I was diagnosed with AVN in January of this year and had
Bi-lateral hip replacement in May. Both femur head had collapsed and I
was on crutches for six months. It turns out that I also have AVN in both
shoulders and two days before my hip surgery the ball of the left shoulder
collapsed too.
I was really lucky in the surgeon I had. He told me
that most doctors would tell me that I shouldn’t ride after the surgery, but
he was doing the surgery so I could ride again. So, I very carefully got
on my most reliable horse 35 days following the double hip replacement and rode
around our arena for 15 minuets. I worked my way up to ridding 3 hours,
then had the shoulder replaced in August. Now I am starting to work my
way up in riding again, I actually managed to take a horse out on the Tevis
trail by myself the first time this week.
If you have AVN, you have two choices, be a cripple in
constant pain or get the joints replaced. The surgery isn’t easy, but
is easier than living with a destroyed joint. I still have some
discomfort in my hips. I have been told by others who had a hip replaced
that it really takes a year before you feel normal again. The range of
motion in the artificial joints isn’t as great as with your natural joints.
My horses are going to have to become resigned to me dragging my leg across
their rump when I mount and dismount. I think that having water bottles
on the cantle is a thing of the past, perhaps a camel back is the answer.
