Re: An oldie ... question/drugs vs. surgery

July 2, 2004

Hi Lois and everyone,

I am at almost 9 months post-op, and my hip clunks occasionally,

like several times a week, although I can't make it do it on command

like you can... I was told that maybe my hip capsule wasn't tight

enough yet to hold it firmly in place, and I certainly have some work

to do on those adductor muscles that didn't work for almost five

years, but I do exercises several times a week, go to the weight room

occasionally, and do lots of walking. I'm not having any pain other

than the usual middle age aches if I overdo it (I'm also female, 54,

not overweight but tall and big boned, and definitely not an athlete).

My personal " theory " is that every couple of weeks I gain a little

more range of motion that allows the hip to move more, and at first

it's not used to it so it clunks a bit, because it hasn't been in that

position before, but I probably only tell myself that so I won't

worry... :-)

Re the discussion over coping on drugs vs. surgery, for someone

with a young family, I agree with the people who say the risk of

surgery is slight and the benefits are enormous. Staying on

painkillers for a long time can wreck your stomach, liver, and/or

kidneys. So you might not die today, but might be endangering your

future health. Not to mention that Dr. McMinn thinks that

anti-inflammatories are harmful to cartilage (and there have been

studies in the U.S. that show that naprosyn definitely is bad for

cartilage). I take so few drugs since my surgery I can hardly believe

the difference. And my family and friends have noticed how much more

cheerful I am. I know several dads with young families who didn't want

to miss out on running around with their kids, and they are really

happy they went for the surgery.

But of course each of us must make our own choices.

Best regards,

n

Recommended Posts