Hip Replacement at 39 - my story (Surgery - What to Expect)

Member Name: tallpete33

Product:	Surgery - What to Expect
Date:	25/07/09 (122 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Stops arthiritis

Disadvantages: It's surgery

IN THE BEGINING

I was born in 1964, the time when smoking and drink driving with no seat belts were considered good for you, if not compulsory. Post birth checks were pretty lacking in those days so it wasn't until I was two years old and my parents noticed I wasn't walking that they realised something was amiss. I was taken to doctors who were unsure what was wrong before finally being referred to a specialist and then sent for X-ray. It transpired that I was born with congenital hip displacement - my pelvis was not properly formed and the femurs (thigh bones) were not locking in place as they should be, hence my reluctance and inability to walk.

When I was three years old, I was taken into the Evelina Children's Hospital, now part of Guys in central London. I underwent several operations performed by the slightly grumpy but pioneering surgeon, Mr Bachelor. I was in and out of the hospital well past my fourth birthday, spending many months in various metal frames and three sets of plaster that stretched from above my waist to my toes. Trying times, but made more bearable by the care of the charming Sister Galbraith and her nurses as well as visits from the local firefighters (firemen back then!) to me and my bruised and battered mates on the ward. Independence came at an early age to me thanks to the experience, which was not all bad - pillow fights, rude banter and the occasional falling out of bed were par for the course. When I came out, my poor mum used to have to take me the long way to school as she could not wheel me past the pole in the alleyway at the bottom of our road due to the plaster casts keeping my legs wide at "10 to 2". When the final set of plaster came of, my legs were strangely brown and speckly, and would have made Bambi look like a prop forward, but I was up and about soon after.

I was left with four large Frankenstein-type scars on my hips and groin that are still visible now but I wouldn't have them removed if I could as they are part of me and my identity. Friends at my grammar school were in awe of the tales of my heroic escape from a shark whilst on holiday in Australia, a placed I've never visited. Years later, my best mate 'fessed up down the pub one night that he believed every word of it ! I generally led a normal life, just having a small build up on my left shoe and enjoyed various sports, even winning school colours for badminton which was a proud day. I used to go to Guys for annual check-ups but these were mainly a formality. Joining the city and carving out a decent career as a forex trader, I loved my squash as much as my lager :o)

LATER ON

In my late 30's, after many years of squash, hiking, working out, driving and "lurving", things started to give. My right hip started to stiffen up and developed a dull ache. Standing up from seated became more difficult and getting in and out of cars became a bit of an effort. Long drives caused me serious pain. After twelve months the pain was very bad and I would have to neck at least a couple of cans of lager to have any chance of sleeping. Cold weather did not help and my walking pace slowed quite dramatically. My hip felt like it was on fire at times and I could almost hear the bones grinding as I got up. One day after a long drive home from Wales (visiting my daughter), I threw up in Sainsburys car park (sorry Sainsburys!). I gave up squash and amended my workouts to the machines only, did more swimming but the writing was on the wall.

FIRST STEPS

On my cousin's advice (a nurse), I asked my GP to refer me to The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, North London and I was there three months later in the autumn of 2003. After an X-ray, we (myself and my cousin, Diana) had a very quick chat with the consultant who confirmed osteoarthritis and a Total Hip Replacement was necessary. We were in and out of the consultation in what seemed like five minutes and I was pretty despondent on the way out to be honest. Partly in denial, (I was still in my 30s after all) I explored other avenues including hip re-surfacing. A private hospital in Kent was quite happy to take £10k from me for the job without even seeing an X-ray. When I queried this with a different consultant at Stanmore they explained that due to my history, this would be a bad idea and quite likely put me in a wheelchair if I was unlucky. The decision was made and I agreed to a THR on the NHS.

The next step was a visit to a central London hospital to be measured up and more X-rays taken. The radiologists and I had a good laugh about the check boxers I was wearing which they said could be used as grid references. That over, it was back to work to play the waiting game.

I received my first op date for May 2004, but this was cancelled, ditto the next. My work were very understanding (I'm a computer engineer at a Canary Wharf bank) and thankfully did not makes too many noises when this happened. The third date for July was not cancelled so I packed my bags, took a deep breath and was off.

STANMORE

I went in on Sunday night and made myself comfortable and got to know my new roomies on the ward. Stanmore at the time was quite an old-fashioned and chaotic place but with a friendly atmosphere and the care I received throughout was second to none. Trying to appear relaxed the following morning I read my book and waited and waited. Come 2pm I thought that maybe it was being postponed until Tuesday but at 2.30pm I was taken down and put under. At 4.15pm I was awake and texting my cuz to let her know it was done! These guys do not hang around. A quick look confirmed they had got the right hip.

