Looking forward to no pain!

jack · June 01, 2010, 06:09:26 PM

Today's appointment went well. I liked the PA much better today, he must have had an off day before. I am doing well he says and after my 4 week mark the restrictions are lifted and I am to start crossing my legs and taking knee to chest to get the rom increased. He says this is even more important since I am not taking the nsaid to get the muscles loosened up again.

Also, he said the nsaid did not provide blood thinning and was not concerned about not taking any since there is no family history. I thought that was a bit odd. We discussed taking aspirin and I am going to start 325mg once a day for a while just to humor myself. He had no problem with that.

All in all a good report.

I am walking now with just one forearm crutch. I could use just a cane but the crutch provides a bit more stability. My rotator cuff tear makes my left arm a bit wobbly. I can take a few steps with no aids but I don't want to push things too fast.

jack · June 16, 2010, 01:51:12 PM

Hi all!

I am now at 4 weeks post-op and doing well. Just after 3 weeks I switched from using one forearm crutch to using just the cane. I could have switched earlier but I have a torn rotator cuff that made my arm a bit wobbly so I stuck to the crutch. The next day I started walking with no aids and it went well so I did it more and more. Now I am walking with no cane at all and only the slightest bit of discomfort. I would not call it pain.

I do believe that my sudden ability to use just a cane, and then start to walk unaided the same day is due to me starting to take Sam-e which is a natural nsaid. Before this I had pretty intense arthritis pain in the knees, back, and other places. When I stood up it was really tough and painful due to not having any anti-inflammatory medicines in me.

For several years I took Celebrex for the pain/inflammation and it worked wonders. The trouble with prescription nsaids, at least with me, is that they have side effects that have proven to not be worth the relief that they offer. Celebrex tore my insides up. I could go into some graphic details, but I will leave it at that and only say that it was pretty severe. If you are taking prescription nsaids, I urge you to keep a close eye on things. They are nasty!

Here are a couple of good links to some info on Sam-e
http://www.biopsychiatry.com/sameart.html
http://arthritis-alternative.com/detail/SAMe.cfm

One week prior to surgery I was required to stop the Celebrex and that was one of the best things that could have happened to me. After surgery they gave me Indocin, another nsaid, and I continued it at home but that gave me side effects too and I had to stop it at about 8 days. From there on I had no nsaid and paid the price in pain and stiffness. Now that I have taken Sam-e for a few days and the inflammation and pain is backing off, my recovery took a giant leap ahead.

After lots of research on the internet, last Friday I bought the Sam-e and it really has helped. I feel nearly as good now as when I was taking Celebrex and Sam-e has no serious side effects for healthy individuals. It not only acts as an nsaid but also has mood enhancement qualities at higher doses.

I am taking 400mg once a day now and that is supposed to go to twice a day after a week. I am a bit more sore at the end of the day now but not that bad. The second dose in the afternoon should fix that when I start it. I may try just a half in the afternoon. Will have to see what works best.

As a point of interest â€" Sam-e has been a prescription drug in the UK since 1976 according to what I have read. It is not FDA approved here in the states so it can only be sold as a supplement. There are many studies and it has a proven track record though. Do your research and use at your own risk! Itâ€™s a good idea to talk to your doctor first too.

I am sure there must be lots of people here that could benefit from this. It is a bit expensive but for me itâ€™s worth it at twice the price! Maybe I sound like a salesman, but Iâ€™m not. I just wanted to share this wonderful find in hopes someone else will benefit.

In any event, I am doing well at 4 weeks and walk nearly normal! At 4 weeks my hip restrictions were lifted, and I started driving again although I did have to take my wife to the airport 3 days early . I am going to wait a couple of more weeks before riding my motorcycle. It seems like the smart thing to do.

Hope all is well out there!

jack · June 24, 2010, 05:39:48 PM

5 weeks and one day today! Most of the time I don't even think about my hip. I am walking normally. The only real evidence is after getting up from sitting for a while. After a few steps that resolves and that condition takes some time to resolve I guess.

Actually, I need to be more conscious of the hip as it is still vulnerable to femur neck breakage for up to one year. I want to place no excessive stress on it for a while to be on the safe side!

Rode my motorcycle a couple days ago and found no issues. Its a big heavy road bike so the ride is smooth. Planning a short trip this weekend.... under a 100 miles. I do have slight pain while driving the car, but that's from the position i'm in. Its even worse in the Vette due to the support built into the sides of the seats. The bike does not seem to impact me.

