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If you're living without a hip like me, please reach out to me.....
Bones, Joints & Muscles | Last Active: Oct 25, 2023 | Replies (143)Comment receiving replies
Welcome to the discussion Robin, @froggy1 This been a very valuable forum for me since I discovered it a few months ago, not only for thehelpful advice from others that have undergone the same/similar procedures but also just by being able to connect with others who have gone through physically and mentally challenging healthcare issues.
I had an antibiotic spacer put in about 2 weeks ago due to an infected THR (the THR was done in Dec 2016), and I've been back at home for aboiut 5 days now with great support from my wife and teenage sons. While I haven't had to go without a hip at all, there are others on here who have, hopefully @lynzze will join the discussion, she's been through THR's, spacers and periods with no hip joint at all and she was a great help to me to better understand what I was heading into ahead of my surgery to place the spacer.
I'm an otherwise healthy 48yo male. While my infection wasn't nearly as acute as yours, I greatly underestimated how much more difficult and painful things were going to be with the spacer and according to my medical team, the surgery went very well, as planned and everything is in in place where it is supposed to be. It sounds like your new orthopedic surgeon is a better fit for you, I hope you can have an honest discussion with him/her and/or your regular health care provider about your problems with your first ortho, your current frustrations and possible depression given your difficult situation.
Are you active in any other online discussion forums related to any of your hobbies or interests? Those can be a great way to pass the time and make connections when getting out is difficult and limited. Fishing and the outdoors are my main interests, and there's a vast set of discussion forums and subforums that I regularly participate in (much more so recently) at the "Alaska Outdoors Supersite" http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/forum.php While that may not be your cup of tea, it's an idea of what's out there.
I wish you all the best through these challenging times.
Art in Alaska.
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So are you having a 2 stage? And the spacer was the first stage? After my last hip was removed I was offered an "attempt" at a 2 stage.which would have involved placing a space along with another PICC line for 7 more weeks of IVs and if that went well a second surgery "attempt" to get something in my femur and another 7 weeks of IV antibiotics. and no guarantee that I wouldn't get another staph infection or that the new hip would even work right. Plus I had breast cancer surgery and they wanted me to do radiation while all this other stuff with staph infections and IV fluids for 3 1/2 months was going on. I said no way to radiation, my body can't handle any more crap running through it. And I decided that at least with no hip I know what I'm dealing with so no more hip procedures either.. I'm still trying to deal with that fact that I'll be crippled for the rest of my life. I have no family I speak to and know no one in the city I'm living in. I'm trying to get back to Seattle (50 miles away) and be able to afford a room there or a trade as a live in caregiver. My life has taken a huge beating this past year and I'm still trying to figure it all out. What to do with myself? This is the only online discussion I've ever been on. I'm not very swift on the computer but need to keep reaching out to others before I go crazy.Thanks for contacting me. Keep me posted on what you're going to do. Good night, Robin