Hip Replacement, need advice

Hi janeylady,

You have come to the right place.

I had a similar talk with my surgeon eight weeks ago. It was a shock but I went ahead and now I am six weeks post operation.

You will need the op sooner or later so you mght as well get it done while you are reasonably fit to withstand the op and recover.

Not sure about your age but younger people on this website seem to bounce back quicker.

The pain does get worse and worse and by the end I could not wait to have the anaesthetic, the pain was 24/7.

Also you may end up on painkillers which are not good for your system long-term.

I would say go for it.

I'm 54 and had my op 3 weeks ago.

I can only say that the pain of arthritis in my hip went from being bearable to nearly been bed ridden in quite a short space of time.

Im glad I had the operation but I am struggling a bit at present but I think that is more to do my with my own lack of patience.

I want to be able to walk, drive again, do my own shopping etc. All this takes time and I don't think I fully understood just how difficult it would be.

All that being said though I am still going ahead with 2nd hip replacement as soon as I am able, so it wasn't all bad xx

I am 53 and went 8 years progressively getting worse . I asked my surgeon if I was to young and he said look at all you used to do and all You've given up because of your pain so it depends on if you want your life back. At the end of the day, I realized I wasn't going to get an award for waiting longer.

Has the surgery and recovery been easy? No, but I know with my original hip I was never going to get better, but with my new hip - I WILL😀

In the end, it will be worth it!! Good luck to you.

I had total hip replacment 4 months a go hip replacment gives me pain free life

I am 33 . The rehabilitation time varied for every one But it took me more than a years for deside to have this op i had to prepare mentaly .

Geting second opinion also helpful to decide .

Big hug

I am the world's worst wuss but I coped really well. I had a general anaesthetic, had the op about 8am and was awake in time for lunch. Felt sick because of morphine but managed a cup of tea and a biscuit.

Physio came in the afternoon and helped me sit on the side of the bed and shuffle my bottom onto a bedside armchair. No real walking but learning how to handle crutches.

Told me to sit on chair for 5 minutes. Then gently helped me back onto the bed.

Later that evening I was OK to talk to visiting husband.

Pain was a lot less than the pain of the horrible old hip which felt like someone poking a screw-driver into me. 

If you have been following the discussions I'm sure you will have realised that this is not an operation to take lightly. Only you will know if your pain/lack of mobility has got to the level where it is seriously impacting your life. I wasn't in much pain but I was becoming immobile because my body was growing new bone around the affected hip. Now I'm back to walking and living a normal life again, I'm 13 weeks post-op so still in the healing phase but there is lots of light at the end of the tunnel. It will change your life but be prepared.

Good luck!

I had right hip done at 44yrs and left him at 45 yrs. it has made such a difference to me and lifestyle . X

Don't have much time for long response as at work, but I hadv 4 years of denial until I found my lifestyle severely compromised. I had my THR 6 months ago, yes there were tes in the first 6-8 weeks when I regretted having ad tje surgery but now I am so pleased I had it done I can walk dance excercise am driving 300!miles at weekend and not in least bit worried about it. I had to have GA for other reasons but most have a spinal block and are awKe during surgery hope this helps

Hi. I had my left hip replaced 8 weeks ago. Yes, there are times when I get tired and I'm still not sleeping that well but I am walking without crutches, doing Tai Chi and driving. The arthritic pain has gone but there is still discomfort from time to time as the body heals. As I understand it the new hip just gets stronger and stronger as time goes by but it's important to pace yourself. I was out of bed and standing 4 hours after the op. Walking the next day and discharged on the 5th day with just one crutch. Had a GA which was fine but you can have a spinal with sedation if you prefer. Also, no morphine as was told they didn't like to give it now. But plenty of painkillers and I had very little post op pain. I'd say "Go for it". There's no comparison to my state before the op and now even after such a short time.

hello

I really wish I had been diagnosed earlier.  I waited until i was 62 and suffered for about 10 years and now i have had both his replaced and really wonder why I waisted 10 years of my life. it is brilliant how much pain goes and how you can do so much more. go for it.

maggiex

Welcome to the forum!  I was in the same boat.  I wasn't in a lot of pain all the time like some, but my range of motion was becoming increasingly more limited.  I saw the doc and was told you can do it now or you can wait.  I said, "It's not going to get any better, is it?"  We know what the answer was.  I decided to go ahead because I'm also not getting any younger.  It's been rough recovering but I'm not 9 weeks out and glad I've gotten it over with rather than having it hanging over my head for years.