My story....
I have been quietly reading stories posted on this forum off and on for a few years; now it is time to tell my own story. In 5 short weeks I am schedule to have my right hip resurfaced by Dr. Gross and I hope that maybe my story will help someone else in the same way that so many of other stories on this forum have helped, and continue to help, me in my journey.
Today I am a 40 year old man with an athletic history that includes years of basketball, triathlons, adventure races, and orienteering runs along with all the training that goes along with these activities. I have no doubt spent hundreds of hours running up and down basketball courts (concrete and hardwood), bike thousands of miles on roads and single track trails, and hiked/trekked/jogged too many routes and courses to remember. And of course as a kid I played all the typical sports (none of them very well!) from soccer to baseball to backyard football and even some judo. I was never an all-star athlete, but I always loved playing outside with my buddies, which today includes my kids.
Somewhere along the way the geometry of my hip and the activities that I participated in conspired against me and my right hip began to degenerate. I have been told that the growth plates in the head of femur may have “shifted†during my teenage years, probably from one too many basketball charges or judo break-falls. Regardless, at some point my hip stopped rotating concentrically in my pelvis and began to cam and slowly over time crushed away the cartilage in upper portion of the right hip joint. From what I have read this is quite typical, albeit unfortunate, for those of us with osteoarthritis. And now I have significant bone on bone contact in my right hip and extensive osteoarthritis.
Five years ago I first noticed that my hip joint hurt after workouts and this seemed unusual because I knew that it had been years since I had done anything with more dynamic impact than a trail run. So I went to a local orthopedic doc and had it x-rayed. His response was good and bad....he said my hip was degenerating and I would someday need a new one....but fortunately that day was not the day. He gave me some prescription NSAIDs and told me to come back if it got worse. One year later, with about the same amount of pain but now slightly more frequently, I went to see a different orthopedic doc. He gave me basically the same story and said I would know when it got really bad and would be back. So I started my research, figuring I had some time. During the course of the next few years I found this website, read all I could about hip resurfacing and replacements, and talked to anyone I came across that had experience with either.
Now fast forward to the beginning of 2012, four years have passed since my last x-ray, but now things are beginning to get worse. I no longer have mostly good days with a few painful days after a big workout. Now I only have painful days, it is just a matter of how much pain. I the back of my head I can hear the voices of the previous orthopedic docs....â€You’ll be back....and you will know when it is time.†It was clear to me that time was getting very near. So I began my final search and doctor interview process, this time all for real.
I live in Raleigh, North Carolina and have access to many highly qualified doctors and knew that I was only a short drive away from two of the country's best resurfacing surgeons. I consider myself exceptionally lucky to have so many great options. So taking the advice from a great friend, who happens to also be a doctor, I took my research knowledge and list of questions and went on a visitation tour. It wasn’t cheap, but I personally visited and talked to three doctors â€" two that specialize in resurfacing and one that does total hip replacements.
Small aside....In another part of my past life I coached many years of basketball and I recently came across these 5 points for how to pick a high quality teacher/coach. I think these rules probably apply to selecting not only coaches, but anyone important in your life that will have a lasting impact, including a surgeon! See if you agree....1. Avoid someone who reminds you of a courteous waiter 2. Seek someone who scares you a little 3. Seek someone who gives short, clear directions 4. Seek someone who loves teaching fundamentals 5. Other things being equal pick the older person
All three of the doctors I spoke with were outstanding. I am quite certain that any of them would have done a very good job. However, in the end I was extremely impressed by Dr. Gross....his professionalism, his passion, his record, and of course the stories from many of his past patients.
I will be 41 when I have this surgery and yes I am nervous (okay I won’t lie, I am pretty scared), but I am also looking forward to being able play outside again, like mountain biking with my kids, where I don’t spend more than half of the time thinking about how bad my hip hurts and struggling to enjoy the actual activity.
Well that is it for now, sorry for the long post, but I hope somebody finds it helpful. If I think of anything else I will try to add some other comments and I will try to open a new discussion on the flip side to tell about my recovery progress.
-Patrick
Hi Patrick, welcome! I know you've been on here a while but welcome all the same. It's a great birthday present that you are about to give yourself. I'm the same age as you and 9 weeks post op with a mini hip but have a resurfacing on the other side. In this short time I have been given back my life, so look forward, the healing process will bring you frustrations but great joy too. I look forward to reading your stories.
