Revision THR In the waiting<

Thank you, everyone. For some reason, I cannot get the mobile app to work for me. I have to use the desktop version. Anyone else have this issue?

The doctors did not know my stem was loose because it looked fine on X-ray, so I don’t really fault them for not seeing it. The doctor told me yesterday that it is a miracle that I can walk now after all of the trauma caused by the accidents and surgeries. He said I have a fragile bone and very little bone left to work with in the future. I am also at risk of developing osteolosis down the road due to cement loosening. I am on full hip restrictions since they did lateral and posterior approach for the last surgery. I have to avoid falls at all costs now. He said I will eventually be able to do yoga, Pilates and stationary bike riding, but nothing high impact. I see him again in 4 weeks and will know more about permanent restrictions then.

I feel like a I am at a crossroads in my life and have to make some major decisions for my future. Prior to the last accident, I was working 40 to 60 hours a week building my business. I have 4 adult children, 8 grandchildren and 1 on the way. I spent more time working than living. The business still needs a lot of work to be successful and as just don’t feel like I can do it. Worse yet, I no longer want to do it. I want to retire early and enjoy the next 10 to 15 years with my family and doing the things I love.

I’m listing my business for sale and am afraid it may not sell and I will end up in more debt than a I am able to repay. I’m afraid we may have to file bankruptcy. I’m okay with that if we can keep our home. There is more to life than money anyway. Then there is the matter of retirement income. My business was supposed to be my retirement investment. Maybe I can qualify for social security disability if the doctor supports it. Has anyone else been able to do this?

Then there is the simple fact that a $10 bag of salt and 10 minutes of someone’s time would have prevented my fall last January in the first place. It makes me angry that someone could be so irresponsible.

Connie
 
Yes.
This is the perfect place for commiserating, and everyone is rooting for you.:console2:
 
I left another post tonight, but it shows up as awaiting moderator approval. Why is that? Did I do something wrong?
 
Thank you, everyone. For some reason, I cannot get the mobile app to work for me. I have to use the desktop version. Anyone else have this issue?
We do have some problems with the app at this time. Unfortunately, because our technical support is very busy, these are not likely to be fixed in the near future.
It's better to use your web browser to take you to the main BoneSmart forum page -
https://bonesmart.org/forum/
There are several things you can do that way that can't be done when using the app.

I've seen your post that is in Moderation. Unfortunately, that's just another glitch in the system, and your post will be visible in your thread before long. There's nothing wrong with your post.
 
@pumpkin , I don’t need to change my thread title yet as I am still “in the waiting” until I reach my recovery goals and know what my permanent restrictions will be.:sad:
 
@Break2 Yours is quite a story. I am so sorry that one slip has caused a number of other life issues to come to the fore.

A couple of thoughts: you might consult with a personal injury attorney on your slip and fall if it was at a commercial establishment. If there was negligence in not salting properly, you may have a case for liability and damages. There also are attorneys who can assist with Social Security disability--because the system has been gamed by unscrupulous people, it is a bit harder to get on SS disability than a decade ago but in your case, you have strong physical evidence of your injuries and then there are also the major mental/emotional consequences.

You might first look at the SS disability application online, line up a one hour consult with an attorney and then figure out the appropriate approach to your doctor. Doctors don't like to take up too much of their time with this kind of stuff, so you need to approach him/her with hard facts and a solid plan to make their life a bit easier and to encourage them to assist you in this. There are parts of the form they might also need to fill out, now and for future reviews so you want them on your side and make it as seamless for them as possible. You can figure out your monthly SS Disability payments by looking at various online charts that calculate the last few years of income when you contributed--I don't know if you have done so while owning your own business, depends on whether you paid yourself a salary or not, but it is worth looking into. When you are on SS Disability you would also be eligible for Medicare for health insurance too, not sure if you are on your own or your family's health insurance policy. All of this may seem hard to sort through, but first consulting an expert will help and is the way to go. If it isn't an option, you will not waste a lot of your time on it if the expert tells you right out of the starting gate, but your case certainly has compelling elements and I would think it would be worth looking into. Now you know what I know, and good luck!
 
@chalcedonian1 Thank you for your thoughts. I have already consulted an attorney for the personal injury claim. It will be a long legal process, but one worth pursuing. This fall happened where there is plenty of insurance to compensate me for my unnessary medical bills and pain and suffering. The building owner and business were clearly negligent.

