Author: Chiefy

I’m now in my ninth week post Left  THR – MEKO procedure – posterior – Stryker Ceramic Femoral Head and X Link Polymer Polyethylene Cup – both non cemented. All done at Nuffield Health Trust Glasgow (self pay). I’ve probably learnt more about myself and my body in the last 12 months than I did in the previous 66 years. It’s becoming obvious now that my recovery started the day I was told I needed a THR and went on to get the best possible advice. After my diagnosis was confirmed by X-ray I was placed on the NHS waiting list in Scotland – circa 3 years! My Physio gave me two choices – 1. I could drastically cut my activity (and stop running) with light Physio which might enable me to last until the NHS Op. 2. I could maintain a high level of activity (but not running) with more targeted Physio and opt for Private Surgery much sooner. At that time I knew very little about the whole process so I embarked on an education / research  spree. I opted for the NHS route to begin with but the more people I spoke to that had gone through this and the more research I did, I realised that my decision would affect the rest of my life. If I carried on with the NHS route, there was no choice of procedure or materials and I could be faced with significant muscle wastage as my activity capability declined pre Op. Although daunted by the cost I changed my decision after 6 months. I initially chose Spire in Edinburgh and was told to expect a cost of around £13k. At my initial consultancy I was told that there had been a big increase in costs during Covid, so to expect £18k with a waiting time of 6 weeks. I booked surgery. After a couple of weeks I decided to do more research and looked into the Nuffield Health Trust in Glasgow. Their advertised THR costs £12.3k for the MEKO Procedure. I booked a Consultation which subsequently gave me so much … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Hi all,

I retired at 56 after 40 years at sea (Chief Engineer Officer). I’d always thought I was fit – nah – not even close. I gave up smoking, started cycling and hill walking in Scotland. Along the way I was diagnosed with Hypertension and had a nasty motorbike accident. Medication and activity solved the Hypertension and helped me recover from the accident. At 62 I started running which completely took over my life. Although I entered many events I consider myself as a recreational runner. For years I’ve run with a group of friends on a Sunday morning – breakfast always included somewhere. It is my life. Last year Aug 2021, six of us ran from Dundee to Edinburgh via the Fife Coastal Path – 100 miles – Event Scurry Two Bridges. We ran in relays and I totalled about 30 miles, much of it on soft sand which was brutal. During the event I was suffering from horrendous backache which I’d never had before. The following week I was struggling to walk 200 mtrs. Long story short a trip to the Physio diagnosed limited mobility in my left hip and severe inflammation – possible damaged or worn out hip. At this point I realised that the difficulty I had been experiencing for 18 months, getting on and off my bike from the left hand side was not groin strain at all but my left hip gradually getting worse. Physio’s advice – no more running for you Ian. I was devastated. I sat in the car, parked outside and just broke down. I phoned one of my running pals and instead of sympathy I got was  brilliant advice from her  – “get it properly diagnosed and if you need a new hip, it could all be sorted by this time next year”. I got recommended to another Physio – Jo McColgan in Forfar ( from the infamous McColgan running family ). I wrote her a letter and she took me on as a regular patient. Jo has kept me going for 12 months, physically and mentally up till … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)