Hi I have my THR booked for next Tuesday I have cancelled on several occasion due to severe anxiety, this is my last chance according to my OS , I have never had surgery before and scarred something will go wrong , I am walking bone on bone on crutches but wish I could be as brave as other people who have bitten the bullet to come through the other side
Kind Regards Angela
Hi Angie,
I knew my THR was on the cards for a long time and was terrified.
With regards to risks, there are risks in not having the surgery too.
For me my mobility had been reduced severley. I was becoming increasingly unfit and over Weight. This was putting me at higher risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes and countless other diseases.
I have had the op and once I have recovered I will be able to return to an active life and minimise these risks.
In my case the risks of surgery were much less than the risks of not having surgery.
Try to go ahead with the operation, you should feel so much better. I had my hip replaced 7 weeks ago. I was worried, never having had surgery before, but my surgeon and the care I received at hospital was brilliant. I'm now out of pain, and walking normally. Best of luck .
Hi Angie,
It is totally normal to be anxious - we all are as this a serious operation. BUT - honestly the operation itself is NOT hard. You can ask for Ativan to settle your nerves too. And when you wake up after the operation - NO MORE BONE ON BONE. It is wonderful.
Ask your doctor to give you something to settle your nerves and get yourself in there woman. Time to take action to reclaim your life and the operation is the first step.
Understand that this not a quick fix otherwise though. You need to do the work (physio and exercise) to recover fully. But, in my experience this was a no-Brainerd and we'll worth doing. In fact, I go for my 2nd hip in two weeks.
Be brave and go for it so you can reclaim your life.
With hugs and encouragement,
L
Angie I felt the same way! I didn't back out, I went through with it. But unfortunately for me after 3 weeks I dislocated my hip and had to have a revision. I'm now 4 weeks out, and am on strict hip precautions, no weight bearing and minimal hip movement and only 80% hip flex Its been hard and I've got 2 weeks left but I think about how I was before and realize that I was having a hard time getting around and in pain all the time. It's a journey and I've had good days & bad but being on this forum has helped me to feel ok with my emotions, with how I'm healing and to be able to ask questions and get support. Prayers to you that all will go well for you!! Hugs, 🤗🤗 LD
Hi Annie I can totally relate to your fear ...I had many sleepless nights both with pain and nervousness about the operation. I knew I had no choice I had to have the operation as I couldn't go anywhere.
I had mine right hip 29th June and it's the best think I have had done it gave me my life back.
Staff where marvelous and others having a new hip or knee where so supportive. I know nothing of the operation didn't want to. Go for it you won't regret it. Book something a holiday or a break for 12 weeks after your operation. Focus on the future with no pain and a life you can have again.
Go girl x
I was bone on bone on the left side and almost there on the right before I had my bilateral hip replacement surgery June 29th. I REGRET NOT HAVING IT SOONER because the limp on my left side affected my left knee, and now, even though my hips are wonderful, it "feels bad"--discomfort--climbing/going down stairs. HAD I DONE THE SURGERY RIGHT AWAY (not waited two years because I was scared!) MY KNEE WOULD STILL BE GREAT.
Here's my advice: ask Jesus to direct you to a really great surgeon (I'm very serious about that--it's all ultimately in His hands!), do your research online, ask people to pray for success for you, and do it. I am in the United States and found an excellent surgeon in Elgin, Illinois (about 3 hours away--we drove, because there was no one in our area skilled enough--IT WAS WORTH IT because I hear about people who suffer long after they should be well, probably because of a poorer surgeon) who is very experienced in the anterior method and I was walking without medication at 5 weeks afterward (but it still hurt; each week gets better if the surgery went well--I tried no meds at 3 weeks and it was awful!--at 6 you feel better than at 5, at 7 than at 6, etc.). Now I am twelve weeks post, and I rarely even think about my hips at all anymore. Except I can lift my left leg up to shave or dry off in the shower, which I couldn't before, and every so often I remember when I'm walking out of the store or somewhere that, hey, my left hip (especially) doesn't hurt anymore! (Neither does, but the left one bothered me more than the right before surgery.) My opinion would be take the meds they give you--I used the hydrocodone, first the 10, then the 5 at home until about 3 weeks then stopped because I was afraid I'd fall going to the bathroom at night--because it can cause your blood pressure to drop, and you definitely don't want to fall--then the doctor said I could try meloxicam 15 mg and I used that for two weeks until week 5, after which I just take one ibuprofen at night to sleep better for my arthritis in general (I'm going to have to rotate that with acetomenophen).
Angie, I've cancelled THR before as well, due to anxiety and to not being sure it was 100% necessary at the time (two and a half years ago). I'm now rescheduled for October 20th. I'm again very anxious, but my pain and loss of function have increased over the interval, and I know that the surgery is probably inevitable. From what I've heard, the surgical outcome is the same, delay or no delay, but the recovery can be harder if you go into the surgery more debilitated. There's another very good site for people having joint replacement, BTW; it's BoneSmart. (In case you're not aware of it.)
Linda, how did your dislocation come about?
For reference--I was 53, about 155 pounds (5'8" approximately) and other than my general somewhat still milder arthritis, in good health.
Most people fear an operation, totally normal.
