Life after Total HIP Replacement (L) at 33

[Sid786x]

Hi all,

I was a very active individual, playing football, jogging and going gym 5-6 days a week. Over the last year or so, everything has come to a halt.

I was due to have a HIP Athroscopy opp in Jan 2018, however after a routine follow up/ scan in December 2017, the scans had shown that I had lost all my cartilage in the left hip and needed a THR.

It took me about 2 weeks to process the news and accept my condition and the surgery that I needed.

My THR date is now set for March 2018. My question is; after a THR, how active can I realistcly be?

I know I won’t be allowed heavy impact/ contact sports such as football, basketball and jogging.

But I have seen/ heard and read accounts of people who have had THR who have run 10 mile marathons and some cases played football and engaged in martial arts and boxing.

I know, no 2 cases are the same, but how realistcly will I be able to get back to an active lifestyle in safe manor without risking a dislocation/ damage to my phrostetic HIP?

Thanking all in advance.

Sid.

[Nettac]

Following. I'd be interested to hear.

I'm not sure, but I think hip replacements are better than knee replacements as far as recovery is concerned, but since I haven't had one Yet (Both mine are knackered) I'll be interested in replies you receive.

Good luck.

[ruth_p]

I had both my hips replaced in my mid 20s, I’m now 36. I spend most of my day running around after a class of 4/5 year olds as I teach reception full time. After my hip replacements I was able to start riding a bike again (I hadn’t been on a bike since my JIA diagnosis at 14), I have completed sportives up to 60 miles. I do yoga and go to the gym 3/4 times a week. You have to be very careful in the first 6 weeks not to bend your leg past 90 degrees and you can’t drive until you can physically do an emergency stop. It took me a good 3 months to recover before I could go back to work, but if you work in a less physically demanding job then you can go back after the 6 weeks. There is a risk of dislocation if you bend and twist at the same time. My aunt’s friend had a double hip replacement a few years ago and he went back to being a builder afterwards. I think if you ease your way back in to your active lifestyle, rather than go back to the gym 5 times a week after 6 weeks 😜, then you should be ok. Although maybe avoid rugby! I hope this helps 🙂

[Sid786x in reply to ruth_p]

Thank you.

[RebeccaMB in reply to ruth_p]

Goid to hear your experience Ruth- I too had jia since age 10 and there are things I've never been able to do that I hope I will do now I have new hip (I'm 2 weeks post-op now). One thing I was worrying about was that I volunteer to help in my daughter's yr1 class and because of the teeny tables and chairs I was worried I wouldn't be able to go back to it. From what you say it sounds like after 3 months it should be ok? Xxx

[ruth_p in reply to RebeccaMB]

Yes should be, I work with Reception, you could always ask for a bigger chair! 😁

[hawker955]

Sid I have a friend in his early seventies who has had hip replacements and he continues with his cycle-racing. He was sensibly advised to forget about being the athlete that he was and to start again, thinking of himself as a novice. So he does that and manages okay. He even came off once but luckily no real harm was done! In fairness he would have had very strong hip muscles beforehand which probably helped.

[sharon6768]

Sid, I was a jogger and had my left thr in 1999 and right in 2000. Other than no jogging, tennis, and skiing, life was good after the surgery. You will have a much easier time and be able to do so much more than I could because of the advancement in the technology. I have a friend who had thr a year ago and he is extremely active in sports and does everything he used to do other than jogging. My husband's cardiologist had thr and resumed jogging 8 miles a day as soon as he was able and 2 years later had to have the hip re-done. So, I would skip the jogging if I were you. Maybe biking?

[RebeccaMB]

Really good to see the above responses as I have the same worries and struggled to find info for "younger" hip replacements. I just turned 40 and 2 and a half weeks ago I had THR left hip. I spent the first week feeling totally sorry for myself (very unlike me) and full of regret at having it done. I couldn't possibly imagine going back to having a life like before especially as I had been hoping of a better life with my new hip. So I set out to find encouragement and on Instagram I found @younghipandbionic and @bionicyogini who have had double THR and are extremely active sports people. I was so encouraged to see it with my own eyes. I also came across hiprunners website but I personally wouldn't want to run in case it reduces lifespan of new hip. I saw my surgeon 2 days ago and he is confident I will be able to eventually do pretty much whatever I want but it's important to not rush into it. I took my first steps without crutches after 2 weeks and it feels very weird and still seems impossible to go back to "normal" so I have to trust in what other people have experienced and be super patient in the meantime (I struggle to sit still and be patient). I wasn't mentally/emotionally prepared for this so i found the first week hell but i have now turned a corner and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I've been blogging my day by day experience (not yet live on our blog though) and found a week by week account on saga - even though it was by someone in 50s I think she had previous THR at 40 and a lot of her experiences day by day paralleled by own. Wishing you all the very very best with it. I only just joined this forum and already found it so helpful.

[Sid786x in reply to RebeccaMB]

Stay strong. What don’t break us, will make us.

[RebeccaMB in reply to Sid786x]

Absolutely x

[BoneyC]

It might depend on your general health/fitness and whether you have RA in other joints, or is it limited to one hip? Also, how good the surgeon is and how successful the outcome. I've had 3 THR's ... first at 44, but it became infected 6 weeks after and took 6 months to sort out, resulting in a Girdlestone's procedure and second THR, which obviously is not good news as each time the THR is re-done the results are not as good and they had to cut a tendon resulting in no external rotation.

At 33, you obviously want to look after your new hip to avoid revision surgery for as long as possible. At 44, I was not expecting to be the 1% who got infected and spend the next 9 months in and out the orthopaedic ward. IMO most orthopods are Mavericks and talk up their successes, do your research.

[hawker955]

You need to avoid any activities causing impacts on the joint. That is a bad thing and why cycling is good. It builds hip-muscle strength that supports the joints but does not disturb the prosthesis embedded in your hip. Parachute jumping might be inadvisable as well!! Ho-ho!

[Wooden_shoes]

Hi, I had two hips done a few years ago. Based on my own experience, after the recovery period (be careful during these months!!!) you will hopefully be able to do 90% of the stuff you did or similar things. Although I sometimes feel more vulnerable than before, there are only few differences compared to the life I lived before the surgery. My humble advice is that you shouldn't worry too much about it, you'll probably be fine. It takes some time for your body to fully recover, that's all.