Scared witless about hip op

Hi Heather

I have my TLHR on the 29th March and everything you have said mirrors my concerns. I also have been very active and have good and bad days.

But like you have no flexibility in my bad leg. You are not alone thinking of the issues with sleeping on your back etc. I did ask my surgeon what procedure he would use but forgot the word he used but he did say he goes in from the side and that he would give me a young man's hip whatever that means lol.

Best of luck on your op and let me know how you get on.

Regards

Phil

I think it’s normal to be scared before the op heather. I know I was and some of the things I read from people who had problems were quite daunting. My hip had collapsed in one area where I had some cysts so I had some movement that felt normal but suddenly my hip would lock with grinding bone on bone. I couldn’t walk very far and as I used to lead a walking group that was an issue. I managed to exercise pre op doing very modified Pilates, yoga, gym and aqua. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to do Pilates after the op but couldn’t have been more wrong. Being fit pre op really helps. I was doing a Physio circuit class 2 weeks post op, driving again at 5 weeks (would have been 4 but wanted it in writing from the surgeon so had a delay). Back to gym doing treadmill, cycling, weights and pool exercises at 5 weeks. Started clinical Pilates at 6 weeks at the hospital and back to my usual Pilates class at 11 weeks. It has significantly improved my life and was a much better experience than I had feared. All the best for your op. 

Regards

ann

Hi Heather,

I am 8 weeks out today from my Right hip replacement. I am a newish Jazzercise instructor and was so worried I wouldn’t dance again! My surgeon told me before my surgery that I absolutely would Dance. 

Today I am going to take a class, see how it goes and plan is to try to start teaching in a month. 

Good Luck! You will feel so much better!

I am 59 and had my first THR in September. My next one is on January 15. Frankly, you will be out of hip pain after but you will exchange it for leg muscle pain post op. Sleeping on your back the whole time is terrible but my nurses rolled me onto my other hip with pillows between my legs and pillows behind me for support. A recliner is really the best because feet are up, letting fluids drain and takes some pressure off your back. Get or rent a recliner, it will be very handy. Good luck! 

Hi Heather, I’m 58 and just had my second THR. My first was a year ago. I was with pain for about 8 yrs. I too was very scared to have the surgery and kept putting it off. It’s the best decision I made. 

Wishing you an easy and speedy recovery. 

That's part of a worn out hip joint, I was surprised to be told by the specialist that one day I could be in agony and the next not so much pain, when I explained to him, that this had been my experience and GP had been denying I had a problem with the joint itself, the specialist said not unusual, what a relief to be told I WAS CORRECT, it was my hip joint, and a MRI was fightening, showed the ball of the hip had been making a hole in my pelvis.

?So I do understand where you are coming from, not being able to sleep for pain, spasms, depression because of pain, and driving my family nuts with the constant complaining and whinging.

?After the surgery the pain from the hip joint (worn out bones) will be gone, but you are left with the aftereffects of the surgery itself, wrenched muscles, an effectivly broken femur where they have sawed away the old hip joint and bashed in a new steel/titanium spike into your femur, unbreakable I was told, which is a relief.

?The rest is just getting well, listening to what the nurses, Dr's tell you about rest, putting your feet up and forgeting about housework, not bending past 90 degrees for a few weeks, doing the physio exercises they give you to do, and not just once a day, every time you get up, not hurting yourself but pushing until you feel the pull, everything a SLOWLY Slowly for a start, especially LISTENING TO YOUR OWN BODY, and I really mean listening, REST for the first 10 days or so at home, yourbody has taken a beating, but after that you will start to notice the improvements.

?I have had a double THR, 15 months apart, not easy but possible, I was in my early 60's and a big girl, which Dr was unsure about, but when he saw my MRI forgot all about weight issues.