Re: Excellent article in today's New York Times

[Guest guest]

I didn't "join" so only read the first part which is just plain scary.

sandijsreed2 <jsreed2800@...> wrote:

There is an excellent article by Jane Brody about her personal experience getting a double knee replacement.http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/08/health/08brod.html(If this doesn't come through as a link, copy & paste it into your url address box.)

[Guest guest]

I have heard anecdotal testimony that knee replacements and the

recovery are more difficult and painful than hips. Jane Brody's

article adds one more. I'm afraid that some who read her article and

are contemplating TKR may try to turn and run. Ortho surgeons will

have their work cut out for them convincing patients that they do

indeed need surgery.

Thanks for the heads up.

>

> There is an excellent article by Jane Brody about her personal

> experience getting a double knee replacement.

>

> http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/08/health/08brod.html

>

> (If this doesn't come through as a link, copy & paste it into your

> url address box.)

[Guest guest]

The article wasn't meant to scare, but to inform people. I think it

much better to know what to expect.

>

> There is an excellent article by Jane Brody about her personal

> experience getting a double knee replacement.

>

> http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/08/health/08brod.html

>

> (If this doesn't come through as a link, copy & paste it into your

> url address box.)

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Well it does scare. I think informed is good, but we also must remember how many totally successful knee replacements are done and how many people really do well with them.

sandijsreed2 <jsreed2800@...> wrote:

The article wasn't meant to scare, but to inform people. I think it much better to know what to expect.> > There is an excellent article by Jane Brody about her personal > experience getting a double knee replacement.> > http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/08/health/08brod.html> > (If this doesn't come through as a link, copy & paste it into your > url address box.)> > > > > >

[Guest guest]

I really think that people need to speak their own truths. Brody

spoke about her own experience and lamented the fact that she wasn't

prepared for the amount of pain that she experienced, nor was she

given sufficient medication. That shouldn't necessarily scare other

people away.

Every person's recovery from joint surgery is different. I just

wrote a book called GETTING HIP: Recovery from a Total Hip

Replacement. The reason that I wrote the book was precisely why

Brody wrote her article -- I was not prepared for the amount of pain

and swelling that I had following my THR. I was left extremely

anemic after the operation and my doctor never used anti-embolism

stockings. I also did not adequately medicate myself because I

thought that it would contribute to my weakness and sleepiness.

Because I was only 50 years old at the time, I figured that my

recovery would be relatively quick, but it wasn't that way at all.

In my book, I interviewed 10 other people around the world who had

hip replacements, and one man whose hip was resurfaced. Their

experiences with recovery differed radically. Many people found the

surgery to be a breeze, but others had a lot of pain and expected to

recover more quickly than they did.

One of the main things that I learned by going through my THR was

that there is no real gold standard in terms of recovery time.

Sure, there's a general estimate but it's like a bell curve. Most

people will fall somewhere in between the normal range, but lots of

other people will fall outside of the parameters. Some recover more

quickly and others take a longer period of time. On the plus side,

most people that I have spoken to are quite satisfied with their new

hips by the time that they have fully recovered.

I admire Brody for writing her article. I don't really think that

it will scare too many people. Maybe it will prompt them to ask

more questions of their doctors and prepare more thoroughly before

hand by reading, and understanding as much as possible about hips

and knees.

Best, Sigrid

> >

> > There is an excellent article by Jane Brody about her personal

> > experience getting a double knee replacement.

> >

> > http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/08/health/08brod.html

> >

> > (If this doesn't come through as a link, copy & paste it into

your

> > url address box.)

[Guest guest]

I agree with you Sigrid that we need to tell our own

truths.

I had a hip done in 1990 which needed no post op pain

killers once they took out the morphine drip (on day 2).

It was revised in August 2004 and I am still taking pain

killers - not routinely, but at least 2 or 3 times a week.

This is not what I expected.

At first, I used to see all these glowing reports of NO

Pain on this list and think there must be something

seriously wrong with my hip.

At 25 weeks I still have a bad limp, cannot walk a street

block, find difficulty sleeping at night because of the

pain.

This is inspite of doing my exercises at home 2-4 times a

day and having local anesthetic injections in the trigger

points of the muscles to try to help me walk better.

I am back at work, but really struggle to cope with it. If

I go past the point of coping it takes me about a week to

get back on top of it again.

I wasn't a hero last time and a cry-baby this time, things

are different. I'm willing to give it time, but at times I

find it very frustrating.

The thing ,that keeps me going this time, is I remember how

I had no life before the last op. At least I can live a

life at the moment, even if the pain gets me down. I am

still better off than I was before the first hip.

Be kind to yourself

Margaret from Australia

Re: Excellent article in

today's New York Times

>

> I really think that people need to speak their own

truths. Brody

> spoke about her own experience and lamented the fact that

she wasn't

> prepared for the amount of pain that she experienced, nor

was she

> given sufficient medication. That shouldn't necessarily

scare other

> people away.

>

> Every person's recovery from joint surgery is different.

I just

> wrote a book called GETTING HIP: Recovery from a Total

Hip

> Replacement. The reason that I wrote the book was

precisely why

> Brody wrote her article -- I was not prepared for the

amount of pain

> and swelling that I had following my THR. I was left

extremely

> anemic after the operation and my doctor never used

anti-embolism

> stockings. I also did not adequately medicate myself

because I

> thought that it would contribute to my weakness and

sleepiness.

> Because I was only 50 years old at the time, I figured

that my

> recovery would be relatively quick, but it wasn't that

way at all.

>

> In my book, I interviewed 10 other people around the

world who had

> hip replacements, and one man whose hip was resurfaced.

Their

> experiences with recovery differed radically. Many

people found the

> surgery to be a breeze, but others had a lot of pain and

expected to

> recover more quickly than they did.

>

> One of the main things that I learned by going through my

THR was

> that there is no real gold standard in terms of recovery

time.

> Sure, there's a general estimate but it's like a bell

curve. Most

> people will fall somewhere in between the normal range,

but lots of

> other people will fall outside of the parameters. Some

recover more

> quickly and others take a longer period of time. On the

plus side,

> most people that I have spoken to are quite satisfied

with their new

> hips by the time that they have fully recovered.

>

> I admire Brody for writing her article. I don't really

think that

> it will scare too many people. Maybe it will prompt them

to ask

> more questions of their doctors and prepare more

thoroughly before

> hand by reading, and understanding as much as possible

about hips

> and knees.

>

> Best, Sigrid

[Guest guest]

Hi Margaret,

I'm sorry to hear your still in pain, for I had a Hip replacement four years ago on April 12 it will be five years and my knee replacement is three years ago and I'm still in pain and and use pain medicine have to use a cane .Well I hope you feel better and have a nice day.

Susie

--------- Re: Excellent article in > today's New York Times > > > > > I really think that people need to speak their own > truths. Brody > > spoke about her own experience and lamented the fact that > she wasn't > > prepared for the amount of pain that she experienced, nor > was she > > given sufficient medication. That shouldn't necessarily > scare other > > people away. > > > > Every person's recovery from joint surgery is different. > I just > > wrote a book called GETTING HIP: Recovery from a Total > Hip > > Replacement. The reason that I wrote the book was > precisely why > > Brody wrote her article -- I was not prepared for the > amount of pain > > and swelling that I had following my THR. I was left > extremely > > anemic after the operation and my doctor never used > anti-embolism > > stockings. I also did not adequately medicate myself > because I > > thought that it would contribute to my weakness and > sleepiness. > > Because I was only 50 years old at the time, I figured > that my > > recovery would be relatively quick, but it wasn't that > way at all. > > > > In my book, I interviewed 10 other people around the > world who had > > hip replacements, and one man whose hip was resurfaced. > Their > > experiences with recovery differed radically. Many > people found the > > surgery to be a breeze, but others had a lot of pain and > expected to > > recover more quickly than they did. > > > > One of the main things that I learned by going through my > THR was > > that there is no real gold standard in terms of recovery > time. > > Sure, there's a general estimate but it's like a bell > curve. Most > > people will fall somewhere in between the normal range, > but lots of > > other people will fall outside of the parameters. Some > recover more > > quickly and others take a longer period of time. On the > plus side, > > most people that I have spoken to are quite satisfied > with their new > > hips by the time that they have fully recovered. > > > > I admire Brody for writing her article. I don't really > think that > > it will scare too many people. Maybe it will prompt them > to ask > > more questions of their doctors and prepare more > thoroughly before > > hand by reading, and understanding as much as possible > about hips > > and knees. > > > > Best, Sigrid > > > > >

[Guest guest]

Hello Sigrid,

I agree with what you are saying about

different recovery rates for different people. I had a TLR and bone

grafting due to CHD 04/10/04 and was completely unprepared for what followed ie

the swelling and lack of progress. I am still using 1 crutch and at the

moment I have a lot of back pain and also pain in my good hip as well as my

knee and ankle (op leg). At 33 years old (with a 2 year old to care for)

I expected my recovery to be a lot quicker and I expected a better level of

aftercare form the hospital but even when my leg blew up like a balloon I could

get neither my GP or consultant at the hospital to see me. I have found

the whole thing very hard to cope with both mentally and physically. The

only physio I have received since my op I’ll have to pay for myself as

the doc at the hospital says that I don’t need physio. I don’t

agree with this as they have corrected the 2 inch difference in my left leg and

I have scoliosis in my spine.

