Missed the 6 months post op update !!

well it's all good on the left and getting better every day - ROM is almost 100% and the leg is strong and capable. I wish I could say the same about the right which for some annoying reason won't let it be. It's not at the stage yet of needing painkillers round the clock but I feel a bit like it's a volcano bubbling away and just waiting to erupt.

Official position on it is the angles are worse than the left hip (which has always been the problem one but is now bionic.. yay !) so structurally it's bad and the socket is very shallow. The femoral head is a good shape though and my OS is of the opinion that it's a great candidate for a PAO and we have a window of opportunity before the damage sets in and takes it down the path of a THR. According to xrays in March there doesn't look to be any significant damage and of course any pain is a sign of things starting to deteriorate. Up until last summer my right hip never ever caused me ANY pain whatsoever and I guess I was lulled into thinking in the last year it had been a bit overworked and would settle down.

Clearly it doesn't feel the same way and now thinks that it has a shot at glory, and can disrupt my life now :( It started a few months ago and the best way to describe the pain is that it's noticeable on going upstairs and feels like it is at the top of the socket (right inside if that makes sense). It's a sharp pain but then goes as soon as I stop. In the last week though I've had a couple of long days sitting in the one spot, in an uncomfortable chair, and the right hip is not happy about it. The dull nasty ache deep inside the joint sets in and is only relieved by painkillers. I've also got a bit of tenderness in the trochanteric bursa (which was the indicator of the start of the downfall of my left hip) and can't lie on the right hand side for too long.

I'm still in denial/absolutely terrified of a PAO/not ready for that decision and hopeful that if I can lose a stone or two, that might make a difference (note to self, stop the chocolate biscuits then).. because another surgery requiring another 2-3 months on crutches after 3 surgeries in 2 years, and most of that time on crutches, is NOT in my plan... full stop.

but equally, I've had a glimpse of having my life back and that makes me determined not to live in pain for any longer than I need to. Arghhhhhh...

5 months post op...

...yes it really has been 5 months and I've all but forgotten about the new hip - apart from being continually amazed by it's greatness ! It really is fab. Doesn't stop me from doing anything I want to do - I got back to swimming last month and I could do the breast stroke kick without pain or difficulty for the first time in a long time !!

Touch wood the right hip is behaving itself at the moment too so all in all life is good.

Swimming....

at last I finally feel my old self coming back. Swimming was always my thing when I was younger and even in recent years. I haven't really been able to swim much in the last 3 years because of the pain in the hip. Even more galling, it's the only thing I could beat my husband at so I was desperate to regain my former ability to win at something !
So yesterday, I bit the bullet and went to the local pool.

I got into the pool with a bit of trepidation but was delighted to find that yes, I could still swim, and even managed the breast stroke kick. OK so it was only 12 lengths but you have to start somewhere and I was a bit worried about how it might feel today so consciously didn't want to overdo it. If anything, my cardio fitness held me back rather than the hips ! I did lots of exercises too which always feel good in the water, and a bit of deep water running (OK only a minute or two but again, a start !).

So pleased to report I feel good today, the muscles aren't complaining and I'm going back tomorrow for some more !

No news is good news...

wow,I've really been a stranger - sorry followers that I've been missing. You may have guessed that this means the hip is doing great ! I passed the 3 month milestone last weekend and I am totally at the stage of forgetting 90% of the time that I even have an artificial hip - which has to be a good thing ! I decided to look back on my pre-op entries and found a list of things I hoped for post op..

Things I am looking forward to are:

*being able to walk upstairs like a normal person yep - can even run now...
*being able to walk upstairs whilst carrying something no problems - washing baskets,boxes, ladders, etc, etc
*not being stopped in my tracks by a nasty sharp spiky jab to the hip no more nasty spiky pain - yippee !
*being able to put my own socks on and tie my shoelaces (well eventually) yep - have done for weeks now..
*being able to paint my own toenails (hey a girl has to keep standards up)as above !
*being able to walk as far as I want to without worrying about how I'll get back 3 miles at the last count - unheard of !
*being able to meet a friend for coffee without having to go somewhere next to a car park
delighted to park at the furthest away spot now !!

wow, when I look back at those simple wants, I'm more than delighted at where I am 3 months post op and feel like it's just getting better and better. I also feel passionately about others who are on this journey not taking no for an answer and pushing back against that diagnosis of 'yes you need a THR but only once you're over 50....' No, not acceptable at all - there is a pain free life out there and I never imagined it would be this good. I feel amazed and grateful every day about my new hip.

