I'm not going to do it...

[hipnhop]

There is a local 5K July 4th race in my neighborhood. I am really tempted to do it but I'm not stupid.

Has there been something that you really wanted to do since HR but your common sense smacked you in the back of the head?

Is there something that you shouldn't have done, but did (I know Mike, Tin and Hern are going to have fun with this)?

[Tin Soldier]

Soccer.  During this spring I was coaching my kids last season before high school and I really wanted to get a little more into it.  I shouldn't have even been running lightly in a straight line, but every so often I had the urge to mix it up with some the 14 year olds, especially the ball hogs.  I used to play defense and I loved chasing down showboaters and taking the ball away from them.  Problem is, they never learn, they still don't pass.  Anyway, I did overdo it at the end of the season, at least for the unoperated hip and I was hurtin for a few days.  I think the good thing about bi-lateral OA and being in between surgeries, is you have a regulator (the bad hip).  I shouldn't be playing any soccer, not even light mild stuff, at least for a year.

I hear you, its hard to not want to do all the things we used to.

[hernanu]

Danced salsa at 8 weeks? I swore I wouldn't, but my niece was the DJ and she had bragged to her friends. Sure it was stupid and I was sore, but my hips held up fine. No twirls and just basic moves. Like putting bycicle tires on a Ferrari  ::)

Only lasted about 20 minutes or so.

[John C]

Yeah, there have been a few big things, and lots of little ones. Dr. Gross is very strict about not doing anything fancy for six months, in order to avoid any risk of femoral neck fracture. At about three months, I started to want to take my waveski out surfing, but I managed to compromise with myself and wait until five months. I go on a heli-ski trip every year, and it was going to happen at just past the six month mark. I did start back skiing at exactly six months to the day :D, but I did pass on the heli-ski trip that year; boy was that hard. :'(  However, I have not missed a heli-trip since then. ;D
As far as some of the little things, it is funny sometimes how the body is smarter than the mind. During my first few days back on skis, I would spot a small jump, and think; "that should be no problem". As I approached it, by body suddenly slowed down and absorbed the bump so that I would not get airborne. ???   It was like my hip was saying; "what are you thinking up there in mission control?"  Hips can definitely be smarter than a twenty year old brain trying to run a sixty year old body. ::)

[Denver_wrench]

John, I'd like to hear more about skiing on a BHR. I had planned on waiting a year. At the start of this year's season I'll be six months post op. I'd like to return to moguls; my doc has said this should be fine on a perfect, soft day, while some of the PAs have expressed that i should be limited to groomers or blue runs. I guess blue runs are better than no runs, but if I can bump without taking a foolish risk...well, then, sign me up.

[John C]

Denver,
I can relate. When I was younger, prior to bad hips, I was a mogul nut; either competing or teaching in the bumps most of the winter. When my hip got really bad, I had to restrict myself to softer rounder bumps, and stay out of the hacked up ones.
I got back into teaching full time (8 hours, seven days a week) at 6.5 months after my resurfacing, mostly high level skiing. I did warn my students that I would be avoiding nasty bumps for that first season. This turned out to be smart, because my hip did not really feel ready for much impact those first couple of months. I was skiing bottomless powder and crud my first day back, and within a few weeks was skiing very aggressively on the groomed, carving trenches at speed. By the end of that first season, I was back to skiing some black diamond bump runs, but I made a point of avoiding icy bumps or jagged lines.
I think that your docs advice was spot on; groomers are all good, powder and crud are good as long as there are no hidden surprises like rocks or stumps that could damage to a new hip (this risk is why I did not go heli-skiing that first year), and bumps as long as they are soft and round (or at least can be skied that way). I think that hitting hard zipper lines at speed during the first year would be a mistake. Dr. Gross's advice was to start skiing gradually at six months, and no bumps or black diamonds for a year. Last I heard, Mr McMinn was still saying no skiing at all for one year.
Hopefully it will not happen to you, but after skiing for over 50 years, my first turn on my new hip was a disaster. A week before the lifts opened, I had hiked about 1000 feet up the mountain to give my hip a test run. Stepped into my skis, started my first turn on the new hip, and it would not work. :o My first attempt at a turn on my new hip careened 100 feet across the run, and into the edge of the trees with absolutely no control. After a little talking to self about wimping out, I did manage to ski the rest of the way down in reasonable form. The day the mountain opened, I started with a few pretty weak runs on the beginner chair, before the powder up on top beckoned strongly enough to overcome my lack of real power and trust in the hip. Once I got to the top, I did spend the next six hours skiing powder and crud non-stop.
The good news is that by the second season, most people were commenting that my resurfaced hip is skiing better and stronger than it had in twenty years. However, I will still change lines if I see a big impact coming.

