Tag: Hip Pain

Company Coming! Excitement and Worry all rolled up.

On By WendyIn Disability, Gluten-Free, Hip pain, Life, PainLeave a comment

Tonight one of my very best friends and her husband will be coming for a visit.  Not only is Kym a great friend, she was once my roommate, and my maid of honor. (Which I think was a great honor considering I only had one attendant.)

During our wedding ceremony. (l-r) Kym, Wendy, Stuart

I haven’t seen Kym and Camden since their wedding 4 years ago.  Unfortunately, we live on opposite sides of the US, about 3,000 miles apart.  They live in San Francisco, CA, we live in Durham, NC.  So, of course, I’m VERY EXCITED!  However…

I’m also a bit worried.  Kym and Camden are very energetic people, they love to site see and just go, go, go.  Well, the go, go, go is a little hard for me.

Let me explain with a little side note:  Yesterday I was telling Stuart how much I hate it when a doctor asks me to rate my pain on a number scale,  0 being no pain and 10 being pain that sends you to the ER.  I think the amount of pain it would take to send me to the hospital (someone who absolutely HATES to go to the ER) a lot different than someone else (who doesn’t mind going at all).  I told him that the scale should be 0 for no pain and 10 for when I pass out from the pain, and I really think they should tell you what 5 would represent.  Stuart said he was glad that he hasn’t been in pain that often.  Once when he broke his arm, and when he had to have surgery on his knee…but not much.  I confessed that I can’t remember a day that I haven’t been in some amount of pain.

Now I guess you can understand why I’m a bit worried.  I really want to show my friends a good time, and do things with them, but I’ve been in a lot a pain lately.   I know they’ll understand, and wouldn’t dare think of me being in pain so I can do something with them.  However, I don’t want them to be bored.  And I really WANT to do things.  *sigh*

I’m still having trouble with my arm with pain and tingling, my wrist with carpel tunnel, my hip is still giving me trouble, and I can’t seem to walk very far without pain in my feet, calves, and knees.  I feel so old.  I feel like I can’t do much at all before I get so tired (or hurt too much) and have to sit down and rest.  Every night I’ve been taking a hot bath before bed, it seems to help dull the pain, especially in my legs and hips, so I can go to sleep.

I keep waking up in a lot a pain, and I feel exhausted.  I wonder if I’m hurting so much while I’m sleeping that I don’t sleep deep enough to rest?

I’ve been baking today, and I’m exhausted.  I was trying to make gluten free hot dog buns.  After 3 tries, I gave up.  So no buns for the cook-out tomorrow.

They’ll be here in about 3 hours.  Think I might take a nap.

Orthopedist Appointment – Ouch!

On By WendyIn Hip pain, Medical Tests, Pain4 Comments

Today I had a follow up appointment with my Orthopedist about my hip.

This shows where part of my pain is located. (image courtesy of http://www.cartage.org.lb)

Last night I was in the kitchen and turned from the sink to the counter behind me and my hip popped and hurt.  It hurt for most of the night.  (one of the reasons I had a hard time going to sleep).  This was good information for the doctor.  He took this information and then moved my hip all around, causing a lot of pain.  He came to the conclusion that my psoas may be need to be “clipped”.  (My husband reminded me that the doctor said that he would “release” it.  I remember hearing both terms being used, but perhaps “releasing” is more descriptive of what he’s actually talking about.)   His office is getting a new ultrasound machine, hopefully, next week.  He wants to look at my hip under a live ultrasound to see what it’s doing.  Perhaps we will be closer to getting some answers.

While I was there I decided to ask him about all of the pain I’ve been having in my shoulder, neck, down my arm….and my hand is asleep every time I wake up in the morning.  This has been bothering me much more than my hip lately.

My doctor examined me.  He moved my arm all around, had me push this way and that, and heard the crunching in my shoulder.

He said I have some trouble with my rotator cuff.  He also said mentioned that I have some carpel tunnel troubles.  (I knew that.)  He said that my hand shouldn’t be going to sleep because of my rotator cuff, unless it is very inflamed.  He said it was probably the carpel tunnel, but I mentioned that it doesn’t get better when I where my wrist brace.  So…we just don’t know yet.  He said I need to strengthen my rotator cuff first, and we’ll go from there.

