Chris (04:46.393)
Thank you so much, Pauline, for being here. And I just have a bunch of questions and we'll go through, we'll go through some of them. And I think it's very important that people hear your story because I think there's a lot of folks who whose will resonate with what you've been through and your experience throughout the hip.
replacement and recovery process. So let's just start going through some of these questions because I know it'll be helpful for folks.
Softball question right here. What country are you in?
Pauline (05:33.742)
Scotland.
Chris (05:35.003)
Scotland. Okay. Wonderful. And how long has it been since your original hip replacement surgery?
Pauline (05:45.582)
sixteen and a half years ago.
Chris (05:48.527)
sixteen and a half years. And about what age group were you in when you had your first surgery? Your thirties, your forties, your fifties, twenties?
Pauline (05:58.99)
my very first surgery I would have been one years old. My hip replacement surgery I was early thirties.
Chris (06:09.499)
Okay. So that was similar to me. I was in my 30s when I had my first surgery. It's you know, it wasn't the surgery that I thought I'd be having. I didn't think I'd be having any surgery, but certainly not a hip replacement surgery at that age. So I think we have a lot in common as far as that initial age group. And do you remember what type of surgery you had? Did you did they go through the front, the back, the side?
Pauline (06:36.973)
for the surgery sixteen years ago and the most recent it was both through the back. So is it posterior? so it's both through the back. Yep.
Chris (06:43.045)
Yeah.
Chris (06:47.555)
Okay. Yeah, that that was the predominant way. and I think it's still the predominant way. so they've certainly done millions and millions of those surgeries very successfully. Now, you also have a very interesting backstory here. So if your initial surgery was 16 years ago, there's been a lot that's happened since then, hasn't there been?
Pauline (07:15.327)
yeah, I think there's a lot that happened before that, the initial sixteen years ago, which I'm happy to disclose because I think it's I guess the whole reason I'm doing this, Chris, is because I don't know anyone else that's been through the way I've been through it. And if I could reach out to any one person, because I would sure and still would have loved to have spoken to somebody that has gone through this. So I don't know if it helps to go right back.
or if you just want to focus in on the first hip replacement.
Chris (07:49.221)
Sure, if you think it's helpful, yeah, please share whatever you're comfortable with.
Pauline (07:53.582)
Okay. So I I won't go into great detail. I've as you can imagine the narrative has got slicker as as years has gone past. But basically the long and short of it was I was born a premature baby and with they found a hole in the heart. And before any surgery was meant to go ahead, it just naturally thankfully closed itself off. So I never had any heart surgery, which was huge relief to my parents and I guess to myself.
Anyhow, just before my first birthday, I don't know what you call these, like it was the old fashioned prams that used to come up, you know, when they have like the is it the metal on them. Anyhow, my mum was taking me out of that and happened to knock my leg, not in a bad way, just as if she was taking me out. And I it f was just inconsolable, absolutely inconsolable. So she took me to a GP.
And at that point was where the fun and game started and it had been identified that my hip had come out of its socket. And what they kind of realized is because of the hole in the heart issue, they probably had it sounds really black and white, and I'm not trying to put blame, but I I think they missed a trick and they hadn't done the full baby check and that's why it gone the way it gone. Anyhow, a lot can be said, but let's not
dwell on that. So basically what happened was that was the start of some pretty major surgeries. So I spent like my first and second birthday in hospital. And at the time they after surgery they put me in plaster cast in the frog position, which later on they found out was the very worst thing you could do. and I had calipers. So I had like I don't know if you know what calipers are. They were kind of like braces on your hips and stuff. So
I am told, I don't have much memory of that, but I'm told by my parents that it didn't stop me going about and that they didn't think they had to put a barrier for me going upstairs and one day they couldn't find me, and here was me halfway crawling up the stairs. So so it didn't impede me in that respect at all. But anyhow, long story short was it basically fused. So I had very limited movement. I had
Pauline (10:17.157)
one leg shorter than the other, so I limped. and the limping obviously is maybe you I don't know if you have the same, but maybe your listeners, the tireder I got, the more obvious. So I always used to joke it was like Quasimodo, which is me poking fun at myself, not at anybody else. But so all through school and such like I had a really hard time because I had the obvious thing. So why, you know, kids are cruel, they pick on you because it's an obvious thing that you have.
and I I think in my late teens, early teens maybe, they talked, so I would go to the consultant and for a long time the consultant was old school and would never speak to me on my own. He would always have my parents with me and eventually I was like, Hold on a second, you know, y it this is my life you need to talk to me. There's some questions, personal things I want to ask you. He did not like that, but
I was starting to kind of grow into my own voice and was like, well, tough, you know, this is my body now we're talking about. And he had recommended having gosh, I forget the name of it, but basically like heel raises. So an extension onto the out of your shoe. And I'm not gonna lie, Chris, my pride would not allow me to have anything because I'd had such a hard time. I was like, the last thing I want is these, you know, the big kind of in soles shoes that are added on to.
So I compromised and did the most I could possibly get in the inside. Anyhow, that was my life for a long time. And over the course of these checkups and which would be happened like yearly, and then as I got older they could kind of move to once every five years, but
There were talks about a hip replacement and again my pride comes before the fall because I was like, my lord, a hip replacement? I do n like you or have to be a hundred before you get that. There's no way I'm doing that. And yeah, so the last laugh was on me. So this kind of is I I whizzed through that. you might imagine there's probably a lot of trauma and, you know, feelings. there's no point in being angry about what's happened. We did kind of think about taking it further legally.
