My Hip Hurts

"Don't judge any man until you have walked two moons in his moccasins."
Native American Proverb
I've been suffering from trochanateric bursitis for several months. My primary care doc told me the cure was all about stretching. After faithful daily exercise routines, the pain wasn't going away and I noticed this kind of popping in my hip. A moment of sharp pain, when I thought my leg would give out. Next step was to see an orthopedic surgeon.
I did that right before I went to Seattle last month. I got a shot of cortisone and prayed for relief. My prayer was answered but not immediately and not completely. Being crammed into the window seat of a cross-country airplane for hours didn't actually help the situation.
I've been doing physical therapy 3 times a week for two weeks. It is well out of my comfort zone but I've been getting up at 6:30am and at the rehab place by 7:00. I join a variety of people with a variety of aches and pains stretching their arms and legs in a variety of poses. It's hard to say how much improvement I've made. Some, I'm sure. A lot? probably not.
Last night while making dinner, I somehow torqued, or tweaked or twisted something in my hip that sent me almost to my knees in pain. It didn't last long, but left me sore and achy. Before I went to bed, it had happened three times. Even after sleeping on a bag of ice all night, I woke up this morning sore - like I got a tetanus shot in my butt. Not horrible pain but enough to make me uncomfortable and crabby.
Feeling crabby. As I became of aware of this I had an epiphany of sorts. Perhaps if my dad is in a constant state of pain maybe that's why he's so often crabby. Low grade pain it seems is more of a nuisance than full-on-take-a-Lortab-and-zone-out pain. I don't feel like doing much of anything but sit with my new best friend the ice pack. I am sure I could break down in tears if asked for milk instead of tea. My doctor hasn't called back which has seriously pushed my anger buttons.
It's true I think that one has to walk in another's shoes to get a real feel for what that person is experiencing. I'm not 92, I don't have cancer, I'm not lonely and I don't have a slew of dollars to worry about so I can't really put myself in Dad's shoes. But I've gotten a taste of what it feels like to have a real pain in the butt. Quite frankly I don't like it.
Waaa!
Wishing for you a pain free day,
Merry ME

Comments

Fire Byrd said…
OOOOUUUWWWW! Hip pain is just debilitating. We waddle around rom side to side trying to avoid the sore bits to no avail.
Do hope you get an answer soon.
And I agree with you low grade pain makes you crabby, and sometimes you only know you've had it when it stops!
xx
October 9, 2009 at 3:54 AM
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