Posted on 06/04/2014 6:23:35 PM PDT by TNoldman
I now live near Indianapolis and will be planning a Hip Replacement in the near future. My left hip joint is painful with bone to bone.
As a long time Freeper I respect the expertise and advise of my Freeper friends.
What have you tried to avoid it?
WD-40
Do it now, BEFORE our entire medical system collapses.
...and then do EVERYTHING regarding the physical therapy, or you’ll wind up with a lot less capability (as in range of motion).
Hips are a lot easier than knees.
No metal on metal.
Why do you say this?
Mrs. Slim got a Stryker ceramic and titanium, it’s working out great.
I have completed a 9 day regiment of Steroids - 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1. No change. I can’t walk more than 200 feet without having to resort to a cane.
Xrays show bone to bone contact. My Family Physician and an Orthopedic Doctor say a replacement may be necessary soon.
Your comments are appreciated.
At your age get it done ASAP. Find an orthopedic doctor with lots of experience in hip replacement and choose your hospital carefully. Look for infection rates with hip replacements when picking your hospital. Ask your surgeon lots of questions and be comfortable with their responses before going ahead. Be prepared for a long rehab and stick with the rehab your doctor gives you.
ps:
many people (including me) experience that glucosamine with chondrotitin ... can provide significant pain relief, it apparently goes to the joints and layers in some of the missing surface material. I am not an expert but I do find that this stuff helps me, and I have several friends who’ve had same positive results.
I am NOT suggesting this as a cure.
I am suggesting you ask your doctors if they’ve any objection to your trying it awhile, and then do so if OK by them.
It may take a couple weeks for you to start feeling the difference, so keep at it awhile.
It is very commonly available in almost all major drug stores and online like Amazon in pill form. Inexpensive.
I do not take well to pills.
So, I take mine in liquid form now.
Wellesse brand 33.8 fluid ounce plastic bottles, available many places including online...I usually find the best price is offered at Costco.com
it is “natural berry flavor” — it doesn’t taste particularly wonderful but if you screw up your face a bit, it tastes tolerably OK. Far better tasting then the regular pill form, at least.
Check your doctors and if they give you the OK, then this might (after a couple weeks maybe to start in) help relieve some of your pain, pending any surgical correction.
So far in my case, it has staved off, prevented the need for surgery....
All the best,
faithhopecharity
Like yours mine was also bone on bone and the pain was horrible. Finally after living like this I decided to go ahead and I am so happy I did. I had an anterior procedure instead of the posterior. I was only in the hospital 3 days, and actually could have gone home after 2 but was enjoying the pampering so stayed one more day.
If you'd like to Freepmail with questions I'll be more than happy to answer what I can. I'm not medically that astute, but I might be able to assuage your fears a little
Mine is metal on metal and I have had no problems at all. I think it depends on which one you have.
It’s amazing what they can do these days. Some can be done as a minimally invasive procedure, and the results and recovery time are so much better than they used to be. On a related note, GWB had a knee replacement recently that was done on an outpatient basis.
For the types of replacement that you study, also study how patients make their way thru the recovery and rehab process.
Different ball-and-socket arrangements may affect how you previously slept at night. For example, you may realize quickly, that you can no longer sleep on one side or the other ... which may be a side on which you used to be “most comfortable.”
You may find that you need to sleep upright in a laid-back / reclining chair for some time after the surgery, because you “just can’t sleep in bed like you used to.” That kind of thing.
Some “natural motion” or your “typical gate” that has been familiar to you, may change for a while ... or in some cases, permanently.
There is some chance of your being limited *from* motion and positions, in other words, that were previously “normal” for you ... but after surgery, you find that you have to mentally keep reminding yourself, “Nope, I can’t do that.”
There will, in other words, likely be a period of adjustment.
Get a good number of reacher-grabbers (Lowes and Home Depot have them). You’re going to be needing them; and possible one for every room in the house, so you don’t have to go hunting for one.
Get used to the idea, that you will *not* be bending over to pick up things. You’ll need to learn to “plant one hand on something, in order to take some weight,” and then ... maybe ... you can reach some things out in front of you.
Very likely, you’ll be advised, that you can reach out for something, but not down for something.
To some degree, you’ll have to police your motions for some time.
As the months go by, and you maintain a regimen of getting thru it all, you’ll adapt and eventually become accustomed -— that is, if for some mechanical reason, you “can’t do this or can’t do that” anymore.
That could spook you, at first, but don’t worry (repeat *THAT*); just hang in there and take it a day at a time and sometimes part-of-a-day at a time.
You’ll make it.
All tips based upon the experience of a friend.
They are for whatever reason. I guess the knee is a more complicated joint. Had my hip done 3+ yrs ago. Was walking steps the next day. I know folks that have had both done and they all say knees are harder.
“I was only in the hospital 3 days, and actually could have gone home after 2 but was enjoying the pampering so stayed one more day.”
Do stay the three days and make sure it is not just for ‘observation’ Post-surgery therapy may not be covered if you don’t.
Get it done asap. Mine was a breeze over 3 yrs ago. I needed crutches to walk.Had it done and was doing steps the next day.
fell and fractured my patella. If you have to break a bone that doesn’t threatening anything, I agree, stay away from the knee. The patella has to get pinned, forever according to my break. Its been over a year and a half and at times I still get a nasty twinge when walking. It has no bone to bone healing. My DIL had a total knee replacement around the same time. She did much better than I did.
There are two kinds or replacements, the traditional kind where muscles are cut to access the replacement and the new kind where the muscles are spread apart. If the second kind can be done find the best in the city that does lots of them. Go there.
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