Pauline (12:30.934)
But the consultant has since passed, and you know, at the end of the day, I, you know, it wasn't gonna change anything. I had what I had, sort of thing. So around about the time of what would transpire to be my first hip replacement, I was the president of a charity, volunteer charity, and we had this big
Scottish celebration where people were coming from all over the world to join and I was to do this big talk. And I I say this to you because I think it's relevant that and you probably having had a hip replacement, you'll get me and hopefully your listeners will too that I was meant to meet them for the unofficial first night and we were meeting in a pub and everybody was in full fetal and everything and I just was in a world of pain.
I couldn't stand. I had, you know, the bar stools. I was propped against that. I was just moving about, like wriggling and everything. And I had to make my excuses. And we had like spent two years planning this. So I was just absolutely gutted. And I remember walking home. And as I was walking home, a bouncer, I don't know if you have that in in America, but these guys that will kind of tell whether or not you're okay to get into a club or a pub. because I was in so much pain, I was limping so heavily.
And I'd asked him to go in to use a toilet and he basically said I was too drunk and I just was in tears because I was like, I cannot I as I just I haven't been drinking. This is just sure you know, this is my world right now and I'll never forget this guy. I'd never met him since, but boy would I like to just to give him a piece of my mind. But it just broke me. And I think that was the moment where and my parents had kind of taken me aside and said, You look like you're really uncomfortable and a
at that point I hadn't told anybody. And I just broke down and just like, I can't sleep, I know, I can't walk, I can't do anything. My life just shrank down, which I think when you get to the point of having your hip replaced, most people's do, you know, just the pain is all consuming. And that was the f I I then went because it had taken so long and I was very lucky to have medical insurance, I then sought out a consultant privately.
Chris (14:46.563)
Okay.
Pauline (14:49.884)
that was in the January and I had my first hip replacement in the March. so yeah, I don't know if there's anything you if I've gone too quickly, but that I I didn't want to take up too much time on that, but I think it's relevant and sure would love to know if anybody else has had the same or similar, do you know? It's it would be wonderful to meet somebody else. But you know, you we all have varying parts like that, so maybe it's helpful to somebody.
Chris (15:11.675)
Yeah.
Chris (15:16.365)
I I'm sure that is very helpful. you know, we all have our own our own backstory and what how we got to where we eventually got to before having a hip replacement. I I don't think anybody wants to have a hip replacement. You know, things get so bad, the pain gets so bad, life gets so interrupted that to to voluntarily
Pauline (15:40.351)
So there they are.
Chris (15:44.952)
Agree to go have a hip replacement to have to have this type of major surgery and have a part of your body replaced. Something had to be so wrong that that seemed to be a better alternative than proceeding with the current status quo. And I mean, I agree with you in that the same thing happened to me, in that I was so embarrassed and I just wanted to hide the fact that.
I needed that hip replacement. I call it like a stigma. I felt I felt terrible about it. I felt a little bit defective. I felt I was way too young. And how could this possibly be happening to me?
Pauline (16:24.716)
Mm-hmm.
Chris (16:29.123)
And I remember going out and even being at work. And like you said, you were propped up against the stools, the bar stools. I would prop up against chairs or other furniture or walls just to re give myself a little relief from the pain that was like constant. And yeah, so it's it's very, very enlightening or interesting to hear your story about how you came to.
Pauline (16:48.608)
Yeah, yeah.
Chris (16:58.265)
Really needing that first surgery. Was there something that, okay, like some point in time? Was it was it that time you couldn't get back into the pub where you finally said, enough's enough? I have to have the hip surgery. Because I had a point in my life, and I could talk about that later, but what was the final straw for you?
Pauline (17:18.784)
Yeah.
Pauline (17:22.406)
so it was the Christmas. It was a Christmas with my parents and to be fair, Chris, even when I decided the decision I had made was to see somebody about it, I didn't know that a hip replacement would be the answer. So that was even more scary for me because I'm like, what happens if I go and see this orthopedic consultant and they're like, dudes, that is your life.
you know, you know, that was my worst absolute fear. So I it was after I think it was on maybe Boxing Day, 26th, 27th, and I was with my parents. We'd had a lovely meal and they have this lovely fireplace and we were sat around the fireplace and it that was the time where they confronted me. I had gone, so we were all kind of sat like three stages with our like evening glasses of sherry and just watching this beautiful fire and
I had come back from the toilet and they were like, we just need to talk to you and say, Okay, sure, what's going on? And they were like, You seem really uncomfortable. Cause I was just like a worm, squidge, squidge, just couldn't. And I think to me, because these guys had been through the entire thing with me, it felt like the first time I could say, All right, Mia Calpa, you got me. Okay. I, if I can't say to you guys this whole
whole thing with my leg is just it, you know, I I'm at my peak, and I think like we all must have we have a fairly high pain threshold in what we can tolerate. And they were, you know, I hate the thing that I've noticed as an adult having had these two major surgeries is how unbelievably unkind it is to put your parents through that and see it as an adult, you know, like you know, major surgery is major surgery for anybody.