[Denver_wrench]

Thanks, John. Your post seems to fit nicely with what I've been told.  At least I have time to think about it.

[Hummer]

I'm getting my left hip resurfaced on July 9th.  I'm big game hunter and I hunt with bow and arrow upstate NY.  i just hope that i will be ready for opening day October 15th.   I always climb the tree, but don't think that i will be allowed to climb that early.  Also not sure if i will be allowed to draw my bow which is 70 pounds.  I already prepared my self mentally in case that Dr. Marwin tells me not to do it yet.  I will NOT be taking any chances at all.
Good move hipnhop!  :)

[FlbrkMike]

There is a local 5K July 4th race in my neighborhood. I am really tempted to do it but I'm not stupid.

Has there been something that you really wanted to do since HR but your common sense smacked you in the back of the head?

Is there something that you shouldn't have done, but did (I know Mike, Tin and Hern are going to have fun with this)?

I still have to remind myself not to push too hard, even though I often feel like I could push a lot harder than I have been (and I'm really not pushing that hard). 

I've been working slowly back into using my Concept2 rower.  Maybe once or twice a week at most, no more than 5000 meters, 23 or 24 minutes with the resistance on 2 out of 10 and not rowing very hard.  At least it gets my pulse rate elevated for a few minutes.  On Friday evening I felt really strong so I set it at 4 and did 6000 meters pushing a little harder.  Felt great when I was done.

Saturday morning I woke up and went on a 3 mile walk on a hilly loop around our neighborhood.  This is something I've done many times in the past few weeks.  On the last downhill part, though, my left leg felt very weak, and sore in the flexors.  I was limping around a bit for the rest of the day and was a little worried.  I took Sunday easy and felt better by Sunday night.  Did the three mile walk again this morning and feel fine now.

I'm not sure if the soreness was a result of pushing too hard or something strange that happened Friday night.  I was lying on my back in bed, reading.  My right leg was stretched out straight and I had drawn my left foot up so that my knee was sticking straight up.  I apparently dozed off in this position and it seems that I woke up as my left knee was flopping over toward my right leg.  I have a very vague memory of this because I was half asleep, but it seems like I couldn't raise my knee back up and had a hard time moving my leg at all.  I was able to slowly straighten my knee out and then I could move normally.  Then I want back to sleep. 

When I woke up again I could sort of remember what happened but was not really sure of the details.  It reminded me of the restriction not to rotate your leg inward, and this was a pretty sudden inward rotation.  I don't have any rotation or flexion restrictions anymore, but I'm sure that this is something that should be avoided.  It could be part of the reason my hip flexor was sore the next day.  Anyway, I'll have to remember not to fall asleep with my knee in the air.

[Nadia Smith]

Today I forgot all about the resurfacing for a very brief moment (which was just over 6 weeks ago!) and ran for the phone!  Then caught up with myself and had to stop to laugh!  It's quite amazing how when the body repairs well one forgets about whatever trauma it has undergone. so, I really understand your temptation Hipnhop!  It might not be a good idea to undertake the race just yet?  Mr McMinn did not recommend running till a year post-op.

But SALSA  Hernan, that's very tempting, since I had to give it up for about 6 months pre-op due to the discomfort in the right hip ... :-*

(McMinn LBHR 14/10/2005
Majkowski RBHR 19/5/2011)

[hipnhop]

Hummer, you are the Robin Hood of Hippies!!! Climbing trees????  Wow, what can I say, Hippies are an amazing group of folk. 