I would be very interested in reading your

book to see if you met anybody who has had similar problems during their

recovery,

Jo

From:

Sigrid Macdonald [mailto:fontgirl2002@...]

Sent: 13 February 2005 02:28

Joint Replacement

Subject:

Re: Excellent article in today's New York Times

I really think that people need to speak their own

truths. Brody

spoke about her own experience and lamented the

fact that she wasn't

prepared for the amount of pain that she

experienced, nor was she

given sufficient medication. That shouldn't

necessarily scare other

people away.

Every person's recovery from joint surgery is

different. I just

wrote a book called GETTING HIP: Recovery from a

Total Hip

Replacement. The reason that I wrote the

book was precisely why

Brody wrote her article -- I was not prepared for

the amount of pain

and swelling that I had following my THR. I

was left extremely

anemic after the operation and my doctor never

used anti-embolism

stockings. I also did not adequately

medicate myself because I

thought that it would contribute to my weakness

and sleepiness.

Because I was only 50 years old at the time, I

figured that my

recovery would be relatively quick, but it wasn't

that way at all.

In my book, I interviewed 10 other people around

the world who had

hip replacements, and one man whose hip was

resurfaced. Their

experiences with recovery differed

radically. Many people found the

surgery to be a breeze, but others had a lot of

pain and expected to

recover more quickly than they did.

One of the main things that I learned by going

through my THR was

that there is no real gold standard in terms of

recovery time.

Sure, there's a general estimate but it's like a

bell curve. Most

people will fall somewhere in between the normal

range, but lots of

other people will fall outside of the

parameters. Some recover more

quickly and others take a longer period of

time. On the plus side,

most people that I have spoken to are quite

satisfied with their new

hips by the time that they have fully recovered.

I admire Brody for writing her article. I

don't really think that

it will scare too many people. Maybe it will

prompt them to ask

more questions of their doctors and prepare more

thoroughly before

hand by reading, and understanding as much as

possible about hips

and knees.

Best, Sigrid

> >

> > There is an excellent article by Jane

Brody about her personal

> > experience getting a double knee

replacement.

> >

> > http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/08/health/08brod.html

> >

> > (If this doesn't come through as a link,

copy & paste it into

your

> > url address box.)

Be your own

advocate! The best patient is an informed patient!

--

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[Guest guest]

Hi Margaret,

We seem to be in the same boat here.

I too am having similar problems to you, the main one being returning to work

after my op. I am only working mornings at the moment but even this is

really tiring. I wasn’t this bad even when I went back to work

after having my son and I thought that was bad enough.

You do begin to feel paranoid when you

read how many people who post on this site seem to have such a quick recovery.

Hopefully it won’t be much longer for us.

Good luck

jo

From:

Margaret [mailto:zztinau@...]

Sent: 13 February 2005 03:36

Joint Replacement

Subject: Re:

Re: Excellent article in today's New York Times

I agree with you Sigrid that we need to tell our own

truths.

I had a hip done in 1990 which needed no post op

pain

killers once they took out the morphine drip (on

day 2).

It was revised in August 2004 and I am still

taking pain

killers - not routinely, but at least 2 or 3 times

a week.

This is not what I expected.

At first, I used to see all these glowing reports

of NO

Pain on this list and think there must be

something

seriously wrong with my hip.

At 25 weeks I still have a bad limp, cannot walk a

street

block, find difficulty sleeping at night because

of the

pain.

This is inspite of doing my exercises at home 2-4

times a

day and having local anesthetic injections in the

trigger

points of the muscles to try to help me walk better.

I am back at work, but really struggle to cope

with it. If

I go past the point of coping it takes me about a

week to

get back on top of it again.

I wasn't a hero last time and a cry-baby this

time, things

are different. I'm willing to give it time,

but at times I

find it very frustrating.

The thing ,that keeps me going this time, is I

remember how

I had no life before the last op. At least I

can live a

life at the moment, even if the pain gets me

down. I am

still better off than I was before the first hip.

Be kind to yourself

Margaret from Australia

Re: Excellent

article in

today's New York Times

>

> I really think that people need to speak

their own

truths. Brody

> spoke about her own experience and lamented

the fact that

she wasn't

> prepared for the amount of pain that she

experienced, nor

was she

> given sufficient medication. That

shouldn't necessarily

scare other

> people away.

>

> Every person's recovery from joint surgery is

different.

I just

> wrote a book called GETTING HIP: Recovery

from a Total

Hip

> Replacement. The reason that I wrote

the book was

precisely why

> Brody wrote her article -- I was not prepared

for the

amount of pain

> and swelling that I had following my

THR. I was left

extremely

> anemic after the operation and my doctor

never used

anti-embolism

> stockings. I also did not adequately

medicate myself

because I

> thought that it would contribute to my

weakness and

sleepiness.

> Because I was only 50 years old at the time,

I figured

that my

> recovery would be relatively quick, but it

wasn't that

way at all.

>

> In my book, I interviewed 10 other people

around the

world who had

> hip replacements, and one man whose hip was

resurfaced.

Their

> experiences with recovery differed

radically. Many

people found the

> surgery to be a breeze, but others had a lot

of pain and

expected to

> recover more quickly than they did.

>

> One of the main things that I learned by

going through my

THR was

> that there is no real gold standard in terms

of recovery

time.

> Sure, there's a general estimate but it's

like a bell

curve. Most

> people will fall somewhere in between the

normal range,

but lots of

> other people will fall outside of the

parameters. Some

recover more

> quickly and others take a longer period of

time. On the

plus side,

> most people that I have spoken to are quite

satisfied

with their new

> hips by the time that they have fully

recovered.

>

> I admire Brody for writing her article.

I don't really

think that

> it will scare too many people. Maybe it

will prompt them

to ask

> more questions of their doctors and prepare

more

thoroughly before

> hand by reading, and understanding as much as

possible

about hips

> and knees.

>

> Best, Sigrid

Be your own

advocate! The best patient is an informed patient!

--

No virus found in this incoming message.

Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.

Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.8.7 - Release Date: 10/02/2005

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Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.

Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.8.7 - Release Date: 10/02/2005

[Guest guest]

Dear Margaret,

If you are having such pain at night, have they tested for infection? I

had a resurfacing (in Nov 2003) that never settled. I continued to get

pain, particularly at night, and my walking rehab was very slow. My OS

said that because night pain is often a sign of infection, they did an

arthroscopy--withdrew hip fluid to test for infection--and found I had a

low level bacterium, an enterbachter cloacoe in my case. The infection

did not show up in my white blood cell count, (I had regular blood

tests) but certainly did in raised blood inflammatory markers which kept

getting higher and higher (the 'ESR's' and 'CRE's). I was given very

strong antibiotics, but unfortunately these did work and I had a

two-stage revision to a THR. I now have no night pain at all other than

the usual scar tissue ache a bit.

I don't mean to scare you with this, but it is worth while checking out

with your surgeon and GP. Blood tests are a start.

Eleanor

Re: Re: Excellent article in today's

New York Times

I agree with you Sigrid that we need to tell our own

truths.

I had a hip done in 1990 which needed no post op pain

killers once they took out the morphine drip (on day 2).

It was revised in August 2004 and I am still taking pain

killers - not routinely, but at least 2 or 3 times a week.

This is not what I expected.

At first, I used to see all these glowing reports of NO

Pain on this list and think there must be something

seriously wrong with my hip.

