[ Contents | Search | Post | Reply | Next | Previous | Up ]
From: Freddy Antongiorgi
Date: 21 Jul 2000
Time: 09:21:24
Remote Name: 209.91.204.138
I'm a 39yr old male diagnosed with AVN just a few weeks ago, left hip being chronic and the right in the early stages of development. I've always been an active person doing outdoor activities and sports (I'm a tennis instructor). As of 7 years ago I started having pains on my right knee and even had 2 MRIs done because the doctors thought it was a torn ligament or meniscus (which I had, but didn't matter ultimately). I decided to go to a sports orthopedic surgeon and have a complete evaluation, after answering all his questions on how I injured my knee - I made a remark that caught his interest. I explained to him that when the pain got worse I began limping with a straight left leg, immediately he made some stretching and movement tests and decided to have an X-ray of the pelvis/hips area. To my dismay it showed the damage in a clear way to my left hip and that the right one was in process. He proceeded to question me about my lifestyle (drinker, steroids, etc) and I told him that I wasn't neither of those - ultimately he believes it was probably a severe trauma in my childhood which could have caused my AVN...but only God knows for sure what might have been. It has been a traumatic change for me, from being an active person I've become "more sedentary" due to doctors orders concerning the state of my right hip which is going to require a THR - when? I don't don't know, I'm in the process of getting more tests to see on which stage of development are each hip so a timeframe can be set for surgery. Are there any exercises, weight lifting or stretching that can be done in my condition? Swimming sounds great, biking is off-limts, so is walking...I'm playing tennis (no teaching during the summer), but no running and strictly doubles. Any suggestions or information would be greatly appreciated.