the first time when I got my hip replaced sixteen years ago, I remember my parents walked me to the theatre doors and my mum got really upset and I that was the first time I said, my God, this is like the most selfish thing I'm doing because I hadn't I was so concerned about my pain. I had no appreciation that they have to go through this again. and this time, as you know, I I again so anyhow, it is what it is and I am
Pauline (19:43.274)
very pleased to be here sitting speaking to you because it has been, you know, they've all been successful, but they come at a price. You know, as you'll know, the surgery is in some ways the straightforward part is the recovery and how long that takes is the kind of you know your Mount Kilimanjaro. So that was a point for me, Chris, when it was my parents kind of called me out and was like, well what on earth is going on with you? That's when I told them, you know, I haven't slept in
about two years right through the you know, through the night. At that point I was taking a lot of neurofen and like paracetamol and stuff and I was worried because I didn't also want that to be then causing problems of you know, other problems. And they had always they I mean they've seen me through the various iterations so I guess they've always known
But I think that was just a real weakening up for all of us. Like, okay, this we you you've got to find out if there's something that can be done about it. And that was the this is so scary, but also okay, okay. So maybe somebody else can help me here. Maybe because for the longest time and maybe you're like that until you get to that point, you just think this is my life now. And this fo and when you are, I think as well, Chris, if I had
charge people a pound for every time they says, God, you're so young, I would have been recuperating in Barbados, right? I missed a trick there and I'm you know, and I didn't do this time and I'm like, my God, I'm so crazy. But, you know, it's like who gets the last laugh then? Because then you get like a good sixteen, twenty years, if you're lucky, you know, of pain free. And I did right up until about a year and a half ago. It was, you know, and it wasn't like an overnight. It was just a gradual sort of
I remember this pain, you know, and it does go from black to white almost in the in your understanding. So yeah, that was my moment.
Chris (21:38.288)
Yeah, so that must have been really hard on your parents to see you have to go through that, to have to see you go through that when you were a young child. And then maybe believing that all of that was behind you, all of that was behind the family, all that pain was gone, and then to have to see you go through that again, I'm sure that was really hard on them.
Pauline (22:00.778)
Yeah, and like I say, very eye opening to me because it just hadn't occurred to me. You know, I was just very selfish thinking, Gosh, there might be a chance that this pain goes Not for one minute thinking, What must that be like to you know, to put your parents through that sort of, you know, yet again another major surgery.
Chris (22:19.991)
And what was the what was the recovery like for you after your first surgery? Was it do you were you like on target, on plan? Did you have a strategy or were you working with someone to help you?
Pauline (22:38.779)
so I have found out more about the first week or the first couple of weeks of my surgery 16 years ago, this surgery. And I can explain that. But so the first thing that happened, Chris, was I don't have many super early memories, but I do have a slight sort of understanding of when I was little in a hospital, they had like a
metal bridge over me and they had you know like the hospital towels over that that's all that was just always my thoughts of being in hospital that and my granddad playing with me with my toys so when I first woke up sixteen and a half years ago I was in the hospital bed and the cover the bed cover was flat and I I met what
I can only describe as some amazing angels of nurses. And this one was about ages with me. We bonded so well. And I just kind of took her hand and I said, why didn't they do it? And I had not a brilliant experience initially to do with the spinal anesthetic. And I don't know if you want to go into that, but I ended up going under a general and I'm very pleased about that. but
I it kind of says, why did why didn't it happen? Like I c I can't do this again. I built myself up and she says it did. And it went really well. And I was like, No, but where's the kind of metal cage? And she so I did not believe it happened. So she had to take my phone and take a photo of it to show me that it happened. So the first thing was, my god, like my legs look like normal. Then the second thing was.
The leg length looks different. Like it looks pretty different. And I was like, no, I must still be under morphine or something, right? And then I think the more difficult part for me, which I couldn't understand, which is part of what was explained to me this time, like, God, that makes much more sense because I just couldn't understand it. My hip for a long time felt like an absolute lead weight. And so,
Pauline (25:00.7)
Unlike this time, the first time I spent a lot of time in bed and I couldn't get out of bed. And when I did, it was just like somebody had put this massive weight on me and I couldn't understand why. and I don't know if you want me to quickly explain that because I thought it was like it was a night and day. I just was like, I wish somebody'd explained that to me at that point, because that makes so much more sense. But I So this was after my first hip replacement.
Chris (25:24.015)
And that was after your first surgery?
Pauline (25:29.584)
And so if you want, I can explain it very quickly in case it's of relevance to anybody. But so remember I told you about like the hip difference. so it turns out that my f the first consultant who's now retired did an absolute an amazing job in that when he went in there and he'd I remember him telling me afterwards, he says it was like mush. He says, I've never seen anything like it. It was absolute mush. So I never had
Chris (25:34.265)
Yeah, please.
Pauline (25:59.883)
quote unquote, a normal hip like what you see in the X-rays to begin with. and so he had very untechnical scooped all out and taken away all the arthritis and everything that I was having issue with. But the reason why it been so heavy was because he'd pulled down all the muscles and he had pulled down four centimeters.
of tendons and muscles and everything, which is why it felt like a dead weight. This time they pulled down another centimeter. And so like my amazing consultant this time, he's like, you know, the other consultant did all the hard lifting. He says because and he says, no wonder you would have felt like an absolute dead weight because everything was so tight and tense for all these years that he'd had to stretch it out.