At 25 weeks I still have a bad limp, cannot walk a street

block, find difficulty sleeping at night because of the

pain.

This is inspite of doing my exercises at home 2-4 times a

day and having local anesthetic injections in the trigger

points of the muscles to try to help me walk better.

I am back at work, but really struggle to cope with it. If

I go past the point of coping it takes me about a week to

get back on top of it again.

I wasn't a hero last time and a cry-baby this time, things

are different. I'm willing to give it time, but at times I

find it very frustrating.

The thing ,that keeps me going this time, is I remember how

I had no life before the last op. At least I can live a

life at the moment, even if the pain gets me down. I am

still better off than I was before the first hip.

Be kind to yourself

Margaret from Australia

Re: Excellent article in

today's New York Times

>

> I really think that people need to speak their own

truths. Brody

> spoke about her own experience and lamented the fact that

she wasn't

> prepared for the amount of pain that she experienced, nor

was she

> given sufficient medication. That shouldn't necessarily

scare other

> people away.

>

> Every person's recovery from joint surgery is different.

I just

> wrote a book called GETTING HIP: Recovery from a Total

Hip

> Replacement. The reason that I wrote the book was

precisely why

> Brody wrote her article -- I was not prepared for the

amount of pain

> and swelling that I had following my THR. I was left

extremely

> anemic after the operation and my doctor never used

anti-embolism

> stockings. I also did not adequately medicate myself

because I

> thought that it would contribute to my weakness and

sleepiness.

> Because I was only 50 years old at the time, I figured

that my

> recovery would be relatively quick, but it wasn't that

way at all.

>

> In my book, I interviewed 10 other people around the

world who had

> hip replacements, and one man whose hip was resurfaced.

Their

> experiences with recovery differed radically. Many

people found the

> surgery to be a breeze, but others had a lot of pain and

expected to

> recover more quickly than they did.

>

> One of the main things that I learned by going through my

THR was

> that there is no real gold standard in terms of recovery

time.

> Sure, there's a general estimate but it's like a bell

curve. Most

> people will fall somewhere in between the normal range,

but lots of

> other people will fall outside of the parameters. Some

recover more

> quickly and others take a longer period of time. On the

plus side,

> most people that I have spoken to are quite satisfied

with their new

> hips by the time that they have fully recovered.

>

> I admire Brody for writing her article. I don't really

think that

> it will scare too many people. Maybe it will prompt them

to ask

> more questions of their doctors and prepare more

thoroughly before

> hand by reading, and understanding as much as possible

about hips

> and knees.

>

> Best, Sigrid

[Guest guest]

Hi Margaret,

Thanks so much for your reply. I'm really sorry that you're having

such a tough time. Revisions are often more difficult than the

primary surgery. A good friend of mine had a revision in July. Her

story sounded very similar to yours. Her first operation went

smoothly but she had one heck of a time with the second one. It's

only been within the last four to six weeks that she's made huge

strides.

So, even though you had the surgery " way back in August, " that

doesn't mean that there still isn't time for you to improve. You

can.

Having said that, It must've been a shock to you to have had so much

more pain and discomfort with the second one than with the first.

So many variables are involved in people's recoveries.

Anyway, hang in there! IMHO, there is still time for you to feel

better. It took me the better part of a year to feel really good

after my primary hip replacement, which is unusual. I felt all

right at six months but then I made a big shift after 12 months. I

will pray that the same thing happens for you.

Best, Sigrid

> I agree with you Sigrid that we need to tell our own

> truths.

>

> I had a hip done in 1990 which needed no post op pain

> killers once they took out the morphine drip (on day 2).

>

> It was revised in August 2004 and I am still taking pain

> killers - not routinely, but at least 2 or 3 times a week.

> This is not what I expected.

>

> At first, I used to see all these glowing reports of NO

> Pain on this list and think there must be something

> seriously wrong with my hip.

>

> At 25 weeks I still have a bad limp, cannot walk a street

> block, find difficulty sleeping at night because of the

> pain.

>

> This is inspite of doing my exercises at home 2-4 times a

> day and having local anesthetic injections in the trigger

> points of the muscles to try to help me walk better.

>

> I am back at work, but really struggle to cope with it. If

> I go past the point of coping it takes me about a week to

> get back on top of it again.

>

> I wasn't a hero last time and a cry-baby this time, things

> are different. I'm willing to give it time, but at times I

> find it very frustrating.

>

> The thing ,that keeps me going this time, is I remember how

> I had no life before the last op. At least I can live a

> life at the moment, even if the pain gets me down. I am

> still better off than I was before the first hip.

>

> Be kind to yourself

>

> Margaret from Australia

>

> Re: Excellent article in

> today's New York Times

>

> >

> > I really think that people need to speak their own

> truths. Brody

> > spoke about her own experience and lamented the fact that

> she wasn't

> > prepared for the amount of pain that she experienced, nor

> was she

> > given sufficient medication. That shouldn't necessarily

> scare other

> > people away.

> >

> > Every person's recovery from joint surgery is different.

> I just

> > wrote a book called GETTING HIP: Recovery from a Total

> Hip

> > Replacement. The reason that I wrote the book was

> precisely why

> > Brody wrote her article -- I was not prepared for the

> amount of pain

> > and swelling that I had following my THR. I was left

> extremely

> > anemic after the operation and my doctor never used

> anti-embolism

> > stockings. I also did not adequately medicate myself

> because I

> > thought that it would contribute to my weakness and

> sleepiness.

> > Because I was only 50 years old at the time, I figured

> that my

> > recovery would be relatively quick, but it wasn't that

> way at all.

> >

> > In my book, I interviewed 10 other people around the

> world who had

> > hip replacements, and one man whose hip was resurfaced.

> Their

> > experiences with recovery differed radically. Many

> people found the

> > surgery to be a breeze, but others had a lot of pain and

> expected to

> > recover more quickly than they did.

> >

> > One of the main things that I learned by going through my

> THR was

> > that there is no real gold standard in terms of recovery

> time.

> > Sure, there's a general estimate but it's like a bell

> curve. Most

> > people will fall somewhere in between the normal range,

> but lots of

> > other people will fall outside of the parameters. Some

> recover more

> > quickly and others take a longer period of time. On the

> plus side,

> > most people that I have spoken to are quite satisfied

> with their new

> > hips by the time that they have fully recovered.

> >

> > I admire Brody for writing her article. I don't really

> think that

> > it will scare too many people. Maybe it will prompt them

> to ask

> > more questions of their doctors and prepare more

> thoroughly before

> > hand by reading, and understanding as much as possible

> about hips

> > and knees.

> >

> > Best, Sigrid

[Guest guest]

Susie,

That's really tough that you're still in pain several years after

both of your operations :-( I feel for you. Have you tried all of

the traditional stuff like extra physiotherapy, aspirin cream, or

alternative medicines such as acupuncture? They didn't work for me

but they work for some people.

Another thing that I found was that I really needed to experiment

with my exercises. I couldn't do exactly what the physiotherapist

said or follow all the instructions from my trainer at the gym. I

have problems with both my hip and my knee -- well, my hip has been

pretty good since my THR but my knee is bad -- and I find that many

exercises that I do to help the hip, hurt the knee. Sometimes, the

best exercise for me is no exercise at all until the pain stops. I

know that's not recommended but I try to follow my intuition.

Good luck to you. It's awful being in pain, especially after you've

been through those two procedures.

Best, Sigrid

> Hi Margaret,

> I'm sorry to hear your still in pain, for I had a Hip replacement

four years ago on April 12 it will be five years and my knee

replacement is three years ago and I'm still in pain and and use

pain medicine have to use a cane .Well I hope you feel better and

have a nice day.

> Susie

>

>

>

> --------- Re: Excellent article in

> > today's New York Times

> >

> > >

> > > I really think that people need to speak their own

> > truths. Brody

> > > spoke about her own experience and lamented the fact that

> > she wasn't

> > > prepared for the amount of pain that she experienced, nor

> > was she

> > > given sufficient medication. That shouldn't necessarily

> > scare other

> > > people away.

> > >

> > > Every person's recovery from joint surgery is different.

> > I just

> > > wrote a book called GETTING HIP: Recovery from a Total

> > Hip

> > > Replacement. The reason that I wrote the book was

> > precisely why

> > > Brody wrote her article -- I was not prepared for the

> > amount of pain

> > > and swelling that I had following my THR. I was left

> > extremely

> > > anemic after the operation and my doctor never used

> > anti-embolism

> > > stockings. I also did not adequately medicate myself

> > because I

> > > thought that it would contribute to my weakness and

> > sleepiness.