Sorry - been awol....having a life !

ooops... missed a few weeks there - was off on a work trip to France which I'm pleased to report went well as it involved lots of trekking around airports and towns & cities - all of which the new hip coped brilliantly with. Even the now bad hip behaved itself. Then I had a lovely week on holiday and did lots of walking and a little cycling, and it continued to behave itself.. I love my new hip !!

I'm now 9 weeks post op (I think - just had to check the calendar which is a good sign) and it's not all about the hip - at last !! I'm at the point of more or less being able to do most things - can do upstairs now although there is a bit of residual muscle tightness down the left of my thigh - about halfway between the knee and hip.. so am working on that with my physio.. can put my socks on and tie shoelaces - not quite with total ease yet but I can do it and that's what's important !!

Inevitably now the left is fixed, my mind has turned to thinking about the right - no real symptoms - just the odd niggle if I've been sitting in a funny position. My OS has told me I'd be a great candidate for a PAO (the mother of all hip surgeries and not be taken lightly) on the hip and as it's largely symptom free he thinks if we do the PAO I might never need a THR.

I guess what I'm struggling with is I've had a great recovery from the THR (touch wood) so far and I know the PAO recovery would be much tougher and longer. Having had 2 previous ops on the left hip in the last 2 years which were difficult to rehab from I'm not in any hurry to go down that path again any time soon. I also feel like I have my life back now and I want to get on and live it and not have to rely on other people AGAIN for another x number of weeks while I'd be on crutches unable to do cook, look after the house, walk the dog etc.

Plus, thinking about having kids and although I know it would be sensible to get the PAO out the way - I'm sick of having the hips dictate what I can and can't do and just want to live. So, I've left it with my OS that I'll have a follow up at 1 year post op for the left hip and if I experience any increase in pain on the right, I've to get in touch with him. So fingers crossed it stays as it is. I think my gut feel is if I could get through having kids etc and a few more years down the line, have a THR on the right I'd be happy.

Seems extreme I know but I am a bit freaked at the thought of messing with something that doesn't hurt at the moment (athough once the pain starts it means that damage is being done and a PAO will become less successful) What I do know though is if the right starts to hurt the way the left did when it began to deteriorate a few years ago, I'll be knocking down the surgeon's door for a PAO asap. I guess I want to have my cake and eat it but is that so wrong ?!!

'Scuse the rambling !

6 weeks yippee !! (a few days late...)

So I made it to the 6 week milestone with no issues. I had my 6 week check on Monday with my consultant who was very pleased with progress and happy for me to drop all the hip restrictions with the exception of possibly crouching which he doesn't recommend for a few weeks more.

I asked him what I should avoid and he said 'hmmm, possibly pot holing ?' !! So I reckon that gives me plenty of scope.... The new hip coped brilliantly with a weekend traipsing around London and I couldn't believe how good my walking was. It was so lovely to be doing normal things that have foxed me for the last couple of years - like going shopping, walking around an airport, getting on and off the tube and for people to look at me and not know there was anything different about me - and in fact to have people not look at me was lovely.

The only thing that isn't quite normal yet is going upstairs. I still have to do one step at a time at home especially as my stairs are quite steep but my physio has given me some exercises to do and I'm sure it's just going to take time for the muscles to strengthen and work properly. But no limping at all which is the best thing ever.

It's so hard to put into words how grateful I feel to my surgeon for giving me my life back and just how incredible this operation is - it really is life changing and I would urge anyone who has been told they are too young for a THR to seek a second opinion, or anyone wavering or scared about the thought of having such a big op, that I would do it again in a heartbeat. If I could bottle the feeling of what it's like to be able to walk around normally, in no pain after all this time, I would - and share it with you !

5 weeks post op...

still doing really well - now walking 2 x day for approx 25-30 mins with no problems - little bit of swelling after the second walk but no real pain. I haven't taken painkillers during the day now for several days and only taking an antiinflammatory at night - which to be honest I can probably stop too.