On a better note, my ear isn’t hurting any more, and I haven’t been dizzy any more.  Yay!!

Lately my blog has been having some problems.

I don’t know what happened to my Theme on my blog, but it just wasn’t showing up right.  Some technical difficulties, I guess.  So I tried to fix it, and well, I lost everything that I had in my right sidebar.  I’m trying to fix it up, but bear with me.  Please.

image courtesy of butnowwhat.com

I’m pleased to announce that coming up next on Picnic With Ants

Maureen from Sunshine and Chaos writes about living in limbo!

Stay tuned!!

Feeling Better and Worse

On By WendyIn Hip pain, Life, Meniere's Disease8 Comments
The Dance, by Wendy Holcombe

Great News, the Meniere’s is still staying calm!  Virtually no symptoms!  Yes, I feel like Dancing!!  Since I’ve been feeling better I’ve been doing much more.  On Saturday we went to the new outlet mall that recently opened not too far from us.  Actually, it was farther than I thought, but we made it.  After that long ride, we walked around for a long time.  Then we left there, got some lunch, and went to the grocery store.  Next, we stopped at the library to pick up a few books I had on hold.  Finally, we headed home.  I went upstairs to get in more comfy clothes, and saw a print out for an exercise routine that I got off of Faith, Hope, and Fighting Spirit’s Blog. I decided, to try it out.  Whew! for someone who hasn’t been exercising, it was intense.  Really, it wasn’t so bad, but it calls for many push-ups and I’m really not good at doing push-ups.  I am very proud that I got through the whole Total Core Pyramid, and I only skipped a few push-ups.  I rested for a while, then made dinner and a friend came over and we watched movies.

What a busy day!

After all of that my hip was hurting so much!  It popped and everyone heard it!  Ouch!  I guess I haven’t been having hip troubles, simply because I haven’t been doing much.  When I went to bed my shoulder was hurting so bad after all those push-ups I couldn’t get comfortable.  I finally decided to take a pain pill, and it helped.  (I took a total of 3 hydrocodone yesterday.  The first because I had a headache, the second because of my hip, and the third because of my shoulder.)  I don’t think it’s a good thing that I have to take pain pills to get through an active day.

I don’t want to have surgery on my hip again, so I’m going to try to build it up with light exercise, working out in the pool, and having massages.  I’m hoping to be able to start going to the pool next week.

My husband is starting a new job on March 16th.  He will be working as a contract employee for the first 3 months, then he will be full-time.  It’s an exciting and nervous time.  This is a much more stable company, and it has better insurance.  Of course he won’t have this insurance for the 3 months he is a contract employee, and for the first 30 days after he is full-time, but we will still be on his old company’s insurance, we just have to pay for it.  He will still be able to work at home, with great flex time.   I just hope he will end up loving what he’s doing!  It’s very hard to have a job that you hate, no matter how good the benefits.

To Sum Up:

  • Meniere’s is doing great.
  • I’m being much more active.
  • Hip is not doing so great.
  • Hubby has a new job.

Oh, by the way, I’m looking forward to my appointment with Dr. Kaylie on the 14th.  I’ll  be getting a hearing test and we’ll find out just how much better I really am.

What’s Up with Wendy

On By WendyIn Hip pain, Life, Medical Tests2 Comments
Cherry Trees are blooming in NC

It’s beginning to look a lot like…Spring!  The cherry trees are blooming.  The grass is starting to have little green spots.  The weather is crazy; one day it’s hot, the next day it’s cold.  Spring is trying to…well..spring!  It’s an exciting time, watching life begin.  We are busy planning our garden, it’s so nice to think that this year I will be able to have a garden.  This is the third year we’ve been in this house, and I really wanted to have a garden, but this is the first time I thought I might actually be able to take care of one!

