Avascular Necrosis
Let's talk about avascular necrosis (AVN). Truly it's a technical term that just means bone death and I have been experiencing this. Who knows if it's the altitude of living in Colorado that is exaggerating the phenomenon!? Ultimately, many people with Sickle Cell Disease experience this in their bones and is usually commonplace in their joints, such as shoulders or hips. In my case, my hips were the first discovered.
I have always complained about pain in my bones, especially my legs. My hip pain has been very extreme since the birth of my son almost four years ago. And for the longest time my primary doctors didn't understand my complaint until my hematologist ordered MRIs in 2012 and they showed the AVN. The pain had become so bad it was hard to function and I opted for a core decompression (where they drill into the bone to help reduce the pressure) and bone graft (cadaver bone and minerals) to be put in. I don't view surgery as a walk in the park and I know the hardest part is always recovery. This is a decision I contemplated for years, until the pain made the alternative of just "living with it" unbearable. I also did not want my inaction to become the source of a new problem, such as the AVN becoming worse and needing a hip replacement. The core decompression and bone graft was an attempt to save the hip and avoid a hip replacement.
I had this done in April of 2015. They truly made it seem like it would be a straightforward process, very to the point, with favorable results occurring 70% of the time. What is a favorable result? Less pain and the introduced bone graft promoting healing form the inside out. I chose to have this surgery done because I wanted to avoid the hip becoming worse and the bone collapsing which would automatically create a replacement situation. I was told the surgery would be outpatient, would last a few hours, and I would be home that same night. I'd have to keep weight off of my hip for six weeks to allow time for the bone to heal. I'd have to use a walker and/or crutches to get around in the mean time. After the six weeks, I could begin putting weight on the hip again. A very optimistic outlook, sure.
What this meant for me is I needed a team in place to help me. As a SAHM, I wouldn't be able to care for my son, or even care for myself initially. No cooking (have you ever tried to get ingredients together and move things around in a kitchen without the use of your hands? I did and it wasn't pretty) no cleaning, and what ended up happening is I needed help with the simplest tasks. It wasn't not as neat and tidy as I would have liked everything to turn out. I experienced and am still experiencing problems that this surgery has created. I will go into that in more detail in a future post.
For brevity's sake, I plan on sharing the surgery and recovery experience for those wondering if this form of treatment is right for them. While I would have liked to blog as the recovery was happening, the pain, doctors visits, fatigue, and subsequent pain relief did not allow for that to happen. So, look for future posts on the subject & I'll see ya'll then!
I have always complained about pain in my bones, especially my legs. My hip pain has been very extreme since the birth of my son almost four years ago. And for the longest time my primary doctors didn't understand my complaint until my hematologist ordered MRIs in 2012 and they showed the AVN. The pain had become so bad it was hard to function and I opted for a core decompression (where they drill into the bone to help reduce the pressure) and bone graft (cadaver bone and minerals) to be put in. I don't view surgery as a walk in the park and I know the hardest part is always recovery. This is a decision I contemplated for years, until the pain made the alternative of just "living with it" unbearable. I also did not want my inaction to become the source of a new problem, such as the AVN becoming worse and needing a hip replacement. The core decompression and bone graft was an attempt to save the hip and avoid a hip replacement.
I had this done in April of 2015. They truly made it seem like it would be a straightforward process, very to the point, with favorable results occurring 70% of the time. What is a favorable result? Less pain and the introduced bone graft promoting healing form the inside out. I chose to have this surgery done because I wanted to avoid the hip becoming worse and the bone collapsing which would automatically create a replacement situation. I was told the surgery would be outpatient, would last a few hours, and I would be home that same night. I'd have to keep weight off of my hip for six weeks to allow time for the bone to heal. I'd have to use a walker and/or crutches to get around in the mean time. After the six weeks, I could begin putting weight on the hip again. A very optimistic outlook, sure.
What this meant for me is I needed a team in place to help me. As a SAHM, I wouldn't be able to care for my son, or even care for myself initially. No cooking (have you ever tried to get ingredients together and move things around in a kitchen without the use of your hands? I did and it wasn't pretty) no cleaning, and what ended up happening is I needed help with the simplest tasks. It wasn't not as neat and tidy as I would have liked everything to turn out. I experienced and am still experiencing problems that this surgery has created. I will go into that in more detail in a future post.
For brevity's sake, I plan on sharing the surgery and recovery experience for those wondering if this form of treatment is right for them. While I would have liked to blog as the recovery was happening, the pain, doctors visits, fatigue, and subsequent pain relief did not allow for that to happen. So, look for future posts on the subject & I'll see ya'll then!
Comments
Post a Comment