OP
OP
THR Miss Muffet proudly presents - her new hips
- Thread starter Miss Muffet
- Start date
United Kingdom
OP
OP
Miss Muffet
post-grad
Tweetybrd
graduate
@Miss Muffet That is a great pic of the grand kids! So happy to ready you are doing well. Boy are you busy!! But I guess it is the season for lots of activity.
OP
OP
Miss Muffet
post-grad
Thank you @Tweetybrd - yes, if there's ever a time of year to require 2 working hips, this is it! 
Lela22
junior member
You sound great!! We have a small family, so not so much excitement considering they are out of town. But I did get a pedi today. My back gets achey tired with sitting-- ugh, but my feet feel and look loads better!!!! My knee and low back on left side are the most painful parts now. Working on stretches for back and trying to walk with/o cane around house some. I think NSAIDs would be sooooo helpful, but I need my tummy, so none for me.
Have a lovely Christmas!!! Hope Santa's good to you!! Thx for your help!! :santawave::candle::tree:
PS NICE PHOTO!!
Have a lovely Christmas!!! Hope Santa's good to you!! Thx for your help!! :santawave::candle::tree:
PS NICE PHOTO!!
OP
OP
Miss Muffet
post-grad
Thank you @Irish Joe - that's sweet of you to say. We're all holding hands here and I think that's what makes the difference. Sounds like you're doing well. Very pleased to hear it. Two new hips and nearing their first birthday!
gaulsuerou
senior
Thank you for this blog, I read it start to finish this morning, and find it inspiring. I'm terrified for my impending surgery, I think I will be glad to get them both done at the same time, and I am terrified with the change it will bring to my life, hoping my boyfriend can live through this with me, we had quite a struggle just with my broken ankle, which is what set this whole hip thing in motion. But I feel slight relief knowing how well you got through your surgeries and I think I can do the same knowing better what to expect.
Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
Medfordart
senior
We will all be here for you @gaulsuerou !
Irish Joe
Former BoneSmart staff member
@gaulsuerou .
Welcome to Bonesmart. Best wishes with your Bi-Lateral surgery.
Why don't you set up your own thread if you haven't already so we can join you on your journey.
I had both done at the same time and if you need both done I still fully believe that 1 surgery is better than 2 any day.
There'd be something wrong with you if you didn't feel anxious, scared and worried about what's coming up but I can tell you that a new healthier life awaits you.
Keep Well.
Joe..........
Welcome to Bonesmart. Best wishes with your Bi-Lateral surgery.
Why don't you set up your own thread if you haven't already so we can join you on your journey.
I had both done at the same time and if you need both done I still fully believe that 1 surgery is better than 2 any day.
There'd be something wrong with you if you didn't feel anxious, scared and worried about what's coming up but I can tell you that a new healthier life awaits you.
Keep Well.
Joe..........
OP
OP
Miss Muffet
post-grad
@gaulsuerou - 
and 
That makes me very happy!
I can honestly say both my surgeries went very well.
Being a self-confessed scardey cat in the build-up
I found the best way of settling my nerves was to hit Bonesmart with each and every worry. 
I am someone who truly NEEDS to be informed in detail, as it then meant I could anticipate each phase and feel prepared. And my Bonesmart buddies came up trumps every time.
So then, having all that info I set to preparing myself (watching my weight, staying fit and away from colds and infections, eating well, getting in plenty of sleep); ordering my Survival Kit - grabbers, shower stool, shower mat, pill organiser, etc; ordering tracky bottoms and Bridget Jones Big Knickers; arranging my last hair appointment preOp, removal of nail polish and getting legs waxed; cooking and freezing easy meals (although my Hubby did cope very well in truth); and taking a probiotic drink every day right through pre and PostOp. This made me feel empowered and more in control.
Everyone will tell you the waiting is the worst part - and it is.
You are juggling pain and immobility 
in a shrinking world, which is terribly deflating. I was in a bad way so I reached the point where I thought "well it IS a well known fact that this surgery is performed every day all over the world with immense success. So nothing could be worse than this!" And it honestly was totally manageable.
I suggest you download and print off the Bonesmart post-op recovery guidelines, then you and your boyfriend read them thoroughly. Your carer is best equipped if they are also well informed. No great big deal, just an awareness that you need food with meds, ice on demand
and will need someone in attendance initially getting up and downstairs, in/out of bed, till you've gained confidence; ditto re showering and will need expert hands with getting TEDs on and off. After a shower you'll also need help drying and dressing your lower half (so you don't break the 90 degree rule) The TEDs thing my husband considered to be the hardest task! If you both have a clear understanding you'll cope just fine.
