After a few weeks of struggling with pain post-op metalwork removal from Leftie, I had a follow-up appointment which has made things a bit clearer.
The trouble with squatting, twisting and flexing has been a real issue since this latest surgery and was continuing to affect my mobility as time passed. It was getting difficult to do things at work and the consistent pain was getting me to almost breaking point. Nothing I did seemed to help it calm down fully, it would always just come back again later in the day or the next day. Occy health had suggested refraining from taking anti-inflammatories at one point as perhaps that was slowing down the healing process, so I was just on regular paracetamol with the odd cocodamol instead thrown in. After getting to a really good point pre-op I was starting to lose the plot and even wondered if this last surgery had irritated things beyond a level that would ever calm down. I mean, managing long term pain is one thing, but going through life without being able to ever bend at the waist further than 90 degrees due to pain is not very feasible!
Anyway, my lovely surgeon was very sympathetic and he explained the main things it could be are iliopsoas muscle inflammation, or there's a possibility there could be a labral tear from before the pelvic osteotomy which has simply not settled down. In most cases he tends to leave labral tears alone when correcting hip dysplasia as the majority of the time they heal up once the hip is in a better position, but in very few cases they don't sort themselves out, and perhaps this is one of those cases.
I was relieved to have things a bit clearer as to why I was having that pain as I had reached a point where I was exasperated. Anyway he's arranging an MRI scan to see what's going on and we'll go from there. If it is a pesky labral tear, then there is a possiblity surgery for that might be an option. However he is seeing surgery as a very last resort as he's not keen on putting me through more (a sentiment I thoroughly agree with!).
In light of all this, he suggested anti-inflammatories going forward. So I've been back on the Naproxen over the weekend and it's made a MA-HOOO-SIVE difference. Wahey! I am able to bend and squat again just a little bit, and very carefully. I still have had the odd twinge today at work but it's MANAGEABLE. I love manageable. Manageable is good :-D
Forgot to say, but apparently there was a little bit of one pin which broke off and is now securely nestled inside my left femoral head. This won't be the cause of the pain as it's inside the bone, and means I am still part-bionic!
