15 month report

[B.I.L.L.]

Well I got my my results back from the blood test, the Dr. gave me the #'s in ppm, and he said the levels were below normal. The cobalt was 0.005ppm and the chromium was 0.01ppm.  He assured me that everything is wearing fine and the issues I am having are the results of the surgery itself and not so much the placement of the componets, plus the fact that I have probably been overdoing it since about the 6 month mark when I went back to work full time.  I don't really know what the % #'s mean because there seems to be several different scales (parts per million, parts per billion, parts per liter etc.) but am still steadily improving so....there you go !   I am guilty of not doing all the pt I probably should have, and definately guilty of overdoing it on a daily basis.  Being a self employed poolman I never really had the option of "taking it easy for a few days" to let things catch up, it's more like eat a couple vicodin and get my ass back to work so I can keep the house etc.  Performance wise I am still making progress and although my hip feels doesn't feel "normal" I am still improving slowly but surely, and am back to surfing, dirt bikes, hiking, bike rides, all that good stuff.   These last 15 months have been an interesting time in my life and I am so glad I found ths site to relate with others going through the same issues (Thanks Pat!)  
I know now that I need to rest my hip for a few days every now and then. I know this because last weekend in the desert I completely brain farted, took my mind off the trail for a second and rode off a 6' tall dropoff where the recent rains washed a section of the trail away. I ejected over the bars and landed on my left side, the result was the wind knocked out of me and bruised (cracked ?) ribs. Not being able to take deep breaths for a few days forced me to take it easy this week, and today my hip feels really good  ;D no pain and the puffiness and swelling has improved. Note to self: REST once in awhile!  The hip held up fine and I am glad in some respects to have "Crash Tested" it, although I could have gone without the ribcage injury, that still hurts haha.  My friends made me feel better by laughing at me and saying "Hey your leg didn't come off"  good friends right there... :D
So anyway here I am at 15 months out, I am back to my "normal" life for the most part (Wayne-O will argue the normal part) and am happy to be giving a positive report on this whole thing and plan to keep getting myself in better shape and knock on wood keep this thing for 20 years or longer.  I'll post some riding pictures in the motorcyclists thread when I get them.  So while I'm not having the quickest recovery in here, I am happy and still improving, an for that I am gratefull. Bill

[bothdone]

Hi Bill

I enjoyed reading your report.    I've done similar things where I've overdone it and then paid for it with aches and pains.  Rest and the occasional ibuprofen sorts it for me.

I had my first fall a few weeks ago when I was out walking.  I stepped on a grass slope and the next thing I knew I was flat on my back looking at the sky.   Not as spectacular as yours but I shared the feeling that the hips were still in the right place.

Best wishes for your continued recovery.

Ed