Could it be remission?

[Lauren Lee]

Hi everyone, I am a new member but have read many of your posts since learning about hip resurfacing a couple of months back. What a great site and information. I am scheduled for RBHR on June 17.
All of this started for me about 30 years ago on my first ride on a snowmobile. I was not told not to stick my leg out. I did and the snowmobile went one way and my leg went the other. I believe I had a labral tear. At the time little was known about that and was dx with groin pull. I also pulled my pelvis all out of whack. Over the years I have had acute onset of groin pain, limping...misery. Then I have PT and it goes away for a few years.
This time it is chronic...since last summer. I had an xray which showed mod/severe osteoarthritis 2 years ago. I don't have pain all the time- walking is not a problem except it hurts to climb steep hills. It is not easy to put my socks on, impossible to polish my toenails on my right foot, difficult sometimes to get in and out of my car. Since I am a hospice chaplain I am in and out of my car multiple times a day. I get pain often in my thigh and outer knee, when sitting, driving, trying to sleep. I thought I was having issues with my knees because I can't bend at the knees easily, do squats, get on the floor with my grandson and get up gracefully. My knees don't hurt or click. Did your hip issue cause you to have problems getting up from a squat position?
Here's the thing...I am feeling BETTER. Was this just "another relapse"? I had PT in March and April and have continued with the exercises. A friend with joint problems suggested a supplement and I have been taking that. Also I received prayer at a recent womens retreat. So the discomfort has decreased but the range of motion has not really improved. I could live with this if this is as bad as it gets but I am fearful of stepping the wrong way or sleeping the wrong way or whatever I do that aggravates it. I am an active 59 year old and I don't want to miss the window of opportunity to have this done. Is this like.... your hair always looks good on the day you have an appointment?  The stakes are a lot higher here. I'm not afraid of the surgery...I just want to feel better for the long haul. I have made an appointment with my surgeon later this week...I just want to know that I should proceed with surgery. The xrays were pretty clear...spurs, nearly bone on bone in spots. Why do I feel so good now? And this is a problem?  
Any thoughts, encouragement appreciated. Thanks for being here!

[evant]

Lovely detailed story for your first post.

Very sad that you've suffered on / off for @ 30 years since the accident.

The symptoms you describe seem pretty standard for people in our situation.

Your x-rays are very clear identifying the problem.

You may feel better because at last someone is in a position to repair your hip and they have taken the burden from your shoulders.

Good luck for your appointment with the surgeon this week and for your operation on 17th June.

[Jason0411]

I went for a consultation in August after severe pain then at the Consultation felt better so put it off. By November I had gone from nearly Bone on Bone to Bone on Bone and was on the phone booking myself in. My advice is don't put it off I wish I had done it sooner. I can remember trying to walk a short distance and just wanting to cry because it hurt and I felt so useless.

[hernanu]

Hi Lauren Lee - welcome.

We've all gone through the same questions about having the surgery. It's major surgery and a major change. But I think it's a change for the better, much better in my experience.

There were many days when I woke up before the surgery after a bad day feeling better. It was relative and hopeful in my part, since the pain had increased as the days passed. If I worked out, somehow my leg(s later) felt better so that I only had pain a few times rather than continuously, I thought that was livable.

I did put it off for years. The onset of discomfort to pain to excruciating pain didn't travel a linear path that I could use to predict that: yes, here is the point where I have surgery. At first it wasn't diagnosed correctly, I had physical therapy, just worked out harder, didn't do anything, went to workout boot camps, tried different diets, shoes, stretching... a long list.

It was seven years after the first twitch that I got surgery. By that point it was clear I needed something and went to three surgeons. The first two insisted on THR, the last said I was perfect for HR. All agreed that both hips were bone on bone, the worst was dislocating at will (I was 'popping' it back in as needed) and I still tried to find a way to avoid surgery. But it wasn't happening.

The thing about this is that it does not get better. Once the cartilage starts to go, it won't be back and will go completely in time. Hopefully medical science can someday regenerate cartilage, but now there is no alternative.

The good news is that the treatments are capable of completely erasing that pain and the damage. I chose HR because it had the possibility of restoring me to being physically active, putting me back together with the parts of my life that had been winnowed away by the OA.

Several here have changed or deferred their surgery dates. It is purely your decision and should be supported, since you are the only one who can decide when things are right for your body. It is major surgery and the recovery is not a cakewalk, but it is progressive, and the OA pain is gone from the start.

My advice, having done two is to go ahead with it. It has made a huge difference in my life and that should always be considered; being able to walk carefully because you're avoiding painful possibilities is not the way I wanted to live, and I'm sure is not true for yourself either.

[Boomer]

Lauren Lee,

Hernanu has been a great resource for lots of us Hippys, and the advice he is giving you is as good as it gets. I will add just a little to what he said.  I had both of my hips resurfaced after suffering for years, and letting go of one activity after another until I was a shell of my former self. It was hurting my family and friends as well, since they had to watch me suffer in pain every day. Another hippy, Woodstockhippy, encouraged me to get my hips fixed and get on with my life.

Everybody who sees me now smiles and tells me how great I'm doing. No limp, no limitations, and no grimace on my face. We hippys are having an awful lot of fun on the other side. Come join us!

Boomer

[chuckm]

Hi Lauren. I did what you are doing for about three years. Every time I had a "good" stretch of days weeks or months, I thought to myself maybe I'm okay and it is getting better.

