Badbone's Resurfacing Story

[Quig]

Another very good progress report! Nice!

[catfriend]

I'm glad to hear you are doing well. I understand the log leg syndrome and the not defecating. The worst thing is all that swelling from the leg has to come out somewhere. I learned never to wait to long to use the toilet. Don't wait for the commercial break, puase the tv and hobble down the hall to the bathroom. I have been working on a blog about my experiences, although I am weeks behind in updating it: hipresurfacingwoman.com  The first part deals with the surgery and recovery (weeks behind), and directly after that is an entry on the constipation entitled 'An unpleasant consequence'. I'm sure you can relate at this point. Fortunately I've always been a back sleeper, but a lot of the time the first few weeks I couldn't always get comfortable in chairs and in beds. It wasn't that I was in pain, or that something was wrong, but I just couldn't shift positions easily, especially worrying about the 90 degree rule.

[blinky]

Hey cat friend! I read your story and enjoyed it. So where is that update?

[catfriend]

blinky - In my voluminous spare time! I really want to get it done, especially since most hip resurfacing stories are by men. But you know how it goes: too many things to do, not enough time.

[badbone]

7 days post op.




They call him "Flipper"


Yup...... That wondferful dream state called sleep vastly improved last night.
Not only was I able to rotate or "flip" from right fetal position to on my back, but I was able to rotate  another 90 degrees to the LEFT and actually sleep on my incision side (LEFT Fetal position) for a few minutes at a time. Great dreams but more importantly great much needed deep sleep.


It was humorous that my body almost instinctively went into "rotate" mode and knew exactly where to place the pillow, the knees and ankles and viola. A perfect "Flip"


I just got back from my new morning routine which is a 1/4 mile walk (with both crutches) and I feel great. Towards the last 100 feet I could feel some tiredness in the hip but no pain.


Once home I did the 4 exercises immediately followed by my morning spa treatment. ( the ice machine hook up)


I'm off the short and long acting pain meds. However I might use the short acting on an as needed basis to help me fall to sleep but I will only go there if it's really bad.

[blinky]

Already a week! I am impressed you can sleep on all sides, flipper.

[badbone]

8 days post op


Bandage will come off today and I get to see the incision.
Sleeping last night sucked.
I'm not taking any pain meds as a preference. I did take 2 Tylenol xtra.


Pain was present last night. Not sure why.
This am I did my 1/4 mile walk with crutches.
1/2 way thru my hip go tight. But persevered. No pain just tightness.


I welcome any input on walking schedules
He wants me to be at 1 mile at 6  weeks. Right now I'm 1/4 of that.


I'm thinking of this regimen.


Week 1 = 1/4 non stop
Week 2 = 1/4 non stop
Week 3 = 1/2 mile non stop
Week 4 = 3/4 mile non stop
Week 5 = 3/4 mile
Week 6 = 1 mile


Thx

[blinky]

Suspense! I hope the incision looks good. I am sorry yesterday was a less good day. There are ups and downs, especially as you try new things.


The schedule looks reasonable. Be prepared to be flexible in its execution, like if you don't make the goals, don't worry, and if you find yourself feeling good and able to do more, go for it.


Did Dr Gross cap your walking at one mile at six weeks? Or was that the goal? I was capped at one mile quite emphatically. Felt like it would be a lot, ended up being a modest goal.

[badbone]

Incision looked great.
Clean and normal.
I got the 5 inch model  :)




Still getting some swelling after my walk.
I'm going to start to ice more.


Any suggestions on icing schedules?

[blinky]

On a big guy like you five inches probably looks pretty small.


When to ice. The first week I iced whenever I was sitting down. That's a lot. I didn't ice at night, to not be the next person who suffers frostbite from the ice machine. I was moving the ice from hip to hip, so it ended up being a switch every 20-30 minutes. The second week I iced when I was sitting in the recliner. That was still a lot, but I was spending more time in the kitchen at the table so it wasn't as much as week one. I might get up to eat breakfast and not ice all morning because I would be in the kitchen. The third week we traveled. I iced in the car, but when we got to our destination, I was busy with family and so had to set a date with myself to sit and ice. I ended up icing for a few hours in the afternoon.


Put your feet up, too, to keep the swelling down.

[badbone]

Post op day 9


Well ... I must confess that I had a great night sleep.
And my second confession is that I resorted to a short acting (4 hour acting) pain Med right as I climbed into bed. So much for staying off the pain meds. But I'm still taking Colace daily until I'm more mobile, so I can keep the GI track moving with zero stoppages.
The pain Med kept me sleeping so well..... That or I was just exhausted.
I'm leaning towards the pain meds assistance.
But the sleep was epic and much needed.

