Joint Replacement

[Mikey]

Anybody have any experience with this?
(and I'm not talking about trading in your Fallbrook redhair for some Humbolt County purple skunk)

I've been hobbled for about the past three years with arthritis in my hip and I'm getting fucking sick of the pain and stiffness. Just about ready to pull the trigger on having some metal inserted. Should fuck up those TSA goons' day every time I travel.

There are two basic choices for the hip....

The "tried and true" method is a full replacement where they replace the socket with a metal cup, and they cut off the end of the femur and pound one of these puppies in:



Problem is that you lose a lot of bone with this, and any replacement is going to wear out eventually (if you live long enough), usually 15-20 years. I'm hoping to last longer than that, and replacing that huge spike is a little problematic.

A more recent development is the "Birmingham Hip Resurfacing" option, where they plane down the ball on the end of the femur and cover it with a metal shell.



This allows you to keep more of the original bone and, if a revision is needed later, you can either fix the BRH or go for a total replacement. Also, the ball is larger resulting in reduced chance of dislocation. Disadvantages are that the surgery is a little more complicated and there is some danger of fracturing the stem that holds the ball, if the bone is too weak.

Seen two docs so far. Boths said, after looking at my x-rays, that they were surprised I had waited this long. :?

The first doc put on a class for joint replacement candidates at the local hospital. I was the youngest person in the room by an average of 15 or 20 years. Kind of depressing to see that, and their practice doesn't do the BHR. Said it was pretty new and they just don't have much call for it.

Went to another doc down in San Diego. Turns out he's a sports medicine specialist and the team physician for the Chargers (insert moronic Charger hating jokes here) along with a lot of other teams and sprots organizations. His average clientelle is in their mid-50s, just where I am. He does the BHR fairly often with great success on patients whose bone isn't too far gone already. He said I'm approaching borderline based on my pics.

If you look up the BHR on the web, there are a lot of competitive athletes who have done this and actually gone back to competition. I'm no competitive athlete but I'd like to get back to my previoius level of activity. Not ready to retire completely to the couch so I'm thinking seriously of this procedure.

Anybody have any experience with this? I'm still prolly going to see one more doc before making a decision.

[Derron]

Pretty much word on what your docs have told you.

I started having trouble with my right knee about 10 years ago. I had some artho done on it back in 82 after injuring it falling off a roof in my fire department days. :( The artho kept it functioning fairly well until about 1999, when I damn near had to be driven off the golf course with severe hip pain. My knee hurt like fuck too at the time.

Went to the butcher errrrr ortho doc, he looked at it, did MRI, etc and told me the knee was basically bone on bone, and that made my right leg 1/2 inch shorter than my left, which is what majorly fucked up my left hip. So I stalled off for another 4 years, and watched my fucking knee balloon up every week, since I was on it all day until I had had enough.

Went in December of 04 and had a partial knee replacement on the right knee. At 47 at the time, I was pretty damn young in their opinion, but had to have it done. And I was the youngest on the ortho floor too when they did it. After the surgery, just laying in the hospital bed, higher than fuck on that morphine, but my body already was starting to feel better in my back, hips and other knee, since I was now properly aligned again. Out in a few days, kind of hobbled around for a couple of weeks, but fairly short recovery time.

In retrospect, I should have never waited as long as I did to get it fixed. The butcher errrr ortho doc said I should be good for 17 to 20 years on that fix, and probably would have to have it done once more. I don't run, never have, and any impingment shock is transmitted right to your bone, since you no longer have bursa or cartildge in the joint to cushion any impact shock. It has not had much effect in a negative way, I still use the eplitical trainer, walk a lot, and all that, but find I have to pay attention on uneven surfaces a little bit more. I cannot imagine what I would be like with out having it done. Basically pain free in those joints now 6 years later at 53 years old.

Mine was real similar to the BHR procedure. I think I would prefer that method, since it is a lot less invasive in my opinion. It fucked with a few airport scanners, but it seems not to trip too many of them now. They gave me a laminated wallet card with pictures of it, but they wand me most all the time any way. If you want to see the card and what it looks like installed, PM me an e mail, I can scan it and send it over.

Buddy of mine had both hips replaced when he was about 49, he is 57 now and doing quite well. Seems to me that the BHR would be the best bet based upon my experiences. That ramming that spike in the bone seems like it would be real fucking painful... :twisted: :twisted: and since like myself, you are hopefully looking at one more replacement in your lifetime, probably the BHR is best way to go. Good luck...

Pretty sure we have had this conversation on here before with us aging types too...

[Wolfman]

Sorry to hear age has not treated you well. I'm 71 and never had any such problem. Never broke a bone---college football (U of Maine), one bad car accident, etc. Guess I got good DNA for that.

[BarFlie]

My sister just had her second hip replacement in mid october. She has also had both knees done. I'll run some of your questions by her next time we're on the phone.

[Mikey]

Sorry to hear age has not treated you well. I'm 71 and never had any such problem. Never broke a bone---college football (U of Maine), one bad car accident, etc. Guess I got good DNA for that.

In hindsight I guess it wasn't such a good idea, when I was younger and working as an electrician, to see how many bundles of pipe I could carry upstairs every day. I had shoulder problems for a while too but those seem to have worked themselves out.

[Mace]

A knee replacement is in my future but, so far, I've never had a joint replacement. I know plenty of folks who have, and none have had any major problems, but I don't have any personal experience to pass on to you. Good luck.

