Hello from a new hippy

[AndyB]

Hello all

Just like to say what a brilliant forum.  I did a little bit of surfing prior to having the surgery done but have only just found this forum and it's fab!

I'm 50 years old and have just had a left hip resurface, the UK NHS have been absolutely fabulous, my GP asked where I would like to see a consultant and living in Birmingham I didn't really have to think too hard...  I've had the procedure at the Royal Orthopedic Hospital in Birmingham and the op was performed by Mr Andrew Pearson.  I went in on Weds 12th Dec and was up on frame the following day.  Walking on two sticks by 11.00am on the 14th and home by 5.00pm that day.  The hospital run a community scheme (ROCS - Royal Orthopedic Community Scheme) where if you live in Birmingham and have someone at home who can look after you, they visit you and check on your recovery etc.  Good as gold the nurse came out on the Saturday - found out her former partner was someone I knew and so had a good talk/put the world to rights etc. (such a small world) and she said everything is fine and was formally discharged with a back up of 24hr phone cover.  Talk about quick - what a brilliant system.

I've got little bits of post op swelling but as its only 10 days post op am not too worried.  Just looking forward to getting mobility back and being able to walk the dog (2yr old Great Dane called Juno).

I'm now going to sit and surf back through some of the posts and build up my knowledge on this process.

Brilliant forum well done

Andy B
Birmingham
UK

 

[Maggie]

Hi Andy
congrats on the new hip. Nice to hear from a fellow UK resident! I am 45 and I had my left hip resurfacing 5 weeks ago in Oswestry - it has been life changing to say the least. I'm from Brum originally (living near Chester now) and my husband and I were only saying this morning how lucky we are to have such a great hospital so close by, as you are too. Reading about the struggles people have to get this done elsewhere, especially the US, I can only say thank heavens for the NHS! I'm impressed that you were home so quickly, I had 4 nights in post op, though I could have got home a day earlier if my support network here at home had been ready. As I'm sure you've noticed, early on the improvement is hour to hour and even now I feel better every day. Being without hip pain is wonderful, all I need now is the knees sorting and I'd be running marathons!!! Actually not in hurry to do the knees, I am hoping that they may settle a little now I am not shuffling and limping all the time!
I look forward to hearing how you progress, maybe you will write something for the blogs, and wish you a merry Christmas and a healthy, painfree, dog walking (actually you could probably ride a great dane!) 2008.

All good wishes

Maggie

[Pat Walter]

Hi Andy

Congratulations on being a Surface Hippy!  Glad you found my Hip Talk.

That's the purpose of the group - to help new people learn about hip resurfacing and help others thru their post op recoveries.  It is great to hear from people doing well post op.

I am in the US, but went to Dr. De Smet in Belgium to have my hip resurfacing because I did not have insurance and could not afford surgery in the US. Belgium was wonderful and so was Dr. De Smet and crew.  I would do it again if I ever needed my other hip done.

Europe is lucky to have lots and lots of experienced hip resurfacing surgeons along with Canada and Australia and some of the other overseas countries.  The US is lagging behind, but we finally have the BHR FDA approved.

Please keep in touch and feel free to post your recovery story. 

Good luck and I hope your recovery continues smoothly.  I came home to 16 dogs after my hip resurfacing.  I stayed in Belgium 10 days post op then flew back home.  I was worried about the dogs, but they seem to understand that you are moving a bit slowly.  The elbow crutches also make them wonder what you are up to.

Keep in Touch.

Merry Christmas and have a great 2008 with a great new hip!

Pat  Webmaster/Owner Surface Hippy

[AndyB]

Pat

I know what you mean - Juno is quite nervous of just one walking stick! although she is starting to accept it a little.

