I didn't have the options discussion on 10/22 because it turns out what I had was a badly pulled muscle in my upper thigh/hip area. Several days of ice, rest, aspirin on a regular basis and 1/4 to 1/2 a pain pill at night helped immensely.
I'm back to sleeping and not ready to burst into tears simply walking the however many feet to the bathroom at work and here at home. It's also not a lesson in major hurt simply to sit down or adjust in any chair. I sat through a three hour meeting this past Thursday with no trouble at all other than absolute boredom the first hour.
I still intend to have the options discussion and get a second opinion but frankly, I have to file a brief in November or stand up in front of the Kentucky Supreme Court on December 7 and tell them why I didn't. I have a clemency petition to write before next Friday and several small things to do in my trial case. In other words, I have to get through November so I can take the time for appointments in December. I'll have another IA injection next Friday which will, I hope, once again, give me just a little hitch in my git-a-long and another grace period.
I haven't forgotten all the wonderful advice I received. As a matter of fact, I've thought about it and what I face a bit over the last several weeks. I'll continue to do that.
Paul and I thank you for your honesty, knowledge and compassion.
Well, hips are easier to recover from than knees. Make sure you’ve got a top notch surgeon, and get a second opinion before you commit to surgery. Most folks do really well with these surgeries.
I would inquire what specific surgery he’s planning, the type and mfr of the implant. Alsi, how long the implant typically lasts.
You may find while you’re taking the time to research and get a second opinion, that the pain has gone back to normal levels. You may want to wait at that point.
Oh Sixcat, I’m so sorry. In the immortal words of Bill, I feel your pain. Hip pain is miserable, and whatever you do – sit, stand, roll over in bed, walk, go pee, lie down, brush your teeth – hurts like hell. Been there, got the metal. I have two knees, one hip, and the other hip is on its last leg.
I have a feeling from your description that it’s not a question of “if”, but a question of “when”. And if that is the case, I would have it done when you can decide the timing. Would I wait for two or three years to have it done as a retirement celebration? Nope, not me. But I’m not you.
I agree with everything Grumpy says. My hip was much less painful and far easier to recover from than my knees. The physio is not nearly as gruelling and pain control much less of an issue. In fact, if I remember correctly, by the time I got home, I was down to taking tylenol only (and I had been on 24 hr tramadol for months before). The relentless deep pain of the bad hip was gone, and the surgical pain was bearable.
You have a big trial in the spring. What are you going to do if this thing flares two days before you go to trial? Not trying to frighten you, but I do think you need to consider that. I don’t know how you heal, or how you are with recovery, but I can tell you that after a couple of weeks I could have done a daily three or four hours of work at a computer. I’m guessing you might well be able to work from home part time sooner than you think. I’m not saying it’s a walk in the park, but a hip replacement is not the crisis you might think.
Like Grumpy says, you want a top-notch surgeon who does a lot of hips. Ask around. Look for reviews. I have a great surgeon and whenever I tell him what fabulous joints he has done for me, he rolls his eyes and says “Well it’s mostly because you are good at doing physio”. And that’s the other thing: start physio (“prehab”) well in advance because that pays off in spades, even if it hurts to do it while the hip is sore.
OK, I’ve told you about hip replacements. Anything else you want to know?
Most people I've spoken to say they wonder why they waited so long to get theirs. The surgical pain is finite, and after surgery the joint pain is just gone.
As far as healing and recovery, all I have to compare it to is the shoulder replacement, which is really no comparison. When all this came up earlier this year ("when" not "if"), I happened to be in physical therapy for the right rotator cuff tear. My wonderful physical terrorist, who has been with me since before the left shoulder surgery, said recovery and rehab from hip replacement is nothing like the shoulder was and in fact, easier simply because hips are less complicated than shoulders.
The first week after my surgery was hell for Paul and me. I expect something similar again. I'm going to try my hardest with this surgery not to be exhausted like I was in 2013. I know simply having surgery will cause me to sleep in order to heal but I hope it won't be to the point like in 2013, where I woke up one day mid-October and realized how much better I felt AND NOT EXHAUSTED because I had slept a good deal of the prior six weeks away. I'm also not managing now and my overall health is better than in 2013.
Of course, since my humerus did break during the left shoulder surgery, one big question is going to be aside from the obvious, what other complications might happen. Which sorta leads to the part where you, Seenie, said do it on your own schedule. Hindsight being what it is, I realize I waited probably a year too long to have the shoulder surgery. I do *not* want to do that with the hip. I believe, if I can get it arranged, having the surgery in mid-December is the best plan so I can finish what I need to beforehand and be in fighting shape for the push to trial and the trial.
I most sincerely do *not* want to have a flare happen, as you mentioned, Seenie, just before the trial, which is what I've been tumbling over through the parts of last night I didn't sleep. I can't concentrate particularly well, I'm having trouble simply *moving* and I have ice packs spread all over my hip/groin area. Can't do that during trial.
Since I am leaning this way, I'm going to spend the next hour or so figuring out what has to get done. I need to do that anyway for the remainder of this month--another six weeks added to it won't hurt.
I know. Nothing about this is easy. I haven’t had a shoulder, but your therapist is probably right. And Grumpy is right about surgical vs preop pain. Surgical pain gets better every day.
And I’ve never met anyone who has said "I wish I had waited another year to have my hip done."
Lots to consider. What does Paul think?
In my faith tradition, a lot of times when faced with decisions, my prayer is You know what I'm up against. Show me the way. It happened last year when the meds kicked in (AND HAVE CONTINUED TO WORK!) just as I was about to schedule a hysterectomy.
I also won't dismiss the fact that I am of Celtic descent (too much has happened for me to do that). This year, I think, the clear message is this has to be done. December is a good time to do it. The business about wanting just one year in the last three where you haven't gone under the knife is foolish. Move onward because you have more to do on the other side.
You know what is great? You are getting input from so many sources and people who are important in your life. But I hear you about wanting a year without PsA drama. But sorry, darling, you are going to have PsA dramas whatever you do. Only some of the PsA dramas you get to pick and control.
A hip is nothing compared to a shoulder.......... That being said Make sure you have your surgery as early in the morning as possible. PT will there the next morning to start every extra hour of drug induced bliss before they start to rehab yo is worth it. Also buy this or similar:
Make sure whichever you get that it includes the "comfort wipe stick" and the dressing sticks. Actually it isn't a bad set of equipment to have around for "flares"
I had my hip replaced 3 years ago after about 10 years of progressive worsening to the point I could hardly walk. I am not sure why others say that it is easier than knee surgery but it was a very painful recovery. But I would do it all over again because I could walk again without pain. But it took me a while to get through the healing process and I even had physical therapy, pain medication, a good ortho doc and wonderful and supportive husband and kids. My husband had knee surgery a year ago and in a few weeks he was walking with no pain. So I just wanted to let you know about my experience but like a said earlier I would do it again because it gave me my life back. But just don't expect to heal quickly and without pain - it takes time and patience but in the long run you will be glad you did it. By the way - I was diagnosed with PsA last year and my remy said I didn't have osteoarthritis in my hip that caused all that pain because OA is an older person's disease, he said it was PsA and probably the start of it and that I have just didn't go to a Remy back then who could have helped me all these years and I would have had less pain - which I had always just thought it was because I was getting older and it was normal aches and pains....