Need some friends out there

angilee

Hi everyone

My name is Angilee, I have impingement in both my hips,meaning there is extra bone on the head of the femur,so it does not fit in the socket properly. I am currently waiting to see a specialist to see how much arthritis there is............I think hip replacement is going to be in my near future. I f anyone else has this problem I would love to hear from you.

I am sick of the pain,I also have knee pain(undiagnosed at the moment) and pain in my fingers and thumbs.

As you will all know,it is hard carrying on with pain,trying to work and do everything.

I would just like some support as I am feeling very scared and depressed at the moment.


Angilee

suzster

hi Angilee and welcome!
i don't know if its the same but i had extra bone on my femur / hip following an injury, i dislocated my hip and thats when the new bone grew.
i had an op to remove the bone but it had already damaged my hip and so i ended up with osteo arthritis in it.
a few years ago i had a resurfacing op on my hip which helped a lot. sadly since then i have rheumatoid arthritis which effects all my joints but at least my hip is better!!
hopefully others can help you, we are a very friendly bunch!!
sue

dreamdaisy

You poor girl, I am not surprised you feel at a low ebb, coping with all that. I can't help on the hip thing in anyway shape or form, but I do understand about the pain thing. Unrelenting, unremitting, unreasonable and unhealthy as it gets one down so - yup, that sounds familiar.

I have psoriatic arthritis, which is very similar to rheumatoid. I have to take lots of horrid meds that really don't seem to do much (they probably do, but on the day-to-day routine stuff it's always a bit of a struggle!) and I am currently getting thro a flare. I'm propped up on steroids - I love 'em! I like my painkillers too, I find them useful. Arthritis is isolating, as no-one understands how it feels, how one's condition can vary so widely from day to day, adn it can cause problems within families and the relationships therein. Finding the forum was a revelation - I'm not the only one struggling, people here are very supportive and encouraging, I can ask questions and get answers from interested people (unlike the docs sometimes!), sometimes I can answer questions too. It's great, stick with us, we'll get you through. Have a look at the other forums too, chitchat is more funfilled and topical, the others are self-explanatory. DD

tkachev

Hi Angilee,

It is very difficult to cope with all lifes demands as well as suffer pain. It does get you down. Come on the forum if you have any questions and chit chat for a laugh. You can put your feet up at the same time....
I have had a Total hip replacement but dont have your specific problem. It did really helpwith the pain and my ability to care for the children and house,


Elizabeth

angie1973

Hello and hugs to you Angilee.

It must be so difficult with the pain for you, I hope you get some results soon so they can offer you some good pain relief and treatment.

There are plenty of understanding and supporting people on here only too willing to be your friend, so don't be afraid to get stuck in and join us.

Take care
Ange..xx

angilee wrote:

Hi everyone

My name is Angilee, I have impingement in both my hips,meaning there is extra bone on the head of the femur,so it does not fit in the socket properly. I am currently waiting to see a specialist to see how much arthritis there is............I think hip replacement is going to be in my near future. I f anyone else has this problem I would love to hear from you.

I am sick of the pain,I also have knee pain(undiagnosed at the moment) and pain in my fingers and thumbs.

As you will all know,it is hard carrying on with pain,trying to work and do everything.

I would just like some support as I am feeling very scared and depressed at the moment.


Angilee

annebr

Angilee,

I also have FAI (impingement) of both hips and OA. I had an arthoscopy on my right hip and there was so much damage they closed it back up. My Ortho surgeon then conducted an osteochondralplasty but there were a few issues.

I know exactly how you feel sometimes just everyday tasks can feel like climbing a mountain.

Do you have a good doctor? He may be able to give you something to help with your feelings?

