My post-op appointment went extremely well as far as my hip is concerned. We arrived at the hospital early to avoid Boston traffic. This meant that I could get my x-rays out of the way. After my x-rays my mom and I watched Spongebob on TV in the waiting room. I felt as if I was losing brain cells-I can't believe I used to watch that show everyday. I also met another Hip Chick and we talked for awhile before my appointment. My appointments usually consist of groups of fellows and residents however today I just saw my PAO surgeon. He reviewed my x-rays and said that my bones are healing very well and I am ahead of schedule. I can actually start walking if I have no pain. However, my knee instability and quad atrophy issues will prevent me from full weight-bearing. I really need to solve this knee problem (soon) because I am even more anxious to ditch the crutches and learn how to walk again. It's been awhile. My elbows have been really sore lately because they hyperextend when crutching. I have an appointment in August to see my surgeon about my knee. That will also act as my 2nd post-op appointment. Right now I just need to be patient and work on getting my quad muscles firing so that my knee can stabilize enough to weight-bear. Of course it's easier said than done.
After my post-op appointment I met two Hip Chicks for lunch. I had a great time and was really excited about meeting them. They were both very nice and we had a lot to talk about. It was nice to finally put a face to a name. Hip Chicks has been a huge outlet for me. The women are so wonderful and really understand what it's like to live in chronic pain. There are a bunch of Hip Chicks who have had or are planning to have hip surgery with the Children's Hospital of Boston hip team. It's really neat to compare experiences with others who have gone through this.
After lunch my mom and I visited the Harvard Coop where we shopped for a bit. We then headed to Brigham and Women's Hospital for my last appointment of the day. Something I haven't mentioned yet in this blog is that I have ligamentous laxity and hypermobility issues. I was diagnosed several weeks ago (by Dr. Shiple) with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (type 3-hypermobility). Ehlers Danlos Syndrome is a group of connective tissue disorders. Connective tissues are proteins that support skin, bones, blood vessels and other organs. They make up about 80% of the human body. There are 6 subtypes and they vary in severity from mild to life threatening. There is no cure and treatment plans are individualized. I have the hypermobility type which is generally considered to be the least severe. An unusually large range of joint movement (hypermobility) occurs with most forms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, particularly the hypermobility type. The loose joints are unstable and prone to dislocation, chronic pain, and early-onset arthritis. Muscle strength and joint preservation are very important in preventing dislocations and early-onset arthritis. There is also a connection between hip dysplasia and EDS. I also learned that EDSers tend to be insensitive to novacaine and lidocaine which explains why injections never work and I can feel my dentist drilling after 10 shots. Not many doctors know about EDS so I was told that I should see a specialist. Another Hip Chick recommended a doctor in Boston and they were able to squeeze us in for an appointment during our trip. They were very helpful. Dr. Murray confirmed that I do in fact have EDS type 3. At this point I am just dealing with the symptoms as they appear. I will be having my right hip fixed in the winter and hopefully that will be my last surgery for awhile.
It was a very eventful day. I am so excited that my hip is healing so nicely. I am glad that we were able to meet Dr. Murray and receive a confirmation diagnosis. I can now set up a lifelong exercise and joint preservation program to keep my joints as stable as possible and avoid dislocations/subluxations. Thankfully I have a great sports medicine doctor and therapist to help get me on the right track.
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