Hi all.
Im 46 (end of Jan) and I had my left hip resurfaced on 9th Dec 2010. The op was done at Addenbrookes hospital Cambridge (England) And I cant praise the surgeon (Mr Norrish) or his team highly enough.
Im still waiting for physio at the moment, so I have been doing the exercises that were recomended to me at the hospital...and some I picked up from this site. But I dont know if Im doing too much or not enough.
During the day I try to go for a walk, and I do my exercises 2 or 3 times during the day. Although if I push it too much I get quite a bad ache in my hip.
Post op I had no pain at all..infact I stopped all pain relief after only 2 days (pain free for the first time in 3 years is so good ;D ) although I still had to inject myself in the stomach everyday for 24 days, to stop blood clots forming (keep that one quiet dont they?? >:( )
I have a lot of trouble sleeping at night. I get 2 or 3 hours if Im lucky, but Ive put this down to the fact that I usually do a physical job as well as weight training and martial arts, and now Im doing next to nothing all day.
I realise that everyone recovers at their own rate, but it doesnt make it any easier. Im coming up to week 4 and I really thought I would be doing far more, due to the fact that I have always participated in sport, but my progress seems to have slowed right down. I suppose I will find out what the surgeon thinks of my progress at my 6 weeks check.
ok...rant over ;)
Feel free to ask me anything you like about any aspect of the op or my recovery.
Hi Chris,
Glad to hear that you've gotten rid of that pain. I'm hoping to get my left hip done within the next month, and I have a couple of questions for you if you wouldn't mind answering.
Are you employed, and if so what type of work (office, physical, etc.)?
Have you gone back to work?
Do you do any work at home?
The reason I ask is that I my job involves mostly office work with occasional walking around inspecting energy efficiency projects. I know I won't be doing any of the inspection work for a few months, but I'm hoping at least to be able to work part time from home soon after the surgery so that I can avoid using up all of my vacation time and going into an unpaid leave situation.
Anybody's thoughts and experiences with this would be greatly appreciated.
Im an electrician (at the moment)
Im not at work. I was told by the surgeon that it would be at least 3 months before I could go back to work,although he will re-assess me at my 6 week check. To be honest there is no way I could go back to work at the moment. There isnt any facility for "light" work....so until I can pull my weight..Im off sick.
I dont get any sick pay from work at all, so we are living off of my wifes part time wages and benefits. Not ideal but there isnt much choice.
Hi Chris,
Things will improve greatly after you hit that 4 week mark and some of your restrictions are lifted. I too am an athlete (triathlete plus fitness instructor) so I know how all of this inactivity is making you feel! My surgeon was very conservative, limiting me to 50% weightbearing 2 crutches for 3 weeks and then 1 crutch until I saw him at 4 weeks.
At 4 weeks, I was taken off of the crutches, allowed full weight bearing, and the 90 degree rule no longer applied. Plus I was taken off of the coumadin (blood thinner similar to what you are injecting into your stomach.) What a huge difference I have seen in the last 4 weeks. Believe me, it will only get better from here on out!
I didn't sleep much those first 4 weeks either. Some of it was sleeping in the same position causing leg pain, some of it was from the coumadin, etc. etc. Hang in there and within a week I am sure you will be posting again with an update as to how great you feel! You are still early on in your recovery.
Hi Chris,
Firstly, it sounds as though you're doing really well and ultimately it will be a very good result, but I do sympathise with your feeling that progress is slower than you hoped for. I'm now 6 weeks post op and feel exactly the same. I went back to work on Tuesday. I have an essentially sedentary job but have a fair bit of walking up and down corridors. The first 2 days were ok but my hip's been really sore today and I've started using a stick almost all the time again. With it, I'm nearly pain free.
I'm afraid I think 3 months will probably be about right for you, given your job. I would say, don't push it. But just keep being nice to your wife! Reassure her, you're really looking forward to getting back to helping with the housework but at the moment, it's just not possible.
I'm fascinated by this concept of people saying they were pain free after the op. Do you really mean that? Did the pain, start, then, after you started mobilising? I've been taken to task by several people for disputing this claim, but I find it hard to believe. My beef is that it's a bit depressing for those of us that still aren't pain free even after 6 weeks. Given the amount of soft tissue trauma involved in the op, I don't see how it can conceivably not hurt. Having said which I'm very aware my pain threshold seems to be much lower than average!
