One down, one to go... 8)
This has been very long, painful, stressful, emotional road. I have fought my hip pain for years and it has had a significant effect on my life. I'm 39 now and have always been very, very fit and active. I Road-raced motorcycles for many years at a pretty high level and was in tip top shape during that time. I also enjoyed running and soccer once upon a time but had to give those up years ago. Since then my quality of life has been drastically changed by my hips. A few years ago I discovered mountain biking and was hooked. For a time it really seemed to help. Last year I rode over 3,500 miles in the dirt and climbed more than 500,000 feet. I love pedaling. I also just generally love to be outside especially with my girlfriend and dog. I miss hiking with them. A few months ago even pedaling started to be uncomfortable. I finally threw in the towel in November and decided it was "time". I was on a hike with my girlfriend and my dog and to say I had a rough time of it would be a huuuuuge understatement. That was in November 2015 and the rest is the result of decision made that day. This site has been absolutely invaluable in helping me with my decisions and learn what I was getting myself into and I cannot express how much I appreciate it. So, THANK YOU to Pat and to all the members who've shared so much here. Seeing as that information has been so helpful to me, I decided to add my own story to it so, here it is.
After doing tons and tons of homework I chose Dr. Gross in Columbia, SC, for my surgeries. I had read an awful lot of very good reviews on him and watched and re-watched his interviews many, many times. He, his staff and the hospital seemed to earn universal praise and as such I set my expectations cautiously high. So far everyone I've dealt with has exceeded my expectations significantly. I believe that the combinations of fantastically skilled surgeon (and also one helluva nice guy) combined with loads of Southern Hospitality have reinforced that I made the right decision. I'm from California and while there are plenty of pleasant people there, South Carolinians put them to shame. People are soooo kind and friendly here.
So, surgery one is DONE. So far, so good. Dr. Gross said I had been 'riding on the rim' for quite a while. He resurfaced my right hip (the baaaaaad one) yesterday and I'm scheduled for the left tomorrow. The process has been very straightforward so far, they really built a very well run machine. I'm up and walking around even without crutches if I'm careful. So far, the hardest part is getting up from sitting or out of bed and I know both are going to be problematic for a bit and significantly more problematic as of tomorrow without the use of a good leg.
Thanks again for everyone on this site who has posted their experiences here to help prepare those of us who follow.
Great to hear Quig!!
Welcome to the club!!
Stay positive and stick to the rehab plan and you will do great.
Wed is the next chapter as you receive your 2nd implant!!
The great thing is that you already know what to expect !!
Look forward to reading your updates!!
I had that impression about Dr Gross, too: that as much good stuff as I had heard about him and his people, I was still pleasantly surprised.
So one down, one to go!
My only piece of advice is to be careful not to faint when you get up. Feeling good, trying to be more independent, beware of low blood pressure.
Congrats quig, just saw Dr. Gross now at his office. My surgery is tomorrow at 730, good luck with the second.
Larry
Badbone, you're right, I'm waaaaay less worried about the second surgery now that I've been through one. I am definitely NOT looking forward to not having a good strong leg to help but I'l manage somehow.
Blinky, I've already been up and around a bit and also got to take a shower which felt great! I did get a little bit whoozy upon first getting up but nothing terrible. I've been up and around quite a bit since with no problems at all.
Larry, good luck! I hope everything goes awesome. You're in great hands with Dr. Gross and all the staff at the hospital are very, very nice.
Quig Thanks for the update. Glad things are going well. Dr. Gross and his fantastic staff will take good care of you.
Let us know how the 2nd goes.
Good Luck.
Pat
Fantastic quig, best of luck with the second hip!
Thanks everyone!
I'm currently kicked back wrapped up the Polar Care unit on both hips and resting following the second surgery this afternoon. According to Dr. Gross my surgery today on my left hip went very well. He said it wasn't nearly as bad as my right but had all the same problems just that it wasn't as severely deteriorated yet while still definitely being bone on bone.
The combination of the drugs and just the toll this has taken on my body means that at this point sleep is not the slightest bit problematic. All I have to do is close my eyes and I wake up an hour later laughing at all the whacky dreams I have.
One thing I've noticed is that immediately following both surgeries my knee (on the surgical side) has been a bit sore. I suspect that it's from the twist they do to dislocate the hip to gain access to the parts needing replacement.
As usual, everyone I deal with continues to be very, very nice.
Good to hear, quig you must be around me somewhere. The hospital is great. What time was your surgery? Did you see the table with all the tools, I got a glimpse then I was lights out.
Good luck,
Larry
I'm in 3302 Larry. Yeah I saw the tools too and then I was out. My surgery was scheduled for 1:30 today but I think we got a little bit of an late start.
How you feeling? Everything go ok? Did they get you up and out of bed today? I hope things are going well for you.
He started at 730 on me and lasted an hour. Yep got up and walked a bit around 3, you were probably in the surgery recovery room.
Right now I just feel the surgical pain the groin/arthritic pain seems to be gone as I am comparing it to my left side.
