prairienut
senior
Hello. I have been browsing this forum, and it has been very helpful so far. I was just told by my OS, Russell Tigges at Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck, NY, that I need a THR within a year. He does 500 THRs a year and I have heard many good things about him. However, I am somewhat in shock because of how bad my hip joint has apparently become. The pain is chronic but actually tolerable. I always thought the pain would be unbearable before a THR was warranted. My biggest concern is that I cannot comfortably walk distances or rough ground, and I am an avid hiker. And sometimes the joint feels unstable. So the bone-on-bone joint has really held me back from my beloved activities. Also the OS told me that the cup part of the joint is starting to degrade in one spot and the THR is not as effective if the cup is too far gone. So it is really this latter point that is driving me to have surgery now, not the pain. Plus it would really be nice to be able to walk on longish hikes again in comfort. My second opinion is Wednesday. I have scheduled surgery for April 2 conditional on the outcome of the second opinion. The plan is for a titanium ball and ceramic cup. My other hip is "perfect." I would love to hear from someone who was or is in a similar situation as mine. I am hungry for information...