Hippy Hogmanay!

The last day of a most momentus year for me....

I still can't believe it's been just shy of 10mths since the op. I confess that it is not at the forefront of my mind anymore and I'm aware that I haven't updated in a while. I can't say I've felt this good for nearly a decade! Yes, there are little things that remind me that I am bionic (airport security notwithstanding!).... I still put socks on with foot-over-knee for example, which might just be habit now, and I am still using my walking stick. Although, I keep leaving the bloody thing places cos I can walk without it, but I waddle somewhat (quack! lol). It's become the last thing to go.... Once the sloth-like behaviour of christmas and new years is out the way, I'm hitting the gym big time!! Mission: Waddle-be-gone!

Anyways, I hope that everyone has had a fabulous christmas holiday and may 2011 be pain-less for many!

Have a great Hogmanay folks, ceilidh with care!! :o)

sNOw anxiety

Well, it's that time of year again when the evil white stuff (the 'devil's dandruff' as one friend calls it!) dons the ground turning all those with bambi-legs into quivering wreaks! Remarkably, I'm not as terrified as last winter - because there's no pain!

I discussed my 'snow anxiety' with my physio last week because whilst out walking a week earlier my stick went from under me after hitting a patch of black ice. Nothing happened. Last year that would have resulted in groin pain. HOO-BLOODY-RAY! So we talked about it momentarily whilst doing exercise and he had to go and jinx it by saying "oh it won't be as bad as last winter, that was exceptional, it might snow, but it'll just last a day like it normally does!". Well the whole country's been sitting below 0oC for mmm....a week now, there's snow outside and it's iced up all the pavements. *sigh* thanks mr. physio!

I did take up a recommendation though. Ice cleats for the walking stick!

Genius! Been out with this on the stick already and it's great. It's not going to stop you losing your footing though!! Beware, but it means you don't have to worry about the stick going out from under you if you are still inclined to put weight through it. Yaktrax's are what you want for your feet (www.yaktrax.co.uk).

Thankfully I'm at a stage where I'm not actually putting weight through it and I could, if necessary, walk without it....but I'd be really slow and I'd tire quickly because the hip-gait-sway thing I have is still there. Although, the physio is paying off and it's going (just really really slowly!). I've no expectations of exactly when I might get rid of it..... it's not healthy to beat myself up about still having my hippy-gait because when it comes down to it, I'm not in pain, I have zero stiffness and can actually walk and do the stuff everyone else can do.

In the last 2 weeks I've progressed into the physio gym to push weights. I've been really bad about getting into the gym on my own time though! I'm still doing everything else at home and progressing through increased resistance in the therabands - including using 2 bands at a time, which feels a little like a bondage session! But, it works.

Talking of which.....

Memorable day

This is the date 5yrs ago I had my triple pelvic osteotomy.

This is the date 1yr ago I had my x-ray/CT scan that announced my osteotomy had failed.

If you asked me then if I'd be sat here 5yrs later with a bionic hip, I'd have said you better be kidding me cos I'm not going through THAT again! But here I am, 7mths on with a new hip and better than I ever was after the osteotomy.

If I knew this was going to happen would I have still had the osteotomy? Yes. The joint needed to be put in a better position and it did give me 3ish years pain relief, better than nothing and having an artificial hip at 27 right? Yes.

Having two major hip surgeries before the age of 32, not ideal. But better than living with osteoarthritis at age 32 (or indeed, 22 when I first noticed something was amiss).

Feeling very reflective this evening, but not in a bad way :o)

Flying therabands Physioboy....

....do what, physio at high altitude? physio on our road trip?

You reckon security will let me through with therabands or the flight crew not look at me suspiciously for using them [or the rest of the plane for that matter!]?

I like the idea of flying-fisio but I reckon it would probably make the top-ten list of things that annoy people on a flight!

To be fair he didn't suggest I do, but I am expected to keep up the good work when and where I can. Which is a reasonable request, but I think I'll pack the therabands into my check-in bag. Things are progressing, slowly but surely. There have been a couple of days here and there (visitors) that I haven't done my physio and honestly, you do fall behind and I can tell. So it really is important for me to try and get some physio in on vacation. Still a lot of work to be done overall and he reckons I'm still about 2 months off getting into the physio gym, but he has okay'd my pilates workout I wrote out for him. Which is great, because I can easily incorporate the exercises I have from physio into the pilates workout for double points!!

The spine curls into the bridge with leg extension exercise....we're aiming ultimately for 40-50 right? I asked him if he could do it, a confession, he'd struggle! He said that athletes would be pushing that!! Athletes, er....hello, this is little old me here, I can do 8 currently without collapsing.... one day, one day...

Toodle-oo, back soon.... [unless I get arrested for theraband misuse]

6 mths post-op

Oh my goodness, 6 mths since I had resurfacing surgery! I went to Birmingham last tuesday for a check up with Mr. O'Hara, my implant has not moved one iota and there's nothing on x-ray to cause any concern whatsoever - very happy days!

I've officially been free of osteoarthritis pain for 6mths and that has changed my life beyond words. Osteoarthritis steals people's lives....it won't kill you, but it'll wreak your life and you as a person. I've been given my life back twice now and hopefully this will be the last time before the age of 50 that I'll have to resort to surgical intervention to beat the bugger! No way this is stopping me doing what I want to do.... I might walk a little funky right now, but walk I can..... and I'm not sitting down or staying in anymore!!

The last month hasn't been the greatest psychologically on the recovery front, but I've come to the realisation that there's nothing I can do but keep moving forward with everything. It's done now and I'm pain-free, something that millions are not. I'm in this for the long-haul, so I'd better get comfortable...

Walking at 6mths post-op

If you're looking for the videos, well they've gone cos I can't stand seeing them! If you never saw them, let's just say that I walk like a heavily pregnant lady waddling at high speed, but without the bump..... It's going I tell you, that limp is bloody well going!!

The Bionic Traveller

I've decided to keep another blog about my travel adventures with my shiny new hip over at http://bionictraveller.blogspot.com/

In October I'm off with friends to New England and I'm getting pretty excited now as it's the first holiday I've had in a year! Last year I took 7 trips out of the UK and a couple others up to Scotland.....so you can understand my excitement!!

The last year has been an eventful one nonetheless mind. It's been almost a year since I took myself off to my GP to ask for a referral to my orthopod. Who'd have known that a year later I'd be seeing my orthopod for my 6 mth check-up.... 6 mths post-op! I went from having a moderate amount of pain, to hideous pain, to unlivable pain....to NO PAIN! It's been quite the journey all by itself. My hip journey is here for life I know, but let's include some other good schnizel ;o)

Let's talk about Sox....

We're doing it everyday! ;o)

Well, everyday since about 3.5-4mths post-op. Minus putter-onner you understand. But today, nearly 6mths post-op I put on my socks the way I used to, knee up to chest rather than ankle over other knee. I have been trying to do it for about a month now and not quite able to hook sock over foot with my knee up to chest. It means my ROM is increasing, yey!

It's the little achievements.... Today, putting socks on normally, tomorrow hiking up Kilimanjaro!! No, seriously....

Major Frustrations

I was going to write last week, that's how frustrated I felt about it all!

It's taken me nearly a week to shake myself out of a major hippy frustration. Even my lovely physio couldn't say anything to help! I wasn't being mardy, just fed-up-cannot-be-arsed-when-am-I-gonna-walk-properly bleurgh. If there was a pram, the dummy would have been chucked.

I've obviously reached that point. You know 'that point', where you're training for a marathon, writing a thesis, or re-learning to walk (as you do; 3 times over in my case to date) .... and you hit that brick wall, or worse, you think you're going backwards! As Homer Simpson said "Everytime I learn something new, it pushes some old stuff out of my brain" and it appears to be the same with my ass!! The more I work on it, the less it functions lol

All my muscles ached with the exercise and I think I irritated a tendon which was making the scar tender. All in all, I was officially frustrated. My physio was really nice and he was trying to tell me that I'd improved, I was hearing the words and smiling, but not feeling it. He's given me some new exercises to do and I'm a little happier about that - bit more variety.

