hey everyone im a newbie to this forum!
i need all the "veterans" who had their hip resurfaced and got back to their happy, active lifestyle!
background of myself and physical history:
28 years old from sydney australia. in the military (navy). i had left hip arthroscopy labral debridement (tore my labrum doing kick boxing at the gym) in 2008 and ever since i was never the same. in 2010 i had left ankle reconstruction to tighten up the ligaments on the outside. i know its been a bad luck hey? last year october 2011, i saw a sports physician who took and x-ray and MRI on both hips and got diagnosed with left hip OA between grade II-III. i've been getting persistent pain since the operation in 2008. due to my debilitating condition i had to change my very active lifestyle in the span of 4 years. i had to give up my love for basketball, martial arts, running, boxing or anything high impact stuff or pivoting too much. up to this date i cant even go on a spin bike coz i get flare up after 5 mins and when i do swim drills and pool rehab for my arthritic hip i would still get flare up. i even get pain doin normal plank and other core stability exercise. no walking for more than 45 mins according to sports physician. i have also noticed that i do have limp when im walking and i try not to have limp coz it is embarrassing in the public. all i can do the last 5 months to try and stay active are my rehab exercise (core stability, proprioception/balance work and pool work).
i came back and saw the sports physician and told him that the rehab exercises that my physio has given me, gives me pain and i just dont know what to do. he suggested to get a cortisone done and if that didnt work or last then my LAST RESORT WOULD BE TOTAL HIP REPLACEMENT. i have been doing alot of research lately on alternative option apart from THR and it seems like the best option for younger adults that wish to remain active is to get HIP RESURFACING. im gona see my doctor early september and i will ask him to give me referral to see the best surgeon in australia in terms of HIP RESURFACING.
this condition is depressing and affects me in so many negative way. i just dont know if i should wait a few more years before deciding on getting a surgery.
COULD ANYONE ON HERE PLEASE HELP ME or give me info on who would be the best hip resurface surgeon in australia that they could refer me to? on other website some people in australia suggested DR SHIMMIN FROM MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA AND DR WEINRAUCH FROM BRISBANE. i want to know if my condition is a good candidate for hip resurfacing or not. i want to get at least 2-3 opinions before making a decision.
ANY THOUGHTS ON THE FOLLOWING SURGEONS AND WHO'S THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY
DR LAWRENCE KOHAN - 900 HIP RESURFACING
DR SHIMMIN - 1000 HIP RESURFACING
DR CRAIG WALLER?
ARE THESE NUMBER UP TO DATE AS OF 2012??
PLEASE HELP. i just want my life back and not put up with the next 5-10 years being miserable with restricted movements.
thanks heaps!
jc
JC,
Welcome! I was also 28 at the time of my BHR and 29 now. I also was a Squaddie and a high level martial artist. Grade 3 OA is i believe the middle of the spectrum so it might be appropriate to wait a little while yet?(i had grade 4 OA and my joint was pretty much sezied).
If you are a candidate for a HR then i would say it is a far superiour option for a young patient. If you want to know weather you are a good candidate for HR then there are several surgeons who will give you a free online consultation from your xrays.
I dont know too much about aussie surgeons being a pommy but if you want a chat pleae drop me a PM.
Danny
Hi JC, welcome. I found an o,d post of Pat's with a link to Aussie Surgeons http://www.surfacehippy.info/listofdoctors.php#Australia
There might be more, it would be a good place to start. Good luck, rest assured you've come to the right place for advice help and support. Sal
Hey JC,
Wow, you sound like Danny's twin brother!!! (Dannywayoflife) Hes probaby the best to talk to as it seems you have alot in common except hes got the experience and has made it to the other side.
Eitherway, you have definaely come to the right place.... so welcome! Theres alot of experienced hippies on this site who will all give you great advice and excellent support. I think if you are a suitable candidate, resurfacing is definately a better choice than a THR. Especially for the young and active. As Danny says, if you can get a copy of your xray, you can email it to some of the best surgeons in the world. Thats what I did. I sent mine to Dr Smet and Dr Bose and they both replied and their opinions within a couple of days.
Good luck
Anna
I was gonna say the same thing, Twin Danny in Australia. Wow.
Don't let any surgeon tell you THR is the only option, until experienced HR surgeons tell you its your only option. That probably won't happen. You'll probably get several excellent HR surgeons saying the same thing, that you are a good candidate for HR. I think it has a lot do to with what a surgeon is comfortable with. Lots are comfortable with THR, not so many with HR.
Kiwi is from New Zealand and he had Hugh Blakely (trained with Treacy). You might do some research on Dr Blakely or Mr. Blakely. Maybe Kiwi will comment here.