Incidentally, sleeping on my side with a pillow between my legs, I still don't get more than a couple of hourse sleep a night. Luckily, I don't need more than 4 or 5 hours, but it's a bit wearing.
But it genuinely does improve bit by bit although some days are worse than others, so one can't expect to wake up feeling better absolutely every day.
Keep it up and don't get despondent.
Best wishes.
Andy
thanks for the replies so far....
jjmclain.....Im down to one crutch...tried a stick, but it gave nowhere near the support I need at the moment. Hopefully my sleeping will improve now that the injections have stopped..Im looking forward to my 6 week check, even if its just so someone can give me some feed back.
andybc...sorry to say, but yes.....I woke up after the op with no pain at all (ok so I was still full of drugs ) but as I said... I stopped all pain relief just 2 days after the op. Now I am still pain free as long as I dont push it too far...I have been trying to squat (bodyweight only)..dumb I know :o and I think it was too much,too soon. I told the wife about me helping with the housework soon.....she is still laughing ;D
For me when I woke with the wow it doesn't hurt anymore, I meant that pain within the joint. Knowing that was gone made the surgical pain easier to deal with. I knew that would go away.
Because of the very physical requirements of my job and osteopenia, I wont be going back to work till I hit the 6 month point. I have a somewhat higher risk of fracture so we aren't taking chances.
I had a BHR on 11/8/10 which was converted to a THR on 12/13/10 due to a femoral neck fracture. I still haven't slept a full night in a real bed since before my first surgery. I think it's very common to have trouble sleeping after this surgery.
Pain started last night. Its centered around the hip....and is severe enough to stop me sleeping properly. Its still bad today...moving at all is painful and walking is a nightmare. Didnt do anything silly yesterday, so Im puting it down to sitting on a rather hard chair at my brothers for several hours. Im going to see how it goes before I panic and call the hospital...well thats the plan anyway. :o :o
Chris, I'm not sure what physio etc you're doing at the moment, but maybe you should stop everything and just do the bare minimum. I've found a couple of times exercise/physio's made things worse but the pain resolved when I stopped.
Also, I hope you've not been doing anything silly, like house work, because that is obviously very likely to stir things up.
Back to a more serious note, I'm sure it would be wise to check with the surgeon if it doesn't rsolve in a couple of days.
Best
Andy BC
Think you may be right Andy.....didnt do any exercises yesterday and its feeling much better today. Forgot to mention, when it was bad the area was swollen and very warm to the touch.
Pain was virtually gone today.....so I had a go at driving. Went well, and I think using the clutch actually exercises the hip. Also saw the physio today and he reckons Im doing very well...although he is more used to 70 year olds with full hip replacements, as my local hospital dont do resurfacing...he did some deep massage..and my hip feels soooo good now.
Feeling soooooo good today. Ive not been using any walking aid for 4 days now and it feels great. I went in the gym today (I have one at home) and did chest,shoulders and triceps and it felt great. Still some exercises that I cant do but I managed to put a routine together. Back, biceps etc on Thursday...but no legs for now.
Chris, be careful doing any squats. The weak part of the operation is the femoral head and squats put a lot of pressure on that area. My Dr. did not recommend any squat/leg presses for a year. He had one patient that went back to the gym and was doing leg presses at 6 to 8 weeks and he snapped his femoral head. Ended up with a THR.
Since you have done martial arts I would recommend Tia Chi or holding stances in low positions to build the legs. Lots of walking also helped me. You need to be patient with your healing process.
Cheers for the heads up ;D
to be honest Im absolutely terrified of dislocating it or breaking the head...so its gonna be a very long time before I do anything for my legs. I walk quite a bit.... never thought of holding stances etc...a kind of dynamic tension ??...sounds good ;D
I find that holding a glass of wine and gently raising it to my lips then lowering it helps; repeating this regularly seems to ease the discomfort in my hip. Not sure why exactly, but who cares?
Andy
Quote from: andybc on January 27, 2011, 04:59:57 PM
I find that holding a glass of wine and gently raising it to my lips then lowering it helps; repeating this regularly seems to ease the discomfort in my hip. Not sure why exactly, but who cares?
Andy
Be sure to repeat this often, with both hands. Otherwise you may develop lopsided biceps.
Chris
I agree with Andybc, try the wine exercise, it works really well.. In fact I've continued with this exercise and am still applying 3 times a week!
