Lyn’s Hip Resurfacing with Dr. Poole 2009

August 15, 2009

I am female, 44 years old and three days away (and counting) from my left hip resurfacing. It has been long and painful 9 months leading up to this (including a broken and pinned collarbone from a bike accident 3 months ago) and before that- many years of sporadic hip pain that indicated to me this day would one day come.

I was a very serious student of ballet for two decades and I attribute that abuse to my body with much of my hip problems- OA, torn labrum, floating chondral and non chondral bodies lodged between the bones, etc. Up until 9 months ago I practiced 1 to 2 hours of yoga daily and loved to hike, figure skate and snow shoe. I was in decent shape but never thin enough for my liking which brings me to my post:

I also bring eating disorders to the table (hah) in this equation. In the last 10 years I have stopped starving myself to be thin and have become a ‘normal’ curvy woman who still over eats when feeling emotional— and who still struggles to love her body even tho it does not look the way she wants it to look. I was doing ok when my hip pain became so unbearable that I knew i needed the surgery- in fact, I had recently lost weight from healthy exercise and diet. I had to wait 5 months for a surgery date- and so was riding my bike, the only exercise I could do anymore- fell- broke my left clavicle- had to have it pinned- and so me and movement/exercise pretty much parted ways with three and half months til surgery still to go.

I filled my emotional gap about not being able to exercise and the pain and tho whole “why me I’m only 44” and all the rest— a pretty big bundle of emotions– with ice cream sandwiches and other assorted foods and now find myself with some newly gained weight. Not a ton- maybe 10 pounds more than I started with, but none of my pants fit. I do think I have come to a better place with my body thru this hip experience- more acceptance- losing my burning need to look 25 at age 45 no matter what it takes, and my hope is to just get back to good strong and healthy shape and let my dreams of a size 4 fully die. Having my hip fully crap out on me made me not feel a victim of my body- or defeated or let down by my body as gaining weight has always led me to feel. Rather, for the first time I felt I was a team with my body, that it was up to “us” to see this thing thru and get healthy again.

So, I sit here right now, again, three days before surgery, very eager for my recovery. I have great plans for getting the weight off and my muscles back while being smart about it and following doctor’s orders to the nth degree– but I do feel an imbalance in it- the eating disorder mindset creeping in- I will have this “emergency” situation- and am hoping I can ride it to lose weight…I mean, why didn’t I just start two weeks, two months, a year ago rather than continue to feed my fear about the surgery, etc? Obviously becuase I fill my inner emotional voids with food- but what if I have even more voids after surgery? And ok, I totally admit- I harbour a hope that the meds post surgery make me sick and I don’t want to eat and I lose weight. So there- I admit it- unhealthy body image mind set still at large.

I know how epidemic eating disorders are, and so I am hopeful that perhaps there are some others here who are stuggling with body image, weight gain, and a vision of hip resurfacing rehab that they are trying to formulate- to bring together- in a healthy manner. What if I don’t lose the weight after surgery- what if I gain more? How do I get my focus off my darn weight and onto the really important thing here- my hip and healthy healing?

I am extremely open about my eating disorders and unhealthy body image mindset- I don’t hide it, I am determined to kick this thing in this life time- to just learn to be healthy- no more yo yo weight gain/loss (I have never been heavier than a size 14- probably where I am right now- but for me this is the end of the line- I just won’t go any bigger).

August 28, 2009

I am starting week two post op and having the same experience. It is brutal to get up from a dead sleep and stiffly make my way to the bathroom, and yeah- full bladder- and yeah- swelling and same meds as you. Happily, getting in and out of bed is getting easier each day.

I am fortunate that I can work from home and so today, on day 10, I started back. I still need frequent naps and am not producing up to par. Is there any way you can nego with your employeer- if you are a valued employee surely you have some pull- to try and do some work from home? Of course, not all jobs are geared for this type of arrangment, but if you can find a way to make it work- not leave it up to your boss to find the way- walk in there with a strong proposal, a breakdown of what needs to be done in office and what with little extra effort on the organization’s part could be managed from home- your boss would be getting better results and you would be safer. Ask for a one week trial run- who knows- you might enlighten the boss and the organization about what better production work from home really produces. 

September 2, 2009

two weeks post op here- left resurfacing- I walked half a mile today with just two canes and I have a non union broken left collarbone that is not making any of this any easier (getting second surgery on that in a few weeks). I could have walked more but I am afraid of overdoing it.

For the past nine months I could not make it to the end of the driveway without crippling pain- and today- just two weeks out and I did half a mile- and I could throw those canes away if my doc gave me the ok. (I am 44, female and only in moderately good physical condition- so no athlete story here- just average jane).

I too was wondering if I was in enough pain to warrant the surgery. Then I finally decided, what’s it gonna take- getting to the wheelchair place??? Our living is compromised and there is a really good and nearly sure bet “cure” for it. 

I was scared shitless up until I was in recovery. It is a huge step- and all the what ifs are pretty big and hairy.

I hope the days fly by for you and you are soon where I am- enjoying the after effects. Keep reading here and stay positive. I promise you- life is really really good on the other side (except for the first week which I ain’t gonna lie- hurts like hell- but it’s a week- compared to the rest of your life!)