HR is an excellent option and I would most certainly stick around here and get as much info as you need to help make an informed decision. Good luck. Don't be depressed, being able to walk pain free, and get your life back, is so unbelievable nice.
Good on ya for doing your research. I will add a few thoughts of my own now that I am an active athlete (61) out 4 years from my resurfacing.
If you give it a patient 6 months to a year to fully heal, you should end up able to be much more active and pain free than you are now; since 6 months out, I have been skiing, playing tennis, and windsurfing or surfing every day for many hours a day. It will never be exactly the same as the original joint when it was undamaged, and I still feel it a little bit now and then, but it is a heck of a lot better than the worn out and damaged joint before I had the surgery.
At your age and former intensity, if you try to go back to that full level, you may affect the life of the resurfacing. You will have ongoing choices to make, but the choices should be way better than your current options.
When anyone is comparing the success rates of THRs to HRs, be sure that they are doing it for your age group and activity level. The results may be comparable for 65 year olds, but in your age group, the survival rates are not even close; the HR rates will be vastly superior.
I too had arthroscopy before the resurfacing, with mediocre results. The resurfacing surgery is much more traumatic physically, mentally, and emotionally, but the results were vastly better; it just comes with a lifetime of choices that may affect how long it lasts.
Keep up the great work on your research to get your active life back.
JC,
First, ditto what everyone is saying. It is pointless to ask a surgeon who is not proficient in resurfacing about it, since they will likely steer you towards something they CAN do. Given the limitations of THR, I cannot buy into an argument that a THR would be superior at all, unless you have AVN, or some other mitigating circumstance.
Also, many, many folks travel internationally to get HR. Dr. Bose in India is one of the best in the world, and people from everywhere travel to him. So, you have more options if you need them.
Good luck!
Andy
a big big thank you for everyone that replied (dan, sal, anna, tin soldier, john and andy)
i will email everyone here PRIVATELY but if i could get everyone's point of view for now and be honest and straight forward to me.
i have set goals in life and i just dont know if having these condition would help me achieve the goals i have set. my goals are plain and simple, be healthy and stay active.. just being able to do normal daily activities without a limp, be happy with my job, be able to travel the world while I'm young, support my relatives overseas and look after my parents when they get old. that is it. nothing more nothing less. i feel like if i have to wait another year or so that my window seems to be closing down. i have stable job in the military but the fact that i cant do my usual job coz im broken and im just doing desk job until i change over to less physical demanding job. we all want to move forward in whatever career we have chosen or what we do in life. i feel like the last 2-3 of my life has been taken away from me due to my restriction and waiting another year or so would make it 4-5 yrs. can you imagine missing out on life 4-5 years where you could have done alot within those years if it wasnt for debilitating condition? if i get a chance to choose on the surgeon if im a candidate to get HR then i would rather go overseas and get the surgery done even if i have to pay for it. thats how desperate i am to get my life back on track. but dan knows how military works, we only get the best surgeon in our own country (unless its different in UK).
the PT i have in the military is pretty much against THR or she just said "we dont want to go there yet". she wants to know if doing lots of pilates and core stability work would improve my condition. when i told her about HR and been doing research lately on it, i got shut down straight away. am i crazy or what? i mean I'm trying to help myself to find a solution. i appreciate it that my PT is helping me get moving again and all that. i have no degree in health science or no doctor but how would you really cure OA or any forms of ARTHRITIS? i got told there is no cure unless you get surgery or if you dont want surgery then you need to have lifestyle modification which i did. and now my activities are closely winding down. it even affects me with normal daily activities. it also affects me socially. when my friends ask me to go out or do hiking, or catch up with long walks. my mind is pretty much on auto pilot " no i cant coz i got to clean the house". thats my excuse to them. i dont want to tell them i have this condition coz its freaking embarrassing. way too young to have this condition thats for sure. but i do understand that young people get it too not just the old one.
i dont know who to listen sports physician vs PT vs normal GP. orthopaedic surgeons are the highest ones right?
any thoughts ladies and gents?
i appreciate small things in life coz i do know they do matter the most.
everyone give me lessons in life as i know some of you have been thru my age and has gone thru surgery and living your normal happy life now.
hope to hear from everyones experience!
jc
Hi JC,
Firstly being military you must be fit ( my husband was British Army Infantry ) I would expect your core stability to be good already. Secondly you can't go backwards with arthritis. I was pretty unfit, I had arthroscopy, I did work hard on core exercises and did see a small improvement and staved off resurfacing until I'd had a family but by the time my second child was 10months old I was only able to crawl upstairs and could walk no more than 40m. I then had an HR (I was 31) now 9 years later I've had a mini THR on the other side.
