"A failed Hip Operation"

In January I stepped out door foot went over could not balance with my arthritic knees and feel down two steps onto the ground, My Husband called an Ambulance because I was in so much pain I was taken to RAH by Ambulance after 6 pm arrived roughly about 6. 30 pm told them I had went down on my left leg and elbow, I was given an X-ray of Hip and Elbow the doctor reading the X-ray said there were no breaks. I was kept in one of the Orthopaedic Wards, 2 days later I was given Physio in the Ward and was walking with support of a heightened Walking Frame, was very hard and very painful. The next day one of the Nurses came up and told me I would be getting a MRI of my Hip because of the pain. The word was that I was to do no more Physio then the doctor came up and told me I had a left Neck Femur Fracture fortunately no damage had been done due to the Physio they hoped. I was told I would have an operation the next day, they said it would be a Dynamic Hip Screw, I questioned this and said to them I have Arthritis and Osteoporosis in my left hip are you sure this will hold because your putting a DHS onto an old hip that has Arthritis and Osteoporosis in it, they assured me it would be strong and last me years.

I said ok Doctor you know best and they said they would do the operation the next day. I had the operation and when I came out of the theatre the pain was excruciating, I am in my seventies and have pain everyday but this was above and beyond what I could suffer. Returned to the Ward that night I had to get a catheter inserted, Was having my usual painkillers in the Ward with an extra two types of painkiller on top of that.

The day after my surgery I had Physio and they were happy with how I was progressing after the operation.

The next day I was asked could I manage in and out of bed myself and bathing etc I felt I had no choice as I had been told they needed beds! I said I would try, I was told I would be transferred to the VOLH as I stay in Alexandria, was transferred by Passenger Transport to Ward 15 in the VOLH, I felt very Vulnerable, Anxious and very sore indeed. The ambulance staff were nice to me trying to assure me I would be ok. I still had the catheter in situ I was taken to Ward 15 and sat on the seat at the side of the bed. The RAH said I would be getting intensive Physio at the VOLH the next time I received Physio was Tuesday for 5 minutes it was the weekend and a Monday Holiday and then 5 minutes of Physio on the Thursday, the Physio gave me some exercises to follow from a sheet and I done these in the course of the days I was in Ward 15.

OT Team were involved and organised some aids for the house for when I would get home.

I asked for a shower as I hadn't had one in days and was told I would get one when they had time but unfortunately the 12 days I was in the VOLH I was not showered! as they were very busy. I eventually got the catheter out. When I returned home I had to do hand a sample of urine into the Doctor and received a prescription from my own Doctor.

Came out of hospital two and a half weeks after I first went in in the ambulance, Physio's came in once a week and I was given the same exercises I received in hospital I worked very hard and pressed through the pain I seemed to be getting better, told Physio's I was having a niggling pain at the top of the inside of my left leg that the operation had been done on, they said remember you are in your seventies and you have Osteoporosis and Arthritis it will take time but you are doing well..... after the 5 weeks it started to get worse I made and appointment for my GP she wrote to the community Physiotherapist and I eventually received an appointment during this time the pain was getting a lot worse, also it was making my mobility decline, when I seen the community Physio she gave me an examination and her conclusion was I needed an X-ray so I was sent to the RAH that day, I had the X-ray and a Registrar told me they would speak to their boss as they thought they knew what was wrong but needed their confirmation after they had viewed my X-ray. The Registrar told me not to do any Physio and not to worry and we had done the right thing coming. I received a letter in a few weeks later and went to the RAH to see a consultant at the end of May, he asked me to go for another X- ray to compare them both. The result was he told me the operation had failed and the DHS had collapsed internally in on itself and you will need to have a New Hip! I agreed and he gave me a leaflet on the Hip Joint Surgery and explained it to me, he said he would do it a bit sooner as the DHS hadn't worked. He said I would get a letter through for a Pre Assessment and all being well I would have a new operation date for RAH he wanted to do the surgery himself.

I received a letter from the consultant's secretary and they said to call them, when I called them they discussed with me that there was a waiting list, I told them that the consultant had said he would do it a bit sooner. As I had seen the consultant and he said he wanted to do my surgery I felt more confident to have the surgery with that consultant the RAH.

I then received a letter at the start of June to say that the consultant would be unavailable for the next six weeks. So as I wanted this consultant to do the surgery, Under the Rights (Scotland) Act 2011 I would be admitted for treatment within 12 weeks this means that I would be offered an appointment on or before October. The reason I was sticking to surgery with this consultant was because he wanted to do the surgery on me himself and I didn't feel very confident having surgery with anybody else as the last one had failed, I am in my seventies with other health problems and the pain I am suffering is indescribable, I just want to get the operation and then get on with getting better you understand.

I had to call my GP and ask for more pain relief as the pain is unbearable and the GP has added a new pain killer to my list of meds, as the secretary had told me if my pain or got any worse I could phone them, I called them in July and they told me it was a longer wait because staff were having holidays and maybe I would be better picking any hospital and surgeon as I was in so much pain. But couldn't guarantee anything as they were very, very busy. They told me I might get surgery sooner at another hospital but couldn't guarantee this.

I then received a letter from Unit Secretary/ Waiting List Coordinator dated in mid July saying exactly the same apart from unavailable to the middle of July and saying we will offer you an appointment on or before the start of October this is the maximum I should have to wait but they will endeavour to see me sooner. The letter said if I could I come in at short notice if a patient cancels? I said I would as I am in so much pain.

My DHS surgery at the end of Jan 2017 failed through no fault of my own and I have had to wait 7 months so far in pain which is now unbearable even with the pain relief the GP has me on, I feel as if I cannot wait because of the pain and No sleep it has been affecting my other Health Problems and making them worse and I cannot continue with this level of pain. At this rate I won't have the energy or health to get through the surgery if it isn't soon. I am so immobile that when I have to go to GP appointments I have had to borrow wheelchair from a friend to use.

I am in much more pain and worse off than before the DHS. Which was 7 months ago. The thought of waiting till October is just unbearable as I cannot sleep maybe just 2 hours in a chair.

I like to be moving around and mobile and keeping myself very busy but I am now unable to do anything without my husband's help.

The longer I wait the longer my recuperation will be.

I don't normally write things in websites but felt in this case I had no option.