I think I was in surgery about then. I'm glad to hear that you're up and around... Will very likely see you at our PT session tomorrow.
I'm the same on the pain. Zero actual 'bone pain' but plenty of soft tissue gripes and stiffness. That part doesn't concern me as I know it's all part of the process.
Bionic hips! FWIW one ankle was sore and I figured it was from the hip being dislocated on that side.
You two should have a lunch date.
Let's see, Day 3 on the right hip, Day 1 post surgery for the left.
Today was a very tough day. I had plenty of of nausea and a pounding headache too. I'm able to get up and around ok but it hurts. Once I get moving I do ok, but the act of actually getting up ain't easy. I can't believe how much my right hip has improved in just 3 days. I hope the left follows in a similar timeline and that the right keeps improving.
Dr. Gross came by this morning and told me everything went well and he is very pleased with the results.
I met Larry in the afternoon PT class, looks like he's off to a very good start. Saw a couple new faces too and everyone seemed to be taking the struggles in stride and overall doing well.
So far, the one absolute constant is that I LOVE the ice machine. I keep it on a lot and it feels great. I'm not having much swelling at all and I'm sure that's part of the reason why.
I'm fortunate to have my girlfriend here and she's doing an incredible job trying to keep me comfortable. Also, everyone I've dealt with that works at the hospital has been great.
I commend you on doing both in a week. My op leg is basically useless. It will start improving.
As many others stated in the first few days are the killer. Dr. Gross did five surgeries on Monday and Wednesday and I think he's got 4 tomorrow. So like 14 in a week, unreal.
Yes, getting up was the hardest part at the beginning. Once up it was okay. Every day it will get easier.
Quig
Great to hear.
Sounds like the meds are helping with the pain
And yes I commend you as well for going bi lateral.
Twice the fun in half the recovery.
In 15 days you'll be amazed at the progress.
Glad to hear you and Larry met up.
It's nice to put a face to a story.
I look forward to reading your progress.
Just think..... The waiting is over and you are now finished with both surgeries.
Now get ready for the mental and physical part of getting back home.
Use the tools they gave you and get home safely.
I sat on an ice bag prepared by the flight attendant and it made all the difference on the 5 hour flight
Hey Quig, so you had one hip done Monday and one on Wednesday? Released today? Remind me when your pre op was----last Friday? Thursday? I have a friend here who is about to schedule bilateral surgery in SC and I think she was looking at MW surgeries, too. (Mine were WF.) I was wondering what the MW pattern looked like.
Pre-op was Thursday for my Mon/Weds surgeries. I was supposed to leave today but I'm going to stay another night. I've run into a really bad batch of nausea and Lee thinks I may have a spinal headache from the spinal anesthesia. We're treating it now and I'm feeling much, much better. Coincidentally I just got a text that one of our fights was cancelled so now we fly out on Sunday. Considering the circumstances that's a very good thing.
Oy! Getting home is the hardest part.
Thanks.
Home sweet home. And it was the hardest part, Blinky.
Time for rest. Full report to follow.
R Hip Day 7, L Hip Day 5.
What day is it? South Carolina? Surgery? Seems like it has been weeks ago and it was juuuuuust last week. At this point it's all a bit of a blur but a night at home in my own bed with my girl and my dog and things are definitely looking up!
I've tried to keep this thing updated fairly regularly but between the stress, and the pain meds, and the anesthesia, and the anesthesia problems (more on that later...) and the travel, and the, well, you get it...
So the surgeries themselves both went well. Before leaving the hospital I had a chance to talk quite a bit with both Lee, and Dr. Gross about my hips. Both agreed they were really, really ugly. I've known that for years but I guess it was nice to have it confirmed by those who repaired the damage.
Following my Weds Left Hip Surgery I had a really terrible headache. We chalked it up to the stress of surgery and the narcotic pain meds. When it was still there, and worse on Thursday I got stubborn, quit the meds and waited. If anything, the headaches got worse, a lot worse. Like, debilitating, brain doesn't work, hallucinations, etc... worse. My gf started doing a little homework online and stumbled across a side effect to a Spinal anesthesia called a 'Spinal Headache'. It's a result of spinal fluid leaking out of the hole for your spinal and lowering the pressure of the fluid that your brain and spinal cord live in. The more you're upright, the more leaks out, the lower the pressure gets the worse it hurts. Let's just say it is pretty awful. At some point I think Friday afternoon Lee came by and we talked about it. She said put a 'Core Compression Strap" (?) around my abdomen and get horizontal and see if it takes care of itself. If not, I could get a 'Blood Patch' where blood is injected near the injection sight to fix the problem but that had it's own risks and I had to stop the blood thinners 24 hours earlier. Dr. Gross warned me that if we didn't get the problem fixed, sitting upright in airplanes with the pressure differences were going to make the trip home pretty miserable. I spent two days horizontal wearing the strap, trying to heal, no pain meds. Surprisingly, the hips were never, ever a problem. Each time I got up I was shocked by how much easier it was than the time before and by how good my mobility was. Even with no pain meds for two days. At some point during this mess our flights home got cancelled due to some airline issue and rescheduled for Sunday. I ended up staying Friday night in the hospital and after waking up feeling the best yet on Saturday I decided to roll the dice and attempt the flights home early Sunday morning without the 'Blood Patch'.