Your PT, surgeons etc wouldn't be doing their jobs if they didn't push you to try all other avenues before this op, it's major surgery and irreversible and the last resort. But and it's a big but, it's your life, your body and you only get one life. If you are in the place where you are prepared to take the risks associated with the surgery and live with the consequences if it goes wrong (there are very few really poor outcomes but some people have been unlucky) then no one should ever tell you not to do it.
All the guys on here will tell you firstly send your X-rays for free expert opinions to the Surgeons who offer that through this site. Secondly, if it is the way you are going, pick the very best surgeon with the most experience even if you have to travel. It's your life. Sorry if that is baldly put, but am always here to chat. (I'm sitting at home 2weeks post op so on here a lot). I'm no expert, just a mum with cronky wonky hips and happy that I'm getting my life back. Sal
Hey, JC, welcome to the site. You've gotten some great advice already, you're in the right place to do some research on this.
Like you've seen with Danny and several other hippys here, this is something that can strike young people, we've seen a kid as young as 12 this year who needed to have surgery. While it is embarrassing to admit to people that you have a disease that is associated with old age, the fact is that it does strike some of us young, and it is something you have to deal with.
We all understand where you are as far as pain, the limitations it carries and the emotions that you go through. None of this is fair or deserved, it just is. Unfortunately, once you are diagnosed, there is no turning back; you need to take action to deal with it, since the cartilage will not grow back, and as it is eroded, your pain intensifies and your quality of life goes downhill.
Many of us have tried different things to alleviate the pain or surgical procedures to circumvent it. I did years of PT to deal with it, massage therapy, even looked for nerve issues that may have been causing it, but was actually well served by a pro-THR surgeon who first told me that I had no cartilage (bone on bone) on the left hip and only a thin veneer of cartilage on the right. He disdained HR, but I wanted my life to be more active, and to return to what I loved, so I sought out an HR specialist in the Boston area who did both of my hips.
The best thing to do is to explore the options that are available to you, make your choices - we all would support any action you take, since it is your life and your hips. Keeping that in mind, though - if you are already at the point where your life is being winnowed down, and the arthritis process is irreversible, in choosing between THR and HR, I already made that choice and think it's the best choice I ever made. My life is huge orders of magnitude better now than before. My emotional state is better, since I don't have that grinding pain anymore, I can do more, have gotten back to the sports I love, can go out dancing, walking, even run a little bit (not a fan).
The restrictions that a THR would demand are just not there with a healthy HR I believe, so for me, it's been like my life has opened again. It is worth it to me even if I face a revision down the road - hopefully I won't. As folks mentioned, the revision rates for THRs on younger patients are higher than for HRs. The revision for a THR is much trickier, but for an HR, the revision would be to a THR in due time, which is what you're being told to do now. If in due time you have to go to a THR, then you would do it (hopefully) at a much older age, when you may accept the limitations more gracefully. We haven't ( ;D ), but...
I would get in touch with the doctors on this site and email them your XRays. they are some of the best HR surgeons in the world, and can let you know whether you are a good candidate. It's a good place to start, one of them is in India, so if you go abroad, that may be a good destination.
It's a scary situation, but the alternative (HR) is very successful (upper 90's success rate) and can work well if you choose your surgeon well sorry for the emphasis but that is the most important thing. Travel is really a good option here, since the aftercare can be done by local medical personnel. Choose the best, good things will likely follow.
Good luck and keep us posted.
JC,
I had had OA for several years prior to surgery. I also still had a decent amount of cartilage left on my bad hip, but none in one spot. I had periods of little or no pain, and I actually ran four relatively pain-free miles the Monday before surgery. On the other hand, I would go weeks with constant pain (day, night, walking, sitting, standing), and I had given up tennis, and other higher impact exercise.
Like Hernan said, it is a one-way ticket, and OA only gets worse. If I wanted to give up most exercise and be sedentary, I could possibly have put off surgery for several years. But I would be miserable, and therefore so would my wife and kids. I got it done precisely so that I could return to the things I love to do. If that means I'll need a revision at 65 instead of 68 (assuming it lasts 20 years), then who cares. You have nothing to be embarrassed about.....you can't help having OA.
I'm seven months out now, and went mountain biking yesterday for 2 hours with NO PAIN. Didn't even think about the hip. And.....I'm pretty sure that 80% of my friends/neighbors couldn't have done the same, even with their two biological hips. Now, who should be embarrassed? Me, for having OA, or them, for having a guy with a metal hip kick their butts?
Only you can decide the "when", but for me.....getting back to my active lifestyle was what I needed. And, like others have said, the experience of the surgeon who does it is the single most important thing that influences a positive outcome.
Good luck.
