It's official. My right hip that has bothered me off and on for almost 10 years finally is bad enough that my surgeon says it needs to be replaced. My surgery is August 23, 2022.
I noticed my right hip was "different" from the left one almost 15 years ago. When my personal trainer had me doing side steps around the track, I didn't have the flexibility with my right hip that I did with the left. And if I really worked at those side steps, my hip would actually hurt for a few days afterwards. But it would go away and the hip worked okay.
Fast forward to 2014. My right hip was hurting in the groin area and I made a visit to my orthopedic surgeon for an x-ray. Nothing looked that bad and I went home thinking I had just injured some soft tissue. Life got busy after that. When my hip would hurt (usually after doing something really strenuous), I'd just use heat and rest for a few days and things would be pretty much okay again. There was always some pain in the hip and I noticed a gradual loss of range of motion in it. The loss of range of motion eventually started impacting my stride and I had to walk a little slower because of it. But I could still do all the things I wanted to do and was quite active taking care of two houses and an ill husband.
But this past year, things have gotten worse. The pain in my groin is pretty much a constant 2-3 level that can go up to and 8 or so at night when trying to sleep if I've been especially active during the day. I had a bunch of landscaping done in the back yard and this Spring was busy getting things planted and arranged. I toted bags of rock and dirt, put planter boxes together, moved yard items and furniture all over the place, and just generally did a lot of work that involved the hip. Maybe all that work kind of helped it along. By the time I got to the surgeon to have it x-rayed, it was clear there was some narrowing in at least one spot on the cup. It wasn't quite bone on bone, but definitely getting there. And he confirmed it was the source of my pain. So it will be replaced now before it gets any worse.
I'm lucky, I suppose, that I still can walk up and down stairs (just more slowly). I can lift and carry heavy items with no problem. But I cannot rotate my leg backwards or out to the side very much and it hurts to do that. Plus sleeping has become a real challenge because of the groin pain. At times when I walk I get a feeling of weakness in that hip compared to the left one and it can sometimes feel like the joint is going to give way. My gait is definitely not what it should be and my balance is suffering from the feeling that my right leg is weaker than the left.
I'm in preparation mode now.....getting the items I will need for recovery but don't have, prepping the house, making and freezing meals, doctor appointments, schedule the puppy to be boarded for a few weeks, lining up friends to help with transportation and errands....all that stuff that a person should do to get ready for being somewhat limited in activity for at least 6 weeks.
I noticed my right hip was "different" from the left one almost 15 years ago. When my personal trainer had me doing side steps around the track, I didn't have the flexibility with my right hip that I did with the left. And if I really worked at those side steps, my hip would actually hurt for a few days afterwards. But it would go away and the hip worked okay.
Fast forward to 2014. My right hip was hurting in the groin area and I made a visit to my orthopedic surgeon for an x-ray. Nothing looked that bad and I went home thinking I had just injured some soft tissue. Life got busy after that. When my hip would hurt (usually after doing something really strenuous), I'd just use heat and rest for a few days and things would be pretty much okay again. There was always some pain in the hip and I noticed a gradual loss of range of motion in it. The loss of range of motion eventually started impacting my stride and I had to walk a little slower because of it. But I could still do all the things I wanted to do and was quite active taking care of two houses and an ill husband.
But this past year, things have gotten worse. The pain in my groin is pretty much a constant 2-3 level that can go up to and 8 or so at night when trying to sleep if I've been especially active during the day. I had a bunch of landscaping done in the back yard and this Spring was busy getting things planted and arranged. I toted bags of rock and dirt, put planter boxes together, moved yard items and furniture all over the place, and just generally did a lot of work that involved the hip. Maybe all that work kind of helped it along. By the time I got to the surgeon to have it x-rayed, it was clear there was some narrowing in at least one spot on the cup. It wasn't quite bone on bone, but definitely getting there. And he confirmed it was the source of my pain. So it will be replaced now before it gets any worse.
I'm lucky, I suppose, that I still can walk up and down stairs (just more slowly). I can lift and carry heavy items with no problem. But I cannot rotate my leg backwards or out to the side very much and it hurts to do that. Plus sleeping has become a real challenge because of the groin pain. At times when I walk I get a feeling of weakness in that hip compared to the left one and it can sometimes feel like the joint is going to give way. My gait is definitely not what it should be and my balance is suffering from the feeling that my right leg is weaker than the left.
I'm in preparation mode now.....getting the items I will need for recovery but don't have, prepping the house, making and freezing meals, doctor appointments, schedule the puppy to be boarded for a few weeks, lining up friends to help with transportation and errands....all that stuff that a person should do to get ready for being somewhat limited in activity for at least 6 weeks.