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Mr. Graham Keene, Cambridge, UK
I’m 52 and very active up until 12 months ago.
Mr.
Keene completely threw me a curveball by saying that he now wasn’t
so sure I was an ideal candidate for BHR as my femoral head is very
large.
This coupled with the fact that I am large (6’4″) and pretty fit
with a lot of muscle mass he said he may prefer to do a THR with a
large ball head with ceramic components.
I was totally stunned to be honest however after a further 30
minutes of discussion we have agreed that the surgery will go ahead
and he will have both sets of components available, making the
decision when he has opened me up.
He has promised to err on the side of BHR (he’s happy doing them and
has done quite a few I gather) but says that at the end of the day
he wants the best result for me and if he feels this will be the
ceramic THR then he will carry this out.
January 28, 2011
I had my
procedure this lunchtime and was back in my room by 1700.
For those of you who don’t know, I went under not knowing if I would
wake up with a BHR or a THR.
I am overjoyed to say that I have the BHR!
Operation went like a breeze as has my recovery so far.
I can already feel that the awful, nagging, won’t go away pain in my
groin, back and hip joint has disappeared entirely.
Of course I have pain from the operative parts but I know they will
fade with time.
Haven’t been out of bed as yet as I was last on list so will have to
wait till morning.
Can’t wait!!!
Thanks again to all on the site and of course to Pat for creating it
and correlating so much superb information.
January 31, 2011
Well I’m off home later
today!
Approx 70 hours after my operation, fantastic.
Have progressed really well, doing a set of 8 different exercises
4-5 times per day and walking “the lap” here at the hospital after
each set for a further 10 minutes.
Any pain has been purely restricted to the surgical side of things,
the hip itself feels fantastic.
Have been really lucky and haven’t suffered any of the
constitution/urine retention problems but then I have eaten nothing
but Bran Flakes, fruit and vegetables and religiously taken my
laxative as instructed
The physio at the hospital reckons my biggest problem is going to be
keeping the reigns on myself and not to overdo things, I am aware I
must be careful!
Overall I am really, really pleased with the result, my only regret
is that I didn’t re-arrange things 14-16 months ago and have the
procedure then rather than soldering on and putting myself through
months of horrible pain and drugs that made me feel terrible.
Good luck to anyone with a procedure coming up, you won’t regret it
To anyone dithering over the merits of being operated or not, don’t
even think about it!
February 5, 2011
I did
4-5 sessions per week of 75-80 minutes static cycling, interval
resistance for a 45 minute session, then a 15 minute upper body
weights set and the rest of the cycling at a constant resistance.
I carried out this routine for 8 weeks prior to my surgery and my
surgeon said that all the muscles affected by the surgery were in
excellent condition.
I feel this has really helped my recovery, I’m still only one week
out of surgery and just yesterday (almost to the hour of a week from
surgery) I quite comfortably walked about a mile on my crutches.
I am also finding the exercises given to me by the hospital physio
relatively easy to complete and happily do extra reps.
I couldn’t do anything other than cycling because my hip was so bad
but it certainly seems to have stood me in good stead.
Everybody is of course different but I’m a great believer in the
fitter you are before surgery the quicker you’ll recover!
February 16, 2011
I had a fusion 17 years
ago, L5-S1.
Sorted my back problems back then and has been great for years
since, I’ve been participating in many sports on a regular basis.
3-4 years ago I started getting left lower back/buttock and groin
pain which I immediately assumed was my back.
After many consultations, x-rays, an epidural and a back MRI my
consultant told me that my fusion looked in excellent condition
(some disk degeneration but nothing serious) and that he thought
maybe my hip should be looked at.
A simple x-rays later and bingo!
Bone one bone in my left hip and yes, my limp was putting pressure
on my lower back big time.
I’m now 17 days from my surfacing and the difference is night and
day.
No pain whatsoever in my back, buttock or surrounding area.
I have some groin pain and obviously some pain from the trauma of
the op, but nothing comparatively speaking.
