Has anyone gone down the road of filing for disability and receiving SS benefits, had the HR, and now back in the work force?

There is a lot of chat online about how we feel pre-op, and the pain cycle we OA'ers have to go through. i.e. activity/down for a few days/get back up do it again/down a few days/ don't do it this time cause it's going to hurt/screw it/ activity/ down again.

It's a constant cycle it seems. A cycle of pain and mental gymnastics to keep the pain from winning.

We say disabled, but do we meet the criteria for SS benefits? I feel that most of us just gut through it daily. Are we disabled?

When it hurts to walk, sit, stand, lay down, not to mention any pounding on the joint, does this not meet the criteria for disability benefits?

With OA, I believe we choose to not be disabled. We ignore the pain, get through the down times, and try to get the most out of our days. So, some days are better than others. Some days, don't even want to get out of bed.

Then....post op. Are we normal?

I am definitely normal post-op! All of that pre-op pain that I couldn't imagine living the rest of my life with...is all gone! No start-up pain, no stiffness, no pain waking me up at night, nothing. I feel very lucky to have been given this new lease on life all due to my BHR.

I've been a heavy construction carpenter my whole life.  As such even with my two shiney new hips, I'm 100% dissabled.  Dr Marwin told me at my first meeting with him that I can't go back to work.  I also have carpal tunnell syndrome in both hands that is feeling pretty good right now but was killing me before I pulled the plug.  The hand specialist at Hospital for Special Surgery also told me that I had to quit working.  I'm getting my union dissability pension .  I also have had both knees and both shoulders rebuilt and my lower back isn't in the best shape.  All of that added up to painful days last year working at the World Trade Center.  I made it until Sept 11, but it was deffinately tough going.  I loved my job, but I have no regrets now that it's over.

People with hip resurfacings and THRs go back to work and live pretty normal lives.  Sometimes people with old fashioned THRs have restrictions, but certainly people with hip resurfacing don't.  Disability is very, very diffiuclt to get.  The people I know are truly disabled and it took 6 months to several years to get their disabilities even thru lawyers.  You have to be really handicapped to receive disability any more.  Anyone that can have a joint replaced is not considered disabled.  Even without one hip joint replaced and being in pain, I believe it would not be easy to get disability as far as I know.

Get your hip resurfacing and you will be back to a normal, happy, active life.