Should I Cancel?

[suzyed]

10 hours ago, Shippy said:

I would NEVER travel in a wheelchair again.

I KNOW this experience is NOT typical.

We did a cruise 2 years ago to avoid not losing all the credits. My knees were bad & I put off surgery.

  Had to use a heavy brace & cane. SFO to Miami. Layover in Texas.

Did a wheelchair in the airport & getting on & off the boat.

Kind, fantastic service UNTIL the way back.

  Got a TSA agent from hell. I told my husband to go ahead to the gate as I might take awhile.

I am a tough old bird but was caught so off guard by this agent I was in tears. She harassed me for almost an hour. I do not care what anyone says....nothing happens to these people.

   She insisted I could walk. Took my cane AND brace & put them through the xray. She insisted on seeing my boarding pass. I told her it was in my purse which went through the xray machine. She told me how stupid I was to do that because you should always hold on to it.

 It went down hill from there... I will not bore you with the rest of the sordid details.

Point is I never understood how totally venerable you are & how although most are kind, there are those fewth tormented souls that take their misery out on you.

    Have now have had both knees replaced & have no pain in either one. Those are really bad ass surgeries but end result is worth it !

I hear that hip replacement is much easier nowadays. Do not put it off if inevitable. It will change the quality of your life.

So sorry for the terrible treatment you had to endure....there really are some awful people out there.  That shouldn't happen to anyone!  
I am glad you chose the surgery and you are now enjoying life!

[Clampram]

I think that you need to re-consider your decisions. 

By delaying surgery, you are extending the amount of time that you will have pain. All of the PT in the world, while it's wonderful, cannot completely fix hip pain.

Hip replacement surgery will decrease the amount of time that you are in pain.After approx 2 weeks post surgery, you will be feeling a lot better.

For those who delay with cortisone shots........those shots do help some people...not all. Those shots should not be given within 6 months of surgery.

See if you can get the hip done before you go away, if not...rebook the trip after your surgery. The stress of worrying about this is not good for you.

I wish you good luck !!!

 

[Lovincruisin1321]

16 hours ago, JoRoy218 said:

You mentioned you have arthritis in your hips and I’m wondering what your orthopedic doctor recommended? Were you offered steroid injection? Did he/she recommend a hip replacement? There are many options and alternatives if you are not mentally ready for a hip replacement. I should also add my two cents, my husband had his hip replaced after coping with very uncomfortable pain. He’s extremely active and it was quite noticeable how the pain seriously compromised his quality of life.  He had the surgery and was up walking hours after the surgery, with just a couple of weeks of PT he returned to a stronger than ever activity level. Maybe you can have a long chat with your ortho doctor and he can guide you and give suggestions? I’m sorry, I know this is a difficult decision but one never knows what life will throw at you. I would do all I could to take that cruise.

My ortho said that with PT and injections I can put off surgery for a very long time.  Yes, I have had 2 injections - lasted about 6 weeks and it felt so much better.  I quit my job, hired an aquatic trainer and do aquatic walking, bicycling and weights 4x/wk.  I have 50lbs to lose which I know is a factor and I am not a fan of surgery if I can get in better shape.   Arthritis is so unpredictable.  One day good and flexible, the next bad.  I am emotionally frustrated at the lack of support from friends and family.  I explained my rehab plan which needs to be consistent with good diet and sleep.  They listen with deaf ears and push for visits that are seven hours long in a car, babysitting young grandchildren and a surprise Easter visit with company of six adults, two grandchildren and babysitting three days while they take a mini vacation.  My husband has been a saint and very supportive but when it comes to verbally confronting these scenarios he is passive.  Although, he too has pushed me into this cruise and I have said many times I think this is too much for me right now.  He now is joining me during the weekend at the pool swimming laps to help me get another day in at the pool.  In the past, I was in advanced aerobic classes 4x/wk, sometimes doing back-to-back classes.  Yesterday, was my first "Low Level" class.  I did pretty well but had to modify some moves and was sore and stiff later in afternoon.  Yet, this morning after my Tylenol regimen and much icing I am heading back to pool in a few hours to do my exercise.  

