only 24 and need hip replacment surgery, very scared!!

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kellyrob33

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Hi every 1 i'm new to this site.
i have recently found out i have hip dysplasia. i have stuggled growin up with long walking dancing etc bu never really new what the pain was so i just ignored it.
i found out i was pregnant in 2005 and i was really struggling to walk when i started gettin bigger, spoke to my midwie about it and she told me i had SPD. a condition which u can get during pregnancy. so i left it at that, i thought well she knows what she on about. after giving birth i was alot better even though i couldnt deliver him and had to have a c-section.

Few weeks after giving birth the pain strarted again when walking, doing the usual day to day things cleaning etc.
but i still left it n didnt go 2 my gp.

2008 it started getting so bad i couldnt walk ne where.
so i decided to go see my gp. who later sent me 4 an x-ray. 3 days after i had a call from my gp asking me to go in. where i found out what the problem was. i was very upset,couldnt believe id left goin all that time. i have hip dysplasia with no hip joint there aswell. no wonder i was in so much pain

2 weeks l8r i found i was pregnant again with my second child. i was literally bed bound for nearly 3 n half months.

i finally gave birth again by c-section.

few weeks after i had to see a surgeon which then told me i was to young for the hip replacment and wanted me see a childs surgeon to see if he could do some reconstructive work to last a few yrs b4 the actual hip replacment. so ive been see him and he said that he cud do an operation where they will take bone from my pelvis and thigh bone to try and make a socket for the joint.

i am so so scared about it all
any advice would be great
sorry if ive rabbited on a bit..lol.
i just feel like i need some one to talk o about it who knows more about it etc
my heads just all over the place
thanks for reading

kelly xxx:sigh:
 
Hi Kelly and let me be the first to welcome you to Bonesmart! You have definitely come to the right place to soothe your nerves, get answers to your questions and just vent out your fears and frustrations! Of course you are scared.....we've ALL been there! Having 2 young children also makes your situation so much more overwhelming! So now...mtake a deep breath, trust in your GP and remember.....you have OPTIONS now and you can be "fixed!".
Just think of all the wonderful things you'll be able to do with your family once you have the surgery and get your life back.....pain free! I'm excited for you! Post away! That's what we're here for!!! Best of luck and look forward to hearing from you!!! (:)0).....You GO, Girl!!!(:)0)
 
Hi Kelly...you've come to the right place! I'm 26 and just had my Right Hip replaced a week ago today!!:thmb:
Like you I was plagued with pain for years with no real answer. Then I got the dysplasia diagnosis and was told I would need a THR "eventually". My ortho was very resistant to doing the surgery because of my age...but I had already been through the gamut in terms of possible solutions. I had done all the PT in the world, 2 injections, and another surgery 18 months prior to remove cysts and clean up the joint in hopes of buying some time. Enough was enough...I had difficultly walking, shopping, going to work, sleeping, etc. I got fed up with his complete denial to consider the replacement.:hissy: I went to NYC and saw a guy who does dancers (like me!) and also does a lot of work on younger patients.
This was such a change...he ordered a special high resolution MRI in which they could determine if I was eligible for the other surgery you are talking about...an osteotomy or "PAO". They cut the pelvic bone and tilt and re-align it to give you a better socket and then pin it into place. Supposedly this surgery, if done correctly, can buy you up to 10 years. BUT you have to have enough cartilage left in the joint to make it worth your while. Unfortunately I had very little left...so I would have undergone a very difficult surgery in order to buy me very little time. So THR it was!
I don't regret my choice at all...yes its difficult because you're so young. But try to weigh all your options and make sure you consider your quality of life. Especially with your little ones! It will be difficult in recovery with them but I have a feeling you'll be so happy once you're up and moving and "normal" again and can appreciate how many MORE things you'll be able to do with them as they grow up. And as always...definitely get more than one opinion if you can.
Please feel free to write in with any questions...there's a few of us young 'uns on the board now and we can help as well as everyone else on this board. This was an amazing source of comfort and support throughout.:wub:

Best of luck in all you do,
Amanda

ooh before I forget...trying going to the site www.dancerhips.com Its all related to dancers but theres a lot of good info detailing both surgeries as well as personal stories from a lot of dancers and athletes who went through this. It will give you an idea of what the process is like as well as what you can expect afterwards in terms of mobility!
 
thanks for the replies so far.
for got to say in my thread...i have already developed arthiritis and i have got to go in to hosp to see how far it is set in the joints..if it is to bad which personally i think it will be after living with it all this time..they wont beable to proceed with that kind of op n will have to have the full hip replacment..i have got to be put asleep and dye injected around the hip so they can have i proper look at it..i paranoid about that god help me when its time 4 the op...i'll be like a cryin baby..lol..
 
And we'll be here to wipe your tears!! (:)0). Lots of great listeners here!!!!
 
Kelly I'm sorry you have to go through this so young, but you will feel so much better after the surgery. Just be sure you have a great surgeon and you will be fine. Glad they are checking you out to see which op will benefit you
judy
 
The dye injection is not too bad. I had it done 2 years ago leading into my first surgery and I remember being scared to death. I went online and looked it up and read all these horror stories and it terrified me. The internet can be a blessing...but not always!

You go in and they do an MRI with no injection to have a baseline idea of whats going on. Thats really easy...its basically a nap in a tube. Then they took me to another room where I laid on a table under an XRay machine. They use it to be sure they are injecting in the right spot. They actually do a topical first to numb your skin so you don't actually feel the injection. Then they go in and in my case they first injected lidocaine to numb the joint so you don't feel the dye then they put the dye in. The injection wasn't so much painful but a little uncomfortable until the lidocaine is in. I didn't find it intolerable though...I thought my cortisone injections hurt worse. Its a lengthy process but only because they numb you twice before doing anything to make sure you have as little discomfort as possible. Then they walk you back to the MRI room and you have another nap in a tube. The bonus to all this is you have lidocaine in the joint which won't wear off for at least 24 hours so you should probably feel pretty good!

Please keep up posted...we're all here for you!
 
Kelly

Jo should be on later and can advise you.

Just know you are at the right place for advise from those that have gone before you. Most will tell you it is the best thing they have every done.

I do know of one young boy that was only 12 when he started on a long hard journey of hip replacements and other joints and work on his spine.

If you saw him today you would not know what he went through.

Just make sure you have the best doctor available to you. Jo is in the UK so she will know and be able to advise.

Hang in there you will be so happy once you complete the necessary procedures.
 
thanks for the replies so far.
for got to say in my thread...i have already developed arthiritis and i have got to go in to hosp to see how far it is set in the joints..if it is to bad which personally i think it will be after living with it all this time..they wont beable to proceed with that kind of op n will have to have the full hip replacment..i have got to be put asleep and dye injected around the hip so they can have i proper look at it..i paranoid about that god help me when its time 4 the op...i'll be like a cryin baby..lol..

Kelly - bless your heart - you've been through a lot and had a nasty scare on top.

Well, let me tell you, many years ago (almost 30 to be precise!) I worked with a surgeon who'd do these replacements on 19 yr olds! And - so far as I knew - they did pretty good too.

Now, if you have arthritis in the joints, the operation they described - peri-articular osteotomy or PAO - won't be the right one for you. In fact it doesn't work all that well for most people from what I know. Many surgeons call them "two stage THRs".

So if the surgeons you are with at the moment start telling you you're too young, just smile sweetly, say "thank you very much" and leave! When you get home, use the 'find a surgeon' on this website and start ringing round to find a hip surgeon who will do it for you.

They'll talk a lot about the longevity of these replacements and say that that's why you shouldn't have them now, because it means too many revisions in your lifetime. Nominally, they'll say once every 10-15 years. I would argue that because many people are walking around right now who had their hip replacements done long before you were born and a lot longer! There's a case of one lady who's had her 'new' hip for about 44 years! So don't be fobbed off by this. Find yourself a willing surgeon and get it done. You won't regret it. Life's much too precious and once wasted in a morass of pain and disabillity - well, you'll never get it back again.
 