This week has been much better, I can actually feel the muscles getting stronger. I still limp. I am not in pain, which honestly, I'd rather limp than be in pain anyday. I think it would be really hard for anyone to expect me to be 100% frustration-free with this situation.

I'll be seeing Mr.O next week too, hopefully it'll be just as unremarkable as last time! :o)))

Backwards?

Saw my physio today and whilst he said some of the exercises I've been doing have improved, I still need to work hard on the same ones, no new ones added to the regime - and I've to start seeing him every 2 weeks, not 3-4! I'm confused. Usually, one gets better at exercises and the time between appointments increases....

I'm sure it's not because I've plateaued on the exercise-front. I'm sure it'll become apparent, I have enough to worry about. I did have a bit of a blip at the weekend. I must have overdone stuff (although, it was only sightseeing and out on the town saturday night? not exactly hard-core work out) and it was painful to walk on sunday. It resolved itself by tues so couldn't have been anything more than a pulled muscle. I suppose after the failed osteotomy I worry that the resurfacing might fail...an understandable anxiety, but something I need to work on.

I showed him the x-ray/CT pictures taken last November at my first consultation that resulted in my hip resurfacing. His eyes just about bugged out at the size of the osteophytes on the CT scan - he said "how were you able to walk! Your femoral head had collapsed and those osteophytes..". He didn't say it insensitively, he was just amazed at how much damage had occurred and I was still walking around and not in hideous pain (last august-september; by january it was a different matter, I was on one crutch by then). And that it explains all the bad unruley muscles we're working so hard on at the moment to get me walking tall again!

It was mentioned that from the next physio session we're going to start working oblique ab's....mmm

Eeeeeeee-xcited

I managed to do a pelvic bridge extension - 3 times!!!! Then I collapsed as my right butt muscles were fasiculating (shaking) lol. Last week I was working hard on just getting the foot off the ground whilst holding the bridge through my right (operated) leg....I collapsed over on one side every time just doing that. Eeeeeeee......perseverance pays off!!

I might add, it wasn't the most graceful, but hey c'mon, happy days!

I had to share.... :o)))))

Rangers & Celtic Therabands!

lol

I'm sure they don't market them that way, but having grown up in Glasgow and now in proud possession of a green (little resistance) and blue (stronger resistance, woo hoo!) physiotherapy therabands, the thought goes through your head! Maybe you have to grow up in Scotland to understand that.....tee hee. I might add that I'm not a footie fan and I don't subscribe to either team, and the strength of theraband is not predictive of club seasonal outcome!

Okay, enough silly's! Physiotherapy is going well (note the increase from green to blue theraband) :o)

This is never going to sound right whichever way you try to say it, so - my arse is looking so much better! lol My gluteus maximus that is, is bulking out quite nicely. I had lost a lot of muscle there on the right side that I don't think I even got back after the osteotomy. It, and the lack of core strength, is the root cause of my 'hippy limp'. So in addition to eliminating the limp, my arse is not so lop-sided!

I love my physio, he's quite good fun and is very good at targetting specific little muscle groups prior to moving onto others. I saw him on thursday and it had been 4 weeks. At the previous session I could barely do side lifts lying on my side (ankles together, pelvis stable and not rotating) and it was great going back on thursday and showing him that I can get the lift to 50% of my ROM - in a month, that's great!! I had also reached the target of 30 rep's of getting into the bridge position (http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-form-the-pilates-bridge-position.html), staying there and stretching theraband that's been tied around my knees. Not small feat eh? Now, suddenly, I have to do 50 rep's (pesky physio goal-post shifter!).

A lot of the exercises I do are based on pilates, which is great cos I was an avid practicer prior to the pain stopping me doing, well anything. He's not cleared me to go back to pilates full-time though, just what we're working on. To be fair, the routine I have takes about 30-45mins a day to do, so I'm lucky to get the recommended two times a day in (between you and me, that only happens a few times a week! mostly once a day). But it's working so I'm happy. I feel SO much stronger.

I do honestly forget that this hip is bionic! I have random moments (like in Tesco) where I think "ooh, it's metal, my hip's metal!".

Right, time for physio! Now.....will it be Celtic with increased rep's, or Ranger's with decreased rep's ?! Oooh, who will the Red band be when I get there? lol

Linoleum diving

So I fell today for the first time since the resurfacing, or nearly fell....

Pootling down the corridor at work, sole of my left foot just sorta caught the linoleum at a funny angle propelling me face first towards the floor at high speed - and out of instinct I put out my right leg in a lunge to catch me! Then I panicked, sorta twirled and ended up with my back against the wall, standing up. Quick anatomical sweep of what's still in place and in pain - NOTHING!! Thank goodness....

If I did that pre-op, well I'd probably have face dived the floor because my right leg would not have responded at all. If I had lunged to keep my balance, I'd have been paying for it instantly and for days.

I just stood there waiting for something to happen (other than my heart rate to go down!), like my hip spontaneously dislocating, or sharp pains attacking my knee. One, I was amazed that I effectively corrected myself (then let myself go!), and two, nothing happened, AT ALL to the joint. Mr. O has a point there about me doing whatever I like physically huh?

I'm so chuffed my muscles are getting so much stronger and they are responding correctly. They are still weak but I'm working on those physio exercises and by the end of any one week I can tell a difference (it's small, but that's just the way it's going to be!). Slowly slowly catchy monkey.....

Orthopod 3mth check-up

Okay so I have no new x-rays to put up today. Mainly because it was identical to my last x-ray taken 4 days after surgery! Really, mr. orthopod put them up on the screen and I initially said "no that's the one from March", he said "check the date", today! Side-by-side identical. Excellent news!! No movement of implant, just as it's supposed to be. No collapsed femoral head or extra bone growth where it shouldn't - you know, it goes through your head...

Now here's something I suspected, forgot to ask and wasn't told last time. There was bone grafting in the socket. I don't think every resurfaced hip has this and was probably done because of the dysplasia. Mr. O was pointing out how well it's all knitted together, so well in fact that he could barely see the original outline of the socket before it was filled. Apparently the original outline is slightly higher than where the metal cup sits in the socket because it had to be reamed back due to osteophyte formation (knobbly bone spurs) and that the socket was shallow and mis-shapen etc. Bottom line, it was wonky, now its not!

He was also very pleased with my general progress and said I was doing remarkably well considering it was only 3 months post-op. He was pleased I could get my knees to my chest and hold certain leg movements. So it's all good! He did want me pass on a message to my physio - see how far you can push it. Mmmm, scary thought from my point of view! Shall we pass that on....

3 months post-op

.....and it's my birthday!

Okay, I'm back online at home finally. I have since moved, started my new job and have a new car!! Exciting times :o)

Three months post-op, wow, I cannot believe how time flies. I am still using that pesky crutch on a daily basis, but not necessarily all day. I just move faster with it, so the crutch is officially becoming a psychological 'crutch' too. Interestly, a week or so ago on a couple of occaisions I walked out of the house, locked the front door and only once I got out into the fresh air did I realise that I'd forgotten the crutch! That's got to be a good sign right? The muscles just seem to be getting stronger every day, but unfortunately, I'm at a standstill in the battle against the limp *sigh*.

Tomorrow though I'm going to the QMC in Nottingham to meet with my physiotherapist for the first time. He is very used to handling hip resurfacing patients and I was referred to him by Mr. O directly. You often find that hip resurfacing patients get lumped in with hip replacement patients, which is bad, because there are restrictions with most replacements, and none on resurfacings, and most physios treat you as the former!! I had the same problem after my PAO, the physio had never had a PAO patient, so she treated me like a hip replacement too - so frustrating! Mr. O told me that he gets well annoyed about this and that's why he chose this physio for me. So the really specific work will begin from tomorrow. Meanwhile, I've been swimming and gymming as per doc's orders. There's a great swimming pool and gym at the local hotel here in Kegworth, right on my doorstep, fabulous!

