Catherine Triscott, is an
Account Director for a Marketing company, whose job entails client meetings, travel and long hours. She started noticing pain and stiffness in her hip about 18 months ago. She was diagnosed as having displastic hips and has now had a metal-on-metal
Hip Resurfacing procedure.
As an Account Director for a Marketing company my work (which I really love)
keeps me very busy. My hobbies include, travel, reading, gardening, DIY, and of
course shopping (at which I excel)
My general health has always been good but about 18 months ago I started having problems, a fair bit of pain and stiffness - trouble getting up and
difficulty walking far. I had a fair idea what was
wrong because my brother had hip problems
and so many of the symptoms were the same - Nick really
wanted a Hip Resurfacing but ended up with a total hip
replacement (THR) about three years ago.
The pain and problems got worse and
started to affect my life. I was not sleeping and developed
a limp, I would often be in a meeting with clients and be
unsure if I could get up from the chair - not good.
I went to see my GP and was referred to Mr Bishay, who confirmed that I had displastic hips and would eventually need a hip replacement of some kind.
For about a year I had cortisone injections which helped for a while but eventually the relief did not last for long - I was getting more and more pain and doing less and less, sleep was not good and I was not coping at all well.
It was agreed that I would have a Hip Resurfacing in September 2002 and indeed on the 19th was in the Bath Clinic for a tea time date with Mr Bishay in theatre.
I remember 3.30 the next morning feeling groggy and sore and little more. I woke up in my room euphoric that it was all over and I was fine and wanting to ring everyone, which I did but have no idea what I said. I was sore from the wound but could not feel the hip at all - I had thought I would feel something like when you have a filling at the dentist - but no nothing - to this day I cannot feel any pain, the only awareness I have of anything being there is the slight settling feeling - a bit like standing on a wonky paving slab, a little movement but it does not hurt.
I felt pretty poorly for the first couple of days but that was hardly unexpected. On the second day the nurses got me out of bed and introduced me to the
Zimmer and I was mobile again - very slowly but that did not matter. To be honest I felt quite rotten for a while and after
seven days I was given a couple of units of blood - after that I really started to feel more like me. Mr Bishay told me all had gone well but that I had had cysts on the top of my femur that had probably caused a lot of the pain but also had to be filled but that he was happy with the results.
I was in hospital 12 days and went home on crutches - stairs were no problem and soon I was out and about on the streets of the village I live in. I did not go out much other than to make weekly trips to some friends who own a hair and beauty salon, some pampering like a haircut and massage do wonders when you feel a little under par - there is something invaluable about friends who will sit on the floor to give you a pedicure just because you want painted toenails but can't bend far enough to do them yourself, or drench themselves washing your hair in a shower because the chair proved too uncomfortable.
I drove after six weeks - what a joy to be independent again and able to get to the shops - they had after all missed me - my absence probably accounted for the sharp drop in their profits!! Went on holiday at
eight weeks - great to be able to be in the warm and the pool - really recommend hydrotherapy to anyone. After that I started improving in leaps and bounds.
Back at work at 12 weeks and in the thick of it, it feels like I have never been away. People say I look well and say they have not seen me about and when I tell them what I have been doing they cannot believe it. I had to show some of the girls the scar!! Now I limp very slightly but only when I am tired or have walked a long way, and that is slowly going. I live a normal life and can do what I like. Last week I finally managed a night out in killer heels! The medics and techies may not see that as a benefit but to me that was one of the biggest milestones to being 100% again.
I can't truly put into words what this operation has meant to me; no words seem quite big enough. If I were to attempt to though I would say that I can be myself again and have the freedom to choose what I do. I don't have to think about my hip before I do things, in fact I can forget now that I ever had something wrong. All I really have is a neat and fading scar to remind me that with the help of some very talented people I overcame a big problem.
