👯‍♀️ Hips and Knees part 7

veritymargaret I was terrified at the idea of going up and down stairs on crutches too. Please don’t worry, a physio will teach you how to do it and you won’t be discharged until you are confident that you can go up and down safely.

SusieB so pleased things have gone well. Early days but you know the score.

Welcome VerityMargaret, we all worried about hip operations , that was why I started this thread over 4 years ago. I didn’t know what to expect.
We aRe on our 7 th chapter now. That is a lot of information from a lot of people who have had new hips and knees. Someone will always respond to questions, worries and also make helpful suggestions for what helps post op.
Your knee has been supporting your hip so yes it’s possible the knee pain will resolve after the hip is replaced.
Easy to say try not to worry, because you will, but once it’s done you will be painfree and be able to get on with your life and be on here cheering others on.

Thankyou Charleygirl5, I know it’s bone on bone because I’ve been told that from the x-ray I had but not sure what the grading system means and yes the knee pain is the same side so I am hoping that once I get the new hip that will go?! To be honest on bad days I have pain in both knees but it’s the right one that is worse

It is major surgery but unfortunately hospitals are treating it like a minor op. We will keep you on the straight and narrow, and please ask what you think is a silly question. Somebody will answer it. Is the painful knee on the same side?

When you are seen, please try to find out what grade the OA is in your hip, 4 being bone rubbing on bone. When we know we may be able to give you some tips.

Hello everyone, I’ve joined Gransnet because of this thread! I have had hip/back pain for two years and long story short I’ve been diagnosed with osteoarthritis and I need a hip replacement. I am seeing a private consultant under the NHS next month. I’ve been reading all your stories and it’s helped but I am still quietly terrified! Everyone has said it’s a routine operation but to me it’s still a big operation! Thankfully I have a husband who will be able to help me at home but it’s things like using crutches up and downstairs, fear of infection, well just anything that might go wrong really. I am telling myself that it will all be worth it but I’m worried that by the time of the operation I will be a nervous wreck, I haven’t voiced it out loud to anyone 😟

Well back home on the “other side “‘from having second hip replacement last Friday . The worry of being discharged early came to nothing as I felt quite faint and breathless getting up to the loo that evening. I have to say I was most impressed with the staff reaction, came to to find the resident doctor and senior nurse clutching the resuscitation trolley! It turns out my oxygen levels were low and on CXR it showed my lower right lung had some infection. Thank goodness I didn’t have a general anaesthetic.After 48 hours of IV antibiotics and 24 hr oxygen all was well so came home to my sister who had been waiting 3 days at my house! Otherwise hip very good much less pain than last time and no elastic stockings 👏👏. Just thinking that maybe the fact I had a small female surgeon this time meant less gung-ho butchery ?? She was also very nice and came to see me twice. I had it done in a private facility but on the NHS
Anyway all good now mobilising very well and looking forward to pain free walking. Just pleased I only have two hips though ..

It takes months to advertise and eventually interview and offer the new consultant the job. He will have to give a minimum of 3 months notice so as you read, time marches on.

I think you should make an appointment to see him and get on his waiting list asap. He will have "inherited" many like yourself but get to the top of the queue because, in theory, he has no waiting list (yet), which is a bonus.

I think the previous consultant should have had the courtesy to tell you he was retiring. One I saw many years ago told me a year before he retired!

The steroid injection did nothing. I need to get my possible fungal nail infection checked out and was going to go to a local place that has chiropodists, osteopaths and physios thinking that I might get another opinion on the state of my knee but then thought why on earth am I having to pay so phoned the hospital. If the consultant retired at Christmas why has it taken so long to replace him ( and the new one hasn’t started yet). Seeing various members of my family at the weekend several of us have got medical problems but don’t know where to go. One was told not to bother trying to get a doctors appointment because ‘ there aren’t any’! My partners just been told that he needs a blood test for a medication review even though he’s just had one. It doesn’t give me much confidence. Having said that, one person ended up in A&E last week and were well looked after (ditto my partner the other year when he fell down the stairs) but you’d really want to sort problems out before they reach that stage.

