Hi I'm about to have a hip replacement 15th Jan 2018. I'm 56 and scared stiff and feel emotionally unprepared for it. I was diagnosed about 10 years ago and until a few months ago managed with steroid injections. Sadly they are not as effective anymore so consequently the op was offered very quickly and I've only had about a month to get my head around it and it still isn't!
My dilemma is sometimes I'm in pain, I tend to suffer with spasms in my thigh when at rest and think I need it! The next day I could be not so bad . My family say I've just got used to it and I don't realise how it has affected my life?
Guess I'm worried about my mobility after it has healed as at the moment mobility isnt too bad apart from the spasms and I do have limited range of movement in my leg . I dance now as a hobby when I'm upto it and anxious i won't be able to dance again. Quite frankly everything worries me, even down to sitting correctly and laying flat on my back sleeping !
Hi Heather,
I think you’ll be glad you had the operation!
Steve
Hi,
I do hope so! Just wish I had had enough time to get all my questions answered. However I should be grateful I've been given the opportunity of the replacement so quickly
Dear Heather
Most people are frightened at the thought of it but really it is fine! I had my first one at 56 and after twenty years due to the poly cup wearing out it had to be revised and that at sixty-five was fine too. If you are reasonably fit and positive you should make a good and quick recovery. I was leading a normal life in weeks and had forgotten about it in a couple of months.
I was doing ladder work building and roofing and hill sheep farming and lifting and carrying very heavy weights within a short time. Just make sure that your surgeon has a good record of this surgery and I would suggest it would be best to have the posterior approach for several reasons quite apart from the fact that both my surgeries were done this way!
Once you have had it done you will wonder what your concern was all about.....really. Just make sure that you have someone at home to help you over the first few days, a seat raiser for the toilet, a sock aid to help you put socks etc on, a grabber, reasonable height seating and plenty to watch or read for the first ten days or so. Others will chip in with other ideas.
Good luck.
Richard
Hi Heather
Don't be scared stiff, i'm 58 and had mine done lat February, best thing i've ever done. I have my life back.
You will have a couple of weeks where its difficult but as long as you do the exercises and push yourself to walk you'll be pain free in no time.
Good Luck and son't be scared,
Brian
Thanks Richard,
It's a surgeon on the NHS but he seems to know his stuff? No Idea at the moment what approach he is going to do? I've read for dancers they often do the other approach and I've emailed the surgeons team to find out what they are doing. Ordered all the aids so hopefully be arriving soon. If you're right, and I'm
Sure you are , I will probably be back on here confirming that! What about this correct height and angled seating? Hips need to be higher than the knees? I presume placing a cushion under the bottom would do the trick?
Thankyou Brian for the encouragement it's very appreciated
Heather,
The vast majority of us are scared about having hip surgery, but it is a very successful operation.
For tips about how to prepare and get through the recovery see my website. It has loads of tips from hippies on this forum.
The address is in my personal info here ...
http://patient.info/forums/profiles/rocketman-sg6uk-907025
and at the bottom of the moderator's "useful resources" page at
http://patient.info/forums/discuss/thr-useful-resources-487147
Best wishes
Graham - 🚀💃 🤸 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Hi heather I was terrified when I had my first replacement but the morning after I could not believe how good it felt not having that terrible pain I had a little discomfort but nothing compared to what I had prior I had my second in June 2017 and I am now well on the road to recovery
Dear Heather
The usual alternative to the posterior approve is the anterior one but there have been a much higher incidence of nerve problems as a result which is to my mind a good enough reason to give this approach a mis.
As regards to the seat height sorry but I cannot remember the recommended height but soft lounge type of seating is not the best as you tend to sink and it is difficult to get out of safely. I'm sure someone will come up with information.
Cheers Richard
Hi Graham
I will take a look. Thankyou
Thanks Jean,
It's encouraging to hear positive thoughts on the op !
