I am having a hip replacement tomorrow, privately in London.
A year ago I was told by a hip specialist that I had to lose about 2 stone before he would operate, and being on steroids also made me too high a risk. I have spent a year in more and more pain and becoming less and less mobile ( I have OA in knees as well). I have found it impossible to lose this much weight and a bariatric surgeon said he would not do anything for me that required an operation because of the steroids! So I felt up the creek without a paddle. My husband kept saying that there must be a surgeon somewhere who would take pity on me and eventually I listened to him. I wrote to a few select surgeons, telling them all about my difficulties, and all the ones outside my area ( West Kent) were willing to see me. I saw consultant in London on 1st June. He grilled me about my options but he could see that I was desperate. He explained that my weight does make me more risky but not excessively so. He was not worried about the steroids.
So now, finally, I am about to go under the knife. I am a bit scared but also determined to be a very good patient and do as I'm told to have the best recovery possible.
What this tells me is that it is always worth fighting for what we know we need!
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suzy1959
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Good luck. I had the op last year and I'm definitely over weight, no real problems. Not as bad as I feared.
If you use a stick keep it with you, I sent mine home. They expected me to walk down to two floors below to the theatre, no wheelchair available. Why did they think I was there?
Hope things go well. The NHS is cutting back on hip ops on people overweight nowadays. It is a more complex operation if you are overweight, but if you get a surgeon who is experienced you should be fine. My orthopaedic surgeon was paranoid about weight, steroids, DVT, infection ...... In fact he did a fantastic job and I was really impressed. I had it on the NHS but if I had had to go privately I would have chosen the same surgeon. In fact I was thrilled I was able to get him on the NHS. I was worried silly the op would be postponed as I was in such agony in the end, you will be amazed how much you can do after the op.
Oh good luck suzy. I hope everything goes perfectly and your recovery is complete. I have heard such good reports of how life enhancing the operation is. You will be skipping about in no time! 💐
I had my right hip replaced on 11th June. My recovery has been more or less as the books suggest. I have 3 physio's in extended family and can honestly say, " do what your physio says". It definitely helps speed up your recovery.
My other suggestion is to keep a daily diary of your physical and emotional changes, it is astonishing how quickly you improve, there will be times of, "oh I'll never get there" and 2 days later bingo. Keeping the diary reinforces your progress.
I know it isn't inevitably but going into hospital even for just a short stay can play havoc with our innards, lots of groaning from me. Have a large bag of prunes waiting at home!
Enormous good wishes and I shall be thinking of you.
I am in the USA have only posted once or twice but on here every night and so thankful for these wonderful people. Wishing you well and saying a prayer. As Judyliz says, keep a daily diary. I have found it to be particularly helpful. Medication dosage, pain scale and anything else you wish to note, weight, feelings of occasional sadness. It’s great reference to see you have lots of good days. Wishing you great success and pain free days ahead. Aloha...
I am new right hip plus 5 weeks. Still on crutches but much reduced pain. Agree with supply of prunes! I had mine on NHS but in a private hospital and care was second to none. I was moved to enhanced monitoring suite after my heart fluttered, my O2 saturation dropped, and I was constantly dizzy and sick. 4 days later I was well enough to go home. Now they are trying to find cause for my reactions, with ECGs etc. I start physiotherapy on NHS next week.
Walking speedily on crutches and even without to go to bathroom. Hubbie still in charge of shopping, washing and cooking.......could get used to that!
I have some "stinging" pain internally near wound site which the doctors have decided is nerve repair.
After two years on prednisone, I was told the same thing. I was in shock. Before I started prednisone, because of PMR my dexascan was good, in fact it showed my bones had improved since my last one. Now the orthopedic surgeon only gives me at the most a year before a surgery. My hip and back hurt. I read there aren't many ways to improve bones after prednisone. I wish you luck, strength and success!
Even while you are on pred it is possible to improve bone density - HeronNS has written about her odyessy. But the deterioration due to cartilage damage in OA and loss of bone density are two very different things.
HeronNS is the person to ask - it isn't something I've concerned myself with as my bone density is fine and I have plenty to do with reading about PMR! Hopefully she will see this post when she comes on the forum - she is in Canada so always a bit later.
Oh thank you so much for your information. I am trying so hard to conquer my pain and not have hip replacement. I appreciate everything I have read on this site. My rheumatologist didn't seem to know that much about PMR or the affects of prednisone. When I told her my hair was falling out, she didn't think it was prednisone related. (Does hair improve after a time?) She sent me for a thyroid blood test--but it was normal. She said all of her patients were over PMR in a year. When I went off of prednisone after a year all the inflammation was back in three weeks. She said "Oh I stepped you down too quickly." Now another year gone and I have been off about three weeks again. I'm so hoping it doesn't return. I will not see her again. Again thanks for all the information on this site.
Maybe none of the other patients she's treated for PMR have ever gone back to her after a year....
Yes, I think hair does return to normal eventually, but in my personal experience it doesn't take much to mess up the hair. Mine didn't get back to normal until I'd been well below 5 mg for a year, and then a minor flare with dosage for a short time up to 7 mg and a few months later my hair was not so good again, although not as bad as before. Think the lot which is growing out since last haircut is back to normal again.
Hope all goes well....I had my first operation ever, at the age of 60, four weeks ago and I was really scared, but all was fine. Not the same op as you but a friend has had both hips replaced now and she’s like a new woman and would heartily recommend it!
Thank you to so many people who have responded so supportively! Quick update- I had my operation yesterday evening and am feeling really well so far. I have managed to get off and on the bed already and am looking forward to some physio soon. Apparently the op went very well and my leg is already moving, so I am very hopeful! Love to you all! X
Wonderful news! So pleased to hear your operation has gone so well. Hope you'll be skipping and jumping soon - well maybe not quite! All the very best with your recovery - Kathy
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