I'm in need of repairs
I went to see a new doctor on Monday. Don't worry - I didn't hate this one. She seemed nice, and she didn't leave me in an exam room for 45 minutes while she talked to a pharmaceutical rep in the next exam room (which is what my OB-GYN did to me last week). The main reason for my visit to the internal medicine doctor was to discuss my hips.I figured there wasn't much that could be done. However, I recently made the mistake of listening to a podcast about the horrors of taking too much acetaminophen, and I became vaguely concerned about my liver and whatnot. So, I stopped taking Tylenol PM and started taking plain diphenhydramine in an attempt to sleep through the pain. Basically, I wanted to talk to a doctor about what is safe to take, and to ask if there are other things I could/should be doing to manage the situation. I'm patiently waiting for wacky-tobacky to be legal in my state. Ha ha! Just kidding! (sort of)
A few weeks ago, I decided to try to run a 5K in the spring with my daughter. So, I started running on the treadmill at the gym. Within days, the pain in my hips went through the roof. What is usually a mild but annoying pain escalated into a "limp when you walk" kind of pain. I was a bit alarmed and went back to low impact work-outs (elliptical and recumbent bike). Eventually, the pain went back to normal levels. So, I guess that was my other question - do I need to give up on the running thing?
The new doctor asked me a bunch of questions and then examined me. Once I was flat on my back on the table, she moved my legs all around and asked me if anything hurt. It didn't - mostly because she wasn't pulling them in the one very specific direction that causes the pain. Then she had me sit up and stood behind me. She used her hands to squish around in the vicinity of my lower back (I might have a little extra flesh back there). "Your hips are definitely out of alignment. I'm going to refer you to physical therapy." So, there you have it - my hips are all jacked up. I'm now wishing that I had asked for more information. Out of alignment how? Do I walk funny?
I guess it is some small consolation that there is a legitimate issue with my bones and that I'm not just being a whiny-ass. I have my first physical therapy session on Monday. I am trying to be optimistic but I am pretty sure this issue is genetic and not easily fixed. My left leg is longer than my right (I work in a sideshow - catch me on the midway this summer!) so I suspect that I am just perpetually off-kilter.
I may also give some thought to visiting a chiropractor. I've seen one in the past, but I wasn't specifically addressing my hips. As I recall, I stopped going because the office smelled weird and my insurance company said, "Knock it off. We ain't coverin' this shit." Well, maybe not in so many words. But the office did smell really strange. - like an attempt at aromatherapy that had gone very wrong. My daughter sees a chiropractor (who has a normal-smelling workplace) so I may give her a try.
I am turning 45 on Saturday. I look forward to continued deterioration. The real joy, though, is complaining about it to others.
A few weeks ago, I decided to try to run a 5K in the spring with my daughter. So, I started running on the treadmill at the gym. Within days, the pain in my hips went through the roof. What is usually a mild but annoying pain escalated into a "limp when you walk" kind of pain. I was a bit alarmed and went back to low impact work-outs (elliptical and recumbent bike). Eventually, the pain went back to normal levels. So, I guess that was my other question - do I need to give up on the running thing?
The new doctor asked me a bunch of questions and then examined me. Once I was flat on my back on the table, she moved my legs all around and asked me if anything hurt. It didn't - mostly because she wasn't pulling them in the one very specific direction that causes the pain. Then she had me sit up and stood behind me. She used her hands to squish around in the vicinity of my lower back (I might have a little extra flesh back there). "Your hips are definitely out of alignment. I'm going to refer you to physical therapy." So, there you have it - my hips are all jacked up. I'm now wishing that I had asked for more information. Out of alignment how? Do I walk funny?
I guess it is some small consolation that there is a legitimate issue with my bones and that I'm not just being a whiny-ass. I have my first physical therapy session on Monday. I am trying to be optimistic but I am pretty sure this issue is genetic and not easily fixed. My left leg is longer than my right (I work in a sideshow - catch me on the midway this summer!) so I suspect that I am just perpetually off-kilter.
I may also give some thought to visiting a chiropractor. I've seen one in the past, but I wasn't specifically addressing my hips. As I recall, I stopped going because the office smelled weird and my insurance company said, "Knock it off. We ain't coverin' this shit." Well, maybe not in so many words. But the office did smell really strange. - like an attempt at aromatherapy that had gone very wrong. My daughter sees a chiropractor (who has a normal-smelling workplace) so I may give her a try.
I am turning 45 on Saturday. I look forward to continued deterioration. The real joy, though, is complaining about it to others.
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