Hello everyone

Do you ever feel it is just one thing after another in this game?! My aim is always to move onwards and upwards but life has other plans it seems.

After my 3rd cervical spine fusion in October my mobility wasn't too bad thanks to a 3rd round of rituximab and big steroid pulses. However two weeks after surgery my right hip/pelvis cracked and gave way just under the site of the bone graft site:-(
It was so painful I couldn't move at all, but I just rested at home as I couldn't bear the thought of more hospitals having just escaped from one!
I had an xray a bit later and it was only when my consulltant looked at it that he saw a big crack with loose bone fragment - even I could see it. Radiologist clearly needed a trip to specsavers!

I was referred to orthopaedics and finally saw the surgeon this week (delay due to Christmas, me dragging my feet and g etting a flu virus which has taken since Christmas to get better from).

He came back in after viewing the up to date x-rays with a very serious face and said my pelvis/hip needs pinning asap - no question of waiting lists. No guarantee he could get it back as it's longer than 3 months. I asked the usual questions like what if I dont have it done and he said it would get very weak, possibility of nerve damage and other not nice things.

However...... I am still recovering from the neck op which was a biggie and I am told will take another year for full recovery. Just beginning to emerge to some kind of social life (i.e. not incarcerated all day indoors) and I can manage the pain from it as i'm used to it and there are lots of other bits which hurt even more! Sure you all know what I mean.

I have to decide really quickly and it's a difficult op with long recovery, not like a replacement joint where you get moving quickly. Gut feeling is leave me alone please! But not sure if I'm being silly. Have informed Rheumy nurse that I have now seen surgeon and surgeon's letter is on it's way to Rheumy already and I've asked for a copy as there was so much detail to take in.
Rituximab infusions are due again soon too. I have great confidence in my Rheumy as he looks at the whole picture.

I know only I can make the decision - but it has helped to get it down in writing somehow. Sorry it's boring, but it would be my 24th major op and I dearly want to get on with living - preferably outside hospital!

Thanks for listening and I do hope that you are all not so bad today, vain hope I know but I can try!
Take care all,
Lizxx

Oh Liz, I`m so very sorry to hear this - you have been through so much, and always do your level best to support others. The flu will have been really debilitating, and it has been such a long road to recovery since your last op. I can well understand that you just want to tell everyone to leave you alone.

It sounds a very bad crack - I cracked my pelvic bone in 2007, and it was excruciating, and funnily enough I had to beg for an X-ray, as my then rheumy thought I`d just have bruising.( after a fall.)

As you say, only you can make a decision, but there is so much to weigh up, and long-term damage will surely complicate things further, if you don`t have the surgery.

Whatever you decide, I know your lovely family will be with you every step of the way, and all your friends on here will be with you too.

Take care, Liz, and thoughts and prayers to help you.

Love, Kathleen xx

Hello Liz,

Just catching up with what's been happening....behind everybody else as usual!

I'm so sorry and sad that you are faced yet again with complex decisions regarding your health. It seems to be one thing after another. How are things now? Hope you are continuing to gain benefit from the RTX and that things are stable and you can put off any further surgery until you are feeling physically stronger.

Hope you are managing to get out a bit more and your recovery from our neck surgery is going as well as possible.

Thinking of you lots
Take care
Diane x