Osteoarthritis

[Nemo2]

Started playing golf again and almost back to my old game!

Oh no, golf isn't mandatory is it? If it is, I'll have to rethink the op.

 

[Nemo2]

Probably better to wait until Spring fi the pain isn't tooo terrible. I had mine done in May and I can't imagine how I would have managed if I had to go out in snow/ice. Maybe you have means to get appropriate assistance but many don't.

Pain isn't really a factor, (as my maternal grandmother used to say about me when I was a kid - "No sense, no feeling"), it's being mobility restricted that pisses me off.

Besides.....the travel hourglass sand is almost all at the bottom now, and there are so many places I still want to see.

 

[Nemo2]

Met with the surgeon..(about 5 minutes)....I'm on the list.....slower production line 'due to Covid', so it may be early Spring...but if he gets more O.R. time...or..or..

The wait begins.

Oh...and I was told I'm only 5'11" now...what the? This old age thing, you get ripped off at every turn!

 

[Chuckanut]

Pain isn't really a factor, (as my maternal grandmother used to say about me when I was a kid - "No sense, no feeling"), it's being mobility restricted that pisses me off.

Besides.....the travel hourglass sand is almost all at the bottom now, and there are so many places I still want to see.

+1

My world was shrinking more and more every month as the inability to simply walk about kept me away from people and events.

 

[Sue J]

For my hip replacement last year I had a 2 month wait, which felt like a long time. When I had the first hip done in 2014 I was very lucky. The morning when I saw the orthopedist they had just had a patient cancel who was scheduled 10 days later. They told me if I was able to take that previous patients pre-op testing dates and the scheduled hip class that I could have my surgery in ten days. I was willing and able to get it all done and they also worked to make it happen.

I just saw my 2019 orthopedist for a 1 year followup. We talked about how the Covid thing has affected our area. He told me that all elective surgeries were put on hold for about 6 weeks in the spring and that they are still getting caught up.

Good luck, Nemo. I hope it happens soon.

 

[aja8888]

Met with the surgeon..(about 5 minutes)....I'm on the list.....slower production line 'due to Covid', so it may be early Spring...but if he gets more O.R. time...or..or..

The wait begins.

Oh...and I was told I'm only 5'11" now...what the? This old age thing, you get ripped off at every turn!

Last year when I had my second hip replaced, I was measured at 5' 10"! A couple of years earlier, I was 5' 11" ........Nemo, you are catching up to me.

Let me know when you reach 5' 8". Then I will let you know where I am on the tape!

 

[Nemo2]

the scheduled hip class

The surgeon's assistant mentioned 'hip class' in passing today....and here I thought I was going to be hanging out with the cool kids!

 

[Nemo2]

Let me know when you reach 5' 8".

She misread the tape the first go around and said I was 5'9"!! That generated a reaction lemme tell ya!

 

[aja8888]

The surgeon's assistant mentioned 'hip class' in passing today....and here I thought I was going to be hanging out with the cool kids!

For my second hip job, I attended a mandatory hip class. It was real informative, but kind of old news for me.

The first hip job 11 years ago, there was no class before surgery. As a matter of fact, it was just a pre-op physical and then jump on the table for the slicing, drilling, cutting, hammering, etc!

 

[Nemo2]

So, (addressed to the 'hip veterans'), the recovery period sounds like a real downer.."Can't do this, can't do that, can't do...."

How'd you get through it?

 

[Koogie]

Must not make obvious Canadian joke....
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will you be Tragically Hip ?

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damn. Couldn't resist.

 

[Nemo2]

Must not make obvious Canadian joke....
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.
.
.
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will you be Tragically Hip ?

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damn. Couldn't resist.

They are/were from DW's hometown, 50 miles from here, but probably not.

 

[Ronstar]

In the late 70's I had bone chips removed from a knee. Doc said that I would have arthritis in that knee when I got older. I have a little bit in that knee, more in my right thumb and a bunch in my right big toe.

Right big toe is difficult to bend, and painful some days, not others. Doc said that there is a lot of arthritis in that toe. Maybe she can take some of it out when she straightens out in a couple of weeks. Quit running a couple weeks ago, but the toe is not improving.

 

[aja8888]

So, (addressed to the 'hip veterans'), the recovery period sounds like a real downer.."Can't do this, can't do that, can't do...."

How'd you get through it?

My recovery from both hip replacements that were done with the anterior procedure was quite painless and I was back to driving a car in 10 days and walking 5,000+ steps in a week. No muscles were cut in this procedure.

My incision was a 4" one on the front side of the hip area. I was home from the hospital the next day after surgery and walking around the house and outside with some support (one of those walker things, borrowed). On day 10, I drove (by myself) to the Doc's office for my follow up and a couple of x-rays were taken and the bandage on the incision was removed. The stitches were self dissolving.

I'll say that I was "fully"recovered in 3 months @ age 76 surgery (leg strong again and back to 10,000+ steps per day and playing golf). From what I can remember, when I had the first hip replaced 11 years earlier, I recovered a bit quicker. (I was 65 at the time)

Seeing you are going to have another procedure, someone else will have to comment on the recovery. But even still, the bone stuff is easy, it's the soft tissues and muscles (if they cut them) that require the healing.

I also think if you are pretty healthy going into the surgery, you will have an easier time recovering. Hip replacements are not nearly as rough on recovery as a total knee is.

 

[JoeWras]

I'll say that I was "fully"recovered in 3 months @ age 76 surgery (leg strong again and back to 10,000+ steps per day and playing golf).

