Hi,
4 weeks ago I had an MRI scan of the hip (it's hurt for well over a year now) and it showed up a burstitis and suspect bits and pieces. I went to a great hip man at St John and Elizabeths in London who sent me off for an Xray who said my hip was 6/10 bad for osteoarthritis and at age 45 it would be invevitable for me to have to have a THR. (spurs either side, flattened bone and a nice big cyst -osteocyte?) He said MRIs are not as good as Xray for picking up osteoarthritis and the bursitis was wrongly read.
He said how soon it is done depends on how much pain I can take. All a bit of a shock.
Obviously I am in pain, some days worse than others to the point of being unbearable. I find paracetamol and nurofen dont really do that much (nurofen limited time you can take it, takes 4 hours to work anyway) and I would have to take paracetamol all day every day to dull the deep aching.
The specialist sent me off for the xray guided steroid injection saying that it could help me for 2 minutes or 2 years. I had it on tueday (6 days ago), it hurt like hell on the wednesday, I had about 5 hours of relief on the sunday, but today after a gentle gym session it hurts still, especially down the front of my leg. It's a different type of ache to the pre injection ache, but now my knee is hurting...I have about 10% more movement from my hip, but it has not been the success I wanted it to be.
What does this mean?
(My hip hurt all of last winter, didnt hurt in the summer for 3 months, and now is horrid again.)
If anyone can help me that would be great. I have MS (in remission) on top of this so am a bit annoyed with my body at the moment!!
Too much to take in, and I really would like to know other people's experience - am I off my rocker to be even entertaining a THR in the next 6 months.
" A bit annoyed with my body"? I love that. I have been right p****ed off with mine for three years or so! I assume you mean you don't want this done in winter? Well I don't think it's "personal", and I don't think you'll get a lot of choice. I was like you three years ago, although the injection did give me more time - about nine or ten months. I had the hip replacement a week ago. I am now kicking myself that I was an idiot not to just do it two years ago. If your consultant thinks this is what you need, do not put it off, don't hope for the best, and don't con yourself that it won't be so bad if you can get through the winter. Getting my hip replaced had been great. The other one twinges even a little bit, it is history... Gone... In an instant. I won't go through that idiocy again.
My first Steroid injection lasted and help around 3 months. The 2nd injection lasted 3 days. Had a total left hip replacement last year. pain Free
Hi Lucy ..
i was amae as you Ostioarthritis in the hip , pain unbearable in the winter and copeable in the summer , I have gradually got worse , had the injection you had ..horrid experience for two days relief ! ..ow I have no cartridge and have my pre op date 2nd Dec ,I am praying the op will be the following week as now I have days a can't walk three weeks solid so far due to back gong into spasm ....
this is what could possibly happen to you ..I hope you get it sorted ,. Ins has been 7 years I was 45 when it started ...
good luck Lucy
amanda x
I waited 2 years in the mistaken belief that I should avoid a hip replacement - in constant pain and taking endless painkillers. Had my left hip replaced 16 days ago and couldn't be happier. No pain , free movement, already walking without even a cane in the house... it's an amazing operation. You won't regret it.
Hi Lucy am 6 weeks now post operation
All doing fine am still in pain thu but am feeling am getting better , am a dentist ma self , I used to take diclofinac 150 mg / day it was more than enough but the only thing that I can't live a day with out it , u won't feel that much pain but u will still have limitation ur movement I used to take it and work out ma legs till I decided that I should do it to stop taking painkillers , doing the operation or not it all depends on u and if u can take the pain further or not
The operation takes around 40-70min max. U won't feel nothing first 2 days in bed the rest u start walkin with crunches or walker
All the best and get well soon hope what I wrote is enough though take care 🙏🏽
Nice to hear that Jenny m I can't wait for mine , but may also a little nervous ....at least it will be over by Xmas ...can I ask how long will I need help at home , I live alone and that makes me a little nervous also lol
Amanda x
I was exactly the same about 2 years ago . Steroid didn't do anything at all . Pain got worse and worse over the last 2 years until I couldn't walk at all and became house bound 😢And in absolute agony constantly , couldn't walk , couldn't sleep through the pain and pain killers did nothing at all . Iv just had s hip replacement 5 weeks ago , and it's been hell but I'm just coming out of the worst of it now . It's a long recovery . I'm so glad Iv had it done X if you go into the operation as fit as possible you will recover much quicker . Also if you can have an anterior approach you recover in half the time but no all surgeons will do it . Mine wouldn't . 😪. I'm 35 our MRI sound the same xxxx
Beth I feel like a granny who has been shoved on a roller coaster and I dont know what the hell is going on!!!! And yes the p****d off comment is correct!!!!
