I was impressed that the ambulance arrived within 10 minutes of our phone call. The crew were absolutely fantastic. From my symptoms and the fact that my legs were the same length (apparently if you've broken your hip, chances are that your leg on that side will be shorter than the other one), they thought I had probably twisted the leg. Sadly, after the x-rays, I was informed that I had actually fractured my hip but that I would have a 75% chance of it healing successfully following the operation proposed. I didn't need a hip replacement.
I was operated on the following day. I underwent a spinal or epidural anaesthesia which is where an injection is given into your spine that numbs the lower half of your body. This is also combined with sedation so you will be unaware of your surroundings and have no memory of the surgery taking place. NOT so in my case - I woke up in the middle of the operation. It was weird but strangely not scary at all. I can still picture the room and remember the short conversation I had with the surgeon and the nurses present.
I have a non-displaced intracapsular hip fracture which has been pinned with three screws. Having access to the internet is not a good thing and I'm reading too much. My surgeon explained the risks associated with the operation - about non-union and femoral head die-off. I've looked at too many negative articles so now I'm trying to remain positive and stop reading.
So, what have I been doing to try to ensure that I heal correctly! The first thing I did when I returned home was to contact my homeopath. He prescribed Symphytum 30. This remedy is derived from comfrey which is also known as "knitbone". Comfrey's ability to heal fractures has been documented for centuries. However, studies performed in the late 20th Century suggested it could have a harmful affect on the liver and possibly even cause cancer which led to banning its use as a supplement for internal use in many countries. This did not include the homeopathic remedy since homeopathy is a treatment based on the use of highly diluted substances. I took Symphytum when I broke my arm a couple of years ago so I've got high hopes that it will be equally successful in helping to heal my hip.
I've been taking additional supplements of Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Iron and I've also read about the importance of Vitamin K2 in the healing of fractures. Vitamin K2 is not found in plant foods but it is present in fermented plant foods such as natto and sauerkraut. Neither of these are easily available to buy and natto is supposed to be disgusting! So, I decided to start eating Gouda Cheese, one of the best sources of vegetarian Vitamin K2 while I am healing.
I'm also eating plenty of kale, broccoli and salad greens as well as sweet potatoes, carrots, peppers, beetroot etc etc. In fact I'm eating a rainbow. Hopefully everything I'm consuming will help my body to heal quickly and I'll be walking again soon. My husband has been fantastic! He has taken over all the household chores and cooking since I'm hopeless on the crutches - I really need to work on my core strength when I'm better. I've started to put a little weight through my operated leg this week and so I'm optimistic I'll be able to start doing things around the house again soon.
It's been a very frustrating time and I'm not a very patient person. But it could have been far worse and I've got a lot to be thankful for.
