Aerial's post-op story

[imgetinold]

Hooray!  I am happy for you.  I can see patience being difficult once the pain is gone.  I am afraid I'll just do something without thinking about it (like pick something up too heavy).

[Aerial]

Hernanu- I simply could not do the surgery in the middle of the academic semester due to classes I teach.  Waiting until the end of the semester was hard because I wanted to get the surgery over with but waiting was the most logical thing to do (especially given break).

Imgetinold- As  far as forgetting and picking up something heavy, I'm not sure I would do that.  I watered outdoor potted plants today and even carrying a watering can (which is far from 50lbs) puts a noticeable stress on the operated leg at this point.

[imgetinold]

I suppose that is good bio-feedback to keep us in check.  What do you teach?

[Aerial]

I am in teacher education (teaching teachers how to teach)! I am also currently in my first year as Department Chairperson which means a little less teaching and more administrative duties....nice chance of pace.  In my recovery time, it is amazing how much administratively  can be handled electronically these days!

[Aerial]

A couple recovery tips (for the ladies primarily)

1. Shaving your legs!  I didn't even want to attempt this until about two weeks post op.  I took a pencil and some very strong rubber bands and attached the razor to the pencil with the rubber bands.  Yes, I violated the ninety degree rule just a tad but "a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do" sometimes.  Far less violation with the pencil extension!  I wonder if there is such a thing as a long handled razor?  :)

2.  This might be personal preference but a thong is the BEST underwear post surgery.  It was very forgiving to post-op swelling (by design) and keeps elastic seams off your incision. 

3.  Another method of getting your sock on....stand on your good foot and bend your operated leg back to your buttock keeping your knee pointing to floor  (hold on to something like a dresser with one hand).  This seemed to work adequately until I could sit, bring my knee to the side and get my sock/shoe on.  This also provides a really good quad stretch!

4.  Long handled shower brush is a must if you have a 90 degree restriction.  The bonus is you also get a squeaky clean back too!

Feeling pretty good this morning. I am noticing less stiffness right out of bed which is a good thing.  I'm planning on getting out for a haircut, eyebrow wax and a little shopping today.  This will be my first real outing for errands driving myself (my drive this past weekdend was just to see if I could get into the car and then did a short drive and back home).  Hopefully my plan for the day is not to ambitious!  I'm walking pretty well on my own but I'll take the cane just in case (especially with the dreaded Walmart on my list)!

Also notable, like others I was still getting some low grade headaches periodically and these seem to have subsided after 2 weeks. 

[curt]

     Enjoy the errands and pampering.  Getting out and about helps the outlook.  Wasn't until I was driving that I discovered and fell in love with the tilt up lever on the steering wheel.  Got it the heck out of my way while I slid in and out.  I'm leaving my eyebrows alone for now!

Curt

[Aerial]

     Enjoy the errands and pampering.  Getting out and about helps the outlook.  Wasn't until I was driving that I discovered and fell in love with the tilt up lever on the steering wheel.  Got it the heck out of my way while I slid in and out.  I'm leaving my eyebrows alone for now!

Curt

Haha.  I love your last sentence.  I would love to really pamper and get a massage on the muscles in my leg.  I can't imagine that would be good for the newly installed implant though.  Has anyone done massage?  How soon after surgery?

[hernanu]

Walmart will be fine, just get a shopping cart and use that for support. You'll find that your gait is actually great with it  :o.

I had massage done about six weeks after the surgery, making sure the therapist:

• Knew about the procedure.
• Was told about the scars (couldn't have her run from the room).
• Didn't manipulate (bend or move) or stretch the leg in any way.
• Just did a light relaxation massage.
• Did a light massage of the incision, to loosen any scar tissue.

Once we were straight on that, no problem.

[OtterDriver]

Hello again Aerial!

I'm surprised that neither Curt or Hernanu were in touch enough with their feminine sides to concur with you on your thong underwear observation/opinion!  I totally agree and found that they don't tend to catch or abrade your surgical dressing as well...simply fabulous!

Keep up the good work!

Bruce

[curt]

    I'm in touch, but being "uneducated" in the thongy arts, I put it on backwards...won't do that again!!  Merry Xmas all and happy holidays!!

Curt

[Luanna]

Thong comfortable? That's an oxymoron. Hate those things.... they get caught up in all the wrong places. Maybe I just bought the wrong brand....  ;D

Great to hear that you are feeling good Aerial - running errands etc.

Leg shaving: That's a very ingenius way to shave your legs. I waited until about 4 weeks to even attempt it. Looked like a gorilla by then.

Hope you have a GREAT day!
Luanna

[hernanu]

Hello again Aerial!

I'm surprised that neither Curt or Hernanu were in touch enough with their feminine sides to concur with you on your thong underwear observation/opinion!  I totally agree and found that they don't tend to catch or abrade your surgical dressing as well...simply fabulous!

Keep up the good work!

Bruce

My feminine side slapped me the last time I touched it, so won't repeat for a while  ::)...

Never have thonged myself, although I can see its pluses in this situation.

[Aerial]

My husband loves all the thongs these days (but that's allowed since other things have not picked up yet). 

[Aerial]

Great find for tracking your post surgery walking.  If you have an android phone download the "My Tracks" app.  It uses the GPS in the phone and records your walk in a map and by distance, overall speed and overall time.  You can save the data from each walk to your phone.  I wish I would have started this from my first walk post-op and then I could really appreciate progress.  Needless to say I underestimated how far my walks have been.  They are closer to two miles (1.95 miles) whereas I estimated closer to 1.5 miles. Dr. Gross' protocol is up to a mile for the first six weeks so I am in violation.  I don't know if I want to cut back.  I feel better each day and even managing the hills (used the cane on one hill today).  Am I asking for trouble?