I can't describe how great it feels to go out for a walk and be able to walk at a reasonably fast normal pace.. incredible and something that I hope I won't ever take for granted again. I'm also starting to be able to bend and stretch much more and can see that by next week (when I lose the restrictions) that putting socks on and tying laces shouldn't be a problem.

Walking upstairs is still challenging so I'm alternating doing them one at a time with trying to walk up normally to exercise the muscles. Downstairs is no problem. This coming weekend will be a good test of the hip and muscle strength as we're off to London so tube steps, walking through airports etc all beckons. I've got my 6 week check on Monday so hopefully will be good to go after that and get back to living my life !!

4 1/2 weeks post op....

some more progress to report - am now walking inside and out with no stick or crutch ! Yippee !! Happened on Friday when I took my stick with me and I just didn't need to use it.. walking is very steady with no limp and the only slight issue I've noticed is going up a slope or hill - glute muscles are pretty weak and also stopping me from climbing stairs normally - still going up with the non-op leg first then bringing the op leg up and so on.

I'm not too surprised as I had this problem after the scope and I think it's partly residual weakness from surgery 2 years ago to repair a tear to my glute muscle. Will need to do some walking on the treadmill on an incline and do hills outdoors when I can. Today I managed to walk downstairs normally though so that's progress and I know that upstairs is just going to take time.

I'm starting to be able to do things like pull up my sock on the operated leg (kind of without breaking the 90 degree rule) and put shoes/boots on without needing a long handled shoe horn and I can now (oh I waited so long for this) walk around at my normal pace without thinking twice about it. I also made it to the supermarket alone today, with a trolley and had no problems at all. To be honest I'm having to remind myself I'm only 4 1/2 weeks post op and not totally overdo it...The hip is not sore in any way at all - I just get a feeling of pulling and tightness around the wound when I do a bit too much - and I know I need to rest for a bit and keep letting it heal as it's really only the skin that's healed up to now.

Oh and I managed to get onto my bike today with a bit of a hop and a skip so I'm going to do 15-20 mins a day on that this week and see how that goes. Felt fine when I tried it out earlier and I know that this will help with the glute muscles.

The only cloud on the horizon is my right hip. Annoyingly I've had to take painkillers a couple of times for it (just Panadol but even so...:-( )as it's a bit sore on the outer edge of my hip/thigh.. which is nastily familiar as that's what happened to my left - got trochanteric bursitis and the rest is history - the right niggles a bit when I lie on it and inside the joint is a bit nippy from time to time.

I'm really really hoping it will settle down now that the left hip is taking its fair share as I'm not ready to even think about any more surgery (the story on the right is the degree of dysplasia is worse than the left = centre edge angle of 17 degree and my surgeon reckons a PAO would give me a great result and potentially mean no THR ever required). To be fair it's no more than a niggle at the moment by comparison to the pain I had pre-op on the left but it needs to settle down and go away so I can enjoy this new hip.

4 weeks post op !!

It's my birthday today and I can't think of a better way to celebrate turning 36- with a brand new shiny hip !

wow, days are flying by. I marked the 4 week occasion today by going for a walk this morning with just a stick - no crutch !! Hip feels really really good and I'm managing a couple of walks every day of around 20 mins each time. Having had 2 previous ops in the last couple of years, this recovery is a walk in the park by comparison. I don't seem to have lost too much muscle strength and so I'm not limping really at all when I walk without a crutch or stick, and I suppose for the first time in a long time I actually have a hip joint which works properly - which makes a big difference !

I also drove for the first time yesterday (I have an automatic so in theory it's easy) although it wasn't the easiest to get in and out of the car so I'm not in a massive hurry to do it again. There's quite a lip to lift my leg over into the car so it just felt a bit awkward. I'm sure with a bit of practice I'll get there though !!

I've also been keen to get on an exercise bike although I have a recumbent static bike - a sit back rather than sit up bike and the angles are just not quite right to allow me to cycle without breaking the no knee above the hip rule. So I got my other half to rig up my mountain bike on a stand to try that but unfortunately as it's got a bar across I'm struggling to get onto that too ! Never mind, once the restrictions are lifted in a couple of weeks, I can get back on the bike.

