Aerial's post-op story

[jon]

Aerial:

I just read this thread from the beginning.  Really helpful and really good stuff.

You are 15 days ahead of me and our paths over the last two weeks have been similar.  Thank you for the discussion regarding the walking.  I have been trying to keep it in check despite the fact that it has gone so well.  My doc gave me the same guidance as yours, "back off a little bit."  It is really hard to do once you get excited about the feeling and the potential!

Keep up the great stuff...

Jon

[Aerial]

Happy New Year-

Thanks Jon- You seem to doing very well.  I fully understand the temptation to do too much.  We had a sunny 70 degree day here in SC yesterday. I did my walk, took down our outdoor decorations, raked some leaves and washed my car......Felt great doing it.  Actually sat in a chair to wash the wheels and lower part of my car but but was a little sore last night.  Pulled out the Polar Care ice unit which helped while enjoying a low key New Year's eve with my husband.  Too much, yes but it is tough when you start feeling better.  I go back to work this week just short of one month.  That should help keep me in check although I do a lot of walking on campus.

To all ladies- My husband and I went out for a nice dinner and then came home for New Year's Eve at home.  I dressed up and tested about 2 inch heels since basically we just walked from the car into the restrauant.  Unfortunately, I think it is still early for heels!  My guess is you change the angle of the hip joint and the area is still tender/recovering.  :(

[jon]

Happy New Year-

Thanks Jon- You seem to doing very well.  I fully understand the temptation to do too much.  We had a sunny 70 degree day here in SC yesterday. I did my walk, took down our outdoor decorations, raked some leaves and washed my car......Felt great doing it.  Actually sat in a chair to wash the wheels and lower part of my car but but was a little sore last night.  Pulled out the Polar Care ice unit which helped while enjoying a low key New Year's eve with my husband.  Too much, yes but it is tough when you start feeling better.  I go back to work this week just short of one month.  That should help keep me in check although I do a lot of walking on campus.

To all ladies- My husband and I went out for a nice dinner and then came home for New Year's Eve at home.  I dressed up and tested about 2 inch heels since basically we just walked from the car into the restrauant.  Unfortunately, I think it is still early for heels!  My guess is you change the angle of the hip joint and the area is still tender/recovering.  :(

I cannot imagine how hard it must be to hold back in such nice weather.  We are up in NH for the holiday and while beautiful out, it is a little chilly (I've gotten thin-skinned over the years!).  I will hit the gym again today, but a long walk outside would be heartier.

I iced last night and feel like the results are really good.  Feel best I have so far this morning.  Will ice again later.

What is your workout plan for the next week or so?

[Aerial]

Hmm workout plan for the next week.  Dr. Gross prescribes 4 simple exercises (like butt squeezes, ankle pumps, short quad arc etc.) plus walking up to mile a day for the first six weeks.  This is more conservative than a lot of others on this board.  After the incision is healed you can get into a pool.  After week two you can do light upper body, no more than 50 lbs.  I am just about at four weeks so I have to stay within this.  I will be back on campus so I might get back into the pool for the first time post surgery and I will continue upper body weights and walking (truthfully I have been walking 2 miles a day and seem to be tolerating it). I've got about two more weeks and then more options open up.  I keep reminding myself that bone has to grow into the implant and that is going on right now. I also have a ninety degree restriction for the first six weeks which I find myself increasingly violating unfortunately.  I think do to yoga I have maintained good flexibility.  I can bend over than touch my hands flat to the floor and was able to get shoes and socks on quite early.  Bending over at this point just feels good but I am conscious not to do it too much.  Heading out for a walk now....one more super warm day for us and then some weather with highs in the 40s and 50s.......Brrrrr.....winter for us!

[Two4One]

Ariel, Don't Bend Over!!!! ???  The Three Rules:  1.  Don't break 90 Degrees.  2.  Don't twist at the waist.  3.  Don't cross your legs.

Just because it feels good doesn't mean you should be touching the floor...you are running a huge risk.  I'm worried.

'One

[Aerial]

Ariel, Don't Bend Over!!!! ???  The Three Rules:  1.  Don't break 90 Degrees.  2.  Don't twist at the waist.  3.  Don't cross your legs.

Just because it feels good doesn't mean you should be touching the floor...you are running a huge risk.  I'm worried.

'One

Is the 90 degree thing for possible dislocation or something else....I really don't know.

[Two4One]

I don't know either.  Ariel, Dr. Schmitt said during our 1st appointment, the 7 revisions to THR or so he'd had out of 950 resurfacings were largely from patients that felt so wonderful and pain free that they didn't follow precautions and didn't allow the body to cement that baby in place.  Femur breaks, and dislocating were mentioned as distinct possibilities if you didn't respect the process.

I felt bad saying anything, but I like you and want you to do EVERYTHING you desire and not get hurt.  Waiting for the right time to get our mats out every morning and move through our salutations and ground into our Asanas is the best gift we can give our beautiful healing and the best support to our miraculous hardware.

By the way, we now have a Yoga Space on the Athletes Corner of Surface Hippy!  Let's sit (metaphorically) together, and visualize our practices as we learn from the hippy veterans.  I think it is a wonderful place to inquire and share our Yoga musings.

