Jason’s Hip Resurfacing with Mr. McMinn 2011

July 17, 2012

I had my right BHR on the 6th December 2011 by Mr McMinn everything was going to plan (probably a bit too well) and 7.5 weeks after surgery I had a trip and the impact crushed the head of my femur under the cap. When I went for my eight week check up you could see the implant had moved by 1 cm towards the neck. I having dinosaur feeling capabilities walked in to the appointment unaided but knowing I was a bit lopsided. To be told I was walking on a broken leg and to quit weight bearing immediately. As a child I suffered from Perthes in both hips and I am presuming when it comes to pain in that area I can blank it off pretty well. I knew I had had some shooting pains down my leg and it was really uncomfortable the night I did it but just thought I had jarred it a bit.
6 months after fracture I am now walking with one stick and think I am about to become the first person in the UK to repair from such a fracture. Mr McMinn told me he knew of only two cases documented in Australia of people with the same fracture as me who have recovered.
When I went to see him three months after the fracture (in which time I had been non weight bearing), he was shocked that it hadn’t crumbled but the Cap had remained in place. I have been steadily increasing the weight bearing and am still in tact. I was very close to being one of Mr McMinns very few failures but now hope to be a success. I am a big guy 45 years old 6 2 and weigh 18.5 stone. I swim 1000 metres breastsroke daily and now cycle to work. I think that may have helped my recovery. I think the most important part of my recovery is probably well balanced nutrition. Bucket of red meat washed down with a bucket of red wine. Got to have a bucket of each other wise it would not be balanced.

My Brother had a LBHR 12 years ago at the age of 35 and became a third Dan at Karate in December.

August 20, 2012

Had my first proper Lifeboat shout last night since my problems. Paged 21.36 ran to car drove to station ran to locker got kitted up and was second crewman on the boat. What a buzz to be back and useful again. Small fishing boat had lost all power in the shipping lane off Great Yarmouth. It was pitch black and she had no lights. Got alongside her within 15 minutes of the shout. Got the engine going and escorted them safely to Harbour.
I feel so alive right now and so positive lets hope everything has stuck together properly.
 

August 26, 2012

For the first time in years I can honestly say I have walked to Carrow road from the train station and back with no pain at all in my right hip. It is only 0.6 miles each way but it was great to stroll along at a good pace with my fellow Norwich fans without feeling like an old man. I carried my stick just in case but didn’t need it. Today I thought maybe I might have discomfort but none in my operated hip at all. The left is a bit niggly now and was when walking but that is because it has a bit of OA in it but nothing I can’t handle at the moment. Can’t believe how bad my left felt when I was weight bearing for three months solely on that leg. Now I can take weight on my bionic side the left has eased off a lot as per McMinn’s prediction. I am starting to think that guy might know what he is talking about. Wish i had listened to him in the first palce then I wouldn’t have fractured my head to start with.

November 18, 2012

I went Ten Pin bowling yesterday for the first time in years. I had been practicing on the Wii and was most disapointed to find out that despite the fact I can get 5 strikes in a row at home, things change when you have a 14lb ball in your hand. I originally payed for on game but then had to have another with only minor discomfort when bowling. A bit tender all around my hip today especially at the top of my right buttock.
But thats one little thing I can do with My boys again and afterwards we went to Carrow road and watched the mighty Norwich City beat some little team from Manchester who wear red.

December 4, 2012

My Bro had his left BHR 12 years ago, he works six days a week mostly on his feet and is a Third Dan at Karate (awarded this year) So I think that makes it pretty durable with cement. He is right handed so the left leg is the one he is normally pivoting on when kicking people in the head.

December 6, 2012

One year since surgery for us both.

Bit achey today but had three hard days at work on the trot with long hours on my feet lots of twisting and turning. Up and down stairs shifting beer barrels and boxes of wine.

Got my check up in January because that will be a year since fracture so I think I might claim an extra Birthday out of that one.

January 18, 2013

I have just seen Mr McMinn 1 year after I managed to crush the head of my femur under the BHR cap. I am now walking fine unassisted and have permission to do all normal activities but not sports other than cycling or swimming. Mr McMinn said that the fact that the implant has stayed in place this long indicates that bone regrowth must have occured under the cap but that my head is obviously deformed. He said that he was a lot more confident than he was but we started at a very bad place and the longer I go keeping intact the more likely it is that it will stay that way. I think he is still very surprised that I have made it this far. So back to grouting out the swimming pool it is for me.
 

February 13, 2013

Mr McMinn told me at my last check up that I could get on with my life as normal but because of my crush fracture I must not do sports which include running and I MUST NOT OVER DO IT.

So off I go getting on with my life lifting up a chocolate vending machine and carrying round the corner. Ooops over did it both hips uncomfortable and back caning for a week.
Hips got better back got better.
So off I go on a Sea Survival course, being the strongest swimmer in the group I was the first man to get to the raft and right it then preceeded to pull 12 other people into the raft with me.

Oops over did it again, this time though it was just my left hip which has not been done yet giving me grief and keeping me awake.

Trouble is getting on with my normal life includes doing things that Mr McMinn probably hasn’t thought about.

What is over doing it? I was out on the lifeboat last friday, is walking along a deck whilst the boat is bouncing along at 35 knotts normal or overdoing it? For a lifeboat man it is normal.
That didn’t play me up.

Don’t think he should have told me to get on with my normal life. I shift furniture lift beer kegs work 70+ hours a week a lot on my feet and volunteer as a Lifeboat man.

March 6, 2013

It has been over a year now since my crush fracture occured. I have been back to see the Maestro McMinn and he has told me that I have been very lucky so far my head has obviously reformed but will be deformed. The cap has remained in the same place since I tripped and I have now been given permission to get on with my life normally but no running or sports.
He said I started from a very bad place and still wasn’t totally confident it would still not come off but said to just get on with life.
Got to go back in a year.
So I am doing what I do working 6 days a week 10-14 hours a day as well as being a Volunteer Lifeboat Crewman.
Although I am not allowed to run I may have walked extremely fast a few times when the pager has gone off but please nobody tell McMinn. So far so very good I get the odd clunk and twinge but normally when I do extra silly things. Oh yeah and I sort of kind of walked quite quick on a Rugby pitch with my son to help him practice his passing at speed.
 

June 2, 2013

It has only taken 18 months to work it out but after a really hard Swim where I added some sprints into my usual 1000 metres, I noticed that I was clunking with every step. No pain or noise but I could feel it. I drank three pintsa of water sat in my office and did some work, got up and clunking ceased.
De-hydration.