That image isn't really relevant to this blog post, but it is relevant to me at the moment, and a wonderful earworm, so there you go!
I had the cortisone injection in my hip today. Not a minute too soon as the pain in my hip has been on a steady increase. Pete and I went on a little walk around Hermitage on Sunday, a litter picking event organised by the parish council, which was a lovely stroll, but by the end of it I couldn't actually bend down to pick up litter anymore, and my hip was very sore for the next few days.
So, I was a bit nervous! I'm not so bothered by needles anymore, but I'm not a fan of the unknown, nor of medical procedures, so I'm glad to get it over and done with. Now I've had one, at least if I have to have another I will know what to expect!
I had to get into a lovely hospital gown, and then sit and wait for the radiologist. It felt warm in the room and I could feel myself getting hotter and hotter, which was probably a little bit of nerves too. The specialist, Mr Ahmed, was really nice - he explained exactly what he was going to do and his manner was very organised and efficient which I really appreciated. I signed the forms to say yes I agree to you sticking a really long needle into my hip (eeek!) and then got on the bed.
The nurses got me ready (at this point I was pleased I had done a half decent job of de-fuzzing my legs etc. beforehand - honestly, there is no dignity in these situations) and took an initial x-ray of the joint. When Mr Ahmed had cleaned the area and put a sterile sticky surround thing on me, he was ready to inject the local anaesthetic into my skin. It was a sharp scratch but not too bad and over quite quickly. I could see the monitors that displayed the x-ray images above my head over my left shoulder, so I distracted myself by looking at them. Then things started to get a little uncomfortable as he positioned the needle into the joint. He injected a bit of dye to help ensure that the anaesthetic and steroid end up in the right place. I felt uncomfortable as opposed to outright pain, but I did wince a few times. He got the needle right into the place where all my joint pain comes from, which of course initiated said joint pain. I said to him that was probably a good thing, as that is where the drugs need to be, and he agreed that it was. And just as I thought he was about to start injecting stuff into me he said 'All done' and that was it! Needle removed and dressing put on. I was pleasantly surprised how quick it was and how relatively pain-free.
I was told that I should avoid doing too much today, because the anaesthetic they put into the joint could obviously have the effect of allowing me to cause myself an injury in the joint without noticing, but that tomorrow I am free to do whatever I would normally do! The steroid will apparently take up to two weeks to begin having an effect, and the anaesthetic wore off within a couple of hours, leaving me in a slightly sore state at the moment. He did warn me that it would probably be sore for a few days, and he wasn't wrong from what I am experiencing at the moment! I am finding it painful to be in a sitting position, so essentially my hip wants to be in a position of least resistance. As long as I stick my leg out and slouch in a chair I can just about forget about it though!
I'm so hopeful that this will provide the relief I need to get on with things again.
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