Also getting a new hybrid bike for my birthday so looking forward to getting out on that - it's a step through bike so should be able to get onto that with no problems !!

3 weeks post op..yippee

delighted I'm halfway through the restrictions as it's getting easier and easier to potentially break them ! I'm complying though and stopping myself from bending to pick things up from the floor etc. Did some ironing this morning though and managed not to do any damage.

Hip has really really progressed this last couple of days and people are commenting on how much quicker and better my walking is - almost back to normal pace with one crutch and I definitely have that feeling I could be doing without it - so will do that tomorrow indoors for a bit and see how I get on. Still feels like I need to hold on which I think is more about balance and psychological than actually needing to hold onto something for support. It also feels really good if I go out for a walk so I'm trying to do 2 x 10 min walks each day and build up by 5 mins or so every couple of days.

I'm contemplating going to a pool next week to do some water exercises but don't want to do that until I'm totally free of the crutch or a walking stick. Also not sure if there's a pool near me which has steps down into it rather than a ladder (might be difficult with the 90 degree restrictions).

More than anything I can't get used to getting up in the morning and the hip not hurting when I walk on it ! I'm sure I will though !!

Gettting better every day...

...wow the hip is feeling good. Managed my first proper walk outdoors today with only one crutch and I'm starting to get the feeling inside that I could walk around in the kitchen without any crutch/stick. I also feel like I'm ready to walk upstairs normally (even with the crutch) rather than one step at a time.

It definitely feels this weekend like it's taken a step forward - swelling less so I'm only icing once a day instead of 3/4 times - and needing less painkillers which is great. I realised this morning that when I woke up I didn't need a painkiller as the discomfort I felt was simply stiffness in the muscles rather than any soreness if that makes sense.

I'm doing physio exercises 2 or 3 times a day and they are also getting easier. The leg length issue seems to be resolving itself slowly too although it may just be I'm getting used to it.

Will be 3 weeks post op on Tuesday and can't wait for it to be 6 weeks so I can drop the restrictions. Going to see my surgeon on the 8th March for my review so hopefully he'll be pleased with progress and I can get back to doing normal things !

Today's achievements

2 things of note today - 1) managed to get a pair of jeans on - yippee !! easier than it sounds with a massively swollen hip but I did it and they're staying on ! 2) managed to walk round to friends - about a 5 min walk and back - took me double the usual time and I did it on 2 crutches but no ill effects so far !

Scar is still healing up nicely and almost all pink now - just some small bits of scabby skin left. Planning my first proper venture out tomorrow - off out for lunch with my mum to a local garden centre - will be lovely to be able to explore. Once I'm comfortably using 1 crutch outside the house (I anticipate next week at around 3 weeks post op) I'm going to give driving a try. Not as crazy as it sounds as I have an automatic so don't need the operated leg. Surgeon gave me the ok to drive at 3/4 weeks post op so will have to try it out. Not that I'm planning on any wild adventures but you never know !

Means if I can drive I can go and visit my physio (about 30 mins away) and get some new/extra exercises and hopefully get his seal of approval on progress so far. Also means I'll be able to take my dog for a walk - lots of places nearby I can take him in the car to and then let him off once we're there - which I think would be easier than walking him on a lead. Might be getting ahead of myself but we'll see !

Two weeks post op..

wow it's going quickly although I do wish I was writing 6 weeks post op here ! Doing well, scar is pretty much healed up in most places and very neat. Can manage walking around in the house with one crutch but does seem to make the hip swell a bit more than if I use two. Hoping that will settle down in the next few days so I can continue to progress with one. Still taking para's every 6 hours or so and anti inflams every 12 hours. Also on blood thinners which weirdly seem to give me blurry vision by the end of the day but only another 2 weeks of those. My surgeon's view was down to 1 crutch by 1 week post op and off them entirely by 4 weeks post op !! So we'll see. I like a challenge !!

A big step was I managed to lie on my non-operated side this morning for 10 mins or so and it didn't hurt at all (had a pillow between the knees). I had tried this last week but it was waaaay to sore to contemplate. So that feels like a little bit of progress. Also going to venture out into my street today for a little walk as I need to get some fresh air and enjoy the sunshine (even though it's freezing).

