I know people, including my husband, that have received Cortisone shots in joints where there is some arthritis starting, or to manage pain due to an injury. I received all kinds of conflicting information about cortisone to manage my hip pain prior to my right hip replacement. I read and heard from medical providers that cortisone shots don’t always work if the damage to joint is too far gone, or that the relief can be very short-lived and I’m only allowed a limited number of shots per year. And that repeated shots can create scar tissue and do damage to bone itself. So I didn’t even really consider getting a shot, I just battled the pain and did the best I could. 

I figure now since my left hip replacement surgery target date is December 2018, I have nothing to lose by trying one. Lol. “I’m getting a new one anyway” is what I keep telling myself. In anticipation of the surgery in 18 months, I started weight training with Travis Barret with EvolveSC in June again, and it feels great to be back! It also feels great to be proactive and preparing already for my surgery. I know what to expect now and I know what helped me before my first hip replacement surgery. What I want to do is try some different things for pain management and try to last the next 17 months with a lower level of pain than what I lived with before. 

So I got the cortisone shot in thee old left hip this past Thursday. I don’t recommend the procedure for those with low pain tolerance. 😂 I’m lucky my pain tolerance is pretty high. It’s a big joint and they needed to do it under X-ray to guide the injection needle….clarifying the needle because I got 2 shots of lidocaine, 1 to begin the procedure right in the hip flexor, then they put a very thin “guide needle” in to make sure that the needle with actual cortisone was going in the right place. I had 2 c-sections but I now believe I have a good idea of what labor pain feels like when that guide needle got close to the joint. That pain felt like it went right to my soul….hahahaha. All dramatic. But it was bad for that moment. I found myself doing the breathing I was taught in child birth class…hahahaha. And they gave me a squishy thing to squeeze. Then they gave me another shot of lidocaine. Thennnn the needle with some numbing agent and the cortisone went in. It created pressure in the joint to where it felt like my hip was a water balloon being filled. Not really painful but one of the weirdest things I’ve ever felt. 

I think I was most apprehensive that it would be painful, and that my joint was so far gone that I would go through all this and have it not work. But that’s me…worrying about stuff that hasn’t happened yet. And it was kind of depressing going through the pain consult with the nurse…just brought back again what I have to deal with and that another hip replacement surgery is looming. And also when the doctor’s assistant looked at my hip joint under the x-ray and showed me all the bone spurs…she said she was surprised I wasn’t laid out with pain. It made me sad hearing those things, combined with my apprehension about the shot. I just tried to focus on a good outcome and that I would get some relief. The actual procedure took about 10 whole minutes from start to finish. Then I got to sit in a comfy chair in the recovery area while the nurse monitored my BP and brought me a Sprite Zero with a straw. When I got up and on my feet, the hip felt great. A few hours later when the numbing wore off, it didn’t feel so hot. There was deep ache in the joint starting around 8pm. I can’t take any ibuprofen for pain anymore because I also am trying out a real strong anti-inflammatory called meloxicam. Joe got me an ice pack for the point of injection and it started to feel better. 

They advised me that the corticosteroid is slow-acting, and it may take from 7-10 days to feel the full effect. Or I could notice a difference within 1-3 days. They didn’t want me to be discouraged and think that it isn’t working if I have a bad pain day within the next 3-7 days. 

So far, at this early stage of 2 days out of the procedure, it feels good. I’ve noticed a difference. I worked out with Travis today and noticed that using a leg press machine felt better on the joint. I can stand up straighter without pain. Walking my big puppy was a little tiring and I came back a little sore. But overall it feels good. Now I just have to get an idea of how long the relief will last once I hit the 7-10 day mark. I’m envisioning getting a minimum of 6 months of relief. That is my hope. I was trying to be tough and not let on how it really felt, so I decided to write about it. I feel better now. And as always, I am hopeful.