wigs
04-16-2005, 04:10 PM
I have an unknown type of arthritis similar to RA (but not) and i am 25. Anyway i'm on Methotrexate and declofenac (voltorol) and am booked in for my THR in May. Having read some of the messages here i am now unsure whether this is the best plan. I use a walking stick but i am certainly not in as much pain as i was. Will i be limiting myself with a new hip? If you have a new hip or got one at a young ish (!) age i'd appreciate your thoughts!
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balleteach
04-17-2005, 09:30 PM
Hi, Welcome to this new board. You do sound really young for hip-replacement, but I don't think the dr. would be doing it if it wasn't necessary. What is the problem with the hip? Is the cartilage worn down? I had my replacement at 50yrs.old. My problem was osteoarthritis in the hip joint. I've never had RA. Keep posting and good luck...balleteach
wigs
04-18-2005, 09:04 AM
Hi! Thanks for replying! I've had problems for the past year or so really, and before that had referred pain in my leg so no-one knew it was the hip. Basically the hip joint has worn away (don't know about cartilege) and it is just bone on bone now. They seem to think its a virus or infection as i have it in my hands too. How do you find your new hip? Has it caused you any other problems like bad knees or anything?
hip2it
04-18-2005, 10:22 PM
I'm not quite as young as you (I'm 46) but it took about 2 1/2 years for the doctors to even think about arthritis in me. They have no idea why I had osteo arthritis at such a young age but the disease is in both sides of my family. I had all sorts of gynocological tests on me, chiropractor for a year, etc...
I think the hardest part is not knowing what the cause is. If they are sure that it is bone on bone, there is not much you can do aside from a THR (total hip replacement). You can put it off, but you are too young to be able to put it off for long (maybe a year or two if it's already at the bone on bone state). The limits are sooooo different for different people so it's hard to counsel you here, but I think everyone agrees that the hip pain you are having now goes away!
Just to give you an idea... it has been 5 months since my hip replacement and I can do everything that I did before but just a little slower (I'm still getting more stamina in the muscles and working on the healing process). I can bike, walk, get down on the ground and garden, do pilates and am almost to the point where I can go back to a kickbox class (it's moving a little too fast for my new muscles to keep up, but I anticipate being able to do it within another month or so). My flexibility is extremely better. I no longer hurt when I sit in a car (the pain used to go down my leg and ache in a car). I also did TaeKwonDo (I'm a 2nd degree black belt and instructor). I still teach and I can do the TaeKwonDo but I'm not sure about breaking boards and sparring... maybe that will be a limit.
Anyway, I just wanted to enjoy my son (he is 12 years old) and be able to participate in family activities again without having to sit out. I can do all that now (and more than I thought I ever would).
I hope I answered some of your questions... always ask everything you can and find out whatever you can. It's a wonderful surgery but it's also permanent. I hope you feel better. :wave:
I think the hardest part is not knowing what the cause is. If they are sure that it is bone on bone, there is not much you can do aside from a THR (total hip replacement). You can put it off, but you are too young to be able to put it off for long (maybe a year or two if it's already at the bone on bone state). The limits are sooooo different for different people so it's hard to counsel you here, but I think everyone agrees that the hip pain you are having now goes away!
Just to give you an idea... it has been 5 months since my hip replacement and I can do everything that I did before but just a little slower (I'm still getting more stamina in the muscles and working on the healing process). I can bike, walk, get down on the ground and garden, do pilates and am almost to the point where I can go back to a kickbox class (it's moving a little too fast for my new muscles to keep up, but I anticipate being able to do it within another month or so). My flexibility is extremely better. I no longer hurt when I sit in a car (the pain used to go down my leg and ache in a car). I also did TaeKwonDo (I'm a 2nd degree black belt and instructor). I still teach and I can do the TaeKwonDo but I'm not sure about breaking boards and sparring... maybe that will be a limit.
Anyway, I just wanted to enjoy my son (he is 12 years old) and be able to participate in family activities again without having to sit out. I can do all that now (and more than I thought I ever would).
I hope I answered some of your questions... always ask everything you can and find out whatever you can. It's a wonderful surgery but it's also permanent. I hope you feel better. :wave:
billd
05-01-2005, 06:02 AM
I'm 42 and had my left hip replaced last year.
I am/wasn't very active (in an athletic way) before the replacement.
I can certainly do anything I want at this point.
I've never had the flexability to do anything close to kickboxing.
But I have two kids ages 11 and 9 and want to be able to do things with them.
My doctor doesn't know this, but a few months ago I ice skated with my daughter for about 45 minutes or so.
It feels so good, that I actually forget it's a replacement.
I'm stalling on the other side, because my family is sooo busy, it's tough to
be out of commission for a while.
Good Luck
I am/wasn't very active (in an athletic way) before the replacement.
I can certainly do anything I want at this point.
I've never had the flexability to do anything close to kickboxing.
But I have two kids ages 11 and 9 and want to be able to do things with them.
My doctor doesn't know this, but a few months ago I ice skated with my daughter for about 45 minutes or so.
It feels so good, that I actually forget it's a replacement.
I'm stalling on the other side, because my family is sooo busy, it's tough to
be out of commission for a while.
Good Luck
MrsLinda
05-02-2005, 09:55 AM
billd - you sound just like me except younger! I'm 54 soon to be 55 :rolleyes: . Had the left one done 9 months ago and I'm holding off as long as physically possible for the other. It really puts a load on the family when you're out of commission.
I can't say however I forget I have a replacement. There are times where I have some aches. If I bend at the waist too far when I go to get up I get a slight ache in the thigh. Stairs and I are not friends; I have pulling when I extend the leg too high up. But other than that I'm 100% better than prior to the surgery.
hip2it - after reading another post of your's the other day I tried to imagine myself doing "kickboxing" and tried to kick out. It wasn't a pretty sight!! :D :D I used the excuse I didn't know the 'technique'.
See you all later....this is such a great board!!
I can't say however I forget I have a replacement. There are times where I have some aches. If I bend at the waist too far when I go to get up I get a slight ache in the thigh. Stairs and I are not friends; I have pulling when I extend the leg too high up. But other than that I'm 100% better than prior to the surgery.
hip2it - after reading another post of your's the other day I tried to imagine myself doing "kickboxing" and tried to kick out. It wasn't a pretty sight!! :D :D I used the excuse I didn't know the 'technique'.
See you all later....this is such a great board!!