3 week consultant appt

Bones, joints and muscles
1

hi one  and all

Just wanted to say have seen consultant today and he pleased with  my progress. 

i can't believe the difference a week makes!!  When I think how I felt last

 week.  Just to let you all know out there, in the early stages, it does get better.  

I have nitced for the the first time that I have no painIn my joint.  The trouble is with all the associated pains I could not really tell, but now, as everything else is improving I can tell the joint pain has gone, horrah, after all these years. I know I will have to have the other one done, but was told it would last me out a few years yet. I know one  thing for sure I won't worry so much next time round ( I wouldn't have said that a week ago!! I remember about 3days in I wished I had never had it done). 

Thank you all so much for getting me through those first days, there was always one of you out there to reassure me. I bless the day I found this site. 

I can now sleep as well. Oh how lovely it is to sleep on my side, looking forward to when I can lie on operated side, I've not done that in years.

had a brilliant day, friend came over to watch Wimbledon with me,  we didn't see much tennis though, too busy catching up.  

Good of luck to you all

i hope this finds you comfortable

lots of love and thanks Carol 😍Xx

 

2

That all sounds fab! Very positive. I'm at 9 days and feeling great and sleeping. Roll on 3 weeks.

It's good getting to the point where you know you've done the right thing!

Hope you carry on feeling good!

3

Hey Carol

Pleased you are feeling better now.

A three week appointment sounds fab...wish I'd had one.

What are you like for physio...I've had zero other than a chat at 6 week review, but now have an appt in Aug thru my GP.

Lovely you can sleep and also cheer andy murray onto victory!

Mic

X

4

Carol thats great news,I'm now on the list . D day from October so it could be Any time this year I guess, all thanks to all the wonderful people here that I am doing it, 

nearer the time I will be asking a lot of questions just to calm my nerves 

good luck,

sue xx

5

Thanks for the reassurance!

I am just a 9 days in, so I still have some lingering pains and what not. It's nice to hear from ones just a little a head of me that it will keep getting better!

Thanks for sharing!

6

Good night dear carol !

so happy for you that you are doing so well ... 

warm hug

renee

7

Wonderful news, you sound thrilled👏👍

8

Carol I'm so happy Ur feeling so good. It makes me yearn my op all the sooner. I'm beyond my pain threshold at this stage. Not coping too well at all. Lack of sleep with pain is wearing me down. So Ur story has made me more determined to get it done asap. Keep us all posted on Ur recovery. It's great to hear the ups & downs. Because it's sounds like everybodies different & some have really good weeks & a few bad days. Bit letting us know prepares us. Take care & keep getting stronger x

9

My mother treated me to a new hip for Christmas, so I was very lucky to go privately had Physio Monday and have another 5 included In the "package ' so will be going weekly

hope you feeling ok x

10

I found that really helpful too,  

good of luck with your recovery xx

11

night night renee

thanks

😍 Xx

12

peope don't understand the pain, not being able to sleep  is so wearing. Once you have it done, yes you hurt, but the pain is different, and you know it's only going to get better instead of getting worse. It's short lived (although it may not seem like it at the time!!!). 

We are all certainly different in our recovery but there is always someone on here who can relate to where you are.

I am definitely going to press on, just slowly and gently and do my exercises!!👯👯👯👯👯

hope the op Is soon

good luck

carol😍 Xx

13

Nice one Carol, Have faith, you have really done the right thing, life as I see it was like this....I am writting from the heart now at 4.30 am, and I want to post another Pic here soon, one of my fav shots of the lake district... I was never in doubt, not once, there was nothing else but a Hip replacement, for me, as life could not go on the way that it was, I really could hardly walk, and I was in such a lot of terrible pain even with the Tramadol 50mgs+ Naproxin 500s...Now I have had one done, I can get around!!! I can really walk again!! It is for real that I am not in a wheelChair... I will get my life back once I get the other one done, that is the thing that I think a lot of older people here miss, some of us like me, were really crippled, so young, and so quickly too, I was fine on my 50th birthday, and was never away from the doctor after that, also misdiagnosed, as Sciaticia, and needing a new bed, more excercise, loose weight...they all said...But all I needed was an Xray! Now at 54...Both Hips need replacing???

I am going to treat myself to a new camera in the newyear once I am back on two legs, and get my boots on and get walking and taking photos, hundreds of them every month, really loving it all again remembering the way that life was almost taken away from me with the terrible pain of Hip arthritis that came over me, thank goodness it was caught in time and I saved my leg muscles, so I can get my life back again...I am in so much discomfort with my left, on waking I can hardly walk, and need two hands on my stick to get about, it is shockingly painful...but gets better once I get going on it, and I am back at work as well.. Made of tough stuff I fear...Well Yes I am!! Cannot get the second one done soon enough!! Dont care!! first one was easy, you just have to take it easy....I have made a hell of a quick recovery and really need the other one to go as quick as my right, my weak side has gone, but my left used to be a lot stronger than my right, so needs a longer time to get fixed, please let it go as smoothly as the right side....

