Miss Muffet
post-grad
Don't panic - you may well find that meeting your surgeon will settle some worries and set your mind at rest. Then you can start the important countdown to being painfree and liberated!
Can't make a decision for total hip replacement
- Thread starter Minnie15
- Start date
Miss Muffet
post-grad
So - how did it go? 
OP
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Minnie15
member
Just a little update from today's meeting with my surgeon and pre-op...I'm pleased to say it went very well and he made me feel very reassured!
So different from last time but there again I'm so different from last time. I had all my questions and concerns answered in a way that I have every faith that this is the right decision.
From hearing 'come back when you're in agony' to today putting his hand on my shoulder to say 'this is the right decision, you have degenerative arthritis and it's not going to get better'.
A slight change of date to the op maybe a week later and I'll find that out shortly but all in all I'm feeling calm...
Thank you again to all those that have shared their pre op nerves, stories and advice. This forum has helped me massively and I really hope I'm going to be able to help others here.
So different from last time but there again I'm so different from last time. I had all my questions and concerns answered in a way that I have every faith that this is the right decision.
From hearing 'come back when you're in agony' to today putting his hand on my shoulder to say 'this is the right decision, you have degenerative arthritis and it's not going to get better'.
A slight change of date to the op maybe a week later and I'll find that out shortly but all in all I'm feeling calm...
Thank you again to all those that have shared their pre op nerves, stories and advice. This forum has helped me massively and I really hope I'm going to be able to help others here.
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Minnie15
member
Hi @Miss Muffet I only just saw your post I thought I was writing my reply at the same time! Thank you for asking...all ok
Miss Muffet
post-grad
So glad to hear this- I felt sure that would be the case. Meeting the surgeon in person who is going to make a heap of difference to you life somehow makes it all real and provides confidence. Good news!
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Minnie15
member
@confused newb
Thought I'd best come back to my original thread...I'll be sending positive honarary March musketeer vibes!
All ok, my surgeon has to be away on the original date so just got pushed back.
I'm with you on that, I'm still managing my pain but will be happy once it's all over now, the waiting game still an emotional roller coaster. Have to say my surgeon was testing my leg length and hip in general and sort of twisted it in a way that made me shoot through the roof!...kind of reinforced the decision!
Thought I'd best come back to my original thread...I'll be sending positive honarary March musketeer vibes!
All ok, my surgeon has to be away on the original date so just got pushed back.
I'm with you on that, I'm still managing my pain but will be happy once it's all over now, the waiting game still an emotional roller coaster. Have to say my surgeon was testing my leg length and hip in general and sort of twisted it in a way that made me shoot through the roof!...kind of reinforced the decision!
Hiker2
new member
Minnie15, I have been interested in following your thread in relation to my own situation. I don't have any cartilage left in my right hip and have been contemplating surgery. I don't get much pain. I rarely need to take pain killers; Maybe one paracetamol tablet about once a month. I walk with a bit of a limp though, and I am clearly losing mobility. Most people have pain and that's why they have the surgery, but I figure I must have good muscle strength. So I will be interested to follow how you go since you're apparently not in a great deal of pain. All the best with your surgery.
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Minnie15
member
@Hiker2
Sharing and reading other stories has really helped me and finding others that have low pain really helps as it's very easy to think you're a complete fraud and that it's all in your mind. However X rays don't lie!
When I was diagnosed three years ago I was in a lot of discomfort and pain and constantly taking medication and tried three cortisone injections which I can have no more of. They helped a little but I was awake most nights with the groggy stiff pain and rubbish mobility on my left side.
When I decided to go on the waiting list last October I started having weekly physio and trained with a programme in the gym to strengthen my muscles around my hip. It didn't initially help and I was still niggly with pain and found the exercises tough.
Then I get a months notice of my operation date in February and it's like over night my pain stops. Like nothing at all apart from an ache at night, so when my surgeon said 'come back when you're in pain!' I cancelled the op.
