MRI was done on February 5th. Luckily, I was able to find an imaging place that had no problem taking an MRI order from an out-of-state surgeon since we're working in California until April. Dr. Hagen received the report and images this week: no stress fracture and no avascular necrosis, just a small amount of joint effusion, or fluid in the joint. So she sent me an order for an Ultrasound-guided cortisone injection for my R hip. I'm a little bit nervous. Not about the injection, I had one last spring and it wasn't a big deal at all. I'm nervous because of two things.
The first being the last cortisone injection didn't help at all. But, that injection was a pre-surgical diagnostic test, meaning if it did help then I would not have needed the surgery that I had last June. At that point, Dr. Hagen didn't think the injection would help me but it was needed to show the insurance companies that surgery was necessary. This time around, Dr. Hagen believes the injection will help and I trust her expertise!
The second thing that makes me nervous is the vague inflammation. If it was a stress fracture, I would need to be on crutches a couple of months and then it'll be done and I can go about my business. However, since it is fluid and inflammation in the joint, I'm nervous that future long-distance hiking activities will trigger inflammation/fluid and I'll be in the same boat again, possibly needing multiple cortisone shots in my hip until the day I qualify for a hip replacement. But, I did have a specific event (full weight-bearing fall onto my right leg from two feet high) that started this pain so I'm hopeful that this is a one-time thing and that long-distance hiking won't trigger more joint effusions in the future.
All being said, I'm getting really tired of having pain in this hip. It's been 21 months; if this pain was a baby I would have an almost two-year-old! Stupid. We'll just see how this cortisone injection does with helping me return to my post-surgical pre-fall baseline: 11-mile hikes pain-free. I think I'm done with the running aspect. I really enjoy running but it is a jarring activity for the hip and it's more important for me to be able to hike and ski so I think I'll bypass risking my hip joint with running. I get plenty of exercise by walking.
It's been surprisingly hard to find a clinic/MD who is willing to perform a cortisone injection with an order from an outside physician. Of all the ortho and interventional pain clinics I called, only one MD, based with a Primary Care Clinic of all things, was willing to do it. It's 40 miles away but at least they'll take me! The injection is scheduled for March 6th. Dr. Hagen wants me to rest for 2 days after the injection to let the steroid do its work to settle the inflammation and hopefully help the joint reabsorb the fluid. After that, I'm to progress my activity level by listening to my body. My fingers are crossed.
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