You had surgery at 76? Hmmm, in another thread, someone was discussing an article where the author wanted to die by 75.

I kind of checked out of that thread after reading it. My dad had his major replacement surgeries at 72, 74, 82 and 84. He lived another 6 years mostly pain free. 4 of those years were high quality before mild dementia and CHF took over.

He had a great life from 75 to 85. I can't imagine our world without these surgeries. I'm heartened to hear they are improving the process.

 

[Nemo2]

You had surgery at 76? ..........//.........

He had a great life from 75 to 85. I can't imagine our world without these surgeries. I'm heartened to hear they are improving the process.

I'll be ~ 78 1/2 (if I don't croak beforehand), by the time I get the hip replacement....the sooner the better...too much left to do/see.

 

[Chuckanut]

He had a great life from 75 to 85. I can't imagine our world without these surgeries. I'm heartened to hear they are improving the process.

MIL had hip replacement surgery in her mid 70's and lived another 10 years. While she had pain, sometimes a lot, until the last 3 months of her life she was able to live on her own with only help from her kids. Without the surgery I imagine she would have needed a lot of extra help from professionals. The cost over 10 years might have exceeded the cost of the surgery.

 

[W2R]

There are enough anecdotes in this thread that I won't hesitate to add another.

I was having extraordinary pain in my hip and it got so bad I was using a cane just to get from one room to another at home. Saw one of the best orthos in town who took X-rays, and then an MRI to confirm what he saw. Called it moderate to severe osteoarthropathy and listed all sorts of complications that made it worse.

His comment was that I could get a hip replacement any time I was ready for it, and that I was "definitely on track for one, sooner rather than later." Well, being the stubborn cuss I am, I didn't feel "ready" for it, so I just decided to give it the old fashioned treatment, meaning lots of rest and no stress on it.

About six months later I felt good enough to start jogging again, and after a year I was doing three miles about three times a week. That was five years ago and I'm now running 4-5 miles usually five times a week. The pain I experienced back then has never returned.

I'm sure the good doctor saw what he said he saw, but I've always believed that the body has some marvelous healing powers of its own.

Frank has been told that he, too, is going to need hip replacement surgery whenever he feels he is ready for it. He is trying your method, though, and after months of rest at home due to the pandemic, lately he has been walking several miles each day without much pain at all. It does really seem to be helping his hip pain! Maybe eventually he'll have it replaced, but he doesn't feel the need for that surgery at the moment. I read your post to him and it was very encouraging for him.

 

[aaronc879]

My recovery from both hip replacements that were done with the anterior procedure was quite painless and I was back to driving a car in 10 days and walking 5,000+ steps in a week. No muscles were cut in this procedure.

My incision was a 4" one on the front side of the hip area. I was home from the hospital the next day after surgery and walking around the house and outside with some support (one of those walker things, borrowed). On day 10, I drove (by myself) to the Doc's office for my follow up and a couple of x-rays were taken and the bandage on the incision was removed. The stitches were self dissolving.

I'll say that I was "fully"recovered in 3 months @ age 76 surgery (leg strong again and back to 10,000+ steps per day and playing golf). From what I can remember, when I had the first hip replaced 11 years earlier, I recovered a bit quicker. (I was 65 at the time)

Seeing you are going to have another procedure, someone else will have to comment on the recovery. But even still, the bone stuff is easy, it's the soft tissues and muscles (if they cut them) that require the healing.

I also think if you are pretty healthy going into the surgery, you will have an easier time recovering. Hip replacements are not nearly as rough on recovery as a total knee is.

I did not recover well from my hip replacement despite being just 38 when it was done almost 2.5 years ago. Out of curiosity, how much PT did you do in the days/weeks following surgery. Did you mostly just walk or did you do a bunch of exercises every day from the beginning or something in between?

 

[blueskyk]

So, (addressed to the 'hip veterans'), the recovery period sounds like a real downer.."Can't do this, can't do that, can't do...."

How'd you get through it?

As a new “Hippie”, (imagine my surprise at getting back to that!!!) found the waiting period prior to the op far more of a downer than the recovery period after.

My op was the Direct Superior approach (which is in the Posterior category) which is muscle sparing and minimally invasive. It’s been about 2 and a half weeks since surgery and I’m now walking unaided pain free and driving. I had my last oxy 48 hours after surgery and only took Tylenol for another week.

Just got in 5000 steps yesterday in my quest to build back distance. I’m a little creaky in the am and pm but couldn’t be happier with how it’s going so far.

I’ve found the restrictions minimal annoyments in comparison to the gains. My restrictions were not bending more than 90 degrees from the waist, not crossing the op leg over the non-op leg and sleeping on my back, stomach or non-op side with pillow between my legs for 6 weeks (so I’m nearly half way through).

My new best friends are my sock puller, dressing stick and super long shoe horn.

Honestly, the sleeping business was the most miserable part (a shout out to my best, best friend the body pillow[emoji4] But each morning I woke up a little stronger and walking a little better and in less pain.

Now, all that being said, people follow the bell curve in terms of time for recovery and mine was at the very short end. A home run.

Tomorrow, I’m going to test walking my dogs around the block...a few steps closer to getting my life back[emoji4]

 

[Nemo2]

Just got in 5000 steps yesterday in my quest to build back distance. I’m a little creaky in the am and pm but couldn’t be happier with how it’s going so far.

Very encouraging! Just hope that I'm on a similar recovery path. Keep up the good work, and best of luck.