When did you know it was time? What criteria did the surgeon say you had to meet?
Well, I suppose as most people do, I tried to live with it (the pain and disability). 1st doc (actually saw the PA) I saw about 3 years into the pain (which set in slowly and of course escalated over time). He said yes, you have arthritis…“I don’t think it is that bad”. He gave me no guideline of what they measure or look for as far as joint space, etc. Gave me a course of oral steroids which did nothing and said if that didn’t work, I could try a hip steroid injection. I declined that and proceeded to try and live with it some more.
Fast forward a year and I chose to go to a different surgeon for a second opinion.
He (the actual surgeon) looked at the x-Ray for about 10 seconds and declared that replacement was needed. I actually still had mm or 2 of joint space but had some avascular necrosis of the femoral head and 2 gnarly needle like bone spurs. At this time, I jumped at replacement with no hesitation. I couldn’t lift my leg…I had to physically pick it up to get in the car. I drug myself up a flight of stairs with my arms. I had to change my work schedule as I was exhausted and very painful after a 10 hr shift. I was able to go back to an 8 hr shift thankfully. Not long after the first MD appointment, I started mounting my horse from the right side as I couldn’t lift my leg over the saddle mounting from the left.
I had chosen this surgeon because his wife is a very accomplished dressage rider and I figured he would understand riding…at least know what I was talking about and how important an activity it is for me. As luck would have it (?) he also had started doing minimally invasive newer hip replacement procedure called Superpath. I had very short downtime. I only missed 3 weeks of work and was back on my horse at 4 1/2 weeks. Truly a giant relief to get rid of the pain, spasms (from the bone spurs) and tiredness. I’m a year out and am VERY satisfied with the result. I was 59 at replacement. Hopefully it will last at least 20-25 years…maybe longer but even the possibility of revision down the road it was worth it as I am functional now. I think, had I not gotten it replaced, I certainly wouldn’t be riding anymore and probably would have had to retire.
My left knee is the next in line. I have already had 2 surgeries on it. Replacement it next. It has been mildly annoying over the winter but not bad at all. I can still function and it works pretty well as long as I don’t do more than 3 or 4 flights of stairs at one time. I will probably go get a baseline established this year and see what happens.
Susan
I had to fight for my first knee. I was barely 50, but all conservative measures had been exhausted and I was miserable and it was limiting my mobility.
Second knee? I’m now 57, surgeon wants to do it now, and I’m not in that big of a hurry. Yes, it’s bone on bone, but cortisone shots give me good relief. It’s pretty deformed though, and the surgeon is worried that I’ll trip or fall and completely blow it out.
So I’m thinking later this year.
guy who did my first hip said ‘if you can walk a mile it isn’t time yet’…guy at a seminar the other nite said most people he does are bone on bone or close to it. at that point - it’s up to you.
With four joint replacements, my philosophy has been “as soon as possible” and when “recovery doesn’t interfere with riding.” I taught school for 40 years. I learned early on that trying to teach when in pain or even discomfort was not fair to my students. At times I found myself lying on the classroom floor during lunch trying to relax from the pain that I’d had during the morning classes --I’d chant “4 more hours!” Then go home and lie down trying to forget the pain of the afternoon classes --and still had to grade papers while lying down!
But I foxhunt from Sept - April, so no surgery or recovery THEN – and I was involved with showing horses with my kids in the summer --no surgery or recovery time then --so, I generally met with surgeons in the summer and planned surgery in January or February when hunting is most difficult due to icey roads and poor footing.
EVERY TIME I had surgery, I wished I’d done it sooner. However, I always did the “other stuff” first --tried meds, injections, massage, PT --but honestly, pain of any kind was not acceptable in my job (High School English and Psychology). Any pain kept me from being patient, kind, and quick. To me, teaching on pain meds was not professional – I never did enter a classroom on pain meds. My thought was what would happen if I was slow to react to a situation? Someone could really be hurt --so I had to be pain free to teach.
I am now pain free. One shoulder, two knee replacements (at the same time), and a hip replacement --I have NO PAIN – and feel better than I did at any other time of my life. My horse activities are much more fun now. I rode my horse on a 250 mile ride last summer (in 11 days) with no pain. I plan to go on a pack trip this summer in WYO. And yet, three years ago, I couldn’t walk up a flight of stairs.
Find a surgeon whom you trust, do all the pre-post stuff they tell you to do, and go back to enjoying life!
Foxglove
yeah - this ^^…
the surgeons where i live now are all kind of ‘preserve the joint at the expense of your life’…
if i can’t get some anti-inflammatories that do me any good i’m making a trip back to the other side of the country.
the docs there were at least somewhat more on the side of ‘live your life now - you could get hit by a bus tomorrow’…
For my first hip replacement…
…When my right hip locked up on me and it took me 45 minutes before I could dismount. It was at the end of a trail ride and my poor horse just stood at the trailer, not moving except to look at me as if to say “any time now”. I was 51.
For the second hip it was when I could no longer ride, walk…actually do anything without severe pain and the grinding of bone on bone. I’m 58. My orthopedic surgeon says his father in law has had Both hips replaced and still rides. FIL is in his mid 80’s.
I’m six months post op now with my second replacement. Had one of the best rides today I’ve ever had.
I’m now scheduled for a total knee replacement on July 8. Seeing the xrays sealed the deal for me.
