Rudy, from someone who has had a total hip
replacement, my advice is to have it done.
Long term, heavy use of steroids does indeed
cause degenerative joint disease, as well as
several other nasty problems. But I don't
believe several days of even massive doses
can do significant damage to the joints.
I have had severe asthma for over sixty years,
and until recently I had been on a heavy dose
of prednisone (40 mg/day) for decades. It did
a job on one hip [the other hip is normal.]
I had it replaced five years ago. The operation
is routine; the pain goes away.
>From your other note, I assume you are young.
You will be getting a bone growth attachment,
not a cemented attachment. Someone seventy
years old has the leg part cemented in place
and can put weight on it immediately; the
cement will usually outlast the patient. For
someone young, heavy, and/or active they put
in a fuzzy or porous device and let the bone
merge with the device. That joint is stronger,
but you have to avoid weight bearing for six
weeks while the bone grows.
Thereafter that hip will not constrain your
activities. A neighbor with two new hips goes
skiing in the alps each winter. But he doesn't
have TM. I have not yet read how your TM has
affected you.
Again, if you have pain, get it replaced pronto.
Alton, who will never again pass through the
airport metal detector