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"The images of your hip do not match the proportion of pain you are describing," said the consulting orthopedic surgeon. He had decided before seeing the patient that no surgical intervention would be offered while she was hospitalized and recommended outpatient follow up to schedule total hip arthroplasty for avascular necrosis of the hip. The patient had built up her hopes prior to this encounter and was devastated by this response. She expressed the surgeon came to her room around 7:50am when she was partially asleep. She didn't feel prepared for the conversation.
"What is wrong with my body that I am experiencing so much out of proportion pain?" she thought to herself, growing more hopeless about her situation. The continuous infusion of pain medications seemed to help little, and the attempts for massage and mindfulness therapy were well intentioned but unable to relieve her pain. The surgeon talked most of the time, which was about 5 minutes. After he left she felt hopeless, unheard, and still confused about next steps. When the health advocate visited her around 9am that morning she asked, "Why should I stay in the hospital if I can't get the help I need.” She repeated several times, "I'm doing everything they tell me, I have no say."
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