Living with pain, taking meds, or THR?

[Roofmaster]

Oh my. Since the elephant in the room has been unveiled I must admit, sex is way better, not in such a hurry to get it over with any more. Ok I said it, and meant it. See what you crazy people do?

 

[Sue629]

@diet_hip It took me 2 months from the time i was told I needed a trhr to calling to get a date. I struggled for 6 years thinking it was a groin pull :(... I miss doing things with my family or having them adjust around me. I want my life back and thanks to BoneSmart April 30th is when i will be on the other side. My best to you in your decision....Sue

 

[diet_hip]

Guys thank you all for the comments, links, and suggestions. I appreciate all the feedback and those of you that shared your personal experiences. I have many emotions about this hip and didn't realize all the stresses im putting on my body. As mentioned, its getting progressively worse and now im walking with a limp. I went from experiencing pain and limping only after physical activity to constant pain and a limp. The only thing that makes it feel better is taking pain medication. I was ok taking 2-3 pills a week but now im relying on them just to sleep, the pain keeps me awake at night.

I still need to gather my thoughts but I'm leaning towards getting it over and done with. After all we only have one life and tomorrow is not guaranteed to anyone. Rather live happy and pain free today than miserable for the next 10 years hoping to live pain free from 50 and beyond.

Its just hard to accept I need a THR at 40, it goes beyond that really. I'm starting to realize im not young anymore and my body can't sustain the same activities it did 20 years ago. What's funny is when I look in the mirror I still see myself as a 20 something year old.

Thanks again for all the info

 

[Me2]

I still think of myself as 30 something. Maybe not after looking in the mirror but ....


Sheryl from Pittsburgh
LTHR on 4/2/2014
Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart®

 

[Butterfly]

@diet hip Amen to what you said above about how hard it is to admit you're not 20 anymore and your body is aging! Really hard thing to accept, because I think somewhere deep down in our soul we all think it won't happen to us -- that somehow we're different -- and it's a shock when we realize that that's not true. My mirror experience is the opposite of yours -- I look in the mirror and think "Who the hell is that lady in there? I'm only 25!" But unfortunately the only alternative to aging is to die young, which is not such a hot alternative, either.

IMHO, you should go ahead and get that hip replaced. I waited far too long to get mine done and lived in increasing pain for a long time. And, as the pain worsens, it will get to the point that the meds will not help any longer and the tolerance you've built up will make it harder to control pain post-op.

Find a surgeon you trust and just do it. You'll find that your post op hip won't feel any different than the old one did before it went south. And don't worry about the possibility of having to have it redone in the future -- they say these new hips last a VERY long time. Besides which, you don't want to sacrifice the next 10 years of your life to pain and immobility because of something that MIGHT be necessary many years from now. You're in the prime of life right now, and you don't want to lose these next years.

My new hips are great, and I am SOOO glad I had them replaced.

Peace and love to you.

 

[mystikfairy61]

@diet_hip I know it is a hard knock to come to the realization of aging but at least with the medical technology available today you can do something about it and get back to living your life. Like others have said, don't put it off, go ahead and do it and reclaim your life. You are in your prime and you deserve to live life to the fullest. Good luck with your decision, remember we are here to support you all the way!!

 

[FionaW]

Yup, I'm only 23... In my head...

 

[Josephine]

The elephant is here! Sex talking about sex after hip surgery

He gave me some pain meds (tramadol) to take when I feel pain, which until recently, was manageable. I am finding myself taking the pain meds on a nightly basis and now my days are filled with pain as well.

Yes, those pain pills, which are a synthetic morphine, are only good for a short time. After that NOTHING will manage the pain.

My dilemma is the surgery. I am very active and concerned that post-op I will need to stop certain activities, for example, playing soccer. If I take pain pills I can continue to play soccer and live an active life

Actually, no you won't be able to. Arthritis is not a static condition and advances over time from moderately bad to screamingly horrible! At which point you will most likely be begging to get the surgery done. I see you were left with the link to our Amazing Recoveries section. It's worth a read if only to put all those fears and worries to bed.

Even without the arthritic hips you would naturally start changing your life style bit by bit anyway so it's not so bad as you might think. I know we all have our 20yr old selves still tucked away in our brain somewhere so it's tough to imagine you won't be 40 forever because you still think of yourself as about 25-30! I know I did and do!

