6/10/24 Second Biomet Magnum Uncemented with Dr. Gross and Lee Webb

[MarvinB]

Thursday - 31 days post-op - Done with the drugs!  (Except for daily baby aspirin for 11 more days).  Slept well again last night.  A little “log-leggy” this morning, but very little pain.  1 mile walk helped.  Running low on the Bactraban (mupirocin ointment) for the incision, which is healing up nicely.  Still tender, but part of the line has started to fade already.  Skipping the gym today to play in the park with my visiting 9-year old great-nephew.  A little cooler today with a northerly breeze, if you can call 93F “cool”.  Better to be out in the sunshine anyway.  I need my vitamin D!

[MarvinB]

Friday - 32 days post-op - yesterday’s activity helped to yield a good night’s sleep and no pain meds needed!  Put the new hip through it’s paces playing with my great-nephew and 6 other kids at one of our city parks, acting as the launch master of the zip line!  Didn’t do any climbing on the varied playground equipment, as much as I wanted to.  Went for ice cream, then played 18 holes of putt-putt, where we were all bested by my 87 year old Father-In-Law.  The man is a machine!  I was able to fish my own ball out of each hole, when the nephew didn’t beat me to it, but watching Dad do a full squat to get his made me jealous!  Soon, Dad…SOON!   :D

[MarvinB]

Monday - 35 days post-op -  Began 1.25 mile walks today, with our doggies.  My wife has had double doggie duty since surgery day 5 weeks ago today.  They behaved…sort of.  Took them for a bath after breakfast.  Good to have soft, sweet, good smelling dogs.  Should’ve bathed them before surgery.  Anyway, no issues.  Still haven’t made it to the brewery, scheduling that walk for Thursday, if it”s not swelteringly hot.  Sleep over the last two nights has not exactly been stellar.  Two Advil helped Friday night, so I may try that again. 

[MarvinB]

Wednesday - 37 days post-op - Two steps forward, one step back day.  Sore yesterday but even worse today.  Took 2 Advil with breakfast.  Walked the 1.25 this morning, getting ready to do some yard work, but don’t really feel up to doing much.  I remember being all enthusiastic after my right hip was done, but the relentless soreness this time around is wearing me down.  Still not walking stairs foot over foot.  Left leg/quad just feels weak.  Bummer.  Hoping to get good news and a much needed recharge at my 6 week follow-up next Tuesday.

[MarvinB]

Thursday - 38 days post-op - well, another fine mess…. Woke up early this morning and realized my left leg had crossed the big pillow and had turned inward.  Paid for it in our 1.25 mile walk this morning.  Two Advil with breakfast has not kicked in yet.  Tough to be careful when you’re asleep.  Heading to the gym in a bit.  Maybe I can work it out.

[IRONMAN]

Recovery really is all about ups and downs isn’t it Marvin!

Hope it’s gets better soon!

How were your symptoms before this surgery?

[MarvinB]

Pretty crappy, Ironman.  I’d get zingers in my groin on flat walks.  No problems on elevation changes, strangely enough.  Lightning strikes down my left leg, sometimes in my sleep, waking me up.  Advil and Tylenol would take the pain down, but only for 3 to 4 hours.  I was eating those like candy, and I HATE taking drugs of any kind.  Not bragging, but at 58 years old, all I usually take is a multivitamin once a day.

Symptoms were the same for my right hip before I had it done 3.5 years ago.  Put surgery off for 4 years, wishing the pain away.  Still soooo glad I found hip resurfacing and Dr. Gross.  He gave me my life back!

[MarvinB]

Monday - 6 weeks post-op -  6 weeks!  WooHoo!  Follow-up scheduled with Dr. Webb tomorrow.  Pain level still a steady toothache.  The only time it doesn’t hurt or is not sore is lying down on my back.  Managed to doze off for an hour last night on the op side, but it really hurts rolling over, then vanishes.  I’ve been walking upstairs once a day with one crutch and the rail, foot over foot, 6 times but not really progressing.  I wish I had done that several weeks before the surgery or used the stair-climber to get in better shape.  Left quad still feels very weak.  Walked 1.7 yesterday and today with soreness, but no other issues.  Heading to the gym in a bit for treadmill and upper body stuff.

