?‍♀️Hip Replacement #2 ?‍♀️ (Knees Welcome!) ?‍♀️

Just read on your thread that your operation date is coming up soon. That’s good news travels. At last.
Hope you have managed to arrange a bit of help fir the first few days. If you havnt done so already You can get equipment via community occupational therapy. My favourite was the raised toilet seat and toilet rail surround which helped me push up. Long handled shoe horn still in use as still need help putting shoe on operated hip. 3.5 months post op.
Good luck, don’t worry.

Hi everyone, I hope you are finding the weather a little cooler today.

My MRI scan of pelvis appointment letter arrived this week and is booked for August 18th, so another four weeks away.

My copy of letter to GP following last week’s appointment, said the MRI scan is looking “‘to exclude any current infection. We would be looking for fluid and osteomyelitis also. This will be followed by total hip replacement if all results suggest we are fit to proceed”.

(I was hospitalised with Septic Arthritis 14 months ago, just to give some background to those who don’t know!).

Of course, this has made me very nervous now. At least surgeon is being thorough and I hope the scan results are all clear. All I can do is wait.
Thank you for support!

Not sure if this helps but I had extensive oedema ( fluid) when I had my operation. Necrosis was also mentioned.
Hope you hear soon iPadGrandma. The waiting is hard,

I’m in need of some advice. I’ve just got the date for my first hip replacement op and am having very cold feet about it, especially wondering whether my symptoms are bad enough yet to put myself through it.

I have arthritis in both hips but still have reasonable mobility and pain with normal activity that can normally be managed with painkillers but my left hip troubles me frequently when I’m sitting, including when driving for long distances. It’s a bit like sciatic pain all down my leg and in my buttock which the consultant says is referred pain from the hip. But I have days and sometimes longer periods when I’m relatively pain free as long as I’m sensible in what I do. And there’s the dilemma. Wondering whether to wait until things get worse (and possibly then have to wait quite a while on the waiting list again) or do it now and get it over with while my husband (who’s much older than me) is still able to help support me through the recovery period.

I’m probably just being a wimp but I do instinctively shy away from such major surgery. Help!

IpadG I’ve got everything crossed for you. As Silver says, the waiting is hard, and you seem to have been waiting with knobs on!

Hello Grannytomany, and welcome to the thread!
I think that you know deep down that you need to have it done.
There’s almost nothing to be scared of. I haven’t heard anyone say anything that wasn’t 100 per cent positive about their outcome.
Like you, I had lots of referred pain; mainly a trapped nerve in my spine.
The surgeon was 50/50 whether the op would sort it out, but it has.
But unlike you, I had absolutely no qualms about the op, I would have limped over hot coals to have it done!
You are very fortunate to have a date. I had to go private or I would have had to wait over two years. You don’t know how long you will have to wait if you turn down the op this time.
Do you mind me asking how old you are? I only ask because you say that your husband is much older (mine is too)
Anyway - yes, I’d say go for it!

Hello FC, I’m 74 and my husband is 91. A remarkably fit and healthy 91 as yet but that could change rapidly.

I’m fortunate indeed to have a date after only been on the waiting list for 6 months or so. I suspect this is because I paid privately to see a consultant and get up to date x rays done to try to confirm that the nervy pain I was getting was from my hip. This after a long period of COVID shielding and then being unable to get the gp interested in seeing me about it. The best I was offered there was a self referral for physio (minimum 6 month wait) but I’d already been through that 10 years or so ago and knew that exercises which once helped were no longer effective.

My op will be done in a private hospital but as a nhs patient. The hospital routinely does nhs ops. So yes, I’m very lucky. The consultant did say though that if I’d had any serious health issues I’d have had to have the op at one of the big NHS hospitals locally and that would probably have meant a 2 year wait.

Hello again Gtm
My nerve pain definitely got worse as things progressed, in fact I didn’t really think about my hip that much, I was always focused on the pain in my lower leg.
Is there anything in particular that you are concerned about?

