THR Cannot sleep in bed

[Layla]

Great news you're off the meds! With any luck you're able to catch up on sleep so you're an energetic caregiver for your wife. I hope she does well in her recovery.
Best Wishes for your appointment with the consultant in three weeks. Let us know how it goes, Trotter!
@Trotter

 

[Deni444]

I do hope you'll hear some positive news after your course of medication! I'm sure your posture is a little different compared to using a crutch and so your body will have to adjust. Hopefully you'll build up the distance again when it does

 

[Trotter]

Well that was awkward. I dropped a piece of chutney on the kitchen floor. Carefully I knelt down to clean it up. Then I realised I could not get back up. I had to crawl to my bedroom and use the bed to help me up. This hip replacement seems to be making me older. My initial consultation was about my knees. My consultant disagreed and said it was my hip. I had no hip pain prior to the op. Making me wonder if I should have my other hip operated on.

 

[Layla]

Oh no, that must have been difficult and disappointing. I'm sorry, Trotter. Thankfully you were able to solve the problem on your own by getting to your bed. When I was in PT before my surgery, the PT mentioned that getting up off the floor on our own is a skill we should aim to have for life. We don't often think of practicing this, unless we fall, or get down on the floor like you did as a normal reaction to dropping or spilling something. Consider using this incident as a reminder to focus on learning a specific routine that you can practice and and become comfortable with going forward. Hopefully your other hip isn't in need of replacing.
Happy Thursday...I hope it's a good one for you!
@Trotter

 

[Deni444]

I didn't have any hip pain until things suddenly got really severe . Like you, I initially wanted to enquire about a knee replacement but the surgeon said my hips were really bad. I imagine you've lost a bit of general flexibility whilst you've been recovering. In time you'll hopefully regain your former strength. It's early days after the recent set backs. Standing from that position must take quite a bit of strength and coordination.

 

[Annekin]

Well that was awkward. I dropped a piece of chutney on the kitchen floor. Carefully I knelt down to clean it up. Then I realised I could not get back up. I had to crawl to my bedroom and use the bed to help me up. This hip replacement seems to be making me older. My initial consultation was about my knees. My consultant disagreed and said it was my hip. I had no hip pain prior to the op. Making me wonder if I should have my other hip operated on.

I've been in this position. But for me it's when I crouch down to sort out the washing basket or something similar. Occasionally I find I can't get up and end up falling backwards before I can stand back up! Luckily this doesn't hurt because I'm very close to the ground already. I know I've lost a lot of core strength, which is something Im working on. But I do have to be careful not to get myself into positions I can't get out of!.

 

[Trotter]

It's very awkward. Sometimes instinct rather than reality take over. We just have go learn to adapt, which is never easy.

 

[myglasshalffull]

Yeah the kneeling on the floor or anywhere is not fun trying to get back up. I can do it but I also need something to hang onto to boost me back up.
I wash my bathroom floor on hands & knees &/use toilet cover to boost me back to standing position. lol!

 

[Trotter]

Saw my hip consultant this morning. Had a few X Ray's taken. The intensive course of medication I took to remove bone build up around my joint has not worked.
There are 2 options. One is to leave it as is. This means my mobility will not get any better than it is and could quite easily get worse. This would reduce my mobility. The second option is to operate and remove the bone. This is quite an invasive operation. Because this is only the second case in 20 years, my consultant is asking a colleague for his opinion. If the operation does go ahead, it might be both consultants doing it. The operation can not take place though until the bone has matured. Timescale on the maturity is unknown.
I am now just waiting for a new appointment once the 2nd opinion has been given.
My right hip also needs doing, but this will have to wait.

 

[Layla]

I am so sorry, Trotter. I am sure this is discouraging for you, especially when you're facing a Right THR also.
Mr.fun dealt with HO. If interested you can read his story here -

M

THR Thread 'Heterotopic ossification, not what I expected'

Apr 25, 2023

46 yr old male. I had anterior RTHR feb 8 2023 zero restrictions. I am now 11 weeks PO. If I am to be honest those youtube videos got me good that I watched. lol I told work see you in 8 weeks. NOOOOT. MY story goes as such...wake up from surgery and ouch legs is numb and pain that I was not expecting. I told the nurses that I am supposed to be enjoying this recovery and I have to much pain. They gave me pain meds. Nighty Nighty. Discharcherd a few hours later. At home the nxt 2 week are miserable. MY entire thigh is numb and painful. Leg swells to my foot and some bruising...

