The doctor called. Got me worried.

Brutha

Hello again all.

Not been here for a while as have found a way to cope day to day with my ra and tablet regime. Until recently. I was having hip soreness when I walked too much, that evolved to massive hip pain if I ran. I stopped running anywhere about six months ago. (My son now lost all interest in football which we shared and I enjoyed with him). This then moved on to lots of hip pain if I took large strides and walked too far.

Anyway, I went to the rheumatologist back in feb and told her this stuff. She’s new, she’s nice but she said it wasn’t RA causing the pain it’s osteo. Sent me for knee X-rays and hip mri. That mri was very beginning of April and I heard nothing. But walking was getting harder and harder. I had a day off work last week and when I went back on Thursday I knelt down to check the boiler (I’m a gas repair man) and the ligaments in my knee didn’t like that. So I went home and got a doctors appointment, same day luckily.

The gp tried range of movement tests, and it surprised me how little I have in some directions. So he told me to come back In two weeks after he has chased up the mri. The next day I got a call from the secretary asking me to come in to discuss the mri results. Writing this down and thinking it through probably looks like my hip needs some kind of work on it but I am so nervous.

I told the other half and she said “I hope it’s not cancer” because she is a tactless South African and that certainly hasn’t helped me rationalise things. It’s obviously just knackered hip joint with Osteo isn’t it? I’ll find out Tuesday at 10:10. Seems too far away right now.


Regards
Mark

stickywicket

Of course Tuesday seems a long way away. When we're anxious time seems to elongate.

I think the likeliest explanation is OA. The GP asked for your MRI results, someone somewhere realised they'd made an error in not sending them previously so he got them straight away. And has naturally asked you in to discuss them. That's good.

Less good is the fact that, according to your rheumatologist, who should know, you have OA. I can't remember how long you went before getting onto DMARDS which worked for you but, if RA gets established and is left to do its thing for too long, OA follows. I have it in most joints now.

I'm sorry the footie with your son has had to go. How about a Play Station? My grandson loves his footie but is also very good at playing it virtually.

Let's know how you get on and do try not to worry.

dreamdaisy

There's nothing like family support and that comment was nothing like family support. :roll:

I too suspect you've done the double; my hip OA was diagnosed in 2011 via the GP and then later some Xrays of my knees revealed advanced OA in them (I had no idea because it was masked by my PsA). The PsA began in 1997 but I did not begin any meds until 2002 - that was my arthritic undoing. Please let us know how you get on come Tuesday. DD

Brutha

Thanks for replies.

I have no idea how long I was suffering before dmards started. I know that before I had my first steroid injection I had been unable to lift my arms above shoulder height for as long as I could remember. My shoulders have been terrible since 13 (right shoulder reconstructed with silicone ligaments and a pin at 15 but didn’t help much) I just thought that’s how my shoulders were. I was diagnosed with gout about 7 years ago. But that cured itself when I started drinking 2 litres of water a day. I had foot pain in the morning for about a year before diagnosis. It could be anytime I guess. I will never know for sure but only started to get restricted in what I could do (shoulders aside) in 2014, unable to walk on swollen feet, sore hands and so on.

I will let you know Tuesday. Sickness review at work tomorrow. Not sure if I will need to go with a stick or not at present, will find out in the morning as ever.

I can see me being redeployed to an administrative or supervisory (that won’t suit me) role if this hip doesn’t improve. Fingers crossed he is calling me in for an injection Tuesday.

Regards
Mark

dreamdaisy

I was fortunate when I was working in that I was self-employed so could tailor things to suit me; I don't know how I would have managed if I had had to tailor myself to suit others but I suspect that it would have made matters worse than they were due to the extra pressure and stress.

Many of us on here have had to adjust our plans and wants because they are immaterial when it comes to the demands of the disease. It's not a straightforward process but better for us if we can. You may not fancy an office-based role but it may make things easier for you, reduce pain levels and enable you to plan your days to suit you and your changing needs. Anyhoo, let's cross that bridge if and when we get there, yes?