So yeah, it felt clunky, I think, is the thing. And I was living on my own then. I l I'm still living on my own at the moment. And so I had family, but in answer to your question, I had weekly therapy, physiotherapy sessions and they also gave me hydrotherapy about successions of that, which was amazing.
but the rest of it was just, you know, figure out yourself sort of thing. So I did get like the normal things like, you know, the raised toilet seat, the hand grabbers and the a trolley, rolling trolley stuff, you know, all the things that make you feel like a hundred and five. but so yeah.
Chris (27:39.803)
Yeah.
Yeah, for sure. I I had a lot of those things as well. It sounds like they did a lot of work in your first surgery and you had a pretty good recovery and you had all the tools and toys and the hydro therapy, which is all fantastic. And can you talk a little bit about what life was like for you regarding your hip until it wasn't? Because at some point,
Things went downhill again. Is that is that right?
Pauline (28:14.624)
yeah, sorry, yeah. so yeah, I I guess the most important thing that you should take away is this first hip surgery. I woke up and I did not feel pain. And I was like, my god, this is all my Christmases and birthdays. this is what life is meant to be like. This is phenomenal. And I didn't have any pain. I ended up being able to go to my best friend's wedding in Canada, about
five months after it, which was phenomenal. It knackered the hell out of me, I'm not gonna lie, but I was there and it was amazing. and I didn't have pain. I didn't have pain. I got tired like a normal coat person. I could walk and everything that I had done. I mean, you have to understand, Chris, because of what happened when I was young, I was never a sporty person, you know, because I was so worried that something would
make it come out of the socket again. So I was the some might say lucky, but I I felt like I was always missing out. you know, as an sports day, I was always the one that was kind of at the side sitting, looking at everybody. And, you know, in that really warped twist of fate, I always wanted to be a gymnastic. You know, the one thing you cannot do, I wanted so bad, so bad. And I remember when I was doing my physio, they had a rebounder in every session without fail.
Can I go in now in the horror in their face? Like, don't you dare. I was like, man. So it was amazing. It was absolutely amazing. And then about a year and a half ago, getting up from the sofa, I was like, okay. And five years ago, I got a dog. Best thing I've ever done. But also, when you have a dog, you have to walk more. So I suspect.
in some ways it was a blessing and a curse because it f it sped things up I think but also I think it has been paramount to my recovery this time because I was walking in four times a day. Not a big dog, but you know you're going out constantly. And it just started to get worse and worse. And for me, Chris, the absolute moment where I had to kind of a word with myself and think, God, we're here again.
Pauline (30:35.215)
is when it's so I ha I hadn't up until my this operation I had not slept through the night for I guess at least a good year and a half. And again you would think I would have learned from the first time but no you know very thrawn Scottish person here and I was just like nah it's just because it's the change in weather or you know until it wasn't and it just got so bad again. It was
I have I actually when I was in Vegas I got one from one of the pharmacies there and you can't get it here and it was amazing. It was like a roll on deodorant thing, but it was like to cool down your pain. That was like my best friend. It went everywhere with me and I also was very reluctant, which seems crazy now when I think about it, to take a lot of aspirin or neurophen because I didn't want to get to the stage I was last time.
and I so it was in February this year I had the chat with my parents who was like, I I think I need to do this again. And they were like, No, no, I'm sure it's fine. I was like, No, and you know your own body, and I was like, No, I I this is a different, this is constant and it's not getting better. and so
On the merry ground I went again.
Chris (32:06.469)
Did you go to the same the same consultant?
Pauline (32:10.502)
No, so the first one sadly has retired, but he is legendary as I found out this time because when I started the many different appointments, they all were like talking about he was known for the hips that he put in. So it was a titanium hip that had to come from Malaysia because I had such small hips. And, you know, he was legendary, which also gave me a lot of comfort that, you know, I it I had just
Gone and he was kind of who I met. This time, again through private insurance, I chose my consultant and I deliberately this time went with somebody who specialized in trauma because over the years I'd recognized actually that was what you know, that I had suffered trauma, and I wanted somebody who really knew and specialized in that. And my consultant.
in my mind is possibly the most amazing person in this world at this point.
Chris (33:13.039)
Did you f did you find that the second the second surgery of the revision was it any easier on easier on you mentally or from a fear standpoint because you had already been through something like that? Or was it more scary or you had more concerns because you have to go through it again?