Sal
Hi Sal - Thanks for the welcome. It is nice to no longer be in the background just reading other peoples comments and stories, but be a real part of the discussion group.
-Patrick
Welcome patrick! (officially), those are some good guidelines for choosing a surgeon.. you've picked a great one.
Hi Patrick
Thanks for sharing as I see a lot of similarities between us albeit I am 45 and probably slightly behind you in the process. The whole concept of "you will know when it's time" still feels a little alien to me and ultimately getting anything done that has risk attached feels a big decision when you have have led a very sporting life, so mentally I am setting the bar pretty highly as to the extent and frequency of pain before I take the jump. Sounds pretty much the journey you have taken.
Hope it all works out well for you
David
Hi Patrick,
Welcome from another Gross hippy! I love your coach qualifications. My daughter just finished her 8th year of volleyball. Her coach for the last 5 years fits that description to a T. She is sad that it is over. They are planning an alumni match for next year!
My only advice is that recovery is very individual. Get Dr. Gross to let you do PT when you feel ready. (He is open to it!) Be patient - it is so hard ;). Celebrate the small steps forward and expect a few set backs.
Dee
Patrick Welcome and Congrats. Just a year ago I was in your shoes, although I'm a woman and was 46 at the time. Scared to death of any surgery - never had one. Scared that maybe I wasn't 'bad enough' to get the surgery (I was bone on bone and multiple cycts) and I am a 'small woman' so the first dr I saw said he wouldn't do it. Faced with that and worsening symptoms, altering my lifestyle beyond what I would accept, I kept searching for the right doctor. I found one, and while she did not have the number of surgeries that is recommended her (over 100 at a minimum) she was very confident and competent and met the 5 criteria you laid out (in hindsight).
I am approaching my 8 month anniversary of my surgery and Life is Great! I still have work to do with my strength and flexibilty, but I will say that my life has returned to better than normal! I have been able to do everything I wanted to and did pre-surgery/pre-pain/pre-limitations due to O/A.
This site has done so many things for all of us - reminding us that this is a 'marathon' not a 'sprint' and being there when you feel that "weird" thing in the middle of the night. The people here are so caring and helpful! And we all recover at our own pace, there is no pattern or expectation.
Good Luck to you!
Hi Patrick, welcome to the gang!
That seems so familiar ... the "You'll be back" quote. Six years ago I was told I would need a replacement and I feel like ive been counting down the days ever since. Im finding it really difficult to decide whether its time, although deep down I know that it is. Its like trying to predict your own future.
Anyway, good luck, I cant wait to hear your post surgery updates
Anna
Looks as though you've done your homework Patrick!
Congratulations on your decision. Easy for me to say now, but...don't be scared!
Best wishes, Bruce
Thank you all for the many kind remarks. The community spirit of this forum is one of the many things I have really enjoyed while reading the posts over the past several years. It is wonderful how supporting everyone is as each person works their way through this resurfacing journey.
DeeDee â€" When you say “Get Dr. Gross to let you do PT when you feel ready.†Do you mean that you did not start the Phase 1 self PT at home right away?
For David and Anna....since the comment "you will know when it's time" seems alien to each of you right now, that means you are not ready yet!
For me there were 3 key factors that put me over the edge:
1) I went from pain only after a workout to pain every day. The level of pain varied, but where it was once intermittent it had become always there. I basically found myself thinking about my hip hurting every single day.
2) The pain caused me to wake up from my sleep at least once per week, now it is even more. I understand that about 40-50% of your body weight is transferred through your hips to the bed when you sleep, so it is easy to see how O/A hip pain could cause you to have problems sleeping
3) My range of motion had dropped significantly, down to about ½ of my good hip.
I also knew I had waited long enough when a couple of the doctors looked at my x-ray from back in 2008 and told me that they resurface hips in that condition. I had gone 4+ years on a hip that they would have already fixed.
I am certain that I could have gone another couple years without this procedure. I have a very high pain threshold (more stories on that later), so I am sure I could continue to fight through the pain. But it really began to be silly to have a reasonable solution available to me and make myself deal with this daily pain. And in addition, it was beginning to affect my ability to workout and keep the rest of my body healthy, including starting to weaken the muscles around my bad hip b/c my ROM had dropped so much.