I have about 8 exercises from the physio to do which I'm doing 2 or 3 times a day and they seem to be getting a little easier. The hardest one is to stand and swing the operated leg backwards. It feels like the swelling is stopping that from being easy. I also have a stretch I need to do to help the leg length issue - operated leg is slightly longer (was shorter pre-op due to the dysplasia) and I'm determined not to worry about it as my surgeon did say it would settle down within 3 months or so. I'm also trying to balance resting as much as I exercise (physio's advice) so I made myself lie on the bed yesterday afternoon and watch an old movie - felt very guilty and lazy though !!

onwards and upwards....

10 days post op...

I think actually it's 11 but who's counting ? Continuing to do well after my Left THR - wound is healing up nicely and bruising has almost all gone - pictures to follow - and I can move around on one crutch in the house now although it feels a bit strange on the left leg and I haven't braved the stairs yet with only one crutch. Am using an icepack 2 or 3 time a day to stay on top of the swelling as the whole left hip/upper thigh/butt area is still pretty swollen and swells up when I'm on my feet.. I expect it will continue to do this for a while yet.

I can shower and dress now without any help and I'm definitely starting to feel more independent and not worried about needing someone else in the house all the time. Just as well really !! I'm also planning on doing some work this week to keep the brain active and ticking over..plus I'm pretty bored of daytime TV !

I'm starting to get cabin fever now - haven't been out since getting home from hospital last Monday so I think I will twist someone's arm this week to take me out somewhere for a change of scene...

my old hip....

doesn't the new one look pretty ? Ahem well maybe not but I like it !!

My new hip...

Home and one week post THR

well I made it home yesterday - 7 hours from London to Scotland in all and to be honest it wasn't as bad as I'd expected it to be.. Yes there were times when I was uncomfortable but I wouldn't say at any point I was in pain. Worst leg of the journey (cab and two trains) was the commuter train to our village which was packed and I got evil stares for taking up 2 seats !

So lovely to be home again and sleeping in my own bed and being able to eat when I want to. Just can't get over how little pain there is - taking paras every 6 hours or so and diclofenac every 12 hours or so and that's more than keeping on top of the discomfort (I wouldn't call it pain). Just can't believe that as my expectation was I'd been on much heavier painkillers for at least the first two weeks. My bedroom is upstairs and there are no problems with doing stairs - been up and downstairs twice already today with no ill effects...

only problem I'm finding is that after sitting for a while I have to get up and walk around as my bum goes quite numb..so will need to find some suitable soft foam cushion I think...

Progress on day 3 post op LTHR...

Pretty tired today as I had hydro yesterday which was great but definitely quite tiring.. which I'm thinking is to be expected but still managing on just paras and diclo (can't quite believe it myself) and diclo are down to once every 12 hours. I really thought I would be counting the minutes between painkillers but it isn't like that at all. Did some physio this morning - basically along my floor upstairs along the floor above and then downstairs back to my room on the crutches and I'm fine on the stairs (not like I haven't had the practice).

I can't explain just how positive I feel about having had this op and I think that plays an important part in my pain levels and how I'm coping with it all. Mr Witt my surgeon came in last night and is very pleased with xrays that were done yesterday and has given me some stretches to do as my operated leg is feeling longer than the non-op leg (very common and will sort itself out apparently). I got the feeling if I'd lived closer or had pushed it he might have let me go home this morning but as it is we have non-changeable train tickets for Monday to travel back from London to Scotland and although my brother lives nearby, they have 4 flights of stairs which I'm not so keen on tackling. My wonderful hubby borrowed a wheelchair this afternoon though and took me for a blast of fresh air (was a beautiful day here) round the block.

The only negatives are I have no real appetite (could be a bonus if I lose a few pounds though !) so it's a bit of chore to eat and that's not normally an issue for me. The food is very good and there's a big menu to choose from but sometimes you just want to eat what's familiar etc. I also can't bear the smell of chocolate weirdly which I'm hoping lasts !!