Reminds me of a song, "One way ticket to hell and back, its a one way ticket", The Darkness
Agreed. I did PT for a few months, not years like Hern, and nothing changed accept that maybe I chewed away a little more of my acetabulum and femoral neck, at the ends of ROM, just to be replaced with even more bone and worsening OA.
I'd talk to a few HR surgeons and rely on their perspective, first and foremost.
That's 'cause I'm kind of dense,Tin and although a very good doctor, a lovely lady and graduated from an accredited medical institution, my general practitioner completely missed the boat on diagnosing me and my creaky hips.
So I went back three times to PT stints of five to six months each over the years, among other things that I tried to use to deal with my "muscular issues".
Ouch, and then throw in some fascia thrashing and few intra-joint cortizone shots that last for a few days, and I'd say it is a one way ticket with a healthy dose of suffering.
Hello JC,
I'm military too, about 4 years ago hip pain started affecting my fitness so I went to a military doc who referred me to our physios'. I had x-rays to confirm diagnosis (osteoarthritis in both hips) and early on it was manageable and the PT helped by strengthening and supporting the joints. I even kept sufficiently fit that I kept passing the fitness tests (with the aid of Diclofenac - lots of it!) and even deployed to warm sandy climes. As I started getting worse, the military docs and physios kept advising me to: bear it as long as you can because you will eventually need a THR; quite depressing to visualize giving up sport and having to retire early.
I had to stop the Diclofenac for a while, and realised how much pain I was actually in without drugs to mask it. The drugs are not great to take long term and NSAIDS are not great for bone health either apparantly - I decided I didn't want to just wait for a THR and also I wanted the best chance of running again and therefore staying in the services.
I got my local service doc to refer me to the regional military assessment board who frustratingly were set on referring me to a THR consultant, I kept plugging away and they decided they couldn't decide so referred me to Headley Court the main assessment board. After assessment by them, they referred me to Mr Treacy. He confirmed I was suitable for HR, 2 months later I had the op; The whole saga took about 18 months.
Obviously all of this process may be different in Oz; but your experience so far isn't that different than mine. A lot of Doctors know a lot about THR and are comfortable with it. Hip problems due to Osteoarthritis are relatively uncommon among fit military personnel, so military medical people could be forgiven for not knowing too much about HR. I had to work hard to convince them that there was another option to explore and then getting them to refer me to the right consultant. I did my research and identified to who I wanted to be referred, asked and eventually they said ok.
The consultant's opinion was key, what also helped was that every time I sat before a board I had a list of things to say so I didn't forget anything. Things like how the arthritis is affecting daily life, what you have difficulty doing, how it's affected your chosen sports and quality of life, what you want to happen - it sounds a bit unnecessary, but it helped me cut through the frustration, kept me focused, and things I wanted to discuss were not forgotten. The idea was that it also showed I had taken a bit of control of my condition and it gives the docs a good idea of what impact - not being able to do sport - would have on your life. It all helps them decide whether you would benefit physically and mentally from a HR.
Sometimes it felt a bit like a job interview, one way of looking at it is that you are trying to convince medical professionals, who have your best interests at heart, that you will benefit from something they may not be too familiar with.
If you haven't done already, have a good read through this site, there's loads of info and you'll see that stories of frustration like this aren't limited to the military.
Basically mate, don't give up; do your research and keep working on getting yourself referred.
Steve
As you can see, we who have had it done are very pro hip-resurfacing. At your age there is no way that you should go for a total hip replacement. I'm 62 and I didn't want to do it. There are too many restrictions after; no running, jumping, surfing, basketball, volleyball, heck some people are told not to even cross their legs. And they only last around 15 years. There is no way that you want to live like that. It's up to you to find an experienced HR doctor to take care of you. Sit down and talk to him or her and see if you feel comfortable with them. I met with my surgeon and he explained everything about HR. When he was finished, I felt like I could have done the surgery on myself. Two months later he performed bailaterals on me and nine days after that I walked out of the hospital using only one cane. It has all been up since then. Do your homework, visit the doctors, find the right one and you should be able to go back to all the things you love to do. Good luck to you, it worked for me and it will for you.
Wood I think the 15 year life expectancy for thr's was based on the old metal on poly bearing couple. There's loads of metal on metal thr's still in situ after 40 years. Thr's have come a long way. That said I'd choose HR ove thr every time.
thanks everyone!
any tips on how to stay upbeat and positive while having arthritic hip? i found this more of a mental battle than physical even tho its limiting me to my normal day to day activities.
i know its not the end of the world but it is really hard to stay positive and motivated to even do the rehab exercises and pool work. i feel like the only reason i do these are because of my hip. the exercises are pretty boring but i know its for the benefi of the hip.
any tips on eating healthy wise? i try to eat as healthy as i can but i noticed that i lost my appetite and i found myself eating irregularly. and i also get irregular sleeps.