After putting all those pieces together....I knew it was time.
-Patrick
Many docs prescribe physical therapy for their patients with a medical professional. Some even get home therapy right after surgery.
Dr. Gross prefers that you just do his recommended phase 1 and phase 2 PT exercises in the early weeks. Which seems like good wisdom since the device is uncemented, and he is very careful to help his patients avoid problems from overdoing. He also probably does not want an aggressive therapist messing up his work.
However, he will prescribe PT if needed, which I felt like I needed.
I am doing the prescribed exercises, but I needed a little help from my therapist because I also have spondilolisthesis.
Hope this helps.
Dee
Keep us informed on how it goes for you!
Welcome, Patrick! Your story matches mine very closely....the growth plate slippage....the slow decline. I, too, had good days and bad, with the bad slowly taking over. I was still running occasionally, but paying for it for a week. My ROM was worsening....I could hardly reach the foot to tie my shoe.
A couple things: I know you've read about it, but the whole process with Dr. Gross is so good and so efficient that you really have no reason to be afraid. I know that doesn't help much, but I believe when you wake up, you'll think, "Now I know why they all say to relax". He and his staff really are the best.
As for Dee Dee's comments about PT: I agree. I asked then for PT at four months, and it really helped. I didn't want to push it earlier, and I was already up to 60 minutes of exercise biking. But the PT can help bring back the smaller muscles much better.
You will be mountain biking with your kids next season, for sure. I got back on mine at 7 months with no problems. You'll do great!
I agree with DeeDee with regards to PT. I am under Mr Treacy in Birmingham and he is very conservative with his recommendations in the first 6 to 8 weeks. The PT that is prescribed is very simple (there is an excellent video on the simple Pt on the McMinn Centre web site)
http://www.mcminncentre.co.uk/rehabilitation.html (http://www.mcminncentre.co.uk/rehabilitation.html)
I have also found using the static bike tremendously beneficial as it stretched my tight inner thigh in the third week when I was in agony. Each time I finish on the bike I feel so tight and stable in my hip area which has encouraged me to walk further. I'm now 5 weeks post op and I'm gradually lowering my saddle height back to normal and dropping the handle bars so that I'm increasing the range of movement towards the 90 degree position (and past that once I'm allowed). Who know's, I might be able to get my socks on and tie my own shoelaces for Christmas!!
The countdown continues….4 weeks to go….
Dee Dee, Andy, and lycraman â€" Thanks for the info on the PT. I imagine by the 4 month mark I am going to really want to add in some more PT. I hope that the home PT will be just fine for the first 2 months and then maybe add in some stationary biking.
Andy, I have been re-reading over and over your line about mtn biking with my kids again next season. It is amazing how optimistic those simple words made me feel. Thanks for the encouragement!
That's what this forum is all about, I think.
There were points in my rehab, I admit, that -- at the time -- I thought I'd never be back to where I wanted to be soon enough. It was a little bit disheartening.
But, truly, if you keep doing the easy exercises every day and walking, you'll be good to go sooner than you think.
Next Monday, my wife and I will be mountain biking for 3 hours in the morning. I'm 10 months out. You'll be totally ready by the time the weather permits next spring/summer!
You have made the right decision. I went to McMinn in August last year and he was ready to operate straight away but I bottled it but McMinn said "you will be back soon" Had my op at the beggining of December. Wish I hadn't lost my nerve in the first place and got it done straight away, I just gave myself a few more months of pain discomfort and sleepless nights.
Good luck
Jas
Welcome Patrick. I used to live in Chapel Hill and still miss the great lifestyle in NC. My story was like yours and you will worry constantly for the next 8 weeks or so. I am now nine weeks post op and feel like I have a new lease of life. I walk with no limp and my range of motion is back to the same as my other leg. Still get the odd twinge every so often and still learning to trust my hip but overall the results are better than I could have hoped for.
