Taking the plunge

Posted , 18 users are following.

Ok here is the deal. I am really having difficulty deciding about having a thr .

It is scheduled for next week. BUT I am most concerned about bering able to tech and train judo with my grandson

I am in pain when I stand up but really , so what. A little pain is no big deal. I do babe difficulty walking up strains though and I don't walk loon distances.

Anything more than a few hundred yards really sucks. It's just that tracking my grandson is a real priority. For me. Any suggestions. Really should I have this done if I'm OK with the pain?

1 like, 86 replies

86 Replies

Prev Next
  • Posted

    hi josh what are your limits at the minute. can you get around handy enough. im in the same boat. i work on my feet every day. feel my legs getting weaker as time goes on. but not taken meds for the pain i can be in at the end of a shift in work. no problem sleeping. pillow between the legs and im ok. odd anti inflame when it gets bad. but when its bad its bad. lighting strikes down the leg. i feel by getting this done i hope that i can return to normal. i do swimming also but running and cycling grind the area and afterwards in pain again. im getting done in 10 days now. not sure if i should have held out longer but on listen to eveyone on this its never to early. im 37 and had a bad fracture back in 96. but was told i would need this in time. i hope i made the right call myself.
    • Posted

      Greetings fergal, you were wondering how old I am. I'm 55. I'm getting the surgery today and honestly still wonder the same thing. Is it too soon?. I think I have driven my wife crazy with this, question. Lol I don't use pain killers either and just loaded up before I would hit the mat in the dojo. I've been doing that for about 3 years now. I can walk ok but stepping up stairs can hurt. I guess. In the whole scheme of things I'm know is feel good about it if I could continue to work with my grandson.I told him 3 days ago that we wouldn't be able to grapple anymore and he cried.Real tear jerker. But.Maybe I can do a little better with some aspects of aikijutsu after and it will make up for what I'm losing? ? Time will tell. I'll let you know how it goes.Thanks for sharing. Something encouraging about knowing my thoughts are common.Best of luck to you
    • Posted

      Good luck Josh.  Thinking of you x
  • Posted

    good luck Josh I wish you all the best for your op.  Please let us know how you get on.

    BW

    Alison

  • Posted

    omg. how on earth can you do thia stance after THR. id be frightemed to even try that after mine in 2 weeks time i go in. were you bad befor the op movement wise. dont mind mr asking but have you got age on your side. im hoping to get back to full fitness after mine aged 37.
    • Posted

      Fergal - Im nearly 65 in Septmeber, so you are miles younger than I am, but if you need surgery you need it, you can see for yourself when that gap between you pelvis and top of your femur has closed up due to worn out carteldge, there is no turning back the damage I'm afraid, and bone on bone is not fun, Amazing I could still do ragdoll movement, but very painful, gave it awy for a while.

      I was very bad before first surgery, hole in ball part of femur, and also hole in pelvis, all from cystic action on the bone, advanced arthiritis, as a result of accident in my twenties, and GP let me down badly with writing a very poor letter to the hospital, so I got no priority whatsoever. I was also completely housebound, and when I had to go out i was using a granny walker, and eventually a wheelchair.

      2nd hip, tore out the cartledge when exercising from my first hip replacement, seen by the hospital where I had my first THR done, and registrar who saw me was the same one who had looked after me during my first THR, very lucky, he knew GP had let me down, and said, we will get onto this straight away, 15 months to reach top of list, again, wheelchair bound by the time of surgery came around. During all this time, I went swimiing, treading water, kept me sane and fit, and strong, so recovery from surgery pretty good.

  • Posted

    sorry josh was sending thta last 1 to lyn. best of luck today mate. anychance you can keep me posted on how your doing. we will all bel looking for a bit of inspiration to keep us positive. i am feeling pretty down myself about haven to do this. its the not knowing what to expect afterwards for me. as i'm more concerned of a complications and not been able to provide for my girls and do the active things we like doing together.
  • Posted

    Hi Josh55:

    Based on your letter, my advice is "Do not do it."  Even as a last resort, it's not a good solution.

    I learned that plastic in the hip joint causes loosening of the implant through bone loss and other problems with foreign paricles in the body.  It can happen sooner, or later.  I thought ceramic on ceramic was the answer because there  is such little wear.  But the problems occur within 8 years because of taper fretting corrosion and crevice corrosion, where the stem fits into the ceramic ball.  This puts metal ions directly in your body around the joint where you don't need it.

    For me, I don't think trading the pain for the certainties I mentioned is worth it.  I am waiting til the manufacturers find a prosthesis that is kind to my body.  Otherwise you are committing to a downhill slope of intimacy with the medical profession.

    I have bone on bone in the hip joint for more than 5 years.  I use one crutch and keep working.  Being forced to have a hip replacement under the present options is like ISIS asking me if I would like to be shot or beheaded.   

    A different prospective no doubt, but something to think about.  

