For all you out there waiting for ops or just had them:
I had my right THR on 22 July, Anterior approach, I am 64 and had it done due to Arthritis, and like most of us was very very scared.
Was in hospital for 3 days and in Rehap for 5 weeks, thats what they do here in France.
It was one of the best things I have ever done, I booked my self a flight over to the UK and travelled pn my own, booked a car and drove over to Yorkshir (120 miles) and shopped till I droped, no stick/crutches Drove 700 miles while over here!!! No aches or pains, I was 10 weeks when I did it but feel so proud of myself, I somtimes forget I have had it done. Just now sat in the Hotel on my own, flying back home tomorrow.
Hope all goes well for all you waiting for you op, please dont worry.
So glad to here everything worked out good for you...I had mine done on July 29th and read and reread all your encouraging posts before I went in. I think we are two of the lucky ones, in that we had next to no complications and have back the life we had before the hips "went".
I'm back to work now, just doing my usual 8 hours a week, but it is great to be out and amongst people.
My only negative (and this is in my head only), in that I'm scared that I'm going to slip and fall on some crumbly or uneven sidewalk (though I've never tripped prior to surgery), but other than that I'm l00%.
We are enjoying a colourful fall here in Canada...best wishes to you!
I'm so pleased Lynne to read your posting of a sucssessful THR. May I ask where you had it done and by whom. I would go anywhere for my op to be a great susscess. I am 60 and have needed it done for a few years now but really scared it will go wrong.
Yes you lucky ones seem to have had anterior procedure. I will be going overseas if I'm unable to have my other one done with this method. Having been in this site for some months now it is clear the difference between France and the UK is just too immense. Recovery rate here is a wing and a prayer... literally.
I would say the majority of Anterior have good results, "they" say 15% or so end up with complications, I'm on of them 4 yrs post op Nerve Damage and IT band damage is still with me and then the shorter leg issue, I deal with my knee and foot/ankle due to this....working with a ligament/tendon supplement to help build up these ligaments..
Hi, do glad you are foing do well, I am the same as you affraid that I will slip and fall, and the winter here in France is snow and ice from Nove,ber to April
Looks like the anterior approach is the best approach. I didn't get that option my operation was'nt elected, I fell and fractured so I Didn't get a choice. But if I had would have had the same as you. It's 12 weeks since my THR. Am getting there but alas not as fast as you. You sound brilliant. Best wishes.
Joy was your nerve damage/IT band due to the surgery alone. I know that my inner ligament is just as I remember it when I tore it in a riding accident 25 years ago. My leg was gradually turning in, so now it's released, the ligament weakness is apparent. I have outward rotation but still weak when raising the leg. Do you know if nerve damage is incidental to both approaches? Also is IT Band damage more likely with one or other approach? The question for me is are the risks measurable with each approach? Posterior seems to have a high incidence of sciatic consequences for example. If you had the choice turning the clock back which would you have opted for.... I had terrible after care which I will ensure does not happen for my other side, so I am in limbo wondering which way to turn (oops!)...
Good to hear that you are doing so well Lynn. All the intensive rehab and hard work has paid off. I had my surgery a few days after you in UK and am still struggling a bit. Have referred myself to nhs physio and at last seeing some progress. Deep tissue massage helping with gluteal pain. Had a difficult spell as had strange reaction to Omeprazole which seems to be given routinely around here to counteract the effects of anti inflammatory meds on the stomach. Very dizzy and disorientated for a while until I discovered what was causing the problem. Became reluctant to walk too far in case I felt dizzy. Now better since stopping. Still some pain and having to walk with stick as limping without. Physio says can walk short distance indoors without but to use stick until limping stops. Not driving mainly due to dizzy feelings but going to try this week. Hope your great progress continues. Hopefully am not going to need another THR but maybe will move to the French Alps in case. :-)
Aw Hippie, so sorry to hear that, I was wondering how you were,, I think now you are getting PT things should imorove for you, they have a machine like a suction and my PT in Rehab used that at least 4 times to break up scar tissue, ask them for that. I am still going tp PT when back in France and doing 20mins on the cross trainer. My PT wouldnt let me walk without 2 sticks until I could walk with no limp. Hope the dizzy spells go I have an inner ear problem and know what its like.
We are heal at different rates and the most important thing is that we all get to our goals of being pain free.
keep up the good work and let me know how you are. x
Great to hear again from you Lynn. Your words are a real encouragement to all who read here. I was pretty sure that at that 5 week, mark you would see a rapid improvement, recovery. At 4 weeks we all seem to get a little scared that we aren't doing well enough, we read on the forumn about others who seem to almost walk out of the hospital with hardly any walking aids.
It seemed to me that after 5 weeks, every week I was doubly better than the week before. Up until 4.5 to 5 weeks my recovery seemed kind of gradual. I have come to conclude that your body simply takes time to heal and no matter what execricez or routine you follow, nothing is going to get that inside to heal that much faster. In a matter of 4 days I went from the walker, to two crutches to one crutch to no crutches. I simply forced myself to keep my back straight and never hunch over.
Because I suffed from iliopsoas tendonitis I had to let that heal without pulling on it by doing execricizes that stretch that tendon. So I hardly did any exercizes and I healed up jsut fine. THANKFULLY that iliopsoas tendonitis healed also after about 3 weeks and I have had no reoccurance.
i am age 60 had my THR (cut me square on the side, not the front, not the butt but the side) on May 1st and on July 18 took a one week vacation to Barcelona where we did not rent a car, had to stand and wait for public transportation and walked and I did jsut fine, never even took a crutch or a cane with me. Of course at night I was tired, needed to take 2 paracetamal but was just fine. My opinion is that the most need for exercize is after you have healed and are walking on your own. Then do a lot of walking.
The first 4 weeks were kind of rough, like everyone I went in and out of mild depressions, sleep was literally a B*tch until I got a Codein prescription. Codein will constipate you so I took prune juice every day and a stool softner. i took enough codein to take off my pain but I was careful not to be dependent on it. But I dind't skimp when I needed it, when I had the pain, when I needed to sleep at night I took the codein. Once you heal up more you won't need it so then is the time to cut back and then eliminate it. But while I had pain is sure took it and it helped a lot.
I still feel it a little bit. my surgery jsut a little but it is literally no big deal and my life is wonderful since my surgeryu. I am so glad I did nto wait and suffer. Waiting only deterioates your bones even more. I hated the French Hopsital whihc I was in for a week, the food was literally unedible and once I got home and my hsuband started feeding me I got a whole lot better. Take care everyone, Lynn good to hear again from you.
Thanks for that uplifting story Jodie, can you please tell me that when you say your were cut squarely on the side, not front or back, does that mean it's a posterior or anterior?