Just go for it Heather, you won’t regret it. I’m 74, just approaching first anniversary of the op. I can walk for miles, dance and play with 5 grandchildren and have been digging on my allotment for a few months now. Life is great, I’m a new woman and yes I was a little apprehensive to undergo thr but it was totally worth it. Just keep positive and focussed on the end result and you’ll be fine. Best wishes and keep believing and you’ll be able to achieve anything you wish xx
Hi Heather,
I'm 52 and had a posterior replacement last September. Although I was more than physically ready for it, as I was in constant pain, I had had several months to come to terms with the emotional side of things while I was waiting. I don't think time made any difference and I was extremely scared and worried for all of the thing I might lose. I knew, however, that things would never be better by themselves, so had to trust I was doing the right thing. In the event it was the right thing and I have done very well. You won't be quite the same as before, but you learn new ways. My daughter put it in perspective today, when she commented that it doesn't matter that I'm struggling with my shoes because I am out of pain and 100% happier. I hadn't realised the strain and worry my family were suffering seeing me unhappy and in pain every day, and our social life had slowly ground to a halt. You will be able to resume most of the things in life that you enjoy, even if you won't exactly be to the standard of a 'Strictly' dancer. In terms of the difficulties after surgery - you will get through them. The plus side is, once you have you will have the Hippies badge of courage!! 
Hi Heather,, don’t be scared to have the surgery,, I had injections in my hip and suffered for two years with pain, I finally 2 years ago did the surgery,and although inconvenient the recovery time was, I don’t regret it, I got back to life and back to same activities as before,I forget my left leg ever has a prosthetic hip,but now I had problems with my right hip and knew eventually I would because of X-rays showed it would not be long, well the only thing is for no reason known, I was almost back to good after only 2 weeks, I’m an active 48 year old so that I’m sure helps recovery time,, well I developed a staph infection in myright hip after the THR, had a revision surgery, still had infection so had third surgery to have a spacer put in and awaiting a fourth surgery to have my final hip put in and have a picc line giving myself IV antibiotics every 8 hours till January 19th ,, it’s been almost 8 weeks, it’s been a test of my faith,,hopefully I will get a surgery date soon,, I am actually excited about it because I know after this surgery, the infection is gone and after I heal I can get back to life as usual,, if I would have known I would have gone through all this I probably wouldn’t have done the RTHR but my left side went so well who could have guessed
what I’m getting at is if all goes as planed you are going to feel great once you recover and won’t regret it,, there is risk although it isn’t very often, I was one of the unlucky ones the second time with my right side
But even still thank God, my surgeon acted quickly soon as infection was apparent and through it in the end I will be ok
good luck with your surgery🙏🏼
Hi Heather
I have my TLHR on the 29th March and everything you have said mirrors my concerns. I also have been very active and have good and bad days.
But like you have no flexibility in my bad leg. You are not alone thinking of the issues with sleeping on your back etc. I did ask my surgeon what procedure he would use but forgot the word he used but he did say he goes in from the side and that he would give me a young man's hip whatever that means lol.
Best of luck on your op and let me know how you get on.
Regards
Phil
I think it’s normal to be scared before the op heather. I know I was and some of the things I read from people who had problems were quite daunting. My hip had collapsed in one area where I had some cysts so I had some movement that felt normal but suddenly my hip would lock with grinding bone on bone. I couldn’t walk very far and as I used to lead a walking group that was an issue. I managed to exercise pre op doing very modified Pilates, yoga, gym and aqua. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to do Pilates after the op but couldn’t have been more wrong. Being fit pre op really helps. I was doing a Physio circuit class 2 weeks post op, driving again at 5 weeks (would have been 4 but wanted it in writing from the surgeon so had a delay). Back to gym doing treadmill, cycling, weights and pool exercises at 5 weeks. Started clinical Pilates at 6 weeks at the hospital and back to my usual Pilates class at 11 weeks. It has significantly improved my life and was a much better experience than I had feared. All the best for your op.
Regards
ann
You can use a cushion to raise the seat, but then the arms are low and you may find it difficult to get up without using arms. I even built a raiser for my recliner which was a real godsend. Also look at my website for my wife's idea of using an office chair so I could join the family for meals.
And expect poor sleeping for a while, I used my iPod with soothing music to help there.
Graham
Hi Heather,
I am 8 weeks out today from my Right hip replacement. I am a newish Jazzercise instructor and was so worried I wouldn’t dance again! My surgeon told me before my surgery that I absolutely would Dance.
Today I am going to take a class, see how it goes and plan is to try to start teaching in a month.
Good Luck! You will feel so much better!
I am 59 and had my first THR in September. My next one is on January 15. Frankly, you will be out of hip pain after but you will exchange it for leg muscle pain post op. Sleeping on your back the whole time is terrible but my nurses rolled me onto my other hip with pillows between my legs and pillows behind me for support. A recliner is really the best because feet are up, letting fluids drain and takes some pressure off your back. Get or rent a recliner, it will be very handy. Good luck!