Last week, I had a meeting with a different traumatologist to get a second opinion about my hip condition. I have been feeling slightly better since I came back from Portugal, but I am aware it is due to the slower activity and I wanted to hear the thoughts of the doctor who operated on my brother's hip two years ago. I took all the test results with me as I wanted him to have all the info he needed.
The meeting was quick but I got answers to all my questions and most importantly, I got out with a bigger confidence about my condition and feel better about how to approach the decision of going over surgery in the coming months. Before checking any of my previous test results, after listening to my explanations he directly mentioned he thought I have hip wear due to age, he later confirmed that checking the test images, and that can only solved by surgery. He suggested to avoid taking new infiltrations in the future, as there is risk of infection which is the worst thing I can get, and in the end, it will not change my hip condition.
He told me I can wait a few months/years to decide to go through surgery, I am 59 now and there should not be any issues waiting until I am 64, the moment I should do it will depend on the quality of life I want to have as I am the one suffering the pain and that is different on every patient and he considers my physical condition should be good even if I wait five more years, age was also something I was worried about. There is also no risk on damaging the other hip but he is quite confident I will not be able to avoid the operating room before becoming 70 years old.
When asking him about doing sport, specifically cycling, he encouraged me to start doing it again. He said it will reinforce the muscles around the hip and will help feel better. I have to say I have not been cycling for more than 3 years due to an anaphylactic shock I suffered while bitten by a wasp. I carry adrenalin pens with me all the time since then to take a shot if needed and I was quite scared about being bitten again while being alone on the bicycle. I have been taking poison shots for three years now and have two more to go. There is high risk I die if I get bitten again and I do not take the adrenalin shots.
This summer, while in the farm, I got bitten twice with a difference of 15 days. I got very scared, specially the first time, and ran to get the adrenalin pens from my bag but managed to keep calm while waiting for the reaction. The treatment seems to be doing its work and I only got a big swelling in my hand the first time and in the arm the second which lasted for a few days, I did not feel any dizzy and did not faint like I did three years ago and did not have to take the adrenalin shots. I feel way more confident after this two experiences as the doctor said my body is learning not to over react with the treatment which is what could kill me, and although I always have to carry the adrenaline pens with me, she is quite confident I will never suffer a shock again.
So yesterday morning, after several days of heavy rain. I decided to get on the mountain bike again for a short quick ride after three years. It was only a 40 minutes ride and not hard at all, but the feelings I had during and afterwards were very special, as I have been forgetting about the pain several hours every day.
I am getting ready to go for surgery soon, probably early next year. I don't see the reason to delay the decision and according to the doctor the feeling afterwards will be the same I had several years ago before starting to feel any pain. But reversing a little bit the pain and being able to get on the bike again it is already a fantastic improvement.