Most of us feel that we are “doing well”. It’s so hard, in isolation, to judge isn’t it?
There is a common theme. We feel we are doing well, we all seem to have odd niggles that we can’t explain( and I’m sure we all google to find the answers).
After my first op in February I kept a diary having read a really interesting blog/ diary of a hip replacement on the saga website. I subsequently noticed that one of the links on this site recommends doing so too.
Looking back at the last op has been extraordinarily helpful for me personally, especially on those “I’m wondering why I did this” days.
What does everyone else think?
I have never wondered why I did this. My pain is gone… that excruciating horrible pain that interfered with my life is gone! Sure there are a few little glitches… but a fair trade for being able to live my life again 
I have a journal and a folder relating to my THR. It is not a good story. Revelatory about the lack of follow up by the orthopedic surgeon when it came to the results of the THR. All he was concerned about was the placement of the prosthesis. The fact that I can no longer walk without a cane or pain is not important to him. His response to my query about why I am now so handicapped was to ask if I could stand on one foot. Before the surgery which led to a fractured femur and subsequent revision surgery ( a three hour, 3 pints of replacement blood surgery) less than two weeks after the first surgery … I didn’t need a cane nor was pain the intensity that I am now experiencing an issue.
This is from one of the “premier” otho docs in the area.
I am basically on my own to find answers, which is costing me thousands of dollars not to mention a complete alteration of my lifestyle.
Now, I know that surgery has its risks, but the doctor disavows by his inaction and dismissive behavior any responsibility for after care related to the surgery. As long as x-rays note that the prosthesis is where it should be, anything else is irrelevant. He is basically a one tric pony.
hi I’m a retired nurse from the UK and had my RTHR in may this year( posterior approach) . I’ve kept a daily diary since my OP and before to some extent - detailing meds / what I could do etc. it’s been very useful to create a timeline of my recovery and also see how initially I was seeing improvements within days and that happened daily and how even now something changes that I can now see as an I.provement. I’ve found it’s been a great help to my wellbeing as without me recording these things I’d only guess what happened + when . but I’m naturally a note taker so it’s not a problem.
the trouble is with comparing ourselves to others is that were all different × have different ops + reason why we had OP is different etc. the hospital booklet which is quite large and extensive sets no time limits for anything - really acknowledging our differences. plus as part of my consent for OP they didn’t guarantee any major changes but I’m glad yo say I’ve got them. can now easily mobilise and just some muscle soreness at times. but I know it takes a good year to make most improvement.
anyway best wishes
His hospital and his name please so that others have the ability to avoid if they wish would be appreciated. Hope things improve for you. Can you also tell us the approach he used for your surgery please. Cheers Richard
i was, i suppose really advocating keeping a diary/ journal . Hoping to see if others have done the same and how they felt about it. As you say it helps to make one see, maybe when one is feeling low, that a bad day can be followed by a brilliant one. We can never compare our progress to others
Best…
Hi,
It’s funny you should ask this question, as I was speaking to a friend only yesterday about my recovery, as she was asking if I was where I ought to be. I am five weeks post RTHP and had the side approach. I am 39 years old, so relatively young and as such I think I was under the misguided impression that I would recover quicker for some reason. I am walking with one crutch and can walk short distances inside unaided, but with a slight limp. I said to my friend that unfortunately the recovery process doesn’t conveniently work with clearly defined timeframes for when certain milestones should be met. Believe me, as a Project Manager I have found this to be the most challenging part of my recovery! Having said that, I have taken comfort from the posts on here saying that everybody is different and recovers at their own pace. I was first diagnosed with Osteoarthritis over ten years ago and was told then that I would need to have a total hip replacement before I was forty, so this has been on the horizon for a long time. I went ahead with the operation because I was tired of the pain, it was impacting the quality of my life significantly. I’ve always been an active and sporty person and had to give up most of the sports I enjoyed playing. I was no longer prepared to tolerate the pain and the debilitating impact it was having on my life. The other day I was in bed and realised the constant knawing pain was no longer there and that was such a relief. I have what I think is probably healing pain and get the odd twitch now and again, but I stopped all pain medication after a couple of weeks following the operation. I appreciate I still have quite some way to go before I am fully recovered, but I am hopeful that in time, if I continue with my exercises and follow the medical advice I am given, I should make a full recovery and be able to get on with the rest of my life pain free for the next 15 to 20 years, possibly longer. I couldn’t be more grateful for the excellent care I have received through our wonderful NHS. It’s certainly something I don’t take for granted.