[MarvinB]

Wednesday - 44 days post-op - 6 week followup with Dr. Lee Webb yesterday at Midlands Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery.  X-ray was “perfect” in her words.  Confessed my indiscretion of July 3 (pushing up from kneeling on the floor with my op leg).  She said it wouldn’t have hurt the joint, but I’m still convinced I might’ve set back my recovery a bit with the muscles and connective tissue.  Amazing how really tough and resilient the human body is!

I asked about the lack of a K-wire incision for leg length.  I had one on my right side. Lee said they have improved the process and now measure leg length from the x-rays.  One less incision.  I really appreciate the constant improvements being made on this procedure.  Drs Gross and Webb do not rest on their laurels!

Had something sticking out from the top of the incision since removing the bandage on week 2, making it very tender and uncomfortable.  I couldn’t see it without a mirror, so my wife looked at it with a magnifying glass.  Couldn’t figure out if it was a piece of sinew (yuk!) or possibly a dead nerve ending (double yuk!).  Told Lee about it, she had a look and said it was the end of a suture, got a set of forceps and pulled it out.  YIKES!!  Felt like a bee sting!  She said it would take 3 months to dissolve if she hadn’t removed it.  Suggested I give it 24 hours before swimming, as other scabs were gone already.  Won’t be swimming until next week anyway.  The pain and discomfort went away immediately.  The hour drive home was MUCH more comfortable and I was able to sleep for about 2 hours on the op side last night.  Thanks, Lee!  You’re the best!!  More advice, Hippies:  if you see something, SAY SOMETHING!  If something doesn’t seem quite right, contact your surgeon or their team.  You’re covered under a lifetime warranty!  ;)

On to 6-week stretching and strengthening.  Heading to the gym in a bit to ride the stationary bike and start some light lower body work.

[MarvinB]

Monday - 7 weeks post-op - our 4 day trip to the western North Carolina mountains was wonderful!  Cool temps and great weather made for a wonderful respite from our mid to upper 90’s with humidity to match.  The trip up and back was a lot more tolerable since Dr. Webb removed that piece of exposed suture.  Hiked two moderate trails and had no problem navigating roots and rocks.  Took my walking stick along, but didn’t really need it.  Toughest thing was sleeping in a too-firm bed.  I had to fold the comforter and sleep on it.  I guess that’s why they call it a “comforter”. :D Started leg lifts with last weeks clearance, only being able to do 10 to start, but am now up to 30 already.  I’ll do a couple more days of 30, then drop back to 15 with the addition of my 1 pound ankle weights.  Started adding light yoga poses to the 6-week exercise regimen.  Still taking Advil when needed, but trying to reduce that as well.

[MarvinB]

Monday - 8 weeks post-op - sleep getting better, progressed to 30 reps on the leg lifts this morning.  2 Advil with breakfast, not because I really needed them, but just thought a morning without underlying, tooth-achy pain might be nice.  Haven’t had to take anything for a while, so what the heck.  Ridge bump is starting to disappear, leaving the thin purple line.  The hip muscles have reached the “itchy sore” stage.  Progress!!  Light massaging of the affected area helps.  Reading (and re-reading) DAC-VAN’s post https://surfacehippy.info/hiptalk/index.php?topic=6985.msg62743#msg62743 under the “Recovery Issues” section is very helpful at this stage, I think.  Working on extra light stretching and strengthening movements, not exceeding Dr. Gross’s guidelines, of course.  Just throwing in some extra stuff.  Hoping this hip turns out even better than my right, although I have no complaints!   :)

[MarvinB]

Thursday - 59 days post-op - Oops!  Boy, did I overdo it!  Installing shoe shelves in our closet.  Started the project on Tuesday.  Up and down on the floor (used my exercise mat), multiple trips up and down the stairs.  I feel like somebody has worked me over with a bat.  Every joint hurts.  Hip, amazingly, feels pretty good!  On top of that, I must have gotten a touch of the flu.  103F temp last night with all those body aches and nasty chills.  Feel better today.  Temp is down to 99 with Tylenol.  Gotta be careful I don’t get some weird infection that goes to the joint.  Rehabbing my right hip surgery in ‘21, I waited 6 months to do a tile job in our laundry room.  Still had some range of motion issues then.  I’m not quite 2 months post-op on this one.  Some day, I’ll learn to take it easy…

