Quig’s Bilateral HR with Dr. Gross 2016 – 6 Month Update
October 11, 2016
I made it! It’s truly amazing how the time has sailed by. It’s been one hell of a year and I absolutely could NOT be happier with my decision to have my hips resurfaced. Thanks again to Pat and to everyone who contributes their stories. The information on this site is absolutely priceless and I cannot put into words how much I appreciate it.
I’ve pushed pretty hard during my recovery and had numerous very minor setbacks due to overdoing it. Luckily, I’ve had no serious problems of any kind. The progress has been very, very consistent and I’d say the 4 month mark was when I really realized how good things were getting. Today, I have very few thoughts about my hips and my main focus is to not push too hard during my recovery…
A couple weeks ago I went on a hike with my girlfriend and my dog. It just so happens it was this same hike that made me decide nearly a year ago to have my hips fixed. Last November the hike really took it’s toll on me, it was really, really miserable. Fast forward to a couple weeks ago and I had absolutely ZERO problems. It’s not a crazy difficult hike but not terribly easy either at about a 4 mile loop with a bit over 1,000′ of elevation gain. I did it briskly with a big damn smile on my face!
I started back at the gym pretty early and ramped up the workouts pretty quickly following surgery. In the last month or so I’ve started lightly jogging a bit on the treadmill a couple times a week and have done some light leg workouts at the gym. I pay for them the next day but each is better than the last. My strength keeps on coming back and the running gets easier each session. The most I’ve done actually running is about 5 minutes at around 7mph on the treadmill and it feels amazing to be able to run again. I also walk at a brisk pace at an incline and also use the stair master and elliptical. I also started mountain biking waaaaaaaay earlier than I probably should have and early on I learned that my muscles just weren’t ready. Over the last couple months I’ve felt a very good response by my body to the rides and now the progress on that front is steady and I’m enjoying the hell out of it. I’ve put in some very decent rides up in the mountains lately, many over 20 miles with around 3,500′ of climbing. I’m not near as fast as I was before surgery but I’m getting there and I think by springtime I’m going to really be back in good shape.
My right hip continues to lag behind the left in terms of flexibility but the progress continues. I’m able to easily squat quite low and can easily do lunges with both legs. Now that my restrictions are officially lifted I’ll be adding weight to the squats and lunges and see how the muscles react.
It’s pretty moving to think about where I was this time last year… I was having a very, very hard time. I spend a lot of time on my feet at work and am extremely active in the gym and on the bike. All of it had become very, very painful. I was miserable most of the time and was a grumpy jerk way too often. Fast forward a year and instead of the continuous deterioration of my hips I’m now feeling better, and better, and better and BETTER! I cannot express how pleased I am to have had these surgeries.