How do I tie my shoe laces after a Total hip replacement?

Golly so many helpful suggestions Graham and Maureen thanks and thanks to anyone I've missed but I've read them all! Thanks Richard

Nick

I had difficulty making the one I got from the NHS work. I've bought (for my op on 22/03) an Etac long socky aid. That, with socks that aren't too tight, works for me. My size 11(UK) feet don't help, nor do my 36inch legs!

Mike

Thanks Mike. The NHS in my area didn't supply anything for socks, but the hospital recommended that I buy a 'Soxon' which is what I have. From looking online it looks to be a similar principal to the Etac. The Soxon though is comparatively bulky and fluffy and as well as being very tight around the foot, it offers a lot of friction against the foot that foils the required pulling action. The Etac looks smoother and a lot less cumbersome so I may give it a go!  Thanks. Nick

Hi Mike, thanks again for directing me to the Etac Socky. One arrived today and it works wonderfully compared to the Soxon, so no more contorted and risky sock manoeuvres for me now! 

Thanks for that. I find it strange but I do not recall any large problem twenty years ago when I had the hip done doing my laces up. I have however a vague memory of finding putting on my socks !

Cheers Richard

Yes we were all younger and fitter 20 years ago too!

Thanks Julie for those insightful words<G> What with the hip failing and waiting for a revision of my four year old ankle replacement I'm feeling quite fragile at the moment but trying to remain positive.

I'm concerned that I have had to give up my recent form of exercise swimming which I took up to replace walking. I had built it up to swimming over half a mile every other day and now all I'm doing is going around on crutches!

Cheers Richard

You must take care Richard. Any news of an appointment yet?

Dear Judith

Thanks for asking. I’m hoping to see my local G P in the morning to discuss the situation.

Cheers Richard

Good. Keep on at them, you need your hip sorting out. The sooner the better....

Thanks for your encouragement! The back story is this. Last Saturday morning I tried to get to my feet after kneeling down for a few minutes to put a few young plants into a pot outside and I had an almighty pain in,my hip together with a feeling of stuff being ground up and a matching sound too.

Dragged myself inside and tried to relax then tried to stand up but the pain was too much so rang the emergency NHS help line and the call went through. To the local hospital who quickly sorted out a paramedic response who eventually turned up with an ambulance and took me to the local hospital. I was there waiting for much of the time for two x-rays then later for a third one. They concluded but were not certain that the poly cup that the ball of the joint goes into had failed.

They had me try applying weight by standing up then had me walk up and down A+E which although uncomfortable I managed with a doctor at my side. The net,result was I was cleared to be discharged though they were a little concerned as I live alone.

I slowly made my way out of hospital and rang a taxi firm and was back home some time later. When I walked to my front door I had horrible squeaking

Oops message uploaded in error...to continue. The squeaking was something new and felt really horrible! After getting up the next day and her finding a stick or crutches but not having either I rang the emergency number and to my surprise found myself speaking to one of the doctors from my local doctors surgery who was doing duty there that week.

She was horrified that I had been discharged and without a proper plan of action and no crutches. She asked if someone could drive over to collect some to which I said I would! Lucky that I have an automatic and that my usable leg is my right one.

Soo it is this doctor I am going to try to see on Monday as it is her first day back and I feel that she is very much on my side. She is one of the most senior doctor in the practice and should be best placed to get some action.

One problem is that as I've recently moved to a different part of the UK my notes were not available to the hospital when I was admitted so they had no idea which hip prostethis I have and were therefore unable to do anything long term for me. I hope that they have been able to get the necessary information but in the meantime I've spoken to my surgeon's secretary from twenty years ago to warn her about the need for the information and to get the information for my use. I rang her again on Friday but had to leave a message and I have done a lot of searching to find a surgeon within striking distance with a good record of having plenty of experience of hip revision surgery as none of the surgeons at my local hospital according to the hospital records seem to have had much revision experience and as it seems that revision surgery is far less straightforward experience is very desirable!

Well there we are. Apologies for having written a load of stuff but hopefully it will be of interest to someone.

Cheers Richard

Follow up, I see that I made a number of typos but hopefully you will be able to get the gist of this. So easy to make errors on a smart phone!

Cheers Richard

That was a bit of luck, (you need some!) that a senior doctor from your practice was at the other end of the phone. Hopefully she will now fight your corner. I wish you all the best, and hope they can track down your original records, and get your revision done. In the meantime, take care.

Dear Judith

Thanks for your posting. I have high hopes that I will be able to get things moving in the morning

Cheers Richard

Dear Judith

Had a useful meeting this morning with the doctor regarding my failed hip replacement. She was very impressed that I had taken the trouble to research the va

Oops apologies for the premature posting. As I was saying she was very impressed that I had taken the trouble to properly research who looked to be the best surgeon to carry out the work and she agreed with my choice and said that she would today refer me to that person as a matter of urgency. So there we are the effort seems to have paid off but I cannot help wondering if my recent swimming using the breaststroke triggered the hip failure as it could be considered to stress the joint. Thoughts most welcome in case we can all learn from this!

Cheers Richard

Hi Richard, I was told authoritively somewhere along the way pre-op that I would need to avoid any breast stroke with the artificial hip. This did not bother me unduly, as I had been avoiding it for 20 years with the old hip for similar reasons!

Hi Nick, my surgeon is fine with breast stroke kick.

Hi Richard, thanks so much for letting me know, I've been wondering how you got on. I hope you get sorted out quickly. Re swimming, my surgeon is ok with breast stroke swimming, but maybe if your hip was getting very worn, it was just too much for it.

Dear Judith

Thanks for those reassuring words. I use the traditional leg action which on reflection has the potential for stressing a replacement hip joint. Here is what wa written from the hospital

Dear Judith

Thanks for those sensible words..makes some sense. It would be very galling to think that whilst trying to keep fit for my impeding ankle revision surgery I had been instrumental in damaging my hip!

Cheers Richard

Thanks Nick for that. Perhaps I should have checked first but I was always under the impression that swimming could only be a good thing!

Cheers Richard