Namaste,
'One

[Two4One]

http://www.surfacehippy.info/dislocationsbybose.php  I noticed this while I was cruising around, Ariel.

[Aerial]

Sigh on the bending over.  I kind of have the theory that if you are naturally more flexible bending over is less dangerous because it dispersed thought the hip, hamstrings, quads, psoas.  If you are not very flexible when bending over the stretch would go to the point of least resistance which might mean in the direction the hip was dislocated during surgery.  This is my theory and I'm sure doctors know best but it kind of makes sense to me.  Anyway, I will limit bending over and be a good (yet impatient) girl  :P. Celebrating one month today and back to work tomorrow!

[Two4One]

Aww. :-X

I'm really flexible too. From almost the first week of yoga, I could touch my knees to my nose.  All the bends and twists felt soooo good.  I'm tall, 5'9, small boned, with a long legs (36" inseam) and arms, and it was the first 'sport' in my entire life I was good at.  I feel you.

I know it's hard... :(

Good luck on your first day of work!!  That's gonna feel good, Ariel.

[Aerial]

I went back to work today and did fine.  It was good to be back.  My colleagues were excited (and amazed) to see no limp and no cane.  They really saw my walking go downhill starting this past summer.  I also got some extra walking in navigating campus too. Did a walk on the treadmill after work in the fitness center and did some upper body weights.  I decided to stay indoors for the first time because for us warm blooded folks, it was windy and in the 40s here all day.  Too bloody cold for me!  Anyway, I feel blessed to be at this point one month after surgery.  I was really wondering if 4 weeks off would be enough but it turned out to be good for me.  I really think three weeks would not have been enough.  I consider the fourth week of recovery to be the point that I was recovered enough to slide more into regular life again (not napping, getting out more, driving more and less icing/elevation, etc.).  Feeling very positive to have no pain or increased soreness after a full day (still have a little bit of ongoing butt soreness but it is getting better with time, especially as my ROM returns).

[obxpelican]

Wow!  That is great that you are back to work that early, even before your 6 week checkup.

Congrats on a recovery well done.


Chuck

[hernanu]

Really happy for you, Aerial.

Kinda weird when I went back to work the first time, I was back in a familiar environment, but felt much better. Took me a few days to acclimatize.

[Two4One]

Fantastic post about your first day of work, Ariel!! I am really happy for you!

The timeline you posted is so helpful to us hippies at 2 and 3 weeks out post op and informs all the folks considering & planning a hip resurfacing too!  Hubs wants to know when I 'can slide into regular life' again, (so do I) and now I know what to tell him & what to look forward to specifically.

A Big Thanks and A Congratulations are in order here, 8)

'One

[Aerial]

Full work week behind me.  I am very tired but it was a good to get back into the swing of things.  I have not been able to elevate and ice and have done a lot of extra walking on campus.  I am a bit sore in the monkey fist area.  I did make it through today with 2 1/2 inch heels.  I tried this a little over a week ago and it was like no way...but much better today.  Back to tennis shoes for the weekend though  :) My incision is getting very itchy lately must be part of the healing.  I gave a colleague Dr. Gross' name.  He needs a hip replacement and had not heard of resurfacing....pay it forward!

[Kiwi]

Well done mate on getting through your first week of work.
I've also been getting that itchy feeling on my incision lately. Ice works!

[Two4One]

Ariel and Kiwi,

Is the itchy scar completely healed over at the dermis layer?  My 2 scars itch like crazy too, but then, they feel wonderful with liberal applications of Vitamin E oil applied several times a day and once at bedtime.  My surgeon's scheduler Marcy turned me on to the E oil, and the scars are already fading, not to mention my nails and hands have never looked better?

Ariel, you should put up photos of your High heeled shoes in the Photos section.  For Reals, because nothing says 'healed' more than a strappy pair of heels or pumps.  Maybe you could bring a cooler for your ice and pack a few lunches for work too?  Do you have any restrictions at work?

Thanks,
One

[Aerial]

Yoga fans! Triangle pose and side angle pose....first time since surgery.  Big smile  :). Side angle pose with the elbow on the knee though when the operated leg is in front.

[Two4One]

Beautiful poses, Ariel.  I'm posting your achievement in the Yoga space!

I adore triangle pose, but Dr. Schmitt won't clear a full on yoga practice for a while.  As I'm still having difficulty lowering myself to the floor, and then, of course, getting back up, my mat use is still on hold too.
 
I start out patient PT next week; my top 3 goals are lowering to my mat and getting back up successfully, perfecting my gait, and getting massages to unravel my hip flexor spasms.

[Aerial]

I am not sure what happened to winter this year.  After a short cold snap last week it was 74 degrees today.  I took my mountain bike out for a short 15 minute spin on pavement.  First time on a bike outdoors since surgery.  I can tell my hip functions better on a bike but I also notice how weak my quad is on my operated side.  I think it was from dragging that leg around prior to surgery.  I definitely am not ready to get on my road bike yet.  My hip felt fine but the falling issue was pretty strongly in the back of my mind.  Even a short spin did seem to loosen things up nicely though.  I feel like a girl with my hand in the "physical activity" cookie jar lately. No complaints at all as I approach 5 weeks out already as of tomorrow!  For those approaching surgery I thought post op time would crawl by.  It really has gone quickly.  :)