In June, 1992 I started experiencing hip pain. At first I figured I had pulled a muscle or something, but as the days went on, I realized that this was not 'normal' everyday pain. It was different. My family physician poked and massaged the thigh and hip area. His diagnosis: bursitis. His treatment: anti-inflammatory medication and diet. Diet? Yes, diet. As I left his office, he said those immortal words almost every woman has heard at least once in her life, "Oh, and ah, try to lose a few pounds. It will help alleviate the pain." My husband almost had to restrain me from gouging the doctor's eyes out of their sockets. For whenever I accompanied my husband to a doctor's appointment, it was never recommended by any medical professional that he lose the 20 extra pounds that settled around his midline. Little did I know that frustration was only the beginning of my love/hate relationship with the US medical community.
I left that office with a sense of uneasiness. My instincts led me to the belief that my doctor had misinterpreted the pain. Those instincts were spot-on and within a week, I was unable walk. The pain in my right hip was excruciating, as well as mind-numbing. I was in the throes of conflict. The pain migrated between the hip joint and femur and I lost control of my most basic functions. I wrestled with that pain until I was no longer able to think. It was my doctor's opinion that I stay in bed for two weeks, avoid stairs, and continue to diet. In the meantime, he prescribed a narcotic pain reliever and referred me to an orthopedic surgeon.
At that time I trusted doctors and the medical community. It was the way I was raised. And, unless you've had significant 'hands on' experience with the medical community, this blind faith seems quite naive from a perspective of hindsight. Unfortunately, my naivete was about to reveal the misguided nature of my values and belief system. My trust and faith were about to be challenged and redefined. And so began my induction into the "System".
In August of 1992, I was hospitalized due to severe pain. The numerous test results did not reveal the source of that pain. Unable to work or even handle my personal daily care, I became miserable, I thought the Gods had booby-trapped my life. Damn -- how I wanted to wake up and return to normal! However, that hell was merely the beginning.
I was in and out of emergency rooms and hospitals from August 1992 until January 1993 and treated for severe pain with little to no explanation or diagnosis. Not until the night of the 1993 Super Bowl. Michael Jackson had started his rendition of whatever it was he was singing which seemed the perfect time for a bathroom break. When I tried to get out of my chair, my hip "popped" and I fell to the floor. The pain was overpowering and I christened the rug prior to being whisked away to the emergency room for what thankfully was the last time. It wasn't until the next day, my orthopedic surgeon was able to give me a diagnosis.
"Have you ever heard of Bo Jackson, the athlete?" he asked. By this time we had developed a friendly rapport and I was drowsy from the pain medication, so I figured, What the hell? I'll play along. "Yeah. Why, you think I've got his potential?" The doctor explained that I had the same bone disease as Jackson, Avascular Necrosis (AVN) and it was so far advanced in my right hip, the joint had collapsed. It was the AVN that caused my pain. I needed surgery as soon as possible and he predicted that would solve my health issue. I cannot begin to describe the relief I felt on receiving his diagnosis. The surgeon ordered a battery of tests, that were scheduled on an out-patient basis. The tests revealed that the AVN was not only present in my right hip, but also in my left, as well in both knees. Surprisingly, the only joint that hurt, at that time, was my right hip.
Avascular Necrosis (AVN), also known as Osteonecrosis, is a degeneration of the body's joints which prevents the blood supply (avascular) to flow to the affected area and therefore the joint dies (necrosis or anything that's necrotic is dead). Osteonecrosis is another term for AVN (as well as aseptic necrosis). A large percent of AVN's genesis is idiopathic (meaning the medical community doesn't know its cause). Studies suggest that a certain percent of alcoholics are prone toward AVN. Joint dislocation can lead to bone degeneration (as in Bo Jackson's case) and sometimes AVN is the by-product. And surprisingly, corticosteroid use is a huge factor in the onset of AVN. In 1990, I was admitted to the hospital for what appeared to be an asthma attack. I was treated with prednisone and solumedrol (both steroids) over a 9-day period. Had I not been administered those steroids, I wouldn't be here today. Some statistics suggest that 1 in 150,000 people who take corticosteroids will experience AVN as a side effect. I was one of those people. I'm not complaining. Not by a long shot. The steroids saved my life. But as it turns out, I did not have asthma, but rather I suffer from chronic pneumonia. I have not taken steroids since that time.