At three months I am doing one arm dumbell rows with 80 - 90 lbs. I don't know how that translates to pulling a 70 pound bow, but I think you will be able to handle it - unless you need to do a flying back spin kick at the same time. You will be amazed where you are at three months. Your body will be telling you I can handle it and your mind will say "be smart."

Best of luck on your surgery and get ready to rock this recovery. 

[Hummer]

Thanks hipnhop, you just made my day.  If you are doing dumbbell rows with 80 - 90 lbs at 3 months.....then that's awesome.  Can't wait to go back to the gym.  I stopped going to the gym 3 months ago.  Any work out that I was doing would increase my hip pain by a lot.  I also tried swimming in the pool...but was not able too.  Few more days and I will be like brand new again  :).  I'm taking my iPad with me to the hospital this Saturday and will post upgrade after surgery.

[ScubaDuck]

Hummer-

Best wishes for your surgery.  I am a couple of weeks behind you so blaze a good trail.

Dan

[Lopsided]

I am still working out how the big game gets into the trees.

[AlanN]

Thanks hipnhop, you just made my day.  If you are doing dumbbell rows with 80 - 90 lbs at 3 months.....then that's awesome.  Can't wait to go back to the gym.  I stopped going to the gym 3 months ago.  Any work out that I was doing would increase my hip pain by a lot.  I also tried swimming in the pool...but was not able too.  Few more days and I will be like brand new again  :).  I'm taking my iPad with me to the hospital this Saturday and will post upgrade after surgery.

You'll be fine, more than fine, amazed ;)
Good luck with the surgery.

I was scheduled to do a charity parachute jump at exactly 5 months post op (last week).
I felt fine and up for it by my wife contacted my surgeon "just to be sure".
He was far from impressed and rang me personally when he heard and told me a most emphatic NO!!!

He said he would be ok with it after a year however ;)

[Tin Soldier]

Hummer - I climbed a few trees with chainsaw in hand at about 2.5  months post op, with fall protection and all.  Not good on the un-operated hip, but the operated hip felt solid and did not hurt.  I think the key is take it easy, go slow, and don't expect to be able to lift the leg up very far.  Kinda tough, if you have long spans between branches.  I assume for bowhunting, you don't want to be super high up anyway.  Don't you get to hang out in the cool tree chairs?  Seems like it would be too bad on the hip. 

[23109VC]

I went to Disneyland at 6 weeks post op.  I felt great.  I walked a LOT.... I Used my cane to keep stress off my hip, but by the end of the day the soft tissue was sore...it took almost two weeks to feel good again... I didn't ride any roller coasters.... I let my kids ride those..I went on the sissy rides.... But it was too much walking too soon

What I really want to do is play racquetball.  I am forcing myself to wit until six months before I play....  I used to play racquetball 3-4 times a week all through high school, college and grad school.  I gave it up when I was about 30.... 9 years ago because it just became too painful.  I figure I've waited 9 years to play... I can wait six months.

Now that I'm four months post op... Its excitig to thnk that I'm close to playing againlll I'm also excited just to RUN.  I want to go out and run full speed.... Even ifim not really all that fast... T be able to feel the sensation of running full speed....that will be cool!

My kids will be surprised when they see dad can now run and keep up with them!

[hernanu]

good luck, hummer - not long to get yourself away from that pain.

[Kiwi]

23109VC - Keep us posted on how the racquetball goes when you get back on the court. I'm a squash player (a very addicted one) and are eager to find out how long I'll have to wait to get back on the court and have a good run around. I expect to take it easy for the first month or two but have read about several players who have gone back to competitive squash...
First things first I guess.
Dr says I can do pretty much anything after 6 months but not sure if he's played racquetball or squash before.
Yes and keeping up with my children.... can't wait!!
It'll be great to hear how you go.

[23109VC]

One of my new neighbors is a former pro racquetball player....I'm hoping I can talk him into playing a game with me.... That would make for a great story / photo op.... Six months post op and back on the court wi a pro player.... Maybe if I pay him he'll let me score a few points for the video camera.....  :)