> > > Because I was only 50 years old at the time, I figured

> > that my

> > > recovery would be relatively quick, but it wasn't that

> > way at all.

> > >

> > > In my book, I interviewed 10 other people around the

> > world who had

> > > hip replacements, and one man whose hip was resurfaced.

> > Their

> > > experiences with recovery differed radically. Many

> > people found the

> > > surgery to be a breeze, but others had a lot of pain and

> > expected to

> > > recover more quickly than they did.

> > >

> > > One of the main things that I learned by going through my

> > THR was

> > > that there is no real gold standard in terms of recovery

> > time.

> > > Sure, there's a general estimate but it's like a bell

> > curve. Most

> > > people will fall somewhere in between the normal range,

> > but lots of

> > > other people will fall outside of the parameters. Some

> > recover more

> > > quickly and others take a longer period of time. On the

> > plus side,

> > > most people that I have spoken to are quite satisfied

> > with their new

> > > hips by the time that they have fully recovered.

> > >

> > > I admire Brody for writing her article. I don't really

> > think that

> > > it will scare too many people. Maybe it will prompt them

> > to ask

> > > more questions of their doctors and prepare more

> > thoroughly before

> > > hand by reading, and understanding as much as possible

> > about hips

> > > and knees.

> > >

> > > Best, Sigrid

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Hi Joanne,

Sorry to hear that you've had such a hard time. 10 months is a long

time to wait to have a reduction in pain, and I can't imagine having

to take care of a two-year old at the same time! You're so young.

That's really terrible that your doctor is blocking you from having

physiotherapy. Are you in the US or in another country? I'm in

Canada. We have social medicine here, so they are always trying to

cut people off and get them off services ASAP. Fortunately, I was

very lucky that my doctor allowed me to stay in the hospital for an

entire month. The reason that I needed all of that time was because

he left me deathly anemic, and every time I got up to walk for

almost two months, I felt like passing out. So, I couldn't go home

after the regular 5-7 days.

It doesn't seem right that you should have to pay for the physio.

Is there some wait for you to get a second opinion on that? Also,

it certainly is frustrating to go through all that swelling. I

received some relief from the swelling finally when my

physiotherapist started using a therma press. It's a contraption

that straps around your leg and massages it. It takes down swelling

very rapidly. Check that out if you can.

If you want to read more about my book and other people's

experiences, you can check out my web site at

www.sigridsrecovery.blogspot.com

I didn't want to post the address before because I'm not trying to

advertise. Although I will say that lin's husband, Rannie, is

in the introduction to my book. I wanted to use him as one of the

10 people that I interviewed but I found that I was getting too many

young people. I really wanted a wide variety of ages, so I could

not use Rannie's whole story. However, I did refer to him in my

introduction. He had the fastest recovery of anyone I'd ever heard

of! Go Rannie :-)

Best, Sigrid

> > >

> > > There is an excellent article by Jane Brody about her personal

> > > experience getting a double knee replacement.

> > >

> > > HYPERLINK

> " http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/08/health/08brod.html " http://www.ny

times.com

> /2005/02/08/health/08brod.html

> > >

> > > (If this doesn't come through as a link, copy & paste it into

> your

> > > url address box.)

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Joanne,

I just wanted to add a postscript to say that I was feeling really

nervous about logging into this group this afternoon. I was afraid

that people would be really mad at me for agreeing with Jane Brody.

Basically, what I think is that many people recover well and without

major difficulty within a three-month timeframe. However, many

other people take more time like 6, 9 or occasionally 12 months.

Most people are highly satisfied after joint replacement. The

figure ranges as high as 90-95%. So, I do understand why other

posters were concerned about Brody scaring people off from joint

replacement.

We call joint replacement an elective surgery but in fact, many of

us reached the stage where we can hardly walk at all without it.

There was nothing elective about my surgery! I was completely

crippled and could not walk four houses down the street to the

mailbox! So, if we have to have the surgery anyway, why not be

positive about it?

It's good to be positive and to assume that we will be the ones who

will not develop the complications, or have the slow recovery.

However, it's also good to be realistic and flexible in case we do

have the slow recuperation. And most importantly, it's great to be

prepared in advance.

That's what's so wonderful about groups like this. We get to read

everything and to chat back and forth with people who've been there

and know it all. That really helps in the recovery process. But

for me what also helped was knowing that I was not alone in having a

slow recovery. Luckily, most roads do eventually lead to Rome, and

I am feeling quite well right now except that I have problems with

my knee. But I have at least an 80 - 85% reduction in pain in my

hip joint. And for that I will be forever grateful :-)

Sigrid

-- In Joint Replacement , " Joanne Barlow "

<finneybarlow@b...> wrote:

> Hi Margaret,

>

> We seem to be in the same boat here. I too am having similar

problems to

> you, the main one being returning to work after my op. I am only

working

> mornings at the moment but even this is really tiring. I wasn't

this bad

> even when I went back to work after having my son and I thought

that was bad

> enough.

>

> You do begin to feel paranoid when you read how many people who

post on this

> site seem to have such a quick recovery. Hopefully it won't be

much longer

> for us.

>

> Good luck

> jo

>

>

>

> _____

>

> From: Margaret [mailto:zztinau@y...]

> Sent: 13 February 2005 03:36

> Joint Replacement

> Subject: Re: Re: Excellent article in

today's New

> York Times

>

>

>

> I agree with you Sigrid that we need to tell our own

> truths.

>

> I had a hip done in 1990 which needed no post op pain

> killers once they took out the morphine drip (on day 2).

>

> It was revised in August 2004 and I am still taking pain

> killers - not routinely, but at least 2 or 3 times a week.

> This is not what I expected.

>

> At first, I used to see all these glowing reports of NO

> Pain on this list and think there must be something

> seriously wrong with my hip.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

Well I am off on Tues. morning to have my left total knee repl.. at 7:30 am. I had the right one done Nov. 29th. The partials I had done in March/May of 2003 didn't work. They came completely loose and messed up my knee cap too. I had 3 optscopics in 2002. My totals are a different surgeon than the first 5. I live in SE Texas and am seeing Dr. Arthur Chau now He is really a great Doc. I am going to be in Hermann Memorial in Sugarland if anyone knows where that is. As usual I am nervous as hell and am not looking forward to it. Blessings! SalemSigrid Macdonald <fontgirl2002@...> wrote:

Susie,That's really tough that you're still in pain several years after both of your operations :-( I feel for you. Have you tried all of the traditional stuff like extra physiotherapy, aspirin cream, or alternative medicines such as acupuncture? They didn't work for me but they work for some people. Another thing that I found was that I really needed to experiment with my exercises. I couldn't do exactly what the physiotherapist said or follow all the instructions from my trainer at the gym. I have problems with both my hip and my knee -- well, my hip has been pretty good since my THR but my knee is bad -- and I find that many exercises that I do to help the hip, hurt the knee. Sometimes, the best exercise for me is no exercise at all until the pain stops. I know that's not

recommended but I try to follow my intuition.Good luck to you. It's awful being in pain, especially after you've been through those two procedures.Best, Sigrid> Hi Margaret,> I'm sorry to hear your still in pain, for I had a Hip replacement four years ago on April 12 it will be five years and my knee replacement is three years ago and I'm still in pain and and use pain medicine have to use a cane .Well I hope you feel better and have a nice day.> Susie>

> > > --------- Re: Excellent article in > > today's New York Times > > > > > > > > I really think that people need to speak their own > > truths. Brody > > > spoke about her own experience and lamented the fact that > > she wasn't > > > prepared for the amount of pain that she experienced, nor > > was she > > > given sufficient medication. That shouldn't necessarily > > scare other > > > people away. > > > > > > Every person's recovery from joint surgery is different. > > I just > > > wrote a book called GETTING HIP: Recovery from a Total > > Hip > > > Replacement. The reason that I wrote the book was > > precisely why