The mental stuff is hard, it's the hardest bit of the whole shebang.
Pre surgery when I was in a lot of pain I just used to hang onto the fact that I was lucky, it wasn't cancer, it was fixable. I just needed to find a surgeon who would fix me. I had dysplasia so weight and thus the arthritis only used a fraction of my hip, but where it was used was awful, the bits that I wasn't using looked great. Most surgeons thought I didnt have "enough" arthritis to warrant surgery. but, there was a surgin who would listen o me and now, look, I'm fixed, I have a new lease of life. Not everybody gets these second chances. I'm lucky, renewed.... Watch out world, here I come!
Arthritis at a young age is no picnic, but there are a myriad of things that can go wrong with a human body, these are our cards we've been dealt, everyone gets they're own hand, play the cards as best you can. Make the most if your good times and sink back into bed every night knowing that you could not have done it better. Handle the pain remembering to take your pills for the sake of those around you (me in pain = mrs grumpy pants ).
Healthy eating, I struggle with.... I know how to do it, but calories just taste nice!
Someone with better will power will chime in, I'm sure.
Keep your chin up, we are all here to talk to. I found having folk to talk to who understood and inspiring stories to read of what hippies are now achieving pulled me through.
Sal
I agree with Sal and I also thought the mental part was worse than the physical part. I like the thought about the fact that it's curable and keep in mind, the OA pain pretty much goes away from surgery.
Eating healthy - don't let alcohol creep in on you. I was too relaxed about it and I was putting away quite a few beers at night and I wasn't really keeping it moderate. It's just not good for BP, weight, or mental state. Coffee in the morning to counteract was the next bad thing. I think I was getting overly anxious from it and then got into a bit of a depression. Both of those are not good for your head if you're already in a bit of depressed state. Otherwise, I'd just say get your exercise, eat a balanced diet, get your rest, and be socially active,... all the usual things they say.
thanks for the reply sal and tin!
well im already in depressed state. no alcohol on me either. i dont drink so i think i pass that bit. i know people that have problems or stressed from work, take it out on the alcohol.
i've just been to that surface hippy forum on yahoo. i read that some patients are getting "back problems" since resurfacing by even the top surgeon in the world.
any issues on the ongoing back problems?
its kinda freaky and surprising.
anythoughts? could it be on poor posture, gait, feet problems and compensatory problems on having OA pre surgery?
hope everyones well!
I can only speak for myself, jc - I had back problems before the surgeries which went away afterwards. Along with my knee pain, rock tight shoulders and overall pain.
Hello mate,
Sorry to hear what's happened. I'm going through something similar - 29 year old police officer, tore my labrum grappling with someone who didn't want to be searched, had a hip scope to repair the damage which found a patch of grade 3 arthritis in there - and can't really say I've ever been the same since. My whole life revolved around being active - like most of us on here - and now that's gone, it's hard to know what to fill the void with.
I'm only at the start of getting my problems sorted, but in relation to the back pain, it does seem to be that hip pain can refer into the lower back (I couldn't sit down without feeling like someone had knifed me in the back when I tore my labrum - that came before the groin pain!) and that a messed up gait will screw up your SI joints and lumbo-pelvic stability. I think residual back pain from any surgery is more likely as a result of faulty movement patterns than pathology, so it can be corrected with time and effort.
As for alcohol, well, I have an addictive personality and find it very easy for drinking to become habit so avoid it because of that, but I also think it is an inflammatory as normally when I drink socially, I feel OK at the time, but the next day my body feels like its been hit by a bus (as in achy hips, not being hungover... well, ok, maybe a bit of both then :))
There's loads of faddy diets on the net (paleo diet, for example) that some people swear by for reducing inflammation, but I can't say I've ever tried them.
I know what you mean about the mental battle. I have only been dealing with this for a year but still can't get my head round it - not sure if I ever will, to be honest. It's hard when it feels like everything you have worked for up to this point is slipping through your fingers.
There is enough info on this excellent site to build yourself a compelling case to present for your BHR mate; I hope you get some kind of resolution, and that it happens soon.
I'm actually on the paleo diet (the caveman variation), don't know if it reduces inflammation, but one of the components of mine is taking fish oil pills, which have anti inflammatory qualities.
I gave up on trying to figure out the why of things, just focused on the fact that I had OA and taking the steps to get rid of it. You describe your plans and accomplishments slipping through your fingers, and in some respects, as has already happened, you are prevented from doing the things you worked for.
