Ramblings regarding my scheduled 2/16 resurfacing with Dr Gross

[Dayton96]

Thanks Bernie,

I guess I was writing too fast.  My surgery is March 23. 

I'm not a big baseball fan, but it is my son's favorite sport.  I find myself taking him to professional baseball games at least three or four times during the summer.  There is something about a little boy holding up an oversized glove while he really, really hopes to catch a ball.

Mac   

[23109VC]

I have not been in a pool yet but would love to.....while I don't have a pool in my backyard.... I have a very nice community pool that is walking distance from my house that is very nice...   The rule on Dr. Gross's paperwork says no pool until the incision is fully healed.  Mine is coming along nicely, but still has scabs.... I live in so cal and our weather is pretty nice all year... I've got plenty of time to get in the pool so I will be patient and wait until it is healed up.

A public pool may not be 100% maintained and chlorinated.... If it got too dirty and you got in with an open incision...wouldn't it be susceptible to infection?  My pool is very nice, but there are lots of kids...and we all know what they do in the pool!

Good luck next week! 

[Dayton96]

Thanks Sean.  Since you and Bernie and the others have done such a good job documenting your experiences, I probably won't bother starting another topic about my own experience in Columbia, although I may post a summary after I get back.  Thanks to you guys, I feel like I'm ready for the surgery.  Now, I'm thinking about the recovery process.

Mac

[obxpelican]

That is the only reason I went into my pool even with scabs, I know what is in it and I even cranked up the clorinator so I was really not taking any chances.

Pool time will come and it's very good for hippies as it takes so much weight off.


Chuck

A public pool may not be 100% maintained and chlorinated.... If it got too dirty and you got in with an open incision...wouldn't it be susceptible to infection?  My pool is very nice, but there are lots of kids...and we all know what they do in the pool!

Good luck next week! 

[einreb]

Well...  6 weeks have passed and I've moved to the cane.  It's good to move to the phase 2 exercises since they will present more of a challenge. 

All pain that I've had has been a good muscle workout type pain and I've felt stronger.  Its still been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, but there have been many more ups than downs.

[newdog]

Keep on healing Bernie!

Don't be discouraged with the phase II exercises. When I started mine I thought, "No way!" Believe me, it doesn't take long to notice the progress. Just do what you are able to do. I still do the heal slides and butt squeezes. I think the heal slides make my knees feel much better too.

[23109VC]

Glad to hear you are doing well and are onto a cane!  You had the longer track recovery because of the weight bearing restriction, so you must be relieved to be onto a cane!  Based on my experience, once you get to the cane, I think healing speeds up... I got onto the cane at around week 3-4, and at first it made both my legs sore, as they adjusted, but I think my operated leg got stronger faster.  You can't put as much weight on the cane as you can on crutches, so your leg works harder.  I think the fact that it works harder also made it improve faster!

Don't push it though!  I got strong enough that I was walking without the cane about a week ago, and so I went two days without using it.  I felt great until the evening of day 2, my hip and leg were kind of sore.  So the next day I felt like i needed the cane again....i used it for a day, and the following day I was back on no cane.  I got to a point where I used the cane for longer walks and not at all for shorter walks pretty fast....you will too!  I'm now at five weeks and this week I think I have finally hit the "I don't need no stinking cane" point....   ;D



You are progressing well, before we know it we will both be doing cartwheels soon!!!

[einreb]

7 weeks down... only 3 more with the cane!

I've given myself the 'treat' of walking a bit on occasion without the cane (10-20 feet) and its pretty exciting.  I have a pretty decent limp, but am hoping to strengthen things within the current limits so that when I drop the cane in 3 weeks the limp will be less.  I actually spent an hour today with a pt person doing some exercises and it was great to be challenged physically in new ways.  Dr Gross doesn't suggest that you use formal PT, but my insurance pays for it and I find it to be a real learning experience as to what is going on with my body.

Again, no more hip pain... some muscle pain as I work it harder.  I still don't sleep well and I'm pretty tired by the end of the day, but it has steadily gotten better.

One thing to note is that its odd to be 40 and walking with a cane. I get the occasional funny look, but people have been awfully nice in general.

[FlbrkMike]

I think canes are kind of cool - of course I'm a ripe old 55.  

I just got permission to dump my crutches and I'll be using my cane for a while when tired or going on longer walks.  If I thought I would be using one for a more extended period I'd think about getting one with a stiletto, maybe a small cask for booze, and/or some kind of exotic wood and carved head.

http://www.fashionablecanes.com/mens_walking_canes.html

[halfdone]

I think you should get one of those walking stick umbrellas like John Steed from the Avengers.  It is fashionable and has some rather useful hidden features......

