Lara79 – About Me

Hi fellow Hip Runners and thanks, Tom! I appreciate the welcome. I am definitely thrilled to find this website with like minded people who have gone through THR and providing support and advice in this forum. I have been at odds with the naysayers before this website showed up, mostly telling me to take it easy. I cannot.

To that end, I have decided to opt for THR surgery in the near future. I have to wait til a family member returns from a trip as I’m all alone in this venture and I’m told the recovery period requires assistance. I would very much like to hear anyone’s story about how they managed their recovery periods. For example, were they able to go upstairs (I have two flights of stairs in my house). Did they have to take heavy pain medications (I loathe them and prefer ibuprofen). Anything.

Let me introduce myself. Four months ago, I was diagnosed with severe osteoarthritis on my right hip and yes, it is genetic (both my parents had it). I struggled valiantly for 3 years before getting that diagnosis (I have a stubborn personality, thinking it all will go away,that is my nature and I’m not one to get sick at all. I have so many sick leave hours unused) and then deciding enough is enough. The pain is manageable, I have learned to live with it, but the quality of life has degraded and I no longer had the “go, go, go” impetus I used to have, plus I was getting awfully tired at end of the day. Not worth it. Prior to the diagnosis, I was an avid runner and then switched to fitness swimming after the diagnosis. I still swim. I recently bought a Bowflex Trainer hoping it would be a good substitute for running and after a few tries I had to stop. I decided right there and then the surgery was necessary.

So I will be going to a pre-op appointment with my doctor within a couple of weeks and will post the results. Today is day one for my journey into a strange new world of THR and I am looking forward to a life pain free and lots activities. If you guys did it, I can too.

I am so happy to be able to go to a place where I can find the information I need to fit my lifestyle, when it involves THR. The information I had read so far was invaluable in helping me to be able to communicate with my doctor about the right THR program for me. The surgeon is Dr. Todd Sloan at Fairfax Hospital in Virginia. Anyone know him? I am told he is an excellent THR surgeon. So far he recommended I do not exercise at all until the surgery, but I kept on swimming. I had to. And I always seem to feel better after swimming, so it got to have been more beneficial than not.

Oh, and I’m 53 years old chronologically and 30 years old biologically. Hope to hear from you guys. I will keep you posted with my journey.

Lara