Pauline (33:38.483)
So it was a bit of both. It was a bit of both. So in some ways you know what's coming, right? You know what's coming and you know you've got a mountain to climb. And so practically, and it turns out I'm a planner, boy am I a planner, I I knew all the kind of things, the thing that freaked me out because I wasn't sleeping anyhow and
maybe controversially I say this, Chris, but Chat GPT became my best friend. In the middle of the night, when I had stuff going through my mind, it was and still has been phenomenal. And I don't I hope that's not too controversial. I understand the other side to that. But for me, when I was on my own facing this down, some of the things that was so scary this time was my dog. Like, what do I do? Like how do I and also financially, so like my dog is currently away and will be,
for a full eight weeks. That's a lot of money to spend, you know, but it's had to be that way. I think,
I think the part that blew me to pieces was so when I met my consultant, he asked me, I had told him, I was like, I think this is it is time. And I originally had been guaranteed ten years with my first one. So I got my money's worth for sure. And he's like, Are you sure? So he did something which never happened last time and I swear on my life I will never want this done again. did
Hip aspiration where they put a massive needle into your hip and it's basically to find out if there if there was an infection. And of course, I was why would there be infection? Nothing has been open for 16 years. But apparently infections can lay dormant for a long time. And so what they were trying to do was to see if there's any fluid in my hip. And let me tell you, Chris, when that's already very tender and you're fully awake, and yes, they numbed it, but they were
Pauline (35:42.887)
I'm surprised you wouldn't have heard me scream at one point. It was just like I never ever want to do that again. But the good news was I did know my body and he was like, Yeah, okay, you don't have an infection, it is time to kind of get it. So after going through that very traumatic experience, he also gave me like a an X ray which I've never had before, which is a standing up one because he wanted to check about leg length.
But he had said to me the first the first consultation and sorry in answer to your question, I left brokenhearted because I thought it was going to be a simple, okay, more the same, let's go for it. And he's like, This is not that. He says a hip provision is even a normal hip provision has more complications. It takes longer to repair. you have a longer time on the table, there's higher chance of blood clots.
He left me so bleak and he's like, and I don't even know if I can do it. And if I can, this might be the last time you get it. And in my mind, I'm thinking maybe if you're lucky and you live a long time, my grandma just turned 101 last week, right? So it's like maybe there might be another one after this. If you know, if I'm lucky or unlucky, I don't know which way to phase that. So I left thinking, my God, I really
Like if this is just one and done, like how, you know, when I'm later in my life, this like I just have to be okay with pain. Anyhow, we did the hip a aspiration and he's like, Okay, we need to go. And he says, But also because I've taken the CT scans, I'm going to do bone graft and build up your hip. So you will get another chance if needs be. But it will be really complex. And I took that to the
To is gospel. And so I was like, right. So this is not a one-done, this is not the same, rinse and repeat. This is really different. And trying to explain that, like to my parents and stuff like that, it was I didn't want to freak them out, but I was like, you know, this is gonna be different. And it has been, but in a lot of ways it's been better. So like when I woke up this time, I my life felt so light.
Pauline (38:01.307)
And I could feel my hip. I don't know if that sounds crazy, but I could I last time I couldn't feel for ages. Now I can't necessarily feel the hole of my butt still, but that's a different story. But I can feel my hip. And I was like, my god. And within it so the operation ended up being about four and a half, five hours, so it was a lot longer. and he my consultant
I thought I was gonna be first in the morning, but he wanted somebody who was more straightforward, who I actually saw yesterday. the gentleman that had it before me, because he wanted he knew how complex this would be. And I think I can't tell if that's a like he did amazing, but you know, sometimes you're like you just want them to be super confident and not tell you that. So, but he did and it did take a lot longer, longer than he told my parents, unfortunately. So they got a bit stressed about waiting to hear, you know, they were told two hours and
Hour three, hour four is coming, and they still don't know how what's going on. So, and thankfully this time I didn't need a transfusion. So it all went really well. It went really well, and I could feel my hip. And I was like I say, I must have come back to my room about half three. I went down at about quarter past ten in the morning, and I think about six o'clock I was out up out of my bed and going to the toilet, which was just like
This is really strange, right? I'm not sure I could feel much of myself, but you know, like I was standing up and unaided as well. Like I had the walker, but like I could take my hands off it, which I could never have done the first like week. So yeah, it that to me is really strange. But that's why my consultant keeps saying I think the first the last surgery they did a lot of the heavy lifting. So it was it was a complex surgery, but it you know, it wasn't
Chris (39:28.261)
Yeah.
Pauline (39:55.719)
you know, you were able to feel more quickly. So that has been great. But I suppose the other side to that is I on Friday it'll be six weeks since my hip revision and I'm still on two crutches. I'm walking on one stick internally in the house. I feel it's still a bit bamboo and ice. But I got myself into a position where it's like, my God, I should be walking with one stick by now. And it's like, who are you competing with?
Like, you know, you just you do what you need to do and for however long you need to do it, right? So yeah, that's that it definitely felt different in that respect. And all the prep stuff, you know, like the get things out of the counter level and, you know, meal prep and stuff like that, that I was like a master, you know. I have actually thought a lot, Chris, about writing a book for a person having a hip provision who lives on their own.
Because Lord I check the internet high and low and ain't nobody talking about that, which is why I was keen to kind of because there must be millions of people, I'm sure, right? I just have never heard of anybody and all the things I wanted answered, I now have answers to. And I think, you know, maybe that's something that would be helpful to somebody else in the middle of the night when they're freaking out. Because I just didn't have any access to that at all, you know. So yeah, it's you know on the other side now.
And boy, am I glad of that.
Chris (41:20.717)
Yeah. Yeah, it's amazing. There's a lot of information about the actual surgery, but there's not a lot of information out there on how to live after the surgery. You know, how to how to do the meal prep, how to take care of yourself. you know, and in and so many other questions that we have as hip replacement patients. It's almost as if Yeah. Yeah, it's it it's almost as if.
