Advice for troubled soul

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Hi, I'm a 50 year old male and diagnosed with oosteoarthritis 3 years ago,

Was told last year I need my left hip replaced and my right is about 3 years behind in terms of needing replacing too.

I put off the surgery as im active and pain doesnt seem to be as bad as people have had on here

I walk, got to gym, work and have a healthy sex life , all things that Iifear will be massively impacted on post op.

I feel like i, ll be more immobile having op than not though i know long term it will have to be done

I take ibuprofen when hip giving me pain with a bit of paracetamol and nothing else and these only when I feel necessary

Concerns are about recovery time to get back to doing all the things I enjoy doing now and should ihold off as long as poss the op?

2

Hi

I would say that you are only 50 so hold off a bit longer.....you dont seem to be in much pain.  When you find that it is getting very painful then go for it...talk to your consultant about it....If you keep on after a certain time having a wonky leg could affect other parts eg the other leg or your back would be the most common.

Can you talk to your consultant and see what he says.....he'll not want to rush you into something you dont need yet.

After the hip replacement you will have 6 weeks of restrictions...eg......on your back at night, not bending more than 90 degrees no twisting, but this is only for 6 weeks.....it does pass over.wink

Most people have great results and can do all things again.......the advice I would give at the minute is dont do any high impact exercise.....exercise is important but low impact.  Walk rather than go for runs, swim yes but after the THR be careful of the breaststroke......I was told never to do that one again because of the leg movement.

Your physio {which you should have especially coming up to the op} will advice you what you should and shouldnt do. Almost everything is doable....sometimes with a slight change cheesygrin

Good Luck

Lwet us know what happens

Love

 Eileen    UK

3

Hi Chumley I am facing it right now, I am 54 and been in pain nw for three years and a little misdiagnosis as I really thought I was getting better last Nov, but an Xray has given up the real truth, my hips are both finished, and I am, as I have already said in one post shuffeling along like old father time, and ticking like a grandfather clock so the opperation cant come quickly enough for me right now, I will be on here throughout the expierience so you can get your head round it watching and reading what I post here. I am seeing a Specialist on 23 feb but trying to bring it forward if possible as I hate being crippled like I am and on at least 2 Naproxin 500mg daily to get about, looking forward to hearing from you soon. Kind regards Ian.

4

Hi Chumley.

I agree it's a difficult decision. I was very active like you and played loads of badminton. I'm 58 and in full time employment. I think you will know when the time is right to have the operation done. In the end I actually couldn't move on the Badminton court and on many occasion struggled to drive my car home at the end of a days work. Just before I went into hospital which was three weeks ago everything felt fine as I had rested over Xmas and not been working. I did begin to question what I was doing. So far walking without aid and off all pain relief from two weeks. It is a bind not being able to drive or do all the other stuff but patience is required and most of time I'm very tired too as my body is healing. I'm having problems with a longer leg which happens more in women so I'll have to wait and see how that settles down. Without that I'd be great. Advice from Eileen is good. Maybe its a little too soon for you, but I certainly think that recovery is much quicker when you are younger and fit.

Chris

5

Hi, totally agree with Christine. I'm 52 and had my right THR 2 weeks ago. My thoughts were why should I be in pain and restricted in what I can do  at 52? My surgeon agreed. You recover quicker when you're younger and while I'm healthy I still want to enjoy myself. You expect aches and pains when you're 70+. So even though it's early days and still in a bit of pain I'd say go for it! 

6

Have you had an x-ray of your hip?  If you haven't, then ask your doctor if you can have one and then you will be able to see exactly what damage has been done to your hip.  I did and could see straight away that I had no cartilage at all in my right hip and the pain was caused by bone rubbing on bone.  What Eileen says is good advice.

