Medical Update
(X-posted to facebook)
After a severe bout of posterior pelvic pain that ranks up there with my ruptured appendix and trigeminal neuralgia, I finally went to the orthopedist.
I think that these may have been the most painful x-rays I have ever experienced and the hands-on exam/testing was toturous. Yow! I was in so much pain that I lost my usual cool stoicism. I was groaning, crying, sweating profusely, and was a general mess. I couldn't remember half of what I needed to tell the dr. and my SI story started with a fall down a well as a child, so there was a lot to forget, including the names of every dr I've seen about it except my GP.
Good News: My spine is a pretty young thing! (Okay, he didn't quite say that but he did say that it shows no signs of even normal aging, let alone anything abnormal.) This means that I made the right decision several years ago not having a bone scan of my vertebrae.
Bad News: My pelvic bones and joints don't appear to be the culprits either, although I do have something called a cam or pistol grip deformity in both hips joints. This means that some of my adduction and abduction pain may well result from this but that I also have a high risk of early onset OA in those joints. I will need to monitor any changes here so that I can have hip-sparing (instead of hip replacement) surgery when the time comes.
Ugly News: The torturous movements he put me through (see above for loss of stoicism) made it clear to him that the issue is, indeed, the complex of tendons and ligaments that connect the sacrum to the pelvis. Yes, folks, it does seem that this is sacroiliitis and that my iliolumbar ligament is almost certainly inflamed and likely torn. I will be getting a pelvic MRI next Thursday (James is calling is Most Romantic Imaging since it will be on V Day). Until then, I am hoping that I can get out to the warm water pool a couple of times just for some therapeutic floating and gentle movement.
I have been doing so well in terms of making it to the pool during the weekdays and eating healthfully, I don't want this setback to become a backslide. I have to admit, though, that I did seek pretzel roll comfort after coming home from the dr. I know that, after all these years of sacroiliitis and related problems, it is about time that I get a closer look at what is happening inside this pelvis of mine. I just wish it mean paying our full deductible of $2,500. The one advantage of having such a high deductible is that it is also our out of pocket max, so I will talk to the ortho about getting an MRI of my right foot later on this year. It has been nearly seven years since the last surgery and it would be good to see if there is anything that could possibly be done about the plantar tendon and fascia that are giving me such trouble. I may consider trying some of the newer treatments for plantar fasciitis as well. It seems that this will be the year that I need to set aside my fear and seek some medical attention, albeit not without caution.
After a severe bout of posterior pelvic pain that ranks up there with my ruptured appendix and trigeminal neuralgia, I finally went to the orthopedist.
I think that these may have been the most painful x-rays I have ever experienced and the hands-on exam/testing was toturous. Yow! I was in so much pain that I lost my usual cool stoicism. I was groaning, crying, sweating profusely, and was a general mess. I couldn't remember half of what I needed to tell the dr. and my SI story started with a fall down a well as a child, so there was a lot to forget, including the names of every dr I've seen about it except my GP.
Good News: My spine is a pretty young thing! (Okay, he didn't quite say that but he did say that it shows no signs of even normal aging, let alone anything abnormal.) This means that I made the right decision several years ago not having a bone scan of my vertebrae.
Bad News: My pelvic bones and joints don't appear to be the culprits either, although I do have something called a cam or pistol grip deformity in both hips joints. This means that some of my adduction and abduction pain may well result from this but that I also have a high risk of early onset OA in those joints. I will need to monitor any changes here so that I can have hip-sparing (instead of hip replacement) surgery when the time comes.
Ugly News: The torturous movements he put me through (see above for loss of stoicism) made it clear to him that the issue is, indeed, the complex of tendons and ligaments that connect the sacrum to the pelvis. Yes, folks, it does seem that this is sacroiliitis and that my iliolumbar ligament is almost certainly inflamed and likely torn. I will be getting a pelvic MRI next Thursday (James is calling is Most Romantic Imaging since it will be on V Day). Until then, I am hoping that I can get out to the warm water pool a couple of times just for some therapeutic floating and gentle movement.
I have been doing so well in terms of making it to the pool during the weekdays and eating healthfully, I don't want this setback to become a backslide. I have to admit, though, that I did seek pretzel roll comfort after coming home from the dr. I know that, after all these years of sacroiliitis and related problems, it is about time that I get a closer look at what is happening inside this pelvis of mine. I just wish it mean paying our full deductible of $2,500. The one advantage of having such a high deductible is that it is also our out of pocket max, so I will talk to the ortho about getting an MRI of my right foot later on this year. It has been nearly seven years since the last surgery and it would be good to see if there is anything that could possibly be done about the plantar tendon and fascia that are giving me such trouble. I may consider trying some of the newer treatments for plantar fasciitis as well. It seems that this will be the year that I need to set aside my fear and seek some medical attention, albeit not without caution.