Questioning my decision

Fiona444

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Hello everyone very glad to have found BS in the last couple of weeks and so useful to read all your accounts.

I am booked in 8th July for THR. I have mild dysplasia, impingement, bone on bone arthritis and a bone cyst. Does anyone get days where the pain is not bad at all? I think my pain is much worse in the winter months. Makes me question my decision to have it done on the good days. Does anyone else go through this horrible should I shouldnt I game?
 
Hi @Fiona444
This is such a good site isn't it?
I had hip problems starting wth a bursa/ groin pain for nearly 15 years - eventually despite physio and analgesia and ignoring the pain and rationalising the situation arthritis affected my mobility and ability to work .
I was offered hip replacements about 3/4 years ago
I decided to try other options ( head in sand)
In all honesty you will know when the time is right
I wish I had have done this years ago - my overall fitness has suffered because of pain and imobility pre -op
Your surgeons wouldn't offer surgery if it didn't offer a benefit.
Talk/ question/ask/keep talking/listening
I went through the should I shouldn't I ? game too
I hope you find the answer that is right for you
In the meantime be kind to yourself and stay as fit as you can:flwrysmile:
 
Hi Mayhip. Thank you for your response. I am the same in that I want to get it done before it gets too bad. The thought of not being able to walk miles when I want to terrifies me. I love walking and I although I can walk for up to 10 miles, sometimes it is so very painful and getting in the car and upstairs can be difficult. Since I decided to have it done it typically has not been as bad as it was. However from experience and given the damage to my hips I know deep down it inevitably will come back. It is my monkey mind that is killing me at the moment :)
 
@Fiona444 Every one of us went through this indecision. But I can confirm from my experience if you get this done while your symptoms are mild the recovery is much easier. I limped around over 3 years until my left hip collapsed. That recovery took over one year. Fast forward and when my right hip started complaining I had it replaced as soon as I could get an op date. That recovery took a matter of weeks.

Your hip will never get better. But it will get worse and this can happen literally overnight. Get your hip replaced and get back to doing all the things you love.
 
Thanks so much Jaycey. I really appreciate your common sense answer. I guess because I can walk miles today doesnt mean I can tomorrow. Also, I guess the surgeon wouldnt suggest a THR if he didnt believe it was a good option. When I saw him in 2016 he did not think it was the right time so that tells me something too

Did you have fluctuating pain?
 
With my left hip I had constant, debilitating pain. Right one fluctuated at first and then was a constant ache.

Indeed your surgeon would not suggest THR unless is was needed. Sounds like you already had something going on in 2016. Time for a shiny new hip.
 
My pain changes a lot and the winter was the worst. usually I didn't have much pain while doing things in warm weather except the sharp pain when it hit bone on bone. But when it was cold my legs would ache especially at the end of a day of walking or standing a lot. I did the should I or shouldn't I game for a long time before the timing was right and I was ready. I still have 1 bad hip and I'm not ready to do it yet.
 
Exactly like me Eman85! What swayed you to get it done? I have just gone through a truly horrible winter with pain but now I can do everything with minimal pain just being aware of the hip (sometimes still get the sharp kicker and certain movements hurt a bit) Could you still walk for miles with your arthritis?
 
I can sometimes walk for two miles with no pain.. Then the next day I cannot stand..And for a week I hobble around. Its no way to live. The pain is not always there. I can sit for hours comfy and sometimes get a full night sleep.. But it comes back always reminding me that things are not getting better.. Its a wave of good and bad on a downslope..
The x rays don't lie. I have no ball in the hip.. its more like a rod.
I can sometimes bike fifteen miles. And the next day in agony. I want to bike fifteen miles a day every day without painful consequences.
 
Thanks so much Jaycey. I really appreciate your common sense answer. I guess because I can walk miles today doesnt mean I can tomorrow. Also, I guess the surgeon wouldnt suggest a THR if he didnt believe it was a good option. When I saw him in 2016 he did not think it was the right time so that tells me something too

Did you have fluctuating pain?

Hi, had THR one week ago and Wish I would of done it sooner.
Tara


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I can sometimes walk for two miles with no pain.. Then the next day I cannot stand..And for a week I hobble around. Its no way to live. The pain is not always there. I can sit for hours comfy and sometimes get a full night sleep.. But it comes back always reminding me that things are not getting better.. Its a wave of good and bad on a downslope..
The x rays don't lie. I have no ball in the hip.. its more like a rod.
I can sometimes bike fifteen miles. And the next day in agony. I want to bike fifteen miles a day every day without painful consequences.

How did it get to be like a rod? My femur is like an egg and sticks out way beyond the acetabulum. OS says osteophytes
 
I started to feel a lot more pain and stiffness about two years ago. Like you would have really good days and sometimes weeks but then would be bad again. About one year ago it got to the point where I could no longer walk more then a mile without it feeling very stiff and painful. I waited because I wanted to be in the right place physically and mentally. I knew last sept that I was going to get it done this summer when kids were out of school. At one week post I already notice a huge improvement in mobility. I do have ALOT of swelling, bruising and pain but mostly in the knee not hip. I’m so glad to have the surgery now behind me and looking forward to being able to do all the things I had to stop. I’m only 43 and didn’t want to live anymore years in pain and just waiting for the surgery. Overall it really isn’t as bad as it sounds.
Tara


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I am delighted for you that it is going so well. I know what you mean about being in the right place. Although I feel good now, I really do not want to be in the same position I was up to a few weeks ago. I just want it over and done with and to be able to think of something else
 
“Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.” William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure.