The short version of the story is that it was sheer misery. Maybe the hardest day of my life. I don't regret it, I knew what I was getting myself into and I so wanted to be home it was worth it but it was miserable in a way I can't really put into words. Each flight was me sitting nearly comatose with my shades on and a towel over my eyes to block the light just waiting for it to be over. And I usually LOVE air travel! As ugly as it was, guess what... I made it home just fine.
Overall?
Would I do it all again? Without a second thought. I can't say enough about Dr. Gross and his team. They truly are all worthy of all the praise you read here. Not only are they all amazingly good at what they do, they're all FANTASTICALLY nice, caring people. Seriously, I can't say enough good things about them.
The hips are great! I know I'm trying to find a silver lining to this problem with the spinal headache but there's a part of me that actually thinks it's a good thing right now. Why? Because it's going to MAKE me take it easy for a large part near future... I feel so good that without something to keep me down I'd have a helluva hard time not doing too much. I can walk fairly easily without crutches though I'm trying desperately not to for more than a few steps. In and out of the car? No biggie. Sleeping? NO issue whatsoever which has completely blown me away because I'm NOT a back sleeper. So, I guess I'm trading huuuuuuuuuge posititves with some of the normal problematic stuff for the spinal setback. Each day my flexibility improves a bit and my ability to get in and out of bed and in and out of a seated position improves a bit. I was terrified of steps and stairs and though I haven't done true flights of stairs yet, steps up and down aren't even the slightest concern. I went for a short walk outside this morning and really noticed how uneven ground (driveways on the sidewalk) were very noticeable and weird. I'm sure I'm in for countless more examples of this...
Sorry for the rambling, whacky update... I guess I'm just excited to be home with overall very positive news and the actual ability to think clearly enough to type it up. Off to run a couple errands in a few minutes.
I hope everyone else is doing well also!
You made it home, that's awesome. I guess a lesson here is that no matter how good Dr. Gross and his staff are these are major surgeries. Some people have easy recoveries some don't. Good to hear your better now. His staff is outstanding
Yeah I am still wiggling around but getting better myself.
Larry
So it was a spinal headache? Whoa, that's bad. Never had one, but have heard about them as a side effect of spinals/epidurals. Is it gone now? At least fading?
Yeah, the only good news there is that the pain from the head drowned out the pain from the hips.
Glad to hear you're doing better Larry! And you're right, these are major surgeries. I chalk up the spinal thing to a general 'surgical risk' kinda thing. This stuff happens...
Blinky, the headache seems to be improving but is still here if I'm on my feet too much. Just got home from doing some running around. Stopped at work for a bit and a couple other short stops and I'm feeling it for sure. Everyone is blown away with my mobility, kinda nice to see all the "Wows!!". It's kick back time though, head isn't happy and I'm sure the hips need some ice and some rest. I'm shocked how quickly I get tired at this point too, it doesn't take much at all and I need a break.
Wow quig, sorry to hear about the spinal headache, that sounds brutal! You must be extremely tough to tolerate flying in such a state. I'm glad you're back home and getting better!
Thanks jd, I reeeeeeeally wanted to get home. ;)
Quig,
I had spinal headaches after my surgery as well - I guess that is what they are called. My hip was fine after the surgery but those headaches blew me away. When I laid down they would eventually go away. They came and went for about 3 weeks. I Have not had any in quite a while. Good luck,
Kingrob,
Yeah, isn't it amazing how quickly the headache subsides when you lay down? I was in really rough shape arriving in the airport in San Francisco and we asked the assistance person if there was a place I could lay down for a bit, he led us to a 'Yoga Room' near our departure gate (who knew airports had Yoga Rooms!?). That room gave me a quiet, dimly lit place to lay on my back for a half hour or so. That single helpful event may have just saved my trip home.
I'm glad to hear your headaches went away... I'm damn sure looking forward to mine coming to an end also.
Quig
Sorry to hear that you had a leaky puncture.
A spinal headache is the worst thing you can imagine.
My brother had it and had to fly from France to LAX.
HE LAYED on the floor the entire flight.
Glad to hear you are home.
Nothing like being in your own bed.
Glad to hear your hips are Movin and grovin
R Hip Day 9, L Hip Day 7.
Totally Movin and Groovin! Thanks, Badbone! And yeah, the spinal headache combined with air travel was beyond miserable. If there was room for me to lay down I absolutely would have. On a flight the duration of France to LAX it would be unavoidable. Glad he made it ok!
I cannot believe the daily progress. Everything just keeps getting easier. Plenty of soft tissue grumpiness but each day it's less and I'm just blown away at the improvements. Last night I was able to sleep on either side (with a pillow between my knees) with very little discomfort. I also slept a while on my stomach. Not feeling confined to my back is really nice. I just went for a slow, easy walk around the block and am headed into work today for a half day or so after a session with the ice machine. I'm pinching myself multiple times a day...
