Hi, everyone... I can relate to your pre-op fears, doubts, worries, and downright terror. One thing I can say is: Even if the THR does not solve ALL pain in your body, it will (statistically speaking) solve the hip pain in that hip. And trust me, having one good hip on your side really helps when or if you are tackling other problems, like the other hip or your back. At least that's my experience. Ultimately, when I kept reading that the stats are so very high in favor of a successful surgery, I just found that that calmed me. (Now, when I read about back surgery stats, I do NOT get the same sense at all....)
Right now, at 8 months out, there is a huge noticeable difference in how my formerly bad and now replaced feels and functions. Not the same with my back and other hip, but one hip is better than none. I had navigate the horrible snow and ice yesterday to get to work, and I'm telling you, I could not have done it if I had not had my hip replaced. This time last year I had my bad hip and I could not safely get up and down snow and ice incrusted streets and stairs. This year, my good hip carried the load for me while my bad hip loped along behind, complaining. Read around on the site more and you will get a better idea of what is possible. I know some people have glorious stories of returning to a perfectly pain-free life that is loaded with sports and stuff like that, and I am not in that situation. But I am just an ordinary senior citizen who needed relief from constant pain and limping
and at some point, the fear of that hip giving out and being a huge liability to me and making me dependent overrode my fears about the surgery. In my case, it got to the point where my fear of what would happen if I didn't have the surgery overrode all else. I hope that makes sense. Hang in there; take each day or moment at a time; do whatever helps you get through the night and the moments of anxiety; and read read read on bonesmart. There are so many lovely people posting and providing details and insights and offering support. Not to mention the awesome Josephine and her moderators.
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