I rebooked it the next day as I thought to myself and to be honest reading everyone's views on here..why do I want to wait until I'm in agony? The damage is done it's not going to get better and from what I can also read it could get dramatically worse very quickly.
It's a massive decision, still fills me with dread, so totally understand the dilemma you're going through. Let me know what you decide, good luck.
Sharing and reading other stories has really helped me and finding others that have low pain really helps as it's very easy to think you're a complete fraud and that it's all in your mind. However X rays don't lie!
When I was diagnosed three years ago I was in a lot of discomfort and pain and constantly taking medication and tried three cortisone injections which I can have no more of. They helped a little but I was awake most nights with the groggy stiff pain and rubbish mobility on my left side.
When I decided to go on the waiting list last October I started having weekly physio and trained with a programme in the gym to strengthen my muscles around my hip. It didn't initially help and I was still niggly with pain and found the exercises tough.
Then I get a months notice of my operation date in February and it's like over night my pain stops. Like nothing at all apart from an ache at night, so when my surgeon said 'come back when you're in pain!' I cancelled the op.
I rebooked it the next day as I thought to myself and to be honest reading everyone's views on here..why do I want to wait until I'm in agony? The damage is done it's not going to get better and from what I can also read it could get dramatically worse very quickly.
It's a massive decision, still fills me with dread, so totally understand the dilemma you're going through. Let me know what you decide, good luck.
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Miss Muffet
post-grad
@Minnie15 - I think you've got a handle on this now. You're quite right, it isn't going to get better and the idea of it getting even worse is not a prospect you want to dwell on. @Josephine often posts a very clear picture of our damaged joint looking like crumbling concrete, with fragments that move around and lodge themselves in uncomfortable places at intervals. This may explain why the pain comes and goes.
I completely understand how anxious you are feeling. Believe me you are part of a very big club - very few feel filled with confidence at a time like this! However, I'll say again that this truly is the worst part.
Just concentrate on getting your act together 'survival kit-wise' and home prepared, shopping and food prep organised etc you will feel more in control then focus on your date - remembering that will be the day when things change. Once you come out on the other side you'll have lined up your ducks ready for a good recovery - and if you follow the BS mantras you can't go far wrong.
I completely understand how anxious you are feeling. Believe me you are part of a very big club - very few feel filled with confidence at a time like this! However, I'll say again that this truly is the worst part.
Just concentrate on getting your act together 'survival kit-wise' and home prepared, shopping and food prep organised etc you will feel more in control then focus on your date - remembering that will be the day when things change. Once you come out on the other side you'll have lined up your ducks ready for a good recovery - and if you follow the BS mantras you can't go far wrong.
Miss Muffet
post-grad
And just one other thing - let us know what specifically worries you,
as by sharing these with us we can help by knocking them down one by one.
as by sharing these with us we can help by knocking them down one by one.
Irish Joe
Former BoneSmart staff member
I'm with @Miss Muffet on this. Well done on deciding to go ahead with your op. Your tackling your pain head on now. The nervousness and trepidation is totally normal. Hip replacements are one of the most successful operations in the world and evidence points to them lasting 30+ years. Good news for a "kid" like you.
Please ask any question or express any feeling you have in relation to your OP on this forum.
There will always be someone who's been there before.
I'll be keeping an eye out for you.
Joe......
Please ask any question or express any feeling you have in relation to your OP on this forum.
There will always be someone who's been there before.
I'll be keeping an eye out for you.
Joe......
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Minnie15
member
Thanks @Miss Muffet and @Irish Joe
The roller coaster of emotions! Yes I'm definitely more focused now, in fact in my head I'm already on to my rehab!
I know one step at a time..
Best forum ever, I'm so happy to have found it.
The roller coaster of emotions! Yes I'm definitely more focused now, in fact in my head I'm already on to my rehab!
I know one step at a time..
Best forum ever, I'm so happy to have found it.
