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That's it I've had my left hand hip replaced

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Last Wednesday, still in hospital, fainted with my first rehab session, stood up to quickly and found myself lying on a hospital bed with 5 nurses looking at me with worried expressions. 

My bum feels like it's going to explode from the swelling. Can move around on crutches but lost my monstrous appetite.

I've given up on the idea of climbing for quite a while yet. Cheers to all

 Fredt 11 Jul 2021
In reply to Dago theruinmargalef:

You must, repeat must, do the physio, you get one chance to do it properly.

 Timmd 11 Jul 2021
In reply to Dago theruinmargalef:

Happy physio-ing, I went on walking holidays a few times with a guy with replaced hips, and one wouldn't have guessed. 

A friend's Dad with replacement knees was getting pissed off at friends telling him on facebook to take it gently with his new knees, I messaged to say that having had them replaced, he'd be going some to wear them out, and might as well make the the most of them rather than go gently, and got 'Yes Tim, that's why I had them replaced!' in response, he's 80 and wants to go up Scafell on them when he's able,

Aiming to wear out replacement joints from being active again seems like a plan.

Post edited at 15:14
 abr1966 11 Jul 2021
In reply to Dago theruinmargalef:

Stick with it mate...it'll get better. Got a couple of mates in their mid 50's with hip replacements....both doing fine and with active lifestyles....and free from hip pain!

In reply to abr1966:

Thanks I will keep that in mind, it's been 5 days and I feel totally trashed

 Richard J 11 Jul 2021
In reply to Dago theruinmargalef:

I think there are quite a few on these forums with replaced hips, so you'll probably hear about a few different experiences.  I had my left one replaced in January 2019.  The first thing I was surprised by was how quickly the pain went.  When I was discharged from hospital (I was done on a Saturday, out the following Wednesday IIRC) I thought they'd send me off with a bunch of strong opioids, but no, you'll be fine, just take a paracetamol if it's aching a bit, they said, and despite my scepticism they were right.  After the chronic pain of osteoarthritis (blunted a bit by my C&W style whiskey and codeine diet) that was great, and I've not had any pain, or felt any need for strong painkillers, since.

I did my physio religiously, as Fredt rightly says you must.  Beyond that I took things steadily but tried to get out for short walks with the crutches, building things up carefully.  After a few months I was doing a few miles with walking poles.  I'd asked the physio about climbing - you'll be fine, in fact its a good way of building up leg strength, just don't fall off, and don't do any egyptians, he said.  I think I took my first top-roping steps at Windgather that May, I was able to do a few easy leads that summer.

It has taken a while to get my strength back - in fact it's stamina that's taken the longest to return.  I think it's as much the loss of fitness as my arthritis was getting worse that was the problem as much as the operation itself.  I'm climbing pretty regularly at S-VS level now, happily doing hilly walks of 10-13 miles or so reasonably briskly.  I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to build up from that.

But it is a major operation, so feeling trashed entirely to be expected.  But it will get better!

In reply to Dago theruinmargalef:

I think you're just on the point where you'll suddenly start feeling a lot better. After about 6 weeks now most of your pain will have gone. But then (warning) it takes a long time to get completely back to near normal ... c. 18 months. I had a LTHR (that's a left total hip replacement) at the age of 69. I'm now 71, and pretty much OK. Some days - I think it depends how you sleep - there's a very slight ache .. muscle pain, not unlike after some quite strenuous exercise ... but unlike ordinary muscle pain, if you then walk, even quite far, the pain never gets any worse. Basically, it's now about 98-99% OK, and most days I don't really notice it because I've got used to it. The main difference is that it feels strong, and I'm no longer in any way a cripple.

 earlsdonwhu 11 Jul 2021

I have skied with plenty of old gits with replaced hips.....I've no doubt the first few weeks after their ops were tough but they still ended up skiing great again. Good luck.

In reply to abr1966:

> Stick with it mate...it'll get better. Got a couple of mates in their mid 50's with hip replacements....both doing fine and with active lifestyles....and free from hip pain!

My partner's had both hips replaced. Totally transformational!

In reply to Deleated bagger:

Thanks for the encouragement to all of you.

I'm sure that when I get a proper shower things will look up. 

Cheers

In reply to Richard J:

Great to hear that.

