Hi, I am brand new to the board. I am hoping to get some answers from people who have gone through this. There are just some questions that are a little too hard to ask the doctor. I hope I don't offend anyone by my question, but I just need to know what my future may hold. I am a 37 year old female. I have osteoarthritis and I am going to have my left hip joint totally replaced in a week. I will have the other hip done later this year. I am happily married and am sexually active to a degree. What I mean is normal sexual intercourse has become too painful because my range of motion has decreased and the pain and stiffness is more than I can bear. Does this get better after surgery? Will my range of motion get better and I will be able to resume this normal activity or is that part of my life gone forever? Again, I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through this same thing.
Bamachic,
So sorry to hear that you need a hip replacement at your age, but the good news is that you're going to feel so much better once it's over!
Sexual activity is a normal part of life. It's such a shame that doctors often make it difficult for us to bring up this important topic. Yes, you will be able to have intercourse comfortably after surgery. Ask your doctor and physiotherapist exactly when you can resume activities; usually it's about six to 12 weeks postop. There are certain positions that are safer than others because you want to make sure that you don't dislocate your new hip.
I wrote a book about hip replacement last year entitled GETTING HIP. You can read more about it on my web site called Sigrid's Recovery at www.sigridsrecovery.blogspot.com . I have several good links on there. One is called the Totally Hip Online Support group and they are awesome. They have a FAQ that explains many details about sexual activity after surgery.
Another great discussion group is the Yahoo Total Joint Group. They had a detailed discussion about sex after THR recently. You can find links to both of these groups on my web site.
Good luck and remember that your discomfort now is only temporary. You should be zipping along once you've recovered from the pain involved with the surgery itself.
Best of luck to you! Sigrid