Jo, Kelly is in Great Britain, so I don't think the BoneSmart search for doctors will work for her.

But, the good news, Kelly, is that our forum nurse, Josephine, is also in Great Britain herself and if you tell her where you live, she may have some recommendations for you.

At any rate, I totally agree with everyone else's comments here. Time to find a new doctor who understands quality of life issues. You don't need a single extra day in pain and the sooner you get this fixed, the sooner you can move on and enjoy life with those two wonderfull kiddos of yours. We're here for you, so post anytime for support ... or just to talk if you want to!
 
Oh so she is! I usually check but forgot this time. So, Kelly, tell me where you are and I'll get my thinking cap on! Seems like I'm the search engine for UK surgeons on here!
 
Hi Kelly,
I had the same diagnosis as you...bilateral hip dysplasia. I suggest looking at all options. I know there are some really new options that someone mentioned to me, such as prolotherapy. Also, have you looked into hip resurfacing?

Lady D
 
Hi Kelly.
With so many exciting years ahead of you, you should definitely look into hip resurfacing and consider ALL your surgical options before making a decision. So much has been changing in recent years in how hips can be repaired that preserve bone and provide excellent long-term outcomes, so be sure to do as much research as you can stand. I found excellent info about it on www.somewhere else.com, and there is also a somewhere else discussion group on yahoo that has European members. Best wishes for an active and pain-free future!
 
Just be aware that if you are planning on having more children or think thats a possibility down the road hip resurfacing is not recommended. The metal on metal has an ion wear and it is unknown still what effect that will have on an unborn fetus. Just wanted to give the heads up because of your age! However if you don't want any more children it can be an excellent option to consider.
 
Hi Kelly,

I was fairly young when I had both my hips resurfaced (replaced) with Birmingham Hip replacements, designed for younger people. A friend of mine in Glasgow had hers done at 21, six years on and she is running around like a good un.

Had mine done five years ago at Oswestry, I would highly recommend that you ask your gp to refer you to Professor Richardson at The Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Oswestry, Shropshire. He specialises in young people with hip problems.

A close friend had an osteotomy performed by him several years ago and although it can be a long recovery she is living proof that it can also be a fantastic operation. But as has been said it may not be suitable if you have arthritis there.

The Prof. is world reknowed. and it is worth another opinion, it is your body after all. I could barely walk prior to my op but was actually back horse riding at nine weeks post op, you would never know that I have artificial hips.

Best Wishes to you and any more questions please contact me.

jane in Wales
 
Welcome September.....And hope October is even better!!! (:)0)
 
Kelly, BoneSmart has a forum also for resurfacing. You might want to do some reading there. We have a number of forum members who have had resurfacing, but it's not for everyone.
 
You are great Jamie, anyone in their 20's and 30's should also look at the option of hip resurfacing first if at all possible. Many come here not even knowing about the procedure so they automatically come here instead of the hip resurfacing forum on this site. Thank you again for being unbiased and at least letting these younger patients know a bone conserving procedure is available to them. (smile) You are wonderful.

On a side not, it looks like my other non operated side might need surgery sooner rather than later, that is why I am back. But I will definitely get hip resurfacing first if at all possilbe.

Hippain
 
Hippain....sorry to hear you may need more surgery. I wish you well....hopefully you can get that hip in perfect condition again soon.
 
Hey Kelly

Glad your here to share your story. I was so relieved when i found this forum, I was quite litterially going out of my mind. Im 21 and have about 14 days till i have both my hips replaced, but reading your story encourages me so much. Carrying two children full term on an ouchie hip like that. See that is why us Women have the babies.. (no offence to any men here, we love you all!) My mum says it has something to do with men being able to bear outer pain easier like cuts and stuff but inner pain like childbirth and colds (ha ha ha) women do better with... lol certainly true in my family! But yeah I had to go through three surgeons before i found one who would operate on me, because i was so young. I remember that moment exactly when he told me he could do it... I burst into tears... One dr told me i would have to wait until i was 26! i was 19 at the time!! that was like an eternity.

But keep us posted on whats happening :D

Much Love xx
 
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