I have to be honest, I dont think I can deal with this pain for much longer, although it is just an ache (and not childbirth!) it is just endless. Im totally gutted I did not feel like Mary Poppins after the xray guided steroid injection ( I had visions of me skipping around!).
I am trying to ensure I am not being weak by running with my suitcase to the operating theatre!! Could almost get packing tonight!! Thank you so much for your answer as this seems to be the consensus. My consultant said 'you have great bone, you should have great results'.
Are there better makes of replacement than others??
Thanks X
How's your mobility and ability to do sport?
Thanks Mandy. Good luck in your operation. To be fair with the jab, I did say to the lady I would have another if it worked for 2 months or more as it never got to 'kill her' pain but for the millisecond of relief I've had, I wouldnt bother. I may be right behind you in that theatre! Bupa owes me!!
Thanks. The limitation is really annoying!! Good luck with your recovery.
Hi thank you. I have BUPA (phew but I prefer the NHS) and that surgeon does do minimally invasive (whatever that means), so maybe I should really start researching. Shall look up the anterior approach - I think some sites talk about internal scarring differences and one being better for a second replacement, not sure it's the minimally invasive that is better? Does anyone know??? Poor you at 35. Know that no sleep pain. The housebound feeling is starting... Glad you are on the mend. X
Hi Lucy.
I feel your pain (literally!) I'm 29 and was told my osteoarthritis was so far gone injections just wouldn't even work. So I was left with the choice of pain for a few more years or a couple of THR during my lifetime. I went for the latter!
My op is scheduled for 19th December and although I've had a few days of minimum pain and moments of 'is this the right decision?' After reading everything on here and struggling to get through a normal working day without taking a handful of painkillers I'm confident it's the right decision. I've come to the conclusion that whilst there is never a good time for a thr it's probably better to do it young and get healthy quicker AND enjoy life than deal with the pain much longer.
I know eventually I'll need my right one doing and redoing (first one is my left!) But I'm excited to get my life back and go boogying with my friends instead of leaving early to have a lie down!
What ever decision you make everyone on here is so supportive.
Xx
Thank you! Can't believe you are just 29. Good luck! Do you take all that glucosamine stuff?? X
Also, if you sort out one hip, does the osteoarthritis carry on attacking other bits of your body? Can you stop it? Thanks X
No love they take the diseased part of the bone away and that's that . Do you know what's caused your osteoarthritis ??
I don't take anything as I found out about the osteoarthritis on the same day I found out id need a thr! And I believe (I may be wrong) that it affects different areas but doesn't spread more if one part is taken away! X
I had to wait 18 months after diagnosis, my doctor said I was too young (then 53). I kept going back so I was sent for xray, then told I had to try physio, which I did (didn't help) on another return visit to doctor I ended up crying, mainly due to tiredness from painful sleeping.
I finally got to see a consultant in March this year, but informed me it was at least a year on the waiting list.
Due to lack of nhs beds I got transferred to a private hospital, seeing consultant begining Oct, op done end of Oct!
Unfortunately it seems you have to become a bit of a thorn in your doctors side to get anything done
Osteoarthristis isn't communicable - other bits of your body may get it, but that's just bad luck - they don't catch it from one bit! I had severe OA in both hips but "touch wood" the right has never been a problem and I haven't had any pain. I also have some in my spine, that doesn't cause "real pain" but causes my feet to go numb due to the impact on the nerves.
You can't stop it, but it is believed that there are things you can do that may help to prevent the deterioration. A number of supllements to the diet have been suggested to help. My own specialist recommended Avocado Soybean Unsaponifiables. He says there is some clinical evidence to suggest they help. Do they - no idea. Maybe things would have got worse quicker if I hadn't taken them, maybe not. Who knows?