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Very, very scared to have knee surgery and hip surgery
I am in constant pain, usually when I walk or stand, knee and hip. Of course, when I am on my recliner I'm not in much pain so I stay there a lot. I used to swim until about 5 years ago, but I notice the hip pain was even worse after I swam.
When I was much younger (I'm 77) I had a torn cartilage (basketball game where some kind soul [yes, sarcasm] pushed me down), and subsequently the cartilage was removed. That's what I remember the doctor told me. I was young (16) and healthy, I recovered quickly enough, but had swelling and trouble for years until finally it became unbearable. I would get cortisone shots lbut eventually stopped doing that. (They were painful anyway.) But about 5 years ago, pain extended to my right hip, excrutiating, more so than the knee. (Don't know why.) I've seen several doctors and they all tell me to get hip and knee replacement. I am scared. But the problem I'm having now is that the doctors (I've seen quite a few) all tell me that I need to have a replacement, that I have arthritis. One doctor got upset when I asked him for more detailed information. And I didn't know how to ask the surgeon for detailed info, like what would he do and could he please explain what the x-rays showed. (Also, why do I have pain?) But the pain really impedes me from living a normal life, that is, cleaning, organizing, straightening up, etc. I made an appointment with a surgeon near enough who has a reputation of being very kind and compassionate. So I hope he'll bear with my questions.
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I'm taking your response into consideration, thanks. May I ask how you feel now?
I am just reading or re-reading some comments, I'm slow because I have so much always to do...I found a doctor I hope who will be good for my hip. He looked at the x-rays and said I have two cysts that need also to be filled (with human bone cadaver type thing). The first doctor I saw here didn't tell me anything about that. He also told me that it's best to work from the "top down," meaning hip first, knee later, even though the knee needs help and needed help for years but I've been putting it off off and more off but can no longer deal with especially the hip pain -- so -- before I turn TOO OLD for some doctors to work on me (I'm ALMOST 79 -- yikes, never thought I'd get this old, although it makes me more compassionate). Take care, thanks for your comment and insight.
I feel okay. My main problem is having one leg 1/2 inch shorter. That can happen with hip surgery. I think the robotic surgery gives you a better outcome. I have pain because of my unequal leg length.
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1 ReactionInteresting. I'll mention it to my doctor. Sorry you're having pain. 🙁 He did tell me that I need human bone mashed up cadaver inserted in two pockets he called cysts.
How did you find you had one leg shorter?? I had a "Partial hip replacement" in Canada, (accidental fall) and have had problems for the last 4 years?? I'm wondering if I too have a shorter right leg???
I ended up with one leg shorter after a hip replacement. It really affected the way I walked and ultimately wore out the cartilage in my other hip and knee requiring replacement of those joints. My surgeon ignored my complaint for a long time then acted surprised when he actually measured and found the discrepancy in leg length. He recently offered to “tweak” my hip in another surgery to see if he could add length to the leg but I’m not in the mood for experimenting with another hip surgery ! I found that ordering silicone heel lifts from Amazon has been helpful. They wear out fast but with trial and error they have helped mitigate the difference in length. I also wear Hoka One One tennis shoes which provide support and padding. I am a work in progress nearly 5 years after the initial surgery :/
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1 ReactionI buy shoes that I can have a lift glued on the bottom of my shorter leg. My shoemaker knows me by now. If he can't match the color, I paint the lift. I think that it helps with my balance and pain levels due to the discrepancy of length.
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1 ReactionHip surgery is the easiest one. The pain you are feeling right now will be 100 percent gone. You will just be dealing with the actual surgery pain
I sure hope so. However, I will bring up the length of leg to the doctor, he seems to be pretty up on these things. Thanks for your encouragement, I have been resisting for years but the time has come, cannot function with the pain any more. (Thanks.)
P.S. Thanks for the encouragement, I will likely need a knee job after the hip surgery. (Oh well..) The knee is pretty well gone after about 50 years since I had some cartilage removed after some very not nice person knocked me down in a high school basketball game and I twisted my knee and the doctor then said he removed some torn cartilage. The doctor I see now said he goes from the top down. 🙂 First the hip, then the knee. So I know I have some recuperation ahead of me. A little scared, but the time has come that I cannot avoid it and I hope and think I found a good surgeon.
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