Confirmation surgery is needed at this point. I was walking around Target today and was looking for some party ware. I bought the way more expensive plastic cutlery by the gift wrapping because buying the cheaper stuff meant having to walk all the way across the store! After a day at work and being on my feet I could not bare having to walk across the store....this from a once sub 3 hour marathoner....yes, December 5 will be a welcome date in my middle age life :-\
I know exactly what you're talking about! Good thing you already have your surgery scheduled!
My "old" hip is getting really bad. Today, I could not even finish 20 minutes on the elliptical, and I've pretty much had to stop my lunchtime walks. I used to walk a 3 miles at a great clip everyday at lunch. We have walking trails that are maintained by the Forest Service behind my office, and those walks were a great break in the middle of the workday. This left hip is now quite a bit worse than my right hip was before the surgery, and I didn't even know I had OA in it until February of this year! October 12 cannot come fast enough!
Good luck in October. I actually could have picked up an opening in October but it doesn't work with my job. I am really to the point that my whole body feels so forgien to me. I wish I could swing surgery earlier. You are about 5 miles from my house when you are at Providence!
Aerial,
If only you knew how we Hippys and pre-Hippys can identify with what you are saying! We could go on with telling many stories just like yours. You are very much not alone. Again, you are so fortunate to live so close to Providence and Dr. Gross. This all will soon be history. Hang in there!
Sounds like you both are more than ready.
Good for you we can all recall that day when we just decided not being able to walk couldn't wait anymore.
Now you will be counting the days until the surgery. Best of Luck on the big day.
Matt
Totally agree. I had the same confirmations recently when walking around Seattle with my wife 2 days prior to surgery. There was a constant pain in the hip. I knew it was the right thing to do. I'm happy for you and I think we can all agree that listening to everyone's story never gets old, like Matt says we've all been there. I look forward to giving you a good sendoff before surgery and anxiously await your first post without pain.
This is my first post as I just registered yesterday here. This feed's title was exactly what my ortho said to me a couple of years ago, "When will I need to have my hip surgery?, his response was, " Oh, you'll know when it's time". Well it's time! I was very active my whole life, sports and work. I have been a police officer for 30 yrs and carrying this damn gunbelt(20 lbs worth) has really done a number on my legs. I worked a double yesterday and was really achy by the end of the shift. But the good news is my Dr's office called last week and set my surgery date for Nov. 10. Dr Specht from Lahey Clinic is doing it, I haven't seen his name here yet. I'm from Boston and had planned on getting a full replacement, a recommendation from the chief of ortho at Mass General, until I met Terry O'Reilly, former Boston Bruin. Terry had both hips resurfaced (BHR) several years ago and is now skating again several times a week. I can't wait until next winter and I hope to be playing hockey again. Thanks to all the people who post here I kind of know what to expect, I know it won't be easy but it's better than limping the rest of my life. I found some preop exercises here and have started to really strengthen the core and legs to better cope with the surgery, I hope. Thanks again.
Paul,
Your first post was a winner!
Initially it's scary to think about, and you don't mind putting it off for awhile. Then you read all the wonderful posts from people on this website and it makes it easier to get moving toward getting better. As others have already stated, "This is when you get your life back".
Good luck to you. Stay posted. The folks on this website are exceptionally inspirational.
Boomer
Paul,
Best wishes and yes, you will run, jump and play again soon. Keep posting, you'll get lots of good stuff here. Welcome!
Welcome. I think you'll find that once you get a little past surgery, you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner. Surgery and recovery is actually sort of a short window in the scheme of things. Don't hesitate to ask questions.
Paul,
Welcome to the board. It's a great place for passage of information and support. I hope that it helps you on your journey as much as it has for me!
I basicly knew it was time after my arthroscopy and my surgeon explained to me after that my hip looked horrific inside. I of course being a typical male decided I knew better but he said he thought I'd be asking for a new hip inside the next year! Well he wasnt far wrong as 13 months to the day after my key hole I'm scheduled for my HR!
Paul, welcome and congrats on reaching that decision. Love the picture too! got a couple of tee shirts with the old Pat.
Good luck - I am in recovery 2 1/2 weeks post my second hip and "the other side' is so much better.
Cheers - Phill
Seems as if the proportion of bilaterals in increasing.
Pritchett said about 50% of his first patients are bi-lat. I don't think I could have worn down my left hip without wearing down my right hip. ???
