Life with a Flare

I manage to survive all three of my appointments yesterday somehow. First up was my OS for the six weeks on the left hip and six months on the right hip. He was happy with where I was with both and said to worry about the motion but focus on the strengthening. When I asked for a cortisone injection in my left knee he said okay, but at first he said that he thought the pain in the left knee was probably referred pain from the hip, but after he examined it he did notice fluid. I also ask for a prescription for a home TENS unit, so that is being ordered as well now. My last question for the OS was when can I start horseback riding again? In 6-8 weeks (at 3 months post-op) I can start riding a little but no jumping, and I can ride without restrictions at 4-6 months post op. The rheumatologist appointment was not exciting, I may eventually get an MRI on my left knee but not for a while since I just had a cortisone injection. We aren't changing any meds or anything. I was not total...

Actually I missed both milestones, yesterday I was 6 weeks post op on my left hip and the day before was the 6 month mark for my right. Scars! L vs. R! I decided to look back at the post I wrote the day my right hip was 6 weeks post op, and that post was not focused on my hip. I was in pain at that point, a lot of it, and not hip pain. I was in a flare that day my knees and shoulders were not happy. Here I am 6 month later, having had two major hip surgeries in the recent past, and once again I am in a lot of pain, and once again it is not hip pain. My knees, well mostly my left knee, have been killing me. Once again I feel like I am having trouble pushing my hip because of my knee, its like a never ending cycle of pain and horribleness. On Friday I see my OS, Rheumy, and PT so I am hoping for some answers on my knee. However I doubt I will get them straight out so I think I am going to ask my OS for a cortisone injection for my left knee, because this has gone on for long enou...

Ultrasound guided injection take two! Left hip this time, and minus the cortisone this time. In case you are wondering why I decided not to get cortisone there were a few factors. In the end there was just way more con than pro. Pro(based on left hip outcome) A week of 75% relief A few weeks of 50% relief Con(based on left hip outcome) Can make cartilage deteriorate (especially considering I am only 17) 2 Days of a ton of pain 1 Day of crutches at school The procedure itself was pretty similar to the last one  but better, I even had the same radiologist. He was really nice both times. And he kind of made a joke about all the explanation because we both knew the deal. Little things like that just make a procedure that much easier to deal with(only if you have already had it done otherwise the explanation stuff is REALLY important), I swear I have had x-ray/MRI techs who know less than I do about what to expect. On the pain side of...

Right now I am rather frustrated. While the cortisone is helping it is not doing as much as I hoped it would. After my knee injection last year I was just about completely pain free for 4ish weeks, there was also no initial pain (even the actual injection was hardly a pinch). My hip however has still had a little pain. I am defiantly walking better with is encouraging, but also means the muscles that haven't been working up to par have to get back into shape. The biggest difference between my knee injection and my hip injection does not have to do with the injected joint though. When I had a cortisone injection in my knee I only had one bad joint, which the injection fixed. So all the sudden I had all this physical ability I had been missing out on. This time I am still left with joints that haven't been touched, so I still can not do things like jump. The only difference now is I don't limp as often (but sometimes my knee still causes me to limp) and I...

Today was the big day. I woke up at 5AM, I firmly believe no one on the planet should ever have to be awake at this hour. It was still dark out when I embarked for HSS. The only good thing about getting up this early was how pretty the view was from the waiting room window. I have discovered both the x-ray waiting room and the ultrasound waiting room over look the east river, which is gorgeous in the morning. View from the ultrasound waiting area at 7AM Soon I was called back to an ultrasound room. First they just did an ultrasound of my hip, the radiologist pointed out that I have Cam impingement. I asked if I also have pincer but he said it was nearly impossible to see on an ultrasound but most people have both.He also said that my labrum was not detached, even though he could not tell if it was torn, but at least the fact it is not detached is a good sign. I was really surprised he told me so much when I have gone for MRIs and x-rays the radio...

A bit nervous but excited for my OS appointment/cortisone  injection. I plan on asking a bunch of questions on hip impingement. The more information I look up the better I feel about the hip situation. It's my knees that still worry me. Best case scenario the hip injection makes my knee pain go away (well in the left knee anyway), but if not I have will be in the exact same place I was before the hip issues with my knees. Even if my hip gets fixed, if my knees don't get better will I really be that much better off? I feel like my knees are being ignored, and the hope is that the hip impingement is causing the knee pain, but I am not convinced. I just want to be done dealing with this by the end of the year. I don't want the pain that controls my life now to go away be for college. Here's to hoping the injection works!