Thanks Blinky for the ice schedule.
I always have a barrier so no frost bite for me.
And 1 hour max.
Maybe I should ice 3x a day.
Am-noon-pm


I need to get a recliner. Sitting is so damn uncomfortable.
I'm hoping to venture out of the house tomorrow and take a drive just to change the scenery and walk around a park.


My pain is low to zero.
Getting less stiff.
I'm seeing daily improvement which keeps me going. Yeah

[Quig]

Sounds like a very good day. Glad to hear it, congrats on the continued progress.


I don't think there's any shame at all in continuing to use some pain meds especially when sleeping, it's early still.


Good luck getting out of the house and getting some fresh air!  8)

[RebeccaT]

I used the slow acting pain meds for a while after I stopped the short ones.

I iced pretty regularly, though ... about an hour every 2 or 3 hours, really ... I had virtually no swelling.

I never could get comfortable in a recliner ... better sitting sideways on the couch with my legs up ... not sure why, but I tried it a lot (based on recommendations here) ... not my thing.

Sounds like you are doing great. I am 4 months out ... no pain, almost no limp ... really feeling almost too normal (like I might try running by accident, if I were being chased by something, without thinking about it!)

Keep getting better!

[badbone]

Update!


Walked this am and now I'm down to just one crutch!!!


Very excited

Post op day 9

Well ... I must confess that I had a great night sleep.
And my second confession is that I resorted to a short acting (4 hour acting) pain Med right as I climbed into bed. So much for staying off the pain meds. But I'm still taking Colace daily until I'm more mobile, so I can keep the GI track moving with zero stoppages.
The pain Med kept me sleeping so well..... That or I was just exhausted.
I'm leaning towards the pain meds assistance.
But the sleep was epic and much needed.

Thanks Blinky for the ice schedule.
I always have a barrier so no frost bite for me.
And 1 hour max.
Maybe I should ice 3x a day.
Am-noon-pm


I need to get a recliner. Sitting is so damn uncomfortable.
I'm hoping to venture out of the house tomorrow and take a drive just to change the scenery and walk around a park.


My pain is low to zero.
Getting less stiff.
I'm seeing daily improvement which keeps me going. Yeah

[badbone]

Shirt and cane were "get well" gifts from my GF!!!

and don't you love the cane???  My fav

[LMS]

Awesome shirt & cane! ;D

[jd]

That is a fantastic shirt!

And congrats on dropping to one crutch. That felt so good!

[blinky]

Great gifts! And great progress.

[Ljpviper]

Hello badbone,


I have surgery on Wednesday with Dr. Gross. Your recovery is encouraging like JD and Blinkys. I noticed you had 2 prior scopes. Why do these fail so often, did Dr. Gross have any input?


I also had both my right and left hip scope fail. Seems like almost a waste to try a scope in the first place and just go straight to HR.


Thanks,


Larry

[badbone]

Larry


Good luck with your surgery. I wish you a speedy recovery.


My scopes actually changed my life.
I had a ski accident where I landed with full weight on my bent knee, sending my femur into my acetabulum. (Hip socket) with full force.
It resulted in creating a flap of dead bone at the top of the femur.
It didn't affect me til two years later when I noticed I could not get up and walk from a seated position as this flap would catch on the hip socket. The pain was unbearable.
I saw Dr. McCarthy from New England Baptist he was one of the first people to scope the hip.
He didn't do much except look into the joint. I was very disappointed.  That was 1997


It got progressively worse. So bad in 2006 that I thought I was going to need a thr. 
Luckily for me I found the best hip arthroscopy (my opinion) who said he could help me remove that flap.  His name is Dr. Sampson. It was outpatient surgery and I walked out of there pain free.
One of the most emotional days of my life. He literally gave me my life back after 10 years of pain


The flap had wreaked havoc in the joint during the time it remained inside it. So I was on borrowed time. Due to margins getting smaller. While in there he addressed the cam defect and FAI


I did great for 6 years.
After that my labrum tore and in 2012 he went back in and attached the labrum and debrieded the socket of bone spurs. He said the clock was ticking and I would need a hip in 1-2 years.


My hip actually lasted another 3.5 years of pain free activity.


I found Dr. Gross and had HR  on 3/30/16.




My scope didn't fail because there were specific goals that were accomplished that had high success rates.


Where scopes are not as  successful ( my opinion) are when the main focus is microfracture
Where they poke holes in the femoral head to stimulate blood flow to help grow fibro-cartilage.


Once your articulating cartilage is gone or your labrum is gone and  its bone on bone, you will need to decide what to do. No scope procedure can correct that condition.


Remember I am not a doctor but a research junkie. Information is power 

Hello badbone,


I have surgery on Wednesday with Dr. Gross. Your recovery is encouraging like JD and Blinkys. I noticed you had 2 prior scopes. Why do these fail so often, did Dr. Gross have any input?


I also had both my right and left hip scope fail. Seems like almost a waste to try a scope in the first place and just go straight to HR.


Thanks,


Larry