Total hip replacement

[Wreckless]

I broke my hip, actually the top of the Femur bone, about 13 years ago, in a "little" boating accident. [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img] That's why I named my new boat "Wreckless".
The screws in my hip are grinding and there is constant pain. I can't hunt the way I like to...far from roads, and it's getting hard to get in & out of the boat.
My question is, have you had this done? Are the limitations of the "new hip" keeping you from hunting or fishing and / or any other general comments, feedback. I'm only 44, some people think I should "tough it out" a few years, others say DO IT!! My Doctor said "It looks worn out, but it would last a little longer".

Thanks for any input.

Dennis, another dumb boating statistic :blush:

[reeldick]

My brother in Minnesota had his done several years ago. He is back hunting(ducks,grouse, and deer)fishing (he pulls his portable fish house out on the ice), and snowmobiling. He claims it was the best thing he has ever done.

[Firedog]

My wife works for an orthopedic surgeon whose specialty is hips. They have patients that hunt and fish. I also hunt and fish with a guy who is about your age that had a hip replaced, he gets around real well but is limited in the amount of weight he is supposed to carry. But that said he packed one of the quarters of an elk out last fall.

It all depends on how much pain you are in now and how much relief the Dr. thinks you are going to get out of it. Good luck. Let me know if you need the name of a good Doc.

[ 02-18-2004, 11:47 AM: Message edited by: firedog ]

[mike5097]

I was blessed with bad hips.
I got my first hip replacement when I was twelve,
it broke when I was about thirty. (I'm 44 now)
In those early years I was pretty self conscious about having a fake hip and did not heed the Doc's advice and did anything I wanted.
Back in those days the technology and metallurgy was not as advanced as it is now.
Anyway, when the first one was replaced, the Doc said that that if it hadn't of broken it, I could have gotten fifteen to twenty more years out of it.
They replaced the left side, took xrays of the right and told me I would have to have that one replaced by the time I was forty.

When I was forty one I had the right one replaced.
So now I have two artificial hips.

This is major surgery. You will be asked to donate about five units of blood for yourself.

Your hospital stay will be anywhere from 3 days to two weeks depending on your physical state.

You will have to go through some physical therapy to rebuild muscles.

You will appreciate vicodin. You will have to take warfarin (a blood thinner) for about a month or so, to prevent clotting.

The first month or so will be hell, but after the first month it will be amazing how fast you will recover.

I was back at work in three months.

It will take about a full year to feel like you are back to normal.(If you do your exercises faithfully)

I don't mean to scare you, but that's the way it is.

If you are in real pain now, and have limited mobility, you will notice a great improvement.

In my humble opinion, it's well worth it.
You might as well get it done now while you are relatively young and healthy.

It's up to you to decide whether you want to continue putting up with the pain your in. Other people may mean well, but it's you that in a world of hurt, not them!

There is no reason to live with pain like that. You won't believe the level of pain that you had grown accustomed to.

The life expectancy of your new hip will probably be about twenty to thirty years depending on you health and level of activity.

Remember, this is a mechanical apparatus and it will wear out eventually. My last doctor told me to count my steps. He gave me a figure somebody calculated about how many steps a hip will last. I can't remember it now but it seemed like it was in the billions.

I don't ski or ride horses. I can't run.
I can't go on long miler hikes or carry much over forty pounds at a time.

However, I go steelheading quite often banking it, but I choose my locations carefully. I am extremely paranoid of falling, so no rock crawling hikes through the blackberry brambles for me.

I go boating often, but slipperry docks and boat ramps worry me.

But all in all I pretty much do what I want, live a normal life, and THANK GOD that I am not a cripple.

(By the way, go see an orthopedist that specializes in this kind of surgery. He will be able to advise you better than a family doctor.)

Mike!

[ 02-18-2004, 10:47 AM: Message edited by: mike5097 ]

[Bait O' Eggs]

With any luck Zaq wont be the one doing the drilling and cutting

Good luck to you

[Barviewrocks]

Here's another view point regarding hip replacement. There are new proceedures and materials being developed and used every year. One example is the new minimally invasive proceedure in which the incision is two smaller areas done by Dr Dewillis in Portland. One friend of mine who is 67 had it done almost a year ago. He was in good physical condition but was up walking with a walker in 12 hours. Discharged from the hospital in 3 days. One week after celebrated by walking 2 miles. And 5 months after placed 2nd in a bicycle time trial for his age group.

Bottom line is you will not know what you are up against until you get checked out by a reputable doctor that you both trust and has experience in rehabilitating people that have a similar life style to yours. When it stops you from doing the things you want to do, it is time to address it.

[pdxkevin]

From those I know who have had joint replacements, the overwelming concensous is that it will only keep you from doing things if you allow it to do so.

I hope it all goes well for you and you are back out scaren' the fish and wildlife in short order!

[Wreckless]

Thanks everyone...this is ALL good stuff.

I had an appointment with Dr. Wilson at Orthopedics Northwest in Tigard last Monday. The ex-rays he took indicate that "I'm ready".
He mentioned that I would walk (assisted) the next day??!!?? :shocked:

Keep 'em coming!!

[HntnFsh]

My brother in law had a hip replacement done last fall.He is 38.And is doing great.He is amazed at how well he feels.They had him up the next morning.He was told that with the new hips some of the parts are replaceable.So if you wear out a ball or socket they dont have to do a whole replacement.Just the worn parts. He was definitely in pain for a while after surgury.But it was well worth.
I wish the best of luck with your surgury,if thats what you choose.I'm sure it will go great.

[Wreckless]

TTT

Thanks everyone, I think I'm gonna do it...I see some recovery time, building spinners coming soon.

[OceanBlue]

I heard a few years back that the replacements eventually wear out. If that is still the case, I'd wait as long as I possibly could in order to avoid having to do it again in my late years.