Love and kindest regards Ian+++

14

Dear Ian,

Thank you for sharing your story ... it seems that we all have one - a long road that led up to where we are right now - just like you, and many others here, the other hip needs THR as well ... so yeah, a bit disappointing as recovery is not as speedy because of it ... 

My left leg was already giving me grief prior R THR (even more than right hip) and I was worried how it would perform post op - at that time x-ray showed minor OA - 

You are strong, Ian , so give your self a pat on the back for a job well done ... going back to work and doing what needs to be done ... 

You might have told us already ( I forgot ) but when is your next surgery ? I have another appointment with my surgeon August 29 but might ask for an earlier appointment ... first I have to move ... 

Be kind to your self - you are really doing a great job - being in pain is so exhausting, isn't it ... 

warm hug -

 

15

Hi again Carol,

hope last night was good for you sleepwise - envy you your weekly check in with the physio. (hope your mums hips are OK though?)

hope Murray wins wimbledon too - surely good medicine!

sorry heather watson just lost, but no complaints as serena really did the bis - like champions to in a tight spot!

good luck to all hippies on this bright summer day

mic

x

16

Hi ian

drs don't believe you sometimes. My dr insisted the pain was my back. He said he suffered back pain as well, get on with it.  I made a bit of a nuisance of myself and insisted I wanted a MRI, got one privately in the end, Dr not very helpful at all. I ended up seeing back consultant because of the Dr and his words were I don't know why you've come to see me it is obviously your hip!!! 

Life is no fun when on strong pain killers all the time, but they are needed just to get by

54 is young, but you have the advantage of being younger having a speedier recovery. I am 60 and was building a bungalow prior to operation, So muscles were in good shape , all that ladder work, up and down decorating, pointing etc. I went swimming as well to strengthen them up. I think it all helped me. It's funny how so many of us need the other hip done as well. Trouble is, like you the bad leg hinders your recovery. At least my good one should give me a few years yet.

i hope you get it done soon Ian, and without a doubt you deserve a new camera! 

Take care, have a good day, sun shining here in kent. 

Lots of love

carol😍Xx

17

Good morning Ian,

Loved your picture, something very special about b&w photos. Thank you for sharing your story, I am a hippie in waiting, like you was told it was sciatica, then muscle damage, then slipped disc, had physio and then an xray, having seen 3-4 docs, I get told by the xray lady I have oa, got told in April i needed the operation, but went away saying no and cried alot. Found this site, after everybody I spoke to knew somebody but never had it done, ow thanks to all the lovely people here, on Tuesday I agreed to have it done, like you walking is really difficult, I am 57 years young, and walk like a 90 year old. Plus now the pain is worse, so I will let you know when I get the date, just keep telling me how good it feels on the other side. Keep sending your beautiful photos. Sue

18

Carol, so glad you are recovering. Honestly the first 2 weeks are the worst, but eventually they pass. I found a rapid recovery between weeks 4 & 5. Right around weeks 4 & 5 you are going to be really surprised, you will have your life back almost 100%.

Your comment is geat encouragement to everyone to hang in there, it really does get better. It relaly does.

19

Hi Sue walking like a 90yr old made me laugh cos it is just like that, I work in a casino and some of the Poker players are older and as I as getting into work one shift, one of the old boys was walking along next to me, and he is 89, but youthful in his ways and we were both shuffling in at the same pace it was like a snail race, and I asked him if he was getting his hips replaced, poor old soul said that he was diagnosed too late and that they could not operate on him, but he wished me well and said he would see me on the otherside...Well he's still around and now often comes over and has a chat if I am on an empty spell waiting for a game to get going, and Wow what a lifestyle he has led in the past, a true gambler full of fun and lifes great stories...Love it when he wins a hand or I see him on the final tables at Poker.

I have some great shots of the Blackpool Big One to shate soon.

Thanks for replying and looking in on my patch of the Forum.  Ian+++

20

Hello again Carol was in with gp this evening. She gave me a copy of the consultants report. It makes very dismal reading. But she's hoping they will hurry though to the op process. End stage degenerative osteo arthritis sounds just as painful as it feels. She put me on another new med today & am feeling a bit of relief already but it's one step away from morphine. I'm calling consultant tomorrow to see if I can get a cancellation apt before my set apt for 2nd opinion on 22nd July. My gp said just keep calling & I could get lucky. If I go with original consultant I could have op within the next month. Here's hoping anŷway. I hope Ur still doing well & enjoying the nice weather that were not getting in Ireland x