Getting my hair and hips done…

“Thinking of me…” card, © Pet Scribbles LLC

Today I have to get my hair trimmed. I love my curly hair – manmade not natural – but there’s always a tiny window of time when my hair goes from cute-and-fun to crazy-and-nuts. I’ve reached the crazy-and-nuts phase. Maybe my hair is a metaphor . . .

On top of that, I have my first evaluation appointment to begin physical therapy for my hip. I’ve had physical therapy in the past, for my broken foot a few years back, so I understand the value of it. But I’m super skeptical about physical therapy having any improvement whatsoever on my hip issues.

What hip issues?

In one short paragraph:

Started with pelvic/groin pain in 2010. Ended up in ER, where the ER docs said it was probably just heartburn or gas, and here’s an Rx for some Pepcid. Seriously? Went to my regular doctor who thought it was cancer-related due to my history. Lots of tests. Surgery removed a uterine polyp. Pain was still there once I recovered. Next idea was endometriosis, again had history of it. Another surgery found nothing, but did find/remove an ovarian cyst. Pain was still there once I recovered. During this span of time I was also put on various anti-inflammatories (didn’t work) and pain meds (sort of worked) as well as had every test and exam you can imagine to rule out things. Finally sent to a hip doctor. I was skeptical. My hips were fine, thank you very much. Guess what? I have a detached labrum on my left hip (ouch!), thus causing the pelvic/groin pain, plus both hips have problems with the hip sockets, so not surprisingly I’ve developed pain on right side too. WE FOUND THE SOURCE OF THE PAIN! HOORAY! However, one of the tests showed a problem with my right kidney – not a source of pain at all – so that had to get fixed (another surgery) first, or I could lose that kidney. I kid you not. Had that surgery in February. (See My Ureter Hurts! How many people can share THAT as a status update?)

Now that I’m internally healed from that, we can go back to addressing the hip pain.

Nice, huh?

I’m telling myself that it’s a good thing to have a hip surgeon who is not cut-happy, and instead wants me to try some physical therapy first. I spent the last few weeks weaning off of the pain meds that I was on for two years, and am now trying a strong anti-inflammatory drug which I fear is probably going to make me grow a third arm or something. (There’s some side effects that are a bit freaky…) Oh, and while limping around compensating for my hip over the past several months, I’ve developed bursitis in both hips too. I didn’t even know what that was, other than something that “old people” talk about having.

I. Am. Not. Old. Dammit.

The point of all this today? I’d rather be spending the time crafting, instead of getting the hair and hips done. Is that bad?

~Laura