So I would end by repeating this: you won't be able to spend the rest of your life on pain meds AND playing soccer because within the next few months you will just be grateful to be able to get out of bed in the morning! You are also correct to be concerned about taking pain meds long term and I'm sure I don't have to go into details about that!

You should also read this Longevity of implants and revisions: how long will my new joint last and know that many hip surgeons these days are confidently talking about the 'forever' hip. There are so many cases showing up now of people who are still going about on their original hips after 25 and 30 years and longer. Consider these were implanted back in the early 80s and then what great advances have been made in technology since! I know you're only 40 but I would hazard a guess that, barring any accidents, your hips might have a good chance of outlasting you!

 

[Josephine]

Incidentally, you don't need to quote a post every time to reply to it, so please don't do that.
Just scoot on down to the bottom of the page and start typing!

 

[Me2]

Thank you @Josephine for letting me know where to find the elephant! I figured I could find it anywere it would be somewhere on BoneSmart! Docs and all can give me facts but I would like a bit more than that!

 

[eric.tx]

@diet_hip, I was diagnosed at 40 after a couple of years convincing myself that the pain was just muscle tighntess. Most of my pain is in the glute vs. the groin. I was convinced I had piriformis syndrome and finally went to a sports medicine doc. She got an x-ray and dropped the bomb.

My initial thought was similar to yours - tough it out as long as I could, and get a THR when I was closer to 50.

Within a few months I had time to really look at how much my activity levels had changed. My long walks and hikes had turned into short walks. I was watching my kids play instead of playing with them. I was sitting in the shallow end instead of swimming in the deep end - all because of the pain that increased so slowly I barely noticed it.

I saw an OS, who said I would know it was time when the pain kept me from living the way I wanted to live. It didn't take me long to realize I was already there. I'm having a RTHR in June.

 

[Dieter]

@diet_hip Welcome to BoneSmart! I've waited nearly two years since I was told by a surgeon in Oklahoma City that it wasn't "a matter of if you get your hip replaced, it's a matter of when you can't take it anymore." I have toughed it out all I can, after playing basketball 3-5 days a week at the YMCA for over 22 years I had to quit March of last year, my last ski trip to CO was not very much fun, and quail hunting this season felt more like a chore than a passion. So the time is now as my hip makes more of my day to day decisions than I do. I know this is a tough, personal decision...Check out your options, research techniques and surgeons, and you will find your comfort zone. I have and am comfortable with my choice to have LTHR via SuperPath on May 6th.

 

[diet_hip]

I see my doctor on May 15th for a follow up from last year. I'm scheduled for an X-Ray and anxious to see how far along the damage has progressed. At this point I am researching what options are available and the required recovery time. Thanks everyone for the replies, the information is helping me cope and make better decisions.

 

[Mikeb]

Go and get it done, I had my Left hip done 2 years ago. I put up with the pain for 5 years before I decided I'd had enough. It was the best decision I ever made till my right hip started to play up. Hope to have my opperation in late April or early May.
I was into sport too and love to go out tramping. Still go out tramping but keep it sensible, no big hills and stay away from rocks.

 

[Cantabrigian]

Hi @diet_hip and welcome!

I was in a similar situation to you.... years of knee pain, before the diagnosis came out that my hip was shot.
I have just turned 40 (yesterday in fact), and to me, having the op was 1- a no brainer, and 2- the best present I could hope for.

Living with a deteriorated quality of life wasn't the way forward. As others have said, hips just will not get better, and by delaying the inevitable, it just means more suffering.

Ok, so you 're not going to.play soccer for a while. However, there are things you can do pretty quickly.
My OS said if i had an exercise bike (which I don't, unfortunately) I could start to use it in justa few days after surgery. I haven't ridden a bike in years!

I'm 6 days post-op now, and yes, there is pain.... in the scar / thigh, but none in the hip itself.

 

[diet_hip]

I am reading the recovery information and its inspiring to see so many people with success stories. I am hoping to get my THR done this summer and I plan on taking a few weeks off work. I remember my doctor stating I would be walking the next day and back to work soon after that. He is very optimistic