On a more serious note, try and take it easy. I wanted to get right back into stuff, but after a few weeks I managed to become more patient. No physio was available to me (each SHA has a different approach), but after a the 1st week I managed to walk about 1 mile 3 times a day (my 2 dogs talked me into it) and built up to 3 miles over time. Make sure your walking with good form using crutches or sticks, if you start to limp it will make your back or other hip / knee or something hurt. I was terrified of running (I weighed 112Kg) and breaking the femoral head off. But gradually built up exercise, after 7 months I started cycling and swimming on a regular basis (no running until 12 months and my weight less that 100 Kg -- self imposed). I have now entered a couple of Triathlons and returned to martial arts.. The only time my hip hurts is after doing heavy squats in the gym (must be a warning there somewhere). Good luck and take it steady, it will be worth it.
Gaz
wine!?!!?!?! yuk..it all tastes like vinegar to me.....give me guiness anyday ;) :D
I was never a fan of static exercise until I got injured. Pre-op I got into the habit of maintaining a 'horse' stance while standing at a washbasin, shaving or cleaning my teeth, several times a day varying the width from time to time and slowly shifting weight from one side to the other. After the surgery I started again with the knees slightly bent and gradually lowered as my endurance improved, I'm sure it has helped. Lunges are important as well, squats are easy now (I'm exactly 3 months ahead of you) but the lunge still requires work.
Guinness works well.
Chris, are you icing the hip? I find it's great for getting that irritation down form overwork, or just keeping your hip from getting there.
My physical therapist gave me a great solution for icing the hip (or anything really).
1. Get a zip lock bag (one that actually zips with a plastic attachment).
2. place a wet hand towel folded to fit flat into the zip lock bag.
3. Freeze and use.
This has worked great, since it comes out flat. I put it under the hip or to the side, it thaws out in about 10 minutes, which is perfect timing, and can be immediately put back in to freeze without adding water. I've had this since the first surgery and it has been perfect for driving, watching the tube, etc. On the couch, I take a dish towel, put it under the ice pack and have no problem with moisture.
Now that is a brilliant idea.......I`ll be puting it into action asap ...nice one :) :) :)
A bag of frozen peas worked well for me.
D.
Quote from: lopsided on January 29, 2011, 08:38:13 AM
A bag of frozen peas worked well for me.
D.
Tried that...but the bag was open and they spilt all over the floor ;) ;D
Gotta say I feel great today....walking much better. And I saw my boss yesterday, and he said I can go back part time and work in the office ( not something that he usually does) and ease back into it.
Quote from: chris finn on January 29, 2011, 08:59:24 AM
Quote from: lopsided on January 29, 2011, 08:38:13 AM
A bag of frozen peas worked well for me.
D.
Tried that...but the bag was open and they spilt all over the floor ;) ;D
Seems like that might make walking around a little more hazardous.
Quote from: FlbrkMike on January 29, 2011, 01:23:10 PM
Quote from: chris finn on January 29, 2011, 08:59:24 AM
Quote from: lopsided on January 29, 2011, 08:38:13 AM
A bag of frozen peas worked well for me.
D.
Tried that...but the bag was open and they spilt all over the floor ;) ;D
Seems like that might make walking around a little more hazardous.
After holding the bag on your upper thigh, picking up the peas from the floor, and refreezing, all multiple times, there comes a point where you consider that you might not want to eat the peas afterwards.
D.
lol...I dont eat peas anyway...horrible things :-\
Anyway..saw my surgeon today....and he`s extremely happy with my progress ;D
Told me to start free squating, and using the leg ext/curl machine. Also said to stop using the crutches completetely. He is a bit worried about the fact that I seem to have no strength in my sartorious muscle...but he is monitoring it and has given me some specific exercises to strengthen it.
You can buy freezeable gel packs for little money, they come in a cloth bag and stay soft when cold, last about 10-15 minutes which is all you want, I use 'em all the time.
Quote from: gary2010 on February 01, 2011, 05:54:00 AM
... freezeable gel packs ...
They used them at the hospital. I did not think to take a couple of them home with me.
You can also put some water in a ziplock bag and add about 1/4 rubbing alcohol. The more you add the softer the ice. I recommend putting that ziplock into another though so there is no accidental leaking.
Bit of a waste of alcohol imho - I'd put some salt in to lower the freezing point and drink the alcohol!
