I will be two years waiting for surgery this October. I have degenerative arthritis in both hips but the right one is worse, just bone on bone. I saw my surgeon in July and all he did was ask me if the hospital had called me yet. I said no and now my knee was as sore as my hip. He said he had no control over when the hospital would call me to book my surgery. I had seen him first last December and he told me he wanted me to go to physiotherapy before my surgery. I did that and was getting along pretty good except for the last 2-3 weeks. In 2002, I had an undiagnosed neurological condition which left me with left sided weakness, balance and speech problems. I bought a four wheel rollator as my cane was just go painful to walk anymore. I haven't been out to walk for over two weeks now, as it is just too painful. My rollator is too wide to get into our bathroom, so I am not always able to make it to the toilet in time. Thank God for pads. The pain has spread to both sides of my lower back. My MRI showed I have spinal stenosis, degenerative disk disease, bulging disks and I had a synovial cyst on my spine. That shrunk so the pain was more manageable. However, I am 76 and the pain is unbearable. The only relief I get is in bed surrounded by pillows and my magic bag. I can't get into a deep sleep because of the pain and I have to get up to use the bathroom twice or sometimes more during the night. I only have one working kidney so I have to be very careful what meds I can take to relieve the pain. I can't lift up my right leg anymore because of the shooting pain, so I can't get into the shower. I am seeing my own family doctor on Tuesday, but I don't think he can do more than my surgeon in getting my surgery done earlier. I have already fallen twice but luckily did not break my hip. I guess if I DO break it, they will be forced to do the surgery. I only have my husband, age 78 to care for me. I know he won't be able to look after me if I do get my surgery. The surgeon told me he would keep me overnight but that was it. I don't have too many solutions but I know this pain has become much worse. I may have to start contacting nursing homes to see what they have available. I know there are people fighting cancer and in worse shape than myself. I am usually a strong willed person and have survived major surgery a few times, but I have become despaired about my current situation. I don't know what else I can do about my situation. I would appreciate any advice. Thank you.
THR Still Waiting For Surgery
- Thread starter Spuddy
- Start date
I'm so sorry to read about your situation, @Spuddy. I know very little about the health care system in Canada, but it seems unfair that you are still waiting given how badly your hip has deteriorated.
Can you contact the hospital yourself? Or you can see a different surgeon who will be more proactive? Are there any health care advocacy organizations that might be able to help?
Can you contact the hospital yourself? Or you can see a different surgeon who will be more proactive? Are there any health care advocacy organizations that might be able to help?
I FINALLY got a surgery date for my right hip replacement surgery. It is on October 10th. Since I already have left sided weakness, they may have to keep me in hospital a little longer. My biggest concern is that we have a very small bathroom and the door isn't wide enough for my rollator to go in. We live in an in-law suite attached to my daughter's home. However, they all work and won't be able to help me as they have such busy lives with their jobs, kids etc. My husband is 78 and dealing with leg pain and isn't in the best of shape to look after me. I know I have to buy a toilet riser attachment for post surgery, but what do I do if I can't get in to the bathroom. I guess I will have to get a set of crutches. Thanks to all.
Hi again @Spuddy. Congratulations on your surgery date. You have plenty of time to prepare for this surgery, so I will leave your some helpful reading below.
I had a similar problem with a too-narrow bathroom door. I found that the best solution was to take the door off its hinges for the few weeks that I needed to walker. Also, with most walkers, you can go through sideways -- as long as you move slowly. You might try it now, before the surgery, to see what the best solution is for you.
Please take a look at the following information so you can be better prepared for what is to come:
Recovery Aids: A comprehensive list for hospital and home
Recliner Chairs: Things you need to know if buying one for your recovery
Pre-Op Interviews: What's involved?
And if you want to picture what your life might be like with a replaced hip, take a look at the posts and threads from other BoneSmarties provided in this link:
Stories of amazing hip recoveries
We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.
While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.
I had a similar problem with a too-narrow bathroom door. I found that the best solution was to take the door off its hinges for the few weeks that I needed to walker. Also, with most walkers, you can go through sideways -- as long as you move slowly. You might try it now, before the surgery, to see what the best solution is for you.
Please take a look at the following information so you can be better prepared for what is to come:
Recovery Aids: A comprehensive list for hospital and home
Recliner Chairs: Things you need to know if buying one for your recovery
Pre-Op Interviews: What's involved?
And if you want to picture what your life might be like with a replaced hip, take a look at the posts and threads from other BoneSmarties provided in this link:
Stories of amazing hip recoveries
We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.
While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.
