Hip pain caused by scoliosis...????

[JenniferG]

hi JenG
Labor Day here is first Monday in September...it is "early" this year...i
think September 2nd...i should be able to make it, no problem...
i will be so grateful...so good of Evelyn to offer!
and thank you for the kind idea of making a video for me to see....
it is so thoughtful of you.
i think seeing, meeting those who are already fused to sacrum would
help immensely for people trying to make a decision....
yes, no one has a crystal ball to know how THEIR OWN surgeon will go,
but seeing it close up and watching someone move like that would
help get rid of the "robot" movements some of us have in our heads, no
matter how many patients already fused and doing well try to tell us
otherwise...
i am surprised no surgeon has such a video to show potential patients.

walked Sparky this morning just before 6 a.m. east coast time...easier
for me with the bugs...they love my "foreign" NYC blood, i swear...
i get more bites than any "natives" in CT i know of...the bugs prefer
"foreign" to "local" blood!!

thanks again, JenG
jess...and Sparky

Yes, it is surprising that surgeon's don't have such a video for patients because you're not alone with your "robot" or "tin man" fears. But seeing Evelyn in the flesh will be even better. Roll on September!

We have midgies on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, but I can always tell newcomers - they are covered in bites. How odd it is they pick out the holidaymakers and leave us locals alone!

[JenniferG]

Yes, it is surprising that surgeon's don't have such a video for patients because you're not alone with your "robot" or "tin man" fears. But seeing Evelyn in the flesh will be even better. Roll on September!

We have midgies on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, and I can always tell newcomers - they are covered in bites. How odd it is they pick out the holidaymakers and leave us locals alone!

[jrnyc]

hi Doreen...it is not being able to change the spine once it is fused that
has me stopped in my tracks....so i guess that is fear...the known, even
pain, is easier to deal with.

JenG....i tell you, it is the "treat" of "foreign" blood of visitors that
the bugs love...they KNOW it is not the usual...like eating exotic food...
but ugh...yucky!

thanks to all who have replied...
i will not see the pain doc til end August, and the office hasn't called
about results...didn't expect them to...that is why i made sure to ask for
a copy of reports.

jess...and Sparky

[Confusedmom]

Hi Jess,u thro

I will be there Fri. afternoon through Monday morning. A mini vacation before we have to take my son to Boston for his surgical follow up. (He tore his ACL playing football at age 9!) I'll PM you so we can make plans. My husband is the cruise director, so I need to check with him on what the best timing would be. It did help me a lot to meet Naptown78 pre-op. You will see that fused people look basically normal.

Interesting. When we were in St. Thomas the bugs were feasting on us, and the hotel manager also said they like the tourists.

Evelyn

[jrnyc]

hi Ev
yes, i will definitely be able to meet you in Manhattan when you come
in....it would be great...thank you SO much!

let me know which of the days is good for you...
i can travel in from CT...or stay over nite in Manhattan if need
be...

i love the Caribbean...been going to the islands for years....
Jamaica, Bahamas, St Thomas...in St Thomas, we stayed
at Marriott resort...loved it.
yes, i have had my theory on bug bites for years....
i swear by it....do not know if it is scientific...but i know it is true!

did you experience all the "no see 'ems" bugs in St Thomas...?
they drive you crazy!


jess...and Sparky

[loves to skate]

Hi Jess,
I just graduated from a walker to a cane and have missed a lot of what has been going on because it is hard for me to sit very long to use the computer. I just wanted to say how sorry I am to hear about your hip pain in addition to all of the spine pain. You also know how I feel about surgery. None of us want it but some of us very definitely need it and you and I both know you fall into that category. The only fear to fear is fear itself or words to that effect, I believe F.D Rooseveldt said it better that I did. I believe you are a women of faith, even a little faith the size of a mustard seed. Pray on that and ask God for all the faith you need to get through a big surgery. He will give it to you. You know who the good Doctors are, so you don't need to consult with anyone else. After that, you just need to get your insurance lined up.
Tamena, and Jess, not all Medicare advantage plans or bad or equal. I had Medicare Advantage in Massachusetts through Tufts and it was inexpensive and covered most of my hospital and Doctor's bills and all of my rehab hospital bills. Out of pocket, it probably didn't cost me more than $2,000.00 - $3,000.00. It's been 5 1/2 years, so I don't remember exactly. I now have a Humana Medicare Advantage plan and it cost's me $75.00 for my monthly payment, $40.00 for a specialist, $250.00/day in hospital up to 7 days, includes surgeon costs (I hope I read my contract correctly), nothing for visiting nurse and in home PT for two weeks and nothing for Physical Therapists on the outside. In addition, I received 10 free frozen meals. I also have very low co-pays for my medications. It's like Nancy Pelosi says, you have to pass it in order to know what is in it (not that I am a fan of Rep Pelosi) You just really need to find the best you can afford.
Wishing you and Sparky the very best - I gotta go, I can't sit any longer.
Love, Sally

