Walking without a hip joint

I am and was told I would never be able to get one again. It was suppose to be a left hip replacement and went bad. They did a revision but I had a lot of infection and had to be taken out. I also had a drop foot on my left leg and dealing with that as well. I go to therapy 3x a week. I just got a brace and a lift for my shoe and will try it soon since I need adjustments on it. It’s very hard when I was active before this and now I can’t believe it. I was told by my surgeon that it could take up to a year with the drop foot and the leg as well. You just have to have patience and do the best that you can. I just got home 4 months ago after spending 5 months in rehabs. Physical therapists say I’m doing well considering. I do walk but like a turtle but I try. The main thing is exercising and that will help in time. Hang in there🙏

Hello...I had girdlestone resection about 18 months ago and still walking with a walker and crutches for short distances. Can I ask how long before you walked unassisted? I would so love to get to that point. I can take maybe 5-10 steps unassisted, but it's pretty wobbly and I don't feel stable. I would love to talk more with you privately if you don't mind. I'm 70 and live in Michigan.......Cindy

Hi Cindy. I just had my left hip removed from infection. I went in for a hip replacement and it shattered. They did another hip and that’s when the infection came in. That’s when my MD said the hip has to come out and I might be on antibiotics forever. Right now I go to Physical Therapy 3x a week. I have a brace made for me and should be getting a lift on my shoe so I will be balanced. I also have a drop foot from the beginning after the first surgery. Now I can walk with a walker 48 feet but my left leg feels like a 100 lbs. I get groin pain when I move. I can’t stand by myself but hoping it gets better. I’m frustrated because I want to walk like yesterday and it’s not going to happen. My doctor tells me it may take up to a year but feels confident that I will get better. I would like to know if you are taking any excersises. I hope you feel better🙏 Carol

Hi Cindi sorry it took so long to get back to you. I would like to chat with you and others. You can friend me on Facebook. Carol Cataldi

Hi Carol and @cmarsh Did you know that you can chat privately on Mayo Connect?
Just click the little icon for the person, click View Profile " and when the Profile appears you can choose to send a private message. Nobody except the two of you can see it.
Sue

Hi Cindi sorry it took so long to get back to you. I would like to chat with you and others. You can friend me on Facebook. Carol Cataldi

Hi I was beginning to think I was the only one without a hip. My 1st hip was done in 2012. I had Avn. I woke up screaming in pain and had a drop foot. The surgeon had cut 3 nerves. My tibial, peroneal and sciatica. I didn't get infection but I saw a neurologist for the excruciating pain. He did nerve conduction studies and told me I have RSD... REFLEX SYMPATHETIC DYSTROPHY SYNDROME. It was due to the mistakes made during surgery. There is no cure and I've never had pain so severe as this. I see a pain management Dr and I'm on methadone as well as I get ketamine infusions for the RSD. That is the only thing that helps me to deal with this disease. I'm atrophied up to above the knee and I can't be touched that's how bad it is. Ok then in 2015 I was told the other hip was necrotic as well. I thought long and hard about going through this surgery again but the pain of walking with a walker was more than I could stand so I had the surgery. It went well. I had pain but it was surgical pain. I expected that. I was good for about a year and a half and then woke up one morning screaming. I went to the ER and was admitted due to infection. I couldn't believe it. I'm here again with a hip issue. They removed the artificial hip and cleaned out the whole area and put in a spacer plus 6 weeks of IV antibiotics. I went to rehab. I was walking with a walker. At the end of the antibiotics 6 weeks later I'm still in the same pain. I told the Dr in rehab but I was sent home anyway I couldn't stand it anymore and again I was at the ER. I was right that pain was the infection. It never went away. The spacer was removed and again the whole area flushed and cleaned. The infection had gotten into the bone so I lost several inches off my leg and they put antibiotic seeds in and that was it. The surgeon mentioned getting a new hip replacement put in if I went 4 months without infection. I asked if I could live and walk without a hip and he said yes however he thought I'd be in a wheelchair since I don't have help from the other leg. I told him I'd rather be in a wheelchair than to take a chance of this happening again. I've been in a wheelchair since June had a drainage tube for 3 months until it got dislodged in the middle of transferring from the chair to the bed. Thankfully no infection since July. I'm now on doxicyclene to hopefully keep me from getting infections for the rest of my life. During these infections I have been on vancomycin which didn't work. I had mrsa which is very difficult to get rid of and is resistant to some antibiotics. Then I was put on doxicyclene.and merrapenum both very expensive antibiotics. I was on them for 7 and a half weeks. I'm now on daptomycin for life. I'm only 59 years old. I have osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes type 2, copd, hypothyroidism, and stomach problems as well. I developed a rash all over my body which a dermatologist did a biopsy and it came back as a drug allergy but to what I can't get an answer. I've had the rash almost instantly after starting the daptomycin. I was taking 100mg twice a day. I stopped taking one of them in hopes this horrible itchy rash would go away. I've had it since July and it still itches constantly. Mostly at night. Im so disgusted I can't even walk to the shower. I have to use a basin and get washed while I'm on the bedside commode. I scrub my body every day really hard so this rash doesn't give me another infection.. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Ty.

Iam so sorry what a terrible ordeal and you are so very Young. !!!!! Your case sounds similar to what happened to my brother but it was his knee. He is supposed to meet tomorrow with his Dr. to decide if the infection is full gone . Im so worried after seeing what he has gone through he is also in a wheel chair and contact pain. We thought he was the only one with such a disaster I am so grateful for you posing your story. My brother is now available for in home health care do you have help?
Stay strong !!!

Hi Cindy. I just had my left hip removed from infection. I went in for a hip replacement and it shattered. They did another hip and that’s when the infection came in. That’s when my MD said the hip has to come out and I might be on antibiotics forever. Right now I go to Physical Therapy 3x a week. I have a brace made for me and should be getting a lift on my shoe so I will be balanced. I also have a drop foot from the beginning after the first surgery. Now I can walk with a walker 48 feet but my left leg feels like a 100 lbs. I get groin pain when I move. I can’t stand by myself but hoping it gets better. I’m frustrated because I want to walk like yesterday and it’s not going to happen. My doctor tells me it may take up to a year but feels confident that I will get better. I would like to know if you are taking any excersises. I hope you feel better🙏 Carol