Knees & Hips

I think so too Mishap, you must be so disappointed and being in constant pain is so draining. I'd push for a consultant review asap too.

mishap, I feel so sad about your problems because, when you were waiting for your op, I cheerfully informed you how successful the surgery had been for me. It was meant to be reassuring for you and I can only imagine how disappointed you must be as well as suffering so much pain. I can't help thinking that the consultant isn't taking you as seriously as you deserve. Maybe you should phone the physio sooner rather than later and tell her about the new symptoms.

At the moment it has been left that I will ring the physio in a month (now 2 weeks left) if things are still bad and she will organise for me to see the consultant again. Since I last saw her this new pain and tenderness over the hip have started in addition to the nerve pain down my leg.

Oh, Mishap I am so sorry - to still be in pain, as you are, just isn't die, somehow, especially with us lot saying how much better we feel!
What are you going to do? Is there a way forward?

Cycling? Pilates? Yoga? - you have to be joking!! I can get about the house and I walk down the lane (very steep) and back - but it hurts like hell when I do. I am doing everything I can, but there are huge limitations - which was definitely NOT what I had the surgery for! I just have to be patient. But the future feels like an unknown.

I am hoping to try out swimming again soon.

I feel very fed up about it, as I know so many other people who have had the surgery and it has all gone fine. I just cannot believe that I am in this ridiculous situation. And I am truly tired of pain - enough, enough.

NotTooOld Thinking of you yesterday - and today. Did you have fun?

Mishap So sorry to hear you are still have concerns. I cannot begin to imagine what it will be like 6 months down the line. Do you go swimming? Or cycling? Pilates? Yoga? Are you able to, even? This post is from someone still wearing compression socks and not liking them at all! I shall be very glad when discharged from physio, too, although I know that I will have to do certain exercises for the rest of my life. In the meantime; checking out excerise info on the internet.

Pompa You sound to have well informed and specialist doc in your area. Which county do you live in? I might move there.

I am still struggling after my hip surgery - and now it is nearly 6 months. I do feel very frustrated indeed by it, as I have had no gains from the surgery - quite the opposite in fact. I cannot touch the hip as it is so very painful, and there is pain inside that is sharp and makes me feel quite sick. I had a lot of pain before of course, but this pain is totally different in its nature. So I am no better off.

I am told that it is caused by inflammation; and also that a nerve has been irritated. But no-one is saying how long it might take before I get some improvement. I just have to take each day at a time.

I couldn't see what was going on with my knee, but I could hear a lot of sawing and banging, did complain to the surgeon that the noise was keeping me awake. I would have loved to have seen the procedure.

I have not needed any replacements as yet but a friend had her much needed hip replacement last Thursday.
I have visited her in hospital and at the moment she seems to be doing fine. She says the constant pain from her crumbled hip as gone. She is walking on two crutches and has her kitchen assessment today. She is also trying the stairs because she will not be allowed home until she can manage them safely.
She had the op under epidural and sedative and slept through the whole thing. She remembers a drilling sound but did not feel a thing, and woke up when the surgeon was putting the dressing on her hip.
My sister had a knee replacement last year which went very well, but now her other knee is playing up!.

I've had 3hips and an ankle fusion under epidural. The ankle I refused sedation and was able to watch the interior of my ankle being shaved and fused on the same screen the surgeon was using, fascinating!

Deadened from the neck down would be very tricky anno!

I had an epidural and sedative when I had a hip replacement in December.

I asked the anaesthetist if I would know what was going on. He said I might but I wouldn't care and he was right.

Mostly I was asleep but I drifted back to consciousness now and then and felt quite blaise about what was going on.

Let's hear it for epidurals! Unfortunately they don't work for shoulders!

NTO, I had my knee done under an epidural, brilliant !.
I was fully awake, chatting to the anesthetist most of he time, I was aware that stuff was happening somewhere near my knee, but I was totally unaware of what they were doing, no sensation whatsoever. You can take your music player with you and listen to your favorite tunes, I did.

They did say that should I need it they would give me additional anesthesia, but I did not need it.
There will be a nurse/anesthetist with you all through.

Do not worry, you will be having a cup of tea straight afterwards.
I have had both epidural and general anesthetic, epidural every time for me, no after effects.

Good luck and best wishes for tomorrow NotTooOld x

Hi, Ariadne! Glad to hear you are doing so well. The M and S meals do sound a good idea. DH is very willing but only really excels at oven chips so I might get him to look into that.

The furniture man came this morning. He installed two loo thingies and has raised up the sofa to18", the prescribed height for me. Our chairs are no good because they rock and swivel.

