Ciao,
I hope I am arriving in time to receive some words of encouragement from others who have gone before me. This has been a long process to get to within days of having my left hip replaced. Today having gone to the final appointment with the Ortho Surgeon prior to surgery next Wednesday, I came away feeling a bit confused, afraid and uncertain. I became aware that I had artheritis in my hips after I noticed that one of my calve muscles was a bit larger than the other and I was also having some strange tingly sensation in both hips when I would stand up sometimes. I reported this to my pcp and they had ultra sounds taken of my legs that returned showing nothing out of the ordinary, then a some months went by and I advised my pcp of having some pain and discomfort, so I was sent for xrays that came back showing definately that I had artheritis, it also seems to be consistant with my paternal Grandfather and my aunt on the parternal side of the family, at that time I was 38 years old, and I was obese at 370lbs. I was advised that weight loss would be good for not only the overall physical picture but also to help me with newly diagnosed diabetis. I didn't start the weight loss for about 6 months after again going to my pcp and advising them the diabetis medication was causing me nausea every morning after taking the medication. At this time I was still not relly being given an solution for the artheritis in my hips. By 2002 I had lost about 100 lbs and the hip felt no better and it was suggested to me that I should see a specialist and also receive some pain medication as well as an anti inflamatory. The cost of the ortho. spec. appt. was not covered under my insurance and I the time I was unable to pay from pocket, so I did nothing except get a prescription for the pain that I was experiencing, however with the weight loss I had been able to stablize my diabetis to the point that I was taken of any medication for diabetis. In 2002 I began attending University again after being downsized and then in 2003/2004 I was fortunate to go on my first transatlantic vacation to Europe, unfortunately by this time the artheritis pain was not allowing me to climb stairs well and I was experiencing pain with merely walking through an airport, I knew this was not good and also found it unbelievable that at my age I could be having this trouble, but I was someone who always tried telling myself I was a health obese person because my blood pressure and heart were operating at normal b.p. rates and there was not problems scene with the heart. Unfortunately I had not lost anymore weight in 2004 and hovered around 315lbs, on a visit to Italy I saw a ortho specialist who advised that I needed more weight loss, this advised was heard but further weight loss did not seem possible for me. In April of 2006 I moved to Italy where I currently reside and again shortly after moving here saw another ortho specialist, who again advised of the need for weight loss, the difference this time is that he suggested getting help through gastric bypass or banding. So I pursued this with another clinic and last May of 2007 had gastric bypass, my December had lost 170lbs and was at a good place to have abdominoplasty which would remove a large panis that overlapped from years of being obese. I have had all this comepleted now and I have lost a total of 245lbs and was told that I was now able to have the hip replacement in my left hip, as the right is not progressed like the left hip, I had to wait until recovered from the plastic surgery, but the surgeon put me on the list for Feb. 27 at Santa Chiara Hospital in Pisa, today was the last visit with prior to going into the hospital next week, he talked to my partner who is Italian and myself who understands a small amount of Italian, explaining the options of metal, ceramic or rebuilding the bone as he said my hip was in poor condition having fused and now appears as one ball joint rather than a normal hip. He advised of the need to have 8-10 days in the hospital sitting up the 2d day, drain tubes coming out the 3d day and walking on the third day with crutches. He advised of metals having residue and that there could be a possibility of a small 1/2 centimeter to 1.5 centiment of varience in leg length. This all has be concerned as well as the time to recover, I have waited so long to get this point and now to find that I am afraid, confused and unsure, is somewhat overwhelming on top of that I realize this is my forth major surgery to my body in 9 months and have anesthesea again is not a real pleasant thought, but neither is taking the cocktail of pain meds I take daily to relieve most of the daytime discomfort, however the nights are a different story. Hoping that someone can share some good advise of the experience and the after care as well as the time frames I am looking at. Thanks
pebitpeb
Paul
I hope I am arriving in time to receive some words of encouragement from others who have gone before me. This has been a long process to get to within days of having my left hip replaced. Today having gone to the final appointment with the Ortho Surgeon prior to surgery next Wednesday, I came away feeling a bit confused, afraid and uncertain. I became aware that I had artheritis in my hips after I noticed that one of my calve muscles was a bit larger than the other and I was also having some strange tingly sensation in both hips when I would stand up sometimes. I reported this to my pcp and they had ultra sounds taken of my legs that returned showing nothing out of the ordinary, then a some months went by and I advised my pcp of having some pain and discomfort, so I was sent for xrays that came back showing definately that I had artheritis, it also seems to be consistant with my paternal Grandfather and my aunt on the parternal side of the family, at that time I was 38 years old, and I was obese at 370lbs. I was advised that weight loss would be good for not only the overall physical picture but also to help me with newly diagnosed diabetis. I didn't start the weight loss for about 6 months after again going to my pcp and advising them the diabetis medication was causing me nausea every morning after taking the medication. At this time I was still not relly being given an solution for the artheritis in my hips. By 2002 I had lost about 100 lbs and the hip felt no better and it was suggested to me that I should see a specialist and also receive some pain medication as well as an anti inflamatory. The cost of the ortho. spec. appt. was not covered under my insurance and I the time I was unable to pay from pocket, so I did nothing except get a prescription for the pain that I was experiencing, however with the weight loss I had been able to stablize my diabetis to the point that I was taken of any medication for diabetis. In 2002 I began attending University again after being downsized and then in 2003/2004 I was fortunate to go on my first transatlantic vacation to Europe, unfortunately by this time the artheritis pain was not allowing me to climb stairs well and I was experiencing pain with merely walking through an airport, I knew this was not good and also found it unbelievable that at my age I could be having this trouble, but I was someone who always tried telling myself I was a health obese person because my blood pressure and heart were operating at normal b.p. rates and there was not problems scene with the heart. Unfortunately I had not lost anymore weight in 2004 and hovered around 315lbs, on a visit to Italy I saw a ortho specialist who advised that I needed more weight loss, this advised was heard but further weight loss did not seem possible for me. In April of 2006 I moved to Italy where I currently reside and again shortly after moving here saw another ortho specialist, who again advised of the need for weight loss, the difference this time is that he suggested getting help through gastric bypass or banding. So I pursued this with another clinic and last May of 2007 had gastric bypass, my December had lost 170lbs and was at a good place to have abdominoplasty which would remove a large panis that overlapped from years of being obese. I have had all this comepleted now and I have lost a total of 245lbs and was told that I was now able to have the hip replacement in my left hip, as the right is not progressed like the left hip, I had to wait until recovered from the plastic surgery, but the surgeon put me on the list for Feb. 27 at Santa Chiara Hospital in Pisa, today was the last visit with prior to going into the hospital next week, he talked to my partner who is Italian and myself who understands a small amount of Italian, explaining the options of metal, ceramic or rebuilding the bone as he said my hip was in poor condition having fused and now appears as one ball joint rather than a normal hip. He advised of the need to have 8-10 days in the hospital sitting up the 2d day, drain tubes coming out the 3d day and walking on the third day with crutches. He advised of metals having residue and that there could be a possibility of a small 1/2 centimeter to 1.5 centiment of varience in leg length. This all has be concerned as well as the time to recover, I have waited so long to get this point and now to find that I am afraid, confused and unsure, is somewhat overwhelming on top of that I realize this is my forth major surgery to my body in 9 months and have anesthesea again is not a real pleasant thought, but neither is taking the cocktail of pain meds I take daily to relieve most of the daytime discomfort, however the nights are a different story. Hoping that someone can share some good advise of the experience and the after care as well as the time frames I am looking at. Thanks
pebitpeb
Paul