[MarvinB]

Sunday - 62 days post-op - Well, it wasn’t the flu.  Went to an urgent care Friday since my primary care physician was booked up.  They took a urine sample and vitals and told me to go to the ER.  7 hours of miserable waiting, multiple vitals checks in the waiting room, CT scan, chest x-ray, bloodwork, more urine samples (which had blood in it as of Thursday night, BTW).  Finally was taken back to an exam room after walking a groove in the waiting room floor going to the bathroom every 30 minutes.  They hooked up an IV with antibiotics and gave me the diagnosis:  UTI/bladder cystitis.  Drained the bag and they gave me the option of admission or going home and follow-up with my doc.  I took the home option.  Haven’t done my post 6-week exercises since Tuesday.  No energy, major setback.  Feeling a little better since Friday.  Hopefully, I’ll be back on track soon.  Lessons learned:  Listen CAREFULLY to what your body is telling you.  Ask for help and guidance.  Plenty of time for rehab and training LATER.

[MarvinB]

Friday - 67 days post-op - Looks like I survived!  Feeling much better this week and picked up my leg raises with ankle weights like I hadn’t taken a week off.  Went back to the gym yesterday and hit the bike, treadmill, stairclimber, adductor and abductor machines.  No problems.  I’ll be adding extra reps to the leg raises with 1 pound ankle weights to hit 30, then backing up to 15 reps with 2 pounds.  Once I work back up to 30 reps, I’ll be freeeeeeee!  ;D

[MarvinB]

Tuesday - 71 days post-op - experienced the “clunk” for the first time on the left hip yesterday doing some light yoga after my weighted leg raises.  Up to 2 lbs at 20 reps.  Yay!  I can’t remember exactly when the “clunk” in my right hip faded and disappeared.  Somewhere between 6 and 8 months.  Felt some soreness in my left quad this morning, but it went away after our dog walk.  I’m finally off the antibiotics prescribed for my bladder problem, which has resolved.  No Advil last night or the night before.  Progress!

[MarvinB]

Thursday - 73 days post-op - FINALLY!  Two consecutive nights of excellent sleep!  I was happy for just one, but two?  Whoo hoo!  It’s been since mid-May being able to sleep straight through.  Woke up this morning ready to dive into a guest bedroom renovation project.  Back in the saddle!

[MarvinB]

Monday - 77 days post-op - beginning week 12 - Two steps forward, one step back… I was so happy that I’ve done a week of 2 pounds on each leg and 30 reps on the leg lifts.  Then woke up this morning to find my left leg had crossed over my right.  Yikes!  Feels like I’ve regressed six weeks!  Limped around our 1.7 mile dog walk.  Dernit!  Decided to start back on my morning yoga routine this morning and leave the 6 week exercises behind.  Two Advil and things are starting to settle down.  I use a knee pillow, but it seems my leg decided to ignore it.  Hard to be careful when you’re dead asleep!

[MarvinB]

Monday - 84 days post-op - beginning week 13 - Hunkering down and doing a lot of knee work for the guest room reno has my hamstrings screaming and my haunches whining!  Hips are doing great.  Took the day “off” and went to the gym instead for some cardio.  10 minutes each on the recumbent bike, treadmill and stairclimber.  Abductor and adductor machines, 2 ab machines and 10 minutes of standing stretches.  The hammies and haunches are still not happy, but laboring on Labor Day is good for the soul!

[IRONMAN]

Hi Marvin.

How does it feel compared to your previous operated leg/hip currently?

[MarvinB]

As well as I can remember, Ironman, my previous hip was feeling pretty much normal by now.  Folks I worked with commented that my limp was gone just after 2 months, but I was climbing 3 stories worth of stairs several times a day.  Our two-story house doesn’t get me quite there! 

I’ll be 3 months post-op next Monday, and just 3 years older.  The muscle soreness is still there, can’t sleep long on the op side and have to roll over to the non-op.  I’m starting to find that I can go a while during the day without thinking about it now.  The occasional ibuprofen helps with the sleep.  At least I’m not eating them out of a Pez dispenser like I was before the surgery.  Over all, I feel pretty doggone good.  Sights set on 6 months!