HIPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Thanks Larry,

I know 'healing' is supposed to be complete at one year, but my guess is that you carry on improving for a long while! I am looking forward to that. So glad to hear your hip is coming up to his 10th birthday and hopefully serving you well!

I was told 2 years for the hip to be right and would back that up.

There's a woman round the corner from me had the op and ended up with one leg shorter than the other.

She's very fit and active. She walks her dogs 2 or 3 times a day and she's always flying along.

Has your surgeon confirmed the leg length discrepancy?

Hi there,

Honestly, at 15 weeks I would never have thought I would be where I am now in terms of recovery, Everything was hard and more awkward for quite a while, even though I was out of pain. It is only the last few months of unofficial physio, aka 'babysitting duties' that I have made  more return to  normal. Having been unable to walk before really, or sit, lie or sleep I had a very bad limp and needed to use grab rails / have an arm whenever I could and was fairly pitiful. I'm glad I didn't know too much about leg length difference before, but think  I would still have had the surgery, limp or not. You will get there, no matter how long it takes!

I had to sign a waiver that included leg discrepancy before my op. It said they would try and get it within a certain difference but it was not always possible.

Hi Ian,

Just thought I would send you another success story. I had my op 7 weeks ago and it's the best thing I ever did! I was on one stick after one week, no more sticks after 3 weeks, driving at 5 weeks and back at the gym last week. I saw my surgeon last Monday and he doesn't want to see me anymore. I was able to walk unaided 1.5 miles after 3 weeks. I do get very tired and have a short rest most afternoons and my knee is still a bit sore. (That's were all the trauma from the operation ends up so not surprising it complaints!) I have a bit of stiffness in the muscles around my backside but have been told not to push any movement. Listen to my body and try to do more things slowly and carefully. I can almost reach my toes and since last week can sit on a regular loo seat without feeling I might fall in! The first few days are difficult but you'll be amazed how quickly things improve. I wish you the very best of luck.

Hi marion,

What an inspirational story. I can,t thank you enough , it,s exactly what i need to hear at the moment, i,m still lost, but you have lifted my expectations. Can you let me know please if you had the cement install or the one that the bone grows onto. I really need to re visit my doctor for re reassurance i believe. But that is easier said than done, i live in country australia an am a 7 hr road trip for a visit , which my employer is understanding but pushing the boundaries abit with time off, let alone months off work. Thanks marion for taking time out to let me know about your op. Believe me , it helps , i wasn,t expecting so many replies an find it hard to keep up to reply, one thing that stands out above anything ,that is that all us people with hip problems are a close ,kind caring , sharing ,remarkable understanding individuals that support each other through these sites. All the best marion, rgds ian

I have the non-cemented joint as my surgeon said this gives you a better range of movement and there is no cement to break down and have bits travelling around your body in years to come. I'm 66 and the cut off point is apparently 70. This is due to the fact that younger people have stronger bones.

Hi Ian,

 I was only in hospital 3 nights after late saturday op and they kicked me out tues 9am once I had done stairs practice and gone through the exercises they want you to do - very important. I was on two elbow crutches and could get into the car with help. At home i had a bed downstairs for the first few weeks, as i could only go up them one legged, and would have to be by myself in the day after week one. Daily rest on the bed is also important. I needed painkillers for quite a while. Showering on a stool straight away with supervision, and dressing using the aids they advise. Not able to manage compression stocking though, you will need help there as no bending past 90 degrees! Outside for short walks with the crutches in week two, you can actually walk pretty well. Swelling / bruising was significant and only started to go down after about a month ( looked like a huge melon stuck to the side of me!!) Building up the walking from there I went out every day if I could ariound the block with company and the dog. By week 4 ish 1 stick in the house, but still 2 crutches outside. Weekly visit to physio for further evaluation on how i was doing, all the while being given more reps / new exercises to do. Very bored by week 4, although you can't actually put your mind to anyrthing much. Ther wound was still a bit oozy at week 6, but no infection and it eventually dried up. I did take a tumble in the house, apparently it's due to the fact that the muscles are still weak, but had no injury. Sleeping on my back only was quite hard at first, but you do get used to it. Only managed side sleeping once pain allowed, which was probably about week 8 - 10. Week 6 / 7 I was cleared to drive - amazing to be more independant again, and I found it quite easy to get going. My husband had made me a crowbar type device so that i could move the seat forward without breaking the 90 degree rule and I used that for ages - jusrt looked like I was ready to go out robbing! Back to work at week 9, I carried on with the stick for a few weeks and had light duties / shorter hours for about a month. November I wrote about walking the dog in the dark whilst it was icy, and how scary it was as I was very frightened of falling, something that doesn't even enter your radar pre - surgery!. Week 11 a weekend away, which included fabulous swimming, probably as good as before, but with no pain. Full 12 hour shifts as a nurse from the end of December. From then on life resumed more normality, but everything is very subtle. You find yourself realising you have done something you would have done pre arthritis days. By April / May I had learned how to get down to the floor, and back up more importantly as I now have my grandaughter - something that would have been almost impossible without surgery. I'm not the most active person, but I can walk, swim, do stairs, go out and sleep reasonably well at night. I do still get some pain, but not in the joint itself, more in the shaft of the thigh and surrounding muscles, and definately at the end of a shift. I was on a cocktail of drugs to manage pain unsuccessfully before. Now I might take a single dose per day when I've been really active - so lovely not to be desperate for the next dose like I was before! My walking is very even, none of my patients would ever guess I have had it done. I'm probably a little slower though that's all.

I know I was very scared about going ahead with surgery, but really had no choice. I do appreciate though that there are associated risks that people have to take into account. But to be out of pain and to be able to move more freely for me was worth the risk. . I've just had my one year check. My surgeon was really happy and has discharged me for now, but will see me again should the need arise