I thought about the SS Disability and I thank you for the recommendation to speak with an attorney about pursuing a claim and possibly gaining Medicare benefits. I have contributed to SS since I was 16 years old and set up my business an as S-Corp so I received a salary as an employee. I did not get paid all of the time, but I still got paid enough to keep contributing to my SS account.

Right now, I am starting the detox from all of the medications I was placed on because of this injury. The first one is gabapentin aka neurontin. I’ve read that gradual reduction is recommended and that magnesium supplements can help with the withdrawal process. Anyone with thoughts on this matter would be greatly appreciated. I still have to reduce Dilaudid, Baclofen, and Valium as well. I cannot start ibuprofen for 2 more weeks because I am on aspirin therapy from the surgery. I use acetaminophen now, but find that ibuprofen works better for my pain. I am also starting a more holistic approach by adding ionic foot detox and massage therapy next week.

What a journey this has been!
 
@Josephine I know you are extremely knoweledgeable about THR and I would like your thoughts on loose stems and persistent knee/thigh/groin pain.

Because I had persistent knee/thigh/groin pain after my January 2018 hip revision, I have done extensive research regarding persistent knee/thigh/hip pain after hip replacement surgeries. My surgeon did not have answers for my pain since my X-rays showed the stem was fine. In my research, I have not found one study that attributed such pain to a loose stem. However, I did find numerous complaints of pain after THR. Historically, in the US, one piece artificial hips were cemented in place as regular practice. Over time, newer stems were developed that could be inserted into the femur with an abrasive surface that resulted in ingrowth of bone along with screw in head balls in order to make future revisions more successful and less invasive since only the head ball would need replacing. That’s what I had done in 2006.

When the surgeon did my hardware removal 2 weeks ago, he did not want to go any further with my surgery because my muscles were so tight that he did not want to cause more damage. It is only because my husband was persistent that he address my leg length inequality issue that the surgeon went back in to adjust the head ball. That is the moment he found out that my stem was loose and had not had enough ingrowth of bone to make it successful. He cemented a new stem in place at that time and made my leg lengths near equal. He then thanked my husband for being persistent. He said I was one of two patients out of 10,000 hip replacements he has done that resulted in this problem.

Here is where I’d appreciate your opinion: I find it difficult to believe that I am one of very few people who had a loose stem. When a patient presents with thigh and knee pain that goes to a 6-8 pain level on standing, but dissipates after a minute or two of walking, and groin pain that spikes to a 8 with any pressure on the knee while reclining with the knees propped up (as if reading in bed) that’s a sign the stem may be loose. I had both symptoms that were gone after the August surgery with a cemented stem.

Do you think I am in the 1% group or there could be more of us in the same group? I’ve come across other threads of persistent knee/thigh/groin pain after THR and I don’t want to mislead people by suggesting loose stems because that was my experience.
 
Historically, in the US, one piece artificial hips were cemented in place as regular practice.
Honey, you felt you needed to tell me this? I cut my (orthopaedic) teeth on such hip replacements. If you work out my dates, you will see that I was scrubbing for hip replacements as far back as 1959 when the Norfolk and Norwich (my training school) was the only hospital in the world doing them! And yes, we used a two piece cemented hip! :wink: :)

McKee2.jpg


He said I was one of two patients out of 10,000 hip replacements he has done that resulted in this problem.
Rubbish! What might be more to the point is that most likely his patients simply went to another surgeon!
I find it difficult to believe that I am one of very few people who had a loose stem.
So do I! Almost impossible, in fact!
When a patient presents with thigh and knee pain that goes to a 6-8 pain level on standing, but dissipates after a minute or two of walking, and groin pain that spikes to a 8 with any pressure on the knee while reclining with the knees propped up (as if reading in bed) that’s a sign the stem may be loose.
I'm not altogether sure that what you describe is the usual set of symptoms for a loose stem. More usually it's just weight bearing and walking with some 'at rest' aching.
I don’t want to mislead people by suggesting loose stems because that was my experience.
Well I hope you won't ever suggest anything like that on this forum else I shall be after you! :no-fin:
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:wink: :flwrysmile:
 
:wave:How are things going with you @Break2
I sincerely hope you are feeling better and hopeful!
Wishing you a healing weekend and good Mojo:roseshwr:
 
Hi @Break2
Just catching up on the latest with your left hip. You've been through so much! I'm sorry for your struggles
and the pain you've suffered over trying to get this right. I hope you're doing well these days and that all heals quickly so you can finally put this behind you and move forward.
Hugs and best wishes for a nice weekend!
 

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