Annual checkup

[Tin Soldier]

Agreed, hope things work out for you. 

BTW - micrograms per liter or mcg/l, or ug/l are all the same as parts per billion (ppb).  not ppm as I think you may have asked in the thread. 

So I have a question - why can't you get a revision to another HR?  I think each of the designs for the acetabular cup are designed to be revised. 

[phillwad]

Bill - you are hanging tough and that is what we would expect from you - no BS.  Thanks for the updates - helps us all understand and discuss these isses - I am learning alot. - Phill

[Ross]

Hope your hip works out for you Bill.

[B.I.L.L.]

First off thanks for the reply's  I've thrown in the towell and will just keep living and eating norcos like I was before surgery. The mri showed "no obvious signs of fluid build up or muscle necrosis" and the dcotor said "come back for another ion test in march, or if anything changes..." Heres the gripe, if I sit for any length of time it hurts in my butt cheek and down the back of my thigh, if I walk or stand for any length of time at all, same thing plus recently it feels like fluid is gathering around my foot by the end of the day. Doing nothing (ie sleeping or laying down) helps until I go to walk or sit and then the symptoms come back within 1-2 hours or less, working it out and stretching help to prolong the time before the symptoms start, but it's no where near where it was 2 years ago. I try to exercise it daily because that seems to help, but it hurts. I can clench my butt cheek and feel it clunk and knock and it makes it hurt. So I've been exercising/stretching then taking pain meds and sitting in the spa to try and sleep better. After a short time on my feet it clunks with every step, sometimes it hurts a little, sometimes it hurts a lot. Overall I feel kind of drained and tired all the time, and I have a hard time getting motivated to do things because it hurts. Going to someone else besides Kaiser isn't really an option financially (btw I pay $900+ a month for kaiser plus 25 bucks every time I walk in the door) so for now I'll keep plugging along and try to get a couple bucks ahead, but the economy sucks right now and saving money isn't really happening, pretty much just getting by month to month. Sorry to be all Debbie Downer on you guys , thats why I haven't been posting about it too much, I don't have too many positive things to say other than it's still better than it was pre-surgery I guess.  I get the feeling kaiser wishes I would just croak and leave them alone, or postpone it until Obummercare takes over maybe. My checkups went from 1 year, to 6 months, and now to 3 month increments, I guess I'll just keep going until the stupid thing completely falls apart ? I don't know what to do at this point. I keep telling myself what an idiot I must be if I just need to exercise more and get the muscles stronger, but I have been doing more exercises in the last 3 months than I have since the surgery. Resting doesn't help, and exercising doesn't help (unless I'm not doing enough ?), but the un-operated hip feels stronger than ever since I've stepped up my exercise program, my 2 hips don't feel similiar AT ALL. I have people tell me they can't tell the difference between their fake hip and their real hip, I can believe me. Anyway enough poor me talk. Meanwhile I may send the x-rays and blood test results out to some other doctors for more opinions, but it's not like I can close up shop, shell out who knows how many tens of thousands of dollars, and take 6 months off, pffffft hahaha that's not gonna happen. Anyway thanks for your concerns and one more time if your new and reading this go to resurface specialists guru or go get a thr, DO NOT TRUST SOMEONE NEW TO THIS. My plan is work as much as I can, ride and race as much as I can, and I'll let you know what happens after the test's in march. Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and have a happy new year !

[phillwad]

Bill - sorry you are in some pain - hang for a while and see what the next check up brings.  Have a beer and ride hard - sorry I should have said - ride hard and then have a beer

[hernanu]

Bizarre, Bill - you don't have high metal ions, but are having pain and clunking when moving, and the MRI seems good.

Maybe other surgeons will be able to spot something when they look the XRays and blood work over.

[B.I.L.L.]

Bizarre, Bill - you don't have high metal ions, but are having pain and clunking when moving, and the MRI seems good.

Maybe other surgeons will be able to spot something when they look the XRays and blood work over.

Yeah I know I feel like the little boy who cried wolf, Me-"It doesn't feel right, it's bothering me"  The doc- "There's nothing wrong it's fine" Me- "Ok I must be doing something wrong" Thing is when I get up in the morning it feels pretty good, 3-4 hours later, not so much. I haven't tried doing nothing for a more than a few days at a time, but 2 years ago it was a non-issue. I'd love for it to be something else, even though I'd feel kinda dumb about whining about it for the last year and a half. I'm stepping up the exercise and will see what they say in march. But being a poolman means I need to do this in winter, not april or may, so no matter what they say at this point, it's in there for close to another year at least. (I started pursuing this more aggressivly in oct when the cobalt came back at 24 ppb) Here we are 3 months later playing the lets wait and see game still, oh well right ? I'll make the best of it and keep you informed of any changes. (I was hoping he'd say oh it's bursitus or tendonitus or something that can be worked out with no surgery, so far I've gotten basicly no news other than wait some more) Have a good day, Bill

[obxpelican]

Bill,

I am so sorry to hear you are still having problems, I was hoping for you that backing down your work would help that hip.

