Hip problem after an auto accident

Bones, joints and muscles
1

I was in an auto accident for the second time in 2013.  After the accident, my right groin has excruciating pain and it still hasn't gone away.  I've been to the pain doctor and received shots directly in the hip and it went away for about a week and gradually came back with a vengence.  

My question to anyone is, did you suffer from very sharp groin pain that goes all the way down to your toes?  If so, how long before your surgery did you have to suffer through it?

Any help and advice is welcome.

Frustrated61

2

Hi, with my pre hip symptoms I had groin pain, knee pain, leg pain, I went for X-rays and asked for a referral to see a surgeon, I was bone on bone. 

I would ask for a referral... 

I didn't wait long for my op, but all hospital trusts are different... Good luck 

linzi x

3

Hi Frustrated, yay, I had crippling pain in my groin for a year before my op this June. It went from groin, down my leg and through my foot. This was due to wearing thrugh the cartilage and bones rubbing on bones. I had steroid injections but they didn't work.

Have you had x-rays? An MRI? This will show up the arthritis which is almost certainly the cause of your pain. You are in the right place btw, nearly everyone had the burning osteoarthritis groin pain.

If you are in GB it depends on your consultant as to how long you would wait. I am in Cornwall, I spent months and months waiting for answers but when finally diagnosed properly in May I had the op the following month with number 2 in six months time.

I would imagine you would get referred fairly quickly with a damaged hip from the accident.

4

Hi Kate ~

Thank you for responding so  quickly.  I've had x-rays, MRI's meylograms(sp) and injections of various meds....it does show I have arthritis which I'm not surprised as I did a lot of athletics when younger.  However, I never had pain until the accident.  I'm wondering since it's arthritis if my auto insurance would pay for this...we have no-fault in the USA...

Anyway, I'm hoping and praying it gets taken care of sooner rather than later.  I have been almost bedridden for a few weeks now and when I go any place, I cannot walk..the pain is too  great.  I do not want to be wheelchair bound if I can help it.

Again, thank you for your response!

Frustrated61

5

HI Linzi ~

Thank you for responding.  I do have the exact pain that both you and Kate describe.  I do have a referral and see the surgeon next week.  If you or Kate think  of any questions I should ask, would you kindly let me know?

Again, thank you so much for your response.  It does help to know I'm not going coo-coo with this pain and that it is real!

warm regards,

Frustrated61

6

It sounds as if you are already on the road to surgery if you have been diagnosed and the pain is stopping your mobility. Our system is different here in the UK and i know you mostly have private health in the US. I would imagine that once you see a surgeon, and you have exhausted other reasons for the pain, then he will get you on a list.

I feel your frustration, I can remember thinking "Don't they realise how much paiin I'm in?"

Diagnosis is everything and then you can move forward. In the meantime make your life easier, take the wheelchair when you need it and take some good meds.

7

Hi Kate ~

Again, thank you for responding.  I hope this surgeon won't put me through all those tests again.  The pain is so horrific they needed to put me under just for an MRI!  I had to have anesthesia with most my tests.  

Meds...I'm on the fentanyl patch 75 mgs and dilaudid and neurotin.  I guess I could be worse if I wasn't taking all these meds.  But, sometimes I wonder if I have enough since I'm in a lot of pain 24/7.  It's just frustrating and aggravating because we added two more babies in our family...one daughter with 1 boy and the other daughter w/5 boys and girls.  But I'm not able to pick up the two little ones.  

After your surgery and you've healed, does it really feel better?  You can be honest even if it's a negative, please.

Warmly,

Frustrated

8

Hi frustrated

i am 7.5 weeks post op. When my surgeon operated he said the joint had collapsed and the femur was coming out of the socket

I suffered dreadful pain for 12 months prior to my op which got worse and worse - groin pain, hip pain, knee and ankle pain. I was in pain night and day. This op will turn your life round. Yes you will get some pain post op but nothing like the arthritic pain - it is all part of the healing process and learning to walk properly again. The muscles have to be re -trained so you do get aches and pains. The movement in my hip is fantastic - just like new - it feels as if it is my own hip not an artificial one. I can drive again ( just short distances at the moment or I do get a bit of grief the next day) but I can get in and out of the car easily which I could not do pre op

I walk round the house with no crutches - need a bit of support when I am out - 1 crutch just for confidence really

You really won't regret having this op. You will need to rest a lot - you do get tired, but everyone says how well I look now. I was in so much pain before that I looked and felt exhausted all the time

This op will turn your life around and you will enjoy your family once more

Kind wishes Linda xx💞💞

9

Hi Linda ~

I am so thankful for all the positive info regarding the op.  I am in desparate need for this op...so I hope this new surgeon will just take my tests I've already had w/i the past year because the will cut through the red tape, right?

I am happy that your op turned out well for you!  Did you have to get a special chair to sit in after the op?  I read in other discussions that they have an electric recliner and had to have the chair raised so the legs were 90 degree level...were any of you told this?

Anyway, thank you, Linda, I truly appreciate your input!

Regards.

