Monitoring not treating for the moment.

The clinic has a lovely play area.

For the last week we have had almost interruption free sleep. It is astounding, wonderful and still a novelty. Last night Mr Gin and I were chatting and we realised that it is over nine months since this happened. We may get a full nights sleep but we were on average up four times a night, so sleep deprivation felt normal. I got to a point that I could not remember if I had got up but Squeaky had a different dummy or the such like that indicated I had been up plus being shattered! When I was very much out of action Mr Gin was up at least five times a night. So, this week has been bliss!

So, what has bought about this change? Squeaky is out the abduction brace! After six months in the brace at night and three months in the Spica cast we are not doing anything hip related treatment! This is brilliant because the last month has been a hard slog with the brace, he really was getting uncomfortable at night in it and at most he managed five hours before we had to take him out of the brace so he should sleep well. He was generally happy to go in the brace but it was increasingly obvious that he was getting unhappy with it.

We had the three months check-up last week and we both were hoping that because Squeaky had started walking that we could ditch the brace. We arrived in plenty of time to the appointment and went for the standard x-ray. This time we insisted that Squeaky have both his parents with him and as a result it was less stressful and much less upset on his behalf than last time. Holding your child down is never a nice experience but having both of us there meant it was a swift experience and he got Mummy and Daddy cuddles to help with the tears.

In medical speak his angles look good.

 We saw an Orthopaedic Surgeon, Nick, a new face as Ms Biljsma was on maternity leave. He checked out the x-ray which shows better coverage of the socket, also his walking is good, no sign of a limp and his movement feels solid, no shifting of the joint. He got in another consultant to look at all he had and they were impressed with the walking and the quickness he found a computer mouse!

We were told that we need to be vigilant for changes and any concerns with his movement we should get him in for another appointment. We will be back in three months to check progress and hope that there is no regression but the outcome of this visit is we are not treating but monitoring. I expect the monitoring will continue into his teens but it brilliant that we are brace free. Thinking back, we have done 11 months of bracing and Spica cast, this is almost half his life. Thank goodness it is over for now. Now for more sleeping through and learning to run and skip!

I see dead people in my future.

I have had a bit of a time with planning my next operation. The timings all centred around Squeaky Cub and him finishing with the Spica. When we knew the Spica journey was coming to an end I contacted Johnathon Hutt at St Georges, only to find out that he was moving to University College of London Hospital to take up a position there.

This put timings out a bit and I had to think if I wanted change hospitals or surgeon.  After thinking I decided to continue with Mr Hutt and we moved hospitals and I saw him three weeks after he started in his new role.

To resolve the pain issues from the implant I am going to have a bone graft to hopefully distribute the pain that flares up and either reduces or removes it.  The pain is okay in the summer but winter it can be terrible. I ended up on my stick a couple days with a cold snap and it certainly was nagging.

This stem pain is a known side of the implant (S-Ron) and the bone graft should resolve it. If it doesn’t then I am going to lump it and chase a toddler, as the other option is a revision and I am too young for that. Neither I not Mr Hutt are keen on that option, because in his words, those replacements are hard to take out.  The graft will be donor bone, so prepare for dead people jokes and a push to donate your bits when you move on. (Tell your family.)

When I saw Mr Hutt, he was not sure what his waiting list was like and I have some plans coming up that we needed to work around. With some phone calls I sorted a date with the lovely scheduler and I have surgery on the 17th of September.  This could very interesting; the recovery shouldn’t be as long as a replacement but could be more painful to begin with. This could be interesting with a toddler!

I have had the pre-operation appointment and considering there has been no communication it is all go. Fingers crossed Squeaky is walking and we have begun planning, the logistics are a little worrisome.

Adventures in a Palvik Harness.

It has been eight weeks since Squeaky went into his Palvik Harness.
It has been a steep learning curve and also lessons in empathy with my mother.