Welcome Grannytomany
I understand your hesitation: I waited a very long time before I felt mentally ready to proceed with surgery. I would urge you to think very carefully about delaying. We are living in strange times and you shouldn't take your own good health (or your husband's) for granted. That can change in the blink of an eye and then you are faced with a very different, very difficult scenario. You have been very fortunate in getting a date quickly. For me the surgery has been life-changing. I feel twenty years younger and only now realise just how badly the OA was affecting my whole life.

Thank you Laine
I think that I’m doing really quite well. It’s 5 weeks today.
I still find sitting rather uncomfortable, but I can lie on my side at night (not the operated side).
I’m still limping a bit.
My scar looks really good, if you know what I mean!

PS Sorry, I was answering your question from the other, ‘complaint’ thread

FannyCornforth

Thank you Laine
I think that I’m doing really quite well. It’s 5 weeks today.
I still find sitting rather uncomfortable, but I can lie on my side at night (not the operated side).
I’m still limping a bit.
My scar looks really good, if you know what I mean!

That's all sounding really positive. Goodness where did that 5 weeks go? I know what you mean about the scar: back when I was feeling really scared by the idea of surgery the thought of the resulting scar bothered me a great deal. Now, it has become the hallmark of a good decision made.

Happy to hear you are doing well Fanny.
Welcome Gtm. I agree with the other hipsters that you grab the opportunity of an operation with both hands. It’s not worth the risk of waiting and waiting.... and probably waiting some more. Despite having different issues none of us regret it and if the doctors didn’t think you needed it you would not have been offered a date.
I am the same age as you and hope my hip will last as long as I need it. My operation was also in a private hospital under the nhs.
It is a life changer. I still have leg problems but my hip is not one of them.
Off to physio today when I will try to get advice on the other problems.

Once again our thread is almost at the end of the active list.

It is! Within a minute of you posting Silver!
I hope that you have a good session with the physio today

And it’s not moving

Grannytomany please have the op now and do not postpone it. Your hip is not going to get any better and waiting 6 months has been fabulous but if you cancel, your hip took a turn for the worse and you were on a waiting list for 2 years you would not be a happy bunny.

You are fortunate for your husband to be able to look after you. Please take advantage of that

For reasons beyond my control, my last knee replacement was postponed and as a result, it took longer to operate because another minor op had to be done also because it had deteriorated in the waiting time.

Your home life is ideal, please make it as easy for the surgeon as possible and have it done on the given date. Good luck.

Hello all, just checking in after my physio, who is wonderfully supportive and encouraging. I told her my poor toe story and she suggested Options before committing to toe being fused.

I am really surprised I have seen her so often, given I was in and out of the hospital in 36 hours. Next appt 4 weeks, more exercises and a green elastic band to make things more difficult. I have kept my walking up but hopeless at sitting/kneeling so have to get stronger, but she said its still early days (15 weeks) and is not worried. So I shoukdnt be either. Feeling positive,
Lets see where this gets posted on active. ...

Actually we are nowhere....it was a great idea to include figures in the post Fanny, makes it much easier to see where we are, or not.

I meant sitting on the floor ( and getting up again).
Lets see if this gets onto the active list. Not holding my breath.

Nope! No sign of the last few posts on active.

Gosh, sitting on the floor and getting up again?! Well done. I avoid that like the plague. It's really not easy for me at all.

Aveline having had our knees replaced means we cannot kneel, or at least few can.

I fell at home a couple of weeks ago and it took me an hour to work out how to get up again once I had decided I had not broken anything. One of the problems of living on my own.

Sorry to hear that Charleygirl. What a scary time for you. Glad you're OK.

I know what you mean about the working out. If I absolutely have to get down to eg fix a wire for my pc it takes ages to work out how to get down and then get back up again. The cats look on perplexed!

Grannytomany please don’t wait it will only get worse ! I cannot believe how my quality of life has improved so rapidly 15 weeks , no pain , in fact my new hip is the best working part of me !! I live alone it was a challenge but really worth it and I won’t hesitate to have the other done if and when necessary. You never know how circumstances may change and things maybe very different in 6 months .
silverlining I just can’t get on with the resistance bands , I must be a real weakling although I went into central London today and managed all the underground steps well without my stick . My physio is not going to happy with me next week . Swimming is fine and walking good . Maybe I just don’t persevere ?‍♀️.