I hadn't realised just how fortunate we are with this hip resurface process, I suppose though when I think about it I have two good friends who were both part of the trial process , one of them goes back years to the very very first trials (he was in his mid30s and now is early 70s).  I would imagine that it helps living in Birmingham and having the thing developed 'just down the road'.  Birmingham was always known as a centre for metal working although perhaps more in the order of steam trains and drain covers etc!  When I saw the surgeon in August and he said BHR for you, I never even gave it a second thought other than 'hooray I can get my life back'

Maggie

It is nice to think that the NHS is still up there - I had private medical cover for years but always resented the amount it cost and have always believed in the NHS.  Yes I know it suffers lots of bad press and some of our local hospitals have a pretty poor MRSA records but it usually comes though for you.  Oswestry is another one of those well known orthopaedics ( I seem to remember it always did well with motorcycle crash victims and that most of the in house wheelchairs were covered with motorcycle stickers back in the 70s)

Whereabouts in Brum where you? - I've lived in Hall Green the past 20 odd years although my wife who is Brummie born and bred always claims that I am a Warwickshire 'foreigner' as I was born just outside brum at Martson Green and lived Kingshurst/Castle Brom and had a mile walk to get a yellow bus (or in proper Brum should that be a buzz?)

Happily post on a blog - the speed that I seem to be recovering at is just brilliant - went for a walk yesterday - I don't even have any muscle memory of the limp/gait that I had pre op.  It's just nice to be able to put one foot in front of the other rather than one foot seeming to go forwards normally and my bad hip side walking with my foot sticking out to the left.

Merry Christmas all (although I'm really happy with my early Christmas present - even if it wasn't wrapped!)

Andy B

[Maggie]

Hi Andy

it sounds like you are doing great! If you've read my hip story then you'll know that Prof Richardson has a 3+3 week rule on recovery, in the first 3 weeks you do as much weight bearing and walking as possible, I was walking around the village from day 7, and off crutches around the house from about day 14, but in the second 3 weeks you go back on the crutches, stay at home and keep off the hip as much as possible. To say I am finding that challenging would be an understatement!!!! I am raring to go and can't wait for the next week to pass, I keep forgetting the crutches and set off to do something then have to go back for the crutches (sorry Prof if you are reading this!)
I am originally from Alum Rock and went to Saltley Grammar in Bordesley Green, as you will know the area is somewhat "changed" these days..... I have been "up north" for over 20 years and I can't imagine I'll live in Brum again, but with my Mum, brother and many friends there I visit often.
Are you/were you a biker? My husband has a Triumph and I am really hoping I'll be able to ride pillion again this coming year, having not managed it for about 3 years now.
I get cross when people moan about the NHS, sure it has its faults, and I spent time on a less than clean orthopaedic ward locally having some wrist surgery a couple of years back, but as you say they come through when you need them. Oswestry was so clean you could eat off the bathroom floor if you were so inclined and it has come 1st or 2nd in the cleanest operating theatres world tables for 27 years, you couldn't ask for more. You're right, we have had the perfect Christmas gift....

Best wishes

Maggie

[AndyB]

Maggie

the 3 + 3 rule sounds interesting and yes I can belive as frustrating as hell...  Isn'y it interesting that with what would appear to be a fairly standard procedure you get so many variations.

My mother was from Burney Lane just opposite the pub (can't remember which one) and my son play rugby for Camp Hill and we regularly play Old Salts - you are right though it has changed beyond beliefe round there.  Hall Green is still pretty much as is though.

Motorcycling hmmm... I'm half sure that's what helped wear the dammed thing out in the first place.  I was a traffic motorcyclist working out of Solihull for 12 years and probably on and off a bike 50 0r 60 times a day (constantly swivelling on my left hip)  It was when I rode that I really noticed that my hip was painfull - I retired in Nov 06 and as I had worked alongside driving school quite a bit - my treat for my last day was to take out a new K1200 BMW in full police spec - ride out in the leafy lanes of Warwickshire and have breakfast then ride back as part of a school training run on blues and sirens just about as fast as it would go.  I was in absolute agony when I got back but with a stupid great ear to ear grin.

I have just bought an old R80 BMW to potter with for the next few months (takes things off - polish - put them back - in the way that motorcyclists do) and am looking forward to taking it out in the summer.  I still have a lot of connections with the Bikesafe campaign and would like to stay part of that.  My first 'walk out' was as far as Sherwoods motorcycle shop - round the new showroom and then back home.

Good for you though, get out with your husband and enjoy the bike, let's just hope the summer is a bit kinder this year.

best wishes

Andy B