Kim, tell me again (you may have mentioned it before and I just didn't catch on) why you feel you must wait to have your hip replaced???? Your need to suffer isn't making much sense to me.
Well it's a little complicated really. I've had a hip arthroscopy because the xrays and MR arthrogram didn't show anything much, but 2 different OS's both agreed there was something not right. During the procedure they found FAI (cam impingement) which was filed down to take away the lumpy part, and also early OA. I have one small part down to bone and another larger area blistering away from the bone. But so far only in the socket. The down to bone area was treated with microfractures and the blistered part was heat treated to try and shrink it back (I think that's what he said).
Before my 6 week check up I was hoping that he'd say now the impingement problem has been mended, the cartilidge damage would stay stable and that would be that. Sadly it isn't like that, he said once there is degradation of the cartilidge it will continue, although maybe slower now because we've got rid of the wear and tear issue from the impingement.
However, the microfractures need time to fully take effect. Microfracture is still relatively new technique and I understand the jury is still out on whether it's as effective as we would like it to be. Apparently it takes 6 - 12 months for enough scar tissue to build up be effective, and it doesn't work in all cases. When it works, it acts like an artificial, although naturally produced cartilidge replacement, not as hard wearing as the real stuff, but it can buy some time before the inevitable THR. So, even if I begged him, he said he won't do a THR until after we've waited the full year to see what the results are. He did say there's a fairly high conversion rate to THR within 2 years after microfractures, but I don't know how bad those people were before they had the procedure.
I've now learned that the road to recovery for my particular issues is a long and slow one. The pain I'm feeling in the hip now is still partly from the microfracture and impingement repair sites (according to the OS anyway), and I could be getting improvements for up to a year. After that, we'll have to see.
Anyway, the upshot of all this is, I have to wait a full year to see what happens. It maybe that in a year I'm better than I was before the op, so obviously there'll be no rush for a new hip. However, either way, the OS reckons the OA will get worse gradually, I will feel more pain, and then I can ask for the THR. It's part blessing and part curse to know it's mild at the moment, but that it'll get worse before I have a lovely shiney new hip. And I have no idea at all about the time it takes to get worse, and no one else seems to know either. I don't know if it's likely in 1 year, 2 years, 5 years or even more. No idea at all, and that's also a bit hard. For goodness sakes, I know this isn't a death sentence with an undetermined end time, so I do feel a bit idiotic letting it get to me, but it does slip into my thoughts when I least want it to. I suffered a really severe post natal depression after my youngest was born, it lasted 4 + years and I have to work pretty hard sometimes to avoid that slide back down into the black abyss (CBT is the best thing ever!), but when there is something that looks decidedly dark in front of me, it can be harder to see the positive, which is why I like Lisa's story so much. She had much worse problems than I do, and look where she is now!
I don't want to waste the next few years of my life being this person waiting for a dodgy hip to be fixed who just happens to be called Kim. I want to be Kim, who just happens to have a dodgy hip that will get fixed one day. If that makes sense.
And now back to Lisa, sorry, I didn't mean to hijack your thread. I thought of you last night when I turned over in bed and my hip stuck briefly but painfully and it helped knowing it will get better one day.
United States
It's all interesting stuff and who knows how many people can identify with all the different issues popping up and who we could be helping in the long run? 
That could be a game for the social room.....A-Z of post operative activities:th_heehee:
Keep positive, don't let the black dog in.
