Bilateral operation July 2015

[Snowbound]

You had to wear the leg compressors that are operated by an air compressor and continually expand and contract? I had to wear those for 3 days after prostate cancer surgery and they damn near drove me insane.

[Paul_D]

R BHR (52 mm) post op day 1

The first day after the operation went well. So far I had slept on my back as it was the easiest for now.
In the morning after the PT exercises I went for a walk on the frame again. This time no dizziness and I felt that there was no limit to how far I could go. I maintained the exercises during the day and in the afternoon I went again for a walk with the frame, further again.

In the evening I had a higher temperature and after some further pain killers it had subsided.

Snowbound, the leg compressors were soothing as it was like a massage and kept me comfortable during the night:)

[djganz]

So far, so good.

[Paul_D]

R BHR (52 mm) post op day 2

This day I awoke well and high temperature had gone. I continued exercises and walking with the frame was painless.

Nerve block was removed in the morning and all medication shifted to oral ingestion. The incision dressing was changed with a waterproof type and I now plan to shower myself. I am also able to get in and out of bed on my own and therefore going to the toilet is now normal.

Post operation x-ray was taken and the results were excellent.

Each day feeling better but wondering now how movement will feel like after left hip resurfacing on Tuesday.

[Paul_D]

R BHR (52 mm) post op day 3/4

As each day progresses becoming more confident and stronger. Walked on crutches and at first itvfelt uncomfortable but more due to lack of skill using them In the afternoon they started to become a part of my walking as confidence grows.

Anyway back to square one tomorrow as left side gets done. All tests completed just that haemoglobin on the low side (9) and likely blood transfusion may take place.

[Paul_D]

L BHR (52 mm) operation day, R BHR (52 mm) post op day 5

Finally the hardest part for me is now over and I am now an official bilat hippy :)

Everything went well today and so far left leg feels quite good and strong.

Now for a good rest and the start of a new life begins :)

[Paul_D]

L BHR (52 mm) post op day 8, R BHR (52 mm) post op day 13

I think a very good decision to recover by the sea near Chennai in the Ideal Beach Resort as per recommendations. I have taken to walking along the beach still on 2 crutches but pushing the distance a little further each time. The hot days and seaside is a healing in itself.

My right leg feels perfect but my left hip feels like there is a "bubble" around the hip region and taking slower to recover from what my right did to now. In fact my right feels after 13 days better than pre-op!!

Has anyone had this bubble feeling near the hip post surgery before? What exercises best bring it down?

Also after walking I only get swelling in the left foot/ankle but not on the right which I also find interesting why? The swelling goes down after a good nights sleep.

Regards,
Paul

[djganz]

Hi Paul,


Does Dr Bose have a recovery protocol which specifies what he wants you to be doing?  If so, I would follow that. Maybe you could ask him or one of his team.  I'd be cautious about adding your own exercises.


Dean

[Paul_D]

L BHR (52 mm) post op day 21, R BHR (52 mm) post op day 26

I have finally returned home from Chennai and back at work already. I drove my car without difficulty and getting in and out is no problem.

I have been following the PT religiously and also have been walking each day now about 2km. There is just slight stiffness in the left leg thigh region which if anything has slowed a fast recovery. It is possible that this was due to the fact that it was my good leg previously and was taking the majority of the load pre-op making the muscles tighter.

I am still nervous to walk long distances without both crutches which now are more or less like hiking poles for me. I do try some baby steps without crutches and just need to build confidence. All I need is a surface to touch or hold and I walk around my house or office without crutches.

My biggest surprise was the lack of swelling as it only occurred for a few days in the left foot after my walks and then disappeared all together in subsequent days. From what I have read people have swelling for weeks and have endured a lot of icing and cold packs. This was not an issue at all for me and swelling went down after a good night sleep.

All in all recovery is well on the way and I am in no rush to fast track any healing process.

[djganz]

Sounds great!  Your recovery is going well. Congratulations!


