I Will Survive

I am letting people know about what has happened to me with the hope that it saves anyone who reads this blog or there friends from going through my horrible experience. I am not looking for sympathy and am not doing it because of the poor me's but I just hope it saves someone from having to go through the misery I am going through.
To give you a bit of history I am a 48 year old male who has a severe case of osteoporosis. 8 weeks a go I was helping my partner lift a ladder and when we where done I had a sharp pain in my hip. The next day the pain was worse so I saw my doctor and she referred me to an orthopedic surgeon who x rayed my back and hip and then did a MRI. His conclusion was that there was no breaks and just a slightly herniated disc that should calm down and I would be fine. Over the next 8 weeks I returned to see the doctor 3 times and was in excruciating pain. I was only able to walk a couple steps using two canes, without stopping because of the pain. The most sleep I got in a night during the 8 weeks was 2 hours a night. Finally on my third visit to the doctors I stressed that I could not go on with the pain I was in and she told me there was no reason for the pain it was just in my head. I did not leave the appointment and insisted on how serious it was and that she has 5 days to find out why I was in so much pain. She finally agreed to send me for a nuclear bone density scan of my body. Last Thursday I had my scan and they found that my hip is indeed broken. I see the surgeon today to find out what they are going to do about it. I called my osteoporosis specialist and told him what had happened and he told me that he has had a few cases in his practice where this has happened. I cannot begin to explain the hell I have gone through in the past 8 weeks with pain. It is something I want to try and save anyone I know from.
My reason for telling you this is if you have osteoporosis and you think you have broken something because of the pain, if they do an x ray and a catscan or MRI and do not come up with a satisfactory answer insist on a nuclear bone scan as it will find things the other tests can miss. This also goes for other health problems if you do not get a satisfactory answer insist on more tests or second opinions until you get the proper answer. Remember it is you we are talking about here and you are worth it.

Update:

The top of my femur bone is not getting enough blood to grow. I go for a MRI on Saturday October 31 and then see my surgeon on November 5 to decide which surgery I need. If it is a small area of the bone they will try drilling holes in the bone to increase blood flow but the surgeon feels that what is going to happen is a full hip replacement. This is complicated by my severe osteoporosis. I will update next Thursday.

Getting Better Thank You

My body is telling me it is getting older and some parts of it are wearing down. I suffer from a joint deterioration problem that is really effecting my knees and causes them to pop out of joint when ever they please thus causing me to fall flat on my face. Not fun. It also causes the knees to be a constant source of considerable pain. I am also "blessed" with chronic migraines that happen on a constant basis and I have not had a day with out a migraine in 14 years. Yes I said 14 years. I have been anemic for the past two years with an iron level of 11, the hospital here will not give you an infusion until your level reaches 10. I have 2 bleeding ulcers and must sleep sitting up because of the heartburn. Now my body has decided to be real funny and make me feel real old by giving me severe osteoporosis. To make matters worse my bone density scan shows severe damage and I have vertebrae fractures. Now I have been dealing with a lot of pain but these past few months it has been unbearable and the reason you have not been seeing many pictures of tatting on my blog is I have been in to much pain to do anything.
Now for the positive news. I now walk using a cane or walker and it has reduced my falls and made walking much safer. I have come to accept that I will always be with some degree of migraine and that I am doing all I can medically and non-medically to deal with it. I accept it for what it is and live with it. I got a second opinion on my iron and a referral to a new hospital and it is there policy to give transfusions if your iron is 25 or below and I am receiving my 4th of 10 weekly infusions this week after waiting 2 years. Finally I will feel like I have some energy and to do the least little thing in life will not be a major effort. I have medication for the bleeding ulcers and have bought a Lazy-boy recliner for the bedroom. My Family doctor has approved a dramatic increase in my pain medications and now the pain level is a 10 on a scale of 10 instead of a 14. I am in the process of appealing the government's decision to deny funding for my osteoporosis treatment. I will do my best to deal with it and it is a big improvement over what it was.
As I am getting used to this new balance in my life I am finally able to start back at tatting so I hope to be posting some pictures soon. Yes things are getting a bit better Thank You.