Answers are coming
Today was the BIG day!
Bob and I went and saw Dr. Lofgran, the internal medicine Dr. we were referred to, and were pleased that what I had heard and what everybody said about him are true. He listened to everything and then did some tests to see how my legs respond (something the other dr.'s never even tried...) and from what he saw he was able to figure out what was going wrong, instead of just guessing.
He said it doesn't make any sense at all how the lateral subcutaneous femoral nerve could have been cut, but from what the pain I am describing that is probably where the neuropathy or nerve damage is located. There are nerve conducting tests that can verify nerve damage but he doesn't even know if that specific nerve could be tested...that is how rare and strange it is. I have done a lot of my own research as well over the last 6 months and it was a great background for everything he told us. I specualted that it was the femoral nerve, but thought it would mean both my sciatic and femoral nerves were cut; Thankfully, he doesn't think the sciatic nerve is cut.
There is something else, though. The outside of my hip has also been painful since the c-section and that has really stumped me over the last few months, especially since I knew the pain did not line up with the line of the nerves that were hurt. This may be another problem independent of the other: Hip bursitis, which is an inflamed bursa--fluid filled sack that reduces friction between muscles of the body. Here's a picture to give you an idea of what I mean.
This picture also shows the line of the femoral nerve (the blue line) as well.
So how would I get bursitis? Well according to this site: it is caused by inflammation resulting from local soft tissue trauma or strain injury... I have a few guesses but assume that it had something to do with pulling/tugging from the C-section or trouble pulling James out (since he was wedged on that side), etc. Anyway, so he sent me to get some X-rays and we will find out what they say in a day or so.
What do we do now? Well, he wants to try pain management first and get me on some meds, which I stopped taking in December since nothing was strong enough for the nerves or it wasn't safe to take while nursing. I will have to stop nursing while on them :( but if they do the trick, then I guess it will be worth it. But, if they don't, I can go back to nursing and we will look at other options. To be completely honest, I have dealt with it for so long that I am really sad to stop nursing, but James is getting heavier and therefore harder to hold up and off my left leg, which is what I have to do, so I have sadly already considered stopping before.
Okay, so maybe the pain will go away but will I be able to get back to walking, running and the like> He said hopefully if the pain is really the issue, than the mobility should return and I will be able to do more, like walk to the park with my children and go on longer walks than a block without having to suffer for it for the next 2 or 3 days! In some ways, it will actually be weird to be "normal" again, but I think I'll be able to re-adjust! If the meds don't work, than we might try physical therapy, which we were told months ago wouldn't do anything for me. He said "Get that out of your head right now, because that just isn't true!" Or do nerve testing (I am interested in this, but I am sure it is expensive and don't really know what good it would do). If I don't like how things are going or we don't seem to be getting anywhere, he said to come back into the office, but don't hate him behind his back :)
So Bob and I are really excited to have someone who will work for us. Dr Lofgran said, "An otherwise healthy young woman (who is 23) walking with a cane, just doesn't sit right with me." We are so excited. We hoped to have some direction and possibly be referred to a specialist today, but we were so pleased with the appointment and are thankful to all those who prayed and fasted for me. We know the Dr. was inspired and we could tell although it didn't make medical sense to him, he knew what was wrong. Again, Thank You from the bottom of my heart.
Funny comment:
One of my firends told me, I looked "cute with a cane" on Sunday to which Bob responded: "I Hope you look less cute soon!"
The summer is already looking brighter :)
Bob and I went and saw Dr. Lofgran, the internal medicine Dr. we were referred to, and were pleased that what I had heard and what everybody said about him are true. He listened to everything and then did some tests to see how my legs respond (something the other dr.'s never even tried...) and from what he saw he was able to figure out what was going wrong, instead of just guessing.
He said it doesn't make any sense at all how the lateral subcutaneous femoral nerve could have been cut, but from what the pain I am describing that is probably where the neuropathy or nerve damage is located. There are nerve conducting tests that can verify nerve damage but he doesn't even know if that specific nerve could be tested...that is how rare and strange it is. I have done a lot of my own research as well over the last 6 months and it was a great background for everything he told us. I specualted that it was the femoral nerve, but thought it would mean both my sciatic and femoral nerves were cut; Thankfully, he doesn't think the sciatic nerve is cut.
There is something else, though. The outside of my hip has also been painful since the c-section and that has really stumped me over the last few months, especially since I knew the pain did not line up with the line of the nerves that were hurt. This may be another problem independent of the other: Hip bursitis, which is an inflamed bursa--fluid filled sack that reduces friction between muscles of the body. Here's a picture to give you an idea of what I mean.
This picture also shows the line of the femoral nerve (the blue line) as well.
So how would I get bursitis? Well according to this site: it is caused by inflammation resulting from local soft tissue trauma or strain injury... I have a few guesses but assume that it had something to do with pulling/tugging from the C-section or trouble pulling James out (since he was wedged on that side), etc. Anyway, so he sent me to get some X-rays and we will find out what they say in a day or so.
What do we do now? Well, he wants to try pain management first and get me on some meds, which I stopped taking in December since nothing was strong enough for the nerves or it wasn't safe to take while nursing. I will have to stop nursing while on them :( but if they do the trick, then I guess it will be worth it. But, if they don't, I can go back to nursing and we will look at other options. To be completely honest, I have dealt with it for so long that I am really sad to stop nursing, but James is getting heavier and therefore harder to hold up and off my left leg, which is what I have to do, so I have sadly already considered stopping before.
Okay, so maybe the pain will go away but will I be able to get back to walking, running and the like> He said hopefully if the pain is really the issue, than the mobility should return and I will be able to do more, like walk to the park with my children and go on longer walks than a block without having to suffer for it for the next 2 or 3 days! In some ways, it will actually be weird to be "normal" again, but I think I'll be able to re-adjust! If the meds don't work, than we might try physical therapy, which we were told months ago wouldn't do anything for me. He said "Get that out of your head right now, because that just isn't true!" Or do nerve testing (I am interested in this, but I am sure it is expensive and don't really know what good it would do). If I don't like how things are going or we don't seem to be getting anywhere, he said to come back into the office, but don't hate him behind his back :)
So Bob and I are really excited to have someone who will work for us. Dr Lofgran said, "An otherwise healthy young woman (who is 23) walking with a cane, just doesn't sit right with me." We are so excited. We hoped to have some direction and possibly be referred to a specialist today, but we were so pleased with the appointment and are thankful to all those who prayed and fasted for me. We know the Dr. was inspired and we could tell although it didn't make medical sense to him, he knew what was wrong. Again, Thank You from the bottom of my heart.
Funny comment:
One of my firends told me, I looked "cute with a cane" on Sunday to which Bob responded: "I Hope you look less cute soon!"
The summer is already looking brighter :)
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