Kate’s Hip Resurfacing with Mr. Moss 2013

May 25, 2013

My name is Kate and I have just had a resurfacing to my right hip at age 41. I live in Haslemere and had the operation in Chichester, West Sussex by Mr. Moss.

13 years ago I was walking down the road in London where I lived at the time and felt my hip ‘go’ along with a very sharp pain completely out of the blue. I had always been sporty doing everything from tennis to netball, aerobics, hockey etc! It didn’t happen again for about a month and then only once in a while – I just put it down to being one of those things!

After the birth of my son the pain started to be more regular and I visited to doctor who did various xrays and MRI scans to finally discover arthritis in the right hip joint. I have no family history or previous injury on this hip so I was very surprised! my first op was to have a cyst removed from the top of the femur and bone graft applied to smooth the joint in the socket. this lasted a couple of years and then started to get worse.

6 years after having my son, i was pregnant with my daughter and the pain disappeared completely even though I was probably the heaviest I had ever been in my life. But as my doctor said at the time you can’t be pregnant for the rest of your life!!

After my daughter was born in 2011, the pain has just got worse and worse and I was starting to take regular ibuprofen before and after any walking and sport just became too painful. Then I knew I had reached the end of the road and that a hip replacement was the next step, that was until I visited my doctor and he explained the idea of resurfacing to me.

This seemed like the logical next step to me so I decided to go ahead and have the operation. I had this done on 17 May and a week later I am sitting here typing this after a day where I managed to walk to the local park with my kids (with crutches and very slowly!). whilst I know there is a long way to go and i keep getting soooo frustrated as I am usually a busy working mum running all over the place,i know in the long run my life will be, fingers crossed, improved no end.

This website has already given me some very useful information in the short time I have been on here and I cannot thank you enough for providing a forum for something which is quite frankly quite scary! Talking to others in the same boat helps no end and I look forward to sharing my progress with you all across the Atlantic!

May 27, 2013

Day 10 and feeling better in my hip area by the day. however my knee and ankle are still really swollen and painful and my lower back is agony every time I lie down in bed.

June 2, 2013

 I am 2 weeks and 2 days in – not that I am counting or anything?!

Had the same bruising on my leg which pretty much has all moved down towards my shins which are a delightful colour of green! (so quite pleased I am wearing the stockings to hide this at the moment!!) swollen ankles and sore lower back.

feeling much better this weekend though and actually managed to get out for a dinner party with friends which made me very proud of myself considering 2 weeks before I couldn’t even get out of my hospital bed!!

Just been for one of my walks around the corner and managed a few steps without putting too much pressure down on the crutches.

I am so impatient but everyone’s stories help me realize whats happening is normal and that i need to find the strength to be even more patient to be able to reap the best reward in the future months.

June 5, 2013

Coming up for 3 weeks on Friday, but still getting a lot of pain in and around the hip joint – is this normal? I am completely paranoid! but Mr. Moss had said to me when he did the HR the bone was quite soft as I had not been weight bearing properly on this leg for a few years. so this worry is what is in my head.

June 6, 2013

3 weeks tomorrow. feeling like I have hit a bit of a plateau with no real change over the last couple of days. I know deep down that the initial fast recovery from completely unable to move in hospital to being able to walk down the road on crutches is amazing, i think i just expected to carry on recovering at the same pace week on week!

June 10, 2013

I am 3 weeks post op and have pains in my knees quite often, getting pins and needles in my hands, shoulder pain today and back pain previously.

Had some great ideas from the lovely people on this site though especially the cushion under your knees at night for the back pain – works a treat. just tilts your pelvis enough to reduce the pressure on the lower back.

for me I put the back and shoulder pain down to walking normally for once after years of walking with a limp. not sure about the pins and needles today – feels a bit weird! hoping its not too serious!!
 

June 13, 2013

I am at 4 weeks tomorrow – not sure where that week went! been doing some work from home which has taken my mind off things a little. but the major achievement has been to walk to my son’s school to pick him up for the first time yesterday – his smile when he saw me made all the effort worthwhile 🙂

Pain is better today, it’s still there with full weight bearing and still using 2 crutches outside but the movement is feeling more natural and people say I am walking faster than I was. I also think the swelling in the joint must be going down as I don’t feel so much like I have one leg longer than the other.

June 22, 2013

5 weeks yesterday and what a difference a week makes! I might be speaking too soon but the pain has been so much less this week, the movement in my leg is so much better too.

longer walks are actually enjoyable and can now do more movement in the PT exercises.

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now!!

Still on crutches outside (more fear of falling than pain. But inside have done quite a lot of walking with none at all!! Practicing walking without the limp and occasionally get it right which is so satisfying as I haven’t walked normally for about 3 years!!

Hopefully back in the car at the end of the week and no more surgical stockings as of Friday – happy days!!

July 5, 2013

7 weeks today and my big news is that I walked outside with no crutches! Felt very odd to be out without my friends (as I like to call them!) but it was ok. This morning was easier and for about 5 minutes I actually forgot about my hip while chatting to my son on the way to his school. I actually got goosebumps when I realized I had forgotten!
This afternoon the heavy leg was back as I had got tired but now I know I can feel no pain without any assistance I feel so positive.
Check up with mr moss on Wednesday next week so will be good to see the X-ray and find out if all is ok in there but it feels ok so fingers crossed.

July 17, 2013

had my check up with my consultant ( I am 9 weeks this Friday) and all good! He is pleased with how my recovery has gone and has given me the ok to break the 90 degree rule and just do everything normally – except running or any other impact sport. Had soft bone when he did the op due to lack of activity over the last years so need to build up the density before I am allowed to do more.

so can swim, bike at the gym, walk, cross trainer – all the non-impact things – which is great! Managing to walk with no crutches all the time now and almost not limping – although it sneaks back when I am tired or stiff after sitting for too long in one position.

driving is ok but after an hour or so need to stretch leg out as get pain in my knee!i think this is fluid building up as it seemed to go after elevating the leg.

July 30, 2013

nearly 11 weeks now and feeling better every day. almost forgetting I have had anything done as i run around starting my new life! I cannot honestly believe I have no pain on walking in my hip – its amazing.

Went swimming this weekend and managed pretty well just a bit stiff the next day but looking forward to doing this more and more and getting back in the gym.

October 11, 2013

Now at just short of 5 months and enjoying my new lifestyle – in the last 2 weeks I have been swimming lengths of front crawl and breast stroke. Joined a ballet class (no jumping though so improvising at the back!!) and joining a Pilates class in the next week.

Week one of the swimming and dancing caused a slight burning sensation in my muscles and my lower back was painful. This week so far so good! Just can’t believe I am back doing things after such a short time really.

Looking forward to next year when I can add the impact sports -already planning the tennis matches, hockey and netball!!! All I can say is thank god I did this when I did – my life has transformed and I am so much happier in my self – oh and I have set up my own business as well! Having time to consider my life work balance as I recovered made me realise this was the way forward.