So glad to hear this! It is amazing.
Wow that's seroius progress your making, work allready, noooo.
Glad to hear.
Quig
Outstanding news!!!
It truly is amazing.
Glad to read about your progress!!
I'm sure you are elated you went bi- lateral.
Keep up the great progress
How did your week go?
Larry
Quote from: Ljpviper on April 24, 2016, 07:39:01 PM
How did your week go?
Larry
Honestly, things are going so damn well I'm scared to mention it for fear of jinxing myself! :-\
Tomorrow will be the two week mark for surgery #1. Each and every day I see solid improvement in pretty much everything. All are small advances, but noticeable ones. I dropped the crutches a while back and am getting around easily, comfortably and limp free. I have some discomfort when going from sitting to standing or vice versa and when getting in and out of the car. Each is improving steadily and I'm mainly being careful to not break the 90 degree rule.
We have a cabin up in the mountains and I thought for sure I'd need to take a significant break from the place due to the steep, uneven terrain on the property and the abundance of stairs. After feeling so good last week I decided to head up and give it a try. To my amazement, none of it bothered me at all. I did have to use a bit more caution and slow things down a bit but that was more a precaution than a necessity. The biggest surprise was the stairs, one foot over the other without the handrail with not the slightest issue. I was dumbfounded. Granted, I can feel little twinges here and there and I'm certainly a bit weak but nowhere near where I expected to be.
I'm becoming all too aware how hard it's going to be to truly take it easy in the upcoming weeks. I do NOT want to screw anything up!
Ha! It was funny how at first walking a mile every day sounded like it would be a Big Goal, a challenge, and before I knew it, I was trying to figure out how to make that mile be two miles....was there a way to reinterpret what Dr Gross said to give some leeway?
Yeah, don't overdo it. You want everything to heal just right and these hips to last long term.
Good to hear, that's awesome progress. I am walking with no crutches as well. Trying hard not to break the 90 rule. You will have no restrictions by October, enjoy the Cali weather and all your outdoor sports.
Good luck
Larry
Thanks guys, it's nice to have good progress to report!
Speaking of which, today is my official 2 week mark! The progress continues! I've been back at work full time since last Thursday. My dad and I own and run a small independent optical shop, I spend A LOT of time on my feet helping customers and manufacturing eyeglasses. Even though I'm certainly more tired than normal by the time I get home I think it's actually a good set up for recovery. I'm up and down lots and do quite a bit of easy walking. If I get tired I can go recline in the back and recover as necessary. Last week I even brought my ice machine and iced mid-day.
I've been walking quite regularly with walks around the neighborhood and trips to the dog park. This morning I went back to the gym for the first time. Obviously I took it relatively easy but it sure felt good to get a decent workout in and sweat a little! Walking on the treadmill gets boring quickly though... I'm soooooo looking forward to getting back on a bicycle, even if it has to be the stationary bike to start. I've sat on my spin bike at home and pedaled very, very easily with no resistance for a couple minutes with no problem whatsoever. It's warming up here and I'm also counting down to the 4 week mark to get in the pool.
I continue to have little twinges of pain if I move wrong and I think that's expected at this point so it doesn't bother me and they all do seem to be improving daily. Things like getting in and out of the car are very, very little problem now even stepping in normally.
I hope everyone else is also having successful recoveries! 8)
I hear you on the treadmill! It was much more enjoyable initially when I just walked around my neighborhood outside.
I did use the treadmill later for to walk up a steep incline in a consistent way, but I ditched it as soon as I was allowed to lift weights instead :)
Quig
Great to hear. You are really healing quickly.
Yes- I agree with you on getting back into the gym.
It felt great to work up a sweat with upper body exercises.
I stayed off the treadmill because I was being overly cautious should I stumble and fall.
But I do walk the area around my house.
.9 in the am and .25 in the evening.
3 weeks minus 1 day update! 8)
My surgeries were 4/11 and 4/13. Tomorrow marks 3 weeks for my right hip and then two days later will be 3 weeks for the left. Everything is going really, really well. I worked a full week last week and spent A LOT of time on my feet. Other than getting more tired than usual I feel fantastic. The daily progress continues and I truly cannot believe how well things are going. Our customers at work who know I've just had both hips replaced are blown away at how well I'm doing and all the positive comments certainly feel pretty good.
I'm managing to get my shoes and socks on better every day at this point. I'm not stretching or deliberately pushing my flexibility at all but it seems to already be coming back on it's own. I'm really looking forward to the 6 week mark!
This weekend we spent at our cabin in the mountains and we did quite a bit of work around the place. In all honesty, even though I was very careful I definitely overdid it a bit. What's surprising the hell out of me is that I'm sitting on the couch absolutely exhausted and marveling over the fact that my hips don't hurt at all. Zero. Nada. This type of walking around up and down hills with lots of stairs (and a few ladders!) would have completely destroyed my hips before my surgery. I would literally ache all night and pay for it for the next several days. Today, here I sit... totally exhausted but with NO HIP PAIN. Words cannot express what a pleasant surprise that is! And this SOON!?
