I have this word document I wrote up before I saw my surgeon for the first time last summer. I tried to write down what sort of symptoms I was having and when they started and all that. I will log this information here for posterity!
I first started having/noticing hip problems when I was pregnant 13 years ago. My right hip would ‘catch’ painfully and just wouldn’t feel completely trustworthy sometimes. I attributed it to wonky pregnancy joint stuff. After I was done being pregnant, I still had symptoms so I saw a chiropractor. He did a couple of adjustments, thought it was likely some bursitis, and I seemed to improve.
I had my second pregnancy 9 years ago, and didn’t really notice the same hip problems. However, about 6 years ago I was having stiffness and pain again, so I went back to the same chiropractor I’d seen before. I had more adjustments then I’d had the first time, and wasn’t getting the results I’d gotten. I spoke with a friend who is a nurse practitioner, (and by ‘spoke with’ I mean ‘complained to over a couple of years’) and she encouraged me to have it looked at.
I had my right hip x-rayed at my general practitioner’s office about 4 years ago, and the diagnosis was “seems to have some arthritis” which the radiologist and my primary-care gal both thought was odd, given my age at the time of 37. She sent me for some physical therapy sessions, and the PT flat out told me she didn’t believe I had arthritis. I did some strengthening which I think helped my overall fitness level, but didn’t make a huge difference in the hip pain.
So after another couple of years complaining to my friend, she strongly suggested I see an actual orthopedist which I did about 17 months ago. He did more x-rays and confirmed the arthritis diagnosis, and noted that I had some dysplasia. The Dr. also asked me if I had injured myself jumping off of something as a child. I jumped out of swings as a kid, and I did jump off of my grandmother’s garage with my cousin, but we jumped on the side where the hill met the wall, and I don’t remember any injuries.
He said I should avoid high-impact activity, and that while I wasn’t a candidate then, I would likely be a candidate for a THR (Total Hip Replacement) in the future. I had heard of the resurfacing procedure and asked him about it, but he said that the studies he’d read said that the outcomes weren’t as good for women, but on the other hand, it may be that I’d be an ok candidate as I was pre-menopausal.
Since that time my right hip is almost always sore. When I stand up, I have to sort of ‘prepare’ myself to walk, and I limp some. I try to get cardio exercise on elliptical machines or in a Zumba aerobics class (Latin ballroom steps, low impact). I am achy if I get no exercise, but sometimes I am extra-achy after exercise.
Last summer I went on a trip with my best friend and my kids to Washington DC where I knew I’d be doing a lot of walking and standing in museums, etc. I carefully chose footwear, I tried to remember to sit down whenever I could. I took ibuprofen several times a day, and took pain meds a couple of nights, after having a hard time getting comfortable. Overall, I actually did better than I thought I would, pain-wise.
However, the pain has gotten worse in my day-to-day life. I take ibuprofen pretty much every day. I read other people’s stories about how they couldn’t sleep without pain meds, and I am not at that point. On the other hand, I always feel pain when I walk, my range of motion is not at all good, and I think about my hip all the time.
Last Halloween I over-did it at the gym (I thought I was taking it easy on a stationary bike, but I had the resistance too high) and I couldn't walk. I was stunned to have to sit home while everyone else went trick-or-treating.
So this is where I was when I decided I wanted to have the surgery. There was a bunch of additional surgery-related choices - mostly surgeon choice and timing - but I'll save those for another day.
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