Hi, my name is Larry and I had RBHR the day before yesterday with Dr. Joshua Hickman in Bountiful, UT.  I was up and walking the afternoon of surgery and discharged the next day after I convinced the PT that I was stable on crutches. I was up a lot last night, not for pain but rather I was dropping all the fluid the IVs pumped into me.  I think tonight will be better.  My hip flexors feel like Mike Tyson worked them over, so the hardest part is swinging the bad leg on and off the bed.  Besides that I feel strong.  I can bear my total weight on the bad leg and can walk with only a cane without a limp, although I see no need to give up the crutches yet until I start venturing outside more.  I have my follow-up with Dr. Hickman on July 17th and I am anxious to see the X rays of the prosthesis.  It feels great to be past the procedure and I am anticipating a successful rehab.

RBHR Dr. Josh Hickman, Bountiful, UT 6/20/11

Hi Larry

Congratulations on the new hip.  Sounds like everything is going well for you.  Talk it easy and use those crutches or one crutch for a few weeks.  No need putting more pressure on the new hip than necessary in the begining.  Lifting your leg up to the bed is always diffiuclt and some people need help from another person, some put their other leg under the weak leg and some use a crutch or something to help push under it or pull it up.  Everyone finds what is best.  Abduction exercises where you lift your leg up off the floor or bed while laying is most diffiuclt as is moving your straight leg up and out to the side.  It is usually the last exercise that finally becomes possible.

Take it easy and keep us posted on your progress.

Pat

Hey Larry, welcome to hippyland!

Sounds like things are going well and you've got some pretty standard early things to deal with. The hardest thing to do is to be patient, since that pain is gone and you're making good strides    :) 

I'd suggest, though that you stay on the crutches for a couple of weeks, just to let things heal and to avoid any slips. I recovered quickly also, but stayed on two crutches until about a week and a half had gone by, then one crutch for about another week and a half. I didn't use a cane, but that's probably the equivalent of one crutch - I just thought I looked cooler using one crutch  ::)

Anyways, the crutches were good for me since I wanted to do a lot of walking outside and wanted the most stability while doing that. Inside, I was on one crutch quickly, then no crutch from about three weeks on.

LArry use the crutch to hoist your leg up on the bed. Just flip the crutch around, put your feet through the opening and pull the bottom towards you. Works like a charm.  Just don't accidentally poke yourself in the eye.
There is no way I could have come home the day after surgery.  Take it easy and watch your body do miracles.

Happy healing

My physiotherapist recommended lifting up the operated leg using the foot of the other leg as a scoop, to get on and off the bed. Prevents poking your self with your crutch.

Eye, eye.

D.

Me too, lopsided. It works well.

I was able to lift my leg, though with significant pain and difficulty, onto the bed without any kind of assistance from the first time I sat up in the hospital.  Nobody ever suggested to me that I should find an easier way, and I guess I was probably just too drugged up figure it out myself.  In hindsight I sort of wish that I had, though I approached it as a something of a constant challenge.  It took probably a couple of weeks before I could do it without much pain.

Hi larry.  Welcome to the other side.  Is it not amazing to have the hip pain gone.  Now it is recovery time.  Take it easy and try not to over challenge the body.  Your body heals on it's own watch.  Did u get the posterior approach?
I am 6 weeks out today and actually feeling normal again.  Not able to put my pants on standing up, but definitely getting there.

Peace

Congrats Larry. Things will go better and better in this side of the surgery  ;)

Welcome to the Hippy site Larry! Keep us posted on your progress.