MayBee you should have been contacted, so somebody slipped up. If you hadn't contacted the hospital you would be at home wondering. Did you have the steroid injections and did they help?

I am hoping my hips, especially the right, will "see me out."

When I saw the consultant nine months ago he said he would call me back in six months to see if I still wanted a TKR but wanted me to try other things eg steroid injections first. Not having heard from him I phoned them up today only to find that he retired at Christmas and that they had only just got a replacement for him. Which is a blow as I really liked and trusted him. I wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t phoned them especially as I think there is a new system starting in October when it comes to referrals.

Gemma can’t believe you were awake for your operation!

I meant to mention Nannytopsy. Hope all went well, seem to remember you had problems with waits for your op.

Hello 🙋‍♂️ it’s been a little while since I last looked at our thread so thought I would say hi and how are you doing.
Not long to wait Susie, how are you feeling?
Hello Charleygirl, hope you are ok.
How are you Gemma, hope all went well and you are ok.
It’s a big op but one that usually makes such a difference almost straight away. It’s over 4 years since I had my op, no regrets.
It’s certainly more straightforward than a new knee. My neighbour has had her knees done 4 times, yes that many, (!) the consultant was eventually charged, taken to court, and struck off, but that’s a story.
It always took a while to recover from all her knees but her recent hip op went it swimmingly, she couldn’t believe the difference.
I havnt been well since the start of this year , and how quickly that has gone, but getting better now, thank goodness.
Greetings to all x

I had my THR in March in the late morning. If my blood pressure had been ok, I was due to come home late afternoon but when I started to walk along the corridor it dropped through the floor. I was out by teatime the next day though.

Susie don't forget you could easily feel slightly dizzy and that could give you the extra night you need. Play them at their own game.

Hello all , I’m due to have my second hip replacement in early August. It seems that things have moved on even after only four years.Last time I was due to be discharged after two nights ( a late afternoon op) but stayed in an extra night as I had a temperature. I’m hoping I get at least one night , so I can manage the stairs and my bladder is OK - I couldn’t wee after the last one .I live alone but my sister is coming to help me. Looking forward to walking pain free again 🤞🤞

I have no relatives so after major surgery I would be on my own, but I can cope normally. I think if it were to be the same day discharge, I would have at least one dizzy spell.

There is a similar unit in our health authority, designed specifically to send home the same day after hip or knee replacement. Thankfully I didn’t go there.

Our neighbour recently had a hip replaced in a private unit attached to the local hospital. There is an option to be discharged the same day, she wasn’t medically fit for this and had two nights in hospital.

The trend for instant discharge is definitely out there

That sounds insane @charleygirl.

charleygirl that sounds ridiculous. I had my THR at 9 am and went home at 3pm the following day. I’m a fit 79 year old, have a stairlift and am used to coping on my own but I couldn’t have managed without the help of my daughter and friends who stayed over the next 3 days. I was told, very firmly, that they wouldn’t operate if that wasn’t in place. How does this hospital expect people to manage?

Where I live in London one hospital has stated it will be doing hip and knee replacements as day surgery. I am 82, live on my own, and although I can and have taken care of myself after previous knee replacements, I couldn't cope with that. To date, tall of the respondents feel as I do.

It was definitely a human 😊

One would hope so but as well as being in situ it must be at the correct angle. I agree with you about being cautious. I know many would plod merrily ahead but you and I would take things more carefully.

Did a robot fit your hip or was it a human?

Hi. I posted back in January about my (then) impending total hip replacement. Unfortunately the op was postponed twice, which was quite devastating, but it eventually went ahead last week and I am now 9 days post op. As far as I’m aware everything went well and other than the day of the op itself I’ve had very little pain or swelling. I’m doing my exercises religiously and, even though I’ve been told that strict hip precautions are no longer considered necessary in most cases, I’m still trying to follow them just in case. Although by the amount of banging that went on during the op (I was awake with no sedation although I’m not sure I’d recommend it) I’d say that surelymy new hip must be pretty firmly in place 😂