We learnt early on that pee socks are important with little boys when trying avoid getting pee on a harness you are not meant to take off. We have got very good at wiping him down instead of bathing him. Although this comes more problematic when there is a nappy explosion. More so if you are getting ready to out to a party and you are in your favourite party clothes. Note if you pick up a baby have the legs their babygrow squish under your hand. Call in reinforcements and all wipes you can manage. That particular night was a two person job and taking velcro off and sponging off poo was not as fun as it sounds!
We found dresses work really well especially with the tricky nature of nappy changes, to be fair nappies have been the bigest challenge.
Squeaky himself is pretty happy, he kicks his legs like a footballer and is happy.  Holding him feels odd and you have to careful of where his legs are and we are no longer comfortable sitting in the rocking chair which is annoying.

Our first check up had been delayed a week and we arrived to a doubly busy clinic. Squeaky was scanned and it was felt that his right hip was improving but the subluxated left hip had not. This was gutting news. We took the harness of there and Squeaky was smelly, he had not had a bath for three weeks. We booked in the next consultation, feeling very sad and lots hugs given. Mr Gin and I headed home, with a smelly Squeaky, on a London bus in our own bubble of silence as we absorbed the news. On the way home one the surgeons we had spoken with rang, she had compared Squeaky's initial ultrasound with the one taken that day and said there was a small improvement. She asked that we come back in two days and get Squeaky fitted into a Harness again. We agreed.

We took him home and gave him a much needed bath. He was not all that happy as he stretched his legs out but the bath soothed his legs.  Out of the harness he felt tiny and delicate to hold.

We returned to the hospital, early in the morning, to be refitted. Squeaky was a delight, smiling and giggling and proving that he is resilient by not changing his behaviour over the next two weeks as we settled back into harness routine. We went back to the hospital in two weeks and had another check, again they felt there was minimal change but compared the ultrasounds there in the clinic.  They left in the harness and off we went, knowing that there was improvement but it was very slow and we were looking at  a possible three to five months in the harness.

We had got good at removing the harness by watching the professionals and marking the harness. This meant Squeaky got a bath once a week and when we had a poo explosion a quick wash. A little more civilised.

We went back for the seven week check last week. Again another ultrasound with minimal change. Two surgeons went off and compared the four ultrasounds. The right hip is looking like a normal hip but the left is showing minimal change. It is still subluxated. They recommended that Squeaky come out of the harness and he is booked in for a closed reduction.

The closed reduction will occur in July. They will inject a dye into the joint and manually manipulate the joint into the right position. They check if there is ligament pulling at the joint, if it is, they will cut it. Then they will put him in a spica plaster cast, that goes from his waist to the ankle on the affected side, knee on the other. This is done under general anaesthetic.

We are currently harness free and having to do another wardrobe exchange as a lot of the clothing that went over the harness swamps him now.  He is happy, chirpy self although the first night home in pain due to his legs stretching out.

It has taken me a week to write this because the escalation of Squeaky's treatment is upsetting. I am disappointed the harness didn't work, guilty that my genetics have bred so try and frightened about putting me precious little boy through this. He will be six moths old and having a general anaesthetic, scary. I really hope this works because I don't want him to end up like me and able to remember treatment because it went on so long.

Right now I am trying to focus on enjoying my delightful little boy and introducing him to his Australian grandparents. After they go, we focus on providing the best care and outcome for Squeaky, his hip and long term health.

A new hippy family

Late Janurary Mr Gin and I had a bright, gorgous boy. He was born via a fairly uneventful c-section besides the theatre staff stopping to check out my hip replacement tattoo. It was a spinal procedure and Mr Gin was there by my side and got to cuddle his boy pretty much straight away.
We were home within 24 hours of this process and plunged into the chaotic world of new parents with an almost helpless tiny human with an incredibly loud and wide vocal range.

