Recently Diagnosed Hip Impingement

[Rayray]

Hi All,

I have been reading the forum with interest for a few months now and thought it would be good to get some support and offer support to others.

I was diagnosed in May with a Cam Impingement in my left hip which has been recently been confirmed as mixed Cam and Pincer with a probable torn Labrum and a double Cam bump. I really struggle walking as I am unable to swing my left leg back and so my life has drastically changed in the last few months. I cannot stand for long and seem to have a problem in the right hip as well ? it has been diagnosed as a Cam Impingement but needs to be confirmed as I don?t have the classic symptoms on that side.

Have had the problem for about four years now. Have seen three consultants and as I said was diagnosed in May and saw an expert in the field last week. I have been advised to have Open surgery due to the nature of the Cam Impingement. I was originally referred to Prof. Griffin in Coventry but have never received an appointment and have been advised that if I do it could be another year before they fix the problem if they are able but this is uncertain due to the nature of the impingement. I was advised that privately the consultation would be £1800 and the surgery about £5000 ? this without any guarantee he can fix the problem. I am in so much pain I can?t wait. Have now seen someone in another Health Authority to my own as no-one deals with FAI where I live. Waiting for funding to be sorted out to get the treatment but this could be months.

How have people handled the pain while waiting for surgery and how do you move around? I just cannot physically walk far or stand for long but I am fairly young. I would love to hear your experiences as I am pretty low as this seems to go on and on with different parties arguing about who should fund the surgery and no progress being made.

Love to hear from you.

[Vixen]

Hi Ray, feel for you, frustrates me when I read that funds/access is an obstacle to making a real differeance to someones health when help is at hand but impeded.
Best of luck.

[missiongirl]

Hello Rayray

I just had a labral tear as far as I know. I was just waking up from surgery when I spoke to OS on the 12th - I know I didn't have FAI. For me, I found my pain increased and I could do less & less all the time. At first I was misdiagnosed & they had me doing lunges......got worse. I found myself only able to go for walks, sumx very short, sumx longer. That was all and always difficult but I was concerned about not doing anything as I did so much before. I was told to stop wrking almost a year ago, my job can be physical. It took 4 months for unbearable pain to settle down resting. I did heat & ice everywhere it hurt, did & tried a lot of meds & topicals. Naproxen was good for inflammation & I also like celebr*x. I imagine your doc has you on a combo of something (amatiptroline - spelling? or lyr*ca?)....There is a physician pain med protocol that they follow for those with chronic pain. I have a relative that peddles pain meds so I found this out (in Canada anyway). Resting for extended periods of time - 5 days helped me when the pain was intolerable. I eat a lot of food with Vit C for inflammation and also protein powder in smoothies, & other supplements. A lot of people say the bromelin and chondriton (excuse the spelling) sup's work great, they take awhile to start working, I just wasn't seeing a benefit, but others do. I hope that you are able to have your surgery soon. I'm sure with your pain, it is a gamble worth taking. Good luck to you - MG

[Rayray]

Thanks Vixen and Mission Girl for your support! Yesterday I felt so much better and managed to get a decent night’s sleep. Not quite so good today but better than I've been for a few weeks. We have also heard from our hospital funding manager today who is looking at all the papers and may be able to make some progress. Could still take a while but at least she has taken ownership.
I think I may see my GP again about pain relief. Can’t take anti-inflammatories and just take Paracetomel and Codeine although the Codeine makes me more dopey than normal!!
Not being able to walk much is a real bind. I have always been really fit and healthy. We run our own business and two weeks ago we attended a large Trade Fair. I walked for around three hours altogether, had had enough after an hour and a half but as this Fair happens just once a year it is important to see suppliers and so kept going. Did have to give up though and drive home. Last February we went to a larger Trade Fair for two full days with no after effects. This time I have just got over the severe pain it left me in. I have rested just as you say you had to do Mission Girl. My husband is a saint but exhausted running our business and looking after the house.
I know people have things a lot worse and I hate moaning but it is difficult to see the light sometimes. Anyway, I will try and remain positive. I am trying to set myself a target for when surgery is done. Might do a cycle tour and perhaps raise money for research into FAI and Labral Tears.

