Podgornymd ‘s Hip Resurfacing Dr. Rector 2013

April 9, 2013

I am scheduled to have BHR next week and for past 2 months my back has been killing me to the point i have become sedentary. I am actually an emergency physician who is very active mainly competing in ultraendurance mtn bike races so i have a few theories.

The hip and lower back are definitely intertwined. In all my years of practice it is a known fact that is sometimes very difficult to delineate which is causing the pain and numerous surgeries have been done on the hip /or back with limited results b/c it was misdiagnosed. So i believe that months or years with a bad hip affect your back for alot of different reasons.

Being inactive plays a big role also. Just like with any muscle it atrophies(wastes away) with inactivity. Needless to say, it goes for your spinal muscles also. I believe this is a big part of my pain.I havent been able to do alot of weights or strenghting exercises.

Thirdly, stress is a major player. Working in the Emergency room for all these years , I dont get stressed too often outside of work but the past 2 months i havent been able to exercise to release my tension and i believe it manifests as back pain.

April 28, 2013

I am 10 days postop from left BHR by Dr. Rector in boulder. This website has been invaluable to me in making my decision and which doctor to go with ,etc.. There is no substitute for hearing others personal experiences with surgery and recovery.

I am doing well. never had to take any pain meds after surgery b/c the game ready ice machine does the trick. I wish i was further along but am walking 3x/dy about 15-20 minutes with 1 crutch and doing PT exercises 3x/dy. Getting tired of laying on my back at night and still not able to tie my shoes but hopefully that will come soon.Still not sure what is too much or too little in terms of exercise. I am a ultra-endurance moutain bike racer and hope to get back doing that next summer.

Thanks again Pat for putting together this incredible web site.

 

May 2, 2013

I am 2 weeks and 1 dy out of surgery and was doing pretty well but developed some groin and knee pain probably b/c i over did it. havent had to take any pain meds since surgery. Our hospital does alot of hip arthroscopies and i think the recovery from that is more painful and longer.

May 7, 2013

I am almost 3 weeks out and have been walking and doing PT but for some reason i cant seem to be able to walk without a limp. I am still using crutches but getting a little concerned that i cant walk. Is this common at 3 weeks or should i be worried. I was suposed to get back to work in 2 weeks and have to be able to walk at work. I started getting on the spin bike yesterday for 10 minutes.

May 14, 2013

I am only 3.5 weeks out form LBHR and i work in an emergency room so alot of walking and bending and lifting . After reading stories on this website before surgery i thought being young and healthy and very active, I would recover quickly like some on this website but unfortunately i am what they call a turtle. I still have a slight limp and thigh pain. It is improving quickly but there was no way i could have gone back to work in 4 weeks like i had planned. I am going back in 5 weeks. What i have learned from this site is everyone heals at different speeds and you cant predict who will be a rabbit or a turtle.

May 19, 2013

I am 4.5 weeks LBHR and took alot of your advice from previous posts. It is still trial and error with how much or little to exercise and rest. I never had to take any pain meds and my ROM has recovered pretty quickly for some things. i was able to put my socks on at 3 weeks but i still cant get off the crutch(s). i still have a slight limp and pain when walikng. In terms of exercising i have been tryng to walk with crutch(s) 2-3x/dy for a total of 1.5 miles/dy and spinning 2x/dy for total of 1 hr.
then started getting in the pool and running with floatation device and swimming 200yards with a pull buoy 3x/wk. I am also doing PT 2x/wk and on my own. I feel sometimes i am doing too much so i have to slow down a little. My quadricep is still very sore ever since surgery but thanks to your advice earlier my groin pain has subsided. Not sure why my quad is till sore almost like lactic acid type pain.

May 27, 2013

To update, i am 5+ weeks out from LBHR and took everyone’s advice which helped immensely. At 5 weeks after my Physical therapist so tactfully said wuit being a wuss and start walking without your crutch i took her advice and analyzed my gait issues and started walking finally. it felt great. I figured i was on my way. the first dy i stayed on my usual walking path and walked for 35 minutes and felt great. Then the next dy after doing new PT exercises i walked 45 minutes but walked up a hill, then about 2 hrs later i started having that damn debilitating pain in my hip flexor /TFL area so needless tosay i had to lay low yesterday and tried walking tdy but still with pain.

I am getting frustrated b/ci am close to 6 wks and need to get back to work soon and feel like i should be further along.

June 12, 2013

 I am 8 weeks out and was wondering where i might be in 6 months. I am a ultraendurance mtn biker who also is a big telemarker in winter living up in the rockies. My goal is to get back into the ultraendurance mtn bike scene by next yr. It gives me some hope after your post that i can get back to it. I have been swimming a mile 2-3 times a week and riding the spin bike with some resistance 4x/wk along with walking as much as possible. i turned the corner at about 6.5 weeks in terms of pushing a little harder on the bike, etc.

July 30, 2013

I am a little more than 3 months out from LBHR and jsut wanted to give an update so hopefully those not there yet can see what to expect. It has been a rollercoaster with so many milestones and unfortunately a few setbacks.Like everyone advised me you may start out as a turtle but will eventually catch up. I did start out slow but i feel i am right in the middle now.

never needed any pain meds post op mostly due to the game ready ice machine.
PT started first week.
3 weeks on spin bike without resistance.
at 4 weeks tried to walk too early and was laid up for a few dys and back to crutches.
4 weeks started water therapy , running in deep end and swimming with pull buoy
6 weeks- walking without crutches.Best moment of recovery!!able to tie my shoe strings.
back to work also.
8 weeks on my bike on the road doing short flat ride.Walking more everyday
10 weeks tried to do too much because i felt so good and ended up on couch for 3 dye.
12 weeks flexibility and balance improving every day with exercises. riding for 2 hrs on the road with a little climbing. swimming up to 1.5 miles 2-3 dys /wk.

I still have some pain especially with my psoas muscle. If i could get that to go away i would be feeling great but this is a huge improvement from where i was before surgery.

All the great advice i received from this site has made it alot easier . Even with all the advice the hardest thing is trying to figure out what is too much . My hope is i keep improving everyday while listening to my body and be pain free at 6-12 months.