Young and so many doubts

LuvDisney

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Hi everyone! I’m scheduled for LTHR on July 23 and RTHR on August 22. My surgeon won’t do both my hips at the same time. He says since we are hopeful the new hips last longer than the originals he’s had better results spacing them out a few weeks.

I just turned 41 and am really starting to have doubts on if I should wait to have one or both hips done. I don’t have pain all the time but I’ve also greatly limited my activities to avoid causing pain. I avoid stairs and working extra hours.

I’ve had hip pain off and on for almost as long as I can remember. In January it got to be really bad so I called my primary MD and had x-rays done. With the results he sent me to see the Ortho MD. He walked in and said “Hip Replacement”. He said we could do other things first but we would just be delaying the inevitable. My left is worse cartilage wise but my eighth has bone spurs so I’ve decided I want them both done to hopefully get to the point of being able to live normally.

The reason for my doubts is I’m an RN. I can’t afford to take too much time off of work. I also need to be able to bend when I return to work.

I’m also having a lot of doubts just thinking about how I’ll sleep post-op. I normally sleep on my side and if I do sleep on my back I always cross my ankles, something I know I can’t do Post-Op.
 
Hi. I was also surprised when an orthopedic consultation resulted in a diagnosis of end stage OA with Hip replacement as my only option.
I had chronic pain that I soldiered through...but it got to the point where I was unable to sleep and I felt like I just hurt everywhere am the time.
I felt 100 years old..
My surgery gave me my life back.
I learned to back sleep...not my favorite...but now I sleep however AND all night.
I know you are anxious but sounds like there really aren't alot of choices except living in pain and getting by.

I'm rooting for you, and hope you find peace about this...and be encouraged that life will get better than ever!
 
It is normal to have those doubts. I was in denial when I first started having hip pain. My only regret now is that I wish I had done it sooner. Prolonging the inevitable only gave me a longer recovery, with bad gait habits to break.
What was I trying to prove?
 
The sleeping on your back and crossing your ankles are a non issue. Trust me if you want to sleep you will sleep on your back with a pillow between your legs. I crossed my ankles all of the time, it was a pretty easy thing to remember. Time off from work is a detail you have to work out. Usually FMLA allows 90 days for job protection. A private disability policy is a good thing to have, it's paid for my recovery. RN's usually have bad backs and do a lot of lifting, that could be a problem for you.
 
The sleeping on your back and crossing your ankles are a non issue. Trust me if you want to sleep you will sleep on your back with a pillow between your legs. I crossed my ankles all of the time, it was a pretty easy thing to remember. Time off from work is a detail you have to work out. Usually FMLA allows 90 days for job protection. A private disability policy is a good thing to have, it's paid for my recovery. RN's usually have bad backs and do a lot of lifting, that could be a problem for you.

I think it’s too late for any sort of private disability policy as it’s now considered pre-existing. I’m not concerned about job protection as I have over 500hrs of sick time built up. My concern financially is I usually work 5 days a week but I’m only hired for 3 so the 3 is what I will get paid for while I’m off. Those 2 missing days of pay a week will make a huge difference in my finances.
 
Hi. I was also surprised when an orthopedic consultation resulted in a diagnosis of end stage OA with Hip replacement as my only option.
I had chronic pain that I soldiered through...but it got to the point where I was unable to sleep and I felt like I just hurt everywhere am the time.
I felt 100 years old..
My surgery gave me my life back.
I learned to back sleep...not my favorite...but now I sleep however AND all night.
I know you are anxious but sounds like there really aren't alot of choices except living in pain and getting by.

I'm rooting for you, and hope you find peace about this...and be encouraged that life will get better than ever!

How old were you? At my pre-op class as I felt really out of place as I was the youngest by more than 20 years.

I feel like I’m about 80... really tired of feeling double my age.
 
It is normal to have those doubts. I was in denial when I first started having hip pain. My only regret now is that I wish I had done it sooner. Prolonging the inevitable only gave me a longer recovery, with bad gait habits to break.
What was I trying to prove?

I think that’s why I agreed in the first place. Get it done before I am in pain ALL the time.
 
Not quite as young as you, 53, but a young 53 who was very healthy and active, that is until I couldn't walk hardly.
I still felt too young for double hip replacement...
If you are able to give your recovery the time necessary, you will feel years younger! I do!
I am a little more than a year from BTHR and I can't tell I have a bionic hips.
I just don't have pain and I sleep all night.:)
 
Check out @jgmurrayaf .
34 year old mother of four.
Just had bilateral THR!
 
Being able to bend over by the time you return to work shouldn't be an issue, as usually any restrictions on that (if you even get any, depends on surgical approach and your surgeon) are just for 6 weeks. Lifting any significant weight might be more of an issue for awhile. Can your workplace make some accommodations to your duties when you return so you can phase into the more physical aspects of your job as you are able?
 