September 5, 2009

I am almost 3 weeks post op and for the most part doing great. I am down to a single cane, walking over 1/2 mile a day and overall feeling hopeful. The thing that worries me is when I sit down- it feels like things aren’t lining up right- like the ball is not going to the right place inside the cup and there is pain- substantial enough pain to make me wonder what is up.

I can play around and reposition myself while sitting and make it more comfortable, but it feels like my hip joint needs to “crack” (it used to do this all the time pre surgery) in order to land in the right place.

September 10, 2009

My doctor, Dr. Poole, In Boise, ID, who has done 400 resurfacings, did mention to me that there was a slim chance that if he went in and saw something that said “NO” to a resurfacing that he would swap over to a THR.

The thing that I have come to realize, especially in my own case, is that the x rays and mr arthrograms and MRIs don’t show everything that is going on in there. In my case it was moderate arthritis, floating chondral and non chondral bodies and a suspected (not seen) labral tear that would explain my terrific pain.

When he got in there- it was discovered that there was a patch on my hip ball joint- about the size of a quarter- where the cartilage was just gone- like it had lifted off and drifted away somewhere. Again- this showed up no where on my tests- and it was the number one reason why I have been unable to walk more than half a block these past 10 months.

btw I am 44 years old and female.

The first thing I asked when I woke up in recovery was resurfacing or replacement? I was thrilled to hear resurfacing and I am sure that is what you will hear too. I think the doctors have to set the stage tho just in case when they do get in there they find something unexpected.

September 12, 2009

I hiked almost 2 miles on a bike path in the state park yesterday- with just one cane that I only sorta needed. Today I am off to the hot springs to do some water therapy (water is a god send if you can get into it as soon as you get your docs ok).

Every day I am able to do something I could not do the day before- and every day I am more and more certain that this surgery is a miracle. For the 10 months prior to my surgery I could not make it to the end of the driveway and back.

September 15, 2009

I am one month post op today (female/44/ birmingham left hip resurface) and every day brings great new “hey I can do this again!” moments. If you are already walking a mile at day 5 you are surely in great shape. I was three week before I hit the mile place! 

September 21, 2009

started figure skating age 39- was instantly addicted (very strong ballet background) and taking 3 private lessons a week ( 2 figure one dance) but it all came to a crashing halt when I turned 44 and the hip pain got so bad I could not walk let alone skate.

I am 5 weeks post op – LBHR- contemplating banging out the other hip in a few weeks- and plan very much on returning to figure skating one of these days in the not far future. My surgeon said we could talk about it at the 6 month mark.

I put my skates away as just seeing them this past year made me cry. I was deep in the closet today looking for something and saw them and I smiled- reached out and gave them a hug. I will skate again, of this I am sure.

October 18, 2009

I am 8 weeks post op and like you- insurance only covered 3 PT sessions… I was flexible like pretzel a year ago– a life long yoga lover— and I was a bit shocked to find I was on the very stiff end of the scale following my resurfacing…I figured with my former flexibility and excellent ROM I would be up and fully running in no time…no dice, I guess it is just luck of the draw!

I do a lot of walking, a lot of walking, and every day I see a bit of progress— some days more than others. I also have days where I feel angry and discouraged and just want to crawl into bed and sleep—I have to really push myself to do my PT exercises and I know I am not doing them enough… I am someone who could use the pressure of PT 2 x a week, but it is not a reality.

I have set up a course on my walking route- places where I stop to do my PT exercises- steps and such- that I can use for all but those exercises where I have to get on the floor- tho I have gotten down on the ground a few times on warmer days and done those too–

I find that mixing it up- making the PT part of my walk- MUSIC- that iPod I had and never used- it really does add energy and inspiration- a great song can induce me to walk an extra quarter mile.

November 8, 2009

3 months LBHR post op here- and very pleased to state that I am walking 3 1/2 to 4 miles a day. I have a broken collarbone (been broken for 6 months) that is really holding me back from getting into the kind of exercise I want (mainly yoga) but I am happy to walk! But, like you, the anxiety over eating/weight gain is always a mental force to be reckoned with. 

I gained about 15-20 lbs in the year leading up to my hip resurfacing. I was mad and stressed and anxious and upset and I stuffed food in my face because admittedly, that is how I handle those emotions. I have a history of eating disorders that goes back decades… years of therapy to learn to cope with it- and to stop hurting and hating my body and to no longer let my judgement of my weight be the measure I use to weigh my self worth.

If I learned anything from this whole hip experience- it is how important it is to love my body- to work with my body not against it. I have long considered my body to be the enemy- the only time I liked it was when I was on the losing side of the weight game- and then I was constantly on watch to see when my body would betray me and start once again to gain. Losing the ability to walk- being in such pain- having to get this surgery and recover from it- I finally get it- I need to partner with my body, work with it- not fight against it- if I want to survive. And that includes being loving to myself if I am not as thin as my brain might want me to be.

Yoga rocks- get started as soon as you can- be it a class a video or a book… it will give you a healthy body mind and soul!