As nice as this hospital is, they totally aren't geared up with all the right equipment like proper toilet seat raisers with a frame etc - they brought crutches etc but no grabbers (I ended up borrowing one from the physio) or a long handled shoe horn or all those other essential bits and bobs. So I'm looking forward to getting home to have home comforts and home cooked food. Although they are good with physio too and there are always nurses to help etc, no-one has shown me how to put my socks or underwear on, or addressed those kinds of issues. If I didn't know what to expect, that could have been pretty scary. Probably a reflection of the private system which doesn't provide OT support and assumes that you will arrange it yourself.

Anyway, all good so far, no regrets and I can't stress enough that although it's scary to have to have a THR at 35, it's totally doable and not nearly as bad as I expected it to be. And boy, the feeling of stability and a solid hip everytime I take a step is great.

Dee x

I made it !!!

OK so I am bionic girl ! It's now just over 24 hours after the op and I'm feeling pretty good so far.. had a bit of a rocky night last night - only 2 hours sleep or so and quite a lot of sickness but that's to be expected. Went down at about 1.30 yesterday afternoon and into theatre about 2, then woke up in recovery about 4.30.. most of last night is bit of a blur due to lots of pressing on the PCA morphine pump - anaesthestist's advice was don't let yourself feel any pain so I took his advice ! I also had a block which lasted about 6 hours then the feeling gradually came back. I remember nothing about the spinal as they'd given me some sedation by that point - phew !

Had a yummy omelette for dinner last night as I was starving but unfortunately when the anti-emetics wore off about midnight, I lost most of it all over the bed and me with some nice projectile vomiting. I had warned the nurse I felt sick and she told me not to think about it and to take some sips of water..Erm, like that was really going to stop the morphine making me sick !! So she had the pleasure of cleaning it up 5 minutes later and although I got another injection was sick again 4 hours later when it wore off too. So I had a bit of strop when the day shift came in about not being left without it whilst I was on the morphine so fingers crossed will be better. Not been sick today but they are keeping me topped up -and I'm having less morphine too.

Saw my orthopaedic consultant Mr Witt last night and this morning and he's very pleased with how it went. Pre-op my bad leg was apparently 1cm shorter and he says it will now feel longer than the non-op leg but that it will even out over the next few months. Still got a catheter and the PCA but hoping to lose the catheter later as I had my first walk this morning !! Physio came about 11 and I was raring to get out of bed.

I'm allowed to fully weight bear with the crutches as support/balance (Mr Witt's opinion not the physio !). So I scooted over to the edge of the bed and stood up, onto the most stable feeling hip I've ever had ! It feels very heavy and stiff which is the swelling but I made it about 30 metres down the corridor and back and had to tell the physio to hurry up as he was pushing the thing with all the wires etc. Instantly can tell the dysplasia pain has gone which is amazing. He also managed to use my old open scar and I have dissolvable stitches and glue holding it all together - yes no dressings - but the glue provides a waterproof coating so I can shower no problem and get in the hydrotherapy pool.

Managed another walk this afternoon and lost the catheter which is great..although I still need help getting to the bathroom with my PCA pump on the stand. Physio has said I can do hydro tomorrow which I'm looking forward to and I'm also having an xray so looking forward to seeing that..

A good day I think all in and roll on tomorrow...

Final preparations

Been getting organised this weekend as it's the last weekend before the big op and the crutches take over for few weeks. Essentials have included getting hair cut and coloured - from past experience if you've got to be stuck at home on crutches feeling sorry for yourself, make sure you do all you can to look/feel your best first !! and hopefully a pedicure tomorrow so at least my feet look pretty as my hip certainly won't ! No coloured nail polish though as they make you take it off at the hospital.

Got to phone my surgeon's secretary tomorrow morning and find out where I am on the list ..hopefully near the top so not too much waiting about on Wed, but que sera sera..

I've been really fortunate in the last few days to read some great positive blogs about other young people's THR experiences and I'm feeling really optimistic about the pain going and getting my mobility back... FINGERS CROSSED !!

Is it wrong..

to be excited about my new elastic shoelaces ? I know I'm going to look back on this period of my life and fondly remember it someday (ha I don't think so!) but my new shoelaces arrived today and I'm thinking why didn't I know about these months ago as I've twisted myself into various contorted positions to try and put my shoes on.

lace up the shoes, tie them tight and bingo - you can slip those shoes on and off all day !! I may even keep these once I'm better as why would you bother with having to ties laces ever again....then again maybe not !

