Larry’s Hip Resurfacing with Dr. Hickman 2011

June 22, 2011

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

July 18, 2011

 I am 4 weeks post-op and doing well, so I thought it was time to post an update. I had my BHR done, not because of constant intense pain, but because moderate night time pain was starting to interrupt my sleep. However, in addition to the night time discomfort, I have suffered from lower back pain for the last 25 years. The back thing was a problem standing or walking after 15-30 minutes. No other time was it an issue. I could bike or do any other non-full weight bearing activities without pain. I have spent the last 25 years having to briefly sit down every 15 minutes. The nature of the pain suggested to my layman’s brain that maybe it was referred pain from the hip, but I could get no doctor that would say definitively whether or not I was correct in my thinking. Nevertheless I proceeded onward with the resurfacing with the unspoken hope that something good would come of it.

This weekend my wife and I were strolling through town for a couple of hours and I suddenly realized that I was experiencing something wonderful. For the first time in decades I was walking pain free. I did not need to sit down on every bench I passed. I had forgotten what normal was supposed to feel like.

September 7, 2011

I am 11 weeks post op and pleased with my new found daytime freedoms. However I too have nighttime pain, different in some respects to what has been described by others in this post. Like some others it starts after a few hours of sleep. Like others it is a dull toothache kind of pain. However it is not in the hip. It is on the front side of the lower leg (shin) and ankle. It is altogether different from a sore muscle pain. I am having trouble imagining how hip surgery causes lower leg pain.

October 22, 2011

Now at 4 months post op and still having difficulty sleeping. Just like for others I go to sleep pain free but often (9 of 10 nights) I awaken around 3am with the dull toothache in hip. Sleeping position, pillows strategically placed, etc help, but I haven’t found the magic solution. Once up and moving the pain goes away and I feel GREAT all day. If I take a brief nap in the afternoon there is no pain, so this is definitely something that comes on after a few hours of sleep.

December 18, 2011

 I am six months post surgery, having had a RBHR mid June of 2011. At 4.5 months I had a follow-up with the surgeon and inquired about skiing. He said okay but ‘listen to my body’. So the skiing began when I was 5.5 months post-op. The first few runs/days were a little weird but every day on the slopes made me stronger. I am trying to be sensible, but being such a hard-charging kind of guy it is difficult to hold back. I am minimizing my time on steep moguled slopes on firm snow. However we have been fortunate this year to have the best early season snow in the lower 48 states, so I have already had some glorious powder shots on the steeps without holding anything back. I have logged about 15 days so far this season, but I am keeping the days short–a couple of hours skiing and then home. One other thing…..I am most worried about falling on ice in the parking lot so I invested a few bucks in lower body armor hip/thigh/butt pads. In January I am going from my home mountain of Taos, NM to my other home mountain (Alta/Snowbird) in Utah. I look forward to many more days this season skiing without restriction on soft snow.

April 9, 2012

I am eleven days shy of 10 months post op. I am pain free day and nighttime. I can sleep on my back, sides or stomach without setting off any pain. I just finished the 2011-2012 ski season with 100+ days on the slopes and I could not be happier. My skiing has never been better. To those of you still rehabbing I say keep the faith!

April 29, 2012

Here’s my almost 10 month post op update: I just finished the 2011-2012 ski season with 100+ days on the slopes. I skied everything on the mountain without restrictions. Things continued to get better as the season progressed and by the end it was hard to tell whether my natural hip or my resurfaced one was better. I feel great.