Being able to bend over by the time you return to work shouldn't be an issue, as usually any restrictions on that (if you even get any, depends on surgical approach and your surgeon) are just for 6 weeks. Lifting any significant weight might be more of an issue for awhile. Can your workplace make some accommodations to your duties when you return so you can phase into the more physical aspects of your job as you are able?

I work night shift as a Mother Baby RN so for the most part the most weight I lift is new babies. Occasionally I have to help lift a leg if they are still numb but try and avoid that. I used to be a med-Surg RN and that required far more physical exertion.
 
We were all worried about having surgery - doesn't matter the age. Sounds like your world has already narrowed due to hip pain. Best to get this done and get on with living. Those hips will not improve and can indeed get a whole lot worse - very quickly. I ignored my pain for years and my hip finally collapsed. Believe me, you don't want to experience that pain.

Regarding restrictions - many surgeons do not impose any restrictions these days. Best to clarify this with your surgeon directly. But rest assured you will return to doing everything you enjoy post THRs.
 
Regarding restrictions - many surgeons do not impose any restrictions these days. Best to clarify this with your surgeon directly. But rest assured you will return to doing everything you enjoy post THRs.

When I first met my surgeon he had said there was no restrictions except some weird bending my leg backwards and then turning it

However at my PT run Pre-Op hip class they mentioned no crossing legs, no abduction, sleep on back... I have to look at my paperwork for all the ones they listed. It actually wasn’t till I went to that class that I really started having doubts.
 
Do not take the word of any PT. It is your surgeon who imposes restrictions - not PT. Sounds like very old school thinking anyway. If your surgeon says no restrictions then you have no restrictions. In any case your new hip will guide you to moving as far as it is ready to move.

Do you know what approach your surgeon will be using?
 
Hi LuvDisney. It’s always such a shock when they walk in and say “hip replacement”. I felt the same way. It took a year and a half after that to agree I needed it. I had bilateral 6 weeks ago today and am so, so happy I did!! I had so much pain before. Life is beautiful again:). I had mini posterior approach, and no one said anything to me about crossing ankles, I do it all the time. I actually had zero restrictions with mine which has been great. I was in pretty good shape before surgery so was walking half a mile in 3 weeks.
I pray you have clear direction and lots of wisdom. God bless you!
 
The pre op class is pretty general. It is meant for the whole class, what your OS tells you will be more tailored to you.
 
Can't wait to hear how your replacements go! I am young as well. I have some OA but deal with more bone spurs and impingment than anything. It causes me a lot of sharp pains with everyday motions and high restrictive ROM. My OS said wait until I can't, but I am on the fence about it too. I agree to not let it get too bad, but it's hard to think "oh am I in enough pain yet?"
My OS was a 3rd referral. The 1st two were not sure how they could help me (the actual ball, socket, and femur are deformed).
There are a lot of activities that I enjoyed that I cant do or am limited (hiking, biking, walking, tennis) , but I'm not sure if they are nessesary enough to say yes I want to go ahead and do it.
What made you decide to say yes in the first place? Did you have like an ah ha moment of 'yep I need to'?
 
Do not take the word of any PT. It is your surgeon who imposes restrictions - not PT. Sounds like very old school thinking anyway. If your surgeon says no restrictions then you have no restrictions. In any case your new hip will guide you to moving as far as it is ready to move.

Do you know what approach your surgeon will be using?

I will definitely clarify any restrictions. I certainly don’t want to do anything wrong but will also feel so much better if I don’t have to worry.

I’m pretty sure all the surgeons in my area do Posterior.
 
Hi LuvDisney. It’s always such a shock when they walk in and say “hip replacement”. I felt the same way. It took a year and a half after that to agree I needed it. I had bilateral 6 weeks ago today and am so, so happy I did!! I had so much pain before. Life is beautiful again:). I had mini posterior approach, and no one said anything to me about crossing ankles, I do it all the time. I actually had zero restrictions with mine which has been great. I was in pretty good shape before surgery so was walking half a mile in 3 weeks.
I pray you have clear direction and lots of wisdom. God bless you!

I’m so happy to hear your success! I think I agreed to it quickly because I’ve honestly been saying to people for years (I thought it was jokingly) that I needed hip replacement. When I told my best friend from college about it she remembers me complaining about my hips then and that was 18 years ago!

I was in better shape but have limited my walking to just what’s necessary for work. And keep skipping going to the gym.
 
The pre op class is pretty general. It is meant for the whole class, what your OS tells you will be more tailored to you.
Thank you! I don’t think I actually talk to him until the surgery. I’m sure I will get detailed instructions then.
 

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