My wife is in the hospital after an awful fall. Here doctors are trying to fix a broken femur by doing a hip replacement.
What can we expect now going forward given what's happened to her?
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Re: Broken femur and multiple myeloma
Unfortunately it's hard to give you any kind of an answer without some information about your wife. Does she have myeloma? If so, is she in treatment? What is she receiving for treatment? Is she being followed by a myeloma specialist?
In general she could likely do well. I fractured my humerus, which led to my diagnosing being changed from smoldering to active multiple myeloma. My arm healed and I have full use of it. A few years later, while on active treatment with Revlimid and dexamethasone, I tripped and fell and broke my foot. It healed and I have full use of my foot.
Hip replacements usually are very successful, with minimal to no limitations once healed and appropriate rehab is completed. I had knee replacement surgery while in a relapse and had not yet started treatment. I healed fine and walk without problems.
Good luck to your wife,
Nancy in Phila
In general she could likely do well. I fractured my humerus, which led to my diagnosing being changed from smoldering to active multiple myeloma. My arm healed and I have full use of it. A few years later, while on active treatment with Revlimid and dexamethasone, I tripped and fell and broke my foot. It healed and I have full use of my foot.
Hip replacements usually are very successful, with minimal to no limitations once healed and appropriate rehab is completed. I had knee replacement surgery while in a relapse and had not yet started treatment. I healed fine and walk without problems.
Good luck to your wife,
Nancy in Phila
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NStewart - Name: Nancy Stewart
- Who do you know with myeloma?: self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 3/08
- Age at diagnosis: 60
Re: Broken femur and multiple myeloma
Hello,
I slipped in the parking area and broke my femur over two years ago. They did a hip replacement the next day and, although painful, I was able to 'hobble about' within days using two elbow sticks. I was fully recovered after about two months, but I must remember to warn security in the airports.
As far as my multiple myeloma was concerned, I obviously explained about my illness whilst in the ER, but after x-rays, they were satisfied that there was no multiple myeloma involvement in or close to the fracture, and that I had simply fallen very hard. My multiple myeloma specialist requested that the surgeon send any tissue or bone fragments to his hematology department for further analysis.
Best wishes for a successful outcome.
Victor L
I slipped in the parking area and broke my femur over two years ago. They did a hip replacement the next day and, although painful, I was able to 'hobble about' within days using two elbow sticks. I was fully recovered after about two months, but I must remember to warn security in the airports.
As far as my multiple myeloma was concerned, I obviously explained about my illness whilst in the ER, but after x-rays, they were satisfied that there was no multiple myeloma involvement in or close to the fracture, and that I had simply fallen very hard. My multiple myeloma specialist requested that the surgeon send any tissue or bone fragments to his hematology department for further analysis.
Best wishes for a successful outcome.
Victor L
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Victor L - Name: Victor L
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2012
- Age at diagnosis: 58
Re: Broken femur and multiple myeloma
Prior to my multiple myeloma diagnosis, but after a bone scan and MRI in late October 2015, I learned that my right femur was on the verge of fracturing . I went in for immediate surgery to prevent the imminent fracture. A metal rod / nail was inserted down into my femur to hold the bone in place, while a second screw / nail was put into the head of my femur (near the hip). I stayed in the hospital for one night only after surgery, and a biopsy of bone marrow taken during this femur surgery confirmed my myeloma diagnosis a week later.
Recuperation from this surgery was a little frustrating because I had to rely so heavily on others for grocery shopping, housekeeping, dog walking, etc., for the first eight weeks after surgery. I had my bathroom outfitted with a raised toilet seat, tub handles (to facilitate getting in and out of the bathtub), and a tub seat. I used a walker for two weeks after surgery, and then graduated to a cane for another six weeks. I could not drive for a total of about eight weeks after surgery. I had a physiotherapist come to my home once a week for the first six weeks to help me with strengthening exercises, which I practiced religiously. Within approx. 3 months after surgery I was back to walking my big dog 2 km (1.25 miles) a day, and I currently walk 5 km (3.1 miles) daily and swim lengths 4 times a week at my local YMCA.
I do still feel pain in my femur sometimes; especially if I over- exercise or if I sleep on my right side and put too much pressure on it. My right leg is still weaker than my left leg, but, in general, I think I’ve recuperated quite well from the surgery.
Wishing your wife a full recovery from her hip replacement surgery.
Karen
Recuperation from this surgery was a little frustrating because I had to rely so heavily on others for grocery shopping, housekeeping, dog walking, etc., for the first eight weeks after surgery. I had my bathroom outfitted with a raised toilet seat, tub handles (to facilitate getting in and out of the bathtub), and a tub seat. I used a walker for two weeks after surgery, and then graduated to a cane for another six weeks. I could not drive for a total of about eight weeks after surgery. I had a physiotherapist come to my home once a week for the first six weeks to help me with strengthening exercises, which I practiced religiously. Within approx. 3 months after surgery I was back to walking my big dog 2 km (1.25 miles) a day, and I currently walk 5 km (3.1 miles) daily and swim lengths 4 times a week at my local YMCA.
I do still feel pain in my femur sometimes; especially if I over- exercise or if I sleep on my right side and put too much pressure on it. My right leg is still weaker than my left leg, but, in general, I think I’ve recuperated quite well from the surgery.
Wishing your wife a full recovery from her hip replacement surgery.
Karen
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KarenaD - Name: Karen
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: November 4, 2015
- Age at diagnosis: 54
Re: Broken femur and multiple myeloma
Wow, I broke my femur in 2007 and put in a screw and rods, etc, and after 9 years I just did a hip replacement! This is where my multiple myeloma was discovered. The hip replacement is amazing! No more pain at all! They put me in remission, though, before surgery and after a stem cell transplant.
Keep me posted on your progress!
Keep me posted on your progress!
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Tigerboy74 - Name: Mike
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me and few others
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2007
- Age at diagnosis: 32
Re: Broken femur and multiple myeloma
KarenaD wrote:
I had the same surgery exactly a month after my diagnosis. I had been on a cane already for about a month because of a big lesion. I eventually couldn't put any more weight on the leg, and a CT scan confirmed that it was about to break.
I also graduated from walker to cane, to walking normally over time.
Prior to my multiple myeloma diagnosis, but after a bone scan and MRI in late October 2015, I learned that my right femur was on the verge of fracturing . I went in for immediate surgery to prevent the imminent fracture. A metal rod / nail was inserted down into my femur to hold the bone in place, while a second screw / nail was put into the head of my femur (near the hip).
I had the same surgery exactly a month after my diagnosis. I had been on a cane already for about a month because of a big lesion. I eventually couldn't put any more weight on the leg, and a CT scan confirmed that it was about to break.
I also graduated from walker to cane, to walking normally over time.
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PositiveChris - Name: Chris
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 11/28/2016
- Age at diagnosis: 42
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