Errands went great yesterday.  Pushing a shopping cart does indeed allow for comfortable tooling around the store!  Have a great day everyone.  Wrapping presents today!

[sdunn4]

Aerial,

I too was ramping up to walking 2.5 to 3.0 miles by my 3rd week post-op, until I spoke with Dr. Gross's office Nurse, Nancy.  She admonished me to cut back to no more than 1.5 miles, so I "wouldn't overdo it".  It was hard to cut back because it all felt great!  Nevertheless, I did cut back some- I stayed in the 1.5 to 2.0 miles per day range until 6 weeks.  I used a Garmin GPS to track time, distance, pace, etc.  You are right, the progress is evident each day! 

I think it's important not to overdo things, although I bent the rules a little on occasion.  I believe the "overdoing" part would be with interfering with soft tissue healing and not hurting your implant.  My 6-week remote check up went very well, and last Saturday (just prior to my 8-week mark), I walked 3.5 miles at around an 18:45 pace per mile.  No soreness in the hip; it was my lower back that got sore!  I think it was because of the different biomechanics now that my operated foot tracks straigh ahead.  I was also cleared to use my bike trainer and Nordic Track skier at 6 weeks.

Take it a little easier for now, and slowly ramp up to your 6-week milestone; it will be here in no time!

Steve

[Aerial]

Aerial,

I too was ramping up to walking 2.5 to 3.0 miles by my 3rd week post-op, until I spoke with Dr. Gross's office Nurse, Nancy.  She admonished me to cut back to no more than 1.5 miles, so I "wouldn't overdo it".  It was hard to cut back because it all felt great!  Nevertheless, I did cut back some- I stayed in the 1.5 to 2.0 miles per day range until 6 weeks.  I used a Garmin GPS to track time, distance, pace, etc.  You are right, the progress is evident each day! 

I think it's important not to overdo things, although I bent the rules a little on occasion.  I believe the "overdoing" part would be with interfering with soft tissue healing and not hurting your implant.  My 6-week remote check up went very well, and last Saturday (just prior to my 8-week mark), I walked 3.5 miles at around an 18:45 pace per mile.  No soreness in the hip; it was my lower back that got sore!  I think it was because of the different biomechanics now that my operated foot tracks straigh ahead.  I was also cleared to use my bike trainer and Nordic Track skier at 6 weeks.

Take it a little easier for now, and slowly ramp up to your 6-week milestone; it will be here in no time!

Steve

I suppose you could cut down on distance and focus on increasing speed  ;) once a "type A" runner always a "type A"! Same here in terms of operated foot now tracking straight, I've had some weird soreness in my quad and calf on that side as muscles adjust.  It is getting better but I still notice it.  Good luck to you!

[imgetinold]

I think Pat should start a new section called "Thong Underwear Talk" !

But seriously....I think I will also struggle with the "not overdoing it" part.  I would think the mileage restriction is about the implant and not soft tissue, otherwise what's the harm in longer distances if we are in no pain.  Thoughts?

[Aerial]

Imgetinold,

I wish I could answer that.  I think it is about the bone growing into the implant but also allowing the tissue to heal from the incision and dislocation.  At this point I have absolutely no hip pain but the monkey fist, although much smaller in size, seems to be deep in the tissue of the buttock (center and low on the buttock now).  This is certainly tissue related.  In fact, I read in the operative report that part of the posterior insertion of minimus is released.  I think that is what needs healing time and is causing the deep butt discomfort at times. But in terms of walking too much....it feels best after walking when some blood flow has been increased.  It feels tighter after sitting.  So following logic, why is more walking bad??  I'd have to think the guy who make the big bucks on these procedures knows best!

[Aerial]

With leaves on the grass, I decided to do my walking today behind the lawnmower.  Since the lawn mower is self propelled, the front yard small and flat, I decided to try it (left the sloping back yard for my husband).  I was much slower than usual but I think it went OK (no hip pain just the lagging minor butt pain and slightly more annoying groin pain). It is sunny and 73 degrees in SC today and it was lovely to be outside.  We'll see if soreness kicks in later today.  I will say, it wore me out but in a good way.  Ice time!  Happy Christmas Eve, Eve......

PS- It was not that much different than walking behind a shopping cart other than you were on grass. 

[Aerial]

I am feeling really well.  I'll be three weeks out in two days.  Although I have some lagging muscular soreness, my gait has improved as well as strength.  I found I can go up 4 or 5 stairs foot over foot (much easier than before surgery when I could not do foot over foot due to ROM) and am walking better on some of the hills in my neighborhood.  I am back to doing simple house tasks like vacuuming (my husband is thrilled).  With all this said, my hip does get tired and I am still elevating and icing (trying to get in one good icing a day).  I find soreness really seems to improve after a period off my feet. Dr. Gross does not prescribe any PT so nothing to report there until my six week check up.  I've cheated a bit in doing some light stretching and I can can see that my flexibiilty has improved (pulling knee to chest); this makes it easier to put on pants, shoes, etc.  I had lower back pain prior to surgery on the bad hip side.  Back pain seems to have resolved with the surgery.  All in all though, I'll only update now if there are major changes.  I am fully pleased at this point that I had the surgery.  Hope this post op chronicle helps other patients, especially of Dr. Gross have an idea of the post op experience for me but please keep in mind that recovery is very individual.  I feel very ready to go back to work come January 3. Merry Christmas to all!