I have been remiss about updating my thread - something which I really must deal with. It's really that life has taken a definite upturn since surgery. Irish Joe had bilateral so he'll be a great ally and is very supportive of fellow Smarties.
Don't panic whatever you do - this is all doable. Just take things a step at a time, tap us up for help, advice, support and somewhere to bring your grumbles, because as Medfordart says we're all here for you. Just think, Soon you'll be supporting Newbies through this system. Best wishes
and That makes me very happy!I can honestly say both my surgeries went very well.
Being a self-confessed scardey cat in the build-up
I found the best way of settling my nerves was to hit Bonesmart with each and every worry. I am someone who truly NEEDS to be informed in detail, as it then meant I could anticipate each phase and feel prepared. And my Bonesmart buddies came up trumps every time. So then, having all that info I set to preparing myself (watching my weight, staying fit and away from colds and infections, eating well, getting in plenty of sleep); ordering my Survival Kit - grabbers, shower stool, shower mat, pill organiser, etc; ordering tracky bottoms and Bridget Jones Big Knickers; arranging my last hair appointment preOp, removal of nail polish and getting legs waxed; cooking and freezing easy meals (although my Hubby did cope very well in truth); and taking a probiotic drink every day right through pre and PostOp. This made me feel empowered and more in control.
Everyone will tell you the waiting is the worst part - and it is.
You are juggling pain and immobility in a shrinking world, which is terribly deflating. I was in a bad way so I reached the point where I thought "well it IS a well known fact that this surgery is performed every day all over the world with immense success. So nothing could be worse than this!" And it honestly was totally manageable.I suggest you download and print off the Bonesmart post-op recovery guidelines, then you and your boyfriend read them thoroughly. Your carer is best equipped if they are also well informed. No great big deal, just an awareness that you need food with meds, ice on demand
and will need someone in attendance initially getting up and downstairs, in/out of bed, till you've gained confidence; ditto re showering and will need expert hands with getting TEDs on and off. After a shower you'll also need help drying and dressing your lower half (so you don't break the 90 degree rule) The TEDs thing my husband considered to be the hardest task! If you both have a clear understanding you'll cope just fine. I have been remiss about updating my thread - something which I really must deal with. It's really that life has taken a definite upturn since surgery. Irish Joe had bilateral so he'll be a great ally and is very supportive of fellow Smarties.
Don't panic whatever you do - this is all doable. Just take things a step at a time, tap us up for help, advice, support and somewhere to bring your grumbles, because as Medfordart says we're all here for you. Just think, Soon you'll be supporting Newbies through this system. Best wishes
Last edited by a moderator:
OP
OP
Miss Muffet
post-grad
@Irish Joe - Ha ha! Nothing so glamourous, just a push bike but with a battery powered motor. Means I dare go out and be confident of returning, which was always the problem pre THRs.
Will post a pic in due course. Hope all's well with you
Will post a pic in due course. Hope all's well with you
OP
OP
Miss Muffet
post-grad
I am ashamed to say I have neglected my own thread. 
Been too preoccupied poking my nose into other (usually new Smarties’) posts.
As it is just over a year since my first THR and over 6 months since the second I thought it high time I did a little resume of what became of my life pre and post BoneSmart.
Over the course of several years I had noticed that my right hip would often give in on me. Particularly awkward when crossing a road and always taking me by surprise. I would jokingly comment that I’d inevitably need a new hip one day, but sort of put the idea on the back burner.
One summer we took the kids and grandkids to Marbella for a villa holiday. My husband and I bagged the top suite of a 3-storey building and I, impatient to unpack and get installed, foolishly dragged our 2 suitcases up 3 flights of stairs. For the remainder of the holiday I was crippled. A vicious beast had got hold of my hip and knee and my whole leg was on fire.
Later the same summer on a sailing trip to Cornwall it flared up again - so badly that I couldn’t walk any distance and ended up spending a fortune on taxis. By this time I would cry myself to sleep at night.