The other major event for me in the last couple of weeks has been driving. I have been so worried about getting into a car and being able to drive safely due to the surgery (on my right leg!). Bear in mind that I also hadn't driven for about 5-6yrs prior to the surgery due to pain. Mr. O told me at 5 weeks that I was cleared for driving based on my progress and movements, but I've just been too nervous about it all. I decided to have a refresher lesson before I picked the car up, just for peace of mind - plus I wouldn't be in the car alone, there would be dual brakes, and .... it wouldn't be my car if I wrote it off!! No, seriously.... I just needed to boost my confidence. The driving instructor was so curious as to why I'd pay for a lesson when I could just go out with a friend or relative. Well, family would be nervous for me and I'd never relax, and friends....well, they'd be miles away right now as I've moved to a new area and currently know no-one! Anyways, I went out in the driving instructor's car for a full hour driving around the place and it was fab....I had no real problem with controlling my leg movements within the car, no muscle spasms and no muscle aches during or after the ride. So I was pleasantly pleased and more confident about picking up my new car! Oh my new car, I love it! VW Polo, so nice to drive and it just feels safe too. It's a good choice for me.

If it wasn't for the crutch, I could honestly forget I had this surgery or that I'm now part bionic (Oh, the brand of machines in the gym are called Cybex - har de har har! Cyborg-Bex!). I still have a lot of work to do in eliminating the limp, but honestly, my life is a million times better already! I can even get my socks on now, sort of..... lol

Offline for a bit...

Okay so we've finished phase 2 and into the week of the move. I'm not sure when I'll get connected online at my new place so I thought I'd give a brief update before I go. I don't want this to turn into a blog about packing!! Because that's all I can think of right now....

I don't seem to have made any significant progress in eliminating the limp in the last two weeks. I haven't been in the pool as much as I'd like due to the aforementioned packing and socialising (goodbyes!). I've probably been 4 times in 10 days which isn't very good at all. Although I've done a LOT of walking recently and heavy-ish lifting!! It'll be fine, once I move I'm going to get sorted exercise-wise and I'll be getting my appointment for the physio too as promised.

My mother stayed with me last week and she said she'd noticed a big difference in the limp so maybe to me on a day-to-day basis its not noticable but it is slowly getting better. I'm not in pain and can get around at a fair pace with the crutch/cane anyways. I am noticing a significant ache in the muscles under the incision when I climb the stairs or squat. I wonder if its the scar tissue contracting? It can be painful if I try to lift my bodyweight from a squatting position through that leg only, but only in the muscle, not the joint. And the pain subsides very quickly once that movement is stopped, so... This is why I need to see the physio the sooner the better as I'm a little scared at how far I can push myself in this respect.

Oh oh......I managed to get my sock on without the putter-onner!!! It wasn't the most elegant of movements and involved hooking the big toe with the sock and wiggling it on. I've only managed it about 3 times as I only seem to be able to do it at the end of the day, when my muscles are warmed up and stretched out - so the putter-onner is still a must in the mornings for speed! But its getting there then. I can also sleep on my op side now with absolutely no ache at all now, its fab! This is week 9 post-op so that's great.

Right, time to put those last things in the boxes and try to get some sleep. Last day at work tomorrow and I'm already feeling sad about it. I will miss my colleagues terribly, they've become quite good friends. But I'll not be too far from Leeds to visit. That's the life of a scientist eh?

Whoever said...

"Sometimes these things happen for a reason".....

....needs a good talking to before being drop-kicked out the nearest window. You know who you are.

Major surgery is stressful. Needing to get a new job before your contract runs out is stressful. Moving is stressful. All these things are MAJOR life experiences. DO NOT do them all in the space of 2.5 months or you risk a brain hemorrhage!

All I can say is thank goodness for family and good friends. I am fiercely independent, but I've had to learn to ask for help due to the mobility issues. Yes, it can make you feel down sometimes. Useless, dependent, helpless, child-like....all these feelings spring to mind. I have had moments recently when I just want to give up, almost wishing I never got my new job because it might have been 'easier' to be unemployed for a while. But, I think I'd have hated that more - just a different type of stress. At least I know that I'll be continuing in the job I love and, of course, continuing to pay the bills!!

Today has been frantic. Stage one of the move. Up early to continue the organisation of the flat - stuff to charity, stuff to bin. Heavy bags too! Running errands around town as I have very little time to do that before the moving day. By mid-afternoon I was pretty exhausted from humping bags about and running around town, and knowing that I needed to get to the gym/pool as part of my rehab I decided to leave some of my to-do list and head straight to the health club. When I got back from there it was early evening and I'll admit that I got little else done on the list! Meh! Oh I might be tired, but I wouldn't have been able to do a fraction of it if I had to do it within the 3 months pre-op. No way. I'm tired, and maybe more so than someone who hadn't been through major surgery recently, but I'm not in pain and that IS something to be thankful for right there.

Stage two of the move begins tomorrow. My mother is arriving to stay til friday to help me pack everything as I have no time off work. I cannot express how much I appreciate this help! I cannot get certain things down from my cupboards without standing on a chair - er, NO! Not risking falling off a chair and causing a femur neck fracture at this stage.

Time for some rest I think, the next few weeks are going to be chaotic and full. I will survive....with or without my sanity intact!

....."happens for a reason".....*smack*

Article by Mr.O'Hara

Very excited to see an excellent article online in the surfacehippy community by my favourite orthopod himself addressing the recent negative press surrounding hip resurfacing....

http://www.surfacehippyinfo.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=543&Itemid=108

and this is why I trust him so much :o)

Even my eyebrows hurt!

Okay. Swimming and gymming. I have been 7 times in the 10 days since I joined up and its been great! Even though parts of my body are reminding me of their existence! My hip on the other hand is getting stronger and stronger, and its the one body part that doesn't ache.

I'm doing about half an hour on the gym bike and an hour in the pool, including hydrotherapy exercises in the pool. Mr. O's letter (for me to give to the gym is they're worried about my using the machines in recovery) does sorta say I could be doing a lot more, but honestly, I don't think I'd be able to move the next day if I did all that!! I mean, I have the physiotherapy exercises to do at home too! I figure if I include one more machine each week then I might actually be able to function. I went to work last monday and couldn't use my upper arms and shoulders after all of the swimming last weekend!! My hips were fine! I don't know if I can keep up with this bionic hip...

A couple of other completely fantastic side effects from these workouts - I have a lot more energy and I'm sleeping very well. I'm sleeping more and more on my op side now, not for long periods but I find I'm just rolling over onto that side naturally in the night.

My ROM is still increasing. I still can't get my sock on my right foot yet without my putter-onner but I can get my knee almost to my chest so I can reach to the underneath of my foot....but its still not quite enough to put a sock on or clip my toenails yet. It's getting there. It'll be 7 weeks post-op on monday so all of this is remarkable.

I am, of course, still using one crutch for walking any distance. The limp is still prominent but I can tell its beginning to get better. I've started to use a cane indoors, I haven't quite transitioned to using it outside yet as I've never had to use one before and it takes some getting used to! It was a suggestion by Mr.O to get myself a collapsible cane so as I get stronger I can walk for longer periods of time unaided and I can just take the cane out my handbag to use when I get tired. So I got myself a funky purple spotty one from http://www.switchsticks.com/ , if you've gotta use one, make it stylish!

Anyhoo, I've just come back from the health club and I need to scrape myself up off this sofa (again) so I can go make some dinner ..... ;o)

Let battle commence

So, after seeing Mr.O last week and being told to get my limpy-ass into a gym and pool I took action! I've never been one for joining gyms etc and the local pool is a bit of a bus ride away (which isn't a motivation for going either before or after work). But, I have decided that it'll probably be in my best health interests to now join a health club that will give me access to nice facillites and a large pool. In the short term that causes a bit of a problem as you know how these places work - you sign up for a minimum of 12 months. I'm moving away from Leeds in about 4 weeks time! But I need in the pool now!

