rettabetta
junior member
I totally love your T-shirt in your avatar Bill
THR Bill's Bionic Breakdown
- Thread starter fulafoto
- Start date
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Happy Hipster
new member
Wishing you a successful surgery and speedy recovery!
OP
OP
fulafoto
supremo
- Joined
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- 66
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- Childers, Queensland, Australia
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- Male
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Australia
@NoraJ oh yes it is a big, big country for sure and yes have managed to rest a bit now. Neck is still niggly but the ankle is doing fine now. Thanks @rettabetta - it sure turns some heads when I wear it out 
and thank you also @Happy Hipster - recovery is going pretty well with the occasional hiccup but it is working out.
I had my post-op followup with the OS today and actually saw the OS who did the surgery which was a thrill for me! He said it really needed doing as it was in very bad shape (no surprise to me!) My hip is un-cemented ceramic head on nylon cup. He said un-cemented is preferable for patients of my age (I am guessing due to possible revision?). He told me I have a life time restriction of squatting and to take care with kneeling, even showing me how to kneel properly. I have a follow-up in six weeks (6 October) which is when he will be taking an x-ray and has left me off work until 15 October. So that's about it from me for the moment!
and thank you also @Happy Hipster - recovery is going pretty well with the occasional hiccup but it is working out.I had my post-op followup with the OS today and actually saw the OS who did the surgery which was a thrill for me! He said it really needed doing as it was in very bad shape (no surprise to me!) My hip is un-cemented ceramic head on nylon cup. He said un-cemented is preferable for patients of my age (I am guessing due to possible revision?). He told me I have a life time restriction of squatting and to take care with kneeling, even showing me how to kneel properly. I have a follow-up in six weeks (6 October) which is when he will be taking an x-ray and has left me off work until 15 October. So that's about it from me for the moment!
Poppet
Nutritional Advisor
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grnplatebrd
senior
@fulafoto
Glad to hear you are doing so well still Bill and the ankle was a just a blip during your recovery. I too am ceramic and uncemented, my info from the OS is indeed due to younger age and chance of loosening when older as the joint will often last longer than the cement. Keep up the great work and I too appreciate all your input and support you offer in this community
Glad to hear you are doing so well still Bill and the ankle was a just a blip during your recovery. I too am ceramic and uncemented, my info from the OS is indeed due to younger age and chance of loosening when older as the joint will often last longer than the cement. Keep up the great work and I too appreciate all your input and support you offer in this community
NoraJ
senior
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- Ireland
Ditto for me... ceramic and uncemented due to the likelihood of needing a revision. Bill@fulafoto great report from OS and that you got to meet him. I really like my OS and feel he has a vested interest in my recovery. Hopefully you'll meet him next time too.
Last edited by a moderator:
FionaW
senior
Hi Bill @fulafoto , just checking in to see how you're doing... Pretty well, it seems! Glad you managed to get away and had such a good time... I had a hol in Wales with lots of walking about too I sympathise with you about the ankle - I have had problems with my knees, ankles and feet too, but not my hip!
Just going to update my thread now...
Glad you managed to get away and had such a good time... I had a hol in Wales with lots of walking about too I sympathise with you about the ankle - I have had problems with my knees, ankles and feet too, but not my hip!Just going to update my thread now...
Hoppy Nanny
big-cheese
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Great post op visit Bill @ fulafoto....I, too, am ceramic and uncemented even though I am of the more mature variety! I have kneeled on a couple of occasions......the getting up wasn't pretty though, may not do that again! Back to work, how does that feel Bill? Have you got used to bring a free agent or will you be glad to being in the swing of things? Take care x
Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart®
Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart®
IMs
junior member
PuppyLove
graduate
Hi Bill! I'm just catching up with your thread as I've been lurking on the knee side. You sound like you're doing great and I'm envious of your travels! Hopefully I'll be able to hike again after I have my knees done!