Nivea
senior
I am new to this forum and just hopped on over to the pre-op side. I am 2 weeks post op LTHR and pain free.
I can attest to being fairly able to tolerate the pain/discomfort of OA of the hip and being unbearable seemingly overnight. It was awful. I went downhill very quickly and went to an orthopedic urgent care 1/7/17. I needed to wait for the appt for the hip specialist and then surgery. It was horrible. I could not walk. Sleeping was terrible due to the pain. I will say I was quite nervous but the surgery was not bad. Up and walking same day and discharged 27 hours after admittance. I have no restrictions and doing well.
I can attest to being fairly able to tolerate the pain/discomfort of OA of the hip and being unbearable seemingly overnight. It was awful. I went downhill very quickly and went to an orthopedic urgent care 1/7/17. I needed to wait for the appt for the hip specialist and then surgery. It was horrible. I could not walk. Sleeping was terrible due to the pain. I will say I was quite nervous but the surgery was not bad. Up and walking same day and discharged 27 hours after admittance. I have no restrictions and doing well.
Horseshoe
graduate
- Joined
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Hi Minnie, I stopped over here from the other side and can relate to your to/fro situation. I had horrid OA bone pain that escalated very quickly. I needed some time to get my head around it though, really thought I just had bursitis or muscle strain so being told I needed two thr's asap was a bit of a shock for me.
A couple of things.. the more I tried to talk myself into it, the more pressure I felt, it was overwhelming at times and I too ended up rescheduling the first surgery. Finding the right surgeon will help relieve any fears because you place your trust in him/her. I was in a great deal of pain 24\7, limped, couldn't sleep well and every task became a monumental undertaking. I believe chronic pain plays around with a person's mind and perception, you're not always your usual rational self, pain can be a major distraction. I got used to the pain and my life revolved around the hips, it's easy to get caught up in this recurring loop eg., better the devil you know.. well, I did get two thr's and neither was bad at all, much more tolerable than pre op chronic pain.
Pre op hip pain progressively gets worse. Sure, there'll be some days where it's more tolerable because you've learned which movements to avoid. My post op pain was not a deep pain, it was mostly discomfort that was managed by meds. The first weeks pass by quickly and it's only a temporary state that improves. Besides losing the physical OA pain immediately after surgery, your mind gets a big dose of relief too, life looks brighter, you'll feel lighter. Don't rush yourself, the thr will be there when you're ready, sometimes a person needs a bit of time to get there
A couple of things.. the more I tried to talk myself into it, the more pressure I felt, it was overwhelming at times and I too ended up rescheduling the first surgery. Finding the right surgeon will help relieve any fears because you place your trust in him/her. I was in a great deal of pain 24\7, limped, couldn't sleep well and every task became a monumental undertaking. I believe chronic pain plays around with a person's mind and perception, you're not always your usual rational self, pain can be a major distraction. I got used to the pain and my life revolved around the hips, it's easy to get caught up in this recurring loop eg., better the devil you know.. well, I did get two thr's and neither was bad at all, much more tolerable than pre op chronic pain.
Pre op hip pain progressively gets worse. Sure, there'll be some days where it's more tolerable because you've learned which movements to avoid. My post op pain was not a deep pain, it was mostly discomfort that was managed by meds. The first weeks pass by quickly and it's only a temporary state that improves. Besides losing the physical OA pain immediately after surgery, your mind gets a big dose of relief too, life looks brighter, you'll feel lighter. Don't rush yourself, the thr will be there when you're ready, sometimes a person needs a bit of time to get there
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OP
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Minnie15
member
@Horseshoe
Thank you for taking the time to write such meaningful words...had a tear in my eye.
I have never had to make a big decision about my health before, a decision that only I can make. It's brought out so many emotions, not everyone will understand unless you're going through it. I've always been active, slim, eat well etc etc and then at 49 here I am preparing for a THR. It makes me sad that a part of my body is leaving..does that sound weird? Maybe to some.
