Yesterday, I awoke with more aches in my legs, than usual. I went for my (almost) daily walk
of about 1.5 miles; I noticed a lot more fatigue setting in.
By 6 PM, my right hip was in excruciating pain, & it would bear No weight. My husband had to help
me to the bathroom, and lift me on to the bed! 2 Aleves did not help. There was no bruising nor did
it look dislocated, otherwise I was thinking broken hip ( it hurt that much).
This morning is better; although it still painful, I can bend my knee & put some weight on that leg.
We are scheduled to leave - with 2 grand sons - for Hawaii, tomorrow morning! A 5 hour flight
I am thinking about starting a pred pack, although it's only been one month since my last dose.
This is one of those 'indecisive moments' Oh me, as my grandma used to say.
P.Trish-- You're probably already on that plane or already decided not to get on it. I don't know which you decided. However, you probably should go get checked out at urgent care or similar place before leaving. Wow... that's kind of pointless advice if you are already gone. Sorry.
Hang on regrouping my foggy brain here.
If you are gone-- It's not too late to go to urgent care on your trip. However, I cannot imagine sitting still in a tiny plane seat for hours over the pacific ocean to get to Hawaii with sharp hip pain. I have trouble sitting through a 2 hour movie with it. Baby yourself if at all possible while on the trip. As a side note: I just got back from FL and I can tell you that walking on sand does incredibly painful things to hips, knees, ankles and feet joints even if you do it only a little bit. Try to minimize walking on beaches. You pay triple on day 2 when you do even in small amounts. Sad information and possibly too late to be of use but I can only work with what I got here.
If you didn't go-- Definitely get checked out. The main things that cause that sudden onset of hip pain to become excruciating for me are: inactivity once it starts, more activity than usual, and extreme sudden weather changes. (like when you go to a completely different climate in a couple of hours rather than gradually.) So expect the trip home to hurt about twice as much as the trip down did.
Otherwise, I tend to be the type when confronted with the choice to do or not to do because of pain-- I'm going to choose to do a little and hurt like heck mainly because I hurt like heck even when I'm not doing the fun activity so I feel it's worth it within reason. WITHIN REASON being the most important part of that sentence. As you probably already noticed this late-- when your body is screaming ouch it's letting you know that it's more vulerable to being further injured. If I had a nickel for everytime I tried to push through some sudden "unexplained" pain only to end up with a perfectly obvious injury when I fell hard or pulled something else out of whack then I'd be in Hawaii right now too on the money I got for it. LOL Unfortunately, I don't get paid for pushing myself too hard.
I have family members who think these sudden onset pains are psychological avoidance. I'd like to psychologically avoid their smugness but again... easier said than done. I've come to wonder if my body doesn't respond with sudden pains when it's trying to tell me stop pushing onward or you're going to hurt me. And sudden onset pain is the only language it can yell "be careful" in.
Anyway, keep us updated and I look forward to hearing the rest of your story. Hugs, and either condolences or kudos, which ever you need right now with whatever choice you made. There are no wrong choices. ;) GG
Dear P. Trish,
A pred pack seems the wisest choice. Anti inflammatories, heating pad?
You want to go to Hawaii, of course. Even if you have to take it easy.
Assuming you can get on the plane, that is. Be sure to get up and walk around during the flight.
You can get help in Hawaii if you need it. And you will probably recover OK this time.
Most likely you triggered inflammation in your hip. I had that kind of pain in my knee recently, sudden episode of stepping the wrong way, and had two weeks of recovery, or more.
If it were broken, you would be in the hospital by now, most likely.
Take care, keep us posted, and aloha!
Hugs, Elaine
Thank you for the excellent advice Ashe & Elaine! The hip pain has lessened, only aches when I walk - but Nothing like last night.
Here is the plan:
-started pred pack
-wheel chair in the airport
-remembering to walk up & down the aisle when I can
-will not walk on sand or too far in any direction
-go to urgent care in HI, if needed
staying at Turtle Beach in Oahu; I am not going on Pearl Harbor tour with hubby and grand sons. There is plenty to see where we are staying. This is a short trip (5 days) - not
sure if that is good or bad.
If pain were at the intensity of Thurs evening, I Could not go, but I Do know that I am still gambling. As you know, just the preparation for any trip is
daunting at best. You've both helped more than you can imagine.
XX OO Tricia
Bon Voyage, Tricia.
You helped YOURSELF the most by getting it down, in front of you!
The tour of the Arizona is just going out by boat after watching a video and then standing there. No walking. Think about doing it, really. Unless you've done it before. It's amazing.
We are all gambling every day...... Everyone, not just those of us with health issues. the most dangerous thing is the ride to the airport...any trip in a car, really.
But, we do it, because life is too short to live in fear.
Our younger son was stationed on Oahu for 6 years and we visited so much. Just breathe the air when you are rolled off the plane, nothing smells as sweet as Hawaii.
Hugs, Elaine
Oh you have described the story of my life...unexplained, severe joint pain. What you experienced has happened many times..I've used chairs as walkers and now have my mothers old walker..just in case. I have never had an answer as it eventually goes away. For a while, this only happened when I had my period. After menopause it was no longer so regular. SJS is mysterious. I hope it doesn't hobble you too much on your trip!
Just a reminder that a person can get a stress fracture in any bone. Activity and weight bearing can cause this to happen. It is a little crack in the bone usually not the big fracture that comes from a fall, etc. If this npain keeps picking at you having an x-ray makes good sense to rule out a stress fracture. Irish
You may also want to avoid consuming nightshades while on your trip.. Nightshades cause hip pain for many people, so you wouldn't want to add to your current woes.
That would be potatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes ,etc.
Hope your trip is wonderful!!
Aloha! I am home - Central California - from Hawaii. The 5 dy pack of predisone really worked, but
now what? :)
It was a glorious trip - any of you who live in Hawaii must know how lucky are you! My favorite part
was drinking milk/juice from a freshly cracked coconut, a healthy, healing
food. - I am seriously craving more. I pushed myself, as usual - there was so much to see, smell,
taste, hear, feel.
It is time to 'pay the piper', although I am very glad that I was able to go on this adventure. Today, I
can barely walk - from exhaustion, not pain. Of course the plane ride was Not fun.
Thank all of you again for your advice and support. I hope you're having a good day.
Love, Tricia