Scheduled Hip Surgery -Freaking out :)

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I think we have all been there. My right hip has bothered me most of my adult life. It started to seriously interfere with my life in 2006 by the fall of 2007 I was in pain all the time (regardless of which drugs I was on) and finally bowed to my husband and Internist's wishes and agreed to have it checked out. I figured a new pill and I's be on my way.
So I did some checking and made an appointment with a Specialty Center that had a Doc that specialized in "non surgical treatment" for "young" hip pain. He took one look at my x rays and said you need hip replacements. Replacements plural! My brain screamed at him NO way I am only 48 years old! I said That's it?!! There were no discussions of alternatives. I was stunned! So I left. HE had to be wrong. When my Internist asked me about the appointment I told her "Well, here's a surprise you send me to an Ortho surgeon for an opinion and low and behold he recommends surgery!! (I was not a happy camper) So she told me about a friend of hers that found a Doc at Hopkins that did some alternative surgery that bought her some time. So off to Hopkins I went. He took one look at me (I wasn't using crutches yet, out of shear stubbornness) and then my xrays and said you need Hip replacements.
Long story short, Surgery was done in Sept. It is flat out the best thing I have ever done for myself! I am back to being me 5 years ago. I just in last month realized all the little things that the pain had robbed from me. My gardens are a mess and have been for two years, the exterior of my house needs attention, my family's diets were in a sorry state. I was in so much pain all the time that I just didn't have the energy to care. I intend on being exhausted this summer but not from pain! I can't wait to get started on all the little projects that need doing.
It is such a gift to have a problem that is fixable!! And in general a lot easier to recover from than you can imagine before you go through it.

Best wishes,
Donna
 
Donna you are so right about how great it is to have a problem that is fixable. When I last saw me hip/knee surgeon shortly after back surgery. I told him I wished I had 3 more hips to replace instead of what I was going through with my back!!!!!
He just said, yes, that is why I went into hip/knee replacement!!!
Judy
 
Health is truly Wealth, everyone! If we don't have it or are in pain? What good is everything else!!!
Family excluded, of course!
 
Donna, I think I went through just what you went through, but with just one hip. I had not a CLUE that my hip was bad and was causing all the pain, and when they finally xrayed it the end of October and just flat out said "you need a hip replacement" I was in total denial. Although I was older than you (54), my brain still screamed "I'm too young"! I sat out in my car and cried for 1/2 hour before I could even drive. But guess what, just 2 weeks after surgery, I can honestly say I am already so much better, so glad I did it! I can even get in that car without any of the pain I had for months! We all gotta do what we gotta do for ourselves to get our lives back and this surgery is truly one of the miracles in my opinion!

Take care,
Karen
 
I am 51 and had no idea I needed a new hip either. I had beeen complaining to my spine doc for about a year. We thought it was lumbar spine related , although he did take an x-ray which came out totally normal, then sent me for steroid shots on 2 occasions. The first one was ok,the second shot hurt so bad I blamed the doctor that did it.
Then he sent me to the hip surgeon in his office. He said , of course yu don't need anything like a new hip. He did a scope after an MRI which showed only mild arthritis and possible labral tear. Before being knocked out I asked him when i would see him and learn what he saw. His comment was ... Oh you mean when I wake you up and tell yu it was so bad we just replaced it..... I said don't you dare.
Well they did not replaced it then, but he did wake me up and tell me it was so bad I would need to replace it in 6 months to a year!!!!!

Surprise for me tooo.

Judy
 
Judy,,,,,those are the WORST kind of surprises! Hope you only have good, happy ones from now on!!!! :)
 
BigDogMom, looks like we have garden & house projects in common, though I've got 10 years on you. My road to replacement was a lot shorter--about 16 months from initial pain to surgery.

It started while shaving my legs in the shower--inward rotation became more & more difficult & progressively painful. Within a year, I felt terrible pain upon getting up from sitting, to the point where I had to grab onto things before I could brace myself for that first step. Primary care doc referred me to an OS, who said "replace" after exam & X-rays.

Though he was a great guy, he only did traditional approaches. Months before I'd even begun experiencing pain, I ran into a former colleague at a luncheon, who was on her feet, looking great, using just a cane 2 weeks post-op. She told me about her OS & his anterior approach specialty. So when the "replace" mandate came down, I did the research, went to see him, & chose him to do the surgery vs. the first OS.

I feel really lucky, compared to so many others here who have endured pain for not just months, but years, but bottom line--you are absolutely right--it's great to have found a FIX!
 
Hello, I am joining in from the UK and had my THP on 2nd February. I wish I had discovered this forum before my op as I was the same as you and freaking out was an understatement!!!
I cannot believe how smoothly the op went, having had the op in the morning, I was sat up eating my dinner at 6pm and watching TV!
All that worrying for nothing! I came home after 5 days and had someone stay with me (I live alone) for one week. The only problem I have encountered is lack of sleep and this is not due to pain but that I have a problem sleeping on my back.
So be brave, you will be fine, keep looking forward to how your life will be when you are fully recovered! Amanda
 
i had to give up running for the last nine years and all sports except cycling i was an avid cyclist the last year i had a hard time just walking either out hunting or just shopping when i got home i hurt the rest of the dayi went in 15 days ago for RTHR woke up after surgery and had none of the pain that i had before. was the best thing i ever did. i have been walking without an a cane for the last 10 days still a litttle sore but no pain when i walk can get up stairs normal still cannot put socks on or tie shoes. If there were no snow here i would bw out walking my dog for sure good luck you will be glad you did it the next day for sure
 
Good going,Dick! Hope you resist the temptations,,,,,at least for the next couple of weeks!
 
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