Thanks

 HB1 12 Jul 2021
In reply to Dago theruinmargalef:

I don't recall the swelling, but I also fainted on my second day post-op. I think I'd overdone the walking about. They wouldn't let me out of the room unless I had 2 physios with me! Search through the forums and you'll find lots of advice etc (mine included) 4 years on and I'm getting the same messages from my other hip - so for some time I'll remain in denial, but in the end it'll have to be done. I should stop running, but I don't want to. I should perhaps stop climbing (I am 74 you know!) but I don't want to - so what do you do? what YOU do is work on the rehab, and all should be good!

 gravy 12 Jul 2021
In reply to Dago theruinmargalef:

Between lockdowns I was climbing a line next to a chap who had had his hip replaced five weeks before to the day.  I was amazed. Hopefully you'll be amazed too.

 Toerag 12 Jul 2021
In reply to Dago theruinmargalef:

My nan had a hip replaced after a fall last month at the age of 100! She's already had the other side done twice.

In reply to Toerag:

Crumbs

In reply to gravy:

I see climbing some way off yet

In reply to HB1:

Thanks for the advice

 Toerag 13 Jul 2021
In reply to Dago theruinmargalef:

I was shocked too.

 Andypeak 13 Jul 2021
In reply to Dago theruinmargalef:

Met a chap a few years ago who was backpacking the coast to coast 2 years after having a hip replacement. If he hadn't said anything I'd have never known, he was keeping pace with me no issues. Do the physio and keeps focusing on the end goal. 

 petemeads 13 Jul 2021
In reply to Dago theruinmargalef:

I had a resurfacing (Birmingham hip) in 2014 and had to be a bit cautious because my bone quality was not brilliant - but I was back doing Saturday 5k parkruns at 8 weeks, admittedly slowly. When my other hip was done the femoral head actualy broke off and I had to have a ceramic total replacement. Surgeon said I would not be able to break it so I restarted 5k running at 5 weeks... I have done Yorkshire 3 peaks, Edale skyline (several times), Derwent Watershed and Welsh 3000s (after 3 failed attempts) with two fake hips.

Ironically, I can't walk at the moment due to sciatica - but I can still ride my bikes!

Get the first 10 days out of the way and everything should be peachy thereafter - make notes of your progress so you can look back and see how far you have come - Garmin has recorded all my exploits for me, I would have forgotten just how quickly I got back to normal otherwise.

In reply to petemeads:

Thanks for the great inputs, it's been 6 days now, at home since yesterday.

 Wicamoi 14 Jul 2021
In reply to Dago theruinmargalef:

To continue the generally good prognoses ... My dad had one hip replacement in his mid 60's and the other in his mid 70's. He ran marathons not long after each of them. In the case of the first at least I'm pretty sure it was well under a year. Good luck.

 Trevers 14 Jul 2021
In reply to Dago theruinmargalef:

Take it steady and keep the optimism up. Don't focus on climbing but rather on the small steps to get there, and you'll notice day-to-day improvements. Focus on looking after yourself, physically and mentally. And remember it's alright to have shit days and rage at the world.

I've had my knee stitched back together twice in the last year and I'm hiking, climbing, cycling and swimming again. Not without impediment but I wouldn't want it to be too easy!

In reply to Trevers:

It's getting better, more pain but less inflammation. Taking it easy, not pushing the boat out.

Thanks for the inputs

 Timmd 15 Jul 2021
In reply to Dago theruinmargalef: A sense of 'grrrr' helps, I've found, when situations require pushing through to an easier phase. 

It's important to say it out loud.

In reply to Dago theruinmargalef:

> It's getting better, more pain but less inflammation. Taking it easy, not pushing the boat out.

That's exactly right. Walk as much as you can, but don't overdo it. What a lot of people don't realise is that the new joint isn't the problem, it's the huge wound they've had to make to do the operation, cutting through quite a lot of muscle, which has to heal. Nothing to do with the joint.

You should start now to make a rapid recovery ... but, it's the last stages I found disappointing, going from slightly uncomfortable to 100% OK. Lots of ups and downs ... I even kept a diary of all that. But there's nothing you can do about it, except try to keep as fit as you can, eat well, etc. And don't push it too much. I probably pushed my luck by going to the Cuillin after 4 months. Was absolutely shattered - two big walks, which would have been small in the old days (Coire Lagan and Coire Bhastier), and in both cases I had to stop 500 ft below the main ridge. The joint wasn't the problem, but the muscles were screaming.

