Most of you won't remember me. So many new names here.
Quick résumé: 2007 LTHR. Disaster. Left in dreadful pain and nerve damage. 2 years of myriad tests showed nothing. 2009 eventually suspected heavy metal contamination so revision. Didn't work.
Left to get on as best I could with morphine and other meds. Had to retire.
October 2014: obvious I needed LTHR. Had lost all confidence in original surgeon so sought alternative opinion. Felt immediate rapport with new guy. Op went ahead and was an absolute breeze. Apart from developing blood clot on lung. At checkup, however, he took me back through all old xrays of right hip and showed me that the head of the device had become detached and was free floating up through my pelvis. Bit of a shock.
He was convinced he could fix it, despite the three-fold risk factors. Didn't really have an option anyway.
So. Had op 2 weeks ago. (He said he was able to just put hand in and lift the head out, complete with its 7 screws.). Some complications (muscle on side of bum is 'dead'; not attached to any bone) and altogether quite a bit more painful but really feeling very optimistic. Am more flexible than I expected; exercises going great; sleeping well and generally being good to myself.
Told I'll always have a limp because of the muscle damage, but, hey, if I can get through with less pain, that's good enough for me.
Elaine - that is great news and I am delighted that you have progress. You have been so supportive to the posters on this forum in the past - its great to see you getting the help you have needed. Big hugs
Boy have you been through it. I thought I was having a bad time the last few days. I am so glad everything has worked out for you even with a few issues. I hope you feel better soon. I too am in the UK and just had my left hip done 6 weeks ago today. I have had a rollecoaster ride. But I hope things will be better when I have my right hip done in September because I will be more aware.
Elaine - not really. Left hip due for THR within 4 weeks then consultant will replace the head on the right hip he did as 3 opinions now agree that it is too long and that is why I am in so much pain. Too long only by a few mm that he wanted to make sure I would not dislocate - but its left me tight and sore for 17 months. Diagnosis is the first step to recovery - so hopefully onward and upward for both of us! x
Hi Edarling, Glad you doing good keep up the good recovery I myself This month had to go back to surgery May 15 to have deep implant removal and bone graft. Im feeling much better and my left hip seems alot stronger . I too have sciatic nerve damage my new doctor had neurolist monitoring my nerves on this surgery so i would'nt get more nerve damage . Go see doctor june 4 everything seems good so far sleeping is getting much better too . keep us posted on how your doing
That sounds great news.....good to hear from yo again. I havent posted very often rcently either
Things seem tobe going well for you now.....as youknow I will always have a limp. Still havent got thepain under contol yet.....th latest i morphine just the loest dose, 2 a day {12 hours}
Yes - the dreaded morphine, indeed. They tried to send me out with the codeine and Nefopan I went in with, but I was v assertive and demanded something stronger, temporarily, so they relented and gave me Orimorph. I've decreased dosage gradually, so will be out of it on Friday and see how I go.
You might remember that I came off the patches cold turkey a few years ago. Hate the stuff. Messes with my brain.
Yes. We definitely will do MC x
Oh and self administered anti-coagulant injections are fun!
I am so happy to hear of this surgery success despite all odds! I remember you and yes there are a lot of new names on here, and perhaps that is because of the excellent reputation this site has developed with its wonderful caring people.
Life changes so dramatically when excruciating pain is lifted doesn't it? I cannot be happier for you!
Thanks so much, Jennifer. I do realise, of course, that the majority of procedures are far more straightforward than mine. And I certainly don't wish to scaremonger. But I have come to realise over my years on here that quite a few people experience difficulties and I firmly believe that these should be acknowledged, so that consolation and advice can be shared, where appropriate. It's a great forum. I've taken great comfort from it and learned a lot.
Elaine, if I could not have come on here to tell my awful THR story and ask for help about it, I would have totally given up on living. And I can still remember when the monitor Alan spoke up saying, (not verbatim but in context), that this site is primarily for those who struggle with things gone wrong, after someone put those of us with bad problems down for sharing them.
The beauty in this site is you can receive positive advice and empathy from those who are at all levels of suffering.
So v v true, Dawn. All we can do, it seems, is to stress that some problems are going to happen, but remind 'newbies' that they're by no means inevitable.
EDB wow you've been through yet another harrowing journey. Sleep is so important so that's a good start. What have you been advised re butt muscle. I find that if that's weak, then merely standing is tiring. There are lots of videos online for strengthening those glute muscles and the ones underlying, but found it's been a v slow process. Esp in yr and my cases where the implants are not custom made for us tiny women but our frames must accommodate unwieldy components. Anyway it sounds as if things are more positive for you now.... Thinking back to your clot etc and all those loose bits of metal migrating around your skeleton, you gave been through purgatory poor thing. Onwards and upwards. Take it easy .... Elaine and May your progress increase exponentially.. S
E I just read this post.... Yes, when the leg is rotated out wards after years of turning in, imagine the pull on the adjoining tissues. Mine was as yours and the agony in the groin where it's probably cut and resewn causes restrictions of its own. After 18 months I can't lift that leg from horizontal, which has a knock on effect for butt muscles. I guess we were so immobile in the early days we had a handicap (ha ha excuse pun).. Maybe we have to accept limitations a all things considered. You must feel elated (elevated) with the extra 4cm. Great news. S
x