Having BHR on May 7,a little scared

[tcarroll]

Well here i go,counting down the day's till May 7,and yes i am scared.I am 50 and my hip is shot.So i have been putting this off now for about four years.So guy's and girl's say a prayer for me.And i will keep yall informed on my progress.

Thank's

Tim

[bothdone]

Hi Tim

I can still remember laying there the night before my first BHR wondering how it would be - it is a big step.  I'm sure you've thought through things and assessed your current condition, and how it affects your life.   

I remember waking up after both operations and realising one thing straight away - the old hip pain had gone.   OK, there were lots of hills to climb after that, but, for me, its been really worth it.   I'm sure lots of people would say the same for themselves

I hope everything goes really well for you.     

Ed

[resurface]

Tim

Hi.  I am set for May 6th [first up for the day] and have the same feelings! Anything less is likely not normal.

Best wishes...

[PaulUK]

I guess I'm lucky(?) as I'm booked for a BHR with the UK National Health Service on 4th May, and all I'm worrying about at present is if they are going to cancel my appointment for the second time. If I make it to the weekend, I guess I will then start worrying about the actual operation!

[Pat Walter]

Hi Tim

Everyone has those nervous thoughts before surgery.  I was in such pain, I looked forward to getting my resurfacing.  I flew from Ohio in the US to Belgium to have my hip resurfacing with Dr. De Smet since he was so experinced.  I also did not have insurance.  So on top of being nervous about the surgery, I had an 8 1/2 hour flight to a new country where everyone did not speak English. Checking into the hospital was interesting with the woman speaking broken English.  I started to wonder if I did the right thing. But I knew many people, thru emails and discussion group, that had gone before me.  So I was comforted by that. 

So we are all wondering should I be doing this, is it right?  It is if you are in pain and want to get back to a normal life.  Focus on what you are going to be doing this summer with that new hip.  You will start being active again and out of pain.  Great thing to think about.

I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.  Looking forward to hearing about your surgery.

Pat

[tcarroll]

Well here i go,counting down the day's till May 7,and yes i am scared.I am 50 and my hip is shot.So i have been putting this off now for about four years.So guy's and girl's say a prayer for me.And i will keep yall informed on my progress.

Thank's

Tim

I want to thank yall for all your responses,and i will stay in touch.I will pray for those upcoming surgery.

Thank's Again

[markkenter]

I am sure your anxiety level is up there. I met with Dr mont recently and a BHR offer is on the table. I was relieved to hear it at first because others really didnt want to address my AVN like Dr Mont has. But suddenly I find myselef hesitant to make the decision even though daily living is becoming difficult.

My hesistancy is probably due to what seems to be that  so many patiensts  still have ROM issues or they do ok for a year and then some pain returns. I had  had to remove myseef from another resurfacing group because I receive a hundred emails a day and so many of them are posts about ROM issues, recurring pain, not being able to put on socks after a year, etc.  It was driving me nuts and making me quite nervous.

[Pat Walter]

Hi Mark

I wanted to mention that often it is the people having problems that tend to write and complain more - which I definitely understand.  The other people that have recovered and are doing fine have moved on and are enjoying their life with their new hip/s.   They don't usually hang around long on the discussion groups.  There are many, many more people with great outcomes than those with problems.  I just wanted to remind you of that.

Again, as you have read, a lot depends on what surgeon you use.  Some surgeon's patients seem to have more problems and slower recoveries than others.  Much depends on their surgical approach and skill.  I was with 8 other patients in Belgium when I had mine done and we all had the same, fast easy recovery.  We spent 9 days together and only one person had swelling and required icing.  That was because we were all sight seeing 5 days post op and she just did too much.

So it is good to read the stories of the different surgeons and see how the patient outcomes are.  I have a lot of patient stories on the main part of the website.

Please don't let the problem stories keep you from having your surgery.  If you judge the safety of our country by the amount of murders reported on TV - you would never leave your house.  Or the hype from a plane accident - you would never fly.  During this time of easy communication via media and internet - we often get much more of the negative and bad.  That is just the way people seem to like to report.  The most unhappy have a great forum for complaining - many are justified, while others aren't.

Don't continue to live a life in pain and inactivity becasue of some negative stories.  Concentrate on the positive and get back into life.

Pat

[DirkV]

Hi Tim, Mark, and Pat,
This thread seems to ask for some "silent majority" input. I'm a little over 2 years post op, and the resurfacing has given me back an active life.
From a successful surgery perspective, it's almost scary how you forget how hobbled you were beforehand. I think that's one reason why I continue to monitor this site...lest I forget and take the blessings of this surgery for granted.
Pat, you mentioned human nature and issue of problem cases getting more coverage on these message boards. It's certainly true that this interface is a boon for people are dealing with problems. It's a great resource for all resurfacing patients - both with positive and not-so great outcomes.
As somebody with a successful outcome, I can say that I'm also somewhat reluctant to discuss my good fortune (or expected fortune, given the success percentages) for concern of exacerbating sorrow of those who have had bad fortune.
Regarding the concern of ROM, I think it's relative. That was and is my biggest struggle, but I played hockey goaltender from grade school through college and then mens leagues, and that activity requires fairly extreme rom. I'm not big on spending hours in the gym training specific muscles. So on the one hand, I know that my rom is still not what it was 10 years ago. But I also know that I'm 10 yrs older. I started playing hockey again (at age 49 now) and I'm very pleased with how it's coming back.
Here's my current resurfacing good thought. For most of my post-op mindset, I've been focused on capabilities - can I do this? can I do that? The great news it that, yes, after resurfacing you can. What I'd forgotten was the pain. It's so great to get up out of a chair, get on/off a bike, take those first 5 steps, and not have accompanying pain.
Good luck to all with upcoming surgeries, may you regain an active, pain-free life. Keep lookin' up,
-Dirk

[sharleen]

Hi Tim - I had my BHR done 9 days ago! I was like you, but I would imagine a lot worse as I became totally paranoid about the whole thing even thinking at one point that I was going to die under the anesthetic!I can assure you from my point of view the worst thing is waiting those last few days! I have been home now for 5 days. I have not had one iota of pain and in fact only used the morphine pump once to see what it was like, apart from that I haven't needed anything. I have gone from a walker to crutches and would imagine I will soon be on a walking stick. NO PAIN!!!!This is the best thing you will ever have done. I go tomorrow to have the clamps out and from there on I hope just plain sailing.
All the best
Sharleen

[fenceman]

I have said a prayer for you TCarrol. It is scary to think about,  but the actual procedure was not bad.  I had a spinal and then an IV that kept me under.   The only part I remember is when they were finished sewing me up.  The spinal did not hurt, and the IV was just a pinch.  It was worse to watch the nurse sticking in the IV than the actual pain so I do not watch.

 I am 19 months out and one of those success stories. My hip is still improving even after this long.  I too was a daily visitor before hand and for 6 months after.  Every time I had a odd pain or strange clunk I would post my worry here or read about someone else who had the same noise and found out it was normal.  I am making an effort to be a regular poster for the positive stories on BHR. 

I would like to thank Pat for hosting this medium.  You probably will not know how many people you help everyday. 

[sharleen]

Fenceman - you are so right about this web site. I have logged on for God knows how many hours and my mind has been put to rest about so many issues. Thank you Pat Walker!!!!!