I really think I need to get out more...

This time next week...

I should hopefully be out of recovery and in possession of a shiny new ceramic hip. I have to be at the hospital for 10 am next Wednesday so I know I'm on the afternoon list for surgery - but I do have to call on Monday morning just to check - would be kind of nice if I got moved up the list and got done in the morning - saves all that waiting around never mind not being allowed to eat all day.

I'm ready I think. Foam cushions have been procured, shower seats looked out, and all manner of other boring things that shouldn't belong in the house of someone in their 30s. But hey, they are a necessary evil and I need to make sure I look after this new hip by sticking to the restrictions and behaving myself. At the moment I'm prepared for 6 weeks of restrictions (no crossing legs, no bending the knee at more than 90 degrees, no crouching, no twisting etc) but I'm aware that some people have them for longer so fingers crossed.

Other than looking forward to being able to actually walk properly, I'm also looking forward to the day when it's not all about the hip...

If there ever was any doubt...

...then I know for sure this week that THR is the right decision. The hip has been gradually getting worse since December - and funnily enough took a big step downhill when I saw my surgeon and he confirmed the op - power of the mind or what ! In the last week my pain levels have escalated to the point that it's pretty much sore all the time (from needing to take a painkiller once a day if I overdid it to pretty much needing them all day and night) and it feels like I actually have another tear or something similar in the joint. Not that it matters as in just over a week I'll have a brand spanking new hip joint and fingers crossed, the nasty dysplasia pain will be gone, gone, gone !

Things I am looking forward to are:

*being able to walk upstairs like a normal person
*being able to walk upstairs whilst carrying something
*not being stopped in my tracks by a nasty sharp spiky jab to the hip
*being able to put my own socks on and tie my shoelaces (well eventually)
*being able to paint my own toenails (hey a girl has to keep standards up)
*being able to walk as far as I want to without worrying about how I'll get back
*being able to meet a friend for coffee without having to go somewhere next to a car park

hmmm I bet you can detect I'm a bit fed up today !! Roll on next Wednesday...

How bad is bad enough for a THR ?

A question I have asked myself a lot these last few months. After my hip scope in March 2009 my orthopaedic surgeon (OS) started talking about the need for a THR within 18 months - 2 years rather than by the time I was 50. He found 2 patches of bone on bone within the joint where the cartilage has literally worn away with the abnormal presssures caused inside a hip joint with dyplasia. My hip socket on the left is too shallow and doesn't fully cover the head of the femur. Once you have this degree of damage, it cannot be undone and will only worsen and progressively deteriorate over time.

Unlike many people with hip dysplasia, I did get some benefit from the hip arthroscopy - although I was warned it could make things worse or speed up the arthritis in the joint - but I got a lot of pain relief even if I lost some flexibility and range of movement as a result (I struggle to put a sock on the affected leg, never mind paint my toe nails !).

The burning question for me though was how bad does it have to be before I should get the THR done ? My surgeon was of the opinion that it could be up to 18 months or longer and I should hold off until I really couldn't stand it any longer. I'm keen to start a family and my surgeon wanted me to have kids before having the THR but instinctively this doesn't feel like the right option. I don't know that my hip could cope with a pregnancy and I don't want to be having a baby and not be able to crawl around on the floor etc. Having spent 6 months prior to the scope in significant amounts of pain, on and off crutches and swallowing painkillers like they were smarties, I also wasn't in a hurry to go back to letting the pain increase or lose any more mobility. It seems crazy to let things worsen when in reality, the end game would be the same and what does another year or two years buy me ? I'll still be having a revision THR in 15-20 years. I feel like my life has been 'on hold' for the last few years and to be honest I'm done with having to let this hip dictate what I can and can't do. I want to have my mobility now and I'll worry about the future when I get there.

It's such a difficult call and those of you with hip problems already will fully appreciate that you adjust your life to cope with a painful hip - you walk less, you park closer to the shops - or give up shopping - you change your car to an automatic so you can drive with less pain, you give up high heels cause the pain isn't worth it, you have to think twice about going anywhere that involves standing (like concerts, queueing in the post office), I could go on....