    I also think you should get some advice about landing on the mat on your THR hip.  It may not withstand the shock.  Any way, that is my view.  Hope it helps you to make an informed decision. 

    Mikey 

          

    • Posted

      Hey Mike you may be right. About the risk. I think it may come down to your own life philosophy.I am willing to risk the problems for the opportunity. To do better for the next ten years. I will say my biggest consideration for not doing it was the work of cartilage replacement via stem cell research. But it appears this may be a long way out?Any way too late,now. I'm laying in bed after surgery and was just enjoying being able to spread my legs apart decently in a small stretch. Feels really really good.The pain killers are all worn off and I am feeling fine.I'm hopeful. I do thank you though for your honesty and I hope your pain isn't too bad
    • Posted

      Oh by the way. Regarding break falling. You may be right about taking break falls. I had written to Neil olenkamp amother judo master. Had had had 2 thr. And 1 revision. He aid he is careful who he rolls with. And had been fine.I think this may be an area where experience in technique Carries the day.Besides today I'm unable to go full out due to pain levels. Stepping out our in actually hurt to much on that side. So. I this can only improve.
    • Posted

      Josh - congrats, - don't over extend while you are in the healing stage, remember the Dr's have dislocated your hip joint, and stressed all your tendons and muscles to do that, go very gently and follow instructions for the first few weeks, it does get better.

      I remember Dr's telling me after my surgery my hip was probably stronger now, after the surgery, and almost impossible to break, than the natural bone, kind of reassuring and not reassuring at the same time..

    • Posted

      Welcome and congratulations Josh ---- 

      You sound like an amazing soul... kind, loving, considerate, responsible and so much more ...

      big warm hug

      renee

    • Posted

      Hi mikey

      I am sorry but l don't agree with your advice and l am sure loads of us would be the same l have had both hips replaced and l am 43 l suffered OA pain for almost a year and it made me a shadow of my former self constantly crying unable to walk go holidays sleep it was no way to live. In modern day medical procedurers there is thousand and thousands of hip replacements done and l have spoke to people who have had them for 7 year 10 years and 15 years they have all said its the best thing they have done. My doc told me l would be in a wheelchair if l left it much longer and for you to think this is a better option is crazy. Or to be walking about with a cruch is better than living a normal life seems so stupid. I don't mean to sound rude but you are allowed your opinion but l think you will find that you are the only one with this opinion. I am now walking unaided with no OA pain. I just think your opinion is crazy. You only get one life you don't want to waste it suffering from pain. If thats how you want to live thats your choice and there is risks with every operation but not everyone goes wrong or has the side affects you mention. I would rather take the risks than live a life of pain.

    • Posted

      It should be said, that most of the people on here have some sort of problem with their recovery.  

      The ones who don't have a problem have no need to come on this forum, so you never get to see their side of the argument.  This means we get a one-sided view of the recovery - the bad side.

      A friend had her hip done at the same hospital as me, and by the same surgeon.  She gave her crutches to her husband to carry, and walked out without them and hasn't looked back since.

      As Lors says, you will be in a minority if you want to continue with the pain of OA, and not have a good chance at a pain-free future with a new replacement hip joint.

      Even with all the problems I have had, I would not wish to go back to that "bolt of lightning" down my leg again.  If I am in OA pain with the other hip in the future, I would take the new hip route every time.

      Graham - 🚀💃

  • Posted

    Ok its new hip day plus one, last night i was able to slide across the floor

    with a walker to the bath room and this morning I started one crutching it around. Felt SSoooo

    good to be moving around after being on my back prettty much for 24 hrs.

    I got the run down on the donts dos as far as not bending the limb too much! steel ball head (40 MM)

    in a ceramic socket! The last thing i told the doctor before surgery was " keep me playiing judo doc, keep me playing judo"

    he said all went well in surgery and honestly I felt pretty good about the whole thing when I woke up this morning!Its almost a bit novel for the jooint to

    not hurt at all when I move around, Sure the leg is cut and that is sore but the joint itself doent hurt.

    And so it begins!

    • Posted

      Oh well done Josh you are doing greatbiggrin

      Now (stern face) please take care over the next few weeks and don't be too impatient.  

      You will be back to normal soon enough.

      Sending you best wishes

      Alison 

    • Posted

      Josh - memories, good ones.

      You are right amazing that the pain in the bone has completely gone, just the pain from muscles and cut on side of leg.

      Isn't it just amazing.

      I always think about our gt grandparents who didn't have this option.

    • Posted

      Hi Josh,

      Congratulations!  That's the operation over.  Now time to be kind to yourself and let the healing take place.  Don't overdo things, as I have done in the last couple of days.  I was off painkillers, and I'm now back on them, for a bit anyway.  Slow and steady is the way forward imo.  

      Keep posting, Cels xxx

       

    • Posted

      Glad you're through the op Josh :-) I'm on day 6 post op - had all the same hesitation as you did before going ahead - now itching to get back to a sporting life... but trying to be sensible too, lol. Good luck with it all. Mark

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.