I just started running again in May, about 18 months from my second resurfacing surgery. I tried running in February, but had some soreness in my left hip. My PT video tapped me running, and then played it back in slow motion. It was very clear to see that my left glute med was weak. When I was balanced on the left leg with my right leg following through when I ran, you could see the left hip sink laterally and my left knee fall inwards. After several months of strengthening, I’m running again pain free. My advice to you is see a PT to evaluate your glute med and stabilizers…and patience…patience…patience. You will get to where you want to be, but please allow the body to heal. You don’t want to screw this up! Do not underestimate what your surgeon did to you. You had a lot of trauma to your body and it really does take a lot of time for those muscles to recover. My psoas was also extremely tight after my surgeries, and it took awhile to stretch that out. A good PT will help you with all these issues. Good luck and please don’t overdo.

Linda

RBiomet/Gross/3-8-06LBiomet/Gross/10-25-06

January 6, 2007

This is SO Weird!! Yesterday when I was home alone, about 3 times I heard this weird squeak! Today, about 6 times while I was walking upstairs, I heard the same squeak. I realized it was coming from my right resurfaced hip!! Painless, but unsettling to say the least!! Dr. De Smet’s website talks about this. It occurs in about 1.5% of patients, usually after increasing exercise. I’ve been kicking up my workouts at the gym, concentrating on strengthening glutes and stretching my hip flexors…so this is probably the reason. But it is freaking me out!! I try to let my husband and children listen…but of course it won’t do it when I want it to. They think I am loosing it! It is caused by a temporary lack of lubrication, a dry running of the metal-on-metal prosthesis. Has anyone else experienced this? I’ve e-mailed Dr. Gross just to make sure everything is o.k., but this is a reminder to me that although my hip eels like a “normal hip”…it is NOT a normal hip!!

October 31, 2006

I had my second hip resurfaced last Wednesday with Dr.Gross. As I sit here writing this I feel like the happiest woman in the world. I feel fantastic! Last March I had my right hip resurfed with Dr. Gross, and although the arthritis pain was gone, I still had a sense something was not quite right. My pelvis felt out of alignment. At 5 months postop, I still couldn’t say I had my life back. The right hip had been my dominant pain hip and I kept saying the left was “not that bad”. Well, I have learned that when your bone on bone, there is no such thing as “not that bad”. You cannot treat each hip as a separate unit…they are all connected as one. I was not looking forward to major surgery…again…but decided to do it because I did not want to go down the same road I did with the right hip. I’ll tell you, I could feel the difference immediately. MY PELVIS IS FREE AT LAST!!! My low back has not ached and my pelvis feels normal. Sure, I’m stiff and sore from the surgery, but It’s not the same stiffness I had before the surgery. I have two GOOD HIPS! I feel like a ton of bricks has been lifted from my shoulders. This journey has been so stressful for me…especially making the decision to have the other hip done. I was feeling so out of control. Then I read Laurel’s post about relinquishing control and taking a leap of faith. I knew Dr. Gross would never tell me I needed a resurf if I didn’t. Although I don’t post much, I have learned so much and have received so much inspiration from this group. Thank you to all the people who give their time and energy to keep this group going. Keep the POSITIVE ENERGY flowing!!

July 28, 2006

I talked with Lee from Dr. Gross’s office yesterday. My x-rays show I’m bone on bone on the left side and now need my left hip resurfaced! I can’t believe how fast my left hip has deteriorated! I knew I had OA on the left when my right was resurfaced, but the left never bothered me that much. This explains a lot of why I continue to be so stiff and sore. Dr. Gross feels my back pain and stiffness is coming from the left hip and will get better once the left hip is fixed. I’m scheduled with Dr. Gross for Oct 25th. I’m so looking forward to finally getting rid of this pain and stiffness in my pelvis.

July 27, 2006

I have a question for those of you who have had both hips resurfaced, at different times. I had my right hip resurfaced with Dr.. Gross in March ’06. At that time, I had OA in both hips but it was MUCH WORSE on the right. My right hip now feels great. Range of motion is back and it’s stretching good. My problem has been a persistent aching and stiff back along with soreness and stiffness in the left hip which feels like it’s getting worse. I thought that at4 months post-op I would be feeling “normal,” but I don’t. Walking makes my back and left hip very stiff and sore, so I avoid walking…again. Walking on a treadmill really makes me stiff and sore. I can go spinning, stretch in Yin Yoga, elliptical machine and work out in the gym. It’s when I’m on my feet for long periods of time or go for a walk that it all starts up. I’m a caterer so being on my feet for 12 hours 2-3 times a week is not unusual .Dr. Gross thought I would be back in a year or two to have the left hip resurfaced. I can’t tell if the left hip is getting worse, or if it just feels worse because the dominant bad hip is now fixed and feeling so good. My pelvis just doesn’t feel right. I feel out of alignment. I’m still stiff and sore…in the left hip and back. My PT thinks its an irritable psoas from the OA in the left hip and thinks my back pain will be relieved if I get the left hip fixed. I sent off x-rays of my pelvis and lower spine to Dr. Gross, but have not heard from him yet. I can’t believe I’m still complaining of soreness and stiffness, I thought I’d be past that by now. I wonder also if I’m just doing too much.

May 3, 2006

I have been reading the posts of this wonderful group since the end of December when I just found out that “groin pull” that had been bothering me for 3 years was actually OA. I had never heard of resurfacing before but it is because of the wealth of information, wisdom, and energy of this group, I had no doubt that resurfacing was the way to go for me. Someone was looking out for me because as soon as I contacted Dr. Gross, he had a cancellation and 2 weeks later I had my right hip resurfaced on March 8th. It all happened so fast but everything went great, very smooth recovery. The two reasons I had this surgery was not only to get rid of the arthritis pain but also I just couldn’t stand the stiffness and lack of ROM and flexibility that has slowly taken over my pelvis. Maybe I got the wrong impression from everybody doing “so great” post-op, but 8 weeks post op, although I’m thrilled with no more arthritis pain, I’m surprised that my back and hip are still soooooo stiff!! I’m stretching and strengthening, but my back and hip are still so tight. I guess I thought after the surgery, this would just start to relax out, and it’s not.