I have had severe osteoarthritis in both hips since 2002. I was advised by my MD and his orthopedic surgeon to get total hip replacement surgery on the left hip in 2000. But I did some research on the WWW and found some very disturbing information about success/failure rates and long term recovery prognosis - in a nut shell, not very encouraging, at least what I read in 2000 reports.

Since 2000, I have had trouble with carbohydrates that seem to make the deterioration worse with each meal I have that includes even the smallest amount of carbs, usually "hidden" ones. The osteoarthritis that started in my left hip rapidly spread into my right hip and both knees and seems to be spreading into my shoulders as well. What is worse is that most of the time, I'M NOT EATING THE CARBS BECAUSE I WANT THEM! IT'S AS THOUGH THERE IS ANOTHER ENTITY CO-HABITING THIS BODY WHO DEMANDS TO BE FED THE CARBS THAT I WOULD OTHERWISE AVOID!

Probably the worst factor in all this is that my family seems to be genetically predisposed to this kind of disabling deterioration: my grandmother, after an accident that broke her back, was very nearly crippled by the pains and would not accept physical therapy and died in her mid 60's. My mother also contracted disabling arthritis, had knee surgery, which subsequently failed, and died in her mid 60's having lived out the rest of her life after the sugery failed in a wheel chair.

With this kind of a family track record, I hope it's clear why I'm skeptical about the value of replacement surgery these days.

I am at my wits end. I need to do something to stop this downward spiral and stop the deterioration. So I guess I have two concerns:

1) Does any one recognize a pattern of disease from what I have been saying? Is there a remedy?

And 2) I'm wondering if there has been any change for the better in replacement surgery prognoses?

Any input either way would be very much appreciated.