Dammit – things were going so well! Until a week or so ago, I was making great progress. As I wrote in my previous PAO update, I was beginning to do some weight bearing physiotherapy , trying to move away from crutches, and generally enjoying being in much less pain and much more mobile. So much so, that I think I got too confident and…oops.
*Sniff*
I was trying to do some one legged bridges (raising myself up on my operated leg) and it felt sore. Well, I thought to myself, physiotherapy exercises do hurt. Every physiotherapy exercise I’ve ever been given has hurt when I first tried it. So I did a few more. And that night, when I went to bed, I noticed a soreness down the side / back of my right thigh. It hurt when I bear weight through my leg, when I squat, when I sit down, when I stand up – and over the next few days, it didn’t get any better.
After an uncomfortable hydrotherapy session I decided to take it up with my GP, who sent me to the Accident and Emergency Department for an urgent X-Ray. Three different orthopaedic doctors compared the X-ray with the previous ones taken at my 6-week checkup, and decided that there were no changes between the two. This is good news, because it means my adventurousness hasn’t resulted in a fracture. Blood tests revealed nothing unusual so infection is also ruled out – hooray. Unfortuately though, it has left me with a series of guesses as to what is causing the problem. Sciatica? Bursitis? Iliotibial band? I’m not sure.
Ouch…what have I done?
But still – meh. In terms of pain and mobility levels I have regressed weeks. I am back on two crutches, need serious amounts of codeine to help me sleep through the pain, and can’t sit, stand, walk or sleep for long. And I’m still at a loss as to what is causing the pain. It isn’t localised to my joint – in fact the mobility in my hip joint is continuing to improve. This pain radiates down the back and outside of my thigh, even as far as the outside of my knee. And because I don’t know what the matter is, I don’t know how to try and fix it. I’ve been told to lay off the physio and wait to see if things improve without any weight bearing or other kind of aggravation. Grrrrrr!
Thankfully I have another physio appointment in two days, so I am really hoping for a) some answers and b) some exercises that can help me reduce the pain. I feel like I’ve retreated back to a codeine-induced zombified haze, and I just don’t want it to be like this any more. Last week, I was getting excited about returning to work soon, and now I’ve been signed off for at least another four weeks.
Are there any PAO-ers or ‘hip women’ out there who can give me some advice? Does this sound like anything you experienced or have heard of? I’d be so grateful if you could help me get rid of this pain and put me back on the track to becoming the bionic woman (minus one-legged bridges, which I may very well never attempt again. Ever).
Recipe Junkie
/ October 16, 2012I can’t give you any advice but I feel your frustration. fingers crossed you can get some answers at least. xxx