MajorHeidi
big-cheese
Hoppy Nanny
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OP
OP
fulafoto
supremo
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I tried to post in my previous thread however it appears to be closed so I will post here. Please feel free to put them together and thank you
Well it’s been such a long time since my last post in August last year. At first I was not in a good headspace and then as time went by it became harder and harder to post, however after some cajoling from some wonderful friends on here I am doing another post and will be around to see how my other friends, both new and old have been going.
Firstly let me apologise to anyone who reads this for the epic nature of my post. A lot has gone on and the story is not finished yet….
A lot of water has gone under the bridge.
Soon after my last post I started cycling on a stationary bike however could feel a definite ‘clunk’ in the pelvis but no pain as such. This continued until early October where both my DW and I could actually hear a clicking so I stopped cycling as I had a follow-up with the OS about a week later. During this time I had also seen a physiotherapist who had measured my leg length as I noted my knees uneven again when placed next to each other. He noted the left (operated) leg being 1cm (about 1/2 “) shorter. (The method used by the physio was to measure from the upper hip bone to the ankle bone). He was also concerned with the clicking/clunking and thought the cup was misaligned. My GP ordered a CT scan and the report said all was good.
At my next OS appointment he did an x-ray, said he was happy with the placement and I told him about this clicking/clunking so he told me not to ride a bike! That was easy. See you in December.
Went back in December, another x-ray, once again happy with the placement and said he has no idea why I am still in pain – see you in 3 months time. Both DW and I were flabbergasted and I managed to eek out a question about work – his response was that the prosthetic looked good so he had no idea about the pain, therefore could not give me any further time off.
At this time I had continued seeing the physiotherapist who had measured my leg again by the same method as above and found it to now be shortened by 2cm (nearly an inch). I asked him about this so he had me lay down, placed a pen mark on both ankles, shook my feet and legs and put my feet together. He said it was about 1cm shorter and a difference of up to 2.5cm (1 inch) was nothing important. I asked him why, after the THR, both legs were same length now my left one was shorter – he chose to ignore this question.
I went and saw my ever supportive GP who nearly hit the roof. She said there is no way I could return to work (I was still using one or two elbow crutches to walk) She had me ring the hospital and demand a second opinion which I did and another appointment was organised for two weeks later.
Well DW and I turned up for the second opinion and who was it with?? The SAME OS!! Honestly you could have knocked me over with a feather! I was wondering if this was an episode of carry on doctor!
He said he was informed I had some questions that were left unanswered at the last consultation and wanted to answer these. This time he actually asked me where the pain was, what it was like and how severe. He then had a light bulb moment – he said you’ve got a hernia, take this form, get an ultrasound and come back. Had the ultrasound, returned to him and there is no hernia. He said he has no idea why I am in pain and referred me to a hospital in Brisbane (our state capital, about 300kms or 180 miles away)
I continued to see the physiotherapist who re-measured my legs by the same method and the left one is now 3cm shorter than the right. I am wearing a 2.5cm (one inch) build up on all the shoes I wear now.
I received a letter from the new hospital in early February stating I was a category 3 and ‘might’ be seen this year. Back to my GP and she suggested I actually pay for an appointment with an OS down there. She told me about this fellow, a Professor, gave me his details, I rang and had an appointment 10 days later.
This fellow is a totally different kettle of fish. He listened; he examined, X-rayed, explained the X-ray but still was not happy. Told me to go home and organised a bone scan to be done locally. I went back to him early this month. He said the bone scan showed increased activity at the bottom of the stem in the femur which is worrying and the reason behind the severe aches I get in the thigh. He asked about the pelvic pain and I mentioned the clicking, he seemed very interested in that. He asked me to get up while he stared intently at my pelvic area. He noted I throw my leg back upon standing, something I didn’t even realise I did. He said that’s it – the cup is loose. He said that is due to two things 1. The cup was uncemented and 2. The cyst that I had was not filled. This was a total shock to me as I was led to believe they were going to fill the cyst and since then have been back to my GP who looked up the surgery notes and no – they didn’t fill the cyst – she was as shocked as me.