Pauline (41:32.776)
Mm-hmm.
Pauline (41:43.718)
Or you don't even think about until it comes up. You're like, okay, I never thought that.
Chris (41:49.68)
You know, the surgeons and the consultants, they have a very specific job. And their job can be 100% successful. But then hip replacement patients still have a rough life after that. And it's very hard to get information and very hard to get the support. And that's one of the reasons this podcast exists. And one of the reasons why your book, your proposed book may be very successful.
In that I think there's a lot of people, and you're right, it's many, many millions each year that may find that information helpful.
Pauline (42:26.128)
Yeah, I think the biggest thing the biggest difference this time is and it is certainly a work in progress, is working on my neuropathways. So rewiring. So I never so one of the things I don't mind disclosing, one of the things I'd ask my consultant this time is do you think I'll be able to tie my shoe lacer like a normal person? Right? I've never done that. I have always
contorted like I could put my shoe on and off, but it's not pretty. It's not like a normal person where you can lift Benge leg up. And he's like, we're gonna absolutely try and do that. And when I see my physio, I go to the physio once a week. And I think this is again I would have loved more information on the revision because there's lots on the hip replacement, but I I I maybe I'm looking the wrong place, but I tried and I couldn't see anything.
But I also couldn't see if you never started from a normal hips and got them replaced. I didn't, my baseline wasn't like a normal person's baseline. I had always found workarounds. So when she's telling me, you know, raise your leg, and I'm like, I am, she's like, okay, but that you need to do like this, and like, yeah, but this has always been. So the biggest battle I'm having in, I think is the thing that's the least talked about, is the mental part of it.
of retraining your brain to okay, so I know that in my brain, Pauline, you want to do the comfort thing because that's what you've always done. But now actually to try and get yourself back to a baseline, you need to do this different way, which is so this week has been a really tough week and it's all been because this is the first time she's been giving me exercises to put my full weight on my new hip. And I'm not gonna lie, Chris, there has been tears and there's been tantrums all at home where nobody can see.
And I'm like, I just you know, you get the moments where you think I've regressed back and my god, I'm never gonna get out of this cycle of doom. But even today, like and after this I'll be doing my second set of my exercises, I can do it. It's not pretty, but and and the consultant he asked me to do it and he was over the moon. He's like, I just think, you know, I know what you're starting from and it's not the normal starting point. And he's like, The fact you can actually wait beer on it, it it this
Pauline (44:46.959)
on Monday, so this Friday it'll be six weeks. It wasn't even six weeks. He's like, yeah, you're doing great, you know. So they that has been an absolute battle. So you know, I the I as we all do when we go through this wonderful world of hips and replacing, you learn that the pain you have after surgery is what I would call a healing pain. Right? It's different. If if you're lucky and I know and I I was told there's a five percent chance we can go through all this polling
And you still have that pain. And I said, okay, for five percent, let's do this, let's go all in, sort of thing. And I have been so far absolutely touching all kinds of wood, lucky in the it's the healing pain. It's a hundred percent more where my incision is that it feels like everything's like always kind of moving and stuff. And of course now because I've been putting full weight on it, you better believe I'm taking my paracetamols again, because I'd gone real down, but after that, but each
Each day is better than the day before, and that's all you can ask for, isn't it?
Chris (45:51.15)
Absolutely. And it sounds like you're doing a lot of the the great things to help you get the best recovery possible. So keep up the great work. I know sometimes it can feel like it's going a lot slower. You feel behind, you feel like maybe it's not working. And sometimes it can feel downright hopeless. But it really sounds like you're doing the right things. And even at six weeks, you know, still with the crutches. I was still on the crutches.
At that point as well. So I think it sounds like you're doing a great job and you're going to be well on your way to a great recovery and doing whatever you want to do in the weeks and months and years to come. But I wanted to ask you, I wanted to ask you this. After having both the surgeries, is there anything that you wish you knew prior to having the surgeries that you know now?
Pauline (46:35.815)
Thank you.
Chris (46:52.495)
Is there anything you wish you knew earlier?
Pauline (46:56.025)
I think it will I think certainly the first one, sixteen years ago, I think I would have not gaslit myself and would have gone earlier because at the end of the day life is too short, right? And I think woulda, shoulda, coulda, fair enough. But I'll if I was doing this again, which I hope to God not to, but if I was, I wouldn't have kind of I would have believed myself.
in that no, this is like something has to change here. So I think that's the thing. I i if there was something else I would know. I think also as well
I would have wished that when people talked about hip replacements when I was younger, I wish that they wouldn't have allowed me just to be like la la la la la, I don't wanna talk about it. I wish they would have actually said, let me explain what that means, what that would mean for you, so that I wouldn't have maybe spent a lot of my younger years in absolute pain and I wouldn't have been so stubborn.
