I'm getting a really bad feeling from this so far. It sounds like you
don't like this doctor, and perhaps with good reason. Why go back? Also,
x-rays show a very limited amount of information. I had a shattered hip,
but the fractures were curved and looked like the pattern on a baseball
(without the stitching) and as such did not show up on x-ray. They /did/
show up on MRI, along with the osteonecrosis that lead to them. I had a
similar problem with my other hip, although with that one the x-rays
/did/ show the fractures but the radiologist issued a false report
without looking at them (late for golf perhaps?). The MRI on the second
hip before replacement required no scrutiny. These were done years ago.
I'm 31 now.

Yeah, both times they injected me right into my hip under x-ray
(flouroscopy). They told me these would be excrutiating procedures (had
extra support in the room to 'assist' me). Compared to the pain I was in
from the hip and the pain I had previously experienced from numerous
other semi-related procedures, it was fine. Didn't help with the
shattered hips though! :-)

Why? What kind of arthritis lead to this? Is the arthritis secondary to
another condition? These answers may have some bearing on the answers to
 your next questions.

I think heavy lifting is not in your future after this. People often get
away with abusing the prostheses and they're being silly. Recovery
depends on the type of surgery and the method of attachment (cemented or
uncemented) along with followup care (physio, hydrotherapy, etc) not to
mention surgical skill. You have a critical period of three months where
you MUST adhere to strict rules about movement and range of motion (no
crossing your legs, sleeping with a foam wedge between your legs,
sitting on a foam wedge to keep your hip above your knee, etc etc etc).
Some people feel so good after six weeks they discard these rules and
get to have surgery all over again! For uncemented prostheses (better
given your age, as it's far easier to do a revision surgery with an
uncemented replacement) it can take about a year for the bone to regrow
around the new bone-metal interface and reach maximum strength (which
will never be as strong as it was before the surgery at this interface).
Three months and you should be climbing stairs carefully. Probably the
same with the tool box, but for limited distances and with limited
motions while carrying it. Depending on how creative you and your
partner are (and how careful to stay within the rules) you can resume
certain intimate activities much sooner than three months (though I
cannot encourage this, as the risks are pretty high...).

Regards,

Ari

                 <snip>

          3 weeks to climb the stairs: if you've had the kind of
          surgery that uses a smaller incision than last generation's
          standard, you will probably be using a cane -- or even
          walking freely by then. Otherwise you will have mastered
          using a single crutch for stairs well enough that those
          stairs won't be a major impediment. I'd wait 6-8 weeks
          before doing heavy carrying, but I've never done any weight
          training, and I'm naturally clumsy, so you may do better.

          The most important thing of all is to have the surgery done
          by one of the superstars in your area -- someone who does
          many replacements in a year and has a reputation for
          getting it right. I also have been recommending that it be
          done with an anterior incision, the procedure that I had in
          2003, [left hip] and that is only now beginning to become easily
          available in the United States.

          I was 62 when I had the left hip replaced: at my six week
          post-operative appointment with the surgeon, he told me
          that I could begin to transition to a cane. I left his
          office, walked a mile with one crutch to an ice cream place
          to celebrate, came home, got on back of a tandem bicycle
          and biked 15 miles that afternoon. I needed the cane for
          only 2 or 3 days after that...and I had the larger incision
          surgery because of a metal plate in the hip that had to be
          removed.

          I have more of my experience written up here:
                http://www.armory.com/~mom/THR1.html

                         --thelma
         

He is an a.shole, living in the stone age.  (You can tell him I
said that.)

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS "TOO YOUNG"

QUALITY OF LIFE is the key word today.  No more suffering
from pain for 10, 15, 20 years while a doctor like that - living
with his head in the sand - decides just how old you have to
be for surgery.

I met a 27-year-old lady (who made me wish I was a few years
younger) who had undergone THREE joint replacements (2 hips
and 1 shoulder).  She was giving a pep talk at the local Arthritis
Foundation chapter's seminar on joint replacements, ca. 1994.

I believe going in with a positive attitude and a sense of humor
will speed any patient's recovery from surgery.  Prayers from
relatives and friends also help.  After transfer from the hospital
to rehab, I received communion daily from a chaplain.