We have had our highs; solving why he is crying through the process of elimination, finding he is photogenic all the time, cuddles, gurgles and smiles, watching him grow and take notice of the world. Finding all sorts of things adorable including when he has the hiccoups and then squeaks. For this reason, for the purpose of this blog, his name is Squeaky.

We have had some lows too, we have had a struggle with breast feeding which has been very much helped by the resolution of a tongue tie but it took a while to gain back the weight Squeaky lost during those first few weeks where he was not getting enough food. We found this process very tough, me because I was the food source and Mr Gin because he sat through a lot, and I mean a lot, of crying, from me and Squeaky. Mr Gin's incredible support and amazing parenting as well as the wonderful support of the infant feeding team at Homerton we are on track with Squeaky's weight and he is feeding very well. But that was tough and I suspect just a taster for the tough times ahead raising a kid.

This blog has always had a hip focus and I really though that would disappear with the birth of Squeaky when in hospital his hips were checked and declared stable.  We were booked in for a six week ultra sound scan of his hips, an additional check that is done for children with possible contributing factors such as a genetic predisposition and his late breech presentation.

So, I fronted up to the six week scan, not overly concerned and with a relaxed, well fed baby, so he could be stripped down and covered in clear gloop.  I chatted with the staff and as there was a genetic history listed, they asked about my history. Cue mildly horrified faces. They looked at Squeaky's hips and found them to be shallow, not a surprising outcome and I had done research and spoken with Mr Hutt so was prepared with names and hospitals.

Homerton were not taking any chances, they knew my history so instead of waiting till eight weeks they referred Squeaky to the One Stop Baby Hip Clinic at the Royal London Hospital. Both the radiographer and the Paediatrician agreed that this was the best course of action even though most likely over cautious.  Mr Gin and I were very happy with this and waited for the referral to come through. The Royal was a suggestion from Mr Hutt.

The referral was quick and we went to the long name clinic before Squeaky hit 8 weeks old. The paediatric imagining centre at the Royal London is new and swish, bright colours and laser cut plastic bones in geometric patterns. We arrived with a number of other parents with little babies waiting for the clinic.

Doctors began appearing, and Squeaky's name was called and off we went. Squeaky's hips were scanned by a doctor and observed by the head orthopaedic surgeon. I was fairly cool about the whole process until the doctor doing the scan said "That one is not in". I asked her to repeat the statement. His left hip was shallow and almost out to the socket, not sitting well. His right socket was shallow also but in the correct position.

We then dressed Squeaky whilst it was explained that Squeaky was going to being fitted with a Palvik Harness that day and that the harness had a 95% to 98% success rate in cases like Squeaky. We were to come back in 2 weeks to see if the the harness was working and the minimum time in the harness was 6 weeks and maximum was 3 months. The options after that point are a little more dramatic.

We waited for two hours for the fitting, when we got there Squeaky was fitted with something that looks like a costume from the Fifth Element. It holds his legs in the correct position to increase the depth of his sockets and coax the left one into the correct position. He charmed the staff who fitted his harness as he did not cry and was smiley and giggly. We took our little crunched boy home, feeling a little shell shocked.

We had wine that night. Being aware that we could have a tough night as he got used to the harness, we sat and cuddled our little lad. I spoke to my mother about the outcome and she was very supportive as she had been in the same position 43 years ago. In the end my father had the correct reaction to it all, that it was disappointing, we were all hoping that Squeaky would not have my bad hips. I was upset and Mr Gin was his standard sensible self, saying it is what it is and we will cope and it is not as bad as it could be.

The next day I went shopping for clothes to go over his harness because his current wardrobe won't fit over his harness. We felt that dresses would be an easy option and he went shopping with me in a dress I wore as a child! I bought baggy trousers, dresses and baby grows with openings at the bottom and not from the neck to ankles.

Squeaky himself has not shown any issues with the harness being very smiley and happy most of the time, no real change in behaviour including the first night when he slept really well, totally bucking the warnings the staff gave when we left the hospitial.