(Another part of the bone scan, which was full body scan, indicated I have arthritis in both shoulders, wrists, most fingers, both knees, ankles and a few toes - my elbows and right hip are good - YAY!!!)
So here we are, I am booked in for a revision of the entire prosthetic with a tentative date of June 1.
In the recent weeks I have felt the hip moving (just like the old days) and have found an increase of pain and am now using the underarm crutches once again and not bearing weight on the left leg. There is a sense of déjà vue about this whole situation.
On a personal note, since September last year DW and I have been on a diet which has become our normal eating plan and I have lost 25 kilos (about 55 pounds). Also in early November I started swimming and have been doing 1000 metres (about 1100 yards) a day, 3-5 days a week so my general health has improved immensely since my last surgery.
So if you’re still with me there, you have read a large part of my life from the past 8 months. I will get around to others in the coming few days and hope everyone is doing brilliantly well in their recoveries and preparations for this life changing surgery.
Thanks for listening.
Bill
Well it’s been such a long time since my last post in August last year. At first I was not in a good headspace and then as time went by it became harder and harder to post, however after some cajoling from some wonderful friends on here I am doing another post and will be around to see how my other friends, both new and old have been going.
Firstly let me apologise to anyone who reads this for the epic nature of my post. A lot has gone on and the story is not finished yet….
A lot of water has gone under the bridge.
Soon after my last post I started cycling on a stationary bike however could feel a definite ‘clunk’ in the pelvis but no pain as such. This continued until early October where both my DW and I could actually hear a clicking so I stopped cycling as I had a follow-up with the OS about a week later. During this time I had also seen a physiotherapist who had measured my leg length as I noted my knees uneven again when placed next to each other. He noted the left (operated) leg being 1cm (about 1/2 “) shorter. (The method used by the physio was to measure from the upper hip bone to the ankle bone). He was also concerned with the clicking/clunking and thought the cup was misaligned. My GP ordered a CT scan and the report said all was good.
At my next OS appointment he did an x-ray, said he was happy with the placement and I told him about this clicking/clunking so he told me not to ride a bike! That was easy. See you in December.
Went back in December, another x-ray, once again happy with the placement and said he has no idea why I am still in pain – see you in 3 months time. Both DW and I were flabbergasted and I managed to eek out a question about work – his response was that the prosthetic looked good so he had no idea about the pain, therefore could not give me any further time off.
At this time I had continued seeing the physiotherapist who had measured my leg again by the same method as above and found it to now be shortened by 2cm (nearly an inch). I asked him about this so he had me lay down, placed a pen mark on both ankles, shook my feet and legs and put my feet together. He said it was about 1cm shorter and a difference of up to 2.5cm (1 inch) was nothing important. I asked him why, after the THR, both legs were same length now my left one was shorter – he chose to ignore this question.
I went and saw my ever supportive GP who nearly hit the roof. She said there is no way I could return to work (I was still using one or two elbow crutches to walk) She had me ring the hospital and demand a second opinion which I did and another appointment was organised for two weeks later.
Well DW and I turned up for the second opinion and who was it with?? The SAME OS!! Honestly you could have knocked me over with a feather! I was wondering if this was an episode of carry on doctor!
He said he was informed I had some questions that were left unanswered at the last consultation and wanted to answer these. This time he actually asked me where the pain was, what it was like and how severe. He then had a light bulb moment – he said you’ve got a hernia, take this form, get an ultrasound and come back. Had the ultrasound, returned to him and there is no hernia. He said he has no idea why I am in pain and referred me to a hospital in Brisbane (our state capital, about 300kms or 180 miles away)
I continued to see the physiotherapist who re-measured my legs by the same method and the left one is now 3cm shorter than the right. I am wearing a 2.5cm (one inch) build up on all the shoes I wear now.
I received a letter from the new hospital in early February stating I was a category 3 and ‘might’ be seen this year. Back to my GP and she suggested I actually pay for an appointment with an OS down there. She told me about this fellow, a Professor, gave me his details, I rang and had an appointment 10 days later.