Frustrated

10

Hi Frustrated

No, frustrated, didn't have recliner chair. Bought raiser cushion for dining room chair and armchair/ settee ( Coopers online) and purchased second hand upright chair with wooden arms. Put this in bedroom and spent many a sleepless night watching Tv in it in early recovery days

Linda xx

11

Dear F, I am not belittling you pain at all when I say that most of us have suffered greatly with hip pain before our replacements. My partner reminded me the other day how things have changed in a year and a friends who I haven't seen for a while said that the pain had been lifted from my face. Like many others I had a pharmacy in the bathroom cabinet and crawled around the house on all fours in a drugged stupor. I was patched and pilled up to the max but nothing really touched the pain

I am facing having the second one done after Xmas and can't wait. The results are amazing and the pain goes from  'completely hopeless' to 'wow'.

Get that surgeon on it.

12

HI Kate ~

I am so happy to hear that your pain did get better.  And for you to look forward to getting the other one done says a lot!

I just had to ask if it's true that once done, and after healing, everything will turn around.  That's all I want.  To be as pain free as I can possibly be.

You mentioned your had a pharmacy in your bathroom (that's me, too) How are you doing regarding meds, now?  Are you able to get off all the meds or if you wouldn't mind explaining.

I surly hope I didn't give you the impression that I thought you were being belittling, that is far from the truth!  You have been a wealth of knowledge and have given me a smile that I haven't had in a very long time.  Thank you for that!

Warm regards,

Frustrated cheesygrin

 

13

Hello  Pansycat ~

I will look into something that will help me with my recovery (assuming that I am going to have the op).  I see the surgeon this coming Wednesday and hope and pray I hear the news I'm hoping for...he can help me!

Again, thank you!

Warmly,

Frustrated

14

Hi again, F, before the op I think I had worked my way through every opiate and narcotic going, had some nasty experiences with tramadol and even arrived at hospital on the day of the op with my fentanyl patches and suitcase of drugs.

I had a spinal before general anaesthetic which gave me 24 hours pure pain relief and after that I was on 2 x co-codamol 4 times a day. For the first week I slid a codeine in between if I needed it but not many. I also had to take blood thinners for 30 days (rivaroxaban), omeprezole and a supply of movicol!!

I soon found that I was cutting down and just needed them because the un-operated hip was painful.

I am still only 4 weeks post op and tonight i have been out for a meal with my partner for the first time in nearly a year. Before I would never have been able to sit for that long.

I am not pain free and am a little stiff but the difference is amazing. Each day gets a bit better.

15

18 months ago I took a transatlantic trip to see my mother.

i absolutely had to have a wheelchair escort through all the airports. Could barely stand for security.

15 months ago I had my hip replaced

exactly one year after my THR, or 3 months ago, this is what I have done.

-Completely painted a 2 bedroom apartment, including the ceilings which have beams. That means I had to tape all the beams.

up the ladder, tape, down the ladder, move ladder (repeat)

then edge all the beams, up the ladder, down the ladder, move the ladder.

-Completely paint the kitchen with 2coats of paint. Including the ceilings with more damned beams

-washed the living room ceiling, primer coat, then 2 coats of paint

-prepped & painted bare cement stairs

-sanded & primed a rattan patio set with sofa, 2 big chairs, cocktail tables etc. next week I will use a painting gun and start putting final coats on the furniture

yeah, these fake hips really work well. Oh, no pain either. I work a bit slower than I used to in my 50's and take breaks, especially if my arm gets sore painting, I will stop & rest the arm, but basically pain free. 

Best set of luck to you. My pain was different than yours, I didn't really have groin pain I had tendonosis of my IT band and that hurt like hell all the time, but after my THR it cured my tendonosis also, what a relief.

16

What test have been done? Usually X-rays will show if the hip is damaged.

hope you find a doc to help you thru this. Suffering is not an option. Continuer to DNS the cause until a doc gives you the answers.

17

Good for you.mthere is a better life with thr.minhave two.mits amazing how things work out. 

 

18

So happy to hear of your wonderful progress. Things will continue to get better, until one day you forget all about the pain and move on to a better pain free life.

19

You are so right and encouraging. I second all you said. A better life does come with thr. 

20

Hi all smile

Well, I did see the ortho doctor and he referred me to another ortho doctor because this other dr can either fix the problem through a scope or not.  Unfortunately, I wasn't a candidate for the scope.  He referred me back to the original ortho dr and recommended a THR on the right side.  I'm trying to remember everything he said but he did say don't worry, he'd have a report of everything he talked to me about in detail so I would know what my hip looked like etc...So, I'll refer to that after receiving it.

I'm currently waiting for the phone call to schedule the op.  I'm hoping it's sooner bc selfishly my grandson's first birthday is the end of September and I'm hoping to feel better than I am now.  Currently, I cannot depend on being able to stand long enough in the shower...sitting is hard..it's actually harder when I stand up from sitting.  

But, the one thing I see that's common with all of the "hippies" is the pain goes away and they feel much better.  Funny, I was actually  a "hippy" back in late 60's early 70's.  Woodstock all the way, baby!  lol

So, after I get my date for the op, I'm sure I'll be back getting reassurance from all of you.  I've taken the time to read all the postings and it feels like I know many quite well.  I will continue to read as much as I can about all of this as it's very new to me.

Surgery isn't new to me but the hip problems are.  I'm currently fused from L2-S1 and C4,5 &6 from my first accident in 2004. I am concerned about the re-hab of THR because of my back injuries and the nerve injuries I have a difficult time getting full mobility so there will be excercises that I will not be able to do.  I guess in time it'll all be figured out.

I will return!

Thank you again.

Frustrated