To long to wait !

[Kokanee]

I also am due for my left hip replacement, the pain is becoming unbearable even while on 60 mg of slow release morphine and 20 mg of STATEX for breakthrough pain. I've been waiting for eight and a half months since seeing my surgeon and it had been nine months before that I had got the diagnosis for osteoarthritis of the hip. I had to stop working as a chef a year ago in april, and went on disability. It's been a living hell for myself and family, and still even though I've tried everything possible to speed the process up , because living in B.C. it boils down to a political snafu.

[ruth_p]

Sorry to hear that you are having to wait so long. When I needed mine done I was put on fentanyl patches but they're probably not any stronger than the morphine. I was still in pain as well. I ended up on crutches before the operation. I hope you get your operation soon.

[Kokanee in reply to ruth_p]

Thanks for sharing with me, sometimes it feels like I'm the only one with this horrible problem, your whole life is totally revolving around it I see my GP this coming Wednesday, he will likely put me on the fentynol patches too. Although now another problem has come up this time it's my right knee has swollen up and allso my ankle and some times my whole leg witch really makes things difficult to get around usually between my cane and a crappie walker that I hate. I'm afraid that the same thing is going on with my knee as with my hip. Someone told me more than likely it's because it's doing all the work, allso my leg on the hip side has become very thin because of lost muscle mass. So it's going to be a very interesting visit to my GP on Wed.

[ruth_p in reply to Kokanee]

My knee always hurt as well when I needed my hip done. You also have a nerve that runs from your hip to your ankle which can cause pain all down your leg.

[BoneyC]

I've had 3 THR's and unfortunately was in a similar situation, extreme pain and surgeons and GP's telling me I was too young at 44. Don't know your age, but surgeons and GP's don't take into account although I was relatively young, I'd had RA since childhood. Hope you get your op asap and don't go on to have post-op infection as I did - another nightmare and horrendous pain far worse than RA for months! Good luck.