THR Ginny's Recovery Thread (LTHR)

[Layla]

Hi @Ginny12
It's great to read that you're doing well and that you're happy with the results of your surgery.
Thankfully your mom is stable but I'm sure it's still very difficult for you with her illness.
You're lucky to have the ability to fulfill work obligations around time spent with family. I hope you have a pleasant week. Thanks for updating.

 

[Ginny12]

Dear All,

Just a brief check in/update due to family commitments.

I am about 4.5 months now post op.

What is so amazing is that thoughts of my hip do not dominate my life anymore. For so long everything was about managing the pain/mobility/tiredness and the emotional element of arthritis. Now apart from an occasional twinge i can not tell i have had an op!!!

To anybody who is in the early days of recovery hang in there. I can only say that from my personal experience, obviously, but i have been very lucky and it has gone very well.

To all my fellow Bonesmarties i wish you the very best. In particular @Bionic i saw that you have had further surgery. Best of luck my friend your kindness to others when you have had all these surgeries is truly inspiring.

Love,

Ginny

 

[Mojo333]

Very happy to hear your hip is doing well.
Encouraging words for recovering hippies and those still waiting on their surgery.
I hope life is treating you kindly and I'm ever so glad that you don't have to deal with horrid hip pain whilst you deal with your commitments.
Thanks for taking the time to shout out to your Bonesmart pals.
We are wishing you all the best, @Ginny12

 

[Bionic]

@Ginny12
Great to read your latest update.

You have come such a long way and reading your thread would be a good use of time for other pre op contenders.

Naturally people search out a forum such as this when they have issues. So we could be thinking that everyone has problems but it isn't necessarily the case.

I hope you continue to progress well.

Best wishes

 

[Layla]

Thanks for updating, Ginny.
It is wonderful not to have an ailing hip in the forefront of our mind all day long. Overnights too, when trying to turn in bed felt like an exercise in futility. I guess I should speak for myself but I'm sure many can relate. Your efforts to encourage others who are following behind you are appreciated.
May it only get better for you!
@Ginny12

 

[Barbaraj]

Nice update, @Ginny12--isn't it wonderful to get to a place where you are seldom thinking about your operated hip? You have been blessed with a fairly straightforward recovery, for which I know you're grateful, and I hope going forward you are even less aware of how that hip feels. That's everyone's goal, I think, to simply forget about it! I know your family situation is probably still difficult and taking a lot of your time and energy, so even more reason to be grateful for no significant issues with your recovering hip. Cheers, and best wishes.

 

[allena]

I am glad you are doing well.My hip is still abit sore at times,but that is nothing compared to what it was before.Sometimes I don't even notice it.I'm looking forward to the day I can forget about the hip being replaced.
the point to all my rambling is that I can relate to what you are saying.

 

[HertsHippy]

Hi @Ginny12 - I have noticed we had the operation on the same day. You are a fair bit ahead of me - I still feel the muscles around the hip as they continue to recover and suspect it will be a while yet before I can’t tell I have had an op. However, I am massively better than before and am now pretty active and mobile - And It is gear to be rid of that awful OA pain. Like you I am very glad I had the op.

 

[Ginny12]

Dear All,

Sorry i have not been checking in, my mum remains ill and other family stuff keeping me busy.

Just to say at just over 6 months since my op i find it hard to believe that i have actually had surgery. The left leg is a bit stiffer than it's un operated partner but apart from that no difference. I have not been doing many formal exercises but a lot of walking. The joy of being able to walk again without pain and for long distances is wonderful.

I will keep checking in and hopefully with good news to impart to anybody thinking about the op but unsure whether to proceed. I had many fears and waited a long time for surgery. However, it is a big deal having surgery so not to be rushed into in my opinion,i don't regret waiting so long. I was not ready mentally.

This post is mainly aimed at pre-op Bonesmarties and just to say that the operation has transformed my life. I can just be a regular person and enjoy life more. I am aware that things can go wrong at any time and i don't want to tempt fate but the reality is that at this moment in time my hip is great. I can be there for my dying mum without all the drama of pain management and pacing of activity that ruled my life.

To all the lovely post grad hipsters i wish you all the very best on your healing journey. And a big thank you to the wonderful and incredibly kind moderators on this forum. You have all got me thru some very dark times and i will always be grateful.

Ginny xx

 

[Jaycey]

@Ginny12 Thanks for checking in! So sorry you are still dealing with your Mum's illness. All the best to her. So happy you are enjoying the benefits of this amazing surgery.

 

[Bionic]

Hi @Ginny12
I am sorry to hear that you still have a lot of things to juggle but very pleased that your hip is doing well. I remember your early posts when you had issues but you have come a long way since then.
Best wishes for the future

 

[Mojo333]

Thank you for reaching out to our pre-op friends and letting us know you are happy to have had this surgery!
I have been trying to help my elderly farther and stepfather adjust to an assisted living facility and father is not doing well so I get how sad it makes one to see their parent struggling.
Hugs my friend... the circle of life is tough!
Hope you continue to be happy for hips!