We are still coming to terms with this outcome and hoping that our visit next week shows that the harness is working and Squeaky only has slightly dodgy hips and not his mum's really dodgy hips.

Everything on hold and a focus shift.

So, in my blog last time I wrote this "I am happy to support friends who embrace body positivity in all its forms, as long as they support me too."  There have been a number of instances, recently, where this has not happened and people have been actively quite depressing and negative about people trying to lose weight, for the sake of losing weight. I have taken these things a bit personally.

I have worked fucking hard over the past six months to loose weight, there have been also some muscle building goals as well and side effect of becoming fit. But the Big goal was to lose 10kg by July, by June I had lost 13 kg.  I did this through hard work and discipline, getting up early to go to the gym and counting a calories like only a woman with an addictive personality can.  It was hard going to the gym and pool and working hard, it is not an activity I enjoy. I did have Mr Gin and there personal training team to support me but that was all there was really besides a work colleague who was really lovely as she slimmed down to for her wedding. But the numbers were important, I wanted to jump up and down with every .5 kilo lost. Mr. Gin got lots of photos like below  because I felt putting them on social media was not that caring for a variety of reasons. I was gutted by a couple of instances that just made me feel fairly shit about my numbers and the reasons I was doing this. I really didn't get this when I was doing my best to support their choices by not carrying on. So I am now going to talk about numbers, I needed that support and will need it again.

I got down to 70 kg from 83 kg in December 2016.  At 153 cm that is a huge chunk of change. Both myself and Mr Gin worked hard, he really has been the sole support through it all. We had a goal, to drop weight to reduce the stress on the implant and avoid surgery. I got to the goal and I was pleased with the strength in the legs, there was a lessening in the pain but not as much as I would have liked.
I saw Mr Hutt in July, I had maintained my weight for a month and half so was stoked.  He was very pleased with my movement and the amount of muscle I had gained. My walking has improved and I just stand when getting out of a chair, no need for hands (although I am glad he does not have a low couch like we have at home.)  This is really good for the long term outcomes of the replacement.

We agreed that although the pain had decreased living with it was frustrating but possibly livable with. Leaving it over winter to see if the pain is worse seems to be the best course of action along with more muscle building and weight loss. Dropping to a BMI healthy weight range, again means less pressure on the joint and also if the NHS get carried away with BMIs for hip replacement, it does mean I am in a good shape for the left when it goes. But we have not taken surgery off the table for the implant, to push the stress along the whole thigh bone and hopefully making it less painful. And anyway he can not operate at the moment!

A surgeon not operating?  Why? Well, it is not his fault. Sort of, losing all the weight and getting fit seems had a interesting side effect.  I am pregnant! Something Mr Gin and I thought wasn't going to happen! It does mean we can't do anything with the replacement for a while.  As far Mr Hutt is concerned there is little impact on the replacement and I know it will make it less painful. As I have the replacement I have to have a chat with a consultant about what they think the good outcomes are.

I am having issues because I am hypermobile and I have Pelvic Girdle Pain and am working hard on strengthening the muscles to try and halt that getting worse. As I am older (43) there are risks that go with my age and I am aware the toil it is taking on my body in general. I am tired all the time but hopefully that will change. I am working hard at maintaining my current weight until putting weight is required, which is totally fine given my current weight is classified as obese still.

So, this blog is taking a bit of a turn for a hip replacement and pregnancy combo.

A couple of answers to questions.  We are due late January and we know the baby is human and very likely to be ginger other than that we can't change anything and won't know time they are born, we are both every excited. Oh, and no real bump yet, and of course ask first!

12 month review - Could do better

Yesterday was the 12 month anniversary of the hip replacement and I am nursing a stonker of a hangover today.

A lot and nothing has happened since I last blogged.  I went to Australia, relaxed, showed my tattoo of my implant to my mother and drove 1500 km in 10 days with surprisingly no ill effects! I also have managed to swim a full 1 km in the pool. All in all, the joint is wonderful, it sometimes grates or vibrates when I stretch which an odd sensation.

