Hip surgery possible aftermath

I'm in waiting for THR #4, after two became infected. I'm hoping I have the bone density for the next THR, or else it's likely to be Girdlestone or the like.

My experiences have been that every recovery is different, but my previous THRs have been far less painful and much easier to recover from than having a spacer, where I'm currently at.

My recovery advice is to keep your eye on the prize - time really does matter. After my last, most painful and difficult surgery I tried to stay focused on the long term outcome and visualize my path to walking again while I was writhing in bed maxed out on painkillers. Looking back at the early stage of my recovery it's hard to believe I was in that much pain at all. The pain and discomfort will subside. I got by (in addition to painkillers) with conscious, deep breathing, visualization and my music collection!

Yes, at first physical therapy was more like physical torture, but I'm so glad my therapists pushed me to and sometimes beyond the pain threshold. Looking back at it now it was all worth it.

Gout is extremely painful! Have dr do a uric acid level by having a blood test which if high will confirm
I got a special boot for foot to wear cause it was so bad I am on allopurinol for gout and during flares have prescription strength anti inflammatory to take and also Colchicine which is last resort drug and dangerous finally I asked to see a nutritionist who gave me all the foods I need to not eat and since following the diet I have not had a flare up

Thank you for your advice. I will have blood test to confirm gout diagnosis.
I too have been eliminating foods high in uric acid which hopefully will help recovery. Glad to hear that you are avoiding flare ups with proper diet.

I hope you get better. What happened that you got infected twice? It's rare to get infected once. And why all the post op pain? I like your drug free program and positive attitude. I truly hope you get better.

What is girdlestone!

All the best,

Joe

What does your current surgeon say about cutting your nails post-op? Stay strong. Joe

No explanation as to my last infection, but my first one may have been due to "particle disease", which seems like an uncommon situation where a particle may have broken off the prosthesis and caused an infection somehow. For my second infection, I got a second opinion from a doctor who thoroughly reviewed my medical history and found that I may have been harboring this infection for years. I ask every time I visit my doctor if the infection had anything to do with my activities or behaviors, and he assures me it does not. Still a mystery to me.

The post op pain is due to the antibiotic spacer I have until it's removed. It feels like it's only loosely in my femur (it's supposed to be, so it can be removed easily) and causes a painful grinding or "clacking" sensation when I move my leg. Fortunately at this point it's only painful when transferring and otherwise moving around. Once I got my permanent implants the painful sensations were gone.

The girdlestone from what I understand can be a fusion of the femur and pelvis? Never got an answer I can completely understand. It may be a procedure that's different for every patient. I've read, even in this forum, that after this procedure you can still walk and be independent, but it seems like it also depends on the patient and procedures. I should know within the next several weeks which procedure I'll have. Fingers crossed for the implant.

I wouldn't say my program is drug free - it took a solid 6-8 weeks of roxycodone and acetaminophen to get past the worst of it. But once it passed, I rarely take even acetaminophen.