[missiongirl]

You are most welcome. I felt a lot of guilt not being able to do normal things and depending on my husband to do so much, he's my rock. The pain sucks away ability and tremendous mental fatigue. I would often go out and have to turn around & go home from a social event even though it's important to try to keep up some sort of social life lol!! What works for me is concentrating on being proactive and I lean on that, that i am doing all that I can and it's being worked on - I push all else aside.
It is also difficult for others to understand when they cannot see your injury, that is a hurdle. I laughed after my last 2 surgeries how much support I got, it is sooo wonderful, however, I could handle the pain rather easily having built up tolerance. I feel very little pain from this surgery at all, like I pretty much take mot*in.
I am so happy for you that you have someone owning your case! You are def on the upswing now!! Enjoy that feeling and it only gets better! Goodluck Rayray - life will be much sweeter again as I am so experiencing that now already!! MG

[oscarsmum]

Hi Rayray,

Been there with all the funding issues. Good old NHS eh? Ieven have private health insurance, but my hip isn't covered due to it being classed as pre-existing, as I had surgery for CDH as a child.
I know how frustrating all the waiting is. I waited nine months from seeing my current OS to getting an arthroscopy, two weeks ago. This was after being under a local consultant for another year.
All I can say is hang in there, you will get there in the end, just don't give up and keep pestering- don't let them forget about you!
As for the pain, well I tried diclofenac, naproxen, codeine, Tens, heat and ice, all without much success. Do you have a walking stick- that can really help to take the strain off your hip used in the opposite hand. I didn't use it much because I couldn't really get my head around using a stick in my thirties.Sleeping helps with pillows under your legs or between your knees if sleeping on your side.Also there have been a lot of articles this week about Litozin (derived from rosehip) available from health shops.
FAI seems to have quite a good outcome , if treated by an experianced surgeon. Unfortunatley there are only, I think, three surgeons who perform arthroscopies in the UK on the NHS so most of them have fairly long waiting lists.

Sorry for the long post. Sometimes it helps just to know you're not alone in all of this.
Good luck, and keep us posted
Kate

[Rayray]

Thanks Oscarsmum and Missiongirl - I can't tell you how much your support helps! I won't use a stick (pride and probably an idiot!!) and I have trouble standing for long anyway. We are very lucky and have a hot tub. It is pretty old now and been out of action for 8 months but has just been repaired and is heaven.

Any advice gratefully received. Take care and good luck to both of you & Vixen).

[Rayray]

Hi Oscarsmum,

I have been looking at some of your old messages re NHS funding but can’t see the point at which you received it. We think we have someone on the case but nothing is really happening at the moment. My out of area Consultant sent a letter to my GP and local hospital consultant advising them that I needed Open FAI surgery and further investigations on the left hip. The responses have been disappointing. After chasing my GP says it is up to the local surgeon and my local Consultant says it is up to the out of area Consultant to get funding i.e. they are prepared to do nothing which is strange as they both referred me for investigations for this problem. Felt rather abandoned after this! The hospital funding manager is now trying to resolve the issue.

How did you progress the funding for your surgery?

I hope your recovery is going okay and I hope you see real improvement soon. I see you are still having funding issues re physio – I suspect I will too. Take care.

[oscarsmum]

Hi Rayray

Will try to keep this simple because I do rabbit on a bit lol,

October 07- local OS decided he couldn't help me and referred me to a consultant in Bradford.
December 07- Payed to see Bradford consultant privately, to try to speed things up.Got diagnosis of labral tear, etc due to dysplasia.Needed to be seen in his NHS clinic to have op done on NHS.
March 08-MRI with contrast dye, and NHS clinic appointmnet to confirm arthroscopy would be needed. Bradford consultants secretary then applied to my local PCT for funding. Was told I would be put on his waiting list once the funding was approved. Advised that it could take months for funding to come through and waiting list was at least a few months.
June 08-rang his secretary to check on progress was told that funding was through and was on list.
Aug 08- was given appointment for 9th Sept for arthroscopy, and also all pre-op appointments etc.

Physio much less complicated, had to wait an extra week for referral to be authorised locally , got appointment for tomorrow.

Hope all that helps,
Keep ringing everyone and don't let them forget about you. thats what I did.
Kate

[Rayray]

Thanks so much - at least I know who to nag now! You have been really helpful.

Cheers