I had my right BHR on the 6th December 2011 by Mr McMinn everything was going to plan (probably a bit too well) and 7.5 weeks after surgery I had a trip and the impact crushed the head of my femur under the cap. When I went for my eight week check up you could see the implant had moved by 1 cm towards the neck. I having dinosaur feeling capabilities walked in to the appointment unaided but knowing I was a bit lopsided. To be told I was walking on a broken leg and to quit weight bearing immediately. As a child I suffered from Perthes in both hips and I am presuming when it comes to pain in that area I can blank it off pretty well. I knew I had had some shooting pains down my leg and it was really uncomfortable the night I did it but just thought I had jarred it a bit.
6 months after fracture I am now walking with one stick and think I am about to become the first person in the UK to repair from such a fracture. Mr McMinn told me he knew of only two cases documented in Australia of people with the same fracture as me who have recovered.
When I went to see him three months after the fracture (in which time I had been non weight bearing), he was shocked that it hadn't crumbled but the Cap had remained in place. I have been steadily increasing the weight bearing and am still in tact. I was very close to being one of Mr McMinns very few failures but now hope to be a success. I am a big guy 45 years old 6 2 and weigh 18.5 stone. I swim 1000 metres breastsroke daily and now cycle to work. I think that may have helped my recovery. I think the most important part of my recovery is probably well balanced nutrition. Bucket of red meat washed down with a bucket of red wine. Got to have a bucket of each other wise it would not be balanced.
My Brother had a LBHR 12 years ago at the age of 35 and became a third Dan at Karate in December.
Jas
Jason
Welcome to Hip Talk. Thank You so much for sharing your story. It is one that shows patience can sometimes really pay off. I think having your femur component placed by McMinn was also helpful.
I hope you continue to heal and get better as time goes on.
Thanks again for sharing and giving hope to others.
Pat
Jas,
Welcome to the group! Wow thats an amazing story!!!! Im so glad that after serious adversity you are now well on the mend!!!
Danny
What a great story, Jason - excellent recovery.
Thanks everyone I will keep you all informed. Had to try and mend myself as the alternative was immediate THR. Didn't want that at my age so took the big gamble of a total collapse. But so far so good.
Jas
Jason,
You are a bad ass! Best of luck to you and thank you for sharing your story. Damn, you are one tough dude.
Off to see McMinn in the morning to find make sure it is healing, will repost on Thursday.
Look forward to the update!
Got a right Bollocking off Mr McMinn for being naughty and coming off my crutches. He told me that there was potentially an awful lot of jhealing still to happen. He said I had taken a big gamble but so far according to the Xray looks like I got away with it. He admitted he was a pesimist and I said I was an optimist to which he replied "I had worked that one out". He then said that he knew there was no point in him asking me to go back on two crutches but said could I use one stick for as long as possible or until he calls me back. So I apologised for being a naughty boy and agreed.
So the long and the short of it is, since I fractured my femoral head the cap still has not moved so as far as I am concerned it must be healed but according to Mr McMinn I must be very cautious. Happy Days. Also my Left hip looks better as the cartlidge seems in better condition than it was when I was putting my full weight on it and compressing it.So even better news.
Jas
Ha ha, naughty boy! I have only just seen this post but thats a great story Jason. Im so glad its all working out for you. I think that balanced diet was probably the main thing that helped your recovery so make sure you keep that one up ;D
Wow. You took a risk but so far so good. The dr knows how bone heals, so listen and stay safe!!
Glad the other hip doing well. Hang in there and keep us informed. The information age is so wonderful that we can connect and share across the globe! Thanks for telling your story.
Dee
Great news, Jason!
You've already experienced what happens when the implant is stressed early, I'd take care to heal right, crutche and all; you won't be on it long, so let it help you, both for healing and for your proper walking gait.
Excellent that the healing has taken, you've been given a second chance.
Testimony that a positive mental attitude can help with your recovery, despite your trip early on. Amazing to think that you had a broken femur and still walked unaided. Just goes to show how your body acclimatises itself to pain over a long time and can cope with it when trauma occurs. Can't wait to get back on my bike post surgery. Balanced diet sounds tempting too.
Ka
Had my first trip on the Caister Offshore Lifeboat since my Op yesterday. Stood up whole trip wallked along decks when we were chugging along at 35 knotts. No problems at all.
Fracture? What fracture?
;D
It`s a miracle :)
But don't tell Mr McMinn I promised I would stay on one Stick. Forgot to take it with me, I thought it would look bad a Crewman climbing on the boat with a stick.
I promise :)
you sure you`re not a cat with nine lives!! ;)
Thought I ought to update my story.
It has been over a year now since my crush fracture occured. I have been back to see the Maestro McMinn and he has told me that I have been very lucky so far my head has obviously reformed but will be deformed. The cap has remained in the same place since I tripped and I have now been given permission to get on with my life normally but no running or sports.
He said I started from a very bad place and still wasn't totally confident it would still not come off but said to just get on with life.
Got to go back in a year.
So I am doing what I do working 6 days a week 10-14 hours a day as well as being a Volunteer Lifeboat Crewman.
Although I am not allowed to run I may have walked extremely fast a few times when the pager has gone off but please nobody tell McMinn. So far so very good I get the odd clunk and twinge but normally when I do extra silly things. Oh yeah and I sort of kind of walked quite quick on a Rugby pitch with my son to help him practice his passing at speed.
Jas
Glad to hear you are doing well Jason. I still get a clunk or a twinge every once in a while on my 4-1/2 year old hip. I think that is normal.
Good luck and keep healing.
All good news, Jas. Keep it up, this walking fast thing is getting to be a habit. ::)
Had a shout yesterday, idiot on a jet ski wearing a track suit and deck shoes no lifejacket in the North sea temp about 4c. Jet Ski broke down so he jumped in to try and push it ashore against the wind. Guess what folks. He got hyperthermia.
Luckily he is a young fit idiot. We got him ashore but had to stretcher him up the beach to the paramedic. That has got to be one of the hardest walks I have done our beach is very soft.
This morning I thought my BHR would be giving me grief but not a twinge. The other side however is really not happy when I walk and grumbles a bit when sitting I am hoping a swim later today might help. Bloody OA its a pain, you get one bit sorted and another bit plays up.
I know how you feel Jason. After I had my left BHR I had 2-3 good years and then my right began to hurt from OA. I finally had it done in Dec and it has been healing faster than the original. It is tough getting old.
Great job saving the guy on the jet ski! He is probably not smart enough to know how lucky he is to have you still on the job.
Bill
Nice job saving the idiot, Jason... I think we're all idiots at one time or another, so it's good to have someone like you to bail our a$$ out of the fire (mixed metaphors, but so what).
OA just plain sucks, Jason. I was quasi lucky in that when I finally decided to do mine, the second was obviously in equal need. So I scheduled both, the right three months after the left. I had no choice in the matter.
I thought it would be fine, since the first hurt enough that the second seemed much better. I revised my thinking once the first one got fit post HR, since the second was crying like a little girl.
So I limped into the hospital for my second, although I had previously flirted with waiting a year to do it. I was grateful that it was three months and not later at the end. I practically jumped into the bed at the waiting room. Felt much better after having the second done.
Good effort mate you do the RNLI proud!
October 16th 1969 The RNLI closed our station. Claiming we were no longer needed. The people of Caister kept the station open and started the first Independent Offshore and Inshore lifeboat facility in the UK. We are still Independent of the RNLI and very proud of the fact. They do a good job and we work alongside their crews but the organisation don't like us as we proved them wrong.
www.caisterlifeboat.org.uk
That's awesome jas! Keep up the hood work!
Danny