你好,我的新…

toneblueshawk

I've been lurking a bit in the community part of the VA web for a while, but I've never introduced myself or shared my experience of arthritis.

I was diagnosed with RA in my mid-50s and am 71 now. As well as an anti-inflammatory etc, I take leflunomide and hydroxychloroquine - I tried a fair range of DMARDs in the early days but the current combination suits me well, with few unwanted effects. I still get flares affecting the usual range of joints, but have now started to get painful hips as a result of OA/impingements and am being assessed for a hip replacement in a couple of weeks. I am still reasonably mobile - and try to walk as much as I can, but it is becoming increasingly painful.

Some years back I ran an NRAS group and trained as a "lay" expert patient tutor - however bouts of significant fatigue accompanying flares put paid to such longer-term commitments. I struggle, like most of us, with chronic pain, and remaining positive is is a challenge at time, but supportive family and friends make a huge difference.

Sharon_K

Hi@toneblueshawk

glad to see you have made that trip over from lurker (we call you readers) to poster. It's great to have your expertise and share in your experience. As a reader you may have read Lilymary's post about recovering from hip replacement surgery. Of course everyone's experience is different.

My new hip is finally about to happen(!) so someone suggested it might be helpful to others for me to keep a bit of a blog going. It's good to know that despite the 4.7m on waiting lists (don't get me started...) that things are showing signs of moving again. We can only hope they start making serious in roads to helping those who have had to be sidelined during the pandemic, it's been such a tough time in that respect, amongst so many other difficulties right across society.<\/p>

After a year of waiting, I heard 3 weeks ago that a date had been set (tomorrow) for my surgery, which didn't give me much time to clear my desk and put everything in order. It couldn't come soon enough - my hip is now so bad that I can barely manage a short trip round the shops, the physical aspects of my work are now near impossible, and I'm in constant pain in at night - there are no positions that are comfortable any more. Even getting round the house now requires a stick, although I keep forgetting it so limp around somewhat melo-dramatically. Walks outside or any exercise indoors is far beyond me.<\/p>

I'm going to the Wrightington in Wigan, so had my preop, MRSA swab and covid test there over the last few weeks, the covid test came back negative today so we're off! <\/p>

I've been going through the MRSA decolonization - daily showers and hair washes with a product the hospital provided, along with sticking cleansing goo up my nose for 5 days, and clean towels and sleeping in clean sheets every day. The clean sheets have been nice. The constant changing beds and laundry not so.<\/p>

I'm due at the hospital at 0700 tomorrow, which means a 04.30 rise, which will be near miraculous for me. I'm rarely awake by 0800. I don't suppose there will be much sleeping involved tonight. By the time I get there it wouldn't surprise me if they have to wake me up for the pre-med, it won't be the first time that's happened!<\/p>

The OT rang earlier this week and I have bits of useful equipment delivered, incuding sock slider, grabber, trolley, raised loo seat and crutches. No breakfast, drugs, deodorant, body or face lotions, no make up or hair products (including conditioner) allowed tomorrow, and no leg shaving for 3 weeks 😳<\/span>. I will rock up, wincing with pain, bleary eyed and looking horrendous, I almost feel sorry for my surgeon 😅<\/span><\/p>