My orthopedic would listen to me tell him of all the gimmicks I had to make myself better. He finally just told me, whatever you do to help with pain is fine, but it's not going to change the x-rays. Arthritis is a progressive disease and it only gets worse.

Once you set a date for surgery, you instantly change your path to one where there will be constant improvement for years to come.

Chuckm

[bluedevilsadvocate]

Lauren -

As you can see, the question of when to have surgery comes up frequently, and it is indeed a very personal decision.  In all of my years of reading posts on this website and reading about and talking to people who have had hip replacement surgery, I do know that many have said that they wish they had done it earlier, but I don't recall anybody saying that they wish they had waited longer.

[Lauren Lee]

Hi all! Wow you hippy's are great! Thank you so much! I saw Dr. Schmitt this morning and he confirmed everything you all told me.
He checked my knees and other than being a little weak knee'd and probably compensating for the hip- they are fine. So I will be working on strengthening them.
So.....June 17....I'm goin' in!! I will keep you posted! Thank you again!!!

[luann again]

Good Luck! Be thinking of you on sx day! I am three years into mine and just loving life!  You will too!  Lu

[Pat Walter]

Hi Lauren

As you have read and confirmed with your surgeon, many people seem to get better before surgery, but the x-rays tell the story and you don't want to ignore them or your surgeon.  I know of no surgeon that would do a hip resurfacing if he felt it was too early to do so.

Good Luck with your upcoming surgery.  Looking forward to reading about your recovery.

Pat

[Lauren Lee]

Yes, I am feeling better and I feel that is in large part because I have been very intentional about continuing my exercises from PT, staying as active as I can, feeling pretty certain that there is a happy ending AND having you all to lean on..."You can call on me brother when you need a hand, we all need somebody to lean on." Well...I need a hand and a resurfaced hip. It's all good.
 
BTW Pat, My docs assistant told me that doc was looking for online support for his patients ,checked your site out before he referred patients to it for support and was pleased with information and support. Pat on the back to Pat.

[bestbob]

Hi Lauren - I am scheduled for June 18th. I went thru the same emotions you are going thru, and still having doubts on doing it. My case is a little different, I have mild to moderate OA, and by the xrays themselves I am not a candidate. However, I have a torn/detached labral, and my doctor said that does qualify me as I will probably need something done later due to the OA. My pain goes down my groin into the top of my knee, and I thought I had knee issue so had it xray'd. No issue with knee's, it is referred pain the Dr. said. There are days when I think I can live with this chronic pain, but then why I say to myself, listen to what everyone has said, just about all say they wish they didn't wait. Anyway, I am looking forward to reading another successful post from when yours is done on June 17th, and then mine on June 18th.

[Pat Walter]

Hi Lauren

Thanks for the note about Dr. Schmitt's assistant recommending my site.  If you get a chance, would you ask how many hip resurfacings he has done to date?  I would be happy to know either from you or the assistant.   pwalter@surfacehippy.info

Often doctors or their assistants write to me, but sometimes they don't and I like to try to keep up with their information.

Thanks again and Good Luck.

Pat

[Lauren Lee]

Bestbob, Well...I'll be thinking about you on the 18th...if I am not so engrossed in my own thing that I can't.  . At any rate, we'll stay in touch okay? It appears we are not alone in this second-guessing but bottom line is...it must be done at some point and this site and my great doc have helped me come to terms with it's not going to get better. Over the past 30 years it has been chronic but in the last couple of years it is progressive. Another reason for urgency for me (besides wanting to get back to a normal life) are the changes coming in January due to Obamacare. We really don't know what is going to happen to "elective" surgery.

Pat, I will definitely check on that information and let you know.

[Lauren Lee]

Hi Pat, per Dr. Schmitts office he has done over 3000 of these procedures and has been doing them since 2006. He is a great doc. Very friendly, takes as much time as I needed for my questions and has one of the most efficiently run offices I have ever been in. Thanks for all you do! Lauren

Sent from my iPhone

[keepmovin]

Hi Lauren,

I, too, find myself putting off the inevitable and coming up with excuses to wait a little bit longer.  I had my left hip done in 2011 and at the time was concerned about my right hip but was told I have a while before I had to worry about getting that done.  But here I am 2 years later and in pain - but not all the time!  My situation is similar to Bestbob, my X-rays show there's still life in my cartilage but an MRI showed a labral tear and significant degeneration in the hip.  The one Dr. who specializes in hip labral tears said its not worth repairing the tear because soon the hip has to be replaced.  I did received the hip shot and it helped significantly, hence, the reason for putting this off.  It's been two months since the shot and I feel the pain returning.  I also have back issues which complicates where exactly am I feeling most of the pain - back or hip?  I was scheduled for the operation back in the end of May, cancelled and rescheduled for July 2 (maybe? ).  I'm nervous because I always felt the next operation would probably be a THR for me thinking I would be much older and too old for the resurfacing.  I'm 55 and I guess borderline since I'm female and also have mild hip dysplasia.

So, yes, we all go through this and I suppose it weighs heavy on your mind until it's finally done and over with!  Please let us know how you do and keep us posted on your outcome.  It really does help to hear everyone's stories because quite frankly, where else are we going to get support!

Good luck!

Debbie

 

 
 

[Lauren Lee]

Debbie, I'll be thinking about you and will let you know how I am doing. I cannot wait...I tried to do some gardening today and there is definitely decline in my mobility since even this past fall. I am hurting my back because I am trying to protect my hip and I can't bend my knees the way I need to. I know it isn't going to get any better...just worse. So....I'm goin' in.