[jrnyc]

hi Sally
thank you so much for taking the time and effort to write and respond
to my thread when you are recovering from the hip operation you just
had...
so kind of you....
thanks so much for the words of sympathy and advice...

i hope you feel better every day...
i hope you heal quickly and uneventfully!
thanks again...
jess...and Sparky

[jrnyc]

labral tear?

just noticed my report on MRI states i have a
"labral tear" of my left hip...that is the clinical information stated
at beginning of the report...

i looked up what that means...and
i read that if is does not get better, arthroscopic hip surgery to clean
out the tear is an option...(not an option i want to consider)

it seems "rest" for bursitis involves months of rest...
???????????????
i have not been doing much....but i am walking Sparky...
i am wondering if even that little bit of walking is too much...
sad...i used to walk all over Manhattan before pain got in the way...

hmmmm....it appears that 5 days of rest at the beach was not enough....
i have not gone over the report with pain doctor yet...see him end August..

jess

[LindaRacine]

just noticed my report on MRI states i have a
"labral tear" of my left hip...that is the clinical information stated
at beginning of the report...

i looked up what that means...and
i read that if is does not get better, arthroscopic hip surgery to clean
out the tear is an option...(not an option i want to consider)

it seems "rest" for bursitis involves months of rest...
???????????????
i have not been doing much....but i am walking Sparky...
i am wondering if even that little bit of walking is too much...
sad...i used to walk all over Manhattan before pain got in the way...

hmmmm....it appears that 5 days of rest at the beach was not enough....
i have not gone over the report with pain doctor yet...see him end August..

jess

No PT? That's disappointing. This is one of those injuries that can be really responsive to PT.

[jrnyc]

saw Manhattan pain doctor yesterday for first time since i got
the MRI of hip and spine...
he barely glanced at the reports.
insists i need a steroid shot for the hip...that nothing else will help...
i refused...he insisted the shot will "stay in the hip and not get into your
system"...that is what i was told about the spinal shots, the ones that were too much and crashed my cortisol down to almost zero!
i am not getting a steroid shot...

i waited an hour and a half for the doctor when i had a scheduled
appt...i was so disgusted.
he insisted on doing the thoracic botox shots....so i allowed it, when
all i wanted to do was get the prescriptions i needed and leave...
which i did after a record 10 minutes. never got the PT orders i
discussed with him.

medicine needs to come up with more than steroid shots...
or find steroids that have NO side effects!

jess...and Sparky

[loves to skate]

Jess.
I hear your frustration, but you know that everything has the possibility of side effects. Your system could probably withstand one steroid shot. Don't forget that when you had the bad reaction, you had a lot of steroid injected. One shot will not do what all of the others did. Thats is why you are usually limited to three steroid shots per year. You need to find another pain management Doctor who knows that steroids get into your entire system. Life sucks when you are in a lot of pain. I wish I could help you.
Sally

[jrnyc]

thanks for the sympathy, Sally...
it kind of shocks me that the hip still hurts...
and it is a sharp pain, too...
i really thought with enuf rest it would be gone...
i do want to find another pain doc...
sad...he used to be...different...
his office is always so crowded, too...
i wonder about what patients are coming in for...
he is not the one who overdosed me on steroids...
it was a doctor in CT who did that...
but the one in Manhattan is just getting too busy, annoying, and
dismissive....

jess...and Sparky

[jrnyc]

In the company of friends

a big thank you to Evelyn..."confused mom"
for meeting with me...and Terri...in Manhattan and spending over an
hour answering questions, showing us how she moves, her scar.etc...
she took time out of her vacation weekend...and was so completely
gracious, kind, considerate and understanding!

i would never guess that Evelyn has surgery from looking at her or
watching her...
the only thing that gives it away is that she cannot bend...
otherwise, there is no clue...she walks and sits as if she never had
any surgery on her spine...and she looks terrific...

thank you so much Ev...
so kind of you...and i am forever grateful...

jess...and Sparky

[Confusedmom]

Jess,

I have not been able to get on this site since I met you until tonight. So frustrating! But, thank you so much for your kind words. I didn't realize when we met you were still having the very intense hip pain. You hide it well!! I appreciate you coming my way to meet me. I hope it was not too painful for you.

Have you tried massage or heat or cold for your hip? Or maybe one of those stick-on patches you can get at the drug store. I know these are minor things, but any relief is better than none!

Well, thinking of you and just wanted to let you know I saw your message and appreciated it. I really enjoyed meeting you & Terri.

Best,
Evelyn

[jrnyc]

hi Ev
it was well worth the effort to come in to Manhattan to meet
you...and i was so happy to see that you walk and sit so normally...
no one would guess from watching that you had such a huge surgery...
i am so glad you had such a good outcome!

have tried rest and ice....hasn't changed the pain, which has been
going on for months...
i am thinking about trying one steroid shot...hoping my body could handle
a small dose...without any bad cortisol reaction...pain doctor swears
nothing else will help the kind of hip pain i have, with the bursitis that
the MRI found to be there...

thanks again Ev...i had a nice time...after all you have been thru,
you are fun to talk with...and have a great smile!

jess...and Sparky