‘In the long term Lily, a hip replacement will be the only option’.
He carried on explaining the reasons why but I don’t think any of us were truly taking the words in. I couldn’t help it, silent tears tumbled down my cheeks, dragging my make up with it. We left his office and I fixed myself up, all the emotions that had come out in that room were left behind when the door shut. We continued our day in London and put the news behind us.
My parents had been to I would need a THR, but they weren’t expecting it before I was 30.
Throw back to November 2014, 1 year ago. I was in my second year at university and was still determined to play sport. During my first year I had played for the 3rd team but my new pain levels meant this was no longer possible. I dropped myself a team so the physical demand would be less on my hip. By November I couldn’t play a full game, I would lean on my knees when I could to take some of the weight away from my hips. It was time to see Mr Witt again.
Another scan revealed even more damage, a laberal tear, hip impingement and three large arthritic cysts. I quite honestly have no idea how I was still walking, let alone playing hockey! I was taking a lot of strong medication, but so many would be bed bound by this point. My Mum and I have a theory that I ignored the pain for so many years I didn’t consciously register the pain. If you asked me specific questions, only then did it become apparent the true pain I was in.
I had also developed a very unusual walking gait, or as some fondly called it, ‘My gangster walk ‘ or ‘hipster swag’. I would swing it from back to front by angling my pelvis and hitching my waist. In other words, I looked totally bizarre when I walked, but I didn’t notice, I was completely oblivious.
Mr Witt and I decided to book an operation date and sort the laberal tear. The date went in the diary and I booked a new appointment as a last minute check up before the op.
Throw back to Easter 2015, the beginning of my blog. Mum, Dad and I made another venture to London for my appointment. From the many years I have spent going to appointments we have learnt, NEVER expect things to go to plan. This was a prime example. The arthritis had yet again progressed too quickly and the planned interim operation, before the inevitable hip replacement could no longer go ahead.
I was left with two options, hold out until I was wheelchair bound and could no longer take another step, or jump left hip forward and have the hip replacement that June, just 2 months away.
As this is a throw back we all know my decision. I completed my second year at university on the Friday, even while popping several strong pain killers each day, went to Goodwood horse races, packed in a quick 4 day holiday and had the total hip replacement on the Wednesday.
At my 5-month check up with Mr Witt I was given the all clear to start building towards running. I am now 6 months post-op having taken a year away from uni to recoup and still working hard to get fit and strong again. I am cycling twice a week, and swimming if I can while doing other exercises at home. I am no longer seeing my physio as I am at the stage where I just need to focus on building muscle and blimey does it take forever!
I have even BEEN ON A RUN!!
Weirdly my knees are giving me the most pain so its back to the gym to strengthen my knee muscles.
Watch this space to see me running!