[Goober McTuber]

If you bought decent weed to start with, your joint wouldn't need replacing.

[trev]

My husband had to have a hip replacement in his mid 40's. He was on crutches in the hospital post op, took nothing but some tylenol. When he came home 3 days later he was on 1 crutch and making his own lunch. The biggest thing is worrying about tripping and falling right after. Remove throw rugs or anything that can cause a trip or fall. I was a basketcase with worry. But he insisted he would heal faster walking around and doing things. He was driving and back to work in 3 weeks. The nurse at hospital said she had never seen anyone endure pain the way he did. He waited way too long to have the surgery. He felt so much better right after, that any post surgical pain was nothing.

[Goober McTuber]

The nurse at hospital said she had never seen anyone endure pain the way he did.

And that was right after she met you?

[trev]

Yes, I knew that was coming. Too predictable.

[Goober McTuber]

Get a better script.

[smackaholic]

make sure they give you the super duty model, slim.

[OCmike]

As a guy who has had two bone surgeries (/softball), just a word of warning... You will experience pain on an entirely new level if/when you have this done. Not trying to talk you out of it, just making you aware.

[Th]

Joints are for teenagers. Use this:

[Terry in Crapchester]

Probably a good candidate to have both knees and both ankles replaced in the future.

Lately my left knee has felt like it's about ready to buckle on me.

[Mikey]

I would think that a failing hip joint might make sexual intimacy a bit uncomforatble.

Not a concern. Mikey's married.



Jesus, I'm old. Doing Henny Youngman-style shit now. Fuck me.

Take my wife.

Please.

[Cuda]

mikey, you should just PM Luther

except he doesn't post here.

try mag7. Luth is pretty mellow these days now that he's a toker

[Atomic Punk]

Anybody have any experience with this? I'm still prolly going to see one more doc before making a decision.

I grew up with who is now one of the top sports Ortho surgeons in the world. I'll PM you once I find his website again.

edit: Found it, you have a PM. His office is within 6 hours of a drive from you.

[Mikey]

mikey, you should just PM Luther

except he doesn't post here.

try mag7. Luth is pretty mellow these days now that he's a toker

I'm looking for a hip replacement, not a personality transplant.

[Cuda]

Oh... the other kind of hip replacement.

Well, Luther's had a knee replaced, so he knows about that too

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

Well, Luther's had a knee replaced, so he knows about that too

Has he seen a specialist yet about having the sand removed from his vagina, or does his policy not cover it?

[Cuda]

I cut Luther some slack. He may be old, but he's new to ganja

[Atomic Punk]

Well, Luther's had a knee replaced, so he knows about that too

Has he seen a specialist yet about having the sand removed from his vagina, or does his policy not cover it?

I think Luther is hoping ObamaCare includes his condition.

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

He may be old, but he's new to ganja

Is that was he's telling people these days?

[LTS TRN 2]

Just roll up a fatty and count down the Mayan calendar...fantaaastic...

[Mikey]

Update:

Just got my schedule. I'll be going under the knife on February 11.

The Kindle will prolly get a good workout for a couple of weeks and I'll prolly be getting some pain meds that would make RtS proud.

[Mikey]

Mine used to just be sort of stiff. The hips, that is - you'd never use "sort of" to describe my fully engorged schlong.

Tweeked my left side on the rowing machine a couple of years ago and it has never been quite the same since. These days I spend half the time walking around like a cross between Chester Goode and Grandpa McCoy.

[Trampis]

Well good luck to you Mikey. I cant offer any advice, other then dont get hooked on pain meds. There was a whole 10 page thread over at my motocross board(Vitalmx.com) with dudes chiming in with there addiction problems from various mx related injuries.

Im 40 with a bad right hip(arthritis, out of alignment) from years of motocross and farm work. Found this out a few years ago after suffering stomach pain for ten years which no-one could diagnose till I went to a chriopractor. 6-8 visits a year to him keep my hip in line good enough I suppose.

Im still real active and not overweight, so I will continue with the chiropractor and the "hope it doesnt get any worse" method.

BTW, how does a guy(Wolfman), get to 71 without EVER...breaking a bone? Ive had four breaks.

[Wolfman]

Like I said earlier, I think a lot of it is in your genes. Good luck with your surgery Mikey. Hope you got the best orthopedist and come out as good as new.

[smackaholic]

Like I said earlier, I think a lot of it is in your genes. Good luck with your surgery Mikey. Hope you got the best orthopedist and come out as good as new.

only problem with mikey's genes is they are 6 sizes too big. have a salad mike. maybe give atkins a try before you let them saw your hip off.

[Goober McTuber]

A full knee replacement is supposed to be the worst, and I’m not one to argue with that. I’m about 3 months out and there is still some pain, though not as bad as pre-surgery. I’ll never get back the full range of motion, probably because I waited 5 or 6 years too long to get the surgery. Best of luck, Mikey, and be diligent in your rehab.

[Mikey]

Thanks guys. I hear that rehab is everything. I'm gonna start doing some more stretching now before doing the procedure. I also heard that recovery from hip surgery is faster than for a knee. Strange because it's a bigger joint, but I guess it's less complicated.

Hopefully I'll be back on my feet and making potato salad in a week, and back to work in a couple of weeks. Full mobility in a couple of months after which I'll be able to go to Florida, chase wolfman down and twist his arm until he shouts "OBAMA!!!"

[Terry in Crapchester]

Not yet, but my knees and ankles have been fucked up since high school, so probably in a few more years.