While in the waiting room of my orthopedic surgeon, I met a guy that was going for his fourth. He told me that he was one of the very first patients to get an artificial hip, back when they first started it. He was/is a carpenter, so spends all day long on his feet with a 20 lb. tool belt around his waist.....bending, jumping, etc. so he said he wears them out faster than the average person. But that each one has lasted longer than the preceding one and that he thought this would be his last one since he was due to retire the following year.
This was about five years ago (or was that six?). The hip that I got had just been approved by the FDA six weeks earlier and all three pieces are titanium. I guess, up till then, one part (I believe he said the cup) was a nylon product.
I rode to Reno with Jim (hd-dude on this forum) once. Even on pain pills, by the time I got to Reno I couldn't get off the bike. Jim saw that I was having problems and in serious pain and asked me if I needed help to get off my bike. I knew and I told him "I don't have any business on a bike.....when we gas up and start back, I'll not be stopping until I'm in my garage". That was a really stupid mistake on my part and I'll never forget what I was feeling, pain wise. After the hip replacement (they call it an implant), I immediatly knew I did the right thing.
By the way, my doc got me out of bed that night (after surgery that morning) and I went home two days later.

Kind of freaked me out that he had me stand on it that quick, but said that's what they do. Had to get me out of there.....needed the bed space for the next one.