Another notable accomplishment includes me returning to having serious wrestling matches with my 2 year old Doberman Pinscher. She gets very, very rowdy and sometimes won't take no for an answer as she literally barks at me until I get on the floor and wrestle with her. We play very, very rough and both enjoy the hell out of it. Of course I couldn't wrestle with her immediately after the surgeries but now, if I'm relatively careful, I CAN! ;D
I also got quite a kick out of having a dream the other night that I could run again pain free. Though I have no intention of becoming a runner again I sure am looking forward to having the ability.
Sorry for the random whacky post but I'm just feeling pretty damn fortunate about how things have changed for my hips recently. I cannot offer enough thanks to Pat and those who've shared their experiences on this forum to help those of us learn about hip resurfacing. Thank you!
I hope every one else is having a great recovery too. Here's to lots more progress for everyone! :)
Four Week Update!
Ok, so yesterday was four weeks for my right hip and tomorrow is four weeks for the left. I figure I'll split the two and call today the official four week anniversary of my surgeries.
Progress remains consistent. Everything gets a tiny bit easier daily... Much of the day I don't think about my hips. I'm able to get around very near normally. I am definitely more tired than normal at the end of a normal work day. I do continue to have some soreness and stiffness upon getting up after sitting for a while. And my psoas is definitely my biggest gripe, mainly on the right side. It's not a big problem but it is certainly annoying. I'm looking forward to the Stage 2 excercises and really starting some 'active rehab' for those muscles. I'm going to the gym pretty regularly and both the treadmill and the elliptical aren't the slightest bit of a problem. Hell, I even went on a short hike Sunday and it felt GREAT. 8)
One thing that I am certainly noticing now is that I pay for little things like that hike... I was definitely a little sore the next day. Even though I feel like my activity level is pretty high for this stage I am trying to be careful and listen to my body. More often than not, it says "This isn't a problem at all, let's just take it a little slower than normal" so that's what I do. If it says "Hey, jack-ass, STOPPIT!!", then that's exactly what I do. :P
Yesterday I did have a small, but significant occurrence that I really enjoyed. After working all day I went home and relaxed with my feet in the pool for a while. After that I got up, cleaned the house a bit and then caught up on ironing some work shirts that don't come out of the dryer well. It's something I've been putting off for a lot longer than I care to admit. In fact, I had taken to having the shirts dry cleaned just so I didn't have to STAND and iron.. because it used to hurt. I also did some laundry and washed my truck. These are things that shouldn't be significant but right now they are. They are significant because I wasn't in any notable discomfort at all. Before my surgeries I would suffer just to get through a day at work and by the time I got home I damn sure didn't feel like being on my feet AT ALL. The fact that I'm ONE MONTH out and already feeling waaaaaaay better than I was before is very shocking to me. I truly did not expect to feel anywhere near this good, this soon. I'm so humbly grateful that things are going as well as they are. And don't get me wrong, I have plenty of "Ouch!!" moments but they've quite manageable and way less of a problem than I expected.
I hope everyone else continues to do well also!
Yes! The small successes. Living your normal life and not hurting.
I hear ya on overdoing, too. Don't be afraid to take day off and to sit and ice.
Quote from: blinky on May 10, 2016, 02:00:52 PM
Yes! The small successes. Living your normal life and not hurting.
I hear ya on overdoing, too. Don't be afraid to take day off and to sit and ice.
I had sooooooo underestimated the impact of those small successes. I think I lived with the pain long enough that I got quite used to it. The new absence of that debilitating bone on bone pain is such a welcome change in my life. I cannot wait to get back on my bike and get back into real bike shape so I can enjoy pain free, impingement free, smooth hips!
I will also start swimming this week. It's supposed to warm up significantly in the next few days and I'm really looking forward to getting in the pool.
Good idea on the ice too. I LOVED the ice machine in the first couple weeks after surgery but I haven't used it in probably 2 weeks. I think I'll get the Polar Care out tonight and give it a try.
Great update!!!
I am having the same stiffness as well psoas issue. Your correct everyday feels a little better. I cant wait for the six weeks to be up.
I also plan to go into the pool this week, the incision looks good. I know what you mean about not having pain. My left still has pain(non operated), thus a big difference between joint pain and the surgical pain.
The biggest problem I have is patience and not doing to much, the muscles are still weak.
Larry
Glad to hear you're doing well too Larry!
Today officially makes 4 weeks for the second surgery and Dr. Gross ok's swimming at that point. My incisions have looked great for at least a week but I decided to wait anyway. Today after work I did 20 minutes on the stationary bike and then swam for at least that long too! The bike is zero problem at this point, in fact what's hard is holding back and taking it easy. Swimming was weird and FUN. I just messed around and treaded water and tried several different strokes and kicked the water a lot. I learned pretty much immediately that anything with a 'frog kick' wasn't terribly comfortable, the adductors clearly need plenty more time to recover. It seems like the pool will be very helpful for that recovery too as it's easy to slowly work those muscles. Overall, I took it fairly easy and just goofed off and really enjoyed it.