I'm in the UK but when I was looking for a walker recently I did come across some that were described as 'narrow' compared to the standard width. I never looked into what the actual difference was between the two types as I was on the look out for a 'tall' walker. Maybe a narrow walker might just be narrow enough for your bathroom ?
SurreyGirl
supremo
Sludgy are you having the op on the NHS? I was contacted them re what I needed and was given crutches at the hospital and an overloo raised seat by a firm they contract out to that delivered foc.
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I am also in Canada(AB), and keep reading these incredibly long wait times. I could not imagine waiting 2 years for a surgery to resolve pain. I was lucky enough that my hip was bad enough to be considered an emergency case and waited 4 months.
What I would do is if your health is progressively getting worst, is to call your surgeon's office yourself and update them. Book an appt and get a follow up done and really articulate how negatively you are being impacted right now. I would also request to be put on their cancellation list. If someone cancel a surgery, they will call you to book you in which can get you in a lot quicker.
What I would do is if your health is progressively getting worst, is to call your surgeon's office yourself and update them. Book an appt and get a follow up done and really articulate how negatively you are being impacted right now. I would also request to be put on their cancellation list. If someone cancel a surgery, they will call you to book you in which can get you in a lot quicker.
Hi folks and thanks for your advice. I was just preparing a sheet for information purposes prior to my Oct 10th upcoming TRH surgery. It mentions osteoperosis, which I already have. I don't know how brittle my bones are but I am 76 and have been taking meds for osteoperosis for over 25 years. I don't know if my surgeon is aware of all my other disorders. I have a pre-op appointment with the hospital on October 4th. I will bring up the osteoperosis issue with them. But, what happens if he gets in to do my hip and my bones are just too brittle to replace? Just wondering if anybody else may have faced the same situation. Thank you.
@Spuddy I’m so glad that you have a surgery date and hate this worry about osteoporosis for you, have you had it tested with a bone density screening? Is that how you know? If yes, can you ask your provider for those test results?
No sense worrying until you look at those results.
I think your X-rays would show thinning bones wouldn’t they? And you surgeon has those. So it all may be okay.
I hope you get that surgery as planned!,
No sense worrying until you look at those results.
I think your X-rays would show thinning bones wouldn’t they? And you surgeon has those. So it all may be okay.
I hope you get that surgery as planned!,
Thanks again, I intend to raise my issues about my osteoporosis and hopefully get a new bone density test, since my last one was over 25 years ago. However, I will have to wait until my pre-op surgery appointment to ask any questions that I am concerned about. Have a great weekend folks. My pre-op appt is six days before my scheduled surgery on October 10th.
I've been diagnosed with Osteoporois, I had my first bone density scan about 10 years ago now, which picked up that I was osteopenia and then the following two scans showed osteoporois. My last scan which was over a year ago showed quite a jump in my risk of having a bone fracture so I'm now on Alendronic Acid. I made sure that my surgeon was aware of my condition and took copies of my scan results to the appointment just in case he needed them.
It seems such a long time since your last scan, I imagine it would be really helpful to have an up-to-date scan if possible, but also as @CricketHip mentions, when I had problems with my shoulder years ago the x-ray technician picked up osteoporosis in my shoulder from the x-ray, so hopefully either way your surgeon will have an idea of the condition of your bones.
Hope your pre-op appointment goes smoothly next week.
It seems such a long time since your last scan, I imagine it would be really helpful to have an up-to-date scan if possible, but also as @CricketHip mentions, when I had problems with my shoulder years ago the x-ray technician picked up osteoporosis in my shoulder from the x-ray, so hopefully either way your surgeon will have an idea of the condition of your bones.
Hope your pre-op appointment goes smoothly next week.
Thanks, yes, that is my greatest concern.. I called my surgeon's office this morning to inquire about getting a bone density test and she said there was a long wait and why didn't I bring it up before. I only saw him once, when he wasn't sure if he was even going to do my sugery. That was in December 2022. When I went back in July 2023, all he asked was if the hospital had called me yet. I asked his nurse today if he had access to all my previous scans and X-Rays from our hospital. She said he did, so hopefully he will look at them FIRST. i am going to my pre-opp appointment tomorrow morning and I will take my copies with me and voice my concerns to the OR team there. I will update the forum on what they decide. I would rather they postpone the surgery until they can verify that there is enough good bone in my hip to attach a new one to. If there isn't and when they cut off the old hip what happens THEN!y leg, I can't even think of that right now. I already signed the consent forms but if they don't get some realistic risk assessments tomorrow, I will have to decide what to do. Keeping my fingers crossed. Thanks so much for your reply.
