Chapter 1

 

In 2014, I was diagnosed with avascular necrosis of the hips. That’s when my nightmare began.

 

What is avascular necrosis?

 

Avascular necrosis (AVN), also known as osteonecrosis of the femoral head, occurs when the blood supply to the bone is decreased. This interruption in blood supply causes small cracks and breaks in the bone. If the AVN is left untreated, the bone will eventually die and collapse.

 

Over 20,000 people acquire AVN every year, typically between 20 and 50 years old. It can be caused by a number of factors, such as damage to the bone’s blood supply, or injury to the bone itself, which can damage blood vessels and precipitate AVN. Other potential causes include prolonged and frequent use of corticosteroids, hip dislocation or fracture, inflammation, blood clots, sickle cell anemia, pancreatitis, HIV, excessive alcohol intake, chemotherapy/radiation therapy, and leukemia. Healthy people have a smaller risk of developing AVN.

 

AVN commonly occurs in the hips, but can also develop in the knees, ankles, and shoulders. The symptoms of AVN include hip pain, especially when the hip is bearing excessive weight, and pain in the groin, buttocks, and down the front of the thigh. The pain eventually intensifies, causing limping, joint stiffness, inflammation, and restlessness when trying to sleep.

 

My story

 

On March 05, 2005, I was admitted into one of the hospitals in Houston, Texas, with severe pain in my lower back and in both legs. I can remember it like it was yesterday.

 

A few hours after I had an MRI scan of my head, with and without contrast (a test that generates detailed images of the brain, using magnetic fields and radio waves), I started experiencing severe pain in my lower back and in both upper legs. At home, I tried soaking in the bathtub filled with hot water, Epsom salt and rubbing alcohol. Since that had always been an effective home remedy for sore, swollen, painful, aching bones and joints, I thought I should give it a try. That didn’t ease the pain, so I took two Aleves, since it was also known to help with painful, sore, aching bones and joints. That didn’t help either. I was in so much pain, I could barely walk.

 

I tried to figure out what I had done to cause so much pain, but the only thing I could think of was being diagnosed with a sinus infection and a high fever. I slowly walked over to my bed and eased myself down to sit. I must have sat there for over 30 minutes before I had the courage to lie down. The pain was so intense and severe in my lower back that I cried. I finally got the courage to lie down. I grabbed onto my headboard and pulled myself as close to it as I could manage. I then grabbed onto my right leg, lifting it until I got it in the bed. Next, I grabbed hold of my left leg and did the same thing. I sat up in my bed with my back against the wall and headboard for several minutes, trying to ignore the excruciating pain by watching television. I looked over at my husband who was sleeping so peacefully and wished I could do the same.

 

I began to notice that I was rocking myself, trying to ease the pain. I rocked back and forth, trying desperately to get some kind of relief, but it didn’t help. I tried waking my husband by pushing on him, but my touch was too weak and soft. I thought to myself, I need to go to the Emergency Room because something was not right. Why would I be experiencing all of this pain when I hadn’t done anything to cause it? I didn’t fall, and I wasn’t injured. It had to be something that was causing this horrible pain. I prayed to God it wasn’t something serious or fatal.

 

I walked over to my closet, grabbed a pair of pants, a bra, a shirt, and my shoes. As I was getting dressed, the tears flowed down my face from all of the pain. I just kept praying, God, whatever I have done for you to cause me so much pain, please spare me and forgive me for it.

 

After I was dressed, I grabbed my purse, jacket and keys. I looked back at my husband who was still sleeping so peacefully in the bed, and walked out of our bedroom. I went into my two sons’ room and they were also asleep. I stood in their door for about five minutes, and then walked out.

