Re: AVN & resurfacing too soon?

June 29, 2004

Marie,

Listen to yourself. YOu can go on for a while if you use a cane

and eat vioxx? My limp is almost gone, I can ride my bike as much

and as far as I want. I can do yardwork all day (though I prefer do

nap at intervals while the wife's not looking). I'm sorry for the

language, but rationalization is like masturbation....your'e only

screwing yourself. By all means, do what is right and comfortable

for yourself. But from the where I stand, a person who eats vioxx

and uses a cane to " get through the day " sounds like someone who

could use a resurface. You are young, and these are still active

years for most. The potential rewards are many, the risks are very

few. It comes down to what kind of life you want today, not 3 or 5

or 7 years from now. I hope you will receive these words in the

spirit intended, e-mails have a way of making things sound harsher

than they really are. And I know that sometimes I can be blunt and

course. I want nothing but health and happiness for you. But I

struggled with the same questions, and the above is what I decided

for myself. Hang tough and keep us posted.

C+ 4-15-04

> Hi again,

>

> I have my re-surf planned for August. I've been told by my OS

that if

> I wait more than a year (from my Feb X-rays), my AVN would advance

too

> far to be able to have re-surfacing. I'm actually not in that much

> pain except at night. My OS thinks I'm a fine candidate, but I've

> heard so many of you say how much pre-op pain medication you had to

> take and many have been on crutches before surgery.

>

> I simply use a cane to avoid a lot of weight bearing. I just take

one

> Vioxx 25mg/day for the pain (and Cosamin DS). If I didn't need to

> worry about missing my resurfacing opportunity, I could go on for

some

> time like this.

>

> It sort of feels wierd to go off to the operating table w/o feeling

> totally miserable. I hope I still will appreciate the improved

range

> of motion & lack of pain & new ablilty to hike again, etc.

>

> Has anyone else had their surgery before they were extremely

debilitated?

>

> Marie

June 30, 2004

Marie, thanks for putting that question, there must be lots of us wondering

whether we are too soon ... I don't take anything for pain and have been told

that the consultant expects to see me back some time in the next 5 years ... but

I am bone on bone and I look forward to reading the replies to your question!

Margaret

mariefetter mariefetter@...> wrote:

Hi again,

I have my re-surf planned for August. I've been told by my OS that if

I wait more than a year (from my Feb X-rays), my AVN would advance too

far to be able to have re-surfacing. I'm actually not in that much

pain except at night. My OS thinks I'm a fine candidate, but I've

heard so many of you say how much pre-op pain medication you had to

take and many have been on crutches before surgery.

I simply use a cane to avoid a lot of weight bearing. I just take one

Vioxx 25mg/day for the pain (and Cosamin DS). If I didn't need to

worry about missing my resurfacing opportunity, I could go on for some

time like this.

It sort of feels wierd to go off to the operating table w/o feeling

totally miserable. I hope I still will appreciate the improved range

of motion & lack of pain & new ablilty to hike again, etc.

Has anyone else had their surgery before they were extremely debilitated?

Marie

June 30, 2004

Were you ever a sports coach? You certainly could be one! I needed

to hear what you had to say. I was only second guessing myself

because one of the other OSs that I saw, (DrMont) didn't want to do my

surgery unless my pain had gotten unbearable, even if it meant I'd end

up with a THR. I think he just was too busy with really young or

really miserable patients, so I didn't seem like such a high priority.

You are right: I AM young and should use these years to enjoy my

teenagers, to travel & to feel fit & healthy. BTW: my husband & I

bicycled across the USA for our honeymoon, 24 yrs ago. We also took

an even longer trip up the West coast, up VanCouver island, across

British Columbia & down the Canadian Rockies into Montana. Our last

long bike trip was when I was expecting my first child and we biked

all around England, Scotland, Northern Ireland & Rep of Ireland! Of

course it's been 19 years since I've done anything like this, but we

always talked about doing another big (maybe even cross-country) bike

tour....Hum....with a new hip....this might just be possible!

Marie

> > Hi again,

> >

> > I have my re-surf planned for August. I've been told by my OS

> that if

> > I wait more than a year (from my Feb X-rays), my AVN would advance

> too

> > far to be able to have re-surfacing. I'm actually not in that much

> > pain except at night. My OS thinks I'm a fine candidate, but I've

> > heard so many of you say how much pre-op pain medication you had to

> > take and many have been on crutches before surgery.

> >

> > I simply use a cane to avoid a lot of weight bearing. I just take

> one

> > Vioxx 25mg/day for the pain (and Cosamin DS). If I didn't need to

> > worry about missing my resurfacing opportunity, I could go on for

> some

> > time like this.

> >

> > It sort of feels wierd to go off to the operating table w/o feeling

> > totally miserable. I hope I still will appreciate the improved

> range

> > of motion & lack of pain & new ablilty to hike again, etc.

> >

> > Has anyone else had their surgery before they were extremely

> debilitated?

> >

> > Marie

June 30, 2004

Hi Margaret and Marie

I can appreciate your predicament.