This fellow is a totally different kettle of fish. He listened; he examined, X-rayed, explained the X-ray but still was not happy. Told me to go home and organised a bone scan to be done locally. I went back to him early this month. He said the bone scan showed increased activity at the bottom of the stem in the femur which is worrying and the reason behind the severe aches I get in the thigh. He asked about the pelvic pain and I mentioned the clicking, he seemed very interested in that. He asked me to get up while he stared intently at my pelvic area. He noted I throw my leg back upon standing, something I didn’t even realise I did. He said that’s it – the cup is loose. He said that is due to two things 1. The cup was uncemented and 2. The cyst that I had was not filled. This was a total shock to me as I was led to believe they were going to fill the cyst and since then have been back to my GP who looked up the surgery notes and no – they didn’t fill the cyst – she was as shocked as me.
(Another part of the bone scan, which was full body scan, indicated I have arthritis in both shoulders, wrists, most fingers, both knees, ankles and a few toes - my elbows and right hip are good - YAY!!!)
So here we are, I am booked in for a revision of the entire prosthetic with a tentative date of June 1.
In the recent weeks I have felt the hip moving (just like the old days) and have found an increase of pain and am now using the underarm crutches once again and not bearing weight on the left leg. There is a sense of déjà vue about this whole situation.
On a personal note, since September last year DW and I have been on a diet which has become our normal eating plan and I have lost 25 kilos (about 55 pounds). Also in early November I started swimming and have been doing 1000 metres (about 1100 yards) a day, 3-5 days a week so my general health has improved immensely since my last surgery.
So if you’re still with me there, you have read a large part of my life from the past 8 months. I will get around to others in the coming few days and hope everyone is doing brilliantly well in their recoveries and preparations for this life changing surgery.
Thanks for listening.
Bill
Me2
post-grad
Wow . . . simply oh no sort of wow! I hope you can much sooner say you are
copsham
post-grad
Hi fulafoto
Your post was really interesting. I have the luxury of a long train journey today giving me time to read and digest. It certainly seems a long haul in your recovery. What I find difficult is not knowing what lies ahead. I am 9 weeks post op and overall I am progressing well. But reading yours and many others posts we really do not know what is round the corner. Yourr "second opinion" was amazing. We all have such hurdles to get over along the way.
Love the sound of your current medic who actually listened to you. It sounds exceptional but should really be the norm.! I thought my surgeon was excellent until I hit a problem then he became much more nonchalant and disinterested.
I am impressed with your healthy eating . I started healthy eating about 4 months pre op very proud of myself and carried on for a few weeks post op THEN I went on a food binge and haven't stopped for past 3 weeks. Just can,t get beck in to the swing of things. ...
Thanks for posting - your second opinion is stored with my other crazy medical experiences!!!
Keep us up dated
Karen
Your post was really interesting. I have the luxury of a long train journey today giving me time to read and digest. It certainly seems a long haul in your recovery. What I find difficult is not knowing what lies ahead. I am 9 weeks post op and overall I am progressing well. But reading yours and many others posts we really do not know what is round the corner. Yourr "second opinion" was amazing. We all have such hurdles to get over along the way.
Love the sound of your current medic who actually listened to you. It sounds exceptional but should really be the norm.! I thought my surgeon was excellent until I hit a problem then he became much more nonchalant and disinterested.
I am impressed with your healthy eating . I started healthy eating about 4 months pre op very proud of myself and carried on for a few weeks post op THEN I went on a food binge and haven't stopped for past 3 weeks. Just can,t get beck in to the swing of things. ...
Thanks for posting - your second opinion is stored with my other crazy medical experiences!!!
Keep us up dated
Karen
Sue629
senior
LibraryLynn
senior
Wow, what a journey...I'm so thankful for you that someone was willing to delve into it. I will read about you upcoming journey with great interest...take good care of yourself. And congratulation on the healthy lifestyle!
Lynn
Lynn
- Status