The groin pain is normal and mainly due to the manipulation during
the op and heals over the weeks, as does the operative pain.
I am already walking up to 2 miles per day (on crutches) with hardly
any limp. I can also walk (in the house) without any crutches almost
normally.
March 1, 2011
I’m only at five weeks but am
happily walking 2-4 miles per day.
I’m also exercising 2-3 time a day but not lifting much weight at
all, probably 20kgs max for squatting with a gym ball at by back for
a little extra stability.
Cardiovascular, such as a static bike, is fine.
I too occasionally get very tired for no apparent reason but just
put it down to the general trauma of the surgery.
I would definitely take it very easy on the weights mate, my surgeon
told me before surgery that I was going to have rein myself in for
the first 6 months, particularly where squatting or similar was
involved, with anything other than light weights.
He explained that the first 6 months you are at risk of the dreaded
femoral head fracture and over-stressing this area with extra
weights should be avoided at all costs.
June
17, 1011
Everything is going superbly.
Prior to my BHR left side I struggled to walk for more than 200
meters and would then have intense pain for a couple of days.
Sleeping was almost impossible.
My op was carried out by Mr. Graham Keene and the transformation is
just night and day.
I started walking a mile at a
time at approximately two weeks from op, with crutches.
Ok the mile would take 25-30 minutes but I could do it and the hip
pain was minimal.
By four weeks I was walking 1.5
miles in 18-20 minutes, still with crutches (my surgeon insisted I
take them whenever out of the house for the first six weeks) but
hardly using them at all.
By six weeks I was
walking 3 miles in 45 minutes, no crutches.
At the six week stage I also started some very light (20 minutes, 70
watts) on an exercise bike, four to five times a week.
Anyway, to cut the post short and to save you from boredom, now, at
five months, I am training in the gym with basically no
restrictions.
I am doing 90deg squats, with light weights, with no problem at all.
Concept rowing machine is also fine, so much more comfortable than
prior to the operation (last two years I just couldn’t use it).
All cardio equipment is also now a joy to use (well as much of a
“joy” as training can be!) and I don’t leave the gym in agony and I
wake up with stiff muscles not an incapacitated hip.
My wife has commented many times that I now have an enthusiasm about
me when it comes to getting out of bed and getting on with the day
whereas previously I simply didn’t want to get up!
My friends say that I look much better and the “pain” that was
etched on my face is now gone.
As you may deduce, I am one massively happy bunny 🙂
To all of you out there on the other side of the procedure or
recently “done”…just hang on in and do as your surgeon tells you
and the transformation in your life will be far greater than you
ever imagined, mine certainly was/has been!
Oh and as a ps…thanks to Pat for this site, and everybody on here
for the help/encouragement/advice/camaraderie which without I would
have struggled.
July 5, 2011
I’m at 5 months
now and up until now (and still on the odd occasion) have had all
sorts of tweaks, pains, numbness etc etc etc!
The thing is, no single thing has ever lasted too long, no more than
say a week or so, and have always disappeared on their own.
I still on occasion get some tingling and slight numbness in various
places however nothing consistent.
My surgeon told me not to worry about these “twinges” as it is a
sign that the healing process is continuing.
He explained that not have only major muscles been cut and
re-joined, major nerves have also been moved aside and re-aligned.
Add to this the residual swelling and related scarring he said that
these sort of “twinges” can occur for some time and may indeed never
fully cease.
I have personally had many strange feelings however nothing that has
particularly worried me and certainly nothing to anywhere near
approach my pre-op agony, which was most certainly consistent!
I think the key is, as long as the feeling is not too dramatic, and
doesn’t last for longer than 3 weeks, it’s fine.
November 7, 2911
I’m at 9 months and am
amazed daily at how good I feel compared to this time last year!
March 13, 2012
I’m at 14
months now and totally loving it.
The only thing you will regret afterwards is waiting so long, I know
I did.
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