I’m so excited about how well I’ve been feeling.  I’ve been busy, busy, busy doing things I haven’t been able to do in so long.  I know it probably sounds crazy, but I’m so excited about being able to clean!  Yes, I scrubbed our bathroom and was just so happy!  I’ve been doing laundry!  We have a front loading washer and dryer and before I couldn’t load and unload them without getting dizzy, so doing laundry is just so exciting.

I’m sure I won’t be as excited about doing house work for long, but right now I’m just so happy.

I’m also excited about something else.  I haven’t had diarrhea in over a week now!  I don’t know what has changed, but I’m so very happy.  Now if I could just take off this weight!  Hopefully, now that I can move more the weight will start to come off.  I sure hope so.

One unfortunate thing about moving more, my hip is starting to really bother me again.  I’m hoping to start going to the pool and working with it.  I don’t know if it will work, but it has before.  If not, I guess I’ll have to start considering surgery.  But not until I’ve exhausted every other option!

Right now I’m doing the last Breath Test.  Today is the fructose test.  The stuff I had to drink was so sweet, I still have a sickly sweet taste in my mouth.  I’m so hungry, I haven’t had anything to eat since about 8:30pm last night.  Just 2 more hours to go, and I’ll be finished!  I’m looking forward to finding out what these tests show.  I doubt it will show anything, as usual, but at least I will know.  : )  I’ll let you know next week!

Williamsburg, VA, Food for Thought – Original Post from Glutenfree Greenie

On By WendyIn Chronic IllnessLeave a comment

this post originally appeared on GlutenFree Greenie on November 11, 2009   (placing on this blog to document in one place when my Meniere’s Disease went Bilateral)

First I’d like to apologize for not being around very much lately. I know I don’t usually get into my personal life on here, but I feel I should explain a little why I haven’t been around very much. As I’ve mentioned before I had hip surgery on October 13th, to repair another torn labrum.

 

On Halloween night at the end of a very nice party full of wonderful gluten free food from lots of glorious friends, I started having an acute Meniere’s attack. Meniere’s Disease affects the fluid balance in the ear. They don’t know what causes it or how to correct it. An acute attack causes fluctuating hearing loss, vertigo, extreme tinnitus, and various other symptoms. I went to the ENT on Monday and found out that one of the tubes I had put in in March had fallen out. So, on November 13th I had new T-tubes put in. I’m still having an acute attack, it’s not as bad. My hearing is still in flux, and the tinnitus is really bad, but at least the vertigo has pretty much leveled off.

 

We are vacationing in Williamsburg, VA this week thanks to some wonderful friends who invited stay with them. It’s been really nice to just relax after my surgeries.

 

We’re staying at a place that has a full kitchen so we’ve been eating in a lot, but last night we ventured out and ate at a place called Food For Thought. I found them on an internet search before we came to Williamsburg, I saw on someone’s blog that they have a gluten free menu, but they don’t have it on their website, so I emailed them. The owner was kind enough to email me back with a pdf version of the gluten free menu. The prices there are a little steeper than I’m used to, but the food and service was excellent!

There aren’t a ton of things on the gluten free menu, and I was in a comfort food kind of mood, so I had the selection on the menu where you can pick 3 sides and have a side salad or soup. I decided to up scale my salad to a mini-cobb salad and my 3 sides were mashed red skins, steamed broccoli and grilled asparagus (the asparagus was a special).

My husband had grilled medium rare tuna, some special rice, and french green beans. He cleaned every morsel off his plate.

 

My asparagus came with a sauce on it and I asked the waitress to make sure it was gluten free, and come to find out it wasn’t. But it wasn’t on the gluten free menu since it was a special, she was so sweet and very embarrassed that she didn’t think to check, I wasn’t worried and understood completely. She offered the asparagus with the sauce to my husband which he just gobbled up! And I received the most delicious grilled asparagus ever.

 

For desert I had a flourless chocolate tort with vanilla ice cream. Very smooth. My husband had something that looked like a huge sopapilla with ice cream and apples. He loved it.

 

Our final bill came to less than $50 before tip, so not so bad after all. Of course. We both drank water, that really makes a difference.

 

Would I go back there? You bet ya! But I do wish it had more gluten free options.

And I would really scrutinize the gluten free menu. I wasn’t positive about all of the options.