I have have very sore feet, I have developed plantar fasciitis which is makes my heels and arches very tender, I went to the GP when they got unbearable, not long before headed to Australia in November. She gave me some exercises that seemed to be okay and my sports masseur released my rock hard calves and stretched the soles of my feet. The reason for the developing of the feet is because of my pretty sudden change from no activity to wanting to walk everywhere!

There was not much improvement but I stuck with the exercises and they settled whilst in Australia only to flair again when back walking in London. I had organised some more Physio on the suggestion of Mr Hutt earlier and we were looking at my walk which is still very limp like and he had done a pretty good job on the skeletal stuff and I shouldn't be limping.  So the Physios have started building my glutes in an effort to stop me dropping into the joint. This seems to be working, very slowly. They also rejigged my exercises for my feet to accommodate my hypermobility. This seems to be helping but I still get days where the feet burn as I sit in the tube which is very uncomfortable. I am finding that I want to limit the amount of walking and that is frustrating, so I am heading back to the GP to see if I can get some steroid injections so I can continue with the exercises but not be in as much pain.

The feet have been frustrating but the fact the thigh pain has not disappeared has been very difficult. We were hoping it would go over time and it wasn’t obvious in Australia except when I tried running on the beach (soft landings there).  Coming back into the cold it became apparent that the pain was still there, some days very bad, sharp pain, when I walk. Going up stairs I can feel the implant every step. Getting up off the floor, that downward pressure is very evident.

I went for my 12 month check up with Mr Hutt, he was very pleased with my progress, the bone is growing into the replacement and overall he is very happy besides the ruddy thigh pain. We talked about what was causing it, the shape of the stem, which is a documented issue but fairly rare. The tip rests on the bone of the femur, which is causing the pain, we think.  Hutt feels it is a pressure differential between the metal and bone. Hence when there is pressure put on the joint moving there is pain flairs.

He has suggested we leave it for another six months, to see if it rights itself. If not we will have to have a CT scan and isolate if it is the whole stem or the just the tip of the stem causing the issue. If it is the whole stem the option will be replacing just the stem.  If it is the tip, it would be putting in a plate to spread the pressure and possibly some bone grafts. Of course the third option will be to leave it and live with it.

In the meantime I am going to try to lose some weight and strengthen the muscles around the hip. This may help and frankly I am ready to grasp at those straws.  I am overweight and the muscles are weak so there are improvements to be made there regardless.

Needless to say the thought of more surgery and revising the implant has made me quite upset and my mental health has taken a bit of a tumble with this newish development. I am really disappointed about it and finding it difficult not to worry big time. It will not be an easy decision if I have to make it. Thankfully Mr Gin is being wonderful and supportive as always.

So Hippy Birthday to me and hopefully this will pass.

Six Week check - Mr Hutt

So, today was my six week check up.

I trundled my way out to the far reaches of Wimbledon. Went through the now standard excitement of X-Ray (Yay for yoga pants) and then without much waiting it was off to see Mr Hutt.

Mr Hutt 

He was very pleased with the scar, even though I have had an awful outbreak of eczema around the scar. That should be solved with large amount moisturiser.

The implant is a titanium and ceramic S-ROM implant with a Pinnacle cuff. It is attached using ‘Press Fit’, which means they are both uncemented and the bone should grow to attach them firmly.  It has a long stem and the reason for some of the thigh pain I have. Hopefully this will disappear but this could stick around. It also is closer to a normal hip on its angles so I have a different range of movement. Not a huge different but it does explain why my turn in is not as awesome as it used to be. The small fracture I got in surgery was because I have round shaped femur and not elliptical like most people. The stem is shaped for normal people and was a very tight fit.

Mr Hutt was awesome and answered the three pages of questions I had. Very matter of fact. Very little sugar coating. The left hip looks good but not great and I should be aware that it could go but he said that is a while away yet.