After phoning a couple of places the Livingwell Health group (Hilton hotels) said they would do me one months membership only. I would cost me £55 for one month, £10 more a month than it would if I joined up - but hey, if it means I get to crack on with my physio in the pool its worth it. It's a really nice place too, only 5mins walk from my place, tv's on the machines, big pool, jacuzzi, steam room/sauna, the works!! :o)

The battle against the limp has begun! Since thursday I've been in the pool 3 times, for over an hour each time. It's amazing, I can actually move the joint so well in water, no pain or stiffness, it's like it's back to normal! Doing the breast-stroke means I work all the muscles of the hip at once so swimming really is an excellent exercise for me. I also took time to do physio exercises in the water - abduction/adduction, quads etc. During that time in the water I feel normal again, then I get out and rediscover the limp! It will take time. I haven't been into the gym yet, I wanted to just swim for a few days first. Tuesday is the day I get into the gym followed by a swim. Mr.O sent me a letter stating that I'm fit for gym exercise (for the gym, insurance I think) - in that letter I realised exactly what he expects of me in the next few weeks too. He's stated that he expects me to use almost all the machines including rowing machine (eek!)....but only slow on treadmill and light weights on abduction. It's a full time job this exercise!

I am actually exhausted today. Yesterday I got up early for my swim and then headed off for a massive furniture reconnoiter (renting unfurnished in my new place). 4hrs of walking around the big retail shops! No pain in my hip! My back muscles from crutch usage however..... I can't remember the last time I was walking for 4hrs without any hip pain (I may have been a teenager!). So tonight will be an early night otherwise I'll not function at work tomorrow.

It's all I do now - work, exercise, eat, sleep, repeat! Done it before, it will get easier. Zzzzzzzz...

Orthopod check-up

Another long day!

Up at 5.30am to catch my train to Birmingham as my appointment was for 11am. I actually arrived 1hr early (the trains weren't late for once!) and was taken straight through to the clinic. The nurse on duty was really nice and said that it seemed to be really quiet today so if I popped upstairs for my x-rays I could probably go in early. Excellent I'm thinking! Uh-uh.... there was a reason it 'seemed' quiet. There was a 2hr back-log in x-ray as the computer system had gone down! I've never seen the waiting room so packed, seating was only for patients, rellies had to make do!

After putting in my form and thus effectively joining the queue, I asked if they didn't mind me pottering off for a while - nup! So I walked straight back down to the clinic to let the nurse know as clearly no-one had thought to pass on the message. I also wanted to let them know because if I had waited I might not have gotten to see Mr. O! Previous experience pays off - consultants on the NHS usually only hold morning clinics and if it runs over, you get re-scheduled to another day. As I've always come to the hospital from far away I've always reminded them of this fact so not seeing my orthopod is NOT an option!

So, after letting the nurse know she scuttled off to ask Mr. O; I walked straight in for consultation! As it was 'quiet' we had a good long chat. He said I didn't need a new x-ray that day as he had the set from 5 weeks ago (he thinks the ROHB gives people unnecessary x-rays sometimes and one shot of radiation less is good!). He'll be seeing me in 2 months and I will have x-rays then.

He was pleased with the progress so far and in the ROM that I have regained. He wasn't impressed with my limp! He wants me to have physio and was a bit annoyed that it hadn't been set up already. I explained to him that I'll be moving due to my new job in Nottingham mid-may and as it can take a month to set up the first appointment on the NHS, he said that he has a friend that is an excellent physio down in that neck of the woods so he'll get in touch with him and set it up for me in time for me moving. In the mean-time he's given me a whole bunch of exercises to do, including abduction exercises that he initially told me not to do. I've also to get myself working out in the gym and in the pool. The only downside to this limp is that he doesn't want me to ditch the crutch yet until I get physio!! It is a fairly bad body tilt, swaying thing I have going on - at first he thought perhaps he got my leg length wrong, but its not, its perfect. We think its just my poor muscles got so used to that leg being slightly (0.5cm) shorter for years that now the legs are equal, the muscles are too tight on one side, thus causing me to tilt. It's not a good look so whilst I'm a little disheartened not to lose the crutch any time soon, it is for the best I suppose *sigh*.

I am a considered a complicated resurfacing. So it looks like I'm in it for the rehab long haul! I have done remarkably well recovery-wise so far but its going to be a few months of hard work to sort out all the incorrect muscle usage. Some muscles have been used incorrectly for years, that is one of the consequences of arthritis, chronic pain and previous surgeries. That won't be easy to correct. But I'm going to give it all I have for as long as necessary!

X-ray taken 4 days post-op. Resurfacing with extra fixation screws. Scary!

Close up of my right hip. Red circles highlight the remnants of broken screws left after my osteotomy. Red arrow shows muscle anchors/staples used to reattach one of my muscles back to the bone.

My scar at 5 weeks post-op. Looking much better!

I climbed a mountain today

....or rather, the stairs!

No great feat huh? Only one flight of stairs you say? But not one step at a time... I was walking the stairs normally, with NO CRUTCHES and NO PAIN!! Woo hoo! I don't care that it was slow, I climbed UP the stairs today using two legs, go me! :op

It's a good end to a stressful week. Walking unaided is getting easier too, but I still have a major limp. I'm seeing Mr. O on tuesday so I'll be able to have a good chat about exercises then. I really want to get back to doing pilates but I've just wanted to take it slowly. What's the point in rushing the recovery and undoing all Mr. O's good work. I have plenty of time to get back into various things. I've just been concentrating on walking, walking, walking just like he told me to! I've been pretty pleased with the results of just walking so far!!

4.5wks - Back to work

Ok, I'm a bit of an emotional basketcase right now. This last week has been quite stressful, hence the lack of posting.

My grandmother died last tuesday. Whilst it wasn't completely unexpected, it still shocks. As my mother had already travelled ahead of us to be with her mum, me and my dad travelled back to Leeds to get me and my stuff back to my apartment and settled back in. My mum joined us in Leeds at the weekend and both my parents have been amazing in helping me settle back in! Especially under the circumstances. I suppose being busy is good too. The funeral isn't until this coming friday, quite a wait really.

As I have a new job we all thought we'd take a day trip to Nottinghamshire to scout out areas to live. I'm going to be working in the countryside and it's throwing up all sorts of stressful new things for me to think about! I don't have a car, never needed one living in the city centre! I can drive and it seems I will have to get a car. No problemo, right? Just the small matter that I cannot lift my leg off the floor in a sitting position - let alone move my right foot from accelerator to brake safely (or at all!). Seems I'll be relying on countryside public transport to get to work for a while!! Seems I have a new incentive to up the exercises. I'm still using one crutch, but I do wander around the apartment unaided - and it is getting less jerky, more limpy!

So yeah, I feel stressed with everything I need to organise in the next month and with everything that has happened in the last month. I am also going back to work tomorrow and I've just realised how much I have to finish up before starting my new job in addition to the move across country, again! I am exhausted. My body is sooooo tired after everything that has happened this last week and with all the travelling. A lot of people have said that I shouldn't bother going back to work tomorrow, but honestly, I just want to get back to a routine, a sense of normality. I'll only be in tomorrow as the funeral is on friday. Then I work monday and on tuesday I'm off to Birmingham for my check-up with Mr. Orthopod. Mmmm.....where's that routine fitting into this exactly (lol). Give me until the end of next week and it'll be back to normal.

Think it might be time for a long nap!

An update in pictures

A couple of hours after surgery - this was before the sickness set in!

My mum and me, again just a few hours after surgery.

Out walking the day after being discharged from hospital (day 6). My favourite place to walk at the moment - Loch Lomond, Scotland. Somedays you just get beaten up by the weather!

One week post-op...attacked by a chook!!

Incision at 3 weeks post-op. Staples have been out one week - the nurse put steri-strips on to push some parts of the skin that weren't flush down with the rest of the incision.

You can see the previous scars from my osteotomy 4.5yrs ago, certainly the one on the back of my leg, and the tail end of the other one on the front of my leg. I have quite a collection now!! Er....Excuse the pants!

Transitions

3 weeks post-op

...and we're doing the 'jerky-turkey'!!

Meaning, I seemed to have reached a plateau with the mobility. I went from two crutches to one in under two weeks post-op and walking a fair distance from one week post-op. This last week I've realised that I can walk for miles (well, 2) on one crutch with no pain or ache - which in itself is amazing considering! But I haven't felt any significant progression this past week which would enable me to walk unaided for any length of time. I can potter about the room without any crutches but I'm very much the 'jerky-turkey' as my leg sort of jerks at the knee to put the leg into its most stable position (straight leg, knee locked). I know, I know, its only been 3 weeks post-op!! My leg is still healing from the incision.