It was time to consult my GP
I presented myself at the surgery and explained that I needed to book a new hip as I understood I might have a long wait so wanted to get my request in soonest. Unfortunately my GP misdiagnosed my condition and assured me it was, in fact, my back which was the root of the problem. Slightly disbelieving I submitted to an MRI scan and was subsequently referred to a spinal specialist. He advised that I did have signs of OA in my spine and gave me 3 choices:-
1. He could perform surgery to remove some small nodules
2. He could administer painkilling injections
3. I remain on the anti-inflammatories and bide my time.
Rejecting options 1 and 2 I elected to soldier on thinking I’d see if I felt the same in a couple of years.
Within 6 months I was back at my GP’s surgery begging to see the specialist again. I explained that the pain was actually in my hip and knee. Fortunately he sent me straight down for x-rays which he took one look at and told me I needed a hip surgeon. The right answer!
Fast forward and my lovely OS tells me I actually need both hips replacing. I went into meltdown.You see I’m actually an authentic wimp. 
When he went on to explain that he performed surgery using spinal and sedation I was a jittering mess. From then on my sleep was disturbed. I’d wake in a muck sweat with a knot in the pit of my stomach. Cry at the drop of a hat. Howl when I couldn’t cope with the pain and generally believed that no one truly understood what I was going through.
My world had shrunk to the walls within our home. Activity was curtailed. Even limited outings had to be carefully orchestrated to avoid walking and ensure parking was accessible. My art classes were abandoned, yoga was too painful. Even swimming hurt. Grandchildren, who I adore, wore me out so I’d feel impatient with myself for not coping and invariably slope off to the loo and weep. I put on weight.
I simply felt OLD before my time. Truth was my bones were older than me.
How lucky was I that through a friend of a friend I heard of Bonesmart!
I got stuck in and bombarded the site with questions/fears/uncertainty – all of which were astonishingly rapidly answered with great understanding and compassion. Practical advice, honest and frank discussions took place. Nothing was taboo. Slowly I began to understand I wasn’t actually the only person in the whole world who harboured fear and self-doubt about this big step.
I realised that my anxieties stemmed from feeling out of control. Handing my life over to someone who I needed to place all my trust in to turn my life around came hard. The best thing I could do was to seize back some of that control. So I set off trawling the site for clues about how best to be equipped for The Great Day. I wanted to make my preparation and recovery as smooth as possible. So I shopped for my survival kit; bought suitable clothing; cooked and froze ready meals; got my hair done; my nails stripped of varnish; legs waxed and generally readied the house for my homecoming.
Through Bonesmart I established that I had found A Good Guy to assign to the job. That bit is important. Once I’d met him I realised he knew his onions, had lots of experience and filled me with confidence. I urge those of you who have not reached that stage to do your groundwork first. Then you need to leave the rest and place your trust in him and his team to work their magic.
That wave of buoyancy didn’t last long – so I kept taking my troubles to Bonesmart whenever my emotions rattled around like a pinball machine. Again – do the same. There’s no merit in soldiering on and suffering in silence. 
Everyone is there to help. We’re all in the same situation – or have been - and I’m a great believer in the buddy system. 
It certainly worked for me.
So this fully paid up, self-confessed coward gritted her teeth and got on with it. Truth to say a strange calm washed over me in the final couple of days. Having shed the anti-inflammatories for the last week I realised they were masking that pain to a degree – albeit not successfully and I dearly wanted to be drug-free.
At my follow-up appointment my OS told me my hips had advanced OA. In an odd way I felt better because it sort of explained the pain I'd battled with for too long.
So here I am – a double transplantee (as my grandkids call me) totally disbelieving what has happened. I have absolutely no consciousness of these new bits of ironmongery which have transformed my life. The only evidence was my matching 'zips' down either side of my thighs. These have faded and went through pale pink to silver and are barely discernible. To be honest - I really wouldn't care a jot if they hadn't faded. They are my badges of honour and I wear them with great pride as one of the best steps I ever took in life.
The recovery, if the Bonesmart guidelines are followed faithfully, is slow but steady. None of it compared to the disability I endured for far too long ahead of surgery. Ice was king. Rest and gentle exercise (mostly walking) in moderation is key. I feel like I’ve dropped a decade. My energy levels are UP. Hubby and I have new electric bikes, which encouraged me to get back in the saddle and peddle my way through the Peak District; down canal paths and past windmills in Holland and through the French National Park.
I’m swimming again 
and walking is a joy, not a drudge. 
Time to look ahead and live – and thank goodness for the exceptional Bonesmart.
