THR 2nd hip - very nervous

jcee444

junior member
Joined
Feb 5, 2017
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80
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Well I am back on this forum 13 years after having my left hip done. My right hip has now been causing a great deal of pain and having been on the NHS list for over 18 months they have referred me to a Nuffield Hospital 40 miles from my home. I was obviously very grateful and have been for an assessment with the surgeon who says he will accept me. I have had to live with a 1.5 centimetre leg length difference (made worse by some tilt to my hip) since my first THR which has meant having to have a build up on my shoes so I’m hoping the Surgeon can add a bit of length in order to compensate. He says he will do his best but of course they cant make any promises. He also says I have the added complication of having a ‘protrusion’ hip which he did try to explain but I’m not sure how big a problem this will be. It’s a bit daunting being so far from home and allowed no visitors and I had forgotten just how scary the thought of surgery is……. I was hoping that this time I might ask for a spinal anaesthetic rather than a GA as I felt ghastly following my last op.
 
Hi @jcee444. :welome:

Please give us your surgery date so we can add you to a team thread and create a signature for you.
 
Hello @jcee444 . I sympathise. A few months ago I was in your position, awaiting my second THR and very anxious, despite the first hip being a success. I kept thinking of the not-so-nice parts of my first recovery with dread. As soon as the op was behind me, not only was the OA pain gone, but so was the anxiety. It was the best feeling! And I have generally found this second recovery easier, from knowing more what to expect. I knew what things not to worry about, like mysterious bits of swelling, and when there were unpleasant things, like those wretched compression stockings, I knew they would pass. And some things I could head off from the start, like stating firmly that I would not be injecting myself with the blood thinner medication so they had to give me tablets instead.

It was a bit daunting to face having no visitors, but my 3 days in hospital soon passed, and there was phone and internet to keep me in touch.

I think spinal anaesthesia is pretty standard these days, so hopefully you will get your wish on that.

I paid to go private rather than wait for the NHS, but as I live in a somewhat remote corner of England, I still ended up at a hospital 40 miles from home. I was worried about the car journey home, but actually I think everything is still a bit numb in the early days, so it turned out not to be particularly uncomfortable. It has been a bit of a nuisance having to go so far for pre op and follow up appointments, but I got staples out at my GP and did my early physiotherapy sessions by Zoom which reduced the number of trips.

I hope you have a very successful op and a trouble-free recovery.
 
Hello @jcee444 :wave:
Welcome back to Bonesmart.
Sorry you are facing another surgery, but righty held out for a long time and hopefully this THR can help with the leg length discrepancy.:fingersx:

Do you happen to remember what username you were under in 2009 (This is the year of your left THR, correct?)
We can add your 1st THR information to your signature along with your new surgery date.

I hope the wait isn't too long and you can get on this last leg of your recovery trip...
:) :-) (:
Oh my stars, no pun was intended but that was kind of good.:heehee:

We always remind members not to compare recoveries as no two hips are the same...and not sure how your first recovery went, but I hope this one will be uneventful and smooth.
We are excited to support you as a longtime member.:friends:
 
@jcee444 Welcome back! From what I've read the "protrusion" hip is likely to have been the cause of your leg length problem and pelvic tilt. Hopefully replacing that hip can correct those problems!

@Alliecap60 Welcome to BoneSmart! Please start your own thread so that we can answer any questions you have and give you the support you deserve :)
 
I had spinal anaesthesia on 23/3 and am currently still in hospital. Spinal is preferred now because of the after effects of a general and recovery time.. Although I remember nothing of the surgery due to a sedative being given, I recall being wheeled into recovery and then to my room. Spinal definitely nitely recommended.
 
Thank you all so much for your kind words. I really appreciate it. I cant remember my user name back in 2009 when I was having my first hip done but can remember I was talking to a ?moderator Josephine and received a lot of good advice. Apart from the leg length discrepancy my left hip was successful and the healing process was fine. I was in hospital for 4 days and remember that the worst part for me was being constipated ( presumably from pain killers) but it was so bad that when I got home my Dr had to send a nurse in to give me both suppositories and an enema. Dont want to go through that again! I am of course in a better position to know how to treat my new hip having been through the experience before. I’m sure I wont get so worried and over cautious about everything so the recovery part is not too much of a concern. Major surgery is still scary though!!! The travelling 40miles each time to a new city for assessments etc is proving daunting with timing - road works, parking all creating needless stress which doesnt help but I am just thankful that I have now been accepted and have a date
 
Sympathies...I really don't like driving in heavy traffic and sitting in the car with bad hips for any amount of time was So Uncomfortable:nah:
 
Wishing you all the best tomorrow. Please join us on the Hip Recovery forum once you’re feeling up to it.
Will look forward to seeing you there soon. :wave:
@jcee444
 

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