The Hip Thing.

I am still waiting on the radiologist report and the consultant appointment to discuss the results, but i think i have made a decision.  And that would be to not have surgery.  I was so excited at the prospect of eliminating the pain for good, my vision was blurred with a life of pain free driving.  But in the cold hard light of day, the risks of the surgery are quite great.

Arthrogram.  They inject anesthesia and contrast in to your joint cavity.  This is it happening to me.  So cool.

It's not an easy surgery and the fact that only one surgeon in one of the best orthopaedic hospitals in the UK does it, gives you an idea of its specialism.  I haven't yet found out how many surgery of this type he has done, that i would do before going ahead  It's a relatively new procedure.  The risk comes from then dislocating your hip and putting it under traction.  You can trap and/or stretch nerves causing damage and also arteries and veins.   You could loose function or sensation.  These could be temporary or permanent Those on top of the every day risks of surgery. Infection, allergic reaction to anaesthesia, you know, the usual suspects.

So i had to decide, if the potential for any of those things, is worse than the pain i get when driving.  It seems it is not.  I can not stand the idea that i will have to spend a life time of taking pain pills to drive anywhere of length, but lets face it, there are a lot of folks whose pain is a daily thing, who take pain meds all the time.  I have an aversion to pain meds and treatment in general.  I have never been one to take a paracetamol if i get a head ache. I don't even use plasters (band-aides) when i have a cut - unless it really needs it.

The contrast injected makes the MRI more successful. 

I got dumped by my American GP because i wouldn't go for his annual check up (i would have had to pay for it all due to my insurance policy)  I wrote him a letter telling him i was healthy, exercised 4 times a week, am aware that my range of motion in my joints was fine as i am medical staff (one of the listed tests!), that i had my follow up with my GI doc (for my coeliac) and i was doing fine.  That i had my life insurance medical and that it came back i was A* healthy - the top category.  He didn't care, he wanted to do tests, take blood, make money off me.  He wouldn't give my vaccines for work if i didn't do the annual check up. I complained to the ones up high and promptly got a letter from his surgery dumping me from his 'care'. Good riddance.

So, the most awesome thing about this decision is that i can continue training with gusto and enter some more triathlons this year.  Also, i want to do a half marathon and another couple 10Ks.  And, we can start to make babies when we planned.  Yippee.

I'm signed up!

Yes, that's right, i found a triathlon in late march and signed up.   I'm SO EXCITED!!!! I got my appointment letter for my hip MRI and its not till Jan 12th so i'm quite sure that i won't be having surgery before March 27th.  I am so stoked that i get to race this season. Its not ideal.  I wanted to have a little more time, especially to get out on my bike on the roads, but i will just have to make sure that i go every weekend that i can.

It is held in Pwllheli, Wales - as if that needed stating with the spelling of it - which is a two hour drive.  Its a pool based tri, which i'm grateful for given the time of the year, and also as its my first triathlon.  The website is a bit sparse of information but its a 400m swim, a 12mile cycle and a 3 mile run.  I have no clue if its a closed road or what the run route is, but quite frankly, i don't care.  I'm just thrilled i'm doing one.  Its so soon!!!

So my training starts now!

Fourteen weeks and counting...

Scared of a Motivation Slump.

If you read back over how i have managed to stay motivated to work out, it's by having a goal of entering a race.  I simply don't work(out) well without a goal. And that goal need to be tangible. Not merely be stronger, loose 10lbs or feel healthier, i want a race bib, perhaps even a medal or t-shirt to go with the pride of finishing something i have worked hard for.

I had my appointment with my consultant about my hip, and he came to the same conclusion as the medical director i briefly spoke to.  The only option is surgery - or nothing of course, but if i want to be pain free, surgery it is.  I was lucky in that i got a bit of a staff bonus by him seeing me so soon - one week instead of 2+ months - but i doubt that he will bump me up his 3-6 month surgical list.  You may think being medical staff i would think to bring or wear shorts to the appointment but no, i just wore loose trousers thinking that may be good enough.  Not that clever me, so a gown it was. Of course then he has to pull up the gown to see my spine and pelvis, with me just in my knickers.  Great, so the guy i work with has now seen my ass! In boy shorts, thank goodness not a g-string day!!

 First i have to have a contrast MRI.  I have a local anaesthetic in my hip area, they inject some contrasting stuff and then i have an MRI.  Doc said to make my hip hurt before they scan so they can see if there is any inflammation or the like. Sure, at least i know exactly how to make it hurt.