Endless gratitude to @Jaycey, @Josephine and @Jamie for their tireless support and encouragement
You are all quite simply brilliant!
Been too preoccupied poking my nose into other (usually new Smarties’) posts.
As it is just over a year since my first THR and over 6 months since the second I thought it high time I did a little resume of what became of my life pre and post BoneSmart.
Over the course of several years I had noticed that my right hip would often give in on me. Particularly awkward when crossing a road and always taking me by surprise. I would jokingly comment that I’d inevitably need a new hip one day, but sort of put the idea on the back burner.
One summer we took the kids and grandkids to Marbella for a villa holiday. My husband and I bagged the top suite of a 3-storey building and I, impatient to unpack and get installed, foolishly dragged our 2 suitcases up 3 flights of stairs. For the remainder of the holiday I was crippled. A vicious beast had got hold of my hip and knee and my whole leg was on fire.
Later the same summer on a sailing trip to Cornwall it flared up again - so badly that I couldn’t walk any distance and ended up spending a fortune on taxis. By this time I would cry myself to sleep at night.
It was time to consult my GP
I presented myself at the surgery and explained that I needed to book a new hip as I understood I might have a long wait so wanted to get my request in soonest. Unfortunately my GP misdiagnosed my condition and assured me it was, in fact, my back which was the root of the problem. Slightly disbelieving I submitted to an MRI scan and was subsequently referred to a spinal specialist. He advised that I did have signs of OA in my spine and gave me 3 choices:-
1. He could perform surgery to remove some small nodules
2. He could administer painkilling injections
3. I remain on the anti-inflammatories and bide my time.
Rejecting options 1 and 2 I elected to soldier on thinking I’d see if I felt the same in a couple of years.
Within 6 months I was back at my GP’s surgery begging to see the specialist again. I explained that the pain was actually in my hip and knee. Fortunately he sent me straight down for x-rays which he took one look at and told me I needed a hip surgeon. The right answer!
Fast forward and my lovely OS tells me I actually need both hips replacing. I went into meltdown.
You see I’m actually an authentic wimp. When he went on to explain that he performed surgery using spinal and sedation I was a jittering mess. From then on my sleep was disturbed. I’d wake in a muck sweat with a knot in the pit of my stomach. Cry at the drop of a hat. Howl when I couldn’t cope with the pain and generally believed that no one truly understood what I was going through.My world had shrunk to the walls within our home. Activity was curtailed. Even limited outings had to be carefully orchestrated to avoid walking and ensure parking was accessible. My art classes were abandoned, yoga was too painful. Even swimming hurt. Grandchildren, who I adore, wore me out so I’d feel impatient with myself for not coping and invariably slope off to the loo and weep. I put on weight.
I simply felt OLD before my time. Truth was my bones were older than me.How lucky was I that through a friend of a friend I heard of Bonesmart!
I got stuck in and bombarded the site with questions/fears/uncertainty – all of which were astonishingly rapidly answered with great understanding and compassion. Practical advice, honest and frank discussions took place. Nothing was taboo. Slowly I began to understand I wasn’t actually the only person in the whole world who harboured fear and self-doubt about this big step.I realised that my anxieties stemmed from feeling out of control. Handing my life over to someone who I needed to place all my trust in to turn my life around came hard. The best thing I could do was to seize back some of that control. So I set off trawling the site for clues about how best to be equipped for The Great Day. I wanted to make my preparation and recovery as smooth as possible. So I shopped for my survival kit; bought suitable clothing; cooked and froze ready meals; got my hair done; my nails stripped of varnish; legs waxed and generally readied the house for my homecoming.
Through Bonesmart I established that I had found A Good Guy to assign to the job. That bit is important. Once I’d met him I realised he knew his onions, had lots of experience and filled me with confidence. I urge those of you who have not reached that stage to do your groundwork first. Then you need to leave the rest and place your trust in him and his team to work their magic.
That wave of buoyancy didn’t last long – so I kept taking my troubles to Bonesmart whenever my emotions rattled around like a pinball machine.
Again – do the same. There’s no merit in soldiering on and suffering in silence. Everyone is there to help. We’re all in the same situation – or have been - and I’m a great believer in the buddy system. It certainly worked for me.So this fully paid up, self-confessed coward gritted her teeth and got on with it. Truth to say a strange calm washed over me in the final couple of days. Having shed the anti-inflammatories for the last week I realised they were masking that pain to a degree – albeit not successfully and I dearly wanted to be drug-free.