you know, and waited until the very last gasps to get it done. That's what I wish I'd known. But I don't live in that kind of world because I think it's a bad place to be. So I wouldn't change anything, is I guess my absolute honest answer. Like I am I'm one of the strongest people I know c having gone through this, you know, just because you need to. It's just it's a different kind of strength that you go through. And I am
good decent person and I think that's because of what I've been through, not for it, you know. I think my my grandma used who turned 101 last week, she used to always say to me, Pauline, do not worry, because everybody has something. It's just yours is really obvious. And so, you know, y you get what you see. And I kind of took that as a superpower of, you know, yeah, because it gave me compassion and kindness in buckets and that
Pauline (49:01.253)
is who I am, right? And my leg, I think that's the thing, Chris, this time is reintroducing this new incision into my world, you know, talking to this new hip so I got a bigger ball this time. So I had a twenty two, now I have a thirty-three. And it was like, hey, welcome to the party, right? You know, this is gonna be amazing. We're gonna have so much f fun and when I get my dog back, we're gonna go, you know, up to the Highlands. It's gonna be amazing. So I think yeah, I I know sometimes my parents
kind of think, gosh, I wish it'd been different. But I have a good, wonderful life. And now I have a pain-free life. And you know, so who has the last laugh there? That's like the best birthday gift I could have got because it was my big birthday in July. So I had to cancel all my stuff to do all these surgery. But yeah, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I hope that by Christmas this time when I go down Christmas and I have, you know, go sit by the fire.
I'll really enjoy all the festivities pain free. So you know, I think I got the last laugh in that regard. So yeah, I don't regret it. I don't regret any of it.
Chris (50:13.477)
Yeah, it sounds like your grandma is a very wise woman in that we all have something. And that is so true. That is so true. It doesn't have to be a hip replacement. It could be something else. And we all have something. And it it's very important how we deal with that something, right? Some people fold, some people live in shame, some people feel embarrassed, some people don't come out of their shells.
Pauline (50:19.466)
yeah.
Yeah.
Pauline (50:26.448)
Yeah. Yeah.
Chris (50:43.823)
But it it's the people that do, the people who overcome that, who say, yeah, you know, I have this thing, but you know what, it's not going to control my life. It's in the past. What's done is done. What right exactly? It doesn't define doesn't define you. So that is that is well, well said, well put. Is it is there anything that we did not discuss here that you want to say or you you want to bring up? Is there something that we missed?
Pauline (50:54.01)
Yeah. It doesn't define me. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Chris (51:13.861)
Or something important that you think people should know.
Pauline (51:19.098)
that there is an underwhelming amount of information for revisions and also for, you know, how you cope with that when you are on your own. You know, I think that's quite a daunting thing. I'm lucky that where I stay there's a lift. But if that lift went out, you know, I'm goosed, right? And I know I actually know somebody who's just had a replacement, not a revision, and lives four flights up up stairs. And just think that is a level of
unnecessary anxiety that you know you don't need when you're trying to kind of get back onto some semblance of normality. So to me that's like I say, Chris, I'm you know, happy to be pointing the pr into the area, but I just couldn't find, you know, being on your own and dealing with it and a revision. It just seemed like a which was great the first time round. I I don't think I ever did a such a deep dive for the original hip replacement, but there was lots of information.
it just didn't occur to me. I honestly thought it was two point you know, so realizing it wasn't and that there was very little about that makes me think, is there a a book or something I can do to help somebody or a way in which I can just even to say, Yeah, I get you. It's so daunting and it's so it can be scaring if you're facing that on your own. There's been a few times, not often, but I have wonderful
village around me that, you know, my neighbors have been phenomenal where just thought, geez, it would be amazing. Like my dog wouldn't need to go away if there was someone there that could, you know, take them out. but you don't get that and you have to and it's a heavier it's a heavier load when you are facing that and how to do it on your own. But it's not impossible. That's the thing I would say to whoever is listening, if they're living on their own, it is not impossible. Plan.
And plan well and you will be absolutely fine and just recognize the only person you compete with is the person you were yesterday, and that sometimes you'll regress, and that's okay, because it's progress is not linear. My god, that is my mantra at the moment. my god, it's this yes, it's fine. but you will be fine, you will you've got this, you're like stronger than you will ever know. You know, when you need to, you everything will be okay, and I think
Pauline (53:44.408)
I don't know about you, Chris, but it for me it was the in the middle of the night, you know, like getting up to the toilet left that first week. That was just and it's still like even the second time round, it's just like, my God. it takes me seven hours to get there. And the you know, it's but I'm here, right? You're here. We can do it, right? You can absolutely do it. You just you find a way. You find a way through. And that's the only way. You can't go around it. You gotta go through this, right?
Chris (54:11.343)
Yep. There was so much wisdom in in everything you just said there. That that last couple minutes could be could be a whole book, could be a whole podcast episode, could be a whole day discussion. So thank you very much for all that, all that wisdom. It was absolutely amazing. So now one last question. We get to turn the tables, or you get to turn the tables. So far in our conversation, I've been asking all the questions.
Pauline (54:21.01)
Yeah.
Pauline (54:27.78)
My pleasure.
Chris (54:42.243)
Now it's your turn to ask me a question about my surgeries or what I've been up to in the last 10, 14 years, or anything you want to ask me about. Just to just to be fair, because I've been asking all the questions so far.
Pauline (54:58.32)
Sure, no, thank you. I appreciate the opportunity. I have two that come to mind, right? So the first one is you're very active, like way, way more than I have ever been. And one of the things I was always told is you could not run. and you clearly are defying that. So it was always I just wanted to understand w what that must feel like, you know,
You know, I I know walking like with a hip and I and I guess the other side was you've had both hips done and I just kudos to you because I just that would blow my mind and I just wondered if there were if you found their differences between the first and the second surgeries and do you also, hopefully in a very, very distant future, see that both or one or other might need to be replaced again.
