"A journey of pain."

This is such an emotive reality for me, I'll try to keep to the facts.   I've had problems with my hips for years.  It's a combination of genetic hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis from a very active life.

After a number of investigative procedures it was clear I'd worn through the cartilage and the joint was bone on bone.   I was advised to have an implant put in and rather than get total hip (due to my age at the time) a BHR (Birmingham hip) was my best option.   I had the surgery in Jan 2016.  I awoke with a 15 inch incision (it's usually 5" - 7", so twice the size) and told it was a difficult surgery due to the muscle mass in my backside.  

What became apparent was that following my surgery, my pain levels did not improve.  Not only that, I lost functionality, I lost movement.  I now need to use my hand to lift my left leg into a car and out again - not something I had to do before and not something your average person in their 40's needs to do.   Over the years there were a couple of plans to explore why I may still be in pain (via a series of cortisone injections), however these were quickly scrapped and no reasoning given. In my opinion, my surgeon is deficient in communication skills and, dare I say, compassion, let alone any bedside manner.  Initially I had appointments yearly, where I would voice that my implant clunked and shifted, that my pain levels were worse than pre-op and that most days walking more than a couple of hundred metres was impossible due to cramping.   I would get told (with a smile) that the xray showed the implant was in place and that the surgery was a success.  Following this surgery I have not slept normally, I cannot walk more than 100m on a bad day and I take an array of medication daily that includes strong opioids, anti-emetics, migraine meds, among others.  The cocktail of drugs I take is constantly evolving.  After 4 years of this, I managed to get an appointment with the chronic pain team who, after seeing me, agreed that there was an ongoing issue with the joint, that my problem was not either psycho-somatic nor neurological. 

On the back of this, I was able to get a second opinion. At Glasgow Royal Infirmary they ordered a bone scan and an aspiration of the joint to assess the stresses and possible infection in the joint.   Neither investigation came up with answers.  There was no infection and no unexpected results from the stress test.   I was told there could be a number of reasons for my pain/issues but that many cannot be tested for without direct investigation. I was also told that given my wider history, a revision to a total hip replacement is the best option. It has been over a year since this decision was made.   

To add to my pain issues, I exhibit all of the symptoms of metallosis.  Metallosis occurs in up to 5% of metal on metal implants, such as the Birmingham Hip implant I received.  The problem is the implant is made of a cobalt and chromium alloy and through both leaching and wear, these metals get into your bloodstream and poison you.  I have "morning sickness" (nausea upon waking up everyday -and have had this for about 18mo now),  headaches, blurred vision, tinnitus, anxiety, arrhythmia, memory issues.  I have highlighted this to both my new surgeon and my GP and highlighted I have not been tested for cobalt or chromium levels in over 2.5 yrs (despite the manufacturers recommendation of 6 monthly testing) as well as the NHS's own policy of maximum yearly testing).   I suspect they don't want me to be a metallosis statistic if I'm having a hip revision anyway.   So I've had definitive surgery dates set and cancelled on two occasions. One date in Sept and then another in Dec. In the meantime, the metallosis symptoms have worsened, where I am now basically bed ridden (blurred vision, nausea, tinnitus, arrhythmia, tinnitus, and elevated pain) I can no longer work or function.   My surgery date has not been reset and no advice available on when it might take place.   Nor will anyone undertake a simple blood test to assess the metal ion levels in my blood.   I have found my treatment both shockingly bad at times, negligent at best and wholly unacceptable. I've lost over 6 yrs of my life to pain owing to the original surgery and at present there is no end in site for me.  Nor do the NHS seem to be taking my care seriously or even following their own protocol on blood ion testing.   I just want this nightmare to be over.