Jean
Hi, I am a 51 yr. old female. I had a Total Hip Replacement (left) 6 yrs. ago due to Legg/Calf Perthese Disease. On Jan. 6, 2000 I fell (which is the 5th fall since my THA). I guess I was lucky the past 4 times I fell, however since this last fall I am in debilitating pain and have been on crutches & in a wheel-chair ever since. I am normally a work-a-holic & a perfectionist, however I have been non-productive ever since. Even with crutches I am extremely limited in using them. Even if I am up on the crutches more than just to get something out of the frig., go to bathroom or get dressed etc. (only absolutely necessary things) it also totally does me in! The pain gets so bad I feel like I am shaking inside in pain and cannot even concentrate. I have tried walking without crutches and within hours the pain is so severe I am on the sofa with a heating pad for a day or 2 until I can get it settled down enough to even sit again. I do have pain sitting (lower back & hip) also, but usually not as severe, although some days it is also very bad. Directly after the fall I could not walk on my foot at all, then the next morning the foot was ok, but the other pains just kept getting worse! My pain is in my buttock, outer hip & thigh, left of tail-bone and groin on left. The pain feels like "very" intense bone pain (not arthritis ache). If I try to walk I also get sharp pain in my buttock & groin. Sometimes I get pain and a feeling of something (muscle, prosthesis or bone) doing a flip-flop in the front of my thigh if I am laying on my side & try to lift the leg upward. Occassionally I have pain in the inner part of the arch of my foot but I do not have drop foot. If I sit erect & raise both of my legs while sitting and pull my toes backward (instead of pointed) I get bad pain in my lower back. I do have good relexes & motion of the leg. The X-Ray and MRI of my back show 2 "small" bulging disks and some degeneration. I was told everyone has bulging disks and degeneration, and my back looks good for my age. They said the bulging disks aren't pressing on any nerves. The X-Ray & Bone-Scan of my hip are also negative. I have had therapy (traction stretching, upper body backwards arching, Tens Unit, heat & ice etc.) which made me worse. I have had 5 cortisone shots in my hip in a matter of one month which "temporarily" eased some of that pain but NEVER took the pain away, just made it a little more bearable. I had 3 Epidural shots in my back which did not help. I have allot of chronic inside problems so I can't even take pain meds. Occassionally when even laying down with a heating pad doesn't make it bearable I break down and take a muscle relaxer. This IS NOT the kind of pain someone can just live with. I cannot even be up (on crutches) long enough to make a meal, do dishes, clean etc.. I have not had any social life since January and had to cancel a pre-paid vacation because of this!! I am now very depressed due to this extreme pain and not being able to find help. I do not know where to go or what to do for help. Could this be the small bulging disks or damage to the hip even with negative tests? SOMETHING is definitely VERY wrong and I don't think the doctors understand how bad the pain is or how dis-functionable I have become! I don't know if I injured my back or my hip!! Anyone have similar pains or answers? JEAN