No really, this is GOOD news.

[fuchsoid]

Spent the weekend in a good old-fashioned slough of despond with extra misery, unable to leave the flat and weeping at intervals at my inability to walk or hold down a job. Today, inexplicably, I felt much, much better, and I spent the morning tracking down details of a potential temporary job in Wales and the afternoon at Ikea, failing to buy a

Comments

[jonquil]

That really does sound lovely. "You have a problem, we know what it is, and we can fix it for you" is the best thing a doctor can say. I hope this leads to better mobility. How long is the waiting list, do you know?

[fuchsoid]

I susupect the list will be pretty long, maybe a year or so, but as long as I'm on it I can wait. I suspect I may be a good bit down the list, because of not having a job, but it all depends on what the orthopaedic specialist at the hospital says.

[telophase]

And I know I'm a geek, because my first thought was "And then you get to be a cyborg! Cool!"

[fuchsoid]

I thought that too, but just managed not to mention it to my doctor, who already thinks I'm wierd because I reacted so cheerfully to the news about my hip.

[mussare]

My father had this done last year, if you can have the surgery type that doesn't require a long incision you'll be up and about again in no time!

But conspire with your Dr to *ensure* that you get rehab afterwards. Don't let them just send you off home, or you'll be back in again right quick.

[fuchsoid]

My father had it done about 18 years ago, so I suppose techniques must have improved considerably by now. He said how important it was to do the physio afterwards - one of his sisters had the operations, but wouldn't do the exercises, and ended up pretty much the way she'd been before as far as mobility went, although with less pain.

[pondhopper]

That is actually quite good news. The techniques have been improved greatly and
it´s much less invasive now.

I don´t know why they say you´re too young for a knee replacement. I know several people in their 40´s and 50´s who have had it done.

[fuchsoid]

I'm beginning to wonder about the age thing - I suspect it may be something to do with NHS budgeting requirements than anything. I've since met someone in her forties who has had both her knees and hips done, and she said they didn't mention them wearing out. I suspect if the knees got really bad, and I couldn't walk at all, I could get them done. Come to think of it, if I get a job with private health insurance (unlikely), I could get them done privately, which I couldn't afford on my own.

[pondhopper]

The one drawback of the public health systems we have in Europe is budget.
Do you have any recourse to see if you can indeed have it done? Although it does sound like the hip is more urgent at this point.