THE END!.......

The End! Well not for my blog, because unfortunately the hip saga is continuing, but the end for...
1. Dr M
2. Children's Hospital
3. Saving/ Preserving my hip

I had my final apt with Dr. M ironically on Feb 25th the 1 year anniversary of my SDD open hip surgery w/ Dr M. At one year I was supposed to be recovered from this surgery, but here I am at CH getting a 2 HOUR MRI for both my hips.

A two hour MRI seemed a little bit like a piece of hell when I was first told about it. How can I sit still for 2 HOURS without moving, plus my hips gets so stiff from keeping them in the same position. I was told they could not sedate me or give me medication to relax me, because of the contrast dye they were injecting me with in case of an allergic reaction..ugh! Then they told me they had a ipod system where I could bring my iPod in and at least listen to my tunes while I was MRI'ing ;) So I spent about 4 hours the day before making the perfect most relaxing MRI mix around...all my most favorite chill songs to get me through the  two hours.

Got to CH and got injected with the dye..no reaction..good! Then I had to walk around with my crutches for 20 minutes to move the dye around my body for the MRI..not that easy since the most I have walked around in the past year is possibly 5 minutes..at most. So we did half walking around half lying on the hospital bed moving legs around (almost like a mini PT session ;) ) Then I was ready for the MRI. I told the nurse I had my iPod for the machine..she looked at me with a face I knew no good news was going to come out of.."um, the ipod machine in the MRI room you will be in is broken"...WHAT????? Ok now I was freaking out. So then I said, "well you guys have at least headphones and your own music"... Nurse, "No, but your boyfriend can come in and stay with you"  Ok..so D brought some books into the MRI room and figured he could read to me.... Nurse, "Yea, that won't work, we are giving her ear plugs for the noise..she won't hear you at all"
In the end I made it through the two hours..and due to good behavior I got a 5 min break between the two hips, so an hour..5 min break to stretch..an then the last hour! The last couple of minutes I was going to ask how much longer (but so scared she would say 20 more minutes..which I don't think I could have handled), and then a voice came over the loud intercom saying 2 more minutes, and we will be done..YES!
Next Up: Dr M apt.:
Dr. M pulled up the MRI's.
Left hip looked pretty good...some fraying of labrum..small impingement but overall compensation is probably causing pain.
Right Hip: Totally beyond repair. No labrum... almost complete lost of cartilage in the section that moves when you walk...this is why pain is so constant. Quoting Dr M. "I am a joint/ hip preservationist Dr..I try to preserve hips in young people...but I know when to call Uncle and I am calling Uncle..we were to late in fixing your hip...destruction was pretty bad when I went in there..try to stop it from spreading, but it has and there is a point when there is nothing left to work with, and your hip is at this point.....
I think you should go to the apt. with the Dr I set you up with and find out how to handle your severe arthritis, and see if he can do a hip replacement..it is hard to get a hip replacement approved for someone your age, but you need it, so hopefully it can be done"

CRYING COMMENCES...
*Tears of frustration
*Tears of four years of pain and four painful surgeries/"recoveries" for nothing
*Tears that I will have to move onto a different Dr..for whatever it is worth..Dr M is a wonderful Dr. who has been so helpful and kind, as well as the only surgeon I truly trust. We have been through a lot together the past year and he was extremely supportive, and I truly believe he tried his best to save my hip.
*Tears of what is to come next for me and my hip

I left Children's Hospital speechless...D stopped on the way home to get me McDonalds french fries (a very guilty pleasure of mine that I rarely allow myself to have)
I ate my french fries and crawled into bed, and didn't get up untill the next morning. My head had to much to process..I actually felt so sad by the time I got home..I couldn't even cry.

I woke up the next morning feeling a little clearer and refreshed and realized that this is the end of this section of my hip chapter....can't change the past. Hopefully I have learned a lot from it and that the future will present a life with a pain free functioning hip...fingers crossed.

See New Dr (Dr. R) in 3 weeks about what is next (at an adult hospital ;) ) and will keep you updated on what will happen in my hispter saga......