25 May 2009
Today my left BHR is five years old. It is one of those landmarks that I think is worth celebrating, like 6 weeks (driving again), 6 months (the occasional jog) and a year.
I thought you might be interested in how it went.
I’d been a keen runner since the early 80s but back in 1999 and 2000 I’d been getting increasing pain in my left hip. It got to the stage where I could only do 3 or 4 mile runs, a few times a week. I kept a training diary and the final entry on 14 April 2000 says “no more running – doctor’s orders”. The final run on 12th April was a mile in 5.23.0 – not too bad at age 46 with a dodgy hip.
I moved into the gym onto cross trainers and the concept two rower, and outside on my mountain bike round hilly local lanes. Gradually the hip got worse and the pain increased. People started noticing my severe limp.
I started researching hip replacements. I wanted to remain as active as I could and found information about BHRs. Using the National Health Service here in England I got access to consultant surgeons but they could only offer THRs in my area of the country. I tried various letters to see if I could get access to BHRs in another part of the country, with no success.
In 2003/2004 I started looking at paying for it myself as I was in the very lucky position of having a nest egg of savings I could use. I paid for a private consultation and found a surgeon within a few miles of my home. I also considered options in Belgium and India but decided that I preferred the local option and the operation was scheduled for 25 May 2004.
The operation went well and I got on with my recovery. I gradually built up my brisk walking to about 6 miles. I got back on the exercise bike and the rower. At six months I did the occasional run, some outdoors, some on the treadmill. I built up to doing a 3000 metre track race in just under 15 minutes.
The surgeon had looked at my right hip and he thought it would probably need a BHR in 2006. With that in mind, I decided to stop running in an attempt to preserve the right hip.
As time went by I had to cut back on the walking as the right hip got more painful and I started limping on that side. Going back to the surgeon in 2008 he felt that the time was right to put a BHR in that one. Fortunately they were now available on the NHS and I wouldn’t have to pay for it.
On 19 March 2008 I got a BHR on my right side from the same surgeon. That one is now into its second year.
Am I happy with them? Absolutely. I get minor tweaks and aches but they are from exercising not from arthritic bones. The masters athletes I coach in track and field get aches and pains from their training – it goes with the territory.
Do I regret paying for my first hip? Absolutely not. Whatever happens, it was money well spent.
Best wishes to all current and potential hippies.
Ed
Topic: 25 May 2009 - my left BHR is 5 years old today. (Read 2288 times)
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