I think WS knew a thing or two about monkey mind. Don’t you agree, dear @Fiona444 ? I hesitate to go on, as my words may muddy the issue he so elegantly summarized for us.

The facts of the case are these: your hip won’t heal itself. The changes in your hip are progressing, and now affect bone as well as cartilage. It’s a good idea to keep that pelvic bone as healthy as possible, and to do that, you need to stop the degenerative process sooner rather than later.

There’s a practical case to be made for timing surgery and recovery to fit into one’s life as well as can be managed. I would only include pain among those considerations in cases where pain significantly increased, and then it would accelerate timing.

And here’s why: My PT said this to me yesterday, “Your hip joint is the equivalent of a tire with a bald patch. It’s holding up for now, but that uneven tread isn’t safe. If you try to maintain your ‘normal’ level of activity, you invite a blowout. I’ve even seen pre-op hip patients get secondary injuries - most recently a broken collarbone from a fall - because compromised hip joints make them vulnerable.”

And having said all that, my monkey mind still takes over, and I find it willfully dragging me towards “But what if...” and “It’s quite tolerable...” and “Major surgery risks...”. One day, that chattering will be gone.

edited for grammar
 
Last edited:
Afternoon @Fiona444. I agree with all the responses you have received. I knew last summer I was going down hill with lefty while I was mowing. I decided then come summer lefty was going out. Just getting through winter was horrible. Sleepless nights, unable to the smallest task, being upset with myself cause I couldn't load a dishwasher. Warmer weather has made it more bearable, however I still have good weeks or good days. Lefty screams and then knee and back join in. Sooner is better in this situation. I planned for the summer so to not have to cart myself around in the winter. Take care and stay here with all of us that know what's what. If you have a journey to go on your guide should be someone that knows the way.
 
“Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.” William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure.

I think WS knew a thing or two about monkey mind. Don’t you agree, dear @Fiona444 ? I hesitate to go on, as my words may muddy the issue he so elegantly summarized for us.

The facts of the case are these: your hip won’t heal itself. The changes in your hip are progressing, and now affect bone as well as cartilage. It’s a good idea to keep that pelvic bone as healthy as possible, and to do that, you need to stop the degenerative process sooner rather than later.

There’s a practical case to be made for timing surgery and recovery to fit into one’s life as well as can be managed. I would only include pain among those circumstances when significantly increased pain accelerates timing.

And here’s why: My PT said this to me yesterday, “Your hip joint is the equivalent of a tire with a bald patch. It’s holding up for now, but that uneven tread isn’t safe. If you try to maintain your ‘normal’ level of activity, you invite a blowout. I’ve even seen pre-op hip patients get secondary injuries - most recently a broken collarbone from a fall - because compromised hip joints make them vulnerable.”

And having said all that, my monkey mind still takes over, and I find it willfully dragging me towards “But what if...” and “It’s quite tolerable...” and “Major surgery risks...”. One day, that chattering will be gone.

What a wonderful quote and very apt in our cases. Apparently my acetabulum is eroding too so another reason I guess. I have nearly fallen a couple of times when it appears to give way. Yet another reason....And yet the MM chatters away. I have to say tho the advice and understanding I am getting from all of you is helping me tenfold. Thank you
 
Afternoon @Fiona444. I agree with all the responses you have received. I knew last summer I was going down hill with lefty while I was mowing. I decided then come summer lefty was going out. Just getting through winter was horrible. Sleepless nights, unable to the smallest task, being upset with myself cause I couldn't load a dishwasher. Warmer weather has made it more bearable, however I still have good weeks or good days. Lefty screams and then knee and back join in. Sooner is better in this situation. I planned for the summer so to not have to cart myself around in the winter. Take care and stay here with all of us that know what's what. If you have a journey to go on your guide should be someone that knows the way.
Hello Jules. The summer does seem to be a good time I think. Easier with the weather although its horrible here just now. I have had about 4 good weeks so far. Pain here and there but mainly OK and have done lots of walking. It seemed that as soon as OS offered THR I started feeling better! Thank you for sharing your wisdom
 
@Fiona444 I could do most anything I wanted, but I've had hip problems since I was a teen. I knew a THR was in my future over 30 years ago. Most people that knew me had no idea I had bad hips because I walked so much and so fast. My worst pain was always at night trying to sleep. Eventually my L hip started to lock in position at times and it was painful. What convinced me was my life situation was good and I was wanting to retire. My GP convinced me that I was in as good of health as I'd ever be so it would be better to do it now instead of waiting since it wasn't going to get any easier to recover. So I planned it out with work and all that I wouldn't have to go back if I didn't want to or couldn't.
 
Before my first hip replacement I'd have days when I was not really in pain (although, looking back, I realize this was in part due to the fact that my world had narrowed significantly and I simply avoided activities that might aggravate my hip) and, yes, of course when you have days like that you start questioning whether the surgery is necessary. But arthritis is progressive, your hip(s) WILL continue to deteriorate and waiting until you are in agony every single day is probably not the way you want to go! With my second hip replacement, scheduled this August, I was in the surgeon's office sooner than I was the last time but I've learned that waiting isn't going to make a difference, this hip isn't going to get better on its own and now, having had the surgery, it really wasn't that awful and it's made a huge difference--well, it was starting to make a huge difference when the second hip started acting up! PS First hip caused significant pain when walking, this second hip doesn't seem to complain so much with walking but--yikes--sitting really aggravates and ups the pain levels. There is no "right" time to get it done, but most of us figure it out and go ahead with the surgery before we're completely crippled with pain. Read the post-op forum, too--wealth of information from real folks who've had the surgery and are recovering. You can do this, @Fiona444! Best of luck to you.
 

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