Yesterday I started to walk where there's more of an incline to work the quads and glutes harder. That definitely seems to get the muscles aching by the end of the walk. Unfortunately, it's started to snow tonight so going out for a walk tomorrow might be out! Urgh, there's only so many butt-clenches you can do at home before you get bored!! On the plus side, I can now get onto the floor again (without wondering how on earth I'll get up again unassisted!) which means I can do gentle pilates exercises. This has helped with stretching everything out - I can now reach to my ankles. Hopefully I will get to my feet before long so I can get my socks on myself - thank goodness for those fabulous sock putter-onners!! Nothing worse than not being able to put your socks on yourself, lol.

I'm on schedule to go back to work next week which will be good actually. I have done some work on my laptop this past week, not completely up to full speed, but at least it'll be a transition into the office next week. I'm also eager to get back as I have lots of loose ends on the project to finish up before starting my new job! Yes, I knew it'd work out - I was offered a position in Nottingham last week and I've accepted it. I will now be working on a project funded by Arthritis Research Campaign (UK) to study the mechanisms of pain caused by osteoarthritis in the knee. I'm very excited to be part of such a project as obviously osteoarthritis has plagued me for many years and it's nice to think I can perhaps help make a difference.

Right, now, where's that ice!

Ice Ice Baby

I have fallen in love with ice!

Not to be confused with the evil stuff that don's the pavements in winter trying to undermine anyone with mobility issues, but the fabulous cubes of ice that can ease weary muscles much better than soaking in a hot tub for 3hrs. I am addicted! Walk, ice, walk, ice, eat dinner, ice, massage, bed. Magic!! :o)

I could sit with hot water bottles and heated blankets for hours and not get the relief an ice pack can bring within 15-20 minutes. I suppose in the middle of winter, when you're in pain, ice is the last thing you want to feel as its so damn cold outside anyway. Plus, I don't have a freezer in my apartment (yes, it's amazing how you don't actually miss it that much!). So I better take full advantage of my parents freezer before heading home in two weeks. Mind you, I do have access to ice at work (hee hee), but maybe by then I won't need it.

I'm also loving the self-massage! That could sound a little dodgy! I attended a head-neck massage tutorial as part of healthy week at my work last year and the tutor taught us massage techniques to do on ourselves (so we understood how it felt like on ourselves before subjecting some poor sod to our amateur ways!!). Those techniques have proved invaluable for my aching muscles after a long walk. It's also worked very well for helping me sleep. For the last week, I was waking up every time I turned on my side or back onto my back as the muscles would cramp momentarily. So I was waking up about 5-6 times a night from midnight. But I started to ice and massage my right leg for about half an hour prior to bed the last few nights and I'm sleeping straight for about 7 hrs before the aches creep back in - which is better quality sleep! Much better.

As I'm walking more and more now, about 1.5-2 miles every day or so, the ice and massage has really helped with any muscle stiffness. I've dropped down to one elbow crutch now and the leg is having to work harder during this transition. My wrist aches like mad. I find that I'm leaning a lot to one side when walking so I still really have to concentrate on walking straight, good posture. I can't wait to start doing pilates again as that will help strengthen my core and reduce the crazy body alignment I currently have! I shouldn't be too hard on myself though, it's only been two weeks since the surgery. Geez, it feels like forever ago though!

One week post surgery

Well, it's a little over a week now since the BHR surgery and I cannot believe how well the recovery is going ever since I left hospital on friday. I suppose if this was my first hip surgery then I'd just think this was all normal. But having had the mother of all hip surgeries with the periacetabular osteotomy....this is a BREEZE by comparison! Where I am today in terms of mobility I hadn't reached at 6 weeks after the PAO. Amazing!

So I've been walking my socks off really. Me and my mum have taken wee trips to very nice spots to walk for an hour or so. We walked by Loch Lomond shores yesterday and just in Helensburgh today. Every time I've come back I've iced the leg which has helped with muscle stiffness. When I walked on saturday my right thigh tightened up over night and was a solid lump on sunday! Took a bit of massaging and gentle walking to relieve it. I haven't really taken any pain medication in the last couple of days either which has surprised me, and I've been able to sleep on my left side. My back is still suffering from all the sleeping on my back last week, so it's been nice to lay on my side.

The incision site is a little itchy as it heals, which drives me mad as I just want to scratch it sooooo much! I daren't touch it though, I mean, those staples looked vicious - all 30 odd of them! I'll have the pleasure of their removal next monday... joy!

The week that was

Well it's good to be back home and online after my resurfacing surgery. What a week eh? I actually can't believe I was discharged in time for the weekend. If you asked me on wednesday if I would be, my answer would have been a definite NO!

Sunday 7th March:
A little late getting to the ROHB due to roadworks, but after calling them to let them know they were only concerned about whether I was having a safe journey to the hospital rather than being late for my 'check-in'. They are so nice there. Once there I was placed on Ward 3, the hip and knee ward, and subjected to a ton of paperwork. I had to have blood taken too - cue the on-call weekend lacky, er junior doctor! I hate the doctors taking blood and no-one had informed this 'trainee orthopaedic oncologist' that taking blood with a regular 20ml syringe and needle had been banned a while back (they use those vacuum syringes now). Couple the giant syringe with the fact he didn't release the tourniquet to draw blood and it wasn't the best experience. Don't worry, I told him so in no uncertain terms! Anyways, apart from that and a giant arrow drawn onto my leg, sunday was relatively unremarkable.

Monday 8th March - the day of surgery:
7am: Woken up and sent for a shower.
7.30am: Visit from the anaesthetist - we briefly discuss anaesthesia and what I'd like. I ask for a general anaesthesia with a single spinal shot (lasts 7-8hrs as opposed to the 24-48hrs of an epidural).
8.30am: Taken down to pre-op theatre, shoogled onto the operating table, stuck with a cannula in my hand, hooked up to monitors and plastered in electrodes!
8.58am: I was given 5 bottles of wine, sorry, the anaesthesia.....then.......
10.30am: Awoke in recovery seeing the clock on the wall, oxygen mask on my face, IV fluids into another cannula in my wrist and the noise of the hot air filling the heated blanket over me. I ask if the surgery was successful, the resurfacing, yes it was. Relief. Then I feel the ache. Morphine given. Ache still there half and hour later - more morphine. Better :o)
12 noon: Was about to be moved to the ward but started to feel sick due to the morphine. Blood pressure also low so they kept me in recovery.
1.15pm: Back on ward 3 fairly awake and very comfortable. Parents came in to visit me not long after that.

Spent most of the day napping and feeling sick due to the morphine. Was sick a few times and decided that I wouldn't take morphine that night, just the NSAIDS and paracetamol. I was not allowed out of bed either - like I could, my leg felt welded to the bed!!

Tuesday 9th March - day 2 post surgery:
Mmmm.....perhaps not taking the morphine wasn't such a good idea! It was at this point that I remembered all the times that I'd forgotten to take the diclofenac and how crap it was to play catch up with the pain. So most of day 2 was spent wrestling with the breakthrough pain and the sickness of the remnants of the morphine, joy! During this time the super-smiley physiotherapists turned up to get me out of bed!!

This was the moment I was dreading and it was just as joyous as the last surgery. Well, as the spinal had worn off it didn't feel as traumatising turning straight-legged using the monkey bar to get your legs over the side of the bed. Bending the legs at the knees over the bed however felt so tight and heavy I thought my feet would never get to the floor. The incision site felt like it was going to burst - they assured me the staples would hold, don't panic (they did!). So, feet finally on the floor, a zimmer frame gets plonked in front of me. Now, as a 31 yr old spring chicken one might think that the site of such a contraption would just induce a depression, but honestly it was a god send - when your leg feels welded to the floor and someone is asking you to do something impossible like 'walk' you take anything you can hang on to with welcoming arms. This is always the point where you think "what the f*** have I just done to myself! I can't walk, I can't remember what it's like to walk, will I walk again?". The latter question was a good one as I did manage to move the leg forward, although there was little control over it and I could hear myself shouting in my head at my leg "MOVE damn it, MOVE!"....it's like the first scene in Kill Bill when she wills her big toe to move after waking up from a long coma - yes, its THAT hard to do! However, 3 steps on and I'm hit with a massive wave of nausea and several bright white spots cloud my vision. Couldn't open eyes due to feeling blinded by said bright spots and the physio's manhandled me back into bed asap. My blood pressure had plummeted to 93/51. No more getting out of bed for me til the next day. As I was still in pain, the nurses decided that sickness wasn't a good enough reason not to take the morphine, I gave in. The rest of the day was spent vomit-worthy but pain free. I was also getting told off by my parents for being too hard on myself as I just wanted to get up and walk - I'm thinking the morphine and anaesthesia affected me in more ways than one mentally.