You should be sent to pre-surgery physical therapy, to learn
how to adjust to life after the hip replacement.  They'll teach
you how to climb stairs, how to lift and carry object, who to
bathe/shower.

Two days after my surgery, PT was escorting me up and down
stairs -- UP, lead with the good, DOWN, lead with the bad.  <g>

Fourth day I had to undress and go into a shower with a young,
nice looking occupational therapist. <g>

My surgeon explained that I would be in the hospital up to 7 days,
then 6 weeks in a rehap facility -- total 7 to 8 weeks away from
home.   I was home in 12 days, partly because I was driving the
nurses nuts walking up and down the halls with a walker, past
their central nursing station.  <g>  They had expected me to
remain in bed 23 hours a day - get out only when escorted by
the PT or OT.  Believe me, there ain't nothing on TV worth being
in bed 23 hours a day.

The day of the surgery, nurses were in my room every hour,
asking about my "pain level" while pointing to a chart with
0  to 10 levels.   I had staples in my leg/butt.  Sitting, I would
reply "5"; standing, the answer was "3" since weight was
removed from the staples.

Next day when a nurse came in with the same question, I
replied, "My TB is sore."

She backed away as fast as she could and shouted, "You
have TB?"

I replied, "YES!   A tired butt!"

That cracked her up.

She returned 4 or 5 minutes later with another nurse and
asked the same "pain" question.  Taking the cue from her,
I gave the same "TB" answer and got the response we
expected from the 2nd nurse.

10 years prior to that surgery, a doctor placed a 10 pound
lifting/carrying restriction on me.  So I can't answer about
a 20 pound load.  But I was lifting/carrying 10-12 pound loads
within 2 weeks of the surgery -- I think one of my castiron
skillets weighed that much.  <g>  Rehab sent a PT and an OT
to my residence 3 times a week for 2 weeks after I arrived
home.  I surprised them - taught them - some of my tricks --
how to lean/bend to pick tihings off the floor or remove items
from a cupboard under the sink; how I dried between the
toes after a shower without exceeding the 90 degree bend
at the hip (which all hip replacement patients have).

I couldn't reach my toes 6 or 7 years before surgery and had
already adapted many tricks that worked post-surgery.

Where are you located?  Every state in the U.S. has a
disability insurace program, financed by taxes on the worker
and the employer.  We call it SDI - State Disability Insurance -
in my state and it's a line-item deduction on the paycheck stub.

... Files not found:  Delete user instead?  (Y/y)?

Hi Truly, I've had a hip replacement but would like to refer you to
http://www.totallyhip.org.
That's where I got a lot of help before I had mine. You'll get good info on
this newsgroup, but all the folks on totally hip have had or are going to
have hip replacements.
Gwen

Hi-

I was diagnosed with a bone on bone hip at 46.  The docs told me to
wait as long as possible for the replacement surgery.  I finally had it
at age 51- I had fractures and cysts and it was a mess.  If I could do
it over again, I would have demanded the replacement immediately
instead of limping around and eating pain pills for almost 6 years.

The doc wanted me to have a spinal for the anesthesia, but due to polio
when I was a baby the anesthetist wouldn't mess with my spine so I had
general anesthesia.  I was very grateful for that as I dreaded hearing
and feeling the surgery.  I was in the hospital for 6 days.  They had
me up and walking using a walker the next morning after surgery.  I
went home with a "fluid pocket" at the joint of my new hip and was told
to be on bed rest for 10 days.  I had a visiting nurse to change the
dressings and check my blood pressure, temperature, etc. every day for
those ten days.  I was on antibiotics and Hydroco-done for the pain.
Most of the pain was arthritic because of not being able to walk
around- I freeze up when I stay still for too long.  I also had a
physical therapist every other day and did exercises two or three times
a day with a stretchy band which was attached to the leg of my bed.

At three weeks post surgery, my divorce was final and my ex left to
move out of state.  I was caring for myself and three dogs and a cat at
that point.  I was cleared to drive at 6 weeks post surgery.  I have a
scar that looks like a smile on my rump cheek!

It wasn't too bad at all and, if I ever need another hip replaced, I
will do it a.s.a.p.  I've had my hip for almost 6 years now and have no
problems with it, can cross my legs, and do just about anything I want
to do.  I am not a runner or anything althletic, tho.  ;-)

Good luck with your surgery.

Leslie