• Mr.fun
• Replies: 324
• Forum: Hip Surgery Recovery Area

• 
• 

Wishing you only the best as you make decisions and move forward, Trotter.

 

[Deni444]

Sorry to hear the news @Trotter
That must have been hard to hear! We read about some remarkable recoveries on here and people jumping back into active life with gusto in no time at all. Unfortunately, for some of us it's a longer and more challenging journey. Waiting around for answers is hard but I do hope that once you get a definite way forward things will feel a little better. Did they give any indication of how long bone takes to mature. You said unknown but did they have any estimates based on previous cases?

Keep us posted and remember we're here if you just want to get it all off your chest.

 

[Annekin]

So sorry you are having these additional struggles. It's a lot to take in, knowing you may have to have another operation. I hope you are able to get all the information you need to make an informed decision.

 

[Trotter]

@Deni444 @Annekin Thank you for your kind words. It is a lot to process. They did not give any indication of how long it will take for the bone to mature, and I never thought to ask. Just need to keep positive, this group helps enormously and it is so good to read about people's small but important daily gains.

 

[myglasshalffull]

So sorry to read this. Just know we are here for you with support.
Keep us posted.

 

[Layla]

Trotter, please know that I am empathetic toward your condition. We go into joint replacement with the hopes of an uneventful recovery, void of any complications or setbacks. I just want to gently mention, only if it's helpful, that there are a few additional resources available on the site if you happen to have a paid membership to Insiders. You can read more about it here

I fully understand this isn't for everyone for a variety of reasons, and without it you will still have the support and encouragement of other members. My heart goes out to you and I will continue to support you as much as I'm able within the guidelines I have.
@Trotter

 

[Deni444]

Absolutely, focus all you can on being positive! It's difficult some days and that's inevitable but dwelling on the negatives just makes it all so much harder. Have you got access to a physiotherapist who understands how best to approach to managing the condition prior to surgery.

I found this article. It's a heavy read but noticed it mentioned physiotherapy is useful. Also mentioned how long for the HO to mature. It seems outcomes are positive after surgery.

National Library of Medicine

" Absolute treatment consists of surgical resection of mature bone once the HO has fully matured. This can be 12 to 18 months after the initial presentation"

Heterotopic Ossification - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf

 

[Trotter]

@Deni444 Thank you for finding this article. It was so kind. I will be reading it this afternoon prior to my now regular afternoon naps.
I had finished my PT following on from my hip replacement.
My consultant did not want to do anything further until he had received a second opinion.

 

[Trotter]

Saw a second consultant today. He, also, had not seen many cases like mine or as bad.
If he operates to remove the heterotopic ossification, there is no guarantee it would not grow back. I would also be open to infecting the area. The operation may also damage my hip implant. This could lead to me dislocating my hip quite a few times, and each dislocation would require a new operation.
If we do nothing, the HO could continue to grow and make my mobility worse and more painful.
So he thinks at the moment there is no operation and hope the growth stops so that I can have reasonable mobility.
I am being referred to an oncologist to see if radiotherapy may work. This again may make it small, stop it growing, or do nothing.
As this is so rare, he asked me if I would become a case study for trainee consultants. There are 3 sets of mock exams and 1 real each year. The consultant believes it would be extremely useful for the trainees to see this condition in real life. It would not be of any benefit to me but would help future patients.
So there you have it
No operation
Hope it does not get worse
I am a medical miracle.

 

[Jamie]

This is certainly not the kind of “miracle” a person hopes for. I’m so sorry to hear the ossification is so bad and has not stabilized. Waiting is always the hardest part of anything. I sincerely hope things improve for you, Trotter. Please let us know how you’re getting along. We do care about you!

 

[Layla]

Wishing you the best, Trotter, if you decide to take this step and participate in the study to help provide a better understanding of how HO may be managed in the future. It's a brave step and may make a big difference in the treatment of HO. Stay in touch!
@Trotter