The good thing, though is that it may not be a permanent thing. I wouldn't dare to tell you anything about your job or career, but if the physical limitations of OA are damping your career, then maybe the lifting of the same will go a long way to reviving it. There's two sides to this river, you just need to go through the struggles to get to the other side.
I understand the depressive side of this disease, the constant pain, the fear of upcoming pain and the embarrassment at any age of walking so differently from the way you did even a few years before. Being young, you also don't want an old man's disease - if someone tears their rotator, everyone seems to understand that it's an injury, but you mention arthritis and all eyebrows seem to rise.
It's a disease though, and not your fault - remember that you were doing it to serve and protect. Just step forward, get the thing fixed and maybe the things that slipped through your fingers can be there again for you.
Once again, well put Hern on all of it.
With regards to the bak pain. I also had back pain, but more sciatic nerve issues before HR. After it's pretty much all gone. I think it had to do with me bending over awkwardly and lifting with my back becasue I wasn't bending at the hip. It's been over a year since my second HR and now, with me starting soccer again, I am getting a little back pain and sicatic nerve issues, but it all goes away on my morning commute on my bike. I don't do anything for the core in between my weekly soccer matches so I think that's the problem. I'm no spring chicken and I can't expect that all the aches of life will go away from HR, but damn near all of life's aches have gone away.
I have not read many posts about folks complaining about back pain after HR. There are a few bits here and there about folks having some back pain and other joint pain from getting back to an active lifestyle, body readjusting. Seems totally reasonable. I think the vast majority of HR patients have no or less back pain after HR and after the recovery period.
You might PM Vicky at the Yahoo site and just ask her what her thoughts are on it.
Well said Hern,
I think everyone in life has some kind of medical battle at some point. If having rubbish hips is ours then so be it. Perhaps we should be grateful we can be fixed? I think the mental battle is the hardest thing ... and I think hern has hit the nail on the head there for me. The hardest part for me is telling people I need a hip replacement because people think its some kind of old peoples disease. The first comment I always get is "Oh my granny got one last year". Im getting over this now though and am learning not to care so much what others think. I just want to be well enough again to enjoy my life and get on with my job. In fact, ive made it my mission now to be fixed for my 30th next may. .... I never thought I would want a metal hip for a 30th bday present!!!! Life hits us all in different ways but you just have to take it on the chin and crack on.
Things havent sliped through our fingers, they have just been delayed .... and like Dave said to me, you have to experience the bad to appreciate the good. I think we will all be better people from our experieces.
Dave - I will race you to the front line sometme in the future. Im sure of it .... and I cant wait! :)
Anna
It'll be a Hippy Birthday...
But, you'll have it before then! For sure Anna, you'll have your worst hip fixed very soon. Sending Vibes. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Xx
Just hang on to the thoughts of feeling good again. Red meat Mr MCminn (surgeon in UK who invented the BHR with MrTreacey) reckons is the best food for healing, so get stuck in :)
hey everyone you ladies and gents have been so helpful! thanks so much.
just to keep you updated. i went to see the physio on friday and told her my frustration and had a lil tear unfortunately . clinically i can do deep squat and no pain and we did glute massage and traction work on the hip. still good range of movement. she suggested to see a psychologist to help me sort out my head. i told her that fitness is just getting harder for me with this 80 years old hip.
i dont want to give up on because the physio and i really worked hard on this hip. we dealt with this the last 2-3 years and we have come a long way.
anyone of y'all see psychologist to get your mental state sorted out?
am i just over reacting with the whole OA situation?
i tried to stay positive but its hard. or am i just being too soft here?
how much pain were you guys before deciding to call it quits and deciding to do something about it?
im not in excruciating or agonising pain but i have noticed that, if i walk too much 30 mins or more, or sit too much 20 mins, the hip just dont like it. and thats just day to day stuff.
i have also heard from dr bose and he said according from my written report, im not warranted major implant surgery yet. but he wants to see the xray first so he can get an idea.
im seeing the doctor in 2 days time and i already have some stuff to present my case to him. any thoughts on what else i can include?
obviously its affecting me mentally, socially, physically and my sleep.
any tips and help would be much appreciated,
thanks again everyone!
jc
also im trying to eat as clean as i can, heaps of fruits and been taking supplements like vitamins, fish oil, glucosamine chrondoitin and recently vitamin D. i already figured it out that taking out your frustration on junk foods wont do me any good.
You can get to a better place and you are not alone. It's tough that this has affected you at a young age and it is hard to stay positive but as others have said this is curable and you do have options. Just focus on that and take on board all the good advice on finding a suitable, qualified surgeon.
Only you will know when to take the decision for surgery, but if as you say walking too much (30 mins!) or sitting too much (20 mins!) is causing you pain, it's not good long term.