Chris (55:49.372)
Okay, wow. I'm for it. Okay. Let's take these one at time. with yes, I'm very active. Okay, and very active. I cycle, walk, swim, weightlift, golf, volleyball, but I've modified a lot of those things. I do not run much anymore. Okay. I do not, but when I do run, here's how I
Pauline (55:51.686)
Sorry. Did you want a quick one? Sorry.
Pauline (56:13.254)
Okay, sorry, I mis misunderstood.
Chris (56:18.115)
Make it as safe as possible. All right. Because the last thing I want to do is pound my hips and kind of thumb my nose up at the surgeries. Okay. I don't want to show up the surgeries and think that I'm better than what happened to me because I don't want to go through a revision. Number one, if I have to, if I can put that off as far as possible and maybe avoid it altogether. So when I run, run.
Pauline (56:24.345)
Mm-hmm.
Chris (56:47.775)
Slowly. I run on the balls of my feet rather than hitting having my heels hit the ground. And I will try to run on softer surfaces rather than concrete. So grass or gravel or things like that. And I've turned to a lot of other activities rather than just running to get my runners high or to make me feel fulfilled, because there's all these other activities.
Pauline (57:00.151)
Okay. Yeah.
Okay.
Chris (57:16.857)
That actually a hip replacement surgery opens up. Okay. Now, when I'm done running, I stretch, I go into cold plunge, I ice, I do whatever I can to reduce the inflammation in my muscles so they're not squeezing my hip joint together. All right. So there's things I do while I'm running. Well, number one, I reduce the amount of running. There's things I do while I'm running, and then there's things I do after running. Okay.
Pauline (57:32.773)
Mm-hmm.
Chris (57:46.117)
But honestly, I barely run it all because it's not worth it to me anymore. Now, second question.
Pauline (57:48.069)
Okay.
Chris (57:56.058)
Having both hips replaced. It is it the equation is way more than one plus one equals two. Because now you have both sides of the body that have this implement in. It feels unbalanced at times. It caused a leg length discrepancy.
Pauline (58:03.045)
Mm-hmm.
Pauline (58:11.737)
Okay.
Chris (58:17.793)
I feel them differently. And they don't they don't feel the same. Like I can rotate one way more than I can the other. It's more comfortable. One hip gives me more problems than the other, in that it's stiffer at times. So I have to compensate for that. And stretch more. I probably stretch and exercise more now than I did prior to any pain that I had before the surgery. And then
Pauline (58:46.308)
Interesting.
Chris (58:47.801)
Number three, the revision. It's it honestly it scares the hell out of me. I I don't want to do it. I'm trying to put it off as long as possible. When I originally had my surgeries, they used a very short short stem down into my femur. It's very short, meaning they did not have to cut a lot of bone. All right. And that's one of the reasons why I selected the surgeon that I that I went with.
Pauline (59:10.894)
Okay.
Chris (59:15.737)
That they preserved as much as they possibly could of the bone so that 10, 20, 30 years later, if I ever needed a revision, it would be not as bad. And the material, there's no plastic in me. There's a ceramic ball and then a ceramic liner inside the stainless steel cup. So that should theoretically never wear out. I mean, knock on wood, but who knows?
I mean, a revision is something that's in the back of my mind. I don't want to do it. It is very scary, but it may be a point in life at some point that I'm trying to avoid by taking care of myself now. But if it ever happens, I hope I can face it with the courage and resilience that you have.
Pauline (01:00:00.303)
Sounds like you're doing the right thing.
Pauline (01:00:08.986)
You will, you will, 'cause you have no other choice, right? You know, and the pain, if you get to that point, the pain and to get rid of it is, you know, it kind of balances self out. But yeah, I guess I would say to you is like I am also now looking at possibly another one, you know, right? So a third time, well, technically four if you count the very first operation, but
And there are moments where I think, Jesus God, let me never have to do this again. But equally, I did it, I got through it, I'm doing it, I will get through it, and the same will happen. And I suppose the other thing I'd say to you is to kind of demystify it is you will know, surgery is improving all the time. So even sixteen years ago when they were wheeling me out, whereas this time I walked out,
the porter had said, if this had been five years ago, it would have been further around and you would have been in hospital for two weeks. Whereas as it was for that, I was in like three days. This time I was in for f just f five days. so yeah. And you never know. The way everything's going, we'll have bionic legs by that point, Chris, right? So it'll all be a move point. We'll be like fine.
Chris (01:01:27.791)
Yeah, I agree with that for sure. The technology keeps advancing. So hopefully we will our current hips will outlive the current technology and we'll be on there to the next generation and it'll be a much easier revolutionary fix for our hips. So
Pauline (01:01:43.981)
That is the hope, right? Yeah.
Chris (01:01:46.949)
Well, Pauline, I just want to say thank you very much for joining the Hip Replacement Podcast and sharing all this wonderful information. You've certainly been on an incredible journey with your hips. And I I know your story and the information you're shared will be very helpful to everyone watching and listening to the podcast. So thank you very much.
Pauline (01:02:10.061)
It's my pleasure. Thank you for the opportunity. Really appreciate it.