Most of us who come onto any forum have some sort of problem, you hardly ever hear from the huge number of successful hip replacements.
I'm sure you'll be fine, and look forward to hearing from you 'on the hippy side'.
Best wishes
Graham - 🚀💃
Alison I'm still puzzled how I dislocated and when. I do remember twisting to open a drawer get a shirt out & close it when I felt something on the operated buttock. It hurt when walking on it for a couple of days but it went away and my pt didn't think much of it since pain went away and I was still trying to walk and doing the exercises. But leg became shorter and certain exercises where getting harder to do. That should of prompted me to get seen sooner. But I was relying on my pt who didn't think anything was wrong. 😞 LD
Also, try to either stay in the hospital or rehab care if you can, or have someone take care of you for at least a week or two. In the beginning, when they first try to get you out of bed so you won't get a blood clot it feels like your torso has two wooden appendages attached to it--I needed a nurse to lift my legs into bed for about a week. That's normal. At 3 weeks I didn't believe my surgeon when he told me both sides would eventually be okay, but he was right. Be patient. Realize this is a serious surgery, and expect some pain. But also don't be timid about asking for medication when needed. Be diligent and do your research (see how many such surgeries the surgeon does, how quickly and how fully his patients recover, etc.), and after that, hope in help that goes beyond what we can control. Psalm 37:5 says, "Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust Him, and He will help you." It's not a guarantee of surgical success, but it is true in life!
Are you in UK or US? I feel fortunate there is something that can be done. I honestly felt like an invalid. I am 3 weeks post op. Walking with a cane but no pain. A little discomfort that a little Tylenol helps with but already so much better than before. I am looking forward to life now. Make sure you research your doc. I couldn't get my THR fast enough. Good luck.
Alison I'm still puzzled how I dislocated and when. I do remember twisting to open a drawer get a shirt out & close it when I felt something on the operated buttock. It hurt when walking on it for a couple of days but it went away and my pt didn't think much of it since pain went away and I was still trying to walk and doing the exercises. But leg became shorter and certain exercises where getting harder to do. That should of prompted me to get seen sooner. But I was relying on my pt who didn't think anything was wrong. 😞 LD
Aww bless you and thank you for your honest encouraging words of advice , you are an inspiration and I have to do this or I resign myself to a pill popping life of disability, it's also the little things like not being able to look after my grandkids or hold my partners hand .
Thanks once again and all the best for your 2nd T H R
Great Angie.... and touch wood apart from the normal post op recovery at 10 weeks I feel GREAT !!!!! 🍾
Hi Julie , I can't thank you enough for your words of encouragement you're s very brave lady and I guess it's a case of bite the bullet n get on with a much better quality of life , what a reward !
It's the time leading up to it like waiting for dooms day , I'm a nervous wreck but I will go back to your message every time I'm feeling negative for reassurance , thank you
and God bless you honey 😇
Good Luck Angie, You have got this! While no one likes surgery I do think some get more anxious about it. It may be a good idea to get a medication for anxiety you can start taking now. I think a lot of us have gone that route. While it is a major surgery know that a month post op you will have a new out look. Wishing you all the best, you will do well, I am sure of it!
I think for me each day I got closer I was more nervous and then I decided to pray on it and give it to God. I felt better, truly I kept saying "this too shall pass, I will be better after surgery". Wishing you the very best of luck. Annette xox
Angie I was SCARED TO DEATH!!! When my surgeon told me they would use an epidural and sedation I was more worried about that than the actual surgery.
The last thing I remember was saying good-bye to my family then waking up in the recovery room and them telling me to wiggle my toes.
It can be a long recovery but it is so worth it!
I am 15 months out and planning to have my other hip done iin the spring!
Good luck to you!
I am sorry to hear how you feel. You are not alone in your feelings.
The bone on bone pain I had before my hip replacement, was so much worse than anything since the replacement. Previously I was on large doses of pain medication and various others to counter the side effects they caused. Even then I was still in constant pain, not really able to work and the worse part missing out on a lot of things with my family. I have three children (2, 6 & 9) and I haven't been able to play with them anywhere near as much as usual.
I had my hip replacement four weeks ago this Saturday. In all honesty I wish it had been completed much sooner. Yes, I have had days where I have felt down and for the first couple of weeks sleep was difficult. But it is a massive improvement.
Within a couple of days of my op, I was down to just Paracetamol for pain control. I was up on crutches the morning after the OP and in only two weeks I was able to get around on just one crutch. By three weeks I could get around without any extra support.
I really do understand your fear. Before my operation, I had only been in hospital once and that was when I initially broke my hip in April. I don't really remember much of the lead up to that operation, as I was on gas and air from less than half an hour after breaking my hip and between then and the attempted reapir I was only off painkillers for a few minutes to consent to the operation.
The lead up to my hip operation was a different matter. I had a lot of time to think about it and scare myself with things I read. But all the fear was just because I couldn't imagine it being OK, all I could think about were the potential problems. The reality was so different.
THe improvement to my life has been huge. I am already back to work, I have started doing some cooking again. I even managed to pick my daughter up from school this afternoon, walking to and from her school for the first time since April.
There are always risks to any operation, but focus on the benefits to you and your life. This is a chance for you to regain something you have lost and improve your life.