hemiram
Member
I'm 65..
So about a year ago, my left hip started bothering me. The pain level ranged from "none" to "nine" out of 10. It would change from getting in my car to getting out of my car. I never could anticipate what pain I would have, it was kind of ridiculous, I would get out expecting a lot of pain, and have nothing.
About 3 weeks ago, that all changed. I got up one night, and I had a couple of spills I had to clean up, and I spent about an hour cleaning those up and cooking dinner for work that night. When I left for work, my pain level was about a 6, not fun, but not horrible. By the time I got off work, it was a solid 8, and after I got home, I went to bed and I couldn't sleep, the pain just kept on and finally about 230pm, I went to the ER. Laying on the X-Ray table was torture, and I had to hold my left foot straight up and that, well, was more torture. A several minutes of huffing and puffing, and swearing, and I was done. "It's pretty bad!" said the PA, and they referred me to an orthpedic surgeon and gave me a prescription for some pain and arthritis pills, which did help, a little. I, of course, need a hip replacement. I need to lose weight before it's going to be done, and in the meantime, they made arrangements to have an injection in my hip for pain control.
So last Monday, I go back to the same ER I went to before, and nobody seemed to know anything about my appointment. A phone call to radiology and they had all my info ready. It was a long walk down there, so they took me in a wheelchair, pushed by about a 90 year old volunteer. I'm sure I was over her weight limit, as she was about 90 pounds, tops. Once I get there, they give me a gown to get into, way too small in the shoulders, as usual. I get into it, and the fun began..
First thing, I have to lay down on the X-Ray table. For an hour! It's horrible, my back pain was a 9 out of 10. Then they put this foam block against my left foot to rotate it straight and hurt just about the same amount as my back. After suffering through the above for just over an hour, the doctor came in. She apologized for taking so long, and she said it wouldn't be too much longer. They had already shot me up with numbing stuff so I wasn't supposed to feel anything when the X-Ray reactive dye they shoot into the joint to make sure the needle is where it's supposed to be, or when the med was put in. They were wrong, of course. The needle was put in and it touched a nerve. It was like a huge electric shock that went from my hip to my kneecap, and I literally jumped about 3" off the table. I've been shocked with 860 Volts back when I was 15, and it was worse, but this was close to that in intensity. After I calmed down, it was painless. I walked out of the hospital under my own power, and it was much less painful than it was when I came in. I went to the grocery store and when I got out of my car, my hip pain was barely there, but my knees, which normally don't hurt at all, hurt very badly. It scared me at first, then I thought of all the time I spent on the X-Ray table and I held my legs down very tightly. About 10 steps towards the front door, the pain went away. At this point 3+ days later, my hip hurts a little, but my back, as usual, is my main complaint.
I guess it was worth it in the long run, but wow, what misery getting that shot was. Getting old sure is not fun.
So about a year ago, my left hip started bothering me. The pain level ranged from "none" to "nine" out of 10. It would change from getting in my car to getting out of my car. I never could anticipate what pain I would have, it was kind of ridiculous, I would get out expecting a lot of pain, and have nothing.
About 3 weeks ago, that all changed. I got up one night, and I had a couple of spills I had to clean up, and I spent about an hour cleaning those up and cooking dinner for work that night. When I left for work, my pain level was about a 6, not fun, but not horrible. By the time I got off work, it was a solid 8, and after I got home, I went to bed and I couldn't sleep, the pain just kept on and finally about 230pm, I went to the ER. Laying on the X-Ray table was torture, and I had to hold my left foot straight up and that, well, was more torture. A several minutes of huffing and puffing, and swearing, and I was done. "It's pretty bad!" said the PA, and they referred me to an orthpedic surgeon and gave me a prescription for some pain and arthritis pills, which did help, a little. I, of course, need a hip replacement. I need to lose weight before it's going to be done, and in the meantime, they made arrangements to have an injection in my hip for pain control.
So last Monday, I go back to the same ER I went to before, and nobody seemed to know anything about my appointment. A phone call to radiology and they had all my info ready. It was a long walk down there, so they took me in a wheelchair, pushed by about a 90 year old volunteer. I'm sure I was over her weight limit, as she was about 90 pounds, tops. Once I get there, they give me a gown to get into, way too small in the shoulders, as usual. I get into it, and the fun began..
First thing, I have to lay down on the X-Ray table. For an hour! It's horrible, my back pain was a 9 out of 10. Then they put this foam block against my left foot to rotate it straight and hurt just about the same amount as my back. After suffering through the above for just over an hour, the doctor came in. She apologized for taking so long, and she said it wouldn't be too much longer. They had already shot me up with numbing stuff so I wasn't supposed to feel anything when the X-Ray reactive dye they shoot into the joint to make sure the needle is where it's supposed to be, or when the med was put in. They were wrong, of course. The needle was put in and it touched a nerve. It was like a huge electric shock that went from my hip to my kneecap, and I literally jumped about 3" off the table. I've been shocked with 860 Volts back when I was 15, and it was worse, but this was close to that in intensity. After I calmed down, it was painless. I walked out of the hospital under my own power, and it was much less painful than it was when I came in. I went to the grocery store and when I got out of my car, my hip pain was barely there, but my knees, which normally don't hurt at all, hurt very badly. It scared me at first, then I thought of all the time I spent on the X-Ray table and I held my legs down very tightly. About 10 steps towards the front door, the pain went away. At this point 3+ days later, my hip hurts a little, but my back, as usual, is my main complaint.
I guess it was worth it in the long run, but wow, what misery getting that shot was. Getting old sure is not fun.