[einreb]

I brass fillet brazed a cane out of 4130 cromoly bike tubing.  I was gonna make a fancy lugged one, but got lazy. 

Somebody had a picture of one recently that they made that looked awesome...  sorta like a hip bone and femur.

[einreb]

9 weeks down.  One more to go with a cane.

I'm sleeping a lot better.  I'd actually qualify it as 'normal'.  If I've hit the PT particularly hard I'm a bit achy, but its a good pain.

Abductors are getting stronger, but still a ways off.  I can focus and walk in a straight line without a limp, but I don't do that much since I'm supposed to be on a cane.  I'm looking forward to putting some walking miles on it starting next week.  There is a 9 mile wooded/gravel loop near me that is my goal for sometime this summer.

[nekko]

Bernie,

The mental aspect of this has been tougher than the physical pain for me

Some months ago, I was feeling exactly as you are describing, with a strange mix of excitation and stress.
The reason of that stress was due to the fact that I had a lot of questions without clear answers.
Then, I found this wonderful site (thanks Pat !) and also my surgeon give me very precise answers.
A member of this forum said "I like to understand the logic behind the why". So, do not hesitate to ask your surgeon, I think it will help you a lot.
Then you will be able to start some mental preparation, like accepting in your mind the surgery as the best possible option.
Cheers

[einreb]

Yesterday was the first real 'no cane' day and it felt great.  I started doing formal PT at week 6 within the prescribed limits and I think it really paid off.  Good psoas stretching, abductor exercises, etc all added up to very little limp when I dropped the cane. 

Yesterday was my 'load bearing' PT exercises.  Its absolutely amazing how they can target exactly what is weak or tight.  The little stabilizers are in need of lots of work in addition to just gaining strength.  I was hurting this morning, but it was all muscle pain.... almost felt good.

In hindsight, I agree with all the cliches... I should have done it sooner, I'm glad I went to a top doc, etc.

[LAR]

Looks a lot like my Legg Perthes hip. I'm 53 and am finally getting to a point where surgery has to be seriously considered. I really want to go the resurfacing route. I have consulted with two NYC area surgeons. One highly experienced (700+ BHR surgeries) surgeon said maybe to resurfacing (decision to be made once he opened me up). The other surgeon with considerably less BHR experience, said absolutely no to resurfacing.

Sound like the resurfacing of your Legg Perthes hip was successful. Do you have any advice for me.

[einreb]

Sound like the resurfacing of your Legg Perthes hip was successful. Do you have any advice for me.

Yikes... I went to update this thread and saw that i missed a question. Only 3 months later.  Not sure that you will read the response, but my main advice would be to get a surgeon that has experience with Perthes hips.  Bose and Gross felt very comfortable with doing it... Dr Rogerson in Madison WI did not, but it took me a while to get it out of him that he had not done one like mine.

General update at 16 months.... WOW!!!  My leg is stronger than its been in a decade or more.  I don't remember ever feeling less pain/ache ever, but i guess I must have before the Perthes kicked in 35 ish years ago.

I put nearly 200 miles on the bike last week.  That has been my drug of choice.  I'm down at least 15 pounds since surgery and nearly back at my early 20's weight.

-Bernie

[hernanu]

Awesome Bernie. We're about at the same place with my second. I'm going to hit my 2 year mark this August 24th on hip # 1.

Will have to learn how to do a jig so I can do it. I'm used to salsa, this may put the hips through the paces  ;D.

[imgetinold]

Awesome, Bernie!  I can't believe I missed this thread, as I was posting a LOT in the few months leading up to my surgery, and for several months after.  It's amazing how the Dr. Gross patient experience is so incredibly similar.  If any new pre-hippies are reading this, then I hope they pay attention to the "stay on top of the pain" part.  I, too, waited to take pain meds until it hurt....bad idea.  Once I took everything on a schedule, I never had any pain over a "1".  And, still stopped everything by day 7 or 8.

Enjoy your summer!

[einreb]

I put nearly 200 miles on the bike last week.

I've done 2 Criteriums and 1 Road Race on the bike since that post.  Best finish was a 4th, but I'd consider it a success.  At 17 months out, I don't have the 'power' yet on the bike for sprints, but I also haven't worked at it while training.  That is next on the list.   :)

-Bernie