Annual checkup

[B.I.L.L.]

Got the results from my annual check up. Chromium is 6.9, still waiting for the cobalt results, I meet with the doctor again on  11-29-12.  I've been having "symptoms" for awhile now. I read the reports on what the safe levels are, 4.0 for a single and 7.4 for a double. In an e-mail from my doctor he told me the safe level was 7.4, and to come back in 6 months instead of a year this time. (He didn't mention anything about that number being safe for bi-laterals) I will request an mri on thursday, x-rays were normal last time (aside from the angle) bone ingrowth looked good, no voids and nothing has moved. But it looks like things are wearing out not so slowly but surely. I have been extremely active and am carrying about 35lbs of un-needed fat. So strict diet plan and cut back on my wallking/standing is my first move at this point (I'm usually on my feet most of the day and regularly carry 35-50 lbs.) Gotta cut that out and see if the levels/sympomtoms are better in 6 months. Hopefully can start a reversing trend and there isn't any tissue damage yet, but it sure doesn't feel as good as it used to, we shall see. It was a year and half ago my old doctor said my synovial fluid was abnormal and wanted to do a ceramic on plastic thr. I'll post up the cobalt results when they come in. Hoping to keep this thing.... I like it, it's not perfect but compared to what it was it's night and day, the difference between living and limping in pain. If I have to take a norco or 2 here and there, I can live with it. 
If you're new and reading this, go to one of the re-surfacing gurus ! not a newbie. I know, I sound like a broken record   

[hernanu]

The 4.0 safe levels were from a conservative study, Bill - my surgeon considers anything under 7 to be fine, as does the British agency that looks at such things.

An MRI is probably a good thing, all of the other things sound like good steps - hoping that will reverse the readings if it's contributing.  Hope you keep it too, Bill, good luck on the cobalt reading.

[phillwad]

Thansk for the note - hope you find the improvements you need.

Intrested about the MRI's - does the metal implant efect having an MRI - got to be some iron in there somewhere?

[B.I.L.L.]

Hey Phillip, I don't know on the mri, seems like I've read in here that mri's are the only way to see whats really going on in there ?  I'll see what he says

[Tin Soldier]

Oddly, cobalt is mildly magnetic, but I have not heard of any problems with an MRI for metal HRs. 

I believe the FDA uses the same 7 ug/L screening level for both metals, also. 

Sorry to hear things are getting a little worse for you B.I.L.L. 

[B.I.L.L.]

Man I gotta tell you guys I don't know what to make of Kaiser. I looked at my Chromium test results yesterday in my medical record, 6.9. Today those test results are no longer in my medical record ? There are test results from years ago but some how that test result has disapeared. Then today I had an appt (for a different problem) and I saw my cobalt results on the doctors screen, he even read it to me, 22.1. Yet no cobalt results are in my medical record/test results. So the cobalt results never made it to where I could access them, and my chromium results have been yanked. I'm not really a paranoid type guy but this seems like some straight up BS to me. I also got an e-mail telling me I don't need to keep my appt. this thursday am, and that I should wait and get re-tested in 6 months. I'm getting mentally exhausted over this. I will be keeping my appt, and have e-mailed my doctor asking where those test results went, although I have a feeling that e-mail will disapear as well..... I'm spent. Sorry to bitch.....

[OtterDriver]

Hey B.I.L.L.-

You never did tell me whether that stood for "Bultaco Is Losing Laps" (or whatever I came up with at the time...maybe you never saw it!?)

Anyway, bitch away!  I was not impressed with Kaiser at all.  That was maybe...fifteen years ago, experiencing them second hand as my Dad was supposedly getting cancer treatment through them.  Just a big machine in my opinion.

Wishing you the best!

Bruce

[B.I.L.L.]

Hey B.I.L.L.-

You never did tell me whether that stood for "Bultaco Is Losing Laps" (or whatever I came up with at the time...maybe you never saw it!?)

Anyway, bitch away!  I was not impressed with Kaiser at all.  That was maybe...fifteen years ago, experiencing them second hand as my Dad was supposedly getting cancer treatment through them.  Just a big machine in my opinion.

Wishing you the best!

Bruce

Hey Bruce it was originally Boy I Love Limping, but I like yours better. Yes dealing with Kaiser has been ....... interesting. The disapearing test results will be brought up at my appt. on thursday. It is what it is you know, I can take it, I'm not looking to sue anyone, I just want to know why it's been giving me some issues and if it's causing any tissue damage thats all. I'm happy, compared to what it was it's awesome. I just want to know why it feels different now and if it's something I need to address immediately or not. It's not that complicated...

[B.I.L.L.]

Ok one semi-bitchy letter and the results are all back.
Chromium-  6.9  H < 1.3 mcg/L
Cobalt- 22.8 H < 1.9 mcg/L

I believe mcg/L = ppb ?  Correct ?