> > > Brody wrote her article -- I was not prepared for the > > amount of pain > > > and swelling that I had following my THR. I was left > > extremely > > > anemic after the operation and my doctor never used > > anti-embolism > > > stockings. I also did not adequately medicate myself > > because I > > > thought that it would contribute to my weakness and > > sleepiness. > > > Because I was only 50 years old at the time, I figured > > that my > > > recovery would be relatively quick, but it wasn't that > > way at all. > > > > > > In my book, I interviewed 10 other people around the > > world who had > > > hip replacements, and one man whose hip was resurfaced. > > Their > > > experiences with recovery differed radically. Many > > people found

the > > > surgery to be a breeze, but others had a lot of pain and > > expected to > > > recover more quickly than they did. > > > > > > One of the main things that I learned by going through my > > THR was > > > that there is no real gold standard in terms of recovery > > time. > > > Sure, there's a general estimate but it's like a bell > > curve. Most > > > people will fall somewhere in between the normal range, > > but lots of > > > other people will fall outside of the parameters. Some > > recover more > > > quickly and others take a longer period of time. On the > > plus side, > > > most people that I have spoken to are quite satisfied > > with their new > > > hips by the time that they have fully recovered. > > > > > > I admire

Brody for writing her article. I don't really > > think that > > > it will scare too many people. Maybe it will prompt them > > to ask > > > more questions of their doctors and prepare more > > thoroughly before > > > hand by reading, and understanding as much as possible > > about hips > > > and knees. > > > > > > Best, Sigrid > > > > > > > > > > > >

[Guest guest]

Hi Sigrid,

I don't think anyone in the group would be angry with you for agreeing with Jane Brody -- I had a THR, anyway, so I can't comment about what kind of pain TKR causes. As you say, patients recuperate at different rates.

That said, Jane Brody didn't talk at length about the leg straightening. I don't know how that works, but I imagine the doctors must cut quite a few muscles before they get to the bone. Surely, it must add to the length of recovery and level of pain.

I've heard that leg straigtening is somewhat new, and considered a 'cosmetic' procedure by many insurance companies. Maybe someone in the group knows more about this. My legs are bowed from arthritis too, and I'd love to see them straight again, but I've given up on wearing skirts, dresses and most shorts. If there is a way to straighten bowed legs, I'd love to hear about it.

Take care,

Carol

Sigrid Macdonald <fontgirl2002@...> wrote:

Joanne,I just wanted to add a postscript to say that I was feeling really nervous about logging into this group this afternoon. I was afraid that people would be really mad at me for agreeing with Jane Brody.Basically, what I think is that many people recover well and without major difficulty within a three-month timeframe. However, many other people take more time like 6, 9 or occasionally 12 months. Most people are highly satisfied after joint replacement. The figure ranges as high as 90-95%. So, I do understand why other posters were concerned about Brody scaring people off from joint replacement.We call joint replacement an elective surgery but in fact, many of us reached the stage where we can hardly walk at all without it. There was nothing elective about my surgery!

I was completely crippled and could not walk four houses down the street to the mailbox! So, if we have to have the surgery anyway, why not be positive about it?It's good to be positive and to assume that we will be the ones who will not develop the complications, or have the slow recovery. However, it's also good to be realistic and flexible in case we do have the slow recuperation. And most importantly, it's great to be prepared in advance.That's what's so wonderful about groups like this. We get to read everything and to chat back and forth with people who've been there and know it all. That really helps in the recovery process. But for me what also helped was knowing that I was not alone in having a slow recovery. Luckily, most roads do eventually lead to Rome, and I am feeling quite well right now except that I have problems with my knee. But I have at least an 80

- 85% reduction in pain in my hip joint. And for that I will be forever grateful :-) Sigrid-- In Joint Replacement , "Joanne Barlow" <finneybarlow@b...> wrote:> Hi Margaret,> > We seem to be in the same boat here. I too am having similar problems to> you, the main one being returning to work after my op. I am only working> mornings at the moment but even this is really tiring. I wasn't this bad> even when I went back to work after having my son and I thought that was bad> enough.> > You do begin to feel paranoid when you read how many people who post on this> site seem to have such a quick recovery. Hopefully it won't be much longer> for us.> > Good luck > jo> > > > _____ > > From: Margaret

[mailto:zztinau@y...] > Sent: 13 February 2005 03:36> Joint Replacement > Subject: Re: Re: Excellent article in today's New> York Times> > > > I agree with you Sigrid that we need to tell our own> truths.> > I had a hip done in 1990 which needed no post op pain> killers once they took out the morphine drip (on day 2).> > It was revised in August 2004 and I am still taking pain> killers - not routinely, but at least 2 or 3 times a week.> This is not what I expected.> > At first, I used to see all these glowing reports of NO> Pain on this list and think there must be something> seriously wrong with my hip.>

[Guest guest]

Good luck, Salem!

I will keep you in my prayers!

(I had bilateral total knee replacements Dec.30. Just had my 6 weeks check-up and he said I was doing great.) You'll do great too!

CaraSalem Saglime <salem3p@...> wrote:

Hi Everyone,

Well I am off on Tues. morning to have my left total knee repl.. at 7:30 am. I had the right one done Nov. 29th. The partials I had done in March/May of 2003 didn't work. They came completely loose and messed up my knee cap too. I had 3 optscopics in 2002. My totals are a different surgeon than the first 5. I live in SE Texas and am seeing Dr. Arthur Chau now He is really a great Doc. I am going to be in Hermann Memorial in Sugarland if anyone knows where that is. As usual I am nervous as hell and am not looking forward to it. Blessings! SalemSigrid Macdonald <fontgirl2002@...> wrote:

Susie,That's really tough that you're still in pain several years after both of your operations :-( I feel for you. Have you tried all of the traditional stuff like extra physiotherapy, aspirin cream, or alternative medicines such as acupuncture? They didn't work for me but they work for some people. Another thing that I found was that I really needed to experiment with my exercises. I couldn't do exactly what the physiotherapist said or follow all the instructions from my trainer at the gym. I have problems with both my hip and my knee -- well, my hip has been pretty good since my THR but my knee is bad -- and I find that many exercises that I do to help the hip, hurt the knee. Sometimes, the best exercise for me is no exercise at all until the pain stops. I know that's not

recommended but I try to follow my intuition.Good luck to you. It's awful being in pain, especially after you've been through those two procedures.Best, Sigrid> Hi Margaret,> I'm sorry to hear your still in pain, for I had a Hip replacement four years ago on April 12 it will be five years and my knee replacement is three years ago and I'm still in pain and and use pain medicine have to use a cane .Well I hope you feel better and have a nice day.> Susie>

> > > --------- Re: Excellent article in > > today's New York Times > > > > > > > > I really think that people need to speak their own > > truths. Brody > > > spoke about her own experience and lamented the fact that > > she wasn't > > > prepared for the amount of pain that she experienced, nor > > was she > > > given sufficient medication. That shouldn't necessarily > > scare other > > > people away. > > > > > > Every person's recovery from joint surgery is different. > > I just > > > wrote a book called GETTING HIP: Recovery from a Total > > Hip > > > Replacement. The reason that I wrote the book was > > precisely why

> > > Brody wrote her article -- I was not prepared for the > > amount of pain > > > and swelling that I had following my THR. I was left > > extremely > > > anemic after the operation and my doctor never used > > anti-embolism > > > stockings. I also did not adequately medicate myself > > because I > > > thought that it would contribute to my weakness and > > sleepiness. > > > Because I was only 50 years old at the time, I figured > > that my > > > recovery would be relatively quick, but it wasn't that > > way at all. > > > > > > In my book, I interviewed 10 other people around the > > world who had > > > hip replacements, and one man whose hip was resurfaced. > > Their > > > experiences with recovery differed radically. Many > > people found

the > > > surgery to be a breeze, but others had a lot of pain and > > expected to > > > recover more quickly than they did. > > > > > > One of the main things that I learned by going through my > > THR was > > > that there is no real gold standard in terms of recovery > > time. > > > Sure, there's a general estimate but it's like a bell > > curve. Most > > > people will fall somewhere in between the normal range, > > but lots of > > > other people will fall outside of the parameters. Some > > recover more > > > quickly and others take a longer period of time. On the > > plus side, > > > most people that I have spoken to are quite satisfied > > with their new > > > hips by the time that they have fully recovered. > > > > > > I admire

Brody for writing her article. I don't really > > think that > > > it will scare too many people. Maybe it will prompt them > > to ask > > > more questions of their doctors and prepare more > > thoroughly before > > > hand by reading, and understanding as much as possible > > about hips > > > and knees. > > > > > > Best, Sigrid > > > > > > > > > > > >

[Guest guest]

Hi Salem,

I just wanted to tell you I feel bad you went through all those operations I just wanted to tell your in my prays and I wish you the best of luck and a speedy recovery. Well you take care.