Also, this morning before work I took my dog to the dog park and just for fun I walked 3 laps around the park. I'd say that's about 3/4 of a mile. I walked easily, comfortably, quickly and with ZERO pain and a big smile on my face. Before my surgeries I'd make it maybe halfway around the park before being in pretty severe pain. I'm so pleased to be able to report this type of progress... 8)
Great to hear that you're already doing so well Quig! Keep it up.
I have been doing three days straight of 30-40 minutes swimming/chest deep walking sideways and backwards.
Wow, I feel better, loosened up the hip a lot, pool is no joke for recovering. Kinda enjoying the swimming part for an upper body workout.
Glad too see your recovering. Flying up to see Dr. Gross a week from Monday for the follow up.
Larry
Good luck at the follow-up Larry and glad that you've been in the pool and doing well!
Thanks Jd!!
Larry, it's great to hear you're enjoying the pool. Keep up the good work!!
I wish I could easily get to SC for the follow up. I'm really pleased with how my recovery is going but I'll feel soooooooooooooooooo much better after my x-rays and follow up and hearing from Dr. Gross that everything looks good and to have some of the restrictions lifted. I hope your follow up goes well and am looking forward to hearing about it.
I spent this weekend in the mountains again and went on several short hikes. It's so bizarre to be able to take nice big steps forward and even UPhill with NO joint pain. I'm trying to slowly get all those muscles used to properly functioning hips and it's weird how everything is reacting. I'm on the couch right now with sore/tired knees for a change and tired but NOT sore hips!
Yes, you did the smart thing getting them done bilateraly. I have the annoying joint pain on my left. Its a constant reminder all the years of pain I went through.
Cant wait for the restrictions to be lifted, even though i am quite good at doing things now with the grabber and not hitting the 90's.
Larry
Five week update!
I've decided all my previous updates have been entirely too positive so I'm going to add a whiney/grumpy one today. :P All the progress remains consistent but my attitude isn't... I know it's very, very early but I'm having an impatient day. The last week or so I've really started to up my activity level and am paying for it. I had a busy weekend with plenty of fun outside including a few short hikes. I've also been riding the stationary bike and each time I get on it I feel stronger, and closer to normal so I push a little harder each session. I'm still taking it pretty darn easy but I did 30 minutes last night and it felt soooooooo GOOD. Then this morning I got up and before work did a few chores around the house and then washed my truck and took my dog for quite a long, brisk walk. End result? I'm tired and sore!! :'( ;) I have been using the ice machine regularly again and it continues to be very helpful.
I guess it's a very good 'problem' to have... I'm feeling good enough that I'm spending lots more time on my feet and doing chores before and after work. It's better every day but I'm trading pain for exhaustion and sore muscles! Someone please talk me out of swimming tonight... :o
I hope everyone else is doing well and is way more patient than I am.
Quote from: Quig on May 17, 2016, 04:57:26 PM
Five week update!
I've decided all my previous updates have been entirely too positive so I'm going to add a whiney/grumpy one today. :P All the progress remains consistent but my attitude isn't... I know it's very, very early but I'm having an impatient day. The last week or so I've really started to up my activity level and am paying for it. I had a busy weekend with plenty of fun outside including a few short hikes. I've also been riding the stationary bike and each time I get on it I feel stronger, and closer to normal so I push a little harder each session. I'm still taking it pretty darn easy but I did 30 minutes last night and it felt soooooooo GOOD. Then this morning I got up and before work did a few chores around the house and then washed my truck and took my dog for quite a long, brisk walk. End result? I'm tired and sore!! :'( ;) I have been using the ice machine regularly again and it continues to be very helpful.
I guess it's a very good 'problem' to have... I'm feeling good enough that I'm spending lots more time on my feet and doing chores before and after work. It's better every day but I'm trading pain for exhaustion and sore muscles! Someone please talk me out of swimming tonight... :o
I hope everyone else is doing well and is way more patient than I am.
Quig
Your recovery is amazing.
Very happy for you......
Now take it easy...and let those muscles rest ;)
Quote from: Ljpviper on May 15, 2016, 05:17:32 PM
I have been doing three days straight of 30-40 minutes swimming/chest deep walking sideways and backwards.
Wow, I feel better, loosened up the hip a lot, pool is no joke for recovering. Kinda enjoying the swimming part for an upper body workout.
Glad too see your recovering. Flying up to see Dr. Gross a week from Monday for the follow up.
Larry
Larry
Great to hear that the pool is working out for you.
Good luck with your 6 week follow up.
I am waiting to have my consult this week.
cheers!!
I get a kick out of reading about all you do. It is great to be able to do all those things, even if they are just every day chores, and have no pain.
Quote from: badbone on May 19, 2016, 01:38:25 PM
Quote from: Quig on May 17, 2016, 04:57:26 PM
Five week update!