Andy
Quote from: andybc on February 01, 2011, 02:27:05 PM
Bit of a waste of alcohol imho - I'd put some salt in to lower the freezing point and drink the alcohol!
Andy
Andy, are you drinking rubbing alcohol?
D.
Hey Chris, hello from a fellow biker ( saw your other post under the biker section ) and I agree with you that pretty certain crashing had a lot to do with our hip problems, although in my case self inflicted as I raced for around 16 years. I'm now 16 weeks post op.
As the other posts have said I think you have to be a bit patient because you've had major surgery and everyone recovers at different times, but you seem to be progressing very well although you may not think so.
I also experienced trouble sleeping for a few weeks but that'll go soon, so don't worry. What I found really helped with my recovery is using a static bike, I do a lot of spinning classes and 3 weeks post-op went back to the gym and got back on a spin bike, no gears just sat there and let the legs go around then started to build up 3 times a week, then at week 6 back road cycling, to say it helped my recovery is an understatement, it seemed like everytime I got on the spin bike I got stronger and stronger, so may not be for everyone but certainly helped me, although I should have tried the wine exercise sounds like much more fun !!
Keep us posted on how your getting on.
Regards
Paul
PS, don't sell the bike....
LOL...I like your P.S ....as I said we are still discussing that one...although Im really missing the bike. Especially as all my mates are coming out of hibernation and getting back on the road :D
Im feeling better day by day. Im back in the (home)gym...used my elliptical trainer yesterday...it felt good, although I ache today, but its a good ache :) Ive got a bike and a rowing machine too, so Im going to experiment and see what I can and cant do.
The physio checked out my sartorious muscle....and the whole thing is numb from hip to knee....its also very weak...but Ive been doing the exercises and its gotten stronger in just two days (ok..so its not by much..but its going in the right direction)....I suppose Im just a bit confused as to why he said to "go back to a normal life" as much as I can...but he doesnt want me going back to work yet, not that I really feel able to yet...(maybe Ive just answered my own question ;) ;D )....
Chris,
If you get back on the rowing machine I'd really like to hear about your experience. I have an indoor rower (concept II) that I used religiously for about 12 years but haven't been able to use due to ROM and pain issues for a couple of years. In fact, I was on my rower when I felt a "twinge" in my left hip that caused me finally to go get x-rays.
Getting back on the rower is one of the things that I'm really looking forward to, but am a little concerned about taking the flexion too far.
Thanks,
Mike
Gonna be trying it out tomorrow....I will keep you posted :)
Had a trial run on the rowing machine today. Felt great....hip was a bit stiff afterwards,but that went away very quickly. It was only a try out to see if I can use it, but Im confident that I can build up the time over the coming weeks. :D :D
That's great to hear. Were you able to do a full stroke?
Quote from: FlbrkMike on February 05, 2011, 02:58:05 PM
That's great to hear. Were you able to do a full stroke?
Yup.....a full stroke with no problem. Its not a concept 2 ...Im not that rich ;) :D ..but it is very good air-resistance type rower....gotta say it felt great.
That's great news, Chris. It looks like you're about 8 weeks out. If I can make similar progress, which is definitely not guaranteed because I'm about 10 years older and probably not in as good condition as you are, I might be able to get back on mine around my birthday on 8 May. That would be very cool.
BTW, my concept 2 is about 15 years old and I wouldn't be surprised is it's rusted solid by now. Not rich enough to go get another one. :'(
Quote from: FlbrkMike on February 05, 2011, 04:53:21 PM
That's great news, Chris. It looks like you're about 8 weeks out. If I can make similar progress, which is definitely not guaranteed because I'm about 10 years older and probably not in as good condition as you are, I might be able to get back on mine around my birthday on 8 May. That would be very cool.
BTW, my concept 2 is about 15 years old and I wouldn't be surprised is it's rusted solid by now. Not rich enough to go get another one. :'(
lol...dont know about the good condition...my cardio conditioning dropped off rapidly, due to the pain of my hip..and not being able to train consistantly.
