I found, I lurked, I studied and now I'm HIP

[Hip-o-potimus]

Through friend's advice, research and reading all of the ins and outs of resurfacing on this awesome site, I am now the proud owner of a resurfacing on my left hip.  Dr. Gross did the operation this Wednesday and this is my first time posting here.  I have to say thank you to all the posters here for unknowingly talking me through this.  Dr. Gross and his staff are absolutely awesome.  Thanks everyone.

[Pat Walter]

Great to hear about your new hip.  Glad the website was helpful to you.  Not only is the information on the main pages helpful, but the 2500+ folks here are really supportive and great people.

Good Luck.  Take it easy in the begining and you will be running all over this summer!  Have fun.

Pat

[newdog]

Hip-o,

Posts like yours is part of the reason I keep coming back to this forum. I like to read about the new Hippys. Glad you are doing O.K. and way to go, you are now one of us. I am 12 weeks post op so tell Dr.Gross I am doing fine and just finished a 50 mile ultra marathon this past weekend.   ;)  I'm just kidding but I wonder what the look on his face would be?!   ;D

I hope to hear more from you as you progress.

Steve (newdog)

[Hip-o-potimus]

I just did some pt.  Doc allowed full weight bearing but I'm still only about 70 percent.  Feels good so far.  Hopefully Doc releases me today.  There is no joint pain ;D. There is only muscle soreness.  I'm still on pain Meds though.

[hernanu]

Congrats on the new hip! great that you're starting pt. Keep it up and you'll feel brand new. I know I do.

Now you'll really now what is hip... (apologies to Tower of Power).

[obxpelican]

I would get off of the pain meds asap as they can wreak havoc on your body.... muscle pain can be dealt with with ibuprophen.

If you are doing 70% right now you're doing really good, congrats on the new hip, good luck in the future.

I bet you are released today, most all Gross hippys go home Friday and if you are out of town go back to your home Saturday.


Chuck

I just did some pt.  Doc allowed full weight bearing but I'm still only about 70 percent.  Feels good so far.  Hopefully Doc releases me today.  There is no joint pain ;D. There is only muscle soreness.  I'm still on pain Meds though.

[AlanN]

Welcome...it's a great club with great members :)

This site was of unbelievable value to me before during and after my op, in fact without it I would have ended up with a THR (fact).

Good luck with the rehab and don't overdo it (I did lol).

[Ernie]

I'm glad to hear that your doc allowed full weight bearing since mine did as well.  So many people seem to have weight bearing restrictions for a long time that I was concerned that I didn't have any! I guess it depends on how strong the doc determines your bones are.  So far the recovery has been amazing.  I went from a walker to a cane on day 5, and today on day 7 I experimented walking short distances without the cane, and was able to do it.  Good luck on your recovery.

[hipnhop]

Hip-O n HipnHop - we could make a cool rap team. Congrats on your surgery. Take it easy and enjoy your time off. I wanted everything to happen so fast. By day 5 and reading tons of post I realized that this is not a sprint; it's a 1/2 marathon.  I think I'm approaching the 5k mark and I feel good.  Best of luck.

[Hip-o-potimus]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone.  I just got discharged so I'll be flying home tomorrow.  For now, just relaxing in the hotel with the ice machine running.  The leg feels a little weak so I'll put weight on it but not confident enough for full weight.  I guess I stood on it pretty good while changing.  How long did most of you use the pain meds?  They make me queasy

:P

[einreb]

I went through the same Wednesday surgery with Dr Gross.  I was off the Oxy in the day by Saturday.  I took the occasional Nucinta during the day.  I stopped the oxy at night after 7 or 8 days.

They oxy at  night really helped me sleep better, but I didn't have any ill effects from it.

Congrats on getting this far, it just gets better... :)

[newdog]

Started taking pain meds on the day of my first surgery which was on a Monday. Had my second surgery on Wednesday. So I was on the heavy duty stuff from Monday through Saturday of that week.

Starting Sunday I was on X-strength Tylenol. Two tablets 3 to 4 times a day for probably one week. I went to one tablet when needed after that.

The pain meds made me queasy too. That was the reason I stopped taking them. The ice machine and ice packs helped a lot with the pain.

[Dayton96]

I took the oxycontin twice daily until I made the 9 hour car trip home on Saturday.  On Monday I was down to one a day, then by one week after the surgery I was finished with them completely.  Be aware that your spinal takes a few days to wear off and then the oxycontin continues to mask some discomfort, so don't overdue it when you are finally clean.  There will be some discomfort.   

[Krunch]

Congrats!  I'm about a week post-op and getting better all the time.
Take it easy and be smart.

Craig

[23109VC]

I took the oxycontin as directed and ended up stopping when I had one left....  I took the nucynta the same way.... I felt o weird effects from the oxy, but the nucynta made me groggy and sleepy.  I think it made me have weird dreams...but can't be sure.

I believe the pain meads were dispensed so that you'd have about five days of meds after you leave on Friday.  Take them if you need them.  I didn't use every single one, but came close.  The nurses said if you try to get off the pain meds too fast and the pain Gershwin too intense it's harder to suppress it...they felt it better to stay on top of the meds and keep the pain at bay... Worked for ,e.

I'm about 6 weeks post op and there is still muscle soreness but I just take Tylenol....seems to be enough.

Take it easy and don't overdo it.

[Hip-o-potimus]

I arrived home yesterday late afternoon.  It was good to sleep at home again.  I'm tapering off the pain meds but Per doctors orders, I'll stay on them a little longer.  In a lighter amount they don't make me nauseous.  There is still some swelling but nothing alarming.  Pain is very minimal so far. 
I could not have done this without the help of my wife.  She has helped me with everything.  It gives me more time to sit and chill on the ice machine.  She is awesome. 
How long do you ice?  Do you sleep with the polar care machine on all night?  They had me on it all night in the hospital but I took it off last night around 12:30 and woke up with a lot of swelling this morning.  I've been on it ever since except for walking around the house a little bit.

[Dayton96]

I did not have much swelling after getting home.  I stopped using the ice machine within a week of being home.  I can sleep on my back, stomach, and good side.  The operated side, 2 1/2 weeks post op, is still a little tender to sleep on.  I still have to get up a couple times a night to use the bathroom, but I easily go back to sleep.

Mac

[Hip-o-potimus]

Well I'm at about 9 days post op and feel awesome.  Down to 1 crutch and able to take a couple hobbly steps when needed in the home without the crutch.  Going to get a cane ASAP.  The incision is tight and mildly sore but that has to be expected.  I'm completely off the pain meds which really helps in feeling normal.  Looking foreword to being normal again and working out.  I know it's going to be a while but I'm still looking foreward to it. 
For now I'll stick to the exercises they taught me in PT. 
I hope everyone else here is doing well.  Thanks again for the guidance.

[hernanu]

Sounds great! Keep icing, I kept it up for a couple of months, still do if I get a bit sore after four months. Ice is my friend and I think is yours too.

I kept icing it continuously with my homegrown ice pack for about four weeks. I also used it when driving initially, especially for long drives. It would eventually melt and be done, but helped.

[Hip-o-potimus]

Yeah I've cut back on the ice a little but it really is the biggest help.  The Polar Care ice machine is the best invention since sliced bread!