I'm delighted to hear you're doing well and when you said 'you will feel lighter' it made me smile as yes my leg feels so heavy at times, weirdest feeling.
Thank you for taking the time to write such meaningful words...had a tear in my eye.
I have never had to make a big decision about my health before, a decision that only I can make. It's brought out so many emotions, not everyone will understand unless you're going through it. I've always been active, slim, eat well etc etc and then at 49 here I am preparing for a THR. It makes me sad that a part of my body is leaving..does that sound weird? Maybe to some.
I'm delighted to hear you're doing well and when you said 'you will feel lighter' it made me smile as yes my leg feels so heavy at times, weirdest feeling.
Cherdonnay
member
@Minnie15 and @Hiker2
I am another one who hasn't had strong pain. I do take Tylenol at times, when I am more active I hurt but maybe #3. I went to doctor because of knee pain. X ray shows knee not bad but bone on bone on R hip with bone spurs etc. my first thought was "I don't hurt bad enough to need surgery". I started to realize that even though I'm not in horrible pain, it is enough to be changing my way of life. My knee hurting the most along with minor hip pain. I have decided to go ahead with the RTHR next Tuesday, March 7. My OS told me
"Without the surgery, this is the best day you are ever going to have". Someone posted here on BS that they have decided to change their pain from pain that is getting worse to pain that is getting better. Those words of wisdom have really helped me put it in perspective for me. I hope this helps some.
Best Wishes[emoji259]
Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
I am another one who hasn't had strong pain. I do take Tylenol at times, when I am more active I hurt but maybe #3. I went to doctor because of knee pain. X ray shows knee not bad but bone on bone on R hip with bone spurs etc. my first thought was "I don't hurt bad enough to need surgery". I started to realize that even though I'm not in horrible pain, it is enough to be changing my way of life. My knee hurting the most along with minor hip pain. I have decided to go ahead with the RTHR next Tuesday, March 7. My OS told me
"Without the surgery, this is the best day you are ever going to have". Someone posted here on BS that they have decided to change their pain from pain that is getting worse to pain that is getting better. Those words of wisdom have really helped me put it in perspective for me. I hope this helps some.
Best Wishes[emoji259]
Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
Miss Muffet
post-grad
None of it sounds weird. I completely associate myself with your comments. I believe myself to be fit, the right weight, healthly living/eating etc so it was a big shock to me too. Suddenly I felt old! The fact is it isn't you or me who are old, it is our bones which are acting that way. But the great news is it can be fixed. I actually wasn't too sad about losing a bit of me that failed (similar to when I had a hysterectomy). As I said to my grandkids - I had a couple of bad bones and they've been replaced with new ones which work. And I thought I'd feel strange having new 'spare parts' - but I am totally unaware of them.
PS - @Horseshoe -
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Minnie15
member
@Miss Muffet
Yes absolutely agree about feeling old! Was going to put that but thought that's me being ridiculous. Didn't think I'd ever be putting 'new hip' on my 50th birthday wish list!
It's good to know you're unaware of the new parts.
@Cherdonnay thank you for those words of wisdom - I shall be reading all these lovely helpful comments over and over ..6 weeks to go. Not long for you though - best wishes I'll be following your post op news.
Yes absolutely agree about feeling old! Was going to put that but thought that's me being ridiculous. Didn't think I'd ever be putting 'new hip' on my 50th birthday wish list!
It's good to know you're unaware of the new parts.
@Cherdonnay thank you for those words of wisdom - I shall be reading all these lovely helpful comments over and over ..6 weeks to go. Not long for you though - best wishes I'll be following your post op news.
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Miss Muffet
post-grad
Well, my motto as far as upcoming THR is - "if you think it, say it". There's nothing new here under the sun, there's no fear or niggle that hasn't been experienced before. Nothing is taboo. So keep them coming.
I had my first THR at 58 and the doc said I was "young" for the procedure. We are living longer, more active lives now. THR is no longer the surgery for oldies.