Wednesday 10th March - day 3 post surgery:
Woke up still vomit-worthy so the on-call doctor gave me IV anti-sickness drugs which actually worked! Hurrah! By this point the diclofenac with paracetamol was working so no more morphine. I still couldn't stomach much food though which was making me feel crappy as I had no energy. I could barely stay awake on day 3 due to this. The porter kept coming to take me to x-ray but the Sister kept shooing him away as I couldn't be mobilised until the physio's came back again, and until I stopped throwing up! Apparently Mr. O was desperate to see his handy-work!

The physio's came back again with military precision to get me out of bed for round 2! Urgh. This time I made it across the room to the bathroom - HUGE achievement this, a glimmer of independence was emerging with the sight of the bathroom door. Washing in bed is bloody impossible and horrid I can tell you. The physio's also told me that there would be no restrictions on my movements either during recovery. This is the big difference between resurfacing and replacement - there's a list of restrictions with replacement so you don't dislocate the joint in the early stages of recovery when the muscles are at their weakest. I don't have to worry, just to use common sense. Obviously I cannot touch my toes just yet because my muscles just won't let me, far too tight! But they will stretch out soon.

Thursday 11th March - day 4 post surgery:
Today was a good day! Despite having had zero sleep (despite my fabulous foresight to bring an eyemask and ear plugs - trust me, worth it when in a ward bay of 4 people!) I was so alert thursday. I got a shower!! Oh I cannot express how fabulous it was to sit under the hot water and wash away that hospital smell....bliss *sigh*. The X-ray dude then carted me off which cheered me up no end as it was my first trip out of the ward bay in 4 days! Then when I got back to the ward the physio's turned up again with 2 shiny new crutches for me. We did the full length of the corridor and then the stairs. With that it meant the physio's signed me off for discharge! HIP HIP HOORAY! Just need to get the occupational therapist and ward Sister to sign me off for discharge and FREEDOM! The OT had to witness me getting in and out of bed safely and unaided - check. They also made me show them that I could sit on a toilet safely without the use of a raised toilet seat and hold rails - just using my crutches and reaching out for guidance. That's easier said than done and not something I could have done post-PAO. But 2 tries and the OT was happy to sign me off for discharge too! The ward Sister was happy with my progress and was happy to discharge me with one exception - I was not allowed to travel back to Scotland in the car! The ROHB do not like their hip patients to travel in cars. So an ambulance was booked, but it meant getting away thursday was impossible - 8am friday morning and I would be free!

Friday 12th March - day 5 post surgery:
6.30am: Woken up to get ready to leave. Wound checked - holy crap, 30-35 staples! Given painkillers to take home and a supply of clexane injections for 1 month (to prevent DVT's, rather than the sexy TED stockings!).
8am: No ambulance yet.
8.30am: Done 4 laps of the corridor and collared Mr. O's registrar to show me my x-rays (wow!). Still no ambulance.
9am: Ambulance!!! Hurrah! Bundled onto the stretcher into the ambulance, en route to Scotland.
3.20pm: Home sweet home baby yey! Very stiff as we only stopped once. Walked about the house lots to relieve it.
11pm: Asleep in my own bed!

Penultimate Day

So we'll be heading off to the hopital soon for me to 'check-in' and be subjected to more pre-op paperwork, tests and of course, the drawing of arrows on my leg! I'm not that nervous right now...I was more so on friday as I was saying goodbye to my friends (as I won't see them for a few weeks as I'll be in Scotland). It's been such a crazy week that I haven't really had much time to dwell on it. Once I get to the hospital it will kick in. Time seems to slow down in hospital and once you've got your wristband on you are at the mercy of the institutions routine. Hopefully this time next week I'll be back in the comfort of the family recuperating......watching 'feel good' sunday night tv with the family!

Here's signing off for now and see everyone on the other side! x

One week to go

Okay, now that I've ascertained that the actual date of my surgery is in one week (and I'll be checking up on that!), how am I feeling?

Overwhelmed. And not due to the surgery! I have so many things to be wrapping up by the end of this working week, throw in a job interview and a ball for good measure, and I'm trying to work out when I can do silly little things like laundry prior to going down to Birmingham next sunday. I'll be begging for that anaesthetic just to shut my brain up!

My priority is this job interview. Given that academic job interviews are tantamount to exams, I'm stressed with all the studying whilst trying to ease my right hip off inbetween. I did take saturday off from work to go to the Thackray Medical Museum (Leeds) with a couple of friends. As I might be leaving Leeds in the coming months I thought I'd take a gander up the road for a visit - that and they currently have an exhibit on 'old for new', being bionic (being a cyborg!! sounds like something that escaped from Dr.Who than your average grandmother!). We spent nearly 3.5hrs going round the museum! Even though I've been using my crutch daily for about 2 weeks now, I was completely wiped out despite having 5 minute sit-downs every half hour. I was hoping to come home and study a bit more, but I had to take a bath to help my poor muscles, and after that I was too tired - watched a movie and had an early night. Gosh, I'm such party animal for a 31 year old!

Because I got most things ready for hospital for last monday, I don't really have much organising in that department, just laundry. I think after the disappointment of the surgery date being put back it has made me realise that even if I get nervous I'm still going ahead with it, so why worry too much. No doubt I'll be more nervous next weekend and on the day, I can't imagine anyone not having those nerves on the day! But for now, I'm focussing on wednesday's job interview, the masquerade ball on thursday night and a friends leaving do on friday night!

My brain's fried, I need sleep..... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Another Amendment!

Being disappointed the first time around they shifted my surgery date, then getting a letter stating it was 2 days later than what she told me on the phone, I decide this morning that with 2 weeks to go I'd call the hospital to confirm my date (again!). This time she said "oh that's odd you're the monday list not wednesday! I will call Mr. Orthopod's secretary right away to confirm".

Oh yes, the surgery date they told me on the phone orginially was correct and the letter was wrong! Which baffles me because you have to phone to confirm your bed, which I did and no one at that point told me that either the day or date was incorrect. I never had anything like this last time, I could have missed my surgery!

It will be on MONDAY 8th MARCH. I said "you'll forgive me if I call back next week to check!". Oh I will.....probably more than once....

The Waiting Game

~2 weeks to go (again!)

I'm getting fed up now. I should have had my shiny new hip today, but I'm hanging-on in here for another 2 weeks for Mr. Orthopod! Woke up this morning, fine and dandy, and as I was putting on my boots for work - my hip got stuck!! Like stuck. It sorta clicked as I was leaning over to hook my boot onto my foot. When I tried to straighten up, I couldn't....cue the panic!! It probably only lasted 2 seconds, but it felt like 2 mins before there was the most horrific grating sound and a pop which released my joint back. I'm still cringing thinking on it. Let's just say, it 'stings' a little.....like it stings when you drop a bookshelf on your foot! It gave me such a fright too, brought tears to my eyes.

Once I calmed down and the sharp pain had subsided I discovered that full weight on that leg wasn't happening today. I'm sort of sat on the sofa with my right leg extended out in a strange manner, fearing to bend it now.....it is not comfortable, and there are aches where I had none before. I'm trying to get work done at home, but I'm having to shift a lot due to these strange aches, so its not efficient (not that it would have been efficient in the office either).

Pesky orthopod's diary! Pesky boots once again!! Boooo......

My Biggest Fear

My biggest fear is having a hip replacement. More specifically my biggest fear is going in for hip resurfacing and waking up with a hip replacement. Waking up from surgery and being told that it didn’t all go to plan.

