Femoroacetabular Impingement

Bored on a lunch break during my family medicine rotation last month, I read an article about hip pain. As I continued to read, I realized I was reading about myself. Starting my second year of medical school I started experiencing this incredible burning pain in my groin down my leg. Just think, constant indian burn than electricity shooting down with twitching. After the gyno route, my pelvic pain is resolved but that groin pain persisted. Every few months I saw the DO at school and he was dumb founded, did his adjustments and off I went. I basically decided that I was going to experience this pain for the rest of my life and life sucks!! Well, that changed as I continued to read about FAI. I scheduled a consult with Atlanta's premiere FAI orthropedic surgeon who confirmed on a Hip Arthrogram and MRI that I too suffer from FAI. Imaging revealed that I have a labral tear and my acetabulum is misplaced in my hip joint with bone rubbing on bone. The official diagnosis is labral tear with pincer impingement. I'm scheduled to undergo hip arthroscopy after rotations and will hopefully be off crutches in time for graduation. I'm really picky about my own doctors but I'm confident in this guy, if all the Atlanta professional athletes trust this guy, he takes the time to answer all my questions, then he's the man for me. I'm really looking forward to pain relief but not so much the recovery. Ugh.

Endometriosis

This is my final week with the endometriosis guru. I've really enjoyed this month (I always say that by week 4). This guy is crazy ridiculous who's high standards can drive anyone mad, but I'm secretly just like him. The OR staff told me that he lets me do more in the OR than most of his fellows that have been there 9 months (fellows are real doctors that have already completed 4 years of OBGYN residency). So I'm honored. Sure, I get fussed at a little, but I've got thick skin. I wish I kept a journal of all my doctors ridiculous sayings, but this months are memorable.

"Whoever is holding the uterine manipulator should have just stayed home in bed" (that was me of course!!)
"It takes a whole 4 freakin minutes to dock the DaVinci, I should have done this myself" (This is incredible world breaking time by the way with 5 nurses doing it)
"I've worked with you for 18 years and you act like today is the first day we've met"
"Who did this prep? Prep the cervix like an airplane- swoop and fly all around"
"Because this wasn't done properly I will deduct 1 hour pay from your paycheck"
"Don't be so rough with the ovary"- okay that one is real.
"I hate people with two hands that don't use them properly"
"I would flunk you as a fellow since you moved your head, the patient could have died"
"I must announce that I couldn't do this surgery w/o Charlotte"- yeah, he's been doing it for 30 years just fine, me moving the bowel is really no big deal.
"Your concentration is fierce, I like that"

Fractured Coccyx

Initially I thought no big deal, a broken butt, but its unbearable at times. It hurts to walk, to sit, and going #2! I'm back on Motrin around the clock and its ridiculous. I had xrays then looked up the treatment- the donut and pain pills. Seriously I'd rather be in pain then on a donut and look wierd. Wouldn't you think your doctor was wierd if they were sitting on a donut?

Valentines Day in Bend

Our first real day in Bend was snowmobiling and it was fun. Billy had a hard time keeping up with me, but he had a blast. Day two was supposed to be us getting a couple's massage, but Billy begged to go snowboarding. It didn't help that Alex told him it was "easy and no problem", then Billy said he didn't want to go alone. I didn't think my hip would make it, but he wanted to go so bad that I thought I would give it a try...it didn't go so well. It started off sleeting on the mountain. I could barely scoot myself onto the chair lift and ate snow getting off. After struggling to get up, I picked up speed and fell..fell hard but got back up. My second fall didn't go so well. I had quite a bit of speed and fell right on my butt, I felt a crunch in my butt and tears started to roll down. I fractured my coccyx. I took another ski lift down and popped some handy pain pills. The next day was full of relaxation and I finally bought a new camera! The flight home was uncomfortable between the hip and the butt, but we made it. Billy LOVED bend and now wants to save up for a jacuzzi...he's so ebner he doesn't even know it!!

Snow in Atlanta

So Friday it snowed in atlanta and it was a HUGE ordeal. My commute is normally 25 miles and at 5am and 7 pm everyday it takes me 25 minutes w/ no traffic. Well, I got off "early" on that friday and it took me almost 3 freakin hours to drive home...people went bonkers with the snow. most doctors offices closed because of the "blizzard"...aka 3 inches. the real drag was the airport cancelled over 2,000 flights and billy and i didn't make it out on saturday for our valentines trip...instead i got us out on sunday with a long drive to portland- which worked out b/c alex was there and we carpooled together. the day was long and my hip was electrifying (more on that soon).
so, we are in bend, pictures to be posted soon, and are having a BLAST. billy says i plan the best get-a-ways!! Yesterday was snow mobiling and today is still undecided...he is still hibernating this morning.
update on the hip: i saw a orthopedic surgeon, am having a MRI w/ contrast in the joint later this week and will most likely have to have surgery....will know more next week at my appointment. i'm mentally preparing for 5 weeks of crutches!!

Day One of a VERY HARD MONTH

First off, I LOVED family medicine this past month in po-dunk georgia. They were awesome and once again I got their first honors pass. Despite what some think, apparently i do know what i'm talking about.

so this month i'm really excited to work with a famous doc, a pioneer in the endometriosis world. today was my first day, which was exhausting and was told, I'm gonna work harder this month than i've ever worked before" hard to swallow after a 16 hour "easy day"...i've got seniorititis...3 months until graduation!!

on a personal note, my hip pain is becoming unbearable again. i wake up every night dying.. i can't even sit in a chair for more than 20 mins without feelings of electricity shooting down my leg. randomly this month i read an article on hip impingment which had almost the exact same symptoms. i'm going to see a specialist next week who can hopefully rule this in or rule it out. residency is a few months away and i'd rather have one less thing to worry about.