I've decided all my previous updates have been entirely too positive so I'm going to add a whiney/grumpy one today. :P All the progress remains consistent but my attitude isn't... I know it's very, very early but I'm having an impatient day. The last week or so I've really started to up my activity level and am paying for it. I had a busy weekend with plenty of fun outside including a few short hikes. I've also been riding the stationary bike and each time I get on it I feel stronger, and closer to normal so I push a little harder each session. I'm still taking it pretty darn easy but I did 30 minutes last night and it felt soooooooo GOOD. Then this morning I got up and before work did a few chores around the house and then washed my truck and took my dog for quite a long, brisk walk. End result? I'm tired and sore!! :'( ;) I have been using the ice machine regularly again and it continues to be very helpful.
I guess it's a very good 'problem' to have... I'm feeling good enough that I'm spending lots more time on my feet and doing chores before and after work. It's better every day but I'm trading pain for exhaustion and sore muscles! Someone please talk me out of swimming tonight... :o
I hope everyone else is doing well and is way more patient than I am.
Quig
Your recovery is amazing.
Very happy for you......
Now take it easy...and let those muscles rest ;)
Ha! Thank you. My girlfriend says thank you too... I think I've nearly driven her nuts!
Glad to see you're doing well also!
Blinky! Thanks, it really does seem to be the small things that make all the difference. Just getting home from work and not being in pretty horrible pain is pretty life changing. 8)
6 week update!
Today was my PT appt for all the measurements and evaluations that Dr. Gross asks for. I went to a local PT wizard who I know through cycling... Very nice guy, INCREDIBLY FAST road cyclist and one hell of a PT. Overall he was really pleased with my mobility and flexibility. He did find a few things I'm lacking that I hadn't noticed and gave me some exercises to do to help them. I learned a lot and am really looking forward to putting the exercises to work. It's all very minor 'small muscle' stuff.
My own summary, I'm still sorta pinching myself at how well I'm doing. I honestly am waiting for the punchline, it just can't go this well and that makes me nervous. After talking with Dr. Gross and going over my X-rays (and HOPEFULLY receiving great news) I'm hoping I'll be able to relax a bit. I'm really, really looking forward to that follow up conversation.
I've upped my activity a bit at the gym going faster on the treadmill at a higher incline and also pushing a bit harder on the elliptical. After 20 good minutes split between the elliptical and treadmill the other day I was feeling so good I climbed onto the stairmaster and did 5 solid minutes without a problem. I can't tell you what a pleasant surprise that was...
I'm starting to notice that the daily exhaustion is fading. I've had some very big days lately, gym, dog park, busy at work, errands after work, etc... and I'll find myself in the evening ready to still be up and around on my feet and in a good mood. That is all such a big change. Before my surgeries I struggled to make it through a day and by the time I got home I was miserable and just wanted to sit down and try to relax but I'd just sit and hurt. A lot. I truly cannot believe the change and am so optimistic about the future....... :D
I hope everyone else is doing well and I hope you all have a great Memorial Day weekend.
Awesome report quig. I am back in the gym this week as well. Planning on introducing more core and glute excercises this weekend. I have doing upper body and elliptical mainly.
I am now climbing stairs normally but still using the rail. Only get minor twinges when I rollover in bed.
I did hook my operated leg on the dogs water and food dish holder, ouch!!!
Have a nice weekend.
Larry
Larry, how was the follow-up with Dr Gross?
Quig,
How is your recovery going, mine has been all good, just getting bored with walking!!! Cant wait for another 3 months to be off restrictions.
Larry
Quote from: Ljpviper on June 29, 2016, 02:21:52 PM
Quig,
How is your recovery going, mine has been all good, just getting bored with walking!!! Cant wait for another 3 months to be off restrictions.
Larry
Hey Larry, great to hear you're happy with your progress!
I continue to be very happy with my recovery. I'm staying quite busy and active and pushing pretty hard... hard enough to be sore often. I don't have any significant complaints but my patience is definitely not where I'd like it to be. It's going to be a very long 3 months getting to that 6 month mark.
Update time.
I think this week makes 13 weeks since my surgeries. Overall everything is going very, very well and I continue to see steady progress. Currently I'm transitioning from soft tissue around the hips being grumpy to muscles being tired and sore from vigorous use of my shiny new parts!
I'm not going to officially admit my current activity level for fear of castigation but let's just say I'm thoroughly enjoying my new hips. I've been very, very, VERY active in the last few weeks and am testing out my new parts in a variety of ways and have nothing but great things to say. I can't believe how much I can already do and also can't believe how time is flying. Quite often lately I find myself marveling at how hard I'm pushing at the gym, or on the bike or being on my feet all day building cabinets or just being busy at work all day. None of it seems to phase my hips but the rest of my body sure let's me know that I've been damn busy. 8) It feels great to be able to do everything I'm doing while also knowing it's early and there's plenty more progress to come. Though I know I'm definitely pushing it, I am also using my brain and listening to my body. There are definitely days where I have something planned and then when my body says "Hey, dumbass! It's time for a rest day!". When it does, I listen and back things off.
