Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group New Member-is the end in sight? (Awaiting THR)

Wow-what a wonderful, supportive group of people here! And, many riders, too! Valerie-your words of encouragement about my upcoming hip replacement are very comforting. It's what I want, my life back. I guess it's what we all want, really.

And, Molly C, your reply is very encouraging. To hear that your friends hubby still rides with both THRs! YAHOO! To find a place like this, with so many others afflicted with AS and some are even riders! My horse is an APHA (paint) mare. I ride dressage and also trail. Because of weakness on my right side, I've had to use my dressage whip in my right hand when riding as my horse couldn't feel my cues from my right leg. Wow, it will be awesome to be able to properly cue my horse! The barn where I keep my mare (lucky for me it's just up the road & they have an indoor arena) specializes in gaited horses, but we also have an endurance rider there, and a gal that shows on the Pinto circuit. We are a rather diverse group, but all very supportive of each other. They are almost family to me.

Valerie-when you had your surgeries, did you have osteophites growing that inhibited your hip movement? I do, have for over 30 years, and my doc says he is going to remove them when he gives me my new hip. I'm hoping to have a better range of motion than I've had in many, many years. Was it like that for you? How long before you were able to dress your feet? (Sounds like a stupid question, but lately I haven't been able to put my shoes & socks on my right foot-I have no muscle tone in my right leg & can't lift my foot up while bending down...)

Anyway, I love this forum & all you folks. Thank you so much for the warm welcome & encouraging words.

Stephanie

Thanks, James! Very informative, encouraging & helpful. My hips are not fused like yours were. My right hip is bone on bone & crumbling, with osteophytes growing off the side of the cup restricting movement. Still, sounds much better than yours were! My left hip is not as bad, yet, but deteriorating quickly since I'm not loading my right hip hardly at all now. I also have sciatica-my osteo thinks will be helped with the surgery. Great to hear that yours was! I have a lot of arthritis at the base of my spine, and it is interfering with my toes and feet, but not what I would call painful, certainly not compared to my other issues. Maybe the new hip will even help that? I have scoliosis (not very bad). I'm a bit twisted, and my osteo said that's probably because I'm so active, I'm torking my body around trying to make up for my hip not working right. (Or perhaps the compression fracture in my vertabrae have something to do with that....) I had wonderred about getting my so called "good" hip done after recoverring from my first THR, maybe 6-12 weeks later, so it was interesting to hear that you had yours done so closely together & suffered no ill effects from it. Guess I'll wait & see how I feel after surgery (scheduled for 10/14/08) & see what my doctor says. Thank you again, James for your response!
Stephanie

Hi I just wanted to say welcome aboard!

I forgot to ask, has anyone had radiation after THR (or any joint replacement)? They are planning on giving me raditation 2 days after the surgery. I guess it's to prevent bony overgrowth or something like that. Thank you again!
Stephanie

Never heard of that one Stephanie - suggest that you check it out VERY carefully. HOW is it supposed to check any bony overgrowths? Is this a 'normal' course of treatment?

'Something like that' aint sitting too well with me...
Ask questions - might be that a new approach is being tried? (Yeeeesss!!)

Molly C (UK)

I think it's a fairly new twist on an old approach. Years ago they used to treat AS with radiation....I think too much radiation & it caused cancer. Now, it's just a one time dose, a very low dose, and it prevents heterotopic ossification or something like that.

Stephanie

Intreigued - so am doing a swifty check on Radiation After a Joint Replacement -

This gives some information of joint replacement and areas to be aware of - don't be put off with the input though...'smile'
http://www.hipsandknees.com/hip/hipsurgerycomplications.htm

Here ya go - answer to the question
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10319216

Found another - but don't have time to search it out completely, but here's the link Mentions 30s - 50s
ScienceDirect - International Journal of Radiation Oncology ...
Radiation for ankylosing spondylitis was routine from the 1930s through 1950s. ... for heterotrophic ossification after joint replacement surgery (5). ...

linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0360301604010399 - Similar pages

And more of the same here -

http://aolsearch.aol.co.uk/aol/search?qu...073545540239644

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Molly C (UK)
Keepin on Keepin on - diggin around mode

'Heterotopic ossification' - just checked that one out Stephanie. Interesting. Yes, a one-time mild dose. Wonder how many orthos are using on their AS patients? Next time I have recourse to consulting with one will ask.

Molly C (UK)
Must get on with the job in hand - packing and preparing to leave for France at sparrow wake-up call (it's the peripherals that take the time...!!)

The end of your battle with AS may not be in sight but you are about to slam AS back with a major triumph.

I had left THR in 1985 and right the following year in 1986. I was in brutally bad shape at the time and only in my early 20's. The technology for the surgery then was clearly not what it is today.

I got my life back.

Now my AS continued in other parts of my body but I did not get Enbrel back then so the two combined will give you so much of your life back you will be amazed.

THe THR will give you pain relief and mobility restoration better than you can imagine. Be diligent with your rehab and even though you may feel good in a month or two, it'll be nearly a year later and you will be amazed by the strength you've recovered.

Two days after the first surgery when they got me out of bed to try walking on crutches half my family cried to see my relief.

I called it the surgery that saved my life may it restore yours too.

It seems my faith in my orthopaedic surgeon is well founded. Those links, Molly, pretty much confirmed it. THANKS!

Steve C-what a lovely family you have! Your post, as many of the others here, are really giving me confidence and hope. Like most of us, I have sufferred for so many years, to think that perhaps I can have a relatively pain free future, or at least periods of time without pain, wow! It seems like this last month especially, I see a decline in my health & abilities to get around on a daily basis. I wonder how I've managed to hang on for this long. My husband says it was my horse that kept me going. Although it was painful to ride, the ability to get on my mare & become just as able bodied (seemingly!) as everyone else was awesome. I could go anywhere everyone else at my barn could, oftentimes more places (not that I would brag about my horse & her wonderful, giving attitude & great abilities & training & willingness to please me....he he) Since I haven't been physically able to ride in a few weeks, I see a decline in my health & physical abilities on a daily basis. The muscles in my right leg have been pretty weak for years, but lately it's just witherring away. Can't wait for my surgery!
Stephanie