All in all i'm a happy hippy!

jack · July 09, 2010, 03:39:32 PM

I am about 7 1/2 weeks now. Day to day improvement is negligible now since I am walking pretty near normal. Saw my surgeon a few days ago and he said that all is well. I asked to see my xrays and he measured the cup angle while I was there..... 39.6 degrees. Can't ask for better than that!

I am working on rom now and that may take a while to fully return. Think, cross your leg guy style as best as you can, then push down on the knee and lift the foot and try to lean forward. Also bring the knee to the chest with both hands as far as possible. I can get to my shoes to tie them but its not quite normal yet. It will come in time.

So, I am ending my story here for now unless something else comes up. If so then I will fill you all in. I read new posts every day and enjoy this site immensely. It has played a major support role in my life and I cannot say thanks enough.

Speedy recoveries to everyone!

jack · November 29, 2010, 09:24:19 AM

Hi all

I saw my surgeon about 3 weeks ago for my 6 month checkup. X-Rays confirmed that I am doing fine and bone in growth is sufficient to remove all restrictions. I can now run and jump although he did say to ease into any of these activities. Good news for sure. He also wanted me to work on ROM more. I had not been doing too much of that but plan to get more aggressive now with it.

Dr Clarke in Syracuse NY told me that he has broken the 1000 mark for resurfacing procedures and I said that I would relay this information here so that Pat can update his stats. I would not hesitate using this doctor if it is within anyone's ability to get there. Top notch all the way.

Keep up the good work here on the site..... it is really appreciated by a lot of people!

jack · January 14, 2017, 07:27:59 AM

I think my lack of activity in this forum could be viewed as a good thing. I don't think about my hip resurfacing at all and haven't in quite a few years. I have been living life as if it never happened, but of course it did. Right now I am 6 years out from the procedure and am very happy to have had it performed.

I recently have had knee troubles and have had to deal with that issue. It has brought prior experiences into my thought process. So, I was thinking about this site and what a tremendous help it was along with all of the people that contribute here. Figured I would stop in for a quick update and say hello to everyone. HELLO! :D

Many thanks again for this resource!

Pat Walter · January 14, 2017, 08:33:46 AM

Jack - Thanks for stopping by and giving us an update. Great to hear everything is going well and you have forgotten about your hip resurfacing. It is always encouraging to perspective and current patients to read reports like yours.

I hope you will stop by again in a few years! Meanwhile, have fun being pain free and active with your great hip! Good Luck.

Pat

jack · May 12, 2017, 08:17:04 AM

Hi all
Nearing my 7 year anniversary this month! I recently had a check up with Dr. Clarke. He told me that the 46mm and smaller BHR's had been discontinued/recalled due to failures. Luckily mine is larger than that at 50mm. Still, that is a bit disconcerting. I will be going in for a blood metal level test to find out how mine is. He x-rayed it the other day and said that it looked fine. Has anyone else heard about this?

catfriend · May 12, 2017, 04:06:45 PM

Uh, yeah, the BHR small-sized failures and withdrawal thing is pretty well known. It's more of an issue for small men and especially for women. This has greatly reduced the devices available for women, and the surgeon pool for women, as well. As you can tell by the women who post here (including this one) there are still options. I believe the metal ions issue is more of a problem for women, but since that isn't a problem for me I don't follow that issue as closely. BHRs are still being used regularly for men. Yours shouldn't be an issue at all, unless you develop some sort of problem with it. IOW no need to yank it out just because it's been withdrawn from small sizes. :) So don't worry!

jack · May 12, 2017, 04:25:27 PM

Quote from: catfriend on May 12, 2017, 04:06:45 PM
Uh, yeah, the BHR small-sized failures and withdrawal thing is pretty well known. It's more of an issue for small men and especially for women. This has greatly reduced the devices available for women, and the surgeon pool for women, as well. As you can tell by the women who post here (including this one) there are still options. I believe the metal ions issue is more of a problem for women, but since that isn't a problem for me I don't follow that issue as closely. BHRs are still being used regularly for men. Yours shouldn't be an issue at all, unless you develop some sort of problem with it. IOW no need to yank it out just because it's been withdrawn from small sizes. :) So don't worry!

Thanks. This took me by surprise because at the time of my surgery the BHR was touted as the cadillac of resurfacing implants. I haven't been keeping up as you can tell. Rather disheartening it turned out this way. I did have my blood drawn today but I feel fine with no symptoms so I don't expect trouble (knock on wood)