This weekend was probably biggest yet and I'm certainly paying for it a little but my hips are the least of my worries, I'm just plain TIRED, head to toe. That's a pretty great feeling to be tired from having fun and working hard and have no real hip issues to speak of.
My right hip flexibility is still lagging behind the left but seems to be making progress though not at the rate I would like.
Per Chuck's suggestion in another thread, I did purchase a trigger point ball and foam roller and have found them to be very, very helpful when things do get sore. The darn things aren't cheap but they're worth it.
I hope everyone else is enjoying their new hip(s) as much as I am. ;D
That's awesome Quig, just be careful, don't over do it, does not take much to over work the PSOAS. I cant seem to shake this pain for two weeks. I sabotaged my own rehab, with this psoas tendonitis. I was practicing on going up and down one stair for not even 10 minutes, that's all it took.
Good luck
Larry
Quote from: Ljpviper on July 11, 2016, 03:10:52 PM
That's awesome Quig, just be careful, don't over do it, does not take much to over work the PSOAS. I cant seem to shake this pain for two weeks. I sabotaged my own rehab, with this psoas tendonitis. I was practicing on going up and down one stair for not even 10 minutes, that's all it took.
Good luck
Larry
I'm sorry to hear that psoas is still nagging you Larry. I'll keep that in mind.
I certainly have a small but noticeable gripe in my right hip flexor (posas maybe) but it doesn't seem to be bothered by activity and does seem to be improving though not as quickly as I'd like. I've been pushing hard at the gym and generally with my activity level. At the the gym I'm doing lots of treadmill, elliptical and stair master at a relatively high levels (speed and incline or level) and the exercise feels GREAT. I think my right hip had such poor flexibility for soooooo long that it just needs time before that flexibility comes back. At least I hope that's the case... Also, I'm just plain greedy. That hip is already at 100 degrees flexion and I just want more. Greedy, greedy, greedy...
What a wonderful update! I'm so happy for you.
Quote from: LMS on July 11, 2016, 05:11:15 PM
What a wonderful update! I'm so happy for you.
Thank you! I hope your recovery is going well also. 8)
Glad it is going so well. I understand wanting to be greedy, but do listen to your body, especially as you get past the three month mark.
Quote from: Quig on July 11, 2016, 01:35:51 PM
Per Chuck's suggestion in another thread, I did purchase a trigger point ball and foam roller and have found them to be very, very helpful when things do get sore. The darn things aren't cheap but they're worth it.
I hope everyone else is enjoying their new hip(s) as much as I am. ;D
I also bought one of the TP massage balls after reading the post on here and agree, they are well worth it. A little awkward to use but I definitely feel the benefit.
Keep up the good work and would agree with the others, don't be in a rush, you have the rest of your life with your new hip to look forward to :)
4 month update!
Wow, time flies when you're having fun!
The short version of the story is that I'm feeling fantastic and really, really pleased with my new hips. I've been staying busy and active and the hips just keep getting better and better and better and, well, you get it. In fact, there's plenty of time at this point that I don't think about my surgeries at all. Yes, I can still feel soft tissues that are not back to 100% but my gripes are getting very, very minor. I am soooooooo looking forward to the 6 month mark! 8)
I hope everyone else is doing well also!
That's great, yeah I am counting down the days as well. I am dying to start Mountain Biking again.
Had some PSOAS issues but they worked themselves out.
Thanks,
Larry
Glad to hear you're feeling better Larry, I hope the progress continues.
Hello,
I'm Shelton a 49/M scheduled for bilateral with Dr Gross December 12 and 14th.
Nervous and excited!
Did you really head home after surgery on the Wednesday after your second hip?
Once home, did you rent any type of lift chair?
How long before you were driving?
Seems like everything worked out well for you. Hoping mine is as good!
Shelton
Hey Sheltons,
Nervous and excited are certainly appropriate! Time to get to the other side and get healing...
I flew home on Sunday. Had surgery Monday and Wednesday just like you're scheduled. I was scheduled to fly home on Saturday but ran into a problem with a spinal headache (no fun!) and due to some airline issues my flights got delayed a day putting my return trip on the Sunday following my surgeries. It was a long week. The return trip was really tough for me but it was due to my spinal headache, not the hips!
I did not rent any type of assistance chair. I do think one would have been helpful but not necessary. By far the hardest thing early in the recovery is going from sitting to standing or vice versa. Your muscles will NOT be happy about it and it's tricky not to break the 90 degree rule. The PT folks are very good about teaching you how to do all this and while not a heckuva lot of fun, it's very do-able. I'm sure you've read about the post surgery supplies you'll need. It's unpleasant to mention, but the raised toilet seat is very, very important.
Honestly I drove a little the week I got home. Getting in and out of the car took some care but I felt totally fine driving and had the strength and coordination to feel completely safe behind the wheel. I know it's not recommended but I did fine. I also backed off the pain meds very, very early.
Thank you! It has been an incredibly positive thing in my life having these surgeries. I truly cannot say enough positive things about the whole process. Don't get me wrong, it's not easy at first but the improvement down the road is well worth it!