My bag is packed and I sort of wish I was going in this afternoon instead of 0730 tomorrow to get it over with. Never mind, granddaughter is coming round after school and she will cheer us up and make the time pass quickly.

Toodle pip.

One more day Togo, NotSoOld! It will be OK!

I too had an epidural and sedative, was knocked out completely and came round comfortably when it was all over.

I did the stairs with the physios in hospital on day 3 (discharge day) with no problem, as I did after the knee replacement. It is hard but totally do-able, then you can go home! And, because I needed an afternoon nap and couldn't get off the settee (too low) I had to go up to bed. And did.

I surprised myself at what I could do, and how quickly I could do it. I see the consultant tomorrow for my discharge appointment. Six weeks done!!

Oh, and we did stock up with a week's worth of M&S meals, given Theseus' inability to cope with cooking anything but toast....

Thank you, Charleygirl. (brave smile)!

NotTooOld- please do not forget that the anaesthetist does not abandon you and is beside you, taking your observations and ready to top up analgesia or whatever is required. You will be fine, try not to panic, good luck.

CelticRose, you made me laugh! The furniture people are coming tomorrow to raise up the chair and the loos. Isn't that a fantastic service? Luckily for me, anno, I also have a downstairs loo so will only need to face the stairs twice a day. I had to get poor DH to hoover under the sofa just now in case the winter dust was still there (it was, along with a dead spider).

Prior to cleaning under the sofa, DH had already exhausted himself by pulling out the bed and hoovering up the -filth- dust. Then we turned the mattress and changed the bed linen. All of this is because we have to change sides due to it being my right hip. I don't mind because now it is me next to the en-suite and not DH. So much better for when you have to pay a visit in the night.

Last time I had an op - when I broke my arm badly - I remember telling the anaesthetist and his assistant what beautiful teeth they had and how I wished I had some like theirs. After that I remember nothing but that was a general anaesthetic, not a spinal. I also remember earlier breaking down in tears and telling them I was worried I might wake up during the op and not be able to tell anyone. How they laughed. Ha, ha! After that they were very reassuring.

I read all the blurb from the hospital over lunch so I think I probably know as much as I need to know about the op. I am still scared but less so having read all your kind messages on here. I will let you know how I get on.

NotTooOld. It is natural to worry. But do trust what former posts say. I had a really really focussed surgeon - nurses said he was a man of few words. But I was able to make him smile at least. Won`t tell you all daft things I said or did. But one of them when told about spinal, I asked if I would be blindfold and have earplugs. Duh! I also said to him when he came to mark my leg just before op, "good luck". To which he quickly retorted, "luck doesn't come into it". Hey ho. Spinal causes less blood loss.

My problem was not slowing down after op 3 weeks ago. I was probably so full of painkillers, and pain free on release after years of being told by gp that pains were natural and age related, I felt as though I could run a marathon. And did too much. I weaned myself off painkillers within days of being home so that I knew when I was pulling on the wound.

Take care of yourself. Slow right down. If something doesn't feel right - don`t do it. Ask physio for upper body and lower back exercises also for when you leave. I didn't do any of the aforementioned and am learning thro my mistakes. Not sure when I can sit properly again, but will ask physio at next appointment.

Have you got high seat chair? I thought my correct height dining chair would. Now looking on Amazon for inexpensive proper ortho chair. Any suggestions from GNetters gratefully accepted.

Will be thinking of you, NTO. All I can remember is aneasthetist asking if he was near the centre. I asked him centre of what? And that was it until recovery where I was talking non stop and asking daft questins.

Nice for those who have two loos. I only have one - upstairs. Having said that, the use of the stairs was excellent physio for me after the op! The OTs at the hospital made sure that I was safe getting in and out of the bath, using a bath seat; and making a brew in the kitchen. They also arranged for the local Social Services OTs to come along and decide what extra equipment I needed to see me through the recovery period.

You will not be allowed home until you can manage the stairs. The physios use this as a test of when you are ready to go. It is slow, but you will be able to do it. You very quickly develop a system whereby you only come down in the morning and back up in the evening. I have a shoulder bag and various bits that I take downstairs for the day and back up later.

Thanks, anno, that is very reassuring. Ginny, I'm lucky as DH will look after me. He's already begun training by emptying the dishwasher this morning when he remembered that post-op I will not be able to bend down. He doesn't know where the cereal bowls live yet but he's a fast learner.

How long before you could manage the stairs fairly well? I don't want to sleep downstairs if I can help it.

The sedative was quite adequate to keep me from knowing what was going on, so don't worry about it, NotTooOld. In my experience it beats a general anaesthetic hands down.