Susie

--------- Re: Excellent article in > > today's New York Times > > > > > > > > I really think that people need to speak their own > > truths. Brody > > > spoke about her own experience and lamented the fact that > > she wasn't > > > prepared for the amount of pain that she experienced, nor > > was she > > > given sufficient medication. That shouldn't necessarily > > scare other > > > people away. > > > > > > Every person's recovery from joint surgery is different. > > I just > > > wrote a book called GETTING HIP: Recovery from a Total > > Hip > > > Replacement. The reason that I wrote the book was > > precisely why > > > Brody wrote her article -- I was not prepared for the > > amount of pain > > > and swelling that I had following my THR. I was left > > extremely > > > anemic after the operation and my doctor never used > > anti-embolism > > > stockings. I also did not adequately medicate myself > > because I > > > thought that it would contribute to my weakness and > > sleepiness. > > > Because I was only 50 years old at the time, I figured > > that my > > > recovery would be relatively quick, but it wasn't that > > way at all. > > > > > > In my book, I interviewed 10 other people around the > > world who had > > > hip replacements, and one man whose hip was resurfaced. > > Their > > > experiences with recovery differed radically. Many > > people found the > > > surgery to be a breeze, but others had a lot of pain and > > expected to > > > recover more quickly than they did. > > > > > > One of the main things that I learned by going through my > > THR was > > > that there is no real gold standard in terms of recovery > > time. > > > Sure, there's a general estimate but it's like a bell > > curve. Most > > > people will fall somewhere in between the normal range, > > but lots of > > > other people will fall outside of the parameters. Some > > recover more > > > quickly and others take a longer period of time. On the > > plus side, > > > most people that I have spoken to are quite satisfied > > with their new > > > hips by the time that they have fully recovered. > > > > > > I admire Brody for writing her article. I don't really > > think that > > > it will scare too many people. Maybe it will prompt them > > to ask > > > more questions of their doctors and prepare more > > thoroughly before > > > hand by reading, and understanding as much as possible > > about hips > > > and knees. > > > > > > Best, Sigrid > > > > > > > > > > > >

[Guest guest]

Susie,

Thank you for thinking of me. I am a bit nervous about this 7th knee surgery. I sure hope this is it. Thank you for your kindness. Blessings! Salem:0)juneflower60@... wrote:

Hi Salem,

I just wanted to tell you I feel bad you went through all those operations I just wanted to tell your in my prays and I wish you the best of luck and a speedy recovery. Well you take care.

Susie

--------- Re: Excellent article in > > today's New York Times > > > > > > > > I really think that people need to speak their own > > truths. Brody > > > spoke about her own experience and lamented the fact that > > she wasn't > > > prepared for the amount of pain that she experienced, nor > > was she > > > given sufficient medication. That shouldn't necessarily > > scare other > > > people away. > > > > > > Every person's recovery from joint surgery is different. > > I just > > > wrote a book called GETTING HIP: Recovery from a Total > > Hip > > > Replacement. The reason that I wrote the book was > > precisely why

> > > Brody wrote her article -- I was not prepared for the > > amount of pain > > > and swelling that I had following my THR. I was left > > extremely > > > anemic after the operation and my doctor never used > > anti-embolism > > > stockings. I also did not adequately medicate myself > > because I > > > thought that it would contribute to my weakness and > > sleepiness. > > > Because I was only 50 years old at the time, I figured > > that my > > > recovery would be relatively quick, but it wasn't that > > way at all. > > > > > > In my book, I interviewed 10 other people around the > > world who had > > > hip replacements, and one man whose hip was resurfaced. > > Their > > > experiences with recovery differed radically. Many > > people found

the > > > surgery to be a breeze, but others had a lot of pain and > > expected to > > > recover more quickly than they did. > > > > > > One of the main things that I learned by going through my > > THR was > > > that there is no real gold standard in terms of recovery > > time. > > > Sure, there's a general estimate but it's like a bell > > curve. Most > > > people will fall somewhere in between the normal range, > > but lots of > > > other people will fall outside of the parameters. Some > > recover more > > > quickly and others take a longer period of time. On the > > plus side, > > > most people that I have spoken to are quite satisfied > > with their new > > > hips by the time that they have fully recovered. > > > > > > I admire

Brody for writing her article. I don't really > > think that > > > it will scare too many people. Maybe it will prompt them > > to ask > > > more questions of their doctors and prepare more > > thoroughly before > > > hand by reading, and understanding as much as possible > > about hips > > > and knees. > > > > > > Best, Sigrid > > > > > > > > > > > >

[Guest guest]

Hi Sigrid,

Thanks but I take pain medicine like Motrim it helps but it still doesn't take all the pain away.

When I do my exercises My knee doesn't hurt me but my hip bothers me when I do the one where you slide your leg up half way and down again and when I lift my leg half way up that bothers my Hip also . My knee doesn't bother me . Well I wish you luck too .Well you have a nice day.

Susie

--------- Re: Excellent article in > > > today's New York Times > > > > > > > > > > > I really think that people need to speak their own > > > truths. Brody > > > > spoke about her own experience and lamented the fact that > > > she wasn't > > > > prepared for the amount of pain that she experienced, nor > > > was she > > > > given sufficient medication. That shouldn't necessarily > > > scare other > > > > people away. > > > > > > > > Every person's recovery from joint surgery is different. > > > I just > > > > wrote a book called GETTING HIP: Recovery from a Total > > > Hip > > > > Replacement. The reason that I wrote the book was > > > precisely why > > > > Brody wrote her article -- I was not prepared for the > > > amount of pain > > > > and swelling that I had following my THR. I was left > > > extremely > > > > anemic after the operation and my doctor never used > > > anti-embolism > > > > stockings. I also did not adequately medicate myself > > > because I > > > > thought that it would contribute to my weakness and > > > sleepiness. > > > > Because I was only 50 years old at the time, I figured > > > that my > > > > recovery would be relatively quick, but it wasn't that > > > way at all. > > > > > > > > In my book, I interviewed 10 other people around the > > > world who had > > > > hip replacements, and one man whose hip was resurfaced. > > > Their > > > > experiences with recovery differed radically. Many > > > people found the > > > > surgery to be a breeze, but others had a lot of pain and > > > expected to > > > > recover more quickly than they did. > > > > > > > > One of the main things that I learned by going through my > > > THR was > > > > that there is no real gold standard in terms of recovery > > > time. > > > > Sure, there's a general estimate but it's like a bell > > > curve. Most > > > > people will fall somewhere in between the normal range, > > > but lots of > > > > other people will fall outside of the parameters. Some > > > recover more > > > > quickly and others take a longer period of time. On the > > > plus side, > > > > most people that I have spoken to are quite satisfied > > > with their new > > > > hips by the time that they have fully recovered. > > > > > > > > I admire Brody for writing her article. I don't really > > > think that > > > > it will scare too many people. Maybe it will prompt them > > > to ask > > > > more questions of their doctors and prepare more > > > thoroughly before > > > > hand by reading, and understanding as much as possible > > > about hips > > > > and knees. > > > > > > > > Best, Sigrid > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

[Guest guest]

Hello again,

I live in the UK

but as in the US

the level and quality of care differs depending on where you live. My doc

isn’t blocking physio as such but just quite simply says that don’t

need it! This something that I don’t agree with and am currently arguing

my case via my GP. I find it hard to come to terms with the fact that

they will do the surgery but leave you to try to go about your life as normal

with little or no advice. I am very frustrated by the fact that

considering the docs say that I have had major surgery I don’t have

another check up at the hospital until next January.

I don’t really know where to go from

here apart from helping myself and unfortunately this means paying for physio myself

if I am to progress with my recovery. I do feel that had I known things

were going to be so difficult and that I would be going it alone (no help from

GP or hospital) I don’t think I would have had the surgery when I did but

put it off for a few years until my son was a little older.

Jo

From:

Sigrid Macdonald [mailto:fontgirl2002@...]

Sent: 13 February 2005 21:08

Joint Replacement

Subject:

Re: Excellent article in today's New York Times

Hi Joanne,

Sorry to hear that you've had such a hard

time. 10 months is a long

time to wait to have a reduction in pain, and I

can't imagine having

to take care of a two-year old at the same

time! You're so young.