Good luck
Patrick,
Very awesome that we are scheduled for Dr Gross on the same day. What are the odds of that and finding out prior? I sent you a PM. Good luck. My story is very close to yours with the activities, etc. I'm 45 so just a few years ahead of you. I can't believe it's almost 3 weeks away. I'm ready to get rid of this pain and all the crap that goes with it. And like you and very nervous. I'm specifically concerned about how the muscles heal.
blt
Patrick and BLT - good luck and keep smiling - you will be so much better in a few weeks
Countdown continues…..3 weeks out….with little hope of a miracle “New Hip in a Pill†being invented in the next 3 weeks, looks like I am very close to being another one in the club that annoys the TSA agents at airports. :)
Continued thanks to all for your great stories and support!
Patrick,
Good luck, it sounds like I am about a week or so behind you. I have my resurfacing on Nov. 20th. I also started with minor pain but in my left hip after work or playing with my boys in the yard. Although for me I know that this day would come. I also played sports as a youngster from Little League to street football (I am still amazed that we didn’t get hurt more or get hit by a car) not to mention the countless tree I fell out of as a kid. I also love to hike in the mountains. We recently built a cabin in the Franklin area of NC. I have hiked sections of the Appalachian Trail and throughout the national parks in the area. The last time I was up there I could barely walk down and back up our mountain road, about one mile and I needed a walking stick.
Like most, I had mostly good days with a few painful days a month and no limp. Then it got to the point that the bad days became more frequent and affected my work. I own my own company and my clients would ask if I got hurt because I began to limp more often. For me the pain just became part of my day and I didn’t realized how much I began to limp. I worked as a structural engineer for many years and decided at forty that I was going to start my own company but on the construction side of the business. So for the past 10 years I have carrying tens of thousands of pound of materials up high-rise buildings and climbed a mountain scaffolding not to mention the normal twists and falls that just happen.
Although I just turned 50 in September, it took me at less three to four years before I went to see an orthopedic surgeon. I live in Tampa and I am having Dr. Lyons doing the procedure. I first saw him about a year and a half ago and had my first x-rays of my hip. At that time I had very little space in the joint, almost bone on bone. This past September I had an appointment to see him again and to take an updated x-ray. Now no space in the joint, bone on bone. I told him that I think I can go another six month and maybe just get a shoot. He said I could have that done, but again he told me “you will know when you are readyâ€. That must be something they are taught in med school. Well I went home limping and thought to myself, why am I going to keep putting it off and be in pain. Not to mention the inability to do the things with my family. So the next day I call back to the office and ask when can the doc do the resurfacing.
So, Nov. 20th is the day. I can’t say I am scared but more apprehensive. I am looking forward to no more pain.
Well again good luck and hope to hear from you afterward.
Welcome to the site, rlm! sounds like it's the right time with you. Nov 29th is the two year anniversary of my second, so I'll be wishing good things for you.
I can tell you that the OA pain is gone right after the procedure, just the recovery pain, which I found to be completely different and manageable... and the best thing is that it goes away. Good luck.
Countdown continues....2 weeks out....Anything you all wish you had (or maybe had not) done in the last 2 weeks before your surgery?
Hi RLM â€" Nice to hear your story too. It doesn’t take too long reading these hip stories to notice all the common trends. That really helped me make my decision. The NC mountain area around Franklin is gorgeous. It would be a great place to spend a few weeks resting and recovering! Hope your procedure goes smoothly.
Patrick,
I'm right there with you...two weeks from today. I'm going to try to run a few times prior to surgery as I know I wont be able to for some time. Other than that I'm just trying to keep my sanity from all the nervousness.
Good Luck and see you in Columbia,
Brad
One week to go.....any last week thoughts or suggestions?
Quote from: patrick_d on November 07, 2012, 05:03:03 PM
One week to go.....any last week thoughts or suggestions?
First two weeks kind of suck, but things start to get much better after that.
That being said, here are some of the good things that you can look forward to:
- The hospital staff people are usually really nice.
- Hospital food is pretty good these days.
- People are really nice to you when they see you hobbling around on crutches.
- You'll see improvements just about every single day.
- Your pain will be managed very well and the post surgery discomfort will be pretty minimal.
scolis0713
Congratulations on the new hip. I look forward to reading your post as you recover. Would you start your story under the Hip Stories section, please. It is nice to find the stories in one place when new people are learning about resurfacing. Also nice to watch your story progress. Good Luck.