I'm trying not to think about what's ahead tomorrow, even though a friend "kindly" filled me in on all the gruesome details of her surgery in advance. I would rather not have known to be honest. I have a good surgeon at a great hospital, so I'm just going to throw myself at their mercy and let them get on with it. Me fretting won't make a jot of difference, even if it's hard not to. But I'm packing extra chocolate just in case to cheer myself up 😏<\/span><\/p>","bodyRaw":"[{\"insert\":\"My new hip is finally about to happen(!) so someone suggested it might be helpful to others for me to keep a bit of a blog going. It's good to know that despite the 4.7m on waiting lists (don't get me started...) that things are showing signs of moving again. We can only hope they start making serious in roads to helping those who have had to be sidelined during the pandemic, it's been such a tough time in that respect, amongst so many other difficulties right across society.\\nAfter a year of waiting, I heard 3 weeks ago that a date had been set (tomorrow) for my surgery, which didn't give me much time to clear my desk and put everything in order. It couldn't come soon enough - my hip is now so bad that I can barely manage a short trip round the shops, the physical aspects of my work are now near impossible, and I'm in constant pain in at night - there are no positions that are comfortable any more. Even getting round the house now requires a stick, although I keep forgetting it so limp around somewhat melo-dramatically. Walks outside or any exercise indoors is far beyond me.\\nI'm going to the Wrightington in Wigan, so had my preop, MRSA swab and covid test there over the last few weeks, the covid test came back negative today so we're off! \\nI've been going through the MRSA decolonization - daily showers and hair washes with a product the hospital provided, along with sticking cleansing goo up my nose for 5 days, and clean towels and sleeping in clean sheets every day. The clean sheets have been nice. The constant changing beds and laundry not so.\\nI'm due at the hospital at 0700 tomorrow, which means a 04.30 rise, which will be near miraculous for me. I'm rarely awake by 0800. I don't suppose there will be much sleeping involved tonight. By the time I get there it wouldn't surprise me if they have to wake me up for the pre-med, it won't be the first time that's happened!\\nThe OT rang earlier this week and I have bits of useful equipment delivered, incuding sock slider, grabber, trolley, raised loo seat and crutches. No breakfast, drugs, deodorant, body or face lotions, no make up or hair products (including conditioner) allowed tomorrow, and no leg shaving for 3 weeks \"},{\"insert\":{\"emoji\":{\"emojiChar\":\"😳\"}}},{\"insert\":\". I will rock up, wincing with pain, bleary eyed and looking horrendous, I almost feel sorry for my surgeon \"},{\"insert\":{\"emoji\":{\"emojiChar\":\"😅\"}}},{\"insert\":\"\\nI'm trying not to think about what's ahead tomorrow, even though a friend \\\"kindly\\\" filled me in on all the gruesome details of her surgery in advance. I would rather not have known to be honest. I have a good surgeon at a great hospital, so I'm just going to throw myself at their mercy and let them get on with it. Me fretting won't make a jot of difference, even if it's hard not to. But I'm packing extra chocolate just in case to cheer myself up \"},{\"insert\":{\"emoji\":{\"emojiChar\":\"😏\"}}},{\"insert\":\"\\n\\n\"}]","format":"rich","dateInserted":"2021-04-16T17:25:55+00:00","insertUser":{"userID":113589,"name":"Lilymary","url":"https:\/\/community.versusarthritis.org\/profile\/Lilymary","photoUrl":"https:\/\/w1.vanillicon.com\/v2\/198e065ff5929d8ccbfed8ba6c789350.svg","dateLastActive":"2022-01-08T16:21:54+00:00","banned":0,"punished":0,"private":false},"displayOptions":{"showUserLabel":false,"showCompactUserInfo":true,"showDiscussionLink":true,"showPostLink":true,"showCategoryLink":false,"renderFullContent":false,"expandByDefault":false},"url":"https:\/\/community.versusarthritis.org\/discussion\/54075\/new-hip-day","embedType":"quote","name":"New Hip Day"}"> https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/54075/new-hip-day

Let us know how you get on, we will support you through your journey and it's so helpful for others to read your experience. Take care

Best Wishes

Sharon

Grace111

Hi @toneblueshawk

Fatigue can be really awful can't it, I still get lots of it and it prevents me from doing all the things I enjoy. So I try not to set myself too many goals for the day so I can at least have a sense of achievement. I have had both my hips replaced and they are wonderful. You won't know yourself. Some people take a while to recover and others are quicker. My main suggestion would be to prepare well at home before hand with easy meals in the fridge, have things where you can reach them and never say no to help.

Hope it goes well, come and tell us all, we love to hear how people are getting on

Grace111