Forget the fact that what you have is generally considered a condition that affects 'older people'. This site will show you that this is not the case and I'm sure many of the members on this site have experienced the 'why me? feelings, I know I have! It's only natural to feel aggrieved!
Don't give up on the exercise and healthy eating, supplements, but this is not going to essentially get you better, keep up with your research on what is the best option for you. Debilitating as OA is, it does not define you, you are more than this so difficult as it sometimes is, don't let it get the better of you.
Here's hoping you have a good meeting with your Doctor.
Ka
Jc if I'm honest I could do with seeing a shrink as everytime I manage to force some positivity into my head I go to the gym and my hip/shoulder is in bits and that's me back to square 1!
It's not something that I've really thought about though as I'm broke and couldn't afford it.
@ ka... thanks man lets hope its a good meeting with the doc in 2 days time! i've tried all that put up or shut up mentality thing but you can only get that far, the condition itself isnt going to change.
@ dan... i have read some of your posts! you inspired me the way you are going with rehabilitation! and as of psychologist, i dont really want to go there or its not something i thought about either... i dont want my physio to think im crazy.
JC I think were both probably slightly crazy! ;D
Dan this might sound even more crazy but if i ever get the surgery done then, i already plan my physical activities that im sticking with for a year ... tons of power walk, spin bike and swimming for cardio... core stability and heaps of balance exercises and body weight exercises and bikram yoga... im hoping that one day i can still do martial arts like krav maga or wing chun.... or if i want to push the body again then its crossfit "mind over matter" work out! fingers crossed!
JC, send in your X-rays to all the surgeons suggested, see what they say. If they say no, perhaps look at debridement arthroscopy which might get you a couple of years relief. They might take one look at your X-rays and say come in, I'll do you tomorrow! It depends on your pain and only you know about that. If you can't walk, you can't sleep and your life is shrinking then you'll push hard for surgery. If it is not affecting you too badly you can push it off for a while. Only you can make those decisions. We are all here to chat to.
That's not crazy mate I do that all the time. Only thing is I'm soooooo out of shape now that I start training and then feel like crap and so I stop again. I'm so limited right now cos of the new hip and my now wrecked shoulder. But hopefully eventually I'll get back in shape!
thanks heaps Sal! the sports physician said on the report 3-4 weeks ago that im limited to "surgical options" it means another arthroscopy will not benefit my hip. THR will be in many years away. but he said if its really getting it to you then, it is really my call. he said he's seen people same age as me getting THR done. to be honest i would like to stay away from THR.. theres too many limitations and the more you are active the more you will wear the implants. there's dislocation issues. with resurfacing, if it ever fails then at least the next revision would be THR.. if the first THR fails then the revision would be a little more complicated right?
i have noticed that the last 5 months sleep was irregular, lost of appetite (im eating as clean as i can but i found myself skipping meals), low energy levels and moody...are these normal? did you get these symptoms pre op?
You could try cortisone mate. It sounds to me like your medical team are being difficult. Get opinions from other top hip resurfacing surgeons mate
Dan, how are you out of shape now? i thought you've been going consistently all this time... how long did you have a lay off? take it easy on the shoulder...is it rotator cuff problems??
i had the cortisone on the hip joint already at the start of august. that didnt do much... im still trying to push the body (going hard on rehab) and squeeze out all the juice i can in me but i can't seem to find the energizer bunny in me no more.
i've only just seen sports physician dan. but the one i have is one of the best in the state. he treats pro footballer and other athletes. im not totally sold out on when he said if i ever get surgery then THR is my only option.
Jc I can honestly say I'm in the worst shape of my life right now. I've not been able to train properly since the summer of 2010. The Shoulder will need a fairly big op as I have a big step deformity of the AC joint thanks to being stamped on fighting at work about 10 years ago ???
Mate, don't dismiss going to talk to someone about things. I had this a few years back for something - didn't have a choice, was made to go - and was pretty dismissive about the whole thing; i was pleasantly surprised at how cathartic offloading all your crap of onto someone you don't know from Adam can be though.
Anything that makes you feel better about yourself has got to be worth a shot. If you can't do anything with legs, train the hell out of your upper
body... Anything is better than nothing, gotta get those endorphins somehow.
Sorry to hear about your shoulder Dan, that's a bugger. What'll be done - a decompression or something?