I don’t actually have a problem with having a THR itself, although given the choice between keeping my femoral head or not, I go with keeping it! I think most would. But I know I cannot live with the arthritic pain as it is now and sometimes I think I would happily agree to some sheep’s cartilage or a leg transplant!

I didn’t realise until last week how much this had been sub-consciously playing on my mind. I had been ‘rummaging’ through the older archives on the surfacehippy group messages and had been reading a lot about revisions of BHR to THR, failures, dislocations, going in for BHR and waking up with a THR. Quite frankly I was voluntarily working myself up into a tizzy about it all when the realisation hit me – I am terrified of going in for one surgery and coming out with another. As soon as I had that eureka moment I was able to address it, and let the fear go. This is not without the help of some friends, but at this moment in time my anxiety has been significantly reduced. I’ve been sleeping soundly too.

I will go into my BHR surgery with an open mind. I really want a BHR, but if I do wake up and find that I am the proud new owner of a shiny THR, I will be temporarily disappointed but I’ll let go of it quicker. At the end of the day, it will serve its purpose. Many young people are very happy with their THR’s, I will not consider myself some sort of failure to be joining them if it enables me to get on with my life. There has been too much THR-bashing going on and I’m not surprised so many of us awaiting hip surgery are horribly anxious pre-op. I have a preference (BHR), others have theirs.

BHR versus THR

I decided I should highlight the differences between hip resurfacing (BHR) and total hip replacement (THR). Many people have asked me what BHR is and what are the differences to THR. This will also be a prelude to the next blog post.

Hip resurfacing is NOT where the orthopod goes into your hip and smoothes everything out, as the name might suggest. BHR is actually a metal-on-metal (MOM) hip prosthesis. It comprises a metal acetabular cup and a metal femoral head cap. The metal used is chromium cobolt nickel. THR's to date can be composed of metal and plastic, ceramic and ceramic, and the newer ones are large-head MOM. The biggest difference between a BHR and THR is in the femoral component of the prosthesis. In a THR, the head of the femur is amputated and a metal rod/spike is inserted into the femur which has a ball on the end acting as your new femoral head. In BHR, the femoral head is maintained, it is only reamed down ready for a metal cap to be firmly inserted over the top of the head.

Just for comparison here's a great image from the Mayo Clinic (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/medical/IM03868):

BHR is therefore more bone conserving and is proving more beneficial to younger people with hip disease as it has allowed many to go back to more higher impact sports and activities compared to a traditional THR. However, it should be noted that the newer MOM THR's are allowing all ages to do exactly the same. The survival rates of BHR prosthesis have shown to be significantly higher than traditional THR at 10 years. But THR surgery has been around a lot longer than BHR (~15 yrs for BHR in UK; only since 2006 in the US), plus there is a skew in the age groups recieving either. So far the data falls in favour with BHR for younger people, but only time will tell.

I don't want to get bogged down with the pro's and con's here, I merely wanted to describe the main anatomical differences between BHR and THR.

Postponed with 1 week to go

I'm not a happy bunny today. The hospital rang to say that for whatever reason my orthopod will be out of town next week and has had to put my surgery back 2 weeks to the 8th March.

With 1 week to go, everything organised, I'm absolutely gutted. I didn't realise how much of a toll this takes on you emotionally until I got that phonecall. Three more weeks of this pain! Urgh. The cortisone has worn off and I'm painfully reminded of why I'm having this surgery. When it's only 1 week to go you tell yourself it doesn't matter it won't be long. But when the goal posts shift unexpectly at the last minute, your heart sinks at having to put up with the pain and subconscious anxiety for even a minute longer than you thought you'd have to.

I know I will feel better in the morning. I guess I'm just going to have to occupy myself the next couple of weekends with something that takes my mind off this. I'm also going to be phoning the hospital a week in advance of this new date to double check. Mr. O'Hara said that only he would do this surgery, that his registrars weren't competent to do the procedure on me - I'm sure they are competent surgeons, but BHR surgery has a very very steep learning curve, and that's on regular hips, not dysplasic ones like mine! I'll wait however long for Mr. O'Hara, but I don't have to like it..... :o(

AMENDMENT: I got the letter through from the hospital this morning (tuesday), the surgery is on the 10th March. Harumph, another 2 days!

Cortisone injection update

It's just shy of 4 weeks since my hip injection of cortisone and I think it's beginning to wear off. The pain is still fairly minimal, but the stiffness has returned and when I stand up from sitting for a while its difficult and sore. Given how bad the osteoarthritis is right now, I'm happy to have had 4 weeks of relief and not having to pump my body full of analgesics. I would have it again, but given that you're only supposed to have 2-3 shots of it in a year and several uses can actually damage the joint, it's definitely a last resort.

Oh well, only 10 days to go! Bring it on.....

Preparing for Hotel NHS

2 weeks to go!

This week has been particularly mad and I'm trying hard to compartmentalise all the stresses lest it all tips me over the edge. I had a job interview on wednesday and also found out that my grandmother is seriously ill and in hospital. It's all a bit hectic really.

So this weekend I thought I'd focus on what things I want to take with me to Hotel NHS and then subsequently the things I'll want with me at the family home (which is over 200 miles from where I currently live in Leeds). Having spent a fabulous 8 nights in hospital when I had my PAO, I know exactly what I want with me this time. Even that one night I spent there prior to my hip injection has reminded me what a difference it makes when you know what to expect.

Armed with a shopping list, off to the shops! For the hospital we have... Clotheswise: Now I prefer pj's to nighties to sleep in, but having your hip operated on makes it a pain having to deal with pj bottoms - 2 new nighties, check. Also, one's hip swells up beyond belief after mr. orthopod has had a good rummage around in there and it takes a long while to go down again - therefore, best to get a weeks worth of knickers one or two sizes bigger than your normal size, check. If you don't have any sweat pants, these are a good idea for staying comfortable when you leave the hospital and at home - I have a few pairs anyways and didn't feel the need for new ones. Other clothing items that are good to have - slippers, dressing gown, loose tops, flat shoes that are easy to get on. Toiletries: you won't need more than this - shampoo (2 in 1 is great for hospital), shower gel (I love my Liz Earle! smells fab and lifts the spirits), dry shampoo (Bastiste is good - for when you can't shampoo hair the first day or so), facewash, moisturiser, tooth brush and paste, lip salve, sponge (I don't like using theirs) and wet wipes (invaluable!!! Get a big pack). No need for razors, nail files etc, honestly you won't miss them! I think I spent the first two days last time just using the wet wipes!! But I do recommend the lip salve as the air con and heating in hospital tends to dry your lips out something chronic.

I also have my food package! To be fair, and this varies between hospitals WIDELY....the food at the ROHB was alright. Unfortunately, as I've mentioned before, I was as sick as a dog due to all the drugs and toxins floating around my body and ended up eating whatever whenever. Which included grapes, pringles, chocolate mainly....none stayed down for long. I went for high fat just to get some calories into me. So this time, I've put together a food package - things like choc covered raisins, nut bars, cashews etc. All high energy in case I need it. I'm hoping it won't be as bad this time.

For home it'll just be casual clothes and easy to get on flat shoes really. I'll be with the family so I don't have to worry about meals too much. I also won't have to worry about those fabulous surgical stockings either - pain in the ass to get on without help! So sexy!!

I'm not too nervous now. I did have a couple of moments the other night, but I just want it over with now. The hip injection is still working quite well, I've had a few aches at night - and that's when I'm glad I'm having the surgery. 3 weeks from now, hopefully I'll have been discharged from hospital and recovering in the family home. :o)

Inspiration

I found a patient video online earlier that just makes me want my BHR tomorrow. I hope its even half as good for me:

http://www.surfacehippyinfo.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=350&Itemid=30

I did winch a little watching the part where he gets out of bed for the first time as that still evokes the strongest memory for me after my PAO. The physio's came round that morning, after 3 days of lying flat in bed being pumped full of morphine and goodness know's what else. They manhandled me into a sitting position (well, I couldn't do it myself) and lowered my legs over the side of the bed. I wasn't in any pain, the epidural was still in and morphine was still swimming about my system. I couldn't feel anything below my waist on the right hand side and I was completely freaked out by it - and the zimmer frame right in front of me (!!). At that point I promptly threw up and started crying. Apparently this is normal and in hindsight, thats the worst part, not the surgery, but the first time out of bed.

