Hip Pain

You would think I'd be used to pain by now. I am almost 2 1/2 years into my battle with Multiple Myeloma and have dealt with back pain the whole time. Yes, I had a Vertebroplasty just over a year ago that took some of the pain away, but not all.

For the last few months (maybe 3 or so) I have had a new pain. Well, it's the same type of pain, just in a different spot. The new spot is in my hips. It started in my left hip and would come and go. But the last few days it's been constant. Now, just this weekend, it has started in my right hip also. In this hip it has been consistent. Not like the left hip where it was off and on. It has been consistent.

One thing MM does is "eat" away at your bones. That's how I got the compression fractures in my T12 and lumbar spine. I'm afraid that the MM is "Eating" away at my hips now. That scares me. Why? It means my hips would be getting fragile and could eventually break. That a wrong move could cause a bigger break than I have had in my spine. Being an almost 40 fairly active woman with a toddler, I don't want or need for my hips to break. I don't want a hip replacement. That's what would eventually happen. I would need a hip replacement. Unless there is another procedure that I don't know about yet. But from what I can tell, you break a hip and you need a replacement. I can't be out of commission for who knows how long after one, or two hip replacements.

Started writing this post last night. I wrote it on my phone. Then, I was going to write it this morning when I woke up. That's exactly what I am doing, all while my hips, both of them, are hurting. I've already taken my Morphine ER (extended release) pain medication this morning. Honestly, I have, for the last 6 months, been taking it once a day because I hadn't really been hurting. When I would wake up with pain I would then take it twice a day. But like I said, the pain has been mainly off and on. Until recently. This last week the pain has become more consistent. So, I have started back at taking my pain medication twice a day. Also, twice in the last week I have had to take my breakthrough pain medication of Dilaudid.

Maybe it's because I am back to work and moving a lot more. Maybe that is where the more pain is coming from. The fact that I am moving a lot more than usual. And honestly, I kinda hope that's it and it will go away and be normal again soon. That I will just have the typical back pain and the hip pain will go away. But I am also realistic and know that the hip pain has been there for a few months. So, yes, I'm scared. It would also mean that the MM is rearing it's ugly head again. But then my labs are looking good. I just don't know. And I am always going to worry. My life is full of worry knowing that I can not get rid of this cancer all together with a surgery like some other cancers.

Only time will tell what is going on. I have a message in to my Oncologist, Dr. H, but know that today is a holiday and so it will be another day before I hear anything from him. Ohhhhh the waiting game.