May 4,2018

This may be a little long but hopefully it will help those who don’t have as easy a time with surgery as most and are on the Slow Program with Dr Gross.

Update from a “slow programmer”…  Now in the beginning of week 6 and feeling pretty good.  Since the first 4 weeks were essentially 10% or toe touch on my operated leg I had no idea if my hip was better or worse than before I had surgery.  It wasn’t until last week I really began to feel the difference in my hip.  It was “amazing”. I felt like I had been “heeeeealed”.  Putting my weight finally on the hip (about 50%) felt so good!  I wanted to run as fast as I could through the house!  Yes It was wobbly, the incision hurt,  my muscles hurt and it felt “strange” but the same pain I had going into the surgery, was gone.  That bone on bone feeling that makes you miserable all day was done.   What I realized as well was I was a Motrin addict.  For years I woke up and took Motrin in the morning to just take the edge off, then in the afternoon and at night to sleep.  I am seriously surprised i still have a liver.  It’s pretty strange NOT taking Motrin to get by in my day.    SO week 6, I am on one crutch which gives me a  lot more freedom to function throughout the day.  I am now putting about 85% weight on my hip only because it still is sore in the joint and I’m wobbly.  The only difficulty I have is still getting in and out of bed, a chair, the car.  I still have some difficulty sleeping throughout the night and can’t lay on the side of my incision.   I haven’t driven on my own yet but will do so next week. Not until the end of week 6 can I ditch the 90 degree rule.  After week 6 I will be on a cane (im thinking I might try my trekking pole with shocks.  Has anyone used that instead of a cane?)  I received Dr Gross’s packet on the next phase of exercise and further instructions.

I had a “Hellascious” time in the beginning.  Problems with throwing up pain pills, pain, helplessness, unexpectedly on crutches for 6 weeks, depression, isolation, wondering whether it was me and whether I made a huge mistake.  I think I was pretty miserable for the first 2 weeks.  My body was screaming and I was blaming my husband for supporting me in this process.  “It was all HIS fault”.  Oh my, he had a time with me.  I’m an impatient, results oriented, no nonsense, type A personality who is generally NOT a good patient.  I think psychologically that contributed to my misery.  I had two arthroscopic surgeries on this hip prior and it wasn’t nearly as bad so my expectations were skewed.   The first 6 weeks have been a struggle but getting slowly better each day.  Each little accomplishment is a blessing to me.  I’m supposed to see a PT for evaluation of my hip function next week.  Dr Gross’s instructions are pretty specific to the PT and I look at the pics on the form and think, wow, are they sure I will be able to do THAT with my hip?  I haven’t been able to bend my hip out like that for 4 years!

So as the weeks progress, I’m ok’d for further exercise like my stationary bike (although the incision seems like it’s going to be an issue on the seat) and light exercise up until 6 months while the biggest risk of femoral fracture is present.  I’ll have to ask if I can walk for exercise.  I have some questions but I will start a new topic on those.  All is moving along slowly – but doing very well.