Anne

angilee

annebr wrote:

Angilee,Hi Anne,good to hear from you.....it is great to link with someone else in the same situation. Would be nice to know a little more about you......what was the op you had? what kind of impingement do you have?.....This is the problem I have at the moment......to my mind it is not worth having arthroscopic surgery if there is a lot of arthritis present.......waiting to find out about that....this could take some time. How do you manage your pain.........a lot of questions I know...but I am feeling very down at the moment
I am keen on hillwalking,but I am getting less able to do what I could before.
Hope to stay in touch with you.

Angilee

I also have FAI (impingement) of both hips and OA. I had an arthoscopy on my right hip and there was so much damage they closed it back up. My Ortho surgeon then conducted an osteochondralplasty but there were a few issues.

I know exactly how you feel sometimes just everyday tasks can feel like climbing a mountain.

Do you have a good doctor? He may be able to give you something to help with your feelings?

Anne

elnafinn

Hi Angilee:)

I am sorry to hear that you are feeling down but being in pain does not help one jot. It may be that the pain you are having in your knees is not being helped by the way you are perhaps walking in trying to ease the pain from your hips. I do hope that you will not have to wait too long for a specialist appointment. I would not leave it too long before finding out what is going on with your appointment if you do not hear soon. Sometimes we get lost in the system so it is reassuring to know that at least you are definitely on a list.

Now that you have found us you are no longer alone and you will make friends on here. We all know what it is like to a greater or lesser degree, that is why we are here.

Have you been given any medication to help with the pain in the meanwhile until you see a specialist? I find a wheatbag wrapped around my hands helps when they are giving me gip. Anti inflammatories prescribed by my gp help too. Some people find the pain/stiffness eases by placing their hands in hot water.

If you have time, why not call in on the CC zone and have a cuppa and chat in the cafe and see what else is going on there that you may like to join in with. There is something for everyone on there or you could start a new thread

I do hope you will post more and let us know how you go on.



Luv
Elna x

annebr

Angilee,

I'm at work at the mo so can't do a long reply. Just thought I should drop you a quick response. I will post more details of my condition & op, plus what I am doing now.

If you need to ask me anything, feel free to PM me.

Anne

speedalong

Hi Angilee and welcome,

I don't have an impingement but was born with hip problems and left hip developed arthritis and was replaced and my right hip was semi dislocated for years and it too succumbed to OA and I had a resurface-replacement. The semi-dislocated position of my right hip caused knee and foot problems - though the pain is much improved since the op.

I totally sympathise with the carrying on in pain trying to work and carry out daily living tasks - I put off my second hip op for as long as possible and now realise that no time is "right" for an op and I should have had it sooner as although I'm not back to the normal mobility of someone without arthritis of my age, I am a lot better off than I was before the op.
This forum encouraged me to feel better about having the op as I read lots of post of people recovering and those who wanted the very op I was putting off!!

This forum is great for sharing the ups and downs of struggling with (arther) arthritis - which is less easy to do with people who don't really understand what it is like.

Speedy

speedalong

Hi Suzie, great that your hip is much better, but I'm sorry to hear you have developed RA too.

There are not many people on the forum with resurfaced hips - I had a resurface-replacement in May this year. Did you have a Birmingham resurface? Tell me more ...!!

Speedy

marion1952

Hello Angilee

Welcome to the Forum.

I've never heard of your hip condition, but from your description it does sound really, really painful.

I had a hip replacement in May this year (16 weeks ago today, to be precise!) because of OA, and all I can say is that the operation was definitely worth it.. It's taking me a bit longer to recover because I also have RA, but I returned to work at 13 weeks post op and I'm very pleased with how it's all gone...

Please keep posting and let us know how you get on.

Marion

annebr

Angilee,

I'm back again. I wouldn't dismiss an arthscopy out of hand, discuss all options with your consultant. When I had mine they 'tidied' up the hip a bit & said I had to go for the bigger op. This surgery was bigger than a THR but he had a lot of work to do. As well as the impingement I had OA, laberal tears and all my soft tissue had turned to bone. So basically they reshaped my hip and I have 3 pins in it, the point of this was to try & save the joint for a bit longer.

