In reply to Tees Wanderer:
Hi Tees wanderer.I was diagnosed with severe osteoarthritis when I was around your age 15 years ago.I did not realise the severity of the problem until I had an x ray.I thought the pain was a groin strain! I had been suffering for years prior to this and sometimes the pain was excruciating.The original consultant didn't want to operate saying I was too young to have a hip replacement.He also told me that climbing would be out of the question.I was completely gutted at that bit of news!
A friend of mine told that I should have the operation asap as the hip problem would eventually transfer or manifest itself in my knees , other hip or back.What was the point of having a hip replacement when your body was too old and knackered to benefit from a new hip?!So I moaned to my Doctor and he handed me over to a new consultant.The new consultant (an Indian man called Mr Shah) was much more positive and I felt much more optimistic.However he did stress that although hip replacements/resurfacing is an every day operation,it still holds risks and is still quite a big operation.
So I had the operation.Resurfacing instead of replacement.Apperently it takes longer to heal/recover than a hip replacement because you can't weight the joint for 30 days or so.The consultant said the operation was a complete success.
The recovery was really painful for me but I may be a wimp!My other half helped a lot during my incapcitation I must add.I did not really follow any physio plan or regime and I think that the recovery took longer than perhaps it could have.
My job is extremely physically with lots of heavy lifting and on my feet nearly all day and I love climbing.So what happened after the operation?It took a couple of years but after that I was back climbing and working pretty much the same as well as ever with the exception that with climbing there was a definite improvement in both application and enjoyment and 10 years after the operation still going strong despite a few other injuries getting in the way.
I was in South Africa a few years ago and met a chap who had both hips done at the same time.We were doing a big hike
up some seriously steep terrain for about a week and he had the operation only 6 months beforehand and he had the pace of a fell runner.He had told me that he followed a personalised physio/fitness program religolousy.
On a negative note though I did suffer from a really bad back which was caused by imbalanced posture probably due to my bad hip.Although Stefan Vossen from Core Physiatry sorted that out.Occasionally my hip aches possibly due to cold weather but I suspect it has more to do with how I am feeling psychologiacally (upbeat or down beat!)
Apart from that the operation changed my life for the better and despite all the stick the NHS get they did a great job with my operation. I am sure that you will benefit greatly from the operation and you will have decades of hillwalking ahead of you.Best of luck.
Last words;Do the physio.
P.S Do the physio.
P.P.S Do the physio!