In reply to Timmd:

I'll give it the "Grrrr" then.

Feeling a bit better today, I found a great sleeping position, on my side with a pillow between my legs which helps a lot, not very good at sleeping on my back.

Thanks Timmd

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

Brill to hear.

Absolutely true its not the hip but the tightness of the muscles and the great clot inside my leg. The other day as I left the hospital I asked the doctor that if they couldn't find a surgical hammer in the theatre, to look no further and to contact me because I was sure it was inside my leg.

Thanks again

In reply to Dago theruinmargalef:

Update. I walked to one of my favourite local pubs this evening (still very hot, but just about OK), about a 5 mile round trip, and just as I was getting home I said to Freda 'Do you know, this is about the first time I've been completely unaware of my hip? I haven't felt anything.' 

Mine was a completely straightforward operation, and I was very fit, in perfect health, etc.. It recovered very fast in the first 6 weeks to 'tolerably OK, just' ... then it took weeks and weeks and weeks and months and months and months of sensible hillwalking to become completely OK. So, the hard truth I can now report is that it takes 2¼ years to become completely, 100% OK. 

It's a pity there's so much bullshit talked on the internet about rapid recoveries that imply a complete recovery in just a few weeks.

 petemeads 22 Jul 2021
In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

I think there is a difference between recovery to full function and recovery to no awareness. I read lots of peoples experiences on SurfaceHippy and Hiprunner forums and it does vary,  and age is a factor.

My resurfaced hip will always feel slightly 'different' despite coming up for 7 years old and being the mechanically superior device; my ceramic THR has no sensation of not being natural, and slightly better range of movement, but that leg is fractionally longer as a result and has had spells of non-hip aches and pains over the last 4 years.

Currently I am recovering (I hope) from sciatica which stopped all walking in June, it is now a dull ache in my hip area which makes the leg tingle all the way down to my big toe (on the ceramic side) and at nearly 8 weeks has been far more debilitating than either of the hip surgeries. It's spinal stenosis, not related to the surgeries at all, and I can still bike without problems fortunately. I don't need to get to 100% pain free any more, 99% will do me fine!

In reply to petemeads:

A lot of interesting points, and I'm sorry to hear about your spinal stenosis. I also like your philosophical point about 99% being fine for you. Actually, it was fine for me too, because if on a particular day it was aching a bit (e.g. about 97% OK) it would never get any worse, even if I walked a long way. A strange phenomenon. Mine was a ceramic THR and was done at an age of 69 (I'm now 71).

 Dave Garnett 22 Jul 2021
In reply to Dago theruinmargalef:

Did you have your left hip and your left hand replaced?!  Doesn't that make the crutches awkward?

In reply to Dave Garnett:

Just the Hip, but I am getting a bit of bother from cubital tunnel syndrome from lying down, or perhaps from stopping training on the wooden board.

Cheers

 Timmd 24 Jul 2021
In reply to Dago theruinmargalef:

How's the hip?

In reply to Timmd:

A lot better, walking with one crutch and sometimes no crutches. Thanks Timmd

 Olaf Prot 27 Jul 2021
In reply to Dago theruinmargalef:

Sounds like a  lot of experience here, so out of (self!) interest what are the symptoms telling you that you *need* a hip replacement?

In reply to Olaf Prot:

They are very obvious, It all started about 6 years ago with a limp and a painful groin when I walked. 3 years ago I was going to have it done at my local hospital, but surgeon said I wouldn't be able to climb with the hip replacement so I postponed it and found a different surgeon. I could climb and mountain bike so didn't worry too much, I used crutches to get to the crag. Then I started getting lower back pain and general stiffness. 

In reply to Olaf Prot:

I was reduced to being a complete cripple. I could only walk with a stick and then only a few hundred yards (I'd feel quite faint and have to take many rests). Strangely, the main pain came from my thigh muscle (a nerve referral thing, I gather) and it got worse and worse. I thought I'd pulled a muscle very badly ... was amazed when the doctor diagnosed it within seconds as being my hip. He sent me for an X-ray which confirmed it: all the joint lining on my left hip had gone, and the ball itself was deteriorating. Almost certainly the result of a climbing accident in Norway 50 years earlier: huge impact on left leg. It must have been slowly deteriorating for years without my realising it - until it suddenly reached a critical state. My other hip is still 100% OK.


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