I was on Vioxxx 12.5 whenver I felt the need and being anti taking any sort of

chemical I really wondered just how bad I was. I had had a nasty injury at a

school camp which I eventually discovered had torn all the supporting muscles ?

ligaments? whatever around my hip and so the OA that was eventually going to

happen, took hold pretty quickly. I was in agony some days, Christmas shopping

was rememebered more by the pain I was in than the pleasure of shopping.

Any way, after many visits to many specialists, I was referred to an O S for

comment. He simply said " after studying my x rays, You will know when enough is

enough " Well, how the **** am I supposed to know.?

He also said to remember that it takes 3 months to organise the op.

So armed with paperwork, websites etc I read and read and read.

I also said ( in my naiivity) " I am too young for this "

His reply " I have seen 5 patients for resurfacing today and you are the oldest "

Old?

Hmmm. This cant be for me.

So I continued on, in pain ( I teach 10 yer olds) with colleagues telling me how

bad I looked, in how much pain I must be and cant something be done. I felt

that I had let myself down, was letting my profession down, ...surely ic ant be

THAT bad...

I felt like a fraud.

Anyway, come November enough was enough. I decided life had to be better than

this and if something could be done then I'd do it. The insurance co' s left

hand had lost contact with the right hand and paper work took an eternity

....actually took till 3 days pre op!!!! I won't repeat my expletives.

During March 04, I had taken my class on a day excursion thru the city of

Melbourne - NO PAIN. What is going on I thought. Had the pain been imagined?

Perhaps the great day had helped. But the pain sure came back.

Anyway, the op was booked, the prelim stuff done so there really was no turning

back. At times I really felt like a fraud, this op surely is for old peole in

excruciating pain??? Am I really that bad? Surely there are others more

deserving than me?

Those questions didnt leave me until; postop when i couldnt believe the

difference. my OS had told me that I need not suffer any pain. He was right. I

didnt. Sure it hurt like hell to move my operated leg the first few times. Sure

there were days of depression,.

But, how can I expalin it, that deep, permanent pain that I had learned to

tolerate and accept as part of life, had gone . Gone! Gone!

I still marvel at this operation and the freedom it has given me. I was not

superfit pre op, prob will never be, but to be able to walk briskly for half an

hour wiht no pain is wonderfull. To get in and out of my car easily - to be able

to stand tall and walk tall!!!! Wow!

I go back full time teaching in one week, rather scary as I know the pressure

that comes with my senior postion. But , on my visit last week, my colleagues

marvelled at how straight i was walking , how tall I was ( joke - its just

they'd never seen me walk without hunching and how slim I was. I had to laugh. I

havent lost weight, but by walking straight, I look as if I have!!!!

So, if in doubt, go for it, pre op worries cant be avoided, but do your

homework, trust your OS and go for it!

Good luck all you future hippies

and oh yes, the radiologist reckons I'll be back within 5 years as my other hip

looks like **** also bone on bone - Andf it doesnt even hurt!

At least I knoe what to expect next time and not to leave it too late ...

regards all

Kay

L BHR 23 /4./ 04 McMahon Melb Australia

there must be lots of us wondering whether we are too soon ... I don't take

anything for pain and have been told that the consultant expects to see me back

some time in the next 5 years ... but I am bone on bone and I look forward to

reading the replies to your question!

Margaret

mariefetter mariefetter@...> wrote:

Hi again,

I have my re-surf planned for August. I've been told by my OS that if

I wait more than a year (from my Feb X-rays), my AVN would advance too

far to be able to have re-surfacing. I'm actually not in that much

pain except at night. My OS thinks I'm a fine candidate, but I've

heard so many of you say how much pre-op pain medication you had to

take and many have been on crutches before surgery.

I simply use a cane to avoid a lot of weight bearing. I just take one

Vioxx 25mg/day for the pain (and Cosamin DS). If I didn't need to

worry about missing my resurfacing opportunity, I could go on for some

time like this.

It sort of feels wierd to go off to the operating table w/o feeling

totally miserable. I hope I still will appreciate the improved range

of motion & lack of pain & new ablilty to hike again, etc.

Has anyone else had their surgery before they were extremely debilitated?

Marie

June 30, 2004

It's always good to hear from both sides of an issue--even if one side is pretty

much of a downer--so here goes.

Many surgeons know full well that nothing works like the real thing--and that

applies to hips. Even the best prosthetic hip will never perform like the real

hip did when it was healthy. Perhaps that's why they sometimes advise you to

postpone surgery until you are in substantial pain even if you miss your window

for resurfacing and have to get a THR at a later date. Surgeons also know that

no procedure has a 100% success rate, and that also applies to resurfacing.

Complications and failures do occur. You always think they happen to someone

else, but that's not always the case. And if some complications develop or

failures occur, they are less devestating to the emotional and mental state of a

patient if the patient had nothing to lose in the first place. If the patient

wasn't in much pain prior to surgery but then ends up in considerable pain

afterwards and has to undergo multiple surgeries to address complications or

problems, it can be very difficult to handle mentally and emotionally--as well

as physically. This is one of those very, very difficult decisions in life that