I saw my consultant yesterday and he thinks I need a hip replacement, the only problem is that he can't do it because the arthritis is so bad in my arms, shoulders and neck and I am 'not well enough' to manage after the operation, and I could not support myself on crutches etc. Therefore the operation would fail. I am shocked and heartbroken and did not expect this at all. Although having reflected on his words, I see where he is coming from, I didn't consider the crutches or my other problems. I am now being sent for infusions of biological drugs hopefully on a fast track, he will do his best, to try and get the arthristis under control so that we can go ahead with surgery. I have no idea how long this will take or whether it will even work. Apparently I also need my left hip done as well, which I thought was pain from leaning too much on one side. I feel quite devastated, having finally got my head around having to have the hip replacement in the first place thanks to all of you, and finally plucked up the courage to go, only to discover I am not strong enough to manage one. Any advice or your thoughts would be greatly appreciated, I am at my wits end.
So sorry to hear of your problem Rose . I am 60 , how old are you if you don't mind me asking ?
I can see the difficulties , although I am 15 weeks tomorrow and my hip is great the arthritis everywhere else is painful and my muscles are painful after crutches and being idle for 2 months ,It is a big op and I wish I had been told to exercise upper body before it .
good luck
mary x
i feel for you and can only offer moral support , i can see the problem re crutches etc - have you discussed his concerns with your GP? if nothing else he might be able to give you a realistic time scale.
keep positive xxx
Hi Rose.
I am so sorry to hear your news, but having had my op last week, I can see what your consultant means. During the last 12mths I have lost 4st in weight, and I have been doing upper body exercises every day in order to strengthen my arms and shoulders as much as possible. This was to prepare myself as much as possible and to give me the best chance I could with a new hip.
Rose, altho my op went great, I am so glad I did all the work beforehand. 4st heavier would have been nightmare enough, but even with that off, the strain my arms are taking at the moment is not easy to manage. I am lucky I have a strong husband who looks after both of us, and a couple of mornings I have had to call him for help to get myself out of bed in order to go to the loo. I dread to think of having the op had I been alone, or without having prepared myself as much as possible.
i am sure that your consultant will try as hard as he can to get you to a position where you can have the operations. Please try to be patient and positive, I am sure that will help. xx
I have just turned 40 years old, I have rheumatoid Arthritis and AS, so slightly at a disadvantage recovering when in this condition. It has made me so sad to be 'stuck' like this.
Thank you Sonia, well done you for losing 4 stone that is amazing. How did you do it? Lots of hard work certainly. I may go back to my physio and see if she can help me build up my upper body that is a good tip and one I am going to try. I think once the pain is under control ~ I can do more. Maybe it will even help the pain. I was worrying so much about HAVING the hip replacement, I didn't stop and think whether I would actually be able to, I assumed because older people have them all the time I would be fine. But unless can manage the crutches, he is saying it would be impossible, would you agree?
I had a friend with RA so am so sorry to hear your prob , I know how difficult she finds things . Keep your chin up there are plenty worse off . I know thats easy to say .
Good luck
mary
ps if you want to moan send me a pm
Hi Mary ~ yes there are millions of people in the world that do not even have the opportunity to have our excellent healthcare at all. I posted on here mainly to find out if anyone had had a similar problem and if they could offer me some advice or solutions. Working the upper body is a really good idea ~ I will give it a go!
In my case, yes. I am trying to be careful not to say it is impossible, But I have been on crutches for over 2yrs Rose, and After all the lifting every morning amongst other exercises, I am still finding it hard. I have osteoarthritis and it affects my neck, shoulders and wrists. Also in my Knees and my ankles, the good leg in particular. I have neuropathy, and cant feel either of my feet. At 68, I am not very mobile due to these issues, but consider myself lucky that I can cope with them. I cut down on amounts Rose and ate very sparingly. I didnt feel hungry tho, and hubby is a super cook......healthy meals, he supported me throughout. I, like you am hoping that the other hipt doesnt need replacing, but my ankle is so bad, that it is very possible I am afraid. I am not thinking about that at the moment, one step at a time.
You probably know in your heart if you think you can get yourself well enough. I hope you do, and this group will certainly help you along the way. Try to stay positive, talk to your GP and ask him to consider all the implications, and how best he can help you. Good luck, please keep in touch.xx
Sonia you are doing amazingly well, and must be so thankful to have such a supportive and loving husband, who is a good cook! Lucky devil! Mine is getting better as I can't always lift the saucepans or cut anything so he has had to get used to it.
I am commited to getting my life back, so come hell or high water I will get there. I have to! I have two young children. I am going to book an urgent appointment with my physio and start working on the things that I can do. The neck pain is horrible isn't it, but it can't feel any worse than it does now, so it is worth trying the upper body exercising and start very gently. I am also going to talk to my consultant on Monday about pain relief, as mine is woefully inadequate. I hope the ANTI TNF works!!!!!!! That will be a complete deal breaker and if I have a new hip ~ I will be as good as new.
Sonia, what I will say is stem cell therapy is the future, and we will not be having replacements for very much longer. They are already finding great results in this area, so your knees, ankles and other joints may very well be healed this way in the very near future.
Thank you so much for your message, you are such a brave and courageous person to be dealing with so much, and wishing you a speedy recovery xxx
Hey Rose, you are putting up with RA. A truly horrible disease. Yes, I am not very well informed on all the progress made in research. But if it means we will have the chance of a healthier life, I am all for it. Keep us up to date with the results of your discussions with the doctors. You obviously have everything to strive for with a young family to take care of. I know I am very fortunate in having a wonderful, caring husband. Hi is my rock, and my best friend, although he is over protective sometimes lols. He is not for hire tho, ladies lols. Take care Rose, and try not to be too despondent.xx
hi rose ... so incredibly sorry to hear this ... it is true though .. I am 8+ weeks post-op and didn't think it would be so taxing on the rest of my body to recuperate .. I was terrribly out of shape though and gained weight due to limited mobility ... I can just imagine how devastated you must feel ... especially after having made the decision for yourself to have the surgery ... have faith and God bless -
Hi Rose,
thst must have been shocking news to hear, I know the modern methods are to be honest but sometimes I think the consultants forget that the patients don't love in their world and are human at the end of the day. Seems like you are coming to terms with the facts he presented and reading your thread it sounds like they do have a plan albeit a long term plan. Try and stay focused on the immediate treatment and take it one step at a time whilst trying to improve your upper body strength. I wish you all the luck in the world. Take care x
Hi Rose could you not use a walker i have athrisus in knees and hip well all over my body i have had hips and knees replaced i use a cruch called fisher, look down at the little pic it takes a lot of your waight as they are diffrent from the other ho this helps good luck