I would definately send your x-rays elsewhere, at least at that point you will know what you are dealing with.

One question, would it be possible for you to change who you have as a health care provider?  One of the good things coming from Obamacare is they cannot use pre-existing conditions coming next year I think.  Just a thought and you might end up being able to go to whoever you want.

You're going to get through this buddy.


Chuck

[Tin Soldier]

Sorry to hear this.  I agree with Hern and Chuck, can you get some other opinions? 

[Dee Dee]

Bill,

Has anyone suggested back issues?  I get butt cheek pain and shooting down the back of my leg from SI and lower back problems. Then that will affect how I walk and then the muscles around the hip hurt.

 My pain doc and PT says the hips and lower back are so very connected that it can be trouble figuring out the real cause of pain.

In the middle of trying to figure out the cause of my pain, I discovered I had degenerative disc, and spondilolisthesis.  after I got epidural injections, I still was not walking well and finally learned  my hips were bad all along.

Now that I have 2 new hips, I hope to keep the back pain at bay, but I will need to work hard on my core.  Dr. Gross said that if the shooting pain down the back of the leg starts up again to get another injection because a spinal fusion is my only fix if the symptoms persist. 

Maybe your back is causing the pain.  Just a thought.
Dee

[B.I.L.L.]

Bill,

Has anyone suggested back issues?  I get butt cheek pain and shooting down the back of my leg from SI and lower back problems. Then that will affect how I walk and then the muscles around the hip hurt.

 My pain doc and PT says the hips and lower back are so very connected that it can be trouble figuring out the real cause of pain.

In the middle of trying to figure out the cause of my pain, I discovered I had degenerative disc, and spondilolisthesis.  after I got epidural injections, I still was not walking well and finally learned  my hips were bad all along.

Now that I have 2 new hips, I hope to keep the back pain at bay, but I will need to work hard on my core.  Dr. Gross said that if the shooting pain down the back of the leg starts up again to get another injection because a spinal fusion is my only fix if the symptoms persist. 

Maybe your back is causing the pain.  Just a thought.
Dee

Thanks Dee, 99% sure it's not my back, by the end of the day my hip feels like there's a rock between the ball and socket, it knocks and ratchets worse than the first few weeks, butt and thigh get puffy and swolen, the muscles all around the hip are tight and sore, it clicks with every step.  I see Dr. # 4 next thursday, I'll ask but I highly doubt it, I've had back/disc/sciatic issues before, and this isn't anything like that. I heard back from my doctor who ordered the mri, he said get another opinion, hence Dr # 4 next thursday. In the process of getting the mri, blood tests and x-rays to Dr Klug, who is the resurface go to guy for Kaiser.

[Dee Dee]

I hope you get answers. I can't imagine what you are going through. Keep us informed.
Dee

[B.I.L.L.]

I hope you get answers. I can't imagine what you are going through. Keep us informed.
Dee

Thanks Dee. Yeah I'm ready for a course of action. Left, right, backwards, sideways, whatever. Just no more limbo. Whatever I need to do I'm ready to do, yesterday.
I'll let you guys know when I know.   

[B.I.L.L.]

Update as of 1-17-13
New doc says x-rays and mri, look good, call for an appt today and start physical therapy. He thinks it may be it band related ? Then another blood test in april, if the numbers don't go down and or the symptoms don't improve, -revise to thr. He wants to make sure the lab results were accurate, (btw, last time they said to stop taking vitamins/minerals etc for 10 days prior to the blood test, he wants me to stop for 30 days to make sure no false reading)
Not sure if the it band issue can cause knocking, clunking, swelling and pain, but I hope he's right. At least this guy gave me a direction and an end game plan, still in limbo but at least I have a direction and a course of action. "Nope, looks fine, must be in your head" was getting tiring. I'l let you know where I stand in april... fingers crossed


(By the way, this guy said he doesn't do bhr's because HE DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE doing that surgery, but believes the bhr is a better way to go, especially for younger patients. He has done 1 revision due to lose componets, so if it needs to be revised, he won't be doing it, but his honesty was much appreciated)

[Tin Soldier]

That's good that you got some info and a little direction.  I still think the revision could be an HR.  If you are still looking at a revision.  You should look into that, maybe check with Gross or Pritchett or other really experienced docs.     Also, I like your doc's honesty.  I don't think we see that much.