I am just over a year post op and I have a lot of pain still, I take quite heavy duty pain meds on a daily basis and I may need the THR sooner rather than later. They haven't done any work on my left hip yet, although it appears to be a mirror image of the right.

Feel free to pM me, if you have any questions.

anne

elielass

Hi Angilee

I am sorry to hear that you feel so isolated because of your health problems.
I have o.a. of my feet, knees, hips, pelvis, spine and hands, so like yourself, pain is now my friend.
This is a lovely forum, and such friendly people on here.

Please know that it is really only people who have the same probs as yourself or similar probs, who can really understand where you are coming from and how you feel.

I have a great family but they dont really understand how I feel having to cope with all this pain on a daily basis. There is just no let up despite taking 21 pain killers per day.

I mean no disrespect to non arthritis sufferes, its just that only other sufferers know what our life is really like.

My mind wants to do what my body just cant do anymore and its totally frustrating.

Take care and remember this is a lovely forum.

ann xxx

angilee

Thank you everyone for your replies,It is nice to get support and friendship.

I will keep in touch on the forum.

Angilee

sharmaine

Hi Angilee

Sorry to hear that you're in pain. I would suggest that you see your GP for better pain meds. I hope all goes well when you see the specialist. I know what knee pain is like - not nice at all. I've had one TKR this year and will have another one next year. Lots of people on the site have had THR and I'm sure will be along with some good advice for you. Could you ask for reduced working hours?

It can't be easy working when you're feeling like this. I gave up my job just over two years ago because of OA but that isn't always an option for everyone. Could you see your work's Occupation Therapist to improve your working conditions?

You could also refer yourself to your local OT to get things improved around the home. If your get your meds sorted to deal with your pain then the days aren't so bad. This is one of the first lessons I learned from the great people on this site - staying ahead of the pain.

I hope you feel better soon and that things go well at your appointment.

Regards
Sharmaine

valval

just popped in to see how you are doing hugs val

angilee

Thank you all so much for being kind and caring,I guess only other sufferers know what it is really like.

I hope to sort out some pain meds with my dr,but doing a bit of research on them at the moment. I am a bit scared of them to be honest.

Angilee

suzster

speedalong wrote:

Hi Suzie, great that your hip is much better, but I'm sorry to hear you have developed RA too.

There are not many people on the forum with resurfaced hips - I had a resurface-replacement in May this year. Did you have a Birmingham resurface? Tell me more ...!!

Speedy

hi speedy,
yes i had a birmingham hip resurfacing about 6 years ago now. i have a huge scar to prove it lol!!!
also have my own x ray of the hip which i love showing off!!
i had it done in guys hospital, it took a lot of time to get it though, i had seen a specialist in my local hospital but he refused me a hip replacement because at the age of 29 he said i was to young, so he referred me to the specialist at guys who decided that a hip resurface was my best option. i spent months researching it before my op, even got in touch with the makers of the birmingham hip who sent me lots of info!! i had to know it was the right thing to do!!
it has improved my life so much, i had such terrible pain in that hip which really restricted my life.
any questions just yell!!!
sue (who's hip someyimes sets off the alarms in shops!!)

hileena111

Yes please keep in touch....I've just come back ontoday.....I havent got your problem but pain...yes.....hips yes. I had my first hip replacement 6 months ago and due to have the 2nd one in 6weeks time
Keep popping in and chatting. We are friendly...and ask ask ask LOL LOL ...I do.

Love {{{}}}}}hugs Hileena

speedalong

Hi Suzie,

thanks for replying, I think if you are young and a suitable candidate and have an experienced surgeon then a Birmingham hip is a good option.

To lose the hip pain is great isn't it. Is your hip free from all aches and pains now? Could you do everything you wanted to do with it before the RA came on the scene? Anything you can't do now that you could before the pain set in and you had the op? How often are you reviewed?

I haven't set off any alarms yet and I have metal both sides - perhaps I have a bit more padding in the thigh area!!

Speedy