That's really terrible that your doctor is

blocking you from having

physiotherapy. Are you in the US or in

another country? I'm in

Canada. We have social medicine here, so they are always

trying to

cut people off and get them off services

ASAP. Fortunately, I was

very lucky that my doctor allowed me to stay in

the hospital for an

entire month. The reason that I needed all

of that time was because

he left me deathly anemic, and every time I got up

to walk for

almost two months, I felt like passing out.

So, I couldn't go home

after the regular 5-7 days.

It doesn't seem right that you should have to pay

for the physio.

Is there some wait for you to get a second opinion

on that? Also,

it certainly is frustrating to go through all that

swelling. I

received some relief from the swelling finally

when my

physiotherapist started using a therma

press. It's a contraption

that straps around your leg and massages it.

It takes down swelling

very rapidly. Check that out if you can.

If you want to read more about my book and other

people's

experiences, you can check out my web site at

www.sigridsrecovery.blogspot.com

I didn't want to post the address before because

I'm not trying to

advertise. Although I will say that

lin's husband, Rannie, is

in the introduction to my book. I wanted to

use him as one of the

10 people that I interviewed but I found that I

was getting too many

young people. I really wanted a wide variety

of ages, so I could

not use Rannie's whole story. However, I did

refer to him in my

introduction. He had the fastest recovery of

anyone I'd ever heard

of! Go Rannie :-)

Best, Sigrid

> > >

> > > There is an excellent article by

Jane Brody about her personal

> > > experience getting a double knee

replacement.

> > >

> > > HYPERLINK

> " http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/08/health/08brod.html " http://www.ny

times.com

> /2005/02/08/health/08brod.html

> > >

> > > (If this doesn't come through as a

link, copy & paste it into

> your

> > > url address box.)

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Theis thread truly fascinates me. I was not at all prepared for the

feeling of helplessness that I experienced post surgery. I felt

like I had actually been shackled to the bed for months rather than

being immobile for just a few days. Today is my two weeks and I go

to have my staples removed tomorrow. I tossed aside the walker

after just a couple of days and walk unassisted for what I consider

to be pretty good distances. I practice my PT every day. My new

hip has made my right side about an inch taller than the left and

that, toghether with the ongoing arthritis on the left, has me

limping, but not enough to stress me out. My main complaint at this

point is my emotional state. I take generic pain meds every 4-6

hours as needed and I wonder if they are doing this to me or if the

experience has done it. I am a 49 year old man that has cried more

tears and done more sobbing in the last two weeks than I have in

years. I just can't seem to get it together. It's almost like

being bipolar. One moment, I'm just fine, the next I'm bawling over

the most insignificant thing. I feel like I need a shrink, big

time. I also get very angry at nothing and I'm driving my wife nuts.

cheers,

dave, 49

> I agree with you Sigrid that we need to tell our own

> truths.

>

> I had a hip done in 1990 which needed no post op pain

> killers once they took out the morphine drip (on day 2).

>

> It was revised in August 2004 and I am still taking pain

> killers - not routinely, but at least 2 or 3 times a week.

> This is not what I expected.

>

> At first, I used to see all these glowing reports of NO

> Pain on this list and think there must be something

> seriously wrong with my hip.

>

> At 25 weeks I still have a bad limp, cannot walk a street

> block, find difficulty sleeping at night because of the

> pain.

>

> This is inspite of doing my exercises at home 2-4 times a

> day and having local anesthetic injections in the trigger

> points of the muscles to try to help me walk better.

>

> I am back at work, but really struggle to cope with it. If

> I go past the point of coping it takes me about a week to

> get back on top of it again.

>

> I wasn't a hero last time and a cry-baby this time, things

> are different. I'm willing to give it time, but at times I

> find it very frustrating.

>

> The thing ,that keeps me going this time, is I remember how

> I had no life before the last op. At least I can live a

> life at the moment, even if the pain gets me down. I am

> still better off than I was before the first hip.

>

> Be kind to yourself

>

> Margaret from Australia

>

> Re: Excellent article in

> today's New York Times

>

> >

> > I really think that people need to speak their own

> truths. Brody

> > spoke about her own experience and lamented the fact that

> she wasn't

> > prepared for the amount of pain that she experienced, nor

> was she

> > given sufficient medication. That shouldn't necessarily

> scare other

> > people away.

> >

> > Every person's recovery from joint surgery is different.

> I just

> > wrote a book called GETTING HIP: Recovery from a Total

> Hip

> > Replacement. The reason that I wrote the book was

> precisely why

> > Brody wrote her article -- I was not prepared for the

> amount of pain

> > and swelling that I had following my THR. I was left

> extremely

> > anemic after the operation and my doctor never used

> anti-embolism

> > stockings. I also did not adequately medicate myself

> because I

> > thought that it would contribute to my weakness and

> sleepiness.

> > Because I was only 50 years old at the time, I figured

> that my

> > recovery would be relatively quick, but it wasn't that

> way at all.

> >

> > In my book, I interviewed 10 other people around the

> world who had

> > hip replacements, and one man whose hip was resurfaced.

> Their

> > experiences with recovery differed radically. Many

> people found the

> > surgery to be a breeze, but others had a lot of pain and

> expected to

> > recover more quickly than they did.

> >

> > One of the main things that I learned by going through my

> THR was

> > that there is no real gold standard in terms of recovery

> time.

> > Sure, there's a general estimate but it's like a bell

> curve. Most

> > people will fall somewhere in between the normal range,

> but lots of

> > other people will fall outside of the parameters. Some

> recover more

> > quickly and others take a longer period of time. On the

> plus side,

> > most people that I have spoken to are quite satisfied

> with their new

> > hips by the time that they have fully recovered.

> >

> > I admire Brody for writing her article. I don't really

> think that

> > it will scare too many people. Maybe it will prompt them

> to ask

> > more questions of their doctors and prepare more

> thoroughly before

> > hand by reading, and understanding as much as possible

> about hips

> > and knees.

> >

> > Best, Sigrid

[Guest guest]

Dave:

Apparently, from what I have read both on this list and on the surface

hippy list, po-operative depression is fairly common. The surgery and

all the preparations are fairly stressful and then, once they are

over, despite what the doctors have told us - we all want to be better

immediately. It takes time for the body to heal - sometimes a lot of

time and it's easy to get frustrated and depressed with the apparent

lack of progress. As I am (now) fond of saying, the hardest part of

being a patient is being patient.

Hang in there!

(48)

RC2K 48/54 Dr. Gross 3/24/04

> > I agree with you Sigrid that we need to tell our own

> > truths.

> >

> > I had a hip done in 1990 which needed no post op pain

> > killers once they took out the morphine drip (on day 2).

> >

> > It was revised in August 2004 and I am still taking pain

> > killers - not routinely, but at least 2 or 3 times a week.

> > This is not what I expected.

> >

> > At first, I used to see all these glowing reports of NO

> > Pain on this list and think there must be something

> > seriously wrong with my hip.

> >

> > At 25 weeks I still have a bad limp, cannot walk a street

> > block, find difficulty sleeping at night because of the

> > pain.

> >

> > This is inspite of doing my exercises at home 2-4 times a

> > day and having local anesthetic injections in the trigger

> > points of the muscles to try to help me walk better.

> >

> > I am back at work, but really struggle to cope with it. If

> > I go past the point of coping it takes me about a week to

> > get back on top of it again.

> >

> > I wasn't a hero last time and a cry-baby this time, things

> > are different. I'm willing to give it time, but at times I

> > find it very frustrating.

> >

> > The thing ,that keeps me going this time, is I remember how

> > I had no life before the last op. At least I can live a

> > life at the moment, even if the pain gets me down. I am

> > still better off than I was before the first hip.

> >

> > Be kind to yourself

> >

> > Margaret from Australia

> >

> > Re: Excellent article in

> > today's New York Times

> >

> > >

> > > I really think that people need to speak their own

> > truths. Brody

> > > spoke about her own experience and lamented the fact that

> > she wasn't

> > > prepared for the amount of pain that she experienced, nor

> > was she

> > > given sufficient medication. That shouldn't necessarily

> > scare other

> > > people away.

> > >

> > > Every person's recovery from joint surgery is different.