...in my case I also work from home most of the time so my definition of what is normal in terms of mobility has definitely changed over the last few years. I think my walking is fine as I get around the house OK but reality gives me a sharp shock when I go out and try and do something normal, like walk round a supermarket or just walk at my old pace... I have been so frustrated by these limitations and just do not want to face a further decline into more pain and restrictions.

So when my right (never had any problems or caused any pain) hip started playing up this autumn I decided it was time to seek the advice of a hip specialist who treats young people with hip problems, and dysplasia specifically. No disrespect to my current OS but he doesn't specialise in dysplasia and to be honest I feel he is definitely in the camp of let's wait and see rather than let's do something proactive. So I had a consultation with a London specialist who agrees my right hip does have dysplasia and bizarrely is worse than the left (go figure !) however as my activity level is nowhere near normal, we can't really assess whether it's symptomatic yet or not.

I explained my frustrations to him about having to wait until things deteriorated further on the left hip and his opinion was that as my activity level is already compromised by the hip, we should probably get on with it. Yippee !! At last, a surgeon on the same wavelength who gets it. This man sees people like me every day and knows how disruptive, wearing and frustrating dysplasia is. So, that same day, I booked my LTHR for 27th Jan. Bring it on !

Where do I start ?

I'm sitting here with just less than 2 weeks to go before I have a total hip replacement at 35, wondering how I ended up in this situation ? I'm pretty organised in the practical sense but it's the unknown that holds the biggest fear just now. Will the operation be a success ? Will the pain really be gone afterwards ? How long will it be until I 'get my life back' ?

I won't bore you with a long history but as it's my blog and therefore my story.. here's a bit of background....

I was born with CDH, or congenital hip dysplasia for those of you outside the hip club, but it wasn't picked up until at the age of around 14 months when I began trying to walk but couldn't. This was a bit of a giveaway that something was wrong and my mum discovered that my left hip was dislocated as the left hip socket hadn't formed properly. Fast forward through months in plaster following a femoral osteotomy (basically where the femur is broken and reset to encourage the hip socket to grow around it and improve the coverage) and a plate which was in my leg until I was about 5.

Although I couldn't ever do the splits and wasn't great at running, I basically had a pretty normal childhood and had no real problems until my mid 20's. I always knew though that at some point I would need a hip replacement, possibly in my 50's. Every few years, my hip would flare up and cause problems with getting in and out of cars, or running and I would go back to an orthopaedic consultant for a check up. In my late 20's the pain in the hip increased significantly and I had an MRI arthrogram (injection into the joint which allows the soft tissues to be seen on x ray) which showed a small tear in the lining of the joint.

This eventually settled down and I was fine again until the summer of 2007 when things started to go badly wrong in the hip. After a lovely weekend in Paris and lots of walking, I was left unable to walk far and in huge amounts of pain. Explorations found that I had trochanteric bursitis and this led eventually in early 2008 to having open surgery on the left hip to have the bursa removed (after physio, cortisone injections etc all failed) and at the same time I had a tendon lengthened and the surgeon found my gluteus media muscle had torn - so he very kindly reattached it.

12 weeks later I got off the crutches and was recovering well and almost pain free. In August 2008 however I tore the cartiladge in the left hip again and almost straightaway I was unable to walk any distance, stand on the spot for any length of time without severe pain and discomfort. After xrays, ultrasounds and finally another MRI Arthrogram a tear was diagnosed and my surgeon advised that an arthroscopy (keyhole surgery into the hip) would allow him to look inside the joint, repair the tear and assess the condition of the joint.

This happened in March 2009 and he did repair the tear but unfortunately found that the condition of the joint was poor, arthritis had set in and there were two significant patches of damage to the joint. His view was that the next step was a total hip replacement (THR) and that I would probably need it done in 18 months time.

So here I am, nearly a year on from that having made the decision that my activity level is compromised enough (more on that later) and pain levels are enough to warrant getting on with the THR now and worrying about the consequences in 15 years or so (most replacements last 15-20 years these days if you're good)...

Roll on 27th January !