A Final Medical Diagnosis, Two Years On
So I'grand having surgery.
That, in a nutshell, is the last medical solution TWO YEARS afterward I first had what I've e'er described as "my leg injury". Or rather, chronic pain in my correct leg with almost total numbness up the dorsum of it that has blighted me and puzzled doctors for 769 days, and counting.
I'yard having an performance on Jan 15th to sort this thing out (hopefully in one case and for all!) and I couldn't be more relieved that we finally got to the root of the trouble. For 2 years I've been in a perpetual state of Why does my leg Withal hurt…? Having a final medical diagnosis is such a relief, but this is just the beginning of what could be a tedious recovery.
But kickoff, to epitomize…
What happened to my leg
Long story (as) short (as possible): In November 2022 I went to Paris for a 24-60 minutes blog trip. I travelled for two hours on the train to London, and two hours on the Eurostar to Paris, and that night in the hotel had excruciating leg hurting. Next morning I felt incredibly nauseous which lasted, as well as the leg pain, all the manner dwelling house and so for several days subsequently – I thought I'd torn a hamstring from sitting as well long and perhaps in a bad position or hurt myself from carrying an overnight case upwardly and down stairs and on the tube and trains.
I was actually diagnosed with a slipped disc and sciatica, which is a nerve running from your spinal chord all the way through your bum and down the dorsum of your leg. I couldn't walk unaided for well-nigh four weeks, and with acupuncture and physiotherapy information technology gradually – VERY gradually – got improve.
However, I was left with residual pain in the back of my knee and numbness in the aforementioned area. I was told it would accept a while only they would somewhen go abroad.
The misdiagnosis
Fast frontward six months, and they hadn't gone abroad. The first specialist I saw said I'd been misdiagnosed and that information technology wasn't sciatica at all (although it doesn't ever produce back pain I hadn't had ANY back pain whatsoever at whatever time).
I then started a year-long round of hospital appointments with everything from nervus ending tests to blood tests, from MRI scans to Ten-rays to existence poked and prodded everywhere from my waist downward. The hurting DID almost totally disappear, the numb area had reduced and I idea that I'd simply take to live with a weird numb patch and pain if I were prodded in a particular spot in the back of my knee. Doctors kept ruling everything out only weren't finding the actual cause of the trouble.
However, final summer (virtually half-dozen months ago), the pain came back literally OVERNIGHT – this time the whole of the dorsum of my leg went numb, as did my pelvic region and the top of my thigh under my bum. I could walk okay, but I at present had astringent hurting and constant stabbing pins and needles in my pelvis, leg and pes. Vigorous exercise was well-nigh entirely out of the question (very frustrating for someone who loves running)!
The concluding diagnosis
Early fall I was sent for another MRI scan, but this time instead of only my knee they scanned my pelvis and all the way down my leg.
What they discovered was a 7cm (iii″) cyst in my pelvic region that was almost certainly pressing on the nerves running into my leg and causing the numbness and hurting.
And basically, it had to come out.
Now strangely, it felt weird to be told This is what'south been causing you all the pain and discomfort for 2 years because it was both a relief (that we'd got to the root of the problem) and a worry. I guessed directly abroad I'd need surgery – or rather I hoped it was operable – but what I wasn't expecting was getting it sorted so soon. I was told in September it was a cyst, I had a CT scan in Oct, I saw the specialist in November and because this section has no waiting list (this is all on the NHS, by the way) and then I'd accept the operation inside a few weeks.
Information technology'south now in ten days' time.
Today I had my pre-op cess just this is where information technology gets complicated: I could be in for keyhole surgery, OR I might accept to be opened up if it doesn't come out easily (or if information technology'south fastened to an ovary). They won't know until they become in.
Worse example scenario: Information technology admittedly won't budge and is attached to my womb, in which case the performance volition exist stopped and I'll have to exist booked dorsum in for a hysterectomy (I'll deal with that if it happens, no point worrying virtually it now). There is as well a very very very very very very very very very very very very VERY small risk it's cancerous (I've quoted the doctor on that 1), but the fact that I've had it for ii years and am still perfectly salubrious is a adept sign.
I'm either looking at beingness a day instance with recovery of x-14 days for keyhole surgery, or I'm facing major surgery, a few days in hospital and a recovery time of half-dozen weeks where I won't so much as be able to lift the kettle.
What my surgery means for the blog
Therefore I can't predict what'southward going to happen – I won't know until I wake up later surgery on Monday 15th. I'g going to write and schedule as much as I can preparing for a recovery time of x-14 days, but if information technology'll exist longer I take no idea what will happen to my posting schedule. I'm going to sort out an banana to help me with admin (emails, social media replies, etc.) only of course many decisions can only be made past me and me alone.
Now of class I KNOW that most of you lot volition exist totally agreement and of course will say that I shouldn't worry about the blog and that my health is my number 1 priority – information technology absolutely is! But information technology's also my livelihood and my only source of income. I but have to put measures in place to ensure it ticks over and that information technology doesn't seem similar I've disappeared off the face of the globe.
The blog has been doing so incredibly well for me over the last 12 months and I don't want all my hard work to be undone. I Honey this job and I'll exercise whatsoever I tin to protect it! I'yard hoping I'll exist able to fill my two-iii days in hospital (if it's major surgery) with writing on my laptop, because what else will there exist to practise…?!
I'm aiming to recover as quickly as possible, but at the same time I'm realistic about what might happen. I haven't kept my fitness levels up to the gold standard I'd like them to be but I'm still reasonably good for you – I don't potable or smoke, I'm not really overweight for my height (just a fleck flabby and untoned), I don't gorge myself on takeaways and I walk regularly.
The moral of the story is…
The moral of the story is, of Course, don't just have some sort of illness, lilliputian problem or pain that you have, fifty-fifty if you've been to the doctor about information technology. If my first MRI scan had included my pelvic region then I would accept had this washed nearly a yr ago, but that tin can merely exist said with hindsight. Who would say straight away that a pain behind my knee was something that needed to exist sorted by a gynaecologist?
Don't accept pains and problems when you (and the doctors) don't know what they are. Become them seen to. Get them sorted.
Keep badgering until you have answers.
Keep your fingers crossed for me
So on the 15th go along your fingers crossed for me that I wake upward to find that it came out via keyhole surgery after all – I won't lie and say I'll exist GUTTED if I discover I'm all hooked upwardly to a catheter… but let'southward cross that bridge when it comes to information technology! Having a hysterectomy is a whole other scenario, but that one I really won't worry about yet (it wasn't even mentioned in my appointment today).
Delight excuse me if I don't answer to comments either at all or not very quickly… I'grand not certain what will happen which is somewhat frustrating, it's so hard to make any plans. Just I will absolutely be reading everything, you tin be assured of that.
As far equally the NHS are concerned, not only have they been swift and efficient, booking me in for an operation less than four months after the MRI browse that discovered the cyst, but every single fellow member of staff I've come into contact with has been nothing short of super friendly, understanding and professional person. How on earth they manage that while there are cuts galore and cancelled operations (the latest post-Christmas crunch to hit the NHS) is beyond me.
And it's all completely free… I haven't had to pay out a penny.* Praise be to the NHS.
IF YOU WANT TO SHARE Whatsoever SIMILAR STORIES Delight DO SO IN THE COMMENTS Below (THOUGH PLEASE REFRAIN FROM SHARING Whatever STORIES THAT Terminate Desperately, THANK Yous…!)
*I am of form fully aware that we pay for the NHS via National Insurance contributions and taxes
Pivot for after!
Source: https://www.notdressedaslamb.com/2018/01/a-final-medical-diagnosis-two-years-on.html
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