T minus 1 week...

[badbone]

.........and the nerves have started.......



I am now one week away from my surgery.
Am I nervous? Oh ya....well...maybe not nervous...but rather anxious.

So many of you on this site have been so helpful and have helped me prepare for this day.
Since 1994 I have had severe pain.  Which was later corrected by the king of arthroscopy- Dr. Sampson  (San Fran) in 2006 (FAI and CAM) and again in 2012 (labrum fixation with anchors)

Now my margins have disappeared and the pain is constant once more.

I will, like so many others before me, will document my journey thru this crazy process.

Now if I can just relax and stop worrying about:

-breaking the 90 degree rule  (I am tall with a 36 inseam)
-not being able to workout with weights for months
-not being able to drive a manual for months
-traveling by plane back from surgery  (5 hour flight)
-having a successful outcome
-and......getting back to normalcy!!

I will start a new thread  as soon as I am post op!! And hopefully my experience can/will help someone who is contemplating this surgery....

Any final words of wisdom from anyone who has gone thru this?

[Quig]

I'm right there with you. I fly out two weeks from today for Bilat... I'm terrified. Glad it's here, but TERRIFIED.


Looking forward to reading your posts about the process... Good luck! Who's your Surgeon?

[Tri Hard Alan]

I sympathize with the nerves. I was literally sobbing on the anesthetist table as he was putting me out, embarrassing when I look back  ::)


I wouldn't sweat the 90 degree rule. I did and the reality is once home you wont have the ROM or inclination to go beyond 90 degrees. The only thing I found difficult was getting in and out of cars and like you I am tall with long legs. I can only suggest read the guidelines carefully for this.


On the bright side, it pass's in a few weeks and by the time I went to have my staples out at 14 days it was much easier and completely fine by my 6 week checkup which I drove back from for the 2 hour return trip home. And my car is also manual so you shouldn't have to wait months (that may be different if having both done).


Good luck and hope all goes well.

[blinky]

Good luck! And to Quig! (Go bilats)


Yeah, for the first few weeks that 90 degree rule really wasn't an issue because I didn't want to bend. Too stiff. Really press Dr Gross and the PTs about how a tall man can deal with everyday life when he can't bend over.


You can lift light weights at two weeks....there is a short video of Tiago Splitter doing that on his Instagram....(former Spur, he is a Dr Su patient; he is doing an exercise on the video that looks like it really hurts him, too.)


Meeting Dr Gross and Lee made me feel much calmer. They know what they are doing and believe in the process. They have seen everything. The pre op nurse will give you a tranquilizer. (Made me very sleepy) Those drugs are super effective.

[jd]

Best of luck! It'll be over before you know it.

I'm really looking forward to hearing about your recovery!

[JHippy]

The recovery part of it is just temporary. Just think positive and take what comes in stride.

[Woodstock Hippy]

My only advice at this point is; don't be a hero, take your pain medication. You won't gain anything by toughing it out.  And start doing the exercises on the McMinn website as soon as you can.  Walk, walk, walk; with crutches, with a cane and then by yourself.  Do not limp, if you start to limp you will have to unlearn the limp.  If you need to go to a big supermarket and walk around with a cart like it's a walker.


Smile and thank the nurses.


That's all I've got.   Best of luck

[badbone]

This patient is my inspiration. His recovery is incredible.!!

If you are on this site, let us know the secret to your fast recovery.



Week 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asYgn0QlbTA

Week 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCIyi_AsEvU

[blinky]

You should make a movie of your recovery!

[Ljpviper]

Wow thats incredible recovery on the videos. Who was his doctor, i would be scared lifting so many weights the second week.

3 weeks to go for me, woo hoo.

Larry

[badbone]

In the description it says Dr. Gross

Wow thats incredible recovery on the videos. Who was his doctor, i would be scared lifting so many weights the second week.

3 weeks to go for me, woo hoo.

Larry

[catfriend]

Good luck to you. Those videos are really something. That would seem to be an amazingly fast recovery. I don't want to be Debbie Downer here, but don't expect your recovery to be that fast. When I saw my surgeon (Dr. Pritchett) at 10 days post surgery I was still walking with a walker, and he told me he thought I was walking very well, ahead of the curve, for most people at that point after surgery. It was several weeks post surgery before I went up and down stairs as easily as he does. At 9 1/2 weeks post op I still limp. It's incredible how weak your muscles are after surgery, and building them back up takes time.

[Juno]

I agree with catfriend --- pace yourself. It's not worth a setback.
Best of luck to you.


Juno