Dave I'm not a surgeon but I have self diagnosed along with my mate who's a sports massage therapist/osteopath as a grade 3+ AC joint separation and both the ligaments in there must have been snapped. So I believe that any surgery will reattach my AC joint with screws and then a synthetic ligememt will be placed in there to. Really can't wait for that! I'm having all sorts of dramas at work at the moment tho so can't even go see anyone yet.
thanks Davo. seeing the shrink tomorrow. talked to the doctor yesterday and referred me to top "hip replacement" surgeon. im hoping that he can refer me to someone that specialise on hip resurfacing. xray should be able to get it done this week so i can send it to top surgeon (bose, de smet etc) for an opinion and hopefully get a reply before i see the surgeon.
yes..something is better than nothing... not giving up on boring rehab exercises coz if i do, the body will just suffer even more.
Dan sorry to hear with the banged up shoulder... im guessing you were in the service when that fight happened? if you ever get surgery that would have to be shoulder reconstruction right?
Jc that sounds like progress. :)
I did my shoulder when I was working in a night club as door staff. I think your right it will be a reconstruction. :o
Quote from: chocolatedrop29 on September 03, 2012, 10:22:24 PM
thanks Davo. seeing the shrink tomorrow.
don't underestimate the mental side. I posted a bit about my experience when someone else posted about some depression issues. I spent several months going to a shrink presurgery... it was time very well spent.
http://surfacehippy.info/hiptalk/recovery-issues/get-my-mind-right/msg16605/#msg16605
Thanks for sharing the link- wonderful how there`s always some help on here whatever the problem.
Feeling down myself, seem to be going backwards with muscle pain in legs, haven`t a clue as to why.
Sorry to hear you`re feeling bad too Danny.
thanks for sharing einreb. hipnhip has some good topic in there too about vulnerability. just to keep everyone updated, i saw the shrink today and got given anti depressant tabs to take for a month and then he told me i should see clinical psychologist. it must be that bad right? he compared me to "paralympians" like these athletes have positive mind or outlook in life even though they have disability. i know this is not cancer and i also know that its not worse than other people that went through due to OA (eg waiting for 10-15 years or something before doing something about it).
my hats off the paralympians athletes. but the thing is those athletes get paid what they love doing (sports), being active and all that. while me have to give up the dream of changing over to become a PTI or clearance diver in the navy and have to settle to admin job now because i can no longer do my physical demanding job due to OA. not just giving up of dream job but also it takes away your active lifestyle. im not sure if the shrink really understood the whole situation.
any thoughts?
I don't think anyone outside of a hippy understands the situation fully, but I think the benefit that I got from my counselor and the anti depressant I was on was for me to better understand the situation, to accept it and move on. It became obvious to me that his understanding my situation completely was not really necessary.
I understand your situation with your hips and the feelings that go on about it, but there are things I can't understand because I'm only partially in your shoes. I guess the way I looked at it was that a whole list of things, small and large were taken from me by the OA; getting rid of it is the first step, then you look at the future and think of the possibilities.
There's no guarantee that you get everything back, but maybe you do. If you don't get that dream back, there may be a bigger, brighter one behind it. Talk to Dr. Blackley about where you'd like to go back to, given the duties you had to give up and see whether he thinks it's possible. Then harass the bureaucracy to see whether it's possible with them in due time.
As with every mountain you climb or monumental task you approach you have to break it down into "doable" chunks. Hernanu is right, take each step as you can, focussing on it, then the vista will change and new actions nd possibilities will become clearer.
I'm sure your counsellor was trying to buoy you up with the thought of what those guys can achieve and so too can you overcome what is essentially a mechanical problem for which the most successful operation has been invented to solve. Whether or not you get the resurfacing, you will still have an excellent chance of losing the pain. Getting to the operating table for the right device for you is step 1.
It is perfectly normal to feel the way you do, there were days when I didn't want to wake up in the morning to face more pain and limitations, it got to be both a physical and mental prison for me. We are here, to hold you up through all that, we understand some of your journey. It is hugely miserable to watch others blithely achieving what you are wishing for, and maybe you won't be that diver but maybe you will.
Take the lift that the pills offer, see the clinical psychologist ( I don't really understand the significance of that but perhaps being clinical ie more medical, he might understand your issues better ) I'm sure the guy you saw is trying to find you the very best help available. Be very gentle with yourself this is tough to go through. You are beginning a big transition, but at the end of it you cn look back and say, I achieved that despite OA despite the down bits, I am stronger because I survived it. That's what we are all here to help each other achieve.
Believe me, the view from 4 weeks post op is a whole lot different and once you've seen the surgeon your op might not be too far away.
Hang on, be strong.
Sal
Quote from: bilateralbliss on September 04, 2012, 08:40:22 PM
Thanks for sharing the link- wonderful how there`s always some help on here whatever the problem.
Feeling down myself, seem to be going backwards with muscle pain in legs, haven`t a clue as to why.
Sorry to hear you`re feeling bad too Danny.
Doing anything differently, bliss? I also went to a massage therapist routinely, that helped a bit.