Best wishes to all.
Claire
Totally agree. Yes, there are down days, but there are days when even the smallest improvement either in flexibility or muscle strength lift you up. It really is a rollercoaster! I have kept notes on my progress just so I have a point of reference to reflect back on further down the line. I find it definitely helps to be able to see what progress has been made.
Hi!
I myself am so happy that I had the thr operation when I did as I was getting more and more disabled and my life seemed to be on hold for the best part of 6 months before surgery.
It is a shame that here in Wales we have an ever growing waiting list for hip/knee replacement surgery, so much so that in the end I was offered a place in England for the op to which i jumped at the offer.
My life has changed for the better tenfold since having the op a year ago. I can walk for miles with my beloved dog, and have even taken a part time job which involved a fair amount of walking and being on my feet all day. (I am 61 by the way!)
The cold weather does make my joints feel stiff and yes, I do have twinges and aches occasionally, and seize up after watching telly for an evening but on balance, I would say I have no regrets at all.
Hope this message helps anyone who has doubts whether to go ahead or not with surgery.
(I cannot offer advice regarding knee ops though which I am told are a little more complicated to perform,but Hey, most of the patients I’ve met who have had them are doing great!!) 
Regards
Pat xx
Damaris
Like Carol I never once thought why did I do it as the benefits far outweigh any bad to me anyway. To be honest I was going to keep a blog on here but my fast recovery and returning to running was not well received at all . If you are doing really well you get lambasted and saying you are bragging so mostly what you hear are bad experiences and not all the good . Remember there are 90k THR done every year in the uk . They cant all be bad look on the bright side.
Thanks Keith
My progress (I am only 10 days in on my 2nd hip) has been quick but like everyone not every day is great!
i was hoping that people would put up optimistic and positive experiences as i feel that these forums too often focus on what has gone wrong and not on the good side. Thankfully that seems to have been the outcome . I hoped that people would be able to see that the positive outcomes mainly outweigh the negatives. Of course people come here to look for answers to questions /problems but that they could see that others have has issues but the outcome has been good.
In actual fact, I had problems with my 1st hip when i sustained a spontaneous stress fracture of my greater trochanter - possibly as a result of too much exercise but then who knows.
I echo that. We are fabulously lucky to have the NHS
I feel 1000 % better i just had my surgery 4 weeks ago now my first 2 weeks i was in pain and sometimes i questioned it because i need another thr but i cant wait to get it done. I am not completely healed but i am happy i got it done. Its hard but I feel so good now.
6 months after tlhr and 4 years post trhr I feel blessed to have had 2 great outcomes. While both went very well, experience each time was different. Remembering past progress and timescale has been helpful and reading about other experiences has been both heartening and informative. Some stories are negative and statistically unfortunately a small % of ops ‘fail’. That must be difficult to deal with. Others seemed to make miraculous progress almost immediately (good luck to them!) - my own recovery steady but took time. Everyone is different… There seems a reasonable consensus that working with experienced surgeons, respecting mind and body, keep moving and look for help when needed are good tips for best outcome. Thankfully I can hardly remember past pain nor am I conscious of my 2 implants. Seasonal Greetings and Good Health to all.
Sounds like you’re doing all the right things. Keep it up and you should be able to look forward to continuing and incremental progress (6 months after tlhr I am still noticing improvement with stamina and flexibility in particular)
That is fabulous . I am on my second within a year, can you imagine, some people have both done at the same time!
I am so glad that people have posted positive stories like yours
Best wishes,
What a great post, it’s lovely to see so many positive stories
Best wishes…
Another great and positive post. It’s a shame that you had a long wait but worth it in the end
Best wishes
Oh my goodness it sounds as if you haven’t had a good experience. I am so sorry. I see you refer to dollars so guess that you are not in the UK. We are hugely fortunate here to have the NHS which means that we don’t have to pay for our operations nor any aftercare. We can press the surgeons/hospital to continue to investigate without fear of cost.
I hope you find some solution to your ongoing problems
Best wishes
yea it is a rollercoaster ride but it is well worth it