid x-ray. I have another labral tear in my hip, furthered arthritic changes, altho they are not showing as severe as my pain levels are dictating. On examination, he definitely thinks the pain is coming from my hip joint. So, tomorrow morning I am going back over for a cortisone/lidocaine injection (I'll find out exactly which tomorrow) directly into the hip joint, then really pay attention for the first 8 hours. He thinks, that will be the ultimate predictor for a total hip replacement, if I get immediate relief. Due to my age and already having one prior labral repair on this same hip 2 1/2 years ago, that wasn't that successful, he doesn't really think another scope and repair would be prudent. He can definitely tell my quality of life is very compromised.

One thing I find interesting and have to comment on is: I am not overweight at all, am well-dressed, look fit, am attractive for an old coot (bear with me, I have a point to make here), so, I am NOT what the doctor is expecting to see. So, there is discrimination on this side of the fence as well. If you're not fat, out of shape, and you look great, what the hell's wrong with you?! So today, I made sure I didn't take any pain medication at all (only have a couple left anyway), and I was miserably in pain during the interview. After it was over, the front desk lady must have heard me groan while I waited for the appt. to be made, and demanded someone get a wheelchair for me. When the host brought the wheelchair to the waiting area, once again, she walked right by me, while I tried to wave her down, that I was the patient! So I went by wheelchair to my final appt., back down in thrombophilia. Felt foolish at first, and then had a quick change of heart. I was so grateful to be wheeled to that last appt., cuz I was a train wreck. :) Life's little gifts along the way.

So, even tho I'm bummed at even the idea of another surgery, I'm glad to know I'm not nuts and something is definitely wrong with my freakin' hip! I just want to feel well again and enjoy life. Be able to hold my grandchild. Doesn't seem like alot to ask.

Thanks for listening. Sorry this is so long. Feel free to edit Rich. :)

Cindy (realized I probably should have put this in the other forum, for MRI's, etc.)

Good luck today! :beer:

Cindylou

I am glad you are getting nearer a diagnosis but sorry that you are going through this. Hope 2009 is a better year.

Thinking of you and sending positive vibes your way.

Lynda
xx

getting help
 

I am so glad that you are finally getting some help! Holding your grandchild is incredibly important. How did you get referred to the Mayo clinic and do they take insurance? It was something I once considered. I hope that you get some pain meds and feel better soon.
Phylly

CindyLou:

I hope they get everything resolved for you. You are going to be the Bionic Woman now with all of the replacement parts. :laugh:

The Mayo Clinic is fabulous and the care exceptional. I had my first neck surgery there in 1996. I was in awe over the fabulous care. I went from one appointment to the next like clockwork until I finally got to see the neurosurgeon. It was the best system I have ever seen.

We are finally here in Minnesota for the holidays. I hope you have as good of a Christmas as you can with the pain not controlling everything.

Take care of yourself and say hi to your husband from Elizabeth and me.

Merry Christmas and, here's to a better NEW YEAR!

Terry Newton

Thanks you guys. Well, the injection into the hip joint was dead on. I practically jumped off the table, I felt so good. I felt 100 % good! :) I had precisely 8 hours to enjoy feeling so good, from what the radiologist told me. I checked out of the hotel, and drove home like a bat out of hell, to maximize my "feel good" time. Like Christmas shopping, anyone? I had a spring in my step. After about 4-5 hours, I could feel the pain coming back, and by 6 hours all the good was over. :( Now I have to wait 1-2 weeks for the steroid to kick in. I talked to the Mayo doc over the phone yesterday, to ask him what do I do in the mean time, waiting for more relief, but he said he does not prescribe pain medication until after surgery. He recommended I see my primary. I called my primary yesterday, and thank God, they had a cancellation, and I had an appt. within the hour. Even tho this is a new primary, with my other one up and leaving the practice, I believe she could see my pain levels. In any event, she had mercy on me and wrote a script of Percocet which should help buffer the pain, and be able to enjoy the Holiday with family. And I am very thankful for that. It's snowing like the dickens out here right now, and I'm getting ready to do my volunteer activity that The Audabon Society has been practicing for over 100 years (my first), and participate in the CBC (Christmas Bird Count) around local parks and lakes in my area. I've got my binoculars and am ready to spot and count. :)

My health insurance does cover Mayo as a participating provider. The best thing about Mayo is, like Terry said, they are problem solvers. They run like a slick machine, and have such incredible continuity of care while you are there.

Better scoot. Snow is piling up.

Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays everyone, and thank you one and all for your continuing support.

Merry Christmas and a Healthy New Year
 

Understand! am approaching 70 but think I'm 50. My husband and I fit this profile. We both decided we have to say, "I hurt" rather than "put on a front." We feel guilty for feeling bad!

So glad you had a few hours pain free! Have you ever heard of muscle-sparing hip replacement? http://www.anteriorhipsurgery.net/muscle.htm

I would assume it's available since Mayo is the #2 orthopedic hospital in the USA (according to U.S. News & World).

Good luck in January. Sandy

Very interesting Sandra. I have not heard of that approach, but thank-you for the information and I will certainly ask my doctor down at Mayo about it.

I pick up my Mom at the airport this morning for the holiday. Am just very grateful to have some pain medication to ease me through the time.

Terry, welcome back to Minnesooooooooota!! You were here presumably for the nice snow storm we had all day yesterday. Wasn't it cool?! We saw 22 different varieties of birds for The Christmas Bird Count. I had such a good time. Thank goodness I had pain medication to enjoy the event. These guys are way beyond my "birding" levels but I was so impressed. I know alot of birds, however, these guys know them by "sound" or "call" if you will. That's my goal. I think the most fun to see were the 6 (all in different places) red tailed hawks. They were just perched high in the trees, snow blowing against their white bellies, so blended into their habitat. Very cool. I was exhausted when I got home, but well worth the tiredness.

Merry Christmas Terry, Justin, Rich, and Happy Holidays to everyone!

Well, it's been two weeks since my steroid injection in my hip and I'm still not feeling any relief. Is it possible it won't kick in at all? I'm almost out of the pain meds and I just hate calling the primary doc again. I always feel like I have to somehow "prove" to them that I am in pain. It gets old. (It actually reminds me of my childhood and how strict my Dad was when I was a kid and really sick. You had to be on your deathbed to miss a school day.) My primary pain is in, what I call, my pelvic triangle, up both sides of my groin, panty line. Obviously, my right side is worse, but I do feel it on both sides. The trochanteric bursitis is a whole other pain but equally debilitating. I ice constantly. Stretch. It's chronic. I get discouraged when I read about it, because short of surgery, it is very difficult to treat. And I'm not sure the results of removing the bursa or lengthening the tendon have high success rates at all. And from what I have read, a total hip replacement can exacerbate it. Great. Does anyone know more about this than me? My IT bands are so tight I have significant indentations in my calves, that the doc says is from atrophy. Anyway, I guess I should call the doctor if the steroid injection doesn't kick in soon. Thanks for listening.

CindyLou,

Send me an email (below in my signature). I know someone in your area that might be of help in your situation. Sorry about your continued pain despite the injections.