I was born with auto-immune nonsense so this was not unexpected, unlike the OA. I regret placing my faith in my then GP (who turned out to be a complete ignoramus about arthritis and too arrogant to accept the fact) but until then GPs had always been a positive factor in my unhealthy life. There is also the fact we get used to things being a certain way and may lose sight of the fact they don't have to be . . . . . take care and good luck. DD

trepolpen

as a general rule RA dont affect our hips , but it can , most the time it osto caused by back problems

there are other things that can cause hip problems like Bursitis which is common with RA suffers , Tendinitis , fractures & cancer as well as what I suffer from Avascular necrosis & need a replacement but it dont sound like that

you could ask for a steriod injected into the joint & may help , so hope you get some answers next week

dreamdaisy

Hello again, how did it go? DD

Brutha

Mostly good news.

I got an Injection into the hip!

MRI shows some joint changes causing pain but mainly synovitis was the finding. Which is good because that sort of stuff has been found elsewhere and is old news that an get bashed by an injection! Again! There is still no letter from Febs rheumatology appointment but then again there’s no response from rheum advice line either according to their voicemail. Cut to the bone aren’t they.


Now I have to rest for a day or two for it to work the best which is great because I didn’t sleep much last night.

Also have another hernia but we agreed to leave that alone as it's asymptomatic and the last one was an absolute strangulated reoccurring nightmare!

Thanks so much for the support. So nervous. I know not to be next time. If I can help myself.

Mark.

stickywicket

I'm so pleased that it's, essentially, good news but I note that your views on 'good' are changing, as they do when we end up troubling the NHS far more than we would wish. I agree, something that can be treated and something asymptomatic are both 'good news' in the weird world of arthritis.

Thanks for the update and enjoy your well-earned rest.

Brutha

My views are definetly changing!

Rheumatoid a little out of control and causing trouble? Have a hernia and a manual job?

Things could be worse. My uncle passed last month poor soul. At 50 or so he should have stopped work with fibromyalgia and arthritis (he never specified which and I didn’t push him). He always had a smile and finally (in the last 3 years) got on benefits and a shared ownership house (my grandad), giving him the stability he needed. He deserved. Poor soul was in an electric wheel chair for a couple of years before relying on his dad- my grandad. Five years ago he was double walking sticks in peoples houses painting because it was all he knew and he needed to pay bills. He set me a good example of embracing challenges. The government said because he could get to peoples houses and paint he didn’t need benefits. Lived in a small town in Cornwall so people kept employing him because they knew him, liked him and knew he would do a good job and didn’t charge by the hour. Good man.

So for myself I am somewhat joyous (really you should see my stupid face right now!) and can barely see the “negatives”. Perspective has changed for a few reasons.



Mark

dreamdaisy

I hope the injection is effective, I have had many over the years and only one worked. Resting is giving this one the best chance so good luck!

stickywicket

Brutha wrote:

Lived in a small town in Cornwall so people kept employing him because they knew him, liked him and knew he would do a good job and didn’t charge by the hour. Good man.

Definitely a good man and an uncle to be proud of.

Brutha

The injection didn't work very well. We bought half a kitchen last year after I moved a wall. Last week I saw the same range was on a really good sale so I bought the rest before it went obsolete so we could have a full matching kitchen. But it needs fitting and I thought I could do it- it's only cupboards and shelves the difficulty of ikea furniture- no worktops or pipework needed.

But I did too much and now my shoulders are really terribly painful and stiff, my hands are sore and my hip is again letting me know it's still there. Plus the hernia started hurting after the hip settled down the day after the injection.. The hip was hiding the hernia pain it seems. So I got referred for that.

Oh well. At least I had a few weeks I guess. Just feel a bit of a mess to be honest. Having to go slow at work, but at least I am at work. Moan over, probably.

Mark

stickywicket

We've all made these mistakes and, indeed, continue to make them long after we should have learned our lessons. Feeling good, or at least much better, leads to all sorts of temptations.

I'm sorry you're paying the penalty and I hope things improve a bit soon.

dreamdaisy

It's a hard and long lesson to learn but the essence is never think you can do what you think you can do, always stop when you think you can do more and do jobs and chores in chunks, never all at once. Just reading your description of the activity had me wincing at the thought of the lifting, balancing, putting in position, adjusting, the various bodily contortions required to hammer or screw: no wonder there's payback. I hope things ease soon. DD