Makes me wonder how my right hip is just fine and my left was in bad shape. The only thing I can think of was a ski accident 30 years ago.
I have wondered if this new hip is going to act much different than my real hip. Will have different flexibility?
Dan
I seem to have a horrible hip on the right and a left hip that is fine. I also wonder why that might be?
I think there are many different reasons why hips go bad. My friend who referred me to Dr. Gross had one of her hips resurfaced 7 years ago, and has no problems at all with the other hip. When I had my first appointment with Dr. Gross, which was for my right hip, he pointed out that both of my hips were in bad shape (although at the time, I had not noticed any problems with the left hip). I asked him how come I have this problem, when most of my close relatives, like my mother and father, uncles, aunts, etc., lived well into their 80's and 90's with no arthritis. The problem is that my acetabulum is abnormally deep (something I was most likely born with), which causes abnormal wear of the joint. Per Dr. Gross, virtually 100% of people with this problem will end up bone on bone in their hip joint if they live long enough. My mother was quite upset when I told her about this. She is 97 and has no hip problems.
This reminds me of a story my horse vet told me, after I told him about my hip problem (he noticed I was limping and asked my why). He told me his grandmother had pains in one of her hips and he took her to the doctor. The doctor told her her hip was worn out and needed to be replaced. She asked him why. He said, well, Mrs. XX, that hip is 87 years old and it is worn out. She said, doctor, my other hip is the same age, and it is just fine!
Quote from: Tin Soldier on September 18, 2011, 11:56:45 AM
I don't think I could have worn down my left hip without wearing down my right hip. ???
Yes Tin, this requires substantial self control from the patient.
Lopsided
Annie- My condition seems to be related to dysplasia (not severe but enough to cause problems at this stage of my life). My mother too blames herself to a certain degree since we did not know as I grew up. I suspect eventually the left side might have problems too. Right now though, the left is fine. I sure hope fixing the right hip doesn't shift my mechanics in a way that is detrimental to the left hip. I am somewhat concerned about that.
I think I know why it's my right hip that has the problem and the left is fine. Like I said in my first post I am a police officer, 30 yrs in patrol carrying a gun on my right hip. Getting in and out of the cruiser your always banging against something with the gun. I have been in some knock down drag out fights and landed on the right side more than once. I know at least 5-7 other officers who have either had surgery on their right hip or who need it. I have gone through about 5 holsters in 30 years on the same hip. The doctors cant pinpoint this as the reason but it seems like a reasonable conclusion.
Aerial, did Dr. Gross say anything to you about problems in your other hip? If not, probably you do not have a problem at this time. I was not aware of any problem in my left hip, but it evidently looked just as bad on the x-ray as my right hip. He told my daughter that, based on the x-rays alone, he would not have known which hip to operate on when he operated on my right hip. The strange thing is that I really did not notice any pain on the left side until I had the right side fixed.
Lop, you are very funny!
Quote from: Cantab on September 19, 2011, 07:36:46 PM
I think I know why it's my right hip that has the problem and the left is fine. Like I said in my first post I am a police officer, 30 yrs in patrol carrying a gun on my right hip. Getting in and out of the cruiser your always banging against something with the gun. I have been in some knock down drag out fights and landed on the right side more than once. I know at least 5-7 other officers who have either had surgery on their right hip or who need it. I have gone through about 5 holsters in 30 years on the same hip. The doctors cant pinpoint this as the reason but it seems like a reasonable conclusion.
May well be, since we all seem to have pushed the envelope in some way, as well as having some tendency towards the problem. I think my stretching / high impact from martial arts, as well as repetitive stress from weight lifting may have contributed.
I guess we all have our theories, but in the end, would you have been happy sitting a desk? You've done a lot of good and may be paying for it, but at least there's a good procedure for you with good chance for an excellent result.
Quote from: Anniee on September 19, 2011, 08:14:17 PM
Aerial, did Dr. Gross say anything to you about problems in your other hip? If not, probably you do not have a problem at this time. I was not aware of any problem in my left hip, but it evidently looked just as bad on the x-ray as my right hip. He told my daughter that, based on the x-rays alone, he would not have known which hip to operate on when he operated on my right hip. The strange thing is that I really did not notice any pain on the left side until I had the right side fixed.
Lop, you are very funny!
No Dr. Gross said nothing about my "good" hip so I hoping it really is in good shape. It looks like it has a lot of joint space yet.