Just giving you an idea of what shape I am in.  I think the rehabbing routine is doable but it takes time and consistency.   

I appreciate everyone's surgery comments, but in a month I will have to talk with my doctor on his thoughts and if that is wise at this time.  Also, just getting scheduled is not that simple.  It may be many months before that can even happen with the back-up in the medical field.

So, now I feel a bit recluse in my social circle.  I tried to explain all this to a friend that demanded we come over for a party dinner night.  She now doesn't talk with me.  So much for compassion.

Our final payment is in June.  If I have not made substantial walking progress.  I will have to cancel and yes, then I may seriously schedule hip surgery.

[rich_cathybrock]

Reading this thread brought tears to my eyes.   

 

Two years ago, hip pain went from a bad limp to staggering on a cane and I "lived" with it getting a little worse each day.  I barely made it onto the plane for a week in a Swim-Out room at an AI last September.  The clincher was stepping into that pool and being weightless. It was the first time I had no pain in so long I didn't realize how bad it actually was! 

 

When we returned, I went to an Osteo specialist to "tell him" I needed cortisone shots to be able to dance at my son's wedding which was later that week.  He told me my ONLY option was a to have both hips replaced.

 

They cannot be done at the same time - I asked - it is never a good idea.  My first hip was replaced in December; the 2nd replacement is slated for March. 

 

The recovery is miraculous, and based on that experience, even with another surgery pending, we can finally plan our first cruise since 2019 for later this year.  For me, reality is that I could not have gone before now regardless of the pandemic.   

 

Like so many others who have been kind enough to share in this thread, the replacement is a game-changer.  Nobody does it until all other options are exhausted, and everyone who does says the same thing "Why the heck did I put this off for so long?". 

 

I look forward to beeping at airport security and when boarding the cruise - 40% of all passengers have some kind of metal prosthetic, and it is no big deal!  Time to get back to living!  Go get that hip fixed please.  Don't wait until the decision is made for you - trust me - the timing never works out! 🙂

 

[JoRoy218]

It looks like so many of us here see ourselves in your predicament. I too went for the cortisone shot to delay inevitable surgery. Got one before we went on our Hawaii cruise, then again before our Baltic cruise…didn’t last as long.  I finally decided it was time, Ortho scheduled me, I got serious with leg strengthening exercises. Did okay, though from what I’ve observed (Hubby had hip replacement and recovered fairly quickly.) knees are more complicated.

Sounds like your personal life is frustrating. Perhaps you need to stand up and be assertive, claim YOU time for your mental and physical health.

From a medical standpoint (I’m an RN) it’s always better to have surgery before too much time passes. The surgery is harder on you, PT takes longer, body may be weaker…as the wise people above stated,  they’re all quite satisfied they did it and I think we all agree we shouldn’t have waited to schedule surgery. It just doesn’t improve without a little visit to the OR.

When you feel better, you’ll enjoy quality time with family and friends.

So very sorry you’re going through this.  And re: cruise, is it because of your hip that you’re not enthusiastic or just not interested in that destination? Sounds like you have an awful lot on your mind. Best wishes…let us know how you are.  (Sorry this was so lengthy)

[Lovincruisin1321]

On 2/21/2023 at 12:22 PM, suzyed said:

I worked as an OR nurse for over 35 years.  I almost always advised that surgery should be a last resort...try everything else first.  BUT, with knee replacement surgery, it boils down to a quality of life issue.  It will definitely be a benefit to do it before it gets so bad you can't walk.  Bone on Bone is not going to heal itself...so just go for it!!  JMHO!

I do not have bone on bone.

 

[suzyed]

14 hours ago, Lovincruisin1321 said:

I do not have bone on bone.

 

Well that's good...you have time to decide.