 

[Debru4]

So many of us are at a point where we are trying to be proactive and wise about maintining/improving our own health situations while also trying to help our parents and older family members deal with their health challenges.

It is such a helpless feeling to be suffering yourself, and also trying to support them. Like you, @Ginny12 and @Mojo333, I am so grateful that I am able to be pain free and present as I support my mom as she transitions from moderate to severe dementia. I remember sitting with her in a hospital room a year ago ---I was in so much pain from my ruined hip that I could hardly bear to walk the halls to get to her room, or to sit in a chair and keep her company. At least now when I visit her, I can focus on her.

 

[Layla]

Always nice to hear from you, Ginny.
I'm happy to read you're doing well, but sorry your mom is still struggling.
Wishing her comfort and you strength as you continue to move through this difficult time.
Stay in touch...Hugs
@Ginny12

 

[allena]

I'm glad you are doing so well.You are way ahead of me,but maybe someday I'll be where you are.If it takes a year(or more) to happen that's ok.My pre op situation was pretty dire so I'm not surprised I am taking longer to get back to normal.

 

[Layla]

Hi Ginny,
We haven't heard from you in awhile and your name came up during a communication with allena.
We'd love to know how you're doing if you're on the forum and have time to update.
Hopefully all is going well in life and with your recovery.
Hope to hear from you soon.
@Ginny12

 

[Ginny12]

Dear All,

I am so sorry that i have not posted for a long time. I have been nursing my mum who lived in a different part of the UK to me. She died about a month ago and now i am a bit lost without her. Main thing is she is not suffering anymore so i am trying to cling on to that.

Just to refresh who i am and my story:

I had a left hip replacement in October last year. I had put surgery off for 5 years for various reasons. In denial how bad the arthritis was i think was the main one! In the end i had to have surgery as i could hardly walk. On top of that i would imagine i am in the top 1% for anxiety levels for any population. This is something that has been a longterm issue but the need for a hip replacement sent me in to a level of anxiety that was even high by my standards. You name it, i can find a reason to worry about it. Bonesmart got me through the surgery, and i could not be more grateful for the kindness and support shown to me by the moderators and my fellow Bonesmarties.

So what happened after my never ending fears about having surgery?

I had the surgery and everything went well!

I used to think that i was one of the lucky ones (and i am) but i have met so many people in the real world for whom the surgery went well too. Why am i saying this? Because to anybody new contemplating surgery the odds are very much in your favour that things will go well, so hang in there. If i had my chance again i would have had the surgery sooner. But i didn't because i just could not get my head around it. From all i have read this is very common reaction and lets face it who wants to have major surgery?

I had a very easy recovery and apart from a few tiny setbacks i continue to this day to do very well. I have no pain and can walk and do anything i want. My scar is very small and my underwear covers it. In fact i cannot imagine now being in pain or not being able to walk/exercise/work/live without the whole day being devoted to managing symptoms.

What i want to stress is that i am not saying any of the above to brag but to give encouragement to anybody considering surgery. Of course a replacement is big deal and yes things can go wrong, and i don't want to tempt fate, but for most people it is life changing in the best of ways.

 

[Layla]

Hello Ginny, it's so nice to hear from you. I'm so sorry to read about the loss of your dear mom.
Any of us following your story know how devoted you were to her and her care in the last months of her life. I'm sure the loss feels overwhelming and the ache in your heart is still great. The only consolation is she is no longer suffering. I hope the good memories you have of her stay clear in your mind and bring a smile to your face often. Sending a warm hug.

Thank you for sharing a bit about your pre-op anxiety and your reflections looking back. You did have a very good result and I couldn't be any happier for you. Sharing your positive recovery is an asset here, especially to those who are pre-op and those following behind you in recovery. With a few months until your anniversary there is still room for improvement. I hope you'll come back in a couple months and give us an update around the One Year mark. We'd love to hear from you again. Until then....wishing you only the best!
@Ginny12

 

[Mojo333]

Oh Yay... @Ginny12
So Happy to see you pop in
My sincerest condolences on losing your Mom...I hope you are able to get through your grief in a healthy way (whatever that means...I just havent lost a parent, so that almost sounded pretentious) but meant with your well-being in mind.

Glad to hear your recovery is going wonderfully...I also had a great recovery and am ever so glad to be bionic.
All the best to you...pop back in when you can.

 

[allena]

Hi.I am doing better.I can tie my shoes,hold my leg up 30 seconds,cut my toenails etc.I still need to use a cane and can't walk a mile,but maybe someday?It's still much better than it was before the surgery.and it was a long lasting and complicated problem after all.It is so good to hear from you.
My scar is rather big-I have to wear long shorts to cover it.That's ok though.
I'm sorry for you're loss