The first night was not too nice. Though not in much pain thanks to the drugs, I was bleeding a lot so the nurse was taking my blood pressure every hour and I hardly slept. My new scar was about nine inches long on the side of my hip, neatly stapled together. The physio came to visit in the morning, took one look at my green pallour and said she would come back on Wednesday. As mentioned, the care I received was excellent, friendly and professional and I had some laughs with my fellow patients too. On day three I was allowed to have a seated shower but sat under the warm water too long before promptly fainting and crashing to the floor, luckily on my good side. Now I know what those orange cords are for. I must have looked a right mess, starkers on the wet floor, tubes everywhere, pride well and truly dented but we laughed about it afterwards.

After a long week including a bit of physio and crutch training, unlike many of my less fortunate wardies, I was free to go and hobbled out to my cousin's car and we went (slowly) back to her house where I was staying for two weeks. Unfortunately, my recuperation coincided with a heavy bout of hay fever but my progress was fairly swift and I was soon walking on crutches around her large garden and down the lanes. We enjoyed a nice day out at Hatfield Place with her autistic son Sam who was very good with me, sensing my pain and keeping well away!

OUCH

After a good day out, we were sat in the garden enjoying a dinner when something went. I yelped in pain before looking down to see my right leg at a rather strange angle (approximately 70 degrees!) to my body. "I think you've popped it" said Dave, the husband and master of the understatement. "I think you're right", I said and fortified by two large glasses of wine tried to manipulate it back in place whilst my very pale auntie and cousin found urgent business elsewhere. An ambulance was duly called and I was stretchered into it, not without a great deal of agony as they moved me. I remember watching the bats flying above me as I was loaded into the white wagon and we cruised slowly to Harlow hospital.

An X-ray confirmed what a blind man could see (i.e. total dislocation) but as the morphine wore off there was only one porter around to lift me into my bed at around 3am. I think I woke half of Essex as I screamed out in pain. Not fun, trust me. The following lunchtime I was put under again and the offending hip duly put back in it's place. They sympathetically wheeled me down to theatre in my bed (after some serious begging) rather than move me onto a trolley again, for which I will be always grateful.

I was in Harlow for two days and given a white plastic brace that went around my waist and thigh to stop it happening again. This I gratefully wore during waking hours for several weeks after. They took the opportunity to ping my staples out while I was there. Luckily nobody lost an eye. I slept with my legs apart, which was not very comfortable but necessary.

RECOVERY

I was back home in my own bed three weeks after the op. My mum flew over from Cyprus to help out, by which I mean take me to the pub and pick up the odd loaf of bread and then I was on my own. I had lost about a stone and a half and felt very weak but slowly got myself together. I had to sit in high chairs and used a commode on the loo. My main problem was getting in and out of the bath for a shower, which was quite nerve-wracking. My girlfriend finished with me without warning (her attempts at reconciliation the following year were impolitely declined). I was driving within four weeks and took myself to my local sports club were I walked many lengths up and down the pool to regain my strength. My new hip really did not feel a part of me for many many months but five years later we are on good terms. I returned to work after seven weeks and walked without crutches after three months. (I was down to one crutch and left that on a train!)

AND NOW

Five ears on, all is good. I lead a normal and active life - I go to the gym (machines, not free weights anymore) and swim regularly. I'm thinking about getting another bike. My post op record hike is 13 miles across the North Downs. The scar is barely visible, compared to my originals. My left hip, which the hospital said would need doing soon after my right has held up well. Airport security is always amusing.

MY ADVICE

If you get arthritis in your hip, before rushing into a total replacement, take a look at your lifestyle. Are you inactive or perhaps too active? Impact sports such as tennis, football and running can make the problem worse. Cycling and swimming are good alternatives. If you don't do exercise, maybe now is the time to start, but consult your doctor first as they say. I take lots of cod liver oil tablets which seem to help my left hip though I do get pain from time to time. Wait until your hip is really painful before going in; it's quite a big deal that takes a while to get over. Hip re-surfacing is an alternative though maybe not available in many NHS hospitals.

Hope this is of use to somebody, mail me if you want to ask me anything.

Thanks for reading

Peter

WITH THANKS TO

Diana, Dave, Sam and Anne for being there in my hour of need
Everyone at RNOH Stanmore
Ditto the ambulance crew and all at Harlow Hospital
The Evelina Hospital, London
Me mum
My friends and workmates
Kronenbourg lager

Summary: The life and times of my right hip