MandoMan |
03-24-2022 10:57 AM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Reston Easy
(Post 2075439)
Tough decision,
One Dr. said hip replacement.
2nd opinion doc says cortisone injections could possibly buy a little more time.
Both docs see "severe" condition from MRI
Appreciate your help, I'm in pain.
Thanks!
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My advice is that you get a new hip and stop stalling. I got a cortisone injection (it hurt going in), and the only benefit I could see was a day without pain because of the local anesthetic mixed with the cortisone. A month of Medicare-required physical therapy increased my range of motion, but it still hurt.
I had a new hip installed January 11. It was a Mako procedure with Robotic arm assist so the leg length would be right. Antero-lateral incision is seven inches, but better exposure and doesn’t cut the muscles. I chose Dr. Radnothy in Eustis and AdventHealth Waterman as he has an outstanding reputation, and AdventHealth Waterman is the closest hospital with an A rating. (All the Ocala hospitals and The Village hospital have B ratings.). I had a pelvic nerve block done during the surgery to cut pain for a couple days after surgery. (A long-lasting local anesthetic,), in addition to a general anesthetic.
I stayed in the hospital two nights because I live alone. It’s just nicer to have professional nursing care, and Dr, Radnothy recommends it. (Then a friend stayed with me for five days, in case I fell.) I had a narcotic injection the first night. After that, just one long-lasting NSAID pill a day (like ibuprofen) and occasional regular Tylenol. NO PAIN! Radnothy is conservative and doesn’t want you out golfing in a month, but nurses all say he gets the best results. My new hip is a super-smooth polymer supported by titanium, and it is expected to last twenty to thirty years. (The polymer is more slippery than metal, so it doesn’t wear out.) Following the doctor’s orders, I always used a walker for a month, but I practiced walking without a limp. The walker helped with balance and took some weight off. I drove to Sam’s Club and the grocery store in two weeks, though I used a walker and was exhausted. After a month, with the doctor’s permission, I dumped the walker and just walked normally, without a limp and without pain. I never used a cane, as that can cause favoring one hip, which leads to limping. One leg used to be half an inch longer than the other. Now they are the same length. No more back pain from limping and favoring one hip. No more foot pain or heel lift in one shoe. I had physical therapy at home for a month, and that was pretty minor and easy. Then I spent a month at Dr. Radnothy’s physical therapy clinic, three two-hour sessions a week. Those really helped with range of motion. They are crucial and required. Also exhausting, but they didn’t hurt. Driving 17 miles each way was easier a month after surgery than it was before surgery, when it hurt. Now I’m ten weeks post surgery and completely delighted.
Don’t put it off! Get the hip! Why would you want to wait?
https://youtu.be/XYQnIlE2yH8
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