In the past few days, the pain that had been lingering in my upper thigh on the op side has become significantly worse. I was warned after my December surgery that the area could suffer necrosis as my initial injury was a fractured femur and the doctor didn't repair it. The junior doc who told me about the potential necrosis said it would happen slowly, over time. Wondering if I should go for a new xray as I'm not due back at the hospital clinic until early December...
Adding: it was a significant fracture. They fixed the downstairs part of it, but left an upper bit unrepaired...
Necrosis is never good.Get that checked out.Did you hear that vibration was good for healing the bone?There is this therapy where you stand on a platform that vibrates and supposed to improve circulation to the area.I have a bed with a massage setting which I put on before sleep and it really does help your bones feel better.Take care.
I'd be demanding that x-ray asap, if it were me! It's never a good sign if pain gets significantly worse this long after surgery. Best wishes, Belle. Hope it's not serious.
Hi Belle,
I would not hesitate to call my surgeon about this. If you cannot see the surgeon quickly - see your GP.
Even if it is not necrosis (I hope not), better to have this worry off your mind and it could be an easy fix.
Sending big hugs and some of Renée's healing light.
Please let us know what they find and how you are doing.
L
I would certainly raise the issue with my GP, a change that doens't sound like good news, and he can write a letter for you to the specialist raising his concerns if there are any, of course he can also arrange an x-ray or ultrasound to see what is going on if anything, and foward those results to specialist as well. Best wishes from a fellow hippie.
Belle, I don't know if this is true in your case... but I will tell you about my experience... where I've had repeated bouts of upper thigh pain on the op side. At times it's been excrutiating. I went to my surgeon and told him about it... I told him the best way I could describe the pain was as if my leg was "broken." That's how bad it could feel... and I couldn't put any weight on the leg when I feel this thigh pain. He told me that in essence... it IS fractured... as the rod from the replacement and my own bone/femur have not yet grown together. He also told me that in younger patients this can last as long as 2 or 3 years. My hip replacement was the result of a "reconstruction" done many years prior after a car accident... so I actually had a trauma surgeon do my surgery in Los Angeles. He was fabulous. All that said... I'm over 2 years down the road and I still feel the pain when I get too active. Hope you find relief soon!!!
If it were me, I would definitely go and get it checked out. Any unusual pain after such a while must mean something. If it's not that then at least you will be reassured 😊
Good luck
Jacqui
I was diognoaed with necrosis when i was 7 year old. Its not a fun thing to be dealing with. But about 4 weeks after my surgery my pain came back, felt identical as before, came on when either just resting or when i was walking now making it impossible for me to walk more than 10 minutes without wanting to burst into tears. Know one seems to know why but i hope you get some answers and hopefully its not AVN
hi belle,
Goodness girl, i am so sorry to read this --- Are you still working those long hours?
Definitely make an appointment with your surgeon soon -
What are you doing about it right now? Can you stand on it , or walk ?
Angel blessings
renee
Seeing the doc in an hour or so. I haven't been working this week. The job has finished. Due to the fact that I also have pain in my non-op side, I am hoping to discover it's just from sitting on those rotten chairs all day every day for weeks (after another couple of weeks of constant standing). I will be asking for a referral to physio while there...
I can walk and stand, but did have trouble finding a sleeping position last night. I just dozed on and off all night...
I massage Penetrex onto my legs at night.Try a pillow under your knees and try one of those chemical ice packs on your hurting parts.I also listen to sleep hypnosis for pain control on you tube plus 2 arthritis strength Tylenol. Between everything it works.Hope it helps.
Good luck sweetheart and let us know the outcome of your doctor's visit -
sending healing vibrations
Sorry to hear about your problem. I hop e you get it sorted soon, there is nothing worse than being in pain and not being able to get it sorted. I should demand an X-ray it's needed to give you peace of mind.
Let eat us know how you get on
Brenda C
Hi Belle,
Like the others, I hope your appointment went well and you got good advice toresolve matters. Please reassure us that you did not have any necrosis.
Sending extra hugs,
L
Update (not much of one):
I saw the doc on Thursday. She seemed a little concerned that I can't completely flatten the op leg and also that I told her it feels turned in (has since the op). But she didn't seem overly concerned about that.
I've been referred to have an x-ray (which I'll do on Tuesday) and will then return to the doc on Wednesday for an extended appointment. She will write up a detailed care plan. Depending on what the x-ray reveals, she'll either send me back to the hospital clinic or send me to physio. I could go to physio now, but if there's something wrong it could make things worse. For my hip, that is. It would definitely make my hip pocket worse; in Australia, if you have physio without a care plan, it costs a fortune and you can't claim any of it back on Medicare; with a plan, you can make Medicare claims.
She'll also organise the bone density tests I have been neglecting.
Even though I have to wait a few more days, I'm just at home until Monday so it's not too bad.
And the doc visit was enjoyable. She asked me on the way to her office if I minded that she had a medical student in tow for the day. I didn't and had a great chat with him in between talking to her. Turns out that come Monday I start my masters degree classes at the same university he attends.
well done Belle - it doesn't sound too bad and you are taking care of it -
What subject are you getting your Masters in?
have a great weekend ...
angel blessings
renee
Super .. sounds as if you are getting the follow-up you deserve!
And as curious as Renée ... what is the focus of your masters?
Good luck with all of this and please keep as in the loop. We are pulling for you and interested in what they find and recommend.
Best,
L
Masters is in publishing. I have extensive experience in editing and design, so am including corporate communications in my degree. I have been looking at regular jobs this year and the employers seem to want 22 year olds with 30 years' experience, plus expertise in 20 different tasks and 40 different software applications. So, I have decided to take it in a different direction and just become an umbrella expert and perhaps be a consultant, or maybe even go on to a doctorate and be a professional student while building an independent business.
Pain is a little better. I slept okay last night (admit I had a few large glasses of red first). When I woke this morning I was okay, but the instant I sat up I felt it...
Like the direction of your degree and your outlook more generally. You are definitely not a 'poor me' person and keep looking ahead. Bravo.
Keeping my fingers (but not my legs) crossed for the x-rays to give you good news and for the way forward with this pain to be resolved.
L