Mental health help before hip op

anxioussarah

Hello

CCan Anyone suggest any help please I'm feeling so anxious and very down &, crying because I cannot do much because of poor mobility

I Have my pre op appt this Mon 8th April but no date for my op yet

Just struggling to cope and it's also affecting my wife

Thanks in advance Jean

helpline_team

Hello @anxioussarah , Jean, thank you for posting on our Online Community. I am sorry to hear that you are feeling so down. It is understandable that you are feeling anxious about your upcoming hip surgery and trying to cope with everything while you are still experiencing a lot of pain and struggling with poor mobility. It is good that you have your Pre-op assessment on Monday 8th April, not long now. This will be a good opportunity to ask questions and to talk about your concerns and anxieties. Usually, you are given a contact number you can phone if you have further questions after this assessment prior to the operation.

If at any time you feel it would help to talk things through informally and in confidence with one of our Helpline team, you are welcome to call our Free Helpline on 0800 5200 520 weekdays 9am - 6pm. You are also welcome to post on our Living with arthritis — Versus Arthritis forum which is a very positive and supportive space where you can ask questions and share experiences with others.

In the meantime, it may help to talk to your GP about how you are feeling and the emotional impact of what you are going through. Some people find Mindfulness, Talking therapies or CBT can help. Samaritans Free helpline is available 24/7 to talk about anything that is troubling you. Your local branch of MIND could be another source of support too.

I hope you find the information given below of some help.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/surgery/hip-replacement-surgery/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/emotional-wellbeing/

Please keep posting and let us know how you are getting on.

Best wishes,

Fiona, Helpline Advisor

Janlyn

@anxioussarah So sorry to read this but some good suggestions above from Fiona.

Is there any chance you can get a date sorted at your pre-op - you must let them know how you are affected and the impact on your life - I'm sure they will understand. Actually going for your pre-op may reassure you to some degree.

Take care, and wishing you all the best.