He was impressed by the knee bruise, he felt it was referred bleeding from the operation.It was not something he had seen before. He said that knee had been twisted but not to the bruising extent.

He also said that I can ski and ice skate but to be aware that if I do take a tumble and fracture the right femur it is more likely to be a nasty fracture.  So I shall think about those. Cycling and swimming are for the win the win. This bit is for Red, Mr Hutt was slightly horrified at the thought of Skydiving and that the release of the shute could cause some issues. He did not say no but did look little bemused by the suggestion. He did say that marathons were totally off the table.

So, onto slightly more practical matters. I am able to get rid of the second crutch and when the Physios are happy with the walk, getting rid of the second crutch soon. Also, I can gently attempt to go for putting on socks and tying up laces. If my muscles allow it I should also be able to squat and to sit cross legged.  If I manage to sit cross legged, this will be something I have never done! Never!

There is very little I should not be doing. Most of the danger zone for dislocation is over, and I have to be aware of some twisting but generally it all good. I doubt Prima Ballerina is going happen but I think that there will be a new me.

So, this is a large thank you to Mr Jonathan Hutt for undertaking the job.  At six week I am more than happy with the outcome and the care both he and the EOC showed. Mr Hutt said that we really should know in 12 months how well it has gone.  Hopefully the year mark will be a show case for exciting new movement and life.

An entertaining nights viewing, possibly.

As part of my pack of information I received a DVD of patient information.
This is produced by the Elective Orthopaedic Centre (OCE) out in the wilds of Epsom. It is a practical video, moving through all the stages of the hospital stay and beyond.

There were lots of talking heads, generally the head of the division that they represented. They do 5000 procedures a year. And are world leaders. The wards look clean and modern and they have some strict suggestions for pre-operation, including a visit to the dentist and a flu jab. Both of these I'm going to try to chase down. They have low rates of infections for good reasons. They also want people to cut back on the booze, this could be harder than finding a NHS dentist appointment in December!

There were no real surprises, I have read all the pamphlets they sent. I suspect we are going to need a sexy toilet seat for the first little while and carry a firm cushion for the tube and other sitting experiences. I am currently looking at options to decorate the compression stockings.
It was validating to see my stick my leg out behind me yoga pose for picking up items is a "hip safe" effort. I would like to see what they make of my broken crane yoga wobbling pose I use for putting on my socks.

The patients show were generally old except for the young man in suit trousers and shirt, I think they found him by advertising for a job and filmed the interview. Mind the surgeon speaking to him was in his scrubs and frankly had such an odd head covering we thought he may have been a Dr Who extra.
I learnt there was a colour code with the nursing staff but sadly it was not traffic light colours.

They educated about correct use of crutches and canes, no martial arts involved with that, frankly, again disappointed. I am seriously thinking about inventing a walking stick martial art. They showed a walking frame too, ye olde zimmer frame, still not as cool as the walking frame I had when I was six. It I have to use one of those in the real world I will be adding flames and go faster stripes.

There was a brief moment I thought they we going to talk about post op sex, something I interested in and I am lead to believe is Mr Gin. But no, I have to ask for a separate pamphlet for that excitement. To quote a friend it is like, "GO and read the erotic fiction in the tie in book" That's so lame! When I get the pamphlet I will share it with you, I expect it to be very clinical and unimaginative.

There was no operations show, there was even a trigger notice on the cover saying this. I was disappointed, now considering if they ask to film the op, to ask for a copy. A bit gross and morbid but play to your strengths.

So, in short the DVD was entertaining but lacked any gore or adults scenes.

We have a date.

This came in the mail today. It is not a surprise to me, I had been rung to confirm it but I wanted to have it in writing.

So 2016 is the year of the Hip. The year of the S-RON! 21 of January. A Thursday.

I have a lot of pamphlets to read and a DVD, no operations show.  Boo.

