I have been suffering for a few months with a sore hip – well let’s be precise, it is a hot sharp pain at the top of my leg … in the groin region, that feels as though somebody is prodding me with a hot poker.  At times, it travels down my thigh to below my knee – not a really pleasant feeling I must admit.

I consulted a doctor who ordered some MRIs and X-Rays that showed I had advanced arthritis in my hip.  Yes, my hip and it was causing the hot pain in the previously mentioned areas.

Training legs has been minimal and sporadic – difficult to do anything that doesn’t aggravate the issue and so it’s been upper body only for quite sometime.  I always hated burpees with a passion but I would give anything to be able to do them now.

Well I was a little distraught at being advised that it wasn’t really a case of if I would need a hip replacement in the future, but more of a case of when.  The first treatment to try would be a cortisone injection.  WOW and don’t I just love needles – not.  Off to St Vincents for them to undertake the MRI guided injection – picture me lying on the table with my eyes closed so that I don’t have to look at the needle which will definitely make me pass out!!  At least I’m lying down and there’s nowhere to fall to.  The site is first injected with anaesthetic to make it deliciously numb and then on to the actual cortisone.  15 minutes and it’s all done and dusted.  What a feeling, I can walk without pain and no limping!

Unfortunately, the great results proved to be the anaesthetic and once that wore off, we were back to stage 1.  I was told it could take a few weeks to take effect but it never got any better.

So, off we trundle again to see the Dr – who always appears to have a free appointment when he is consulting in Bankstown, but not when he is in the city.  Nice long train ride – that’s a first, never been to Bankstown before and unless I see the Dr again, probably will never go there again.

Dr suggests that I am too young to have a hip replacement – oh joy of joys to be in your late fifties and be told you are too young – great boost for the ego, at least I’m still too young for something!  The next move I’m told is to have a durolane injection which is a type of gel that is injected into the hip joint to try and cushion it so that the bones aren’t rubbing against each other and causing pain.

Same trip – off to St Vincents, same routine, same response from me and horror of horrors, same response with the durolane which is absolutely no change at all in the hip pain and the limp.

And…. Just what I always wanted another trip to Bankstown.

After the Dr sees me shuffling across the road and through his consulting rooms with a walking stick, he agrees the time has come for a hip replacement.  Being due to fly out of the country on 31 March for the next adventure in our lives, this really puts the cat amongst the pigeons.  I will have my operation on 17 March – so many questions now as to when we fly, do we go separately, do we go together?

Spent a good three hours at the hospital yesterday undertaking the pre admission process and tests – at least I know I have a clean bill of health except for my hip as I don’t believe there can be many more tests to take…….

We’ve had a few thoughts and changes of heart.  David will still go on 31^st March – or will he??  The house, bank account and utilities bills are all in my sole name, this means that he can’t access cash when he’s there and he can’t buy a car etc without the utility bills.  Our wonderful Spanish lawyer is trying to help us out but now the thought is that he should stay around for a couple of extra weeks and only go a week before me. This gives him time to look for a vehicle for us and then when I get there we can buy, insure and get on the road.

I am still training upper body only – two more days and I’ll get the op.  I’m going to keep you all updated on how the op and recovery goes to see how much strength and definition I have lost in my legs and how long it will take me to build this back up.

Next step, wait for a phone call between 11 am and 5 pm on Friday to be advised of my admission time on Saturday and – YIKES – when I must stop eating.  Stop eating – unheard of.

Watch this space for the latest updates.

Hippy Times … 🏋🏻‍♀️