> > I just

> > > wrote a book called GETTING HIP: Recovery from a Total

> > Hip

> > > Replacement. The reason that I wrote the book was

> > precisely why

> > > Brody wrote her article -- I was not prepared for the

> > amount of pain

> > > and swelling that I had following my THR. I was left

> > extremely

> > > anemic after the operation and my doctor never used

> > anti-embolism

> > > stockings. I also did not adequately medicate myself

> > because I

> > > thought that it would contribute to my weakness and

> > sleepiness.

> > > Because I was only 50 years old at the time, I figured

> > that my

> > > recovery would be relatively quick, but it wasn't that

> > way at all.

> > >

> > > In my book, I interviewed 10 other people around the

> > world who had

> > > hip replacements, and one man whose hip was resurfaced.

> > Their

> > > experiences with recovery differed radically. Many

> > people found the

> > > surgery to be a breeze, but others had a lot of pain and

> > expected to

> > > recover more quickly than they did.

> > >

> > > One of the main things that I learned by going through my

> > THR was

> > > that there is no real gold standard in terms of recovery

> > time.

> > > Sure, there's a general estimate but it's like a bell

> > curve. Most

> > > people will fall somewhere in between the normal range,

> > but lots of

> > > other people will fall outside of the parameters. Some

> > recover more

> > > quickly and others take a longer period of time. On the

> > plus side,

> > > most people that I have spoken to are quite satisfied

> > with their new

> > > hips by the time that they have fully recovered.

> > >

> > > I admire Brody for writing her article. I don't really

> > think that

> > > it will scare too many people. Maybe it will prompt them

> > to ask

> > > more questions of their doctors and prepare more

> > thoroughly before

> > > hand by reading, and understanding as much as possible

> > about hips

> > > and knees.

> > >

> > > Best, Sigrid

[Guest guest]

Dave you have had major pain and emotional stress. Both

these things can bring what I call drop. I find that for

the first few days after surgery I can do anything - then 5

days to a week or more I hit a patch where I can't do

anything.

My hubby says I can never tell when I have had enough,

especially if I am working on a special event. Until the

event is over I just keep going. I " know " it is doing me

damage, but I keep going, keep smiling. As soon as the

event is finished I die - can't move, crying, tired.

Perhaps this is the way nature intended.

When you first get hurt you can still move to safety.

After you have had time to get to safety, to find a bolt

hole, you can't move. This gives your body time to heal.

You see I often think of myself as the tiger and this is

tiger behaviour, survival behaviour.

Margaret from Australia

Re: Excellent article in

today's New York Times

>

>

> Theis thread truly fascinates me. I was not at all

prepared for the

> feeling of helplessness that I experienced post surgery.

I felt

> like I had actually been shackled to the bed for months

rather than

> being immobile for just a few days. Today is my two

weeks and I go

> to have my staples removed tomorrow. I tossed aside the

walker

> after just a couple of days and walk unassisted for what

I consider

> to be pretty good distances. I practice my PT every day.

My new

> hip has made my right side about an inch taller than the

left and

> that, toghether with the ongoing arthritis on the left,

has me

> limping, but not enough to stress me out. My main

complaint at this

> point is my emotional state. I take generic pain meds

every 4-6

> hours as needed and I wonder if they are doing this to me

or if the

> experience has done it. I am a 49 year old man that has

cried more

> tears and done more sobbing in the last two weeks than I

have in

> years. I just can't seem to get it together. It's

almost like

> being bipolar. One moment, I'm just fine, the next I'm

bawling over

> the most insignificant thing. I feel like I need a

shrink, big

> time. I also get very angry at nothing and I'm driving

my wife nuts.

> cheers,

> dave, 49

[Guest guest]

Hi, I too was not prepared for the pain, swelling of my operated leg and foot. I am now three months post op and am coming along very slowly. I have my up and down days where I feel good and fairly happy and feel as though I'm making progress and then I have days where I feel that my life will never be back to normal. I saw my OS last Monday, he said my replacement is fine but he was disappointed in the movement of my operated leg. With the swelling and stiffness, it's hard to do my PT properly. So I'm still off work and still on pain meds which I take twice a day, used to be four times a day. I have to see him again in another month. I finally went out shopping with the help of my crutches and my friend to drive me but I was exhausted by the end of it. The PT tell us to do these exercises but by the end of it, I'm in too much pain. Does anyone else feel this pain after exercising and walking? Does it really take six months

to one year to fully recover? I also wonder if I will ever be able to go all the way down to the floor. My PT said that my leg will probably never go past 100 degrees for putting on socks for example?

Thank you,

Carmel

dave <lvm4chat@...> wrote:

Theis thread truly fascinates me. I was not at all prepared for the feeling of helplessness that I experienced post surgery. I felt like I had actually been shackled to the bed for months rather than being immobile for just a few days. Today is my two weeks and I go to have my staples removed tomorrow. I tossed aside the walker after just a couple of days and walk unassisted for what I consider to be pretty good distances. I practice my PT every day. My new hip has made my right side about an inch taller than the left and that, toghether with the ongoing arthritis on the left, has me limping, but not enough to stress me out. My main complaint at this point is my emotional state. I take generic pain meds every 4-6 hours as needed and I wonder if they are doing this to me or if the

experience has done it. I am a 49 year old man that has cried more tears and done more sobbing in the last two weeks than I have in years. I just can't seem to get it together. It's almost like being bipolar. One moment, I'm just fine, the next I'm bawling over the most insignificant thing. I feel like I need a shrink, big time. I also get very angry at nothing and I'm driving my wife nuts.cheers,dave, 49> I agree with you Sigrid that we need to tell our own> truths.> > I had a hip done in 1990 which needed no post op pain> killers once they took out the morphine drip (on day 2).> > It was revised in August 2004 and I am still taking pain> killers - not routinely, but at least 2 or 3 times a week.> This is not what I expected.> > At first, I

used to see all these glowing reports of NO> Pain on this list and think there must be something> seriously wrong with my hip.> > At 25 weeks I still have a bad limp, cannot walk a street> block, find difficulty sleeping at night because of the> pain.> > This is inspite of doing my exercises at home 2-4 times a> day and having local anesthetic injections in the trigger> points of the muscles to try to help me walk better.> > I am back at work, but really struggle to cope with it. If> I go past the point of coping it takes me about a week to> get back on top of it again.> > I wasn't a hero last time and a cry-baby this time, things> are different. I'm willing to give it time, but at times I> find it very frustrating.> > The thing ,that keeps me going this time, is I remember how> I had no life before the last op. At least

I can live a> life at the moment, even if the pain gets me down. I am> still better off than I was before the first hip.> > Be kind to yourself> > Margaret from Australia> > Re: Excellent article in> today's New York Times> > >> > I really think that people need to speak their own> truths. Brody> > spoke about her own experience and lamented the fact that> she wasn't> > prepared for the amount of pain that she experienced, nor> was she> > given sufficient medication. That shouldn't necessarily> scare other> > people away.> >> > Every person's recovery

from joint surgery is different.> I just> > wrote a book called GETTING HIP: Recovery from a Total> Hip> > Replacement. The reason that I wrote the book was> precisely why> > Brody wrote her article -- I was not prepared for the> amount of pain> > and swelling that I had following my THR. I was left> extremely> > anemic after the operation and my doctor never used> anti-embolism> > stockings. I also did not adequately medicate myself> because I> > thought that it would contribute to my weakness and> sleepiness.> > Because I was only 50 years old at the time, I figured> that my> > recovery would be relatively quick, but it wasn't that> way at all.> >> > In my book, I interviewed 10 other people around the> world who had> > hip replacements, and one man whose hip was

resurfaced.> Their> > experiences with recovery differed radically. Many> people found the> > surgery to be a breeze, but others had a lot of pain and> expected to> > recover more quickly than they did.> >> > One of the main things that I learned by going through my> THR was> > that there is no real gold standard in terms of recovery> time.> > Sure, there's a general estimate but it's like a bell> curve. Most> > people will fall somewhere in between the normal range,> but lots of> > other people will fall outside of the parameters. Some> recover more> > quickly and others take a longer period of time. On the> plus side,> > most people that I have spoken to are quite satisfied> with their new> > hips by the time that they have fully recovered.> >> > I

admire Brody for writing her article. I don't really> think that> > it will scare too many people. Maybe it will prompt them> to ask> > more questions of their doctors and prepare more> thoroughly before> > hand by reading, and understanding as much as possible> about hips> > and knees.> >> > Best, Sigrid