If you can read the procedure line on the letter, there is a word in brackets. (Complex) I think I may have to get that tattooed somewhere.

Divorce? Cake walk.

So, the waiting game has continues and managing crunchy hip continues.
This week has been good, I got a massage and it was my first Wednesday working from home. My boss had to be told to chill about it last week, he tends to over complicate matters. The day went well, I got a lot done and felt fairly rested at the end of the day.
The massage seems to help, my whole body is being affected by crunchy, with all the muscles in both legs, back, shoulders tightening. Freeing them gives quite a bit of relief.
The managing and waiting is stressful though. I get frustrated when there is another thing I can not do. Or becomes a struggle. Or requires Tramadol to complete. And everything takes so long! Staying close to home makes life easier but for me makes it more stressful because I miss out on things I like to do.
You see those lists of the most stressful things you can do in life, moving house and divorce being so of the most.
I've done both and divorce is worse than moving house, moving house there are lots of things you can do to make it less stressful. Divorce is horrid, mine was relatively civil with my ex husband wanting to get over with more than being a cock (although that did not stop him being a cock). Due the lack of children the divorce was relatively quick about eight months.
This saga started two years ago but ramped up in the last 12 months. The last six have been tough, a strain on me and my partner. We have moved house in all this too. For me a new job triggered how bad it had got and Mr Gin also got a new job. We really don't do things by halves.

I am trying my best to handle it all and you may think I am a little insane but am finally getting divorced from my second husband. Why in this stressful time? Because a new hip will be a game changer and I would life that a clean slate and also it remove the knotty next of kin issue, Mr Gin is that person, no one else.

Onward and upwards, limping, armed with a cane and damn the stress!

Chasing my tail

The two week deadline has passed for contact from the Elective Orthopedic Centre , no word, not a peep. I'm not surprised but slightly peeved that I'm not surprised.

So, today it will be chasing, chasing the health check date and hopefully a surgery date. Making sure it is Jonathan Hutt doing the cutting. Then chasing my doctor's surgery for a prescription of Naproxen, the drug that seems to be making life much more easier to deal with.

I will also be chasing work, re working from home, as the start date is looming for that. I'm glad that work have finally realised how bad it all is. It took a while, I'm not sure if they thought I should be in tears or something. I've formed the opinion my perception of pain is quite different to the rest of the world. I blame film for this, not all of us go around screaming and wailing. I go ofph, that is it, a small sound as the pain sharpens up. The same pain that reduced me to tears six months ago. The body is amazing. I do get relief, there are times it doesn't hurt but they are getting rarer. The drugs reduce it to a dull ache and the big drug, tramadol, can make the pain go completely.

 I have been helping my women's institute branch organise an early Halloween party.  To get through the evening I took some tramadol, I wore cool boots and divided my time between sitting and standing. It was a good time and I felt great besides the bottom of the barrel feeling of dislocation. My Halloween team and Mr Gin were aware of this and were great in making sure the barrel was not too deep. The evening was a success and I felt as close to the old me as I can get. I am hoping the new hip does this without the bottom of the barrel feeling.
 
My hat goes off to those who have much more pain and manage life.

I hope today I catch my tail.

Our hero battles a panther, Hutt and official old lady status.

Panther.

My morning began with a dropped Naproxen pill and trying to convince our forever hungry black cat that the white pill was not a treat and not fall over picking the damn thing up!

Hutt.

