Ashley has had a bad fall and broke his hip and femur on Saturday.
Surgery was delayed until today. A 3 hour operation and he is in recovery so doped up he knows nothing.
This was his 4th hip replacement and there is no knowing how he will handle this mentally.
For the past year he has been very down and in a lot of pain with other issues.
His wife, though stoic, is starting to have health issues and has been his carer since his diagnosis in May of 2024.
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Its so sad I hope he comes through it.Ive never known anyone have 4 Hip replacements .I thought replacements were indestructible , made of metal.
I hope he gets the pain relief needed…And his wife gets the support ,to help her cope .
Looking after others when your own health is in decline can be tiring.
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Alzheimers is a terrible thing, it chips away my love and support to his wife. 4 hip replacements wow.
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The most common cause of failure, where the bond between the implant and bone weakens over time. Also, as the metal ball rotates in the socket, it can release microscopic particles. The body’s immune system may react to this debris, leading to inflammation and bone loss.
Certain metal-on-metal designs have higher-than-average failure rates because they can release cobalt or chromium into the bloodstream, sometimes causing tissue damage or systemic toxicity.
Ashley has this problem, manifesting in his feet. His feet are a source of great pain due to excess cobalt. They feel like they are on fire and there is nothing can be done.
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Thats a lot of information I didnt know ,Makes you think twice on cures and replacement .
Ashley is still in hospital. He is in the dementia ward. Hopefully he will have some rehab so he can go home.
Has been in hospital for 17 days now.
I visited Ashley in hospital yesterday. He looks terrible, lost a lot of weight, very gaunt in the face.
His memory recall has deteriorated significantly from when we last had coffee together 3 weeks ago.
When I walked into his room, he did not know who I was, Gail had to tell him.
Instead of me listing all the things he was unable to remember I will just say he is in a bad way from what he was less than a month ago.
He has some serious metalwork holding his hip in place and stabilising his femur.
He is due to go home tomorrow. Though watching how unstable he is walking, (with a frame) I predict he will have another fall and be back in hospital inside a week.
Gail has visited every day he has been there and is extremely tired. Her workload will only increase when he arrives home. Yes, she has applied for home help but that has not been approved as yet.
I doubt that I will be taking Ashley out for coffee for a very long time.
I will continue to visit him for as long as he is with us and will tell Gail to plan a few hours for herself outside the home whilst I am visiting.
Ashley had a fall last night, so he never made it home today.
He will be reassessed on Monday. Such a sad situation.
Being in Hospital is probably the best place for him , if his memory is as bad as you say then being where he is won’t hurt him and he won’t protest to much …
About him losing weight , sometimes this happens due to the swallowing reflex and giving up the fight to live .The body and mind knows when its had enough, Im sorry you are having to see him this way .
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Sorry to hear the news about Ashley Bret, although I’ve only just seen this thread.
I don’t know if it’s just me, but we never seem to have heard much about Alzheimer’s when I was young (50’s and early 60’s) although us kids used to make fun of nana when she couldn’t remember all of our names and get us mixed up.
She smoked like a trouper and peacefully passed away in her late seventies. It wasn’t from lung issues either.
Four hips does seem a lot, I have a couple of friends who have had hip ops and one bloke, an ex marathon runner, is still cycling and running on his after over ten years, but the other, has quite a bit of trouble walking on hers.
As a courier I delivered some large alloy boxes that contained a selection of hip joints (balls and sockets) plus all the surgical tools required for the operation. The boxes were sanitised and sealed for each delivery to the many hospitals I visited. Occasionally I had to return the boxes to Newbury down south for re-stocking and an equipment change. It was a brilliant job for a self employed courier, but I could be called out at a moments notice day or night.
As far as I know, the rule was to implant a titanium socket and a ceramic ball or the other way around. They never put the same material for both the ball and socket.
Ashley will probably spend the rest of his days in hospital and I’m so sorry for you and those loved ones around him.
All my best wishes go to him Bret…
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Ashley has made it home after 24 days in Hospital.
He looks better than when I last saw him on Friday.
He uses a walking frame to get around, and Gail is by his side 24 hours a day.
With luck he will not have another fall in the near future.
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Glad he’s home , fingers crossed he will not have another Hospital admission .
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Who is Ashley ??? never heard of him. Maybe some unknown pop singer??
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Ashley is my friend of 20 years. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 2 years ago.
He had a bad fall 3 weeks ago and broke his hip and femur.
4th Hip replacement.
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Good news Bretrick…
