Apparently, I have arthritis!

Yup!  Who woulda guessed it?

Me.

Been hobbling around for nigh on ten years now, and finally, I have a definitive diagnosis:  osteoarthritis of both hips.

Mind you, ten years ago it was only in one hip.

Only been in the second hip for about six years.

But it's that second hip that causes me serious grief.

Or, seriouser grief (I know, that's not even a word, but it conveys the message).

I had my appointment at the Total Joint Assessment Clinic yesterday morning.

Very interesting indeed.

After watching me walk, and taking my height and weight, the nurse practitioner sat with me and we talked for a while.  The usual questions, including on a scale of one to ten, when your pain is at its worst, where would you put it?

Without hesitation, I responded, "12."

OK then.  She got the message.

Then she did the physical assessment.  That's where she tries to measure my range of motion and she quickly found out that I had little.

The interesting part for me came when she looked at my X-rays and very nicely took the time to explain in detail what everything means.  She showed me precisely where my hip joints are "bone on bone" (the left joint also has a bone spur).  As she was pointing out the spots to me, I could clearly understand why certain movements cause such excruciating pain while others not so much.

I should be seeing the surgeon some time in April, and his surgery wait list is about four months.

That puts the first surgery at about August (happy birthday to me); the second could follow about four months later (Merry Christmas to me).  The decision as to which hip is done first is entirely mine.  (It will be the left -- no contest.)

Then I put the question to her about the possibility that increased activity (once the hips are replaced) would aggravate my bursitis, since that has seemed to be the pattern every time my physiotherapist adds activity to my regimen.  She suggested that I don't have bursitis, that what I've been told all these years is bursitis, is possibly just another pain point of fibromyalgia.

Get out of here!

If she's right, wouldn't that be a logical explanation for why the steroid injections never worked in my bursa?  Can't fix what ain't broke!

Wait 'til I present that one to my doctor!

Wait 'til I tell my physiotherapist that one.  I'll be seeing her later today and she will be most intrigued with my report.  But she will also be delighted to hear that we are finally making progress with these hips.

Arthritis.

Who woulda guessed it?