The main job today was to get to St George hospital in Tooting, an hour and half journey of bus, tube, tube and a bit of a walk.
Finding the department was a challenge because I had no letter due to the short notice. I knew who it was to be with and after directions from a helpful volunteer I found my way to the orthopaedic and trauma department. Filled with young people with busted limbs, older people with sticks and a lot of sets of crutches, it was a busy place and I registered my presence via the electronic do hickey instead of queuing and settled in for a long wait.  Ten minutes and my name was called!  Win!
The lovely nurse informed me I had to take myself off to x-ray. I had already sent one in but they wanted more. I walked past the same volunteer and presented my slip to the lady. At that point I was told there would be a two hour wait!  I may not of worn my yoga pants that are helpful for x-rays but I did bring a book. I checked in with Mr Gin, having to leave as there was no signal and then came back in and settled down to read the book.  This was a much better plan that shopping like my first though as I got into four pages in and my name was called. I was about to introduce crunchy the hip to a trainee radiographer and have to wear a hospital gown! Joy!
The x-ray was quite uncomfortable, really odd pose in one of the shots. The radiographer did have a fun time finding bits of pelvis, as they feel peculiar due to bone graft donor sites.
Back to the delightfully named Orthopaedics and Trauma clinic. Again ready for a wait. Again, not much of one.
The person who called me was not Phillip Mitchell, he introduced himself as Mr Hutt. No a good start. It turns out Mr Hutt has a special interest in younger hip issue patients with a focus on people like myself with complications of childhood surgery.  He seemed very interested and was surprised that I had early x-rays with me.We did a history. Then moved to why I made sure I wore sensible underwear. He called for a hospital gown, I know from experience that this is a fiddly way to do these exams. Clear view of the legs and pelvis helps the doctor and I have done it so much of this, I am not fussed about gowns. So, I walked the hobbly walk. Scored my hyper-mobility, 8/9. Then the pulling, twisting and bending and making me go ouch. He also checked the scar on the side of my thigh, he said they could excise the scar and extend it.
Trousers on and a long talk about the complications that could occur. One of the more worrying ones is a possibility of doing damage to my sciatic nerve.  Apparently with the amount of surgery I have had there is a possibility the nerve is not in the normal location and could be close to the surgery site, and permanent damage done. A surprising thing is my right leg could end up longer than my left!
The short outcome is the hip is full of arthritis and there is no joint space left in the hip, it is worn out. I could either leave it and carry on or get a hip replacement.

And this is the metal:  https://www.depuysynthes.com/hcp/hip/products/qs/S-ROM-Modular-Hip-System

I have said yes to this, it is needful, I am not going to be able to live like this much longer, I want my life back.  It will take 6 to 12 months to recover. Younger hip replacement recipients struggle with recovery because of the lack of feedback through the joint. I am not sure I have had much feedback besides pain!  So, 2016 is the year of the new hip. No marathons but still good.

And it will be done by Jonathan Hutt, because as a younger surgeon, he will be around to do the left and right revision.  Also, he was not offended when I was very hesitant about him and said I could swap surgeons if I wanted. I also had a good vibe from him, he is my age and understands why I'm all about wanting my life back. And with some luck, I won't call him Jabba.

Old Lady Status.

I now own slip on Sketcher shoes, Old lady shoes but ones I can put on myself!

Thank you Mr Gin for helping me through today.

Slow, slow, lightening fast.

Friday afternoon was a touch stressful, I got a phone call from Central Booking at St Georges, offering me an appointment to see a consultant on Monday morning.

It seems that the email to PALS worked, but I had no idea it would be that short notice.

Sadly it is not with the surgeon I originally asked for but it is with Phillip Mitchell, he has written lots of papers on the 'nitty gritty' aspects of replacements, he also seems to have a reputation for taking on complicated cases and ones that other surgeons won't touch.  I am pleased with this, because although my hip is very odd and looks like it was built by a blind plaster, it is not a complete mess, nor shattered and not a result of other trauma. The other thing is that he does almost double the national average hip replacements. As long as he or Mr Bridle are doing the surgery, I will be happy.  (He is also younger and does a lot revision work and maybe still working when the left finally goes.)

I have a long list of questions, I am EXTREMELY nervous. I am doing this initial consultation solo. I am making sure I wear sensible underwear, because no doubt, sans trousers hobbling and scar looking will be needed.

*gulp*