I'd get a second or third opinion on that. A friend's sister had a hip replacement at age 42. If you need one, you NEED one, I can't see how they can deny you one. Definiteatly see another doctor. I sure would.
Laurie

One of my co-workers is off work right now, recovering from a hip replacement. He's in his early 30's! Time to switch doctors, I think.

Cindy

I can't offer any advice but I hope your husband gets the hip and soon. My auntie had it done and a month later she was dancing at my wedding... it was a new lease on life! Hopefully another doctor will help. Best wishes.

BTW the rationale of not giving a person under 60 a new hip because it's only good for 15 years is stupid. Do people not live past 75 anymore? Is this 1806? Besides, who knows how long the hip will last.

I'd say see another doctor!

I have a friend in Calgary who had one done a year ago, and she's only in her 40s. It was truly a new lease on life for her, though she does have other health issues that slow her down. She has a fantastic garden too - a clematis queen!

I totally blew my knee out 20 months ago and had an MRI within a week and arthroscopic surgery the next week. It was considered non-elective, *almost* emergency surgery. I did it doing what else - gardening. Long story short, because I could go on and on, the surgery was not a success and I have been left with a knee that does not fully bend or straighten and I have a definite limp. I'm now 48 - I was 46 when it happened. The orth. doctor I originally saw, a friend that is retired from surgery, told me I needed a knee replacement. The doctor that did the surgery thought it could be repaired. He told me that he doesn't do any replacements until 55. (Gee, a bit better than 60). Long term prognosis - I need a knee replacement but he will not do it until 55 or I get such bad arthritis that the joint is almost gone. I think I'm getting there. But, meanwhile, my back and hips are taking such a beating.

Problem with seeing another doctor is that it's months and months to get in to see someone else and you are risking being told the same thing. I get so frustrated. Fortunately, we have had such a nice winter that I haven't had to use my cane much except when I do long walks. I fell twice on ice last winter and the doc just said "You can't fall anymore. Everytime you fall, you hurt it worse." Gee - like I fall on purpose!!
Grrrrrr........

Don't get me started on the health system right now. We have Ralph to deal with here.

Shauna

And Ralph's buddy Steve would like the rest of the country to be like that too. :/

Maybe this should be posted on a seperate thread, however, I would like to say in defense of Ralph and "Ralph's buddy Steve", that, Thanks to Ralph (and of course oil $$...which Ralph tapped into...SK has a lot of oil, but their economy isn't as good because their provincial leaders haven't tapped into that resource), Alberta has one of the best economies in this country. I don't agree with the way Raplh wants to head with healthcare, but the current system isn't working that well anymore, so some sort of changes are needed...

As for Steve...give him a chance. Jean and Paul didn't exactly do this country any big favors...Corruption and gun control were 2 major reasons why I was glad to see them out of power, but there were other reasons as well. Sometimes picking a leader is not much more than deciding on the 'lesser of two evils', but I think that Steve has as good a chance as any of making this country a better place to live.

Just MHO. (Hope no one gets mad at me for talking a little politics here.)

Verena

I hear you on the "lesser of two evils" thing. :)

We never used to be able to talk religion or politics on here and many people got sent to Disney or banned, or received personal (yikes!) emails from the webmaster, but i'm not sure if iVillage has the same rules. I make occasional snide comments, but am not "up" on politics enough to carry on a decent conversation about them.

Well, coming briefly out of lurkdom, I won't comment on the politics, but only on the following... royalty rates (i.e. the "take" the government gets from leasing oil and gas rights to oil and gas companies, and its share of subsequent profits from production of same) have always been, and remain, higher in Saskatchewan than in Alberta. So the political leaders have "tapped into it". However, Saskatchewan has less reserves (i.e. volume of discovered oil and gas) and less production than in Alberta, and thus less total (or per capita or any way you want to look at it) earnings to government from oil and gas production despite the higher royalties, with resulting differences in the economies of the two provinces, despite the current high prices for oil. Perhaps the higher royalties in Saskatchewan are intended to make more of the smaller quantity of oil and gas?
Anyway, just some points, as I sit here waiting for the results of a well to come in...

With respect to hip replacement surgery, Margaret Wente had an excellent article in the Globe & Mail, entitled "Shoot From the Hip" chronicling her hip replacement surgery. You should try to get that article. Basically, a two-tier system exists already and she pulled strings to get bumped up the waiting list and has since had her other hip done as well. I believe she is in her early 50's, don't quote me on that though.