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I'm going to perform in a short comic ballet tonight which I'm proud of and a little anxious about.  I'm proud because I'm 55 and my dancing is pretty good for someone my age.  I'm anxious because I usually have to use the bathroom a lot in the evening.  My dance teacher said I could come late which means I can use my bidet a few more times before the performance.  Four years ago I had both hips and both shoulders operated on because I had osteonecrosis  from using prednisone.  I'm amazed and grateful that the bone grew back in all four joints  and now I'm doing splits like a twelve year old.

Theresa
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Hi Sharon,

Thanks for asking.  It was great  though we didn't perform until 9:30 which is about an hour past my usual bedtime.  I hardly ate that day (to keep the bms at bay) so I was hungry and tired.  When I got into the wings before getting on stage the lights were all off and I was blinded.  I had no idea where I was. I ended up coming out of the wrong wing which looked perfectly fine because the dance started with us all crashing into each other.  That got me in a great mood for the rest of the dance so I really didn't have any stage freight.  The audience loved us.   My husband said we will have a hard time topping this performance.  

 

I think I have crazy super hips from my stem cell surgeries which is maybe why I can do splits.  My turnout is the best it's ever been and I have danced for about 30 years.  I was dancing two weeks before I was admitted to the hospital when my colon blew up.

 

Theresa 

 

 

 

  

I do not know how you do it!

Congratulations on the wonderful performance and I hope that you have many, many more...

What stem cell surgery? What was it for? I hear a lot about it and have often wondered if there is anything that can be done for my spine and hips (and all of the other miserable joints)...

Please give details!

Sharon

When I went to see my colon and rectal surgeon in 2010 for pouchitis I had an x-ray done. The doctor saw that my femurs were deteriorating because of osteonecrosis, probably from prednisone use.  I wondered why I was having such a hard time walking and driving my car.  I was having trouble dancing too and the pain was unbelievable.  I soon had it in my shoulders too.  

I found a doctor at Boston Medical who was doing a stem cell study for people with stage 1 or 2 osteonecrosis in the hips.  I was stage 2. I got into the study, had the surgery (BMAC) where they drill out the dead bone, take bone marrow from the iliac crest, centrifuge it down to the stem cells, then insert the stem cells into the head of the femur where the bone needs to grow.  

I talked the doctor into working with a shoulder surgeon to operate on both my shoulders seven months later.  The surgeries worked and I usually feel okay even though the disease is systemic so it really bothers other joints like my wrists, elbows and ankles.  Weirdly, I have never noticed it in my knees.  I would suggest that anyone who has joint pain and has been on prednisone get checked for osteonecrosis.  The doctor said the damage was done years ago so I shouldn't have any further deterioration of my joints.  I know this post is long but I would really like this information to get out there.

 

Theresa  

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