Dean

[Paul_D]

It is now close to 9 weeks since surgery and my recovery has been going great. I was initially worried about tightness in my left hip from what I had assumed was a form of bursitis but this is steadily decreasing and no longer becoming an issue for me.


I have stopped using crutches a week ago totally. I have gone from 2 crutches to no aids as I feel stable now and can walk up and down stairs without any issues. I am now walking about 1 to 2 km without any issue. I find any longer a bit of stiffness but it subsides after a short rest.


I find now that I am walking without any limp once I get going. It is nearly difficult already to tell that I have had surgery. I was able to stand at a function for close to 5 hours without needing to sit which is the first after many years. I was also able to deliver a 2 day training session without getting back pain the next day since 10 years ago.


Life is getting better every day!

[JHippy]

Such great news! Really happy for you.. It gets better too. You'll start to feel increasingly less "fragile" as time goes on.

[djganz]

Paul, that's sounds great!  5 hours standing is impressive. Keep up the good work.

[Paul_D]

Just a short update, more than 4 months now, I go to a PT 3 times a week and it has helped immensely. I can step up quite high (put my foot on a chair as example) and my walking is now endless. I do 3 km each day. Maybe a bit over doing it at the moment as I did get a right hamstring strain. The PT helped me stretch it out so seems to be ok now.


Looking forward to the new year so I can take it up another notch :)

[Pat Walter]

Paul
Thanks for sharing your story.  Looking forward to your posts as you take it up another notch!  Dr. Bose is the best.

Pat

[Paul_D]

Its now over 6 months and my activity level is nothing short of amazing. I walk between 4 to 6km each day pain free and I am planning to get back in to tennis in up and coming weeks. I am starting to jog a little but nothing serious yet as I look to make sure all muscles adjust to this new demand on the body. I have not walked like this for over 10 years so it has been a massive change in life style!

[MattJersey]

Great to hear Paul. Slow and steady is the way I think. Would you describe your overall Indian hip experience as excellent? It had crossed my mind should healthcare deny me but ended up with cover which was great. But I have a friend without healthcare insurance who might be interested. Cheers.

[Kingrob]

Paul,

We are similar in how long we lived with the hip pain. I have not been able to run since 2006. I had my surgery 3 months ago and I am now walking quite a bit each week. I think it is a lot different for people who have not been able to run in a decade. There are a lot of things that need to be worked out other than just my repaired hip. I feel the need to lay down a strong foundation walking to get all the muscles in both legs working correctly. I am enjoying the rehab and look forward to the new things I can do each month.

You are wise to take it slow - when you have gone 10 years what is a few months. Keep us posted and enjoy your new hip.

[Paul_D]

Hi Matt,


The experience in India was fantastic and highly professional. The 2 weeks afterwards at a beach resort with 35C weather made it the perfect environment for recovery. The beach walks each day gave some super memories.


Hi Kingrob,


Fully agree and I believe to set the foundation in walking and slowly move up to jog and then run. I had some tightness in left hip muscles and had to stop every kilometre or so but now that seems to have past as the muscles have rebuilt their strength and I walk without any stops now.

[Paul_D]

Its about a tad over 8 months now and I am walking between 7 to 10 km a day, I feel that its the right distance for me.

I find that if I have a lazy weekend (2 to 4 days), no exercise and loads of sitting,  I will be quite stiff when I try to walk again. My right hip muscle (possibly the piriformis) will spasm a bit and I would stop walking for 3 seconds and continue again. Depending on how long I have been lazy, the more stops I would have. It usually goes away after the second day of walks but its annoying and a good reminder to be more active.

I also played tennis on the weekend for the first time. It was my biggest active day as I had walked 11.3 km with about 1km of jogging and then in the afternoon played a set of tennis. I had been looking forward to this and although a bit puffed, I managed to with 6-4 against a much younger opponent! I felt ok on the court, a bit nervous at first in chasing the drop shots but I found that I was able to do so without too much strain or pain.