Housewife and
grandmother Margaret, 67 from Rainham in Kent enjoys
Ballroom dancing, Latin American dancing and swimming.
When I was at school I often had pain in my back and right leg and was
told that I would suffer later in life but I did not know why. I
continued to play sports, netball and hockey after leaving school until
I was about 40 when I then learnt to dance with my husband (who was
rather reluctant!) Later on he gave up but I carried on and started
competing.
In 1976 I was diagnosed with early degeneration of the spine (perhaps
that is what they meant in my school days) and told to keep active which
I have done. About ten years before my operation, I noticed when trying
on clothes that my hips were not level, but I did not do anything about
it. In 2000 after some months of discomfort, I went to the doctor with
pain in my leg and groin and she sent me for an X-ray. The X-ray showed
that I had arthritis (wear and tear) but not bad enough to do
anything. I continued with an active
lifestyle but the pain and movement gradually got worse and
I had to pick up my leg to get it in the car. My leg used to
let me down and I limped quite badly. I could not walk any
distance without stopping and I lived on painkillers.
I went back to the doctor in August 2002, she wrote to another
consultant and I had another X-ray. I received an appointment for
consultation for November 2002 where my surgeon told me I needed an
operation - possibly a Hip Resurfacing but he did not explain to me what
this was and what it entailed. In July 2003 (12-15 months on the waiting
list) I phoned the hospital to see if I could get the operation done
earlier as my daughter in America was expecting a baby at the end of
November 2003. They were very helpful and said they would try and
re-schedule it for September 2003. In August, I received a letter for a
pre-op assessment in September. At the assessment, the consultant
explained that he did not know whether I would need a total hip
replacement or resurfacing until he, as he put it, “got there”. The
hospital had nothing to show or explain what Resurfacing was and the
consultant told me he had asked Corin for some patient videos and
patient guides and that he would send me one as soon as they came. Was I
guinea Pig? I’ll never know. The video and book arrived the next week
and they were very helpful. I had the operation October 1st 2003 and it
was very successful.
Two days after the operation I started walking with a Zimmer frame,
there was no physio as it was the weekend. After five days, I started to
walk with crutches and doing exercises. After eight days, I went home. The
only thing after the operation that concerned me was the fact that my
knee and upper leg swelled up and my knee was twice the size of my good
leg. The doctor said that it would go and there was nothing to worry
about.
After arriving home, from the calf of my leg to above the knee came out
in bruises and despite wearing elastic stockings, the swelling spread to
my foot and ankle - I could not get a shoe on. The knee began to go down
but in the end I saw my own doctor and she gave me a short course of
water tablets which gradually took away the swelling in my foot and
ankle.
My recovery was slow but sure which was probably due to my age and lack
of confidence. I was on crutches for six weeks then sticks to go to
America for two and a half weeks to see my new baby grandson in Florida. I could
take about ten steps unaided after five and half weeks. I did not drive until we
returned to England. By nine weeks I was walking unaided everywhere but
carried a stick for confidence “just in case” was my favourite saying. I
climbed stairs well with the aid of banisters from about seven weeks.
At the January check up I got the registrar to give me more hip
strengthening exercises from the Physiotherapist. I went back to
swimming once a week. Mid February I began dancing lessons again-easy
steps and only for 15 minutes.
At the end of March 2004 I went to America again to look after my
grandson for three weeks - pushing him in the pram up and down hills - good
exercise. At the end of April onwards, I began swimming twice a week. My
dancing increased and the time and difficulty of steps became better as
my confidence grew. In mid June I achieved my goal, first competition
since June 2004 in which I came second. In mid July, I took an advanced
exam, and passed with honours.
I would thoroughly recommend a Hip Resurfacing if possible to anyone,
any age, even though I was slightly older than the upper age limit
(stated in the book). My advice to anyone would be, set yourself a goal
to work towards and make sure you continue to do exercises at home
everyday at least for the first three months, I did!
I can now walk easily, dance and swim again but the main thing is NO
PAIN!