[patrick_d]

I believe mcg/L = ppb ?  Correct ?

The short answer is yes, mcg/L = ppb

Stevel from this forum wrote up a very nice explanation....http://surfacehippy.info/hiptalk/high-metal-ions/help-converting-metal-ion-counts/

Hope that helps.

[hernanu]

Ok one semi-bitchy letter and the results are all back.
Chromium-  6.9  H < 1.3 mcg/L
Cobalt- 22.8 H < 1.9 mcg/L

I believe mcg/L = ppb ?  Correct ?

It would be really nice if the labs would express their results in one common set of units. It would be a service for the doctors and the patients to know that these esoteric numbers don't have to be converted further to make sense.

If the unit H is nanomoles per liter, the following calculation applies:

• Cobalt:        6.9   nmol/L  / 1000 * 58.9 molar mass (grams) = 0.40641 ug/L
• Chromium :  22.8 nmol/L / 1000  * 52     molar mass (grams) = 1.1856  ug/L

So assuming that H means that (I think it does), then your levels are below the 4 ug/L that even the strictest study I've seen think safe. Under the other standards (7 ug/L), you have even more headroom.

ug/L is micrograms per liter.

[B.I.L.L.]

Yeah right ? I looked at Stevels math equation and it might as well been in chinese, but from what I gathered from his chart was that both mcg/L and ug/L boil down to ppm ?  Some how 

Just got back from the doc, he scheduled an mri and will go from there. Heres what he told me, If you get to a 6 or 7 pain more often than not, revise right away, the mri will tell us whats going on with the muscles/tissue, if it's dying (his words) revise right away, if not, lose some weight and check back in 6 months.  If a revision is done he recommends ceramic on polyethelene (plastic). Thats also what Dr Klug in nor-cal told me, if you have to revise go to a ceramic on nylon thr. I'm guessing that must be the standard hip for Kaiser patients at this time. So right now it comes down to the mri results. Either way I gotta drop some weight. It is what it is.....

[hernanu]

Well, good luck... here's hoping for good results from the MRI.

[B.I.L.L.]

Update, 2 weeks since mri, no results yet. How long does it take I wonder ?  Dr said 7-10 days, my guess is there behind due to the holidays.  The symptoms are not getting any better. The symptoms are swelling, knocking, clunking, "racheting ?" it feels like it hangs up and then "skips", especially rocking side to side, and it hurts. Sitting produces a dull toothache kind of pain, if I walk or stand for any length of time the clunking and pain increase, my butt cheek and back of my thigh feel swolen and cooler to the touch than the un-operated side, and it feels like there is fluid gathering around my foot as the day goes on, by the end of the day my foot is swolen (not bad, but definately noticable) and I feel kind of blah overall, not as much energy as I used to have and I don't sleep well at all. I've tried doing stretching and strength exercises everyday, every other day, 2 x a week, and sometimes not at all. I've tried resting and icing as well as doing nothing. trying to find the magic combo to decrease the symptoms, doesn't seem to matter, seems to go downhill no matter what. Doing nothing is the worst, if I stay off it and try to rest it for a few days it gets worse everytime, daily strength exercises and stretching produce the best results. It feels like the muscles just can't maintain any strength, like whatever progress I make working on the bowflex and stretching in the spa goes instantly back to zero if I rest it for 3 or 4 days. The increase in symptoms and the fairly recent addition of fluid gathering in my foot now has me concerned to say the least, and I'm really tired of being in limbo and hearing, "Leave it in for awhile longer, come back in 6 months" I think I just want this thing outta me so I can get on with my life, or figure out whats causing the problems cause like I said, I've tried every training/resting combo I can think of and making zero headway. Waiting 2 weeks for mri results has been extra special as well, wait wait wait wait wait, 4 years we've been waiting to see if it gets better, I'm convinced it's not gonna, just waiting for the mri.....   Anyway hope everyone had a good Christmas !  I'll get it worked out one way or another and will let you know what the mri says, whenever the f*#k that is . Hope everyone has a great holiday season and 2013 is your best year yet ! Talk to you later, Bill

[hernanu]

Hoping for good results for you, Bill. Have a good new year.

[B.I.L.L.]

Hoping for good results for you, Bill. Have a good new year.

Thanks. Happy new year to you too !! I'll get it figured out, one way or another

[obxpelican]

Sorry you are still having problems Bill, keep your head up.... things will get better.


BTW, where do I send the check for the T-Shirt?


Chuck

[B.I.L.L.]

Sorry you are still having problems Bill, keep your head up.... things will get better.


BTW, where do I send the check for the T-Shirt?


Chuck

Haha your money's no good from what I heard, check your pm's.
 

[fenceman]

Hope this new year brings you some answers. I pray everything turns out OK.
Bill

[B.I.L.L.]

Hope this new year brings you some answers. I pray everything turns out OK.
Bill

Thanks !  Me too    Hope 2013 is your best year yet !