PDA

View Full Version : Cold sensations... nymetro, et all?


AP
12-15-2004, 11:47 AM
I had a question and I know this is the place to take it, I have read others posts that are similar to this question so I'm hoping for some ideas.

My husband is retired Navy/Coast Guard, full career. He has had a problem with his hip, that seems to be getting worse as he gets older, (he is 40.) He had a good career, but a hard one on the body, (weapons specialist, out to sea about 16 years of his career.)

This means, as he is 6'4" a lot of bending and climbing through places that are small for him on a ship.. He has legs that have broken blood vessels all over his legs and is having his circulation checked this week.

His leg was very bady broken when he was a child resulting in over a year of treatment, including having th leg rebroken and metal braces for some time.

His hip after sitting for awhile, he gets pain in the buttock on that side. This pain moves from the hip to the knee, after driving a short time when getting out of the car, he has numbness in this leg for a time, until he "shakes it out," this is worsening. On long drives, he gets much pain in the knee on that side and has to stretch his leg for relief and he has to stop at times to relieve it.

When walking and bending a lot, he has what he says is a chill through the leg that feels "like ice water being poured" on that leg.

This is the same leg injured when he was a child.

His inital visit to the doctor, (VA,) he was told that he might be "pinching" a nerve in the leg, or "something else." He is doing an X-ray of the hip and the knee to see what is going on.

The Veterans hospital is not a place I totally trust, (for example he is in a program they call the "Gulf war syndrome," but we all know what that means.

Anyway, I have read of others who have these kinds of sensations, and I, myself, with stenosis, fusion, and bulging discs, did not have this sort of symptom.

Does anyone have any ideas or comments on this sort of pain, numbness and sensation? I want to be as informed as I can when they attempt to DX him. The Veterans Hospital has a way of dispensing pain med's (narcotic,) for anything and usig that to "keep the vet comfortable," and fail any deep investigation to find the actual problem..

My husband CAN go elsewhere, to other doctors outside of the Veterans hospital, so I want him to get the best care, especially after what I went through. Also we have known each other since we were "pre-teens," so he is a very "best friend" to me.

Thank you for any feeback in advance. Everyone has been more than helpful to me.

AP

metronycguy
12-15-2004, 06:49 PM
i would go to a non VA hospital for treatment if that option is open, this way some research can be done and you can pick the doctor you want to see, he can always go to both VA and non VA. i am not sure what kind of doctor you would see for that problem, sounds like it could even be coming from his lumbar too. maybe a neurologist? or
my injury is not service connected, so i get much quicker treatment and mri's and testing on the outside.

AP
12-16-2004, 10:55 AM
Thanks for the reply, nymetro.
I was thinking the same thing, that out of the VA system the treatment would be much better, and yes, he is able to go outside for treatment.
As he is 100% disabled, and well retired as far as income, this helps, and also, in times of war, most request are not turned down, (this is some rule that goes into effect when we are at war, so I am told that our insurance is one of the best at the time. Also, since he served 20 years, but the military, (Navy,) has the option of recalling a person up to ten years, I know because of this leg problem he could not serve in his former capacity so I want to get the dx for him. Military men are famous for "bearing up," and letting things go, but these symptoms I have learned, when left untreated can lead to or cause worse problems. I guess, as you said, an Ortho, or a neurologist would be where to start.
I will post what we find when he is tested...
The early tests will be done by the VA, (blood work, and X-rays,) and if anything is amiss in those tests, I think I shall ask him to go outside the VA system.

Again, many thanks, and I hope life is as comfortable as possible for you!
Warm Regards,
AP