 

Once I got to the front door, I dreaded going out the door. You see, at the time, we lived in a three-bedroom apartment that was on the second floor. I walked out the door, closed it behind me, and locked it. When I looked down at my car, the tears flowed faster down my face. I had to walk down two flights of stairs. All I could do was ask for the strength and balance to get me down every step without falling, because I didn’t need an injury in addition to not knowing what was causing all of this pain. I cried and moaned all the way down the stairs until I got to the bottom. I unlocked the car door with the keyless entry remote, threw my purse and jacket on the passenger side, and sat in the driver’s seat. I grabbed my right leg and swung it into the car. The pain was so intense and excruciating, I screamed out, dreading putting the other leg in. But I had no choice in the matter if I wanted to get to the Emergency Room to see what was wrong with me and find out what was causing all of this pain. I took in several breaths, grabbed my left leg, and swung it into the car. I just wanted someone to knock me out because I was in so much pain.

I closed the door, started the car, turned on the heater, and sat for a minute or two so the engine could warm up. After for a few minutes, I put the car in reverse and slightly pressed on the gas pedal, but, oh, the pain! I screamed so loud, I thought I woke up some of my neighbors. The pain radiated from my lower back, down the side of my right leg to the top of my knees. I pressed on the brake, put the car in drive, and slightly pressed the gas pedal. The pain was excruciating. I just kept screaming out, “God, if you can, please hear my cry! I am in so much pain, God! I don’t know how much more I can tolerate. If you can, please just ease the pain until I can get to the hospital!”

 

Houston has so many hospitals, but I drove to the one closest to my apartment. I drove 75 mph going to the hospital. I was so happy there was no traffic. The best time to travel in Houston is early morning, hours before the sun comes up.

It was around 1:23 am when I started to make my way to the hospital. Within ten minutes, I was pulling into the Emergency Room’s patient parking lot. I was able to park close to the door. I dreaded pressing the brakes, but I knew I had to if I wanted to stop the car and turn it off. I slightly pushed the brakes and put the car in park. I turned off the heater, grabbed my purse and jacket, opened the door, and grabbed my left leg, swinging it out of the car. I then grabbed my right leg and swung it out. The pain, that excruciating pain! It felt like someone was drilling into my lower back, leg bones, and joints, and I cried out. After a moment, I braced myself with both of my hands and lifted my body out of the car, then closed the door and pressed the car alarm to lock it.

 

I took a few tiny steps, but for some reason, my legs were not following my brain’s orders.

 

(If you’re familiar with anatomy, you may know that motor functions are controlled mainly by the primary motor cortex via neural impulses.)

 

I stopped and stood in one spot with tears running freely down my face because of the pain. It took all the strength and energy I had to take another step. I thought to myself, I can’t let my mental state take control because if it did, I wasn’t going to take another step.

 

When I wiped my eyes, I noticed a medical employee looking at me. I just stood there, not able to get my legs and feet to cooperate with me. I screamed out, “Move! Please move!”

 

I heard a male voice say, “Ma’am, I am here to help you. I have a wheelchair. Can you please sit in it for me?”

 

I stopped crying and tried to do what he asked. As I got ready to sit in the wheelchair, the pain got at least five times worse. I couldn’t move any further, I couldn’t sit in the wheelchair. Then I heard another voice, this time a female.

 

“Ma’am, I can see you are in severe pain, but I need you to have a seat so we can get you in to see the doctor. Where does it hurt?”

 

I told her, crying, “My lower back and both of my legs.”

 

“Okay, just take your time sitting in the wheelchair, you are almost there,” she said. Finally, after what seemed like forever, I sat in the wheelchair. That was a huge mistake. I screamed out in agony! The woman kept saying she was sorry. She told me they were going to get me some kind of relief.

 

Once we were inside the hospital, the man rolled me into an exam room. I can vaguely remember being asked for my personal information, if I had medical insurance, or even an emergency contact.

 

Then another male voice was saying, “I am a doctor. From 1 to 10, what is your pain level?”

 

I answered, “I had two natural births without epidurals and I’d rather be having contractions instead of this pain!”