I am being honest when I say I'm not nervous about the surgery. But until now, I just haven't mentioned that I'm nervous about the first time out of bed. I survived once, I'll survive again!! And if this patient is anything to go by, it's not going to be 3-4months on crutches! :o)

Pre-op assessment

So I had my pre-op yesterday. The ROHB organised it for me to have it at my GP's surgery, which just makes it easier for me than the trek to Birmingham for a 45min assessment. It basically consisted of taking blood, a urine sample, an ECG, blood pressure test, a weigh-in and a ton of questions! Easy peasy! I made the mistake of putting body cream on that morning so various parts of me got wet-wiped so the electrode pads would stick down, oops.

So I guess next stop, BHR! 3 weeks to go. Still not nervous (been over-thinking why I'm not nervous, so I guess you can't win!). Going to have a weekend of sorting out my apartment for reasons I've mentioned before. And prepare for a job interview I have on wednesday!

4 weeks to go - reflection

Of all the random things to do on a sunday morning, I decided to watch an entire BHR surgery online on the McMinn Centre website (http://www.mcminncentre.co.uk/flash/). Derek McMinn is the founder of the BHR and I feel so lucky to be having mine in Birmingham where it all started. As far as I know, he only works at the ROHB part-time to do knee surgeries now and all his hip patients are private.

I should say that the surgery video is graphic and watch it being warned thus! It's fascinating though and despite it being a specially recorded surgery, it still only took him 50mins to complete the entire thing. If I hadn't already been through a triple pelvic osteotomy (TPO or PAO) I probably couldn't have watched it. I remember my orthopod telling me how they checked how secure the pins were in my pelvis - which basically involved him bouncing me (!) on the table by shaking one of the pins on a metal rod.....yum! It almost seems too comical to believe, if it weren't for the bruises.

So aside from becoming slightly obsessed with researching 'all things hip' (or 'hip porn' as one of my friends referred to it!) I've begun to start thinking about getting organised. I have 4 weeks to go. Next friday, 29th Jan, the ROHB has arranged for me to have my pre-op assessment at my local GP surgery. That's really nice of them as it saves me a 4hr round trip for something that will only take 30mins. It also means I can pop down on my lunch break and not have to worry about being off from work.

I'm slowly accumulating a shopping list of essentials. This is in part due to the fact that I'll be recovering at the family home in Scotland and not in Leeds. So I need to organise myself not only for the hospital stay, but a few weeks away. I'm going to think on that more in a couple of weeks time. Next weekend I think I'm going to have a mini-spring clean of my apartment and sort out a lot of stuff. My thinking on that one is this - my job is ending at the end of may, and at this moment in time I have no job to go to after that, therefore I might be moving. If I have to move, it makes sense to have the apartment in order when I'm less mobile or if I need some kind soul to help me.

So really I'm just in psychological organisation mode this weekend. I'm not nervous about the surgery (yet!), but I did have a moment yesterday where all I could think about was infections post-op. And I'm not talking about from the surgery, I mean getting a throat infection or from a small cut etc. Apparently you have to be super careful about such things with a metal prosthesis as bugs like to grow where blood (and thus antibiotics) can't get to them and they can cause havoc. I had visions of antibiotic spacers and then THR's. But enough, its all about choices and what I can live with. I cannot live with the joint the way it is, so BHR is the way to go and I will just have to make sure I look after myself.

I think I'm going to go draw myself a nice hot bath and remove myself from the internet 'hip porn'!

Hip block - Cortisone Injection

I had my scheduled hip block on monday and the results so far have been fantastic!

It all went smoothly on the monday, I was second on the list to go into theatre and that was roughly about 11:45. That meant I was grumpy all morning due to being nil by mouth! I was then briefly put under general anaesthesia for the procedure which took roughly 5-10mins - so I have nothing to report on the actual experience itself. It is unusual to have a GA for this, but that's how they do it. I was not concerned about it and I'm sure if I really disagreed with having a GA they would do it under local, they are very receptive to patients needs. I came round wide awake about 45mins later and was discharged from the hospital about 4hrs later.

The ROHB sent me home with a ton of painkillers but I haven't needed them! I took a couple of paracetamol (just paracetamol!) last night to soothe my thigh which was aching but apart from that the hip is pain-free. It seems to be a little achey towards the end of the day but not painful as such, more uncomfortable, and more muscular aches than boney. The second amazing result is NO STIFFNESS!! I cannot say how happy I am about that! I feel flexible again (to a point) and don't have to slowly ease myself upright when standing up from a chair. Hurrah!

I'm very pleased with this outcome. I was fairly woozy for a couple of days due to the GA but the hip didn't flare up post-injection, which it can with these shots. Even if it just lasts the month until my surgery I'll be happy. I hate taking the painkillers and just these few days of not having them I feel like my body can take a rest, my liver and kidneys especially.

I'm not going to push myself just because I feel 'okay', because the joint is far from okay. I will take the opportunity to try and do more of my physio exercises to keep the muscles strong for next month.

Joy!

Surgery date

Well, I wasn't expecting this for a while after they told me the earliest was the beginning of April. I got the letter through this morning saying that I'm booked in for my BHR surgery on the 22nd February in Birmingham. I'm happy that its sooner rather than later if I'm honest, even if it means re-gigging my work/job hunting activities forward a month or so.

Yey!

A fall to start the year

I fell on black ice this morning. Like someone pulled the rug out from underneath me, crack down on my coccyx. Thankfully I was wearing several layers so there was cushioning and nothing's broken. But hip to toe on my right side is now unbearable to put weight through the joint. Well I don't have much cartilage in my right hip to protect my bones from that impact. I didn't make it to work (and somehow I feel guilty for this?) and I don't feel very happy. When you live with hip pain anyway, extra little traumas can tip you over into the category of 'temporarily immobile' very easily.

On a more positive note, at least I'll be getting my hip block on monday so any extra inflammation I've just piled onto the joint due to the fall will be getting a blast with a massive dose of anti-inflammatories.

2010 - The Year of Deja-vu

Happy New Year!

I love the turn into the new year, it inspires me and I feel more confident about things. After making a long trek back to the family home in Scotland in this freezing cold weather for christmas, having a very relaxed and stress-free holiday, I'm home again and making plans for the coming year.

I should just name this year 'deja-vu'. It was exactly 5 yrs ago that I was awaiting hip surgery and looking for a new job. This is precisely what I face now in the first half of this year. Remarkably, I'm not stressed or worried about any of it - having been through it before and finding that everything works out, I know that if I continue to work hard at my current job before the end of my contract, job hunt and keep as healthy as possible before my op then everything is going to fit into place.

I've had very few aches and pains these last few weeks, despite the cold weather. I've taken care to keep as warm as possible, sometimes wearing as many as 5 layers when outside! Can't say I've been cold!! I've donned my walking shoes for the snow and ice which have some serious tread on them. I even have some Yaktrax (http://www.yaktrax.co.uk/) for the seriously icy weather. I mean, nothing can 100% guarantee that you won't slip and fall, but you can seriously reduce the risk with sensible footwear.

Now, I say I've had only a few aches and pains, I should add that its chiefly down to getting the pain management correct. Diclofenac once every 12 hours and 15-30 mins with the TENS machine in the evening (once in for the night) seems to work very well for me at the moment. I have been stiffer in the hip due to the cold, but its not painful, it just slows me down. I'll be getting my hip block a week on monday so I'm going to have to alter the routine - hopefully I won't need the diclofenac for a long while, which will give my poor stomach and liver a rest! I've also taken some non-medication pain relief advice from Jan Sadlers website http://www.painsupport.co.uk/. I've always been a great believer in meditation as the best relaxation but it does take some practice getting it right to work for you.

I'm going to break this year down into two - pre and post op. This also encompasses old and new job too as I'll be pretty much finishing one job, having surgery, and starting new job - fingers crossed the dates work out, but I've been told the surgery is likely to be in April at the earliest.

So my goals for the first half of the year are to stay as healthy and fit as possible for the impending op, managing any stress that might arise, and seriously pursue a new job. :o)