Hip replacement and mental health

zog200

Hi everyone!

Thanks for letting join the group and get others advice on my situation.
I had THR (total hip replacement) on left and right. The left side was done in 2017 and the right in 2018.
Both were performed on the NHS. Post surgery on the right seemed to be successful, as per what the information the consultant told me, and all seemed well. However around 12/18 months after  I started getting pain that was unbearable . I had GP ultrasound appointments as it was thought it was a hernia.
it wasn’t. In July last year I had a diagnostic/theraputic procedure which confirmed that it was the Rectus femoris tendon that was the issue.
This was being caused by the cup position, which was prominent and slightly open, causing it to aggravate the tendon in my leg.
There is a lump in my groin that give me sometimes unbearable pain and discomfort. Unfortunately medication does not help that much with the impingement. The side effect of this also is I now have sciatica on the left side compensating for so long from the right hip pain. 

I’m currently signed of work and received LCW this week. 

Would I be entitled to PIP as my mobility is very poor. I can’t dress/wash or do other daily activities.
I suffer from health anxiety also which was triggered after surgery when I had a blood clot on my lung.
I am on medication for anxiety/depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, zapain, and methacardomol to relax muscles. All are high doses.
Sorry for the long introduction, and I’m sure I’ve missed some information out, but please ask any questions, and any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you and take care all.

Andy.

poppy123456

You can start a claim for PIP, unless you live in Scotland and then it would be ADP you will need to claim. Whether there's any entitlement will depend on how your conditions affect you, as it's not awarded based on any diagnosis. 

As I don't know anything about how your conditions affect you then it won't be possible for me to tell you if there's any entitlement. There's some links here that may help you. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/Migrated_Documents/adviceguide/pip-9-table-of-activities-descriptors-and-points.pdf    

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers/pip-assessment-guide-part-2-the-assessment-criteria

To start a claim you will need to ring the PIP helpline. how-to-claim it could take anything up to 6 months for a decision, sometimes longer. 

Albus_Alumni

Hi @zog200 and welcome to the community! 

I'm so sorry to hear about your issues with sciatica and the tendon, constant pain can be so draining mentally, I totally understand that.  

If you're having issues with day to day activities, you can apply for PIP yes, there's lots of info here to have a read through. But we're all here to support you if you need a hand with anything.

Can I just ask, do you have anyone to help you around the house? Any friends or family? 

zog200

Morning,

Thank you for commenting on my post @Albus_Scope.
I do have my partner who helps with every day needs.
I’ve only been out of the house a few times this year so far as my anxiety levels/pain can be unbearable.
We don’t have a vehicle so that limits me further. I am 49 with a young family. It’s so disappointing that I feel now that I’m worse off than before I had my surgery.
I had osteoarthritis in both hips caused by bi-lateral cam impingement.
Another question I have… should I look into medical negligence by the NHS? The poor cup placement surely should have been picked up via the X-rays I had post surgery?
Kind regards,

Andy.

Albus_Alumni

I'm afraid I cant advise on any legalities regarding negligence.  But I'm glad you have your partner for support.  Have you looked into Citizens advice to help with filling in the forms? 
  I understand how terrifying outside can be when you have high anxiety, I was the same, but slowly getting better now. It takes time, so be gentle with yourself.  

zog200

Hi all,

I thought I’d give an update on how I am and the claim for medical negligence.

After many investigations is seems that the surgeon has malpositioned the Aceptular cup leading to the impingement in my hip. I had to have further surgery to have my iliopsoas tendon released leaving me with 15-20% loss of strength. This was particularly successful but I’m still having problems that will require further surgeries and ultimately a revision.

All this has left me with poor mobility and in constant pain. I have to use a mobility scooter to mobilise distances I can’t manage on my crutches.

I’ve had a C&P done by a medical professional and unfortunately I will not be able to return to any form of employment.

Mentally I’m in a better place now. Still on meds but having a better understanding of what has directly happened has helped me.

I’m hoping that my solicitor can gather a good strong case so my financial future can be secured.

I’m still quite bitter though about the surgery and what it’s taken from me. We have these surgeries to make our quality of life better. Unfortunately in my case it’s worse.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post and all the best to everyone!

kindest regards,

Andy.x

Bluebell21

Hi @zog200 thank you for giving us an update.

You are bound to feel bitter about the outcome of your surgery. You had it to improve your quality of life and it has not worked out that way.

Fingers crossed that your solicitor is able to put forward a strong case for you and you get a good financial settlement.

It is good news that you are in a better place with your mental health.

Please take care of yourself.

Rosie_Scope

Sorry you've had to deal with all that pain and uncertainty after your op @zog200, that's awful. But I'm glad to hear you're in a better place mentally. Living with constant pain can be so draining and it's no wonder you feel bitter about what's happened with all that you've had to deal with since.

Best of luck with your legal case! I hope you're able to bring it all to a conclusion that you're satisfied with.