After the scan we will meet again and confirm that i want to go ahead with the surgery.  Its a horrible procedure, with many risks.  There are of course the everyday surgical risks of infection, reactions to anaesthesia etc. but also as they have to dislocate my hip and put in under traction to get in to the socket, there is potential for nerve damage through stretching it too far.  And who would choose to have their hip dislocated?? The only nice thing is that its arthroscopic so the scars would be very minimal.

The recovery is the unknown, and i didn't even really discuss it with him.  Its so patient dependent i understand that. I will be keen to work hard, and get back to work and get my fitness back so i will be on the shorter side of recovery times.  But probably 3-4 weeks off work as i read 6 weeks, so i bet i can cut that!

So one of my concerns is this run up to surgery.  I could be in in a few months, say March, or it could be 6 months.  This means that i can not sign up for any triathlons.  Or really any races. I can't afford to waste money even on the cheapest of short running races.  So i'm scared.  I have to keep in the best shape possible to make my surgery less risky my recovery quicker but its just not the same as training for a race.  I am also annoyed that, after a year of training, being the fittest i have ever been - no kidding, surgery is going to take it away. To knock back months of work.  To potentially stop me competing this coming season.  I feel like its just beyond reach, something i have wanted for what seems forever - even though its really only 8 months.  And if i don't get to compete in 2011 then who knows when!  I hope to be pregnant sometime soon also.

I like the idea of maintaining my fitness in case surgery is nearer the summer, then just jumping in on a sprint tri last minute, but as i understand it, they sell out before they start.  I'm guessing i could jump in to a running race late in the game so perhaps concentrating a bit more on my running speed to reduce my 5k or 10k time will keep me motivated.  I am about to sign up for the Telford 10k and plan to find a few more in the winter months.

I will race god damn it!

Getting no where fast.

On Running:
Oh man i needed that run. It felt SO good to be running.  Even on a treadmill!  I knew all day tonight was a running night, i haven't had a good run in ages it seemed.  I don't overly enjoy the treadmill but use the programmes to try to keep it interesting and avoid just running an easy pace.  Tonight i set up a 45 minute speed interval run (7.1km covered) and thoroughly enjoyed it, time didn't drag and by the end i wanted more.  So i set up a 15 minute hard hill work out (1.87km covered).  I actually could have run faster but was unsure at the beginning if i'd make it so kept it on level 7.  The last section of flat i increased my speed to fast though, i like a little sprint to the finish line.  I still feel good from it. I then did about 100 sit up type things, maybe more.

The Hip News:
I have my x-ray request right here.  Been talking it over with my mum, trying to make sure i receive no unnecessary radiation - my mum is a radiographer - by ensuring that i get the right one. I was a bit blunt with my GP.  I told him i had asked a consultant i worked with and what he had recommended.  I gave him a brief history but basically my GP did what i told him to do. Namely writing a x-ray request and a referral to Mr Kiely.  This meant though that the x-ray referral is vague.  I did ask another consultant and he also agreed that it would be visible on an AP x-ray so i'm confident i can go ahead and have this done.  If it proves i have what is suspected though, i will need a CT scan :(  more radiation, that stuff isn't to be taken lightly.

Over the last week i have truly enjoyed my gym membership.  I joined a swanky place up the street. I had no intention of joining a gym, but i wanted a nice pool, and once in there for my free day, i just couldn't stand the thought of going back to the local pool.  As its in a hotel, the pool is more luxury than utilitarian but its 25 meters, you can have 6-7 folks swimming in their own lane, if not an actual lanes width and its the same depth throughout so tumble turns are possible.  It also has a jacuzzi, steam room and sauna.  The gym is nice a big, plenty of machines for the number of members and lots and lots of classes.  I have only done the spinning classes so far but i really enjoyed that.  I've never done one before, but it will be a regular for me.  I plan to try the strength training ones too.

On a slightly less fun note, the pain that i have in my left hip; that i've had for years that has progressively gotten worse over  the past years and now months, has a potential diagnosis.  I asked a Dr (or even a Mr) i work with and he immediately suggested it is anterior femoral impingement.  Which means i have extra bone on a possibility of a few different surfaces, either on the head/neck of the femur or the acetabular or both, or just thats the head of my femur is cam shaped not round.  Unfortunately surgery is basically the only option for treatment, and i don't like the sound of the post of recovery.  No active hip flexion for 6 weeks and NO RUNNING for 3 MONTHS!!!!!  I have a Dr appt to get the process moving, i'm excited that this could be sorted, something i thought a few years ago that i would just have to live with, as at that point it was tolerable, i didn't ever go to the Dr.  I wonder at what point i would have gone to my GP, if i didn't work with orthopaedic surgeons to pick their brains.

I'll keep you updated.