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raffstr

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Loved one DX
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california
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yorba linda
My husband is 50 yrs old. He had a total hip replacement in November. When he came out of surgery he was screaming in pain even though he was heavily medicated. They pumped with a bunch of muscle relaxers. The next day he said his leg (thigh) felt like jello. His leg has been numb from hip to knee and down the shin on the front of his leg since. He developed blood clots in his lungs and legs. He then had a large bleed from the blood thinners in his leg, abdomin, groin. He then had to go off the thinners and had to have a device put in his vena cava to catch clots. He then developed a huge dvt the entire length of his leg, from his groin to his ankle. He was in the hospital and nursing homes for 3 months. I was completely sure, the surgeon messed him up. This week he had his second visit with the neurologist. First visit was the nerve testing which led to an MRI on his spine. This week he had the needle muscle testing. The neurologist said that he has ALS or MMN but was leaning toward AlS. He is sending him for MRI of brain and neck. The muscle test showed it in both legs, arms, back and thats all i can remember, its kind of blurry. He is going to send him to UCLA or UCI clinic. How can someone be normal before surgery and then this happens. Has this happened to anyone else? I do not want to believe it. He was sick with a cold or something for two months before the surgery. I would rather believe the neurologist is just trying to save the surgeon from a law suit. Any one out there know anything about this happening to other people? Thank You
 
There is absolutely NO WAY that your husband could have got ALS from surgery. Impossible. No one is covering up any medical misadventure.

Did your husband have a spinal anesthetic for his hip replacement?

I am so sorry for the horrible time you have been through. How horrendous to have had so much go wrong :(

I would not accept the diagnosis of ALS without a second opinion. There is something called Gillian barre syndrome that can come on acutely after a viral infection, it could possibly be exacerbated by surgery? It can certainly mimic ALS, but usually comes on very quickly and cause varying degrees of nerve damage and paralysis, much of which improves with time.

Hope this helps.
 
Could you be a little more precise on why the neuro thinks your husband has ALS? It just doesn't happen like that! I agree, you need a second opinion, then a third!
 
Thanks for replying. Right now, I'm trying to pretend everything is normal. He did have a spinal anesthesia for his hip replacement. I don't have the report yet from the neuro, I asked for it, but he said he had to prepare it. I was so stunned to hear him say ALS, I kind of shut down in the appt. I thought we were going to hear what damage was done from the surgery. He did tell me all the reasons why, I just can't remember. I know that during the test when he put the needle in his bad leg, he said do you hear that snapping and that it meant something wrong, but then I heard that same snapping in all his limbs and his back. After the last six months I really do not have much trust left in the medical community. The first nursing home didn't give him his lovenox shots for the blood clots, which led to more clots. The second nursing home let him lay there in agony for days while he was having a major bleed, they said he just had a low pain tolerance! And then the dr knew he was getting a clot behind his knee , but had to wait 5 days for an authorization. Now he has post thrombolytic syndrome. I pray this neurologist is wrong or that he has MMN instead. When I get the report with details I will repost.
Thank You very much
 
I'm sorry your husband and you have been through so much! I'm not a doctor and can't say the surgery didn't have issues---but unfortunately, I do know that blood clots can be a complication of surgery--and that they can be caused by a multitude of things.

I spent 30 days in the hospital with clots in my brain, lungs and legs. Daily lovenox injections in my stomach--and days of getting my meds regulated.

Pain is one of the most under-treated conditions--a source for it should always be found. A low pain tolerance shouldn't have been assumed--I agree with you there.

Hopefully, they can determine if the clots were caused by the surgery--or if something else caused them. Mine, for instance, the hospital decided were caused by a combination of atrial fibrillation and an 18 hour car trip where I didn't get up and move around enough. They are one of the hazards of those on bedrest as well.

Try not to over worry while they do more tests on him. There are other possibilities other than ALS. Best wishes with you both.
 
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