7

Hi all,  Just found this site and great to hear of others  asking the same questions you ask yourself.  I am 43 and have had hip pain for years, and after arthroscopy, steriods into the joint and need for constant pain relief am now on list for THR.  I am really active person, with horse at home and ride professionally which is impossible without pain relief and now having to drastically reduce time in saddle, with hobbies of skiing, walking and did run (up to half marathon).  Much as I am in constant pain I am terrified that I will not be able to return to my active life post op.  Much as deep down I know I must do something now still in turmoil about the future as will affect not only me but family and work.  I think I would not have been referred if I had not been insistant about how much pain I was in as for Drs they dismissed me as being far too young for arthritis.  Keep posting positive information for those needing encouragement to go ahead with life changing decisions!

8

Hi Welcome Helen

There is no such thing as being too young for arthritis.....so many doctors say this......they may think you are too young for a replacement but even toddlers can have arthritis......There are 200 kinds of arthritis!!!!!! Sorry

I'll get off my soap boxcheesygrin I'm a volunteer for arthritis care and it makes me mad when GPs talk about wear and tear {Osteo arthritis} especially when toddlers can get it.

Hope you enjoy the forum and get a lot out of it. {I've had 2 THR's}

Love

Eileen   UK

9

Hi Chum.

As you probably know there is as yet no cure for arthritis..

On the plus side unlike many OA sufferers your in the lucky situation of being able to lead an active life,

Your also lucky that if you decide to have a THR you can plan when the time is right.

Personally I would wait until the pain starts affecting your everyday life,bearing in mind most replacement joints have a life of approx 20yrs,so obviously the longer you wait the less chance of needing a future revision.

My arthritic hip started in my forties and I managed to put off replacement until last year aged 65.

Unfortunately one hip replacement is often quickly followed by the other one and I go under the knife next week..eek!

10

Thanks all

I have had an x-ray in July last year and one side of my left hip has no cartridge visible. The consultant said he'd replaced hips in better condition than mine but it was up to me and he'd see me in a year unless things get worse.

Good luck and good health to those due an operation or rehabilitating

11

Having seen your reply about the x-ray which shows you have no cartilage in your hip joint, then I would say go for the op.  I was the same and held off as long as possible taking ibuprofen and paracetamol which worked for a time, but the pain began to get so bad and affected my thigh and knee as well.  After the op I have no pain at all, so I would recommend that you go for it now before it gets much worse.  Post op, you will be able to walk and after a while you will be able to go back to the gym and we were told at the 6 week check up that sexual activity could be restored, its just a matter of finding a comfortable position.  As with any activity, take the physio's advice and take it easy at first.  You are only 50 and these days that is still young, so recovery will be that much quicker.

12

Hi Chumley

I just read your post and I am exactly the same as you!

Same age, same sex, diagnosed 3 years ago.

I can also walk, gym, work, sex, without too much trouble.

I sometimes get a lot of pain but its often short lived and wears off quickly if I change position.

In the last year though my life has really started to be impacted by the reduction in mobility.

I ride a motorbike and that is becoming very painful and very difficult to even lift my feet onto the pegs.

And generally the whole area is notably stiffer.

I've had another xray and it shows hardly any cartlidge in both hips.

I've decided to go ahead and have them done, the first one at the end of February.

I am still struggling to come to terms with the decision, on one hand I'm walking around as if nothings wrong, but I know that I will have to have it done sometime in the future, so why not now while I'm otherwise fit and hopefully will recover quicker.

The surgeon said the reason for the lack of constant pain is because my movements have adapted and I don't move them into positions that would hurt (eg I take much shorter steps than I used to). If I over stretch in any direction they certainly hurt a lot.

Anyway I'm going to go for it, but I am cacking myself!!

I'll let you know how it goes

13

At least You guys can compare notes now .

When I had my left done last year my surgeon knew the other hip would need doing at some time,but advised against bilateral,maybe cos I'm 65 ?

Surgeon also said he has seen younger patients with the hip cartilage gone who like you have manage to lead a fairly normal life,but that it wasn't common.

12 months on and under the knife on Frday..Right now I'm really wishing I could have had them done together..The waiting feels like a dark cloud hanging over me..but once it's done hopefully I'll be back to normal.

All the best for a good outcome to you both.