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Please tell me how your non operated hip feels...

Posted , 12 users are following.

rose0000
rose0000

I am having a really bad day.

I have been so pleased on the whole with my recovery and have managed to get up to pre op levels (not out of choice but necessity) and looking after my little ones for weeks now on my own, but last night I had a big scare with my non operated hip.

I tried to walk up the stairs after a particularly exhausting day and evening, and found my good non operated hip completely locking up. The pain in my whole leg is really bad. much worse than my operated hip. After a whole I got up the stairs and it nearly collapsed which scared the hell out of me. I know I am doing too much, but honestly I didn't expect this, and I can't do much about it.

I can not think about needing another replacement, I am having kittens just thinking about it.

Has anyone else had problems like this? Did they go once after a while? Please tell me someone else is having this too.

My good non operated hip keeps catching, the familiar pain at the end of the day but

not too bad if I rest. It does have 'moderate' arthritis but I can't think about it too deeply.

I am too scared to get an X-ray and find out how bad it is.... you would think after one hip replacement I would be cool with a second, but I don't feel that way at all.

5 likes, 26 replies

26 Replies

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  • billiemaw
    billiemaw rose0000

    Posted

    Hi, I seem to be having the same problem. I had severe osteoarthritis in my right hip and moderate in my left. I had the right hip replaced 3 months ago and the left hip is now giving a bit of pain and not working quite like it should.

    I mentioned it to my surgeon last week at my 3 month check of the replaced hip, he said that after a replacement the other hip can go either way. Be absolutely fine for quite some time as the pressure of looking after the damaged hip is off now, or go downhill fast with the extra work as you now are fitter and doing more walking, exercising etc.

    Unfortunately mine seems to have gone downhill fast sad

    I've just 2 weeks ago started a new job tho, so I am trying hard to ignore it for a while. I'm thinking I need to delay any treatment for at least 6 months but we'll see sad

    Try to rest as much as possible and keep your fingers crossed. Take care x

    • rose0000
      rose0000 billiemaw

      Posted

      Thanks Billie. It is SO depressing isn't it. I mean, I have just come through one replacement, and now the other hip is screaming for attention. 

      I am also planning to drag mine out as long as possible, but we both know that it is not a good idea to let it get 'too bad' which is so counter productive for the recovery afterwards, dealing with withered muscles and terrible walking/limping patterns.

      I actually think my left(so called) good hip is holding back my recovery, because it is stopping me from pushing onwards.....lets keep in touch and see how it pans out. I am going to bite the bullet and go and have an xray....at least I will know, and can guess how long it will last..

      Good luck with your new job and hope yours eases in the next month or so x

    • renee01952
      renee01952 billiemaw

      Posted

      Hi Billie, 

      So incredibly sorry to hear this - I was so surprised, well, i shock actually, when I was tld that "good" hip (left) had gone bone-on bone from mild within  6months - I felt betrayed and immediately shared it here on the forum - I thought I was an exception !!!!!   NOT !!!!  thanks to people here I found that there would be a wave of 2nd THR hippies with me ...

      take care and wishing you lots of strength

      big warm hug

      renee

  • belleAUSSydney
    belleAUSSydney rose0000

    Posted

    My op was on the right side and my left is definitely hurting a lot now after 10 weeks. I'm back at college now and the walking is torture...
  • billiemaw
    billiemaw rose0000

    Posted

    Hi guys.

    Not had much time for Internet lately so just seen your messages - thank you.

    It is a difficult and disappointing situation sad my right hip went downhill really quickly, I ended up unable to walk without crutches in about 6 months so I don't want to get like that again. I need to at least get my 3 month probationary period out of the way before I can even think about having hip number 2 done tho, new employers might not be too happy if I go off sick straight away. I'm hoping to get a year or so out of it, but I learnt last time delaying too long is not the best idea. Gosh decisions decisions!

    At least last time I healed really quickly so fingers crossed for as good an experience when I do get the left one done.

    Hope you're doing ok, let us know how the X Ray goes x

  • AnnieK
    AnnieK rose0000

    Posted

    Rose, how did I miss this post ten days ago! So sorry for that leg-locking and severe pain in your "good" leg. Hope it has gotten better by now.

    I do think that any time we have injury/surgery/trauma to one leg, that the "good" leg then has to do lots of extra work to compensate. Case in point, I had problems with my right hip for years, but never to the point where I had even had an x-ray. I used trekking poles much of the time when out and about, and occasionally inside the house, but never even dreamed that I had OA in that right hip. Then, one year ago, almost to the day, I fell and hurt my left knee. Nothing was broken, just a nasty sprain that required me to use a walker for 3 weeks and then the trekking poles almost all the time for weeks after that. Enter right hip pain. My right leg had to do so much more work to compensate for left knee problem that my OA hip became painfully obvious. Follow an x-ray and amazement from the orthopedist that I was even walking on the bone-on-bone, and I was scheduled for a THR.

    So, yes, everything is connected to everything else in our bodies, and injury to one part can cause injury to another part.

    Please do your best to slow down your life and do less in any way you can. You will be doing your other hip a great big favor!

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