"End Stage" Arthritis

I have lived in the US for most of my life, so would tend to read their medical sites.  My former partner was an orthopaedic surgeon, but specialised more  in hand surgery - musicians, etc.

The medical sites are intended for the medical community, but I have also read up on the UK sites, too.  

Most of the research is conducted on volunteers from differing backgrounds.

I was mostly interested in the levels of pain that people describe before THR, which is where the "end stage arthritis" came up.  So, the question is how long is a patient likely to be left, with an arthritic hip before surgery comes into the equasion.  I have read descriptions on this sote, of excrutiating pain, and patients not being able to move, even with the aid of a walker.  

There seem to be enormous gaps in timing of THR in the UK, and I am wondering why this is.  Excluding of course, the NHS cutbacks.  Is it down to the GP in making the referral, etc.  Or, post code!

Best regards,

Susie

My experience and that of my family, we were all referred immediately by the GP without any delay, once the xrays were completed and the damage was evident, and we have lots of different post codes, so it is definitely not that. Although I am sure there are some small differences in every county.

I am in excrutiating pain but have choosen to wait as long as possible, some people just prefer to cope as long as they can. Others are proactive and get it fixed straight away. We are all so different. 

Good luck with your xrays, and I hope they can help you to become more comfortable.

Many, many thanks for that feedback.  This is exactly what I was looking for.  

I had wondered if arthritic patients simply put up with the pain,and  did not report to their GPs, until they were almost totally incapacitated.  Most of it is fear and lack of information, I should think.

I would prefer to have the problem addressed ASAP because of the manner in which it has affected me.  

I am coming out of a nine year campaign of harassment, abuse, assault, booby trapping and stalking on the part of my two neighbours.  In two iinstances I was booby trapped by having my front door mat interfered with and left, so that I did not see what they had done, and tripped over it, on another occasion, they sent two black bananas and a rotten orange down onto my patio step so that I slipped in the dark, and was in excrutiating pain as a result.  They were half my age, and finally caught up with after I had provided the olice with intelligence on the cyber stalking.  This created major problems in my mobility and approaching my GP regarding the arthritis.  She already knew that I had arthritis, but had no idea of the extent to which is was impacting on my life, because my focus was on the day-to-day problems with my neighbours.  They are now no longer here, although she does still own her property, and visits from time to time.

Third set of exrays are coming up tomorrow.  I know my condition has detiorated considerably, and I have a slight deformity in that hip and leg, which turns slightly to the right.  Almost imperceptible, but I am aware of it.  It may create a slight problem with the surgery, but I am hoping that the surgeo will be able to correct t at the time of surgery, unless the problem originates, elsewhere.

I was interested that the arthritis seems to run through your family.  I do not know of anyone in my family, on ether side who had arthritis, although I am aware, that my maternal grandfather had rather strange looking finger joints, that could have been arthritis.  I was only six when he died, but I do remember that he was a pianist, so it could not hae been that disabling for him.  I am self teaching myself piano, with arthritic hands.  Slows me down, but probably good es=xercise for my fingers.

All the best,

Susie