Patrick
You time will be soon. Just keep positive and think about all the things you will be doing next summer. Everyone worries a bit, but best to plan on what to do with the new hip than all the things that could possibly go wrong. There really are many, especially when you use the top surgeons like Dr. Mont.
Good Luck to you both.
Pat
Patrick,
See you in Columbia. It's funny how being a week out and I'm telling myself that my hip is not that bad, maybe I should wait. I guess it's normal to have doubts leading up to the event. Can't wait to be an old fart with a new part. I'm telling my kids that I'm going to be refurbished.
Brad
Islandcatt and Pat â€" Thanks for all the comments. I have sort of resigned myself to the fact that the first 2 weeks are not going to be fun. I talked to a buddy of mine that had his hip done about 2 years ago and asked him about that first week and he said it was mostly a blur and a distant memory. He has long since moved on with the rest of his life, best to focus on that part.
scolis0713 â€" Very glad to hear that things went so well for you. Dr. Gross uses a spinal and sedation too, so I hope to be in a very similar situation. Hope the recovery continues to progress nicely
Brad â€" I get it, if I have a minute when it doesn't hurt I think maybe I have not waited long enough….then all I have to do is try to walk with a normal stride and let it catch once and those worries go away! I have been telling folks I am going to be bionic, sounds impressive even if it is not exactly true! See you in Columbia.
Patrick, the way I viewed it was that it was a new beginning, and like all beginnings, it has its fits and starts.
The best thing about it all is the complete absence of OA pain. No more grinding, mouth twisting, no sleep and always getting worse pain. There is no more of that after.
What you do have is the pain and discomfort from the surgery. It's not fun, and we all recuperated at our own pace, but the progress is there, it is a palpable feeling that things are getting better.
There was no feeling for me that there was something foreign in me, it was more like a release from the hell of some alien thing eating my hip. I could keep telling you how it feels so much better, but in the end, each of us had to experience that blessed relief even though other things are in play the first two weeks.
Good luck, I know you'll be able to tell the difference and will enjoy that part of it, even if the other parts are hard.
Patrick-
Not long to go now- dig in for those first couple of weeks. I think they are just about getting sleep when you can and staying comfortable.
Some lucky people seem to breeze through it but I found it hard at times, like many others on here.
I wouldn't have wanted to do it without being able to log on here and read all about people going through the same thing, knowing it wasn't just me watching some crappy horror film at 4.30am then sleeping in the afternoon!
Look forward to reading about your progress, Mike.
"He said I could have that done, but again he told me “you will know when you are readyâ€.
I think it's called jedi med school.
RLM - when you take your first hike in the woods after full recovery, I bet it will seem almost spiritual. Keep thinking about that as you get closer to the surgery date. I think Hern put it well in that this is the start of a new journey, I'll add, one without pain. Along the lines of what Pat said, for both Patrick and RLM and Blt- as you get closer to sugery, and if you get more anxious, (we all do), you should try to find some confidence in that you've made it this far and you've chosen a good surgeon. Let them do the what they do best and just put you trust and faith in them and you'll be fine.
Good luck fellas
Patrick and Brad,
Good luck this week. Today is day 5 with my new Corin hip resurfacing devise put in by Dr. Mont in Baltimore. If I can help with any questions feel free to ask. I have my story under subject "Hip resurfacing with Dr. Mont".
Scott
One more day.....headed down to Columbia, SC this morning. Catch you all on the flip side.
You won't believe how seamless the whole thing is. You'll be totally fine.
Just make sure you take the meds on schedule for at least the first week. If it's a pill every 4 hours, or every 12 hours, take it! If you don't, then by the time you realize you should have, you'll have a pretty miserable couple of hours. That was my biggest mistake, since I'm not a pill popper. I still weaned from all but Tylenol by day 10, but those first 7 days or so......I stayed on track (after my mistakes).
Looking forward to your post where you say "Dr. Gross is the best", and "it was way easier than I thought".
Good Luck. Looking forward to your posts after you have a new hip!
Pat
Pat;
If my math is right you're either in prep or recovering, hope you're doing well and enjoying the outlook for all better really soon. Let us know when you get a chance, you are in extremely good hands.
Ice, stay ahead of the pain, do the exercises and follow the restrictions. Try not to let the narcs get you bound up too bad.
Dan
Good luck, Patrick...