At my follow-up appointment my OS told me my hips had advanced OA. In an odd way I felt better because it sort of explained the pain I'd battled with for too long.
So here I am – a double transplantee (as my grandkids call me) totally disbelieving what has happened. I have absolutely no consciousness of these new bits of ironmongery which have transformed my life. The only evidence was my matching 'zips' down either side of my thighs. These have faded and went through pale pink to silver and are barely discernible. To be honest - I really wouldn't care a jot if they hadn't faded. They are my badges of honour and I wear them with great pride as one of the best steps I ever took in life.
The recovery, if the Bonesmart guidelines are followed faithfully, is slow but steady. None of it compared to the disability I endured for far too long ahead of surgery. Ice was king. Rest and gentle exercise (mostly walking) in moderation is key. I feel like I’ve dropped a decade. My energy levels are UP. Hubby and I have new electric bikes, which encouraged me to get back in the saddle and peddle my way through the Peak District; down canal paths and past windmills in Holland and through the French National Park.
I’m swimming again and walking is a joy, not a drudge. Time to look ahead and live – and thank goodness for the exceptional Bonesmart.
Endless gratitude to @Jaycey, @Josephine and @Jamie for their tireless support and encouragement
You are all quite simply brilliant!
sammylou99
senior
Great story and lovely to hear how you are doing. At 12 weeks I am reclaiming my life with the help of Bonesmarties so I understand exactly what you are taking about. Happy cycling/walking
Sam xx
Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
Sam xx
Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
2 huge thumbs up, Miss Muffet! 
PS46
member
Well said @Miss Muffet, that is a brilliant account of the roller coaster tide, aka hip replacement surgery.
I am a few months behind you, having had my second hip replacement on 02 May this year - a day after my birthday, so no wild parties for me, just the prospect of a matching pair! I am so glad I did not put the operation off again, as the last 2.5 weeks have flown by - mainly because I have spent a large portion of the time sleeping/trying to sleep/watching cricket.
I have not been on BS as much as I should, but am happy to answer any questions at any time.
I can't emphasise enough how helpful and supportive all the BS team and other contributors are - I too would have really struggled last time without you all.
Like you, it did take a while for my issues to be diagnosed as arthritic hips, but I am v pleased I have had the ops. I, in fact we, were far better prepared this time, including establishing my base camp upstairs, just sleeping if I am tired, sending my wife chocolates as an early peace offering etc ...
Best wishes all
Peter
I am a few months behind you, having had my second hip replacement on 02 May this year - a day after my birthday, so no wild parties for me, just the prospect of a matching pair! I am so glad I did not put the operation off again, as the last 2.5 weeks have flown by - mainly because I have spent a large portion of the time sleeping/trying to sleep/watching cricket.
I have not been on BS as much as I should, but am happy to answer any questions at any time.
I can't emphasise enough how helpful and supportive all the BS team and other contributors are - I too would have really struggled last time without you all.
Like you, it did take a while for my issues to be diagnosed as arthritic hips, but I am v pleased I have had the ops. I, in fact we, were far better prepared this time, including establishing my base camp upstairs, just sleeping if I am tired, sending my wife chocolates as an early peace offering etc ...
Best wishes all
Peter
Irish Joe
Former BoneSmart staff member
Listen Up Everyone.
I have nothing but the Utmost Respect for this lady.
Miss Muffet this is the type of post that all potential Hippies should read.
It charts the course that hip pain can take you to.
And the road back to new life.
This Lady (in the truest meaning of the word) deserves her time away from here to enjoy her newfound life.
Muffet you are the main reason why I'm sticking around at the moment giving a little back that was given to me.
Good luck and god speed.
And thanks for the support when it was most needed.
Enough Said.
Joe........
I have nothing but the Utmost Respect for this lady.
Miss Muffet this is the type of post that all potential Hippies should read.
It charts the course that hip pain can take you to.
And the road back to new life.
This Lady (in the truest meaning of the word) deserves her time away from here to enjoy her newfound life.
Muffet you are the main reason why I'm sticking around at the moment giving a little back that was given to me.
Good luck and god speed.
And thanks for the support when it was most needed.
Enough Said.
Joe........
Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
I am totally abashed by this wonderful accolade! Thank you so much.
GrannyC
post-grad
@Miss Muffet You said it all perfectly. Congratulations on your survives and thank you so much for sharing your story with all of us. It is very encouraging!
