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A month away from total hip replacement and I'm getting cold feet

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Hi and welcome @kittyroma - I don't think there is a member here that didn't have those fears before surgery. Please take the time to read some of the threads and see how peoples lives have changed for the better by having a THR.
 
kittyroma said:
I am a new member and I'm terrified too. Thank you for sharing your fears. Makes me feel less like a chicken.
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And I'm finding that's what it's all about! I will be a nervous wreck once I get close to the date; but reading and wrapping my brain around what will occur and everyone's vast improvements and successful outcomes - helps!
 
chicken is pretty much the way I see myself when it comes to this.. :)welcome kittyroma!! You are in a good place to help with your fears... we will all get ourselves thru this...when is your surgery?
 
Hello group. Funny how everyone thinks they're the most scared. Face it. It's terrifying, in theory. In reality a lot less. Dont want to sound like a pollyanna. I was very scared but i tried to believe everyone here. And its true. So i suggest , at the risk of sounding too nee agey, breathe into and thru the fear and let it go. And i promise this is the last time i'll say this....check out belleruth naperstek's "preparing for surgery". That and this group did so much to calm me down. Hang in everyone. It gets so much better. Devorah
 
Hello fellow gimps! It's been a while since I have spent time on this board, and I am sorry I haven't. It is so cool to see all the positive feedback and support every time I check. It may not be more than words to some, but it is helpful to me. I have still been doing the "maybe I can deal with it" thing, but I know in my head it is necessary and I am following through. I have been trying to use the impact of my condition on others as another reasoning mechanism. My poor wife and kids have gone through years of listening to me make noises when I get up or sit down, and the constant complaining of pain. I think of my family going on a hiking trip this summer while camping, and I had to stay back. I want to play sports again, and I have made up my mind that it is up to me and my body to tell me what I can and cannot do (obviously, within reason). It seems that this arthritis progressed very rapidly once I hit my 40's, and I cannot deal with it getting worse, let alone as it is now. I will try to post my feelings and progressions here as much as I can, hoping it may help at least one person in the future with their fears. Thanks, y'all.
 
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You have come a long way @ruelfal ! I know it is very hard to imagine anything but a life of pain right now. But there is SO much more after this surgery. Sports, family vacations, walks in the park - you will delight in every step.

Many people experience a fast decline in their arthritis. One day you are dealing with the aches and the next you are in agony. It does happen that fast.

Believe it or not, posting here not only help others - it helps you come to terms with what lies ahead. Glad you are sticking with us!
 
@ruelfal You are in the right place! Folks on BS are the best.. I met a lady at PT, I'm post 5 weeks this week, she was crying about emotional impact pre and post and how docs tend to deal with physical but not the emotional. She was soooo right. I suggested she look up BS, she has and when I walked into PT the next time she and I were there together, she seemed much better even told the PT about BS as well. See.. that's how this site helps folks at their lowest.. the site and the great people on it! You will get through it. Read and you will gain the confidence to tackle this head on and then be with us on the other side trying thankful and at peace finally after years of pain!
 
[Bonesmart.org] A month away from total hip replacement and I'm getting cold feet
[Bonesmart.org] A month away from total hip replacement and I'm getting cold feet
@ruelfal, it's so normal to fear what we have never experienced and to let our imagination make it even worse. It's the waiting for the surgery that is truly the worse part of the whole THR experience. The surgery itself is the easiest part---you're asleep through the whole thing. Having good pain management after surgery, having the PATIENCE to give your hip the TIME it needs to recover, and following the BoneSmart mantras to the letter will assure you of a good recovery.

I am going to give you links to articles from our Library that are essential reading for anyone who is planning to have a THR:

Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery
Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Activity progression for THRs
Home physio (PT)
Constipation and stool softeners
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

The articles are not lengthy, and will answer a lot of your questions. Also, don't hesitate to check the library for many other excellent informative articles.

We are here to help in any way we can: answering questions and concerns; supporting and encouraging you from start to finish; giving you a place to vent, whine, complain if you need to; sharing experiences with one another; and having fun and some laughs along the way.

Take care and keep us posted. We care.
 
Hello fellow gimps! It's been a few days since I posted my fears, and I am surprised and very, very appreciative of all the feedback on this forum. I mention it to my doctors and nurses, etc., as it is an excellent resource for anyone going through this. It all is positive, as well. I had my pre-surgery eval and labs yesterday, which I'll put as a new thread, it was an experience.

*The PT told me a 94 year old lady had the same thing and was up and walking immediately...I love technology.
 
Well, the bottom line on the arthritis and the sports is that if you do nothing, you KNOW you can't particate any more, but if you have the surgery, in all likelihood you CAN. Nothing else is going to help that hip but to just have it replaced. I dithered and dithered about doing it because I was scared to death of the surgery ( my first surgery ever, besides tonsils some 60 years ago), but in the end I was more scared of spending the rest of my life crippled up on the sidelines. Making the decision was very hard for me to do and I drove everyone on this forum nuts with my fears, but I am SO glad I had the surgeries (also glad everyone on here is still speaking to me, after all my whining). Recovery takes a while, but boy is it ever worth it!

We'll be cheering you on and suppprting you all the way!

Peace and love to you.
 
I really have been going through the same thing and I am glad I am not alone. It is so tough when one day I wished I had called in sick (i can't just go home, I am a teacher) and the next I am almost as right as rain. So one day you tell yourself, thats it, I am getting it done. The next day is like, aw just tough it out!

Honestly what has pushed me is that it is getting really hard to keep up with my active family, and the fact that I really want to return to bike racing. Shoot if I ride my bike more than 2x a week it really pisses it off!

So even though today is a good day, I am excited to get it done and largely due to the fact that I discovered this forum. Good luck to you and glad to see your coming around!
 
I haven't gotten back on my bike yet, but plan to very soon, as soon as I am sure my back has settled down -- piriformis syndrome with accompanying sciatica -- no fun at all, to say the least (and as soon as the world has warmed up a little).
 
Butterfly said:
I haven't gotten back on my bike yet, but plan to very soon, as soon as I am sure my back has settled down -- piriformis syndrome with accompanying sciatica -- no fun at all, to say the least (and as soon as the world has warmed up a little).
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Just talking to a friend today about this very thing. He has been having really good luck with acupuncture and some form of Chinese massage. Don't remember the name. Now what I can tell you second hand is that he was miserable before he started...... So I hear your complaints!

I love cycling, hope you can return to it soon!
 
@mike I as pretty darn miserable, too. The back stuff started up just as I was beginnig to feel much better from the hip surgery and was starting to do more (probably did too much, too soon?). It retty much flattened me and was very depressing, especially since OS basically said just rest -- too soon to do much else. So as soon as it was safe I went to my chiro a couple times for very conservative treatments and to the acupuncturist. I am doing SOO much better now (knock on wood -- almost afraid to say that out loud). Glad your friend is doing better, too.
 
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