Almost complete obliteration

The, the past month, five weeks has been tough.

No movement on a consultant appointment, three weeks off sick, read the x-ray report and played with lots of medication. Time for a catch up!

Things have been going down hill for a while, stress migraines popping up, lots of pain killers, still just paracetamol and ibuprofen and curtailing life in general. Jobs taking longer, rests are longer and I generally have felt pretty low. We had the Victoria tube line interrupted because of engineering work, this meant a longer, more crowded commute and having to use my cane a lot more than I would like. Work knew but really, the understanding of my commute and the knock on effects were not there. This was frustrating. The pain levels increased with the commute and my mood plummeted. Even when the commute went back it, the body didn't bounce back.

Exhausted, in pain and depressed, I took some sick leave, citing hip pain but also out of cope. I figured some better painkillers were needed. A phone call to the doctors to sort that out and in that conversation I was told the xray report. That there is almost complete obliteration of the joint space. Obliteration, not a word you want attached to your body.

That was a gut blow, I cried a lot, I cried at my supportive boyfriend, I cried into my cat's fur as they lay in a cat puddle, twisted together. The brave face cracked. I realised work was a part that had to be taken out of the equation. It was not helping in the physical management and I desperately needed head space.

After a week, I physically saw a doctor and he signed me off work for two weeks. Also told me to up my new medication,naproxen and prescribed tramadol. He also said chase the consultant appointment, because over a month was certainly enough waiting.

I did that, and spoke with two people at St George's who said they would call me back, but didn't, I did give them a week each to do this.

So, the third try it was recommended I contact PALS, which I did.  More on that outcome later.

I returned to work and had a meeting with my line manager and his manager, I explained the drugs and generally that sitting all day and the commute is killing me.  I have said the same thing to Occupational Health and they have backed me up with a report suggesting one day a week working from home.  This would break up the tube travel which I am finding increasingly difficult to deal with, it hurts to sit and stand on the tube and the sheer amount of people is nuts and they knock into you!  I have a meeting next week to see if the team can do that, if they can't I am not sure what to do.

One positive has been a sports massage that seemed to loose a lot of the muscles around the hip and in my back that has reduced my pain, a lot!  Swimming is still helping but currently shopping for slip on shoes! Such an old lady!