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When is it time?

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Oh wow @HydroTechNH your OS made a great point! I had not heard it put like that before...makes me very hopeful for a "rock star" outcome! Thanks for that!
 
All of these responses are great insights and perspectives. I just HAVE to stop being so darn scared!
 
A pain free, lack of restrictions life lived to the max is making the fear less for me.. It is less than 2 hour surgery and a couple weeks of recovery part of my life that will bring years of a great life in the future.Life is way too short... I do not want to waste a minute of it with restrictions on not living fully. I am doing it for everyone in my life including myself... One day, in the future, I will want to run around with grandchildren, travel and live life to the fullest!!!
 
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^^ you've come a long ways from your first post :)
 
[Bonesmart.org] When is it time?
@frieds, I am always struck by how many of us are so scared of this surgery. And then a little amused when after the surgery, they admit that there was really nothing to be afraid of. Keep in mind that this is one of the most performed surgeries in the world and one of the safest with a very high success rate; and you will not be able to ascertain that you have artificial parts----you'll just know the pain is GONE! If I had realized that it was my hip causing all my pain, I would have had my surgery at 57, not 67, and sparred myself 10 years of misery.

Hopefully, within the next few years, doctors will quit thinking that hip and knee replacements are only for the "old". They should be looking at "quality of life" and not age as a main determination for surgery. The technology of joint replacement parts is really moving by leaps and bounds. There really are not good stats for today's hardware---so the idea that they will last only 5 to 10 years is pretty outdated. I fully expect to have my original man made hip and knees 'til my last day on this earth, and I expect to be here well into my 90's at least.

THR ends with you getting your life back, being pain free, and getting back to all those things you've given up. So now that you know how it ends, you can stop being scared.

Take care and keep us posted. We care.
 
Very good discussion, as I am also on the fence and have exactly one month until my scheduled THR (but would have to cancel several weeks in advance of that, I think, in order to free up my slot for someone else). @Jaycey, you mentioned hip collapse, and I've heard that from others, including ortho surgeon saying it was a possibility. Would it also be possible, though, to continue indefinitely with bone-on-bone OA without ever having collapse and with the pain remaining in the wax-and-wane, not-intolerable range? The main reason I'm thinking of not waiting is that I've had low back pain and discomfort over the last eight or so months that didn't use to occur and am thinking the hip may be causing it. On the other hand, if it's occurring independently of hip, e.g., due to OA in spine, that means it will persist after THR, in which case I'm afraid I may wonder why I put myself through a major surgery which has an off-the-charts nuisance factor and, as others have also noted, the very real risk of complications (some of them serious).
 
FraidyCat said:
you mentioned hip collapse, and I've heard that from others, including ortho surgeon saying it was a possibility. Would it also be possible, though, to continue indefinitely with bone-on-bone OA without ever having collapse and with the pain remaining in the wax-and-wane, not-intolerable range?
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I am afraid it's impossible to predict. Every case is different. I do know that my hip pain was incorrectly diagnosed as lower back pain for years. In fact that's why my hip got to that stage. It was a major shock to discover I needed THR.
 
While surgeons can't really give their opinion and only say this is "elective surgery and all surgery has risks - you must decide when the time is right"- question to this community.

Can continuing status quo create additional issues? Long-term can limping hurt the knee or other hip, etc.? I've only been dealing with this entire issue now for only 15 months but while I can live with the pain (I'm lucky and have high tolerance) by "living with it" am I risking further damage? This is what I am most curious about.

And yes, I do realize that everyone is different. There are no absolutes but curious if anyone had additional issues/regret from riding it out a little longer.

Thanks- Tee (xoxox to all)
 
@frieds, your limping gait throws your whole body alignment out of kilter stressing other joints, ligaments, and tendons. Eventually additional damage will occur.

frieds said:
I am however tired of the limp, of standing out, of restless attempts to sleep, etc.
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Why in the world would you want to continue living with this? If you read enough post op posts, you will find that most members who put off having surgery say their biggest regret is not having done it sooner. It isn't going to get better, and the longer you put the surgery off the more it will impact your daily life and the less you will be able to do. If you do it now, in a few months you'll be the you you want to be!

Take care, sweetie, and keep us posted. We care. [Bonesmart.org] When is it time?
 
Our own (very unscientific) data here on BoneSmart indicates that waiting longer can sometimes mean a longer recovery. It is harder to regain your gait and reteach yourself not to limp if you have had long term issues with these two areas. Soft tissues may also take longer settle.

I think most hippies here would agree - they wish they had not waited. In my case, my recovery took over one year. No reason to let your world grow narrow. Life is just too short!
 
[Bonesmart.org] When is it time?


Freaky but see where left is so misshapen I have to do this, don't I?!
 
Ultimately the decision is yours. But yes, that looks darn painful! And unfortunately things will not get better - only worse. Do some reading in our Library. I know it all seems a big mountain to climb right now. I found the more I researched here the better I felt about going ahead.
 
Hi @frieds I procrastinated 8 years from the first time THR was mentioned to me - too scared!
The final 18 months saw me spiral down with a severe Trendelenburg gait - exactly like this... [Bonesmart.org] When is it time? as you can see my femur had pushed up into the pelvic cavity. I was on a walker for those 18 months. The final 6 months saw me on narcotic pain patches and ready to go into a motorized wheel chair.... fast forward...

- 7 weeks post op, I returned to work (although my energy drain hit me big time)
- approx 7 months post op I really didn't think much about my THR
- 2 years post, I marvel at the magical skill of my surgeon and my bionic hip

I have come to realize life is too short.. I went from a mindset of elective surgery to necessary urgent surgery very quickly in the end - but of course that is my journey :)
 
Was psyched today to call and get "my date". Apparently Mother Nature has different plans for me as all businesses and government are closed here in DC. Yes it's just a day; but its silly thing like this when I'm prepped and ready that make me pause and wonder. Lol have to stop over thinking I suppose!
 
Just a day @frieds ! Try again tomorrow. Hope you are not snowed in!
 
So have a date. Somehow I'm excited and extremely nervous all at once. So looks like May 28th - right after the holiday weekend.
 
Glad you got a date. I felt scared and excited both at the same time; and had tears to boot!
 
Yahoooo! You are officially on your way. Do lots of reading here - the Library and the post op threads. It does help in calming those nerves. We'll be here for you!
 
frieds said:
Can continuing status quo create additional issues? Long-term can limping hurt the knee or other hip, etc.? I've only been dealing with this entire issue now for only 15 months but while I can live with the pain (I'm lucky and have high tolerance) by "living with it" am I risking further damage? This is what I am most curious about.]
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You have summed up exactly the dilemma I find myself in, now just three weeks away from surgery date. On the one hand, people --- other patients, ortho surgeon --- say "no permanent damage" due to waiting. On the other, they mention possibilities of needing a longer surgery (because more needs fixing) and longer recovery. If "no permanent damage" just means that "the lame will again walk and the blind will again see" (apologies for mangling this quote from biblical sources or wherever), then in other words: if limping for "x" years caused other joints to get out of alignment/feel painful or uncomfortable, these joints will return to their pre-messed-up-hip state??? Or not necessarily? I suppose if "x" percent of pain of another joint is due to non-hip-related arthritis and "y" percent is in fact due to the messed-up hip biomechanics, then there could by "z" percent improvement, but not total?

If anyone is up for trying to clarify the above, thanks in advance
 
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