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.