Just recalculated how many weeks it has been...I was way out.. I thought I was coming up to week 11,but its actually week 9......I feel much better about my progress now :D ....although Im not so happy about my math ;)
Im sure you will be back on the rower...and anything else you want to do too. Its strange how the progress works....I can do things now that just a few weeks back I wouldnt have believed. Im sure that it will all come back to you. Your only.....mid fifties (??)....thats the new 30 ;) :D
:D I'll be 56 in May, and 50 may be the new 30 but these days I sometimes feel closer to 85 than 55. Hopefully the surgery will turn that around, and maybe I can start counting backwards. ;D
As I've been telling my friends lately, it's amazing sometimes what we will put ourselves through just to get a few weeks off of work.
When you have hip issues everyday is a long journey, I can remember how tired I would get just going to the store for a gallon of milk, driving around looking for a close spot, then pushing the cart and putting as much weight on the handle of the cart.
Hip problems also take a toll on your emotions too, many of us were crabby pre-op and end most of us had a huge change post op.
Yes, you are so right about feeling old, that will change when you walk straight lines.
Chuck
Quote from: obxpelican on February 06, 2011, 11:51:26 AM
Hip problems also take a toll on your emotions too, many of us were crabby pre-op and end most of us had a huge change post op.
Yes, you are so right about feeling old, that will change when you walk straight lines.
Chuck
Gotta agree...my wife reckons she has got her old husband back after years of pain..and "painkiller-cotton wool head"....and several people have told me that I look 10 years younger...gotta say...at the moment I feel great (although Im not looking forward to my return to work as I hate my job...but I am spured on to look for another job, now that Im on the mend :D )
Did a cardio workout today.....a warm up on my crosstrainer and then several rounds on the heavy bag....only starting out slowly....but it felt really good.
Interestingly, loads of people have told me how much better I look than before the op. Hadn't realised I looked so crap - but I guess the pain just wears you down.
So true! As I approached my second HR, my family basically said to me "Don't wait so long this time! We don't want to live with the grumpy bear again!" ;D
Im about 6 or 8 inches from touching my toes.....I used to be able to put my hands flat on the floor with straight legs...but I`ll settle for touching my toes ...for now ;) :D
Keep up the good work!!
How are the workouts going? Right now I'm just happy to be walking. Can't wait to start doing some cardio work.
Quote from: FlbrkMike on February 15, 2011, 02:25:33 PM
Keep up the good work!!
How are the workouts going? Right now I'm just happy to be walking. Can't wait to start doing some cardio work.
Workouts are going great thanks :) ....still in the experimental stage at the moment.....thinking of doing a 52 week strength routine. I did one about 6 years ago....2 weights workouts a week for 52 weeks.....to get my lifts up as they were pathetic......well they still are..so I think its time for another strength cycle ;D
Quote from: chris finn on February 15, 2011, 01:18:34 PM
Im about 6 or 8 inches from touching my toes.....I used to be able to put my hands flat on the floor with straight legs...but I`ll settle for touching my toes ...for now ;) :D
Twist the torso back and forth a few times before you bend, I don't know how this works, but it does.
Quote from: gary2010 on February 16, 2011, 06:49:43 AM
Twist the torso back and forth a few times before you bend, I don't know how this works, but it does.
I think its only my hamstrings which are stopping me going all the way down. I have to be careful with twisting motions as I have torn discs :'( ...but cheers anyway :)
I have to say I think kicking at 9 weeks is well ahead of the curve. I can tap a pad with either leg but a full kick even with the unoperated side would put unacceptable impact through the support leg. I'm still having trouble with abduction, just about to post on my thread about that.
Im only kicking with my non op leg... with about 80% of full power. I tried with the other leg and its just too early.
So..today was a good day/bad day kind of thing.
The good was doing a cardio session on the rower and crosstrainer...also the Physio said that he thought I was doing really well.
The bad ?? ....after physio I was supposed to go into work to have a chat about returning. I got half way..and turned round and came home. I just cant face the prospect of going back there, it fills me with dread...I hate the place so much. I know,I know..Im a wimp :-[ :-[ ..Im going to have another go tomorrow......
It sounds like you need another job! Mines not exactly a bundle of laughs, but it's not a good time to be looking. I went back at 4 weeks, as soon as I felt well enough to drive in every day. I'm allowed 6 weeks a year so I thought it best to keep some in reserve in case of complications. Before I started having surgery I'd had 6 days sick in my entire life, and 2 of those were for someone else.
Too right I need a new job.....but what ???? I want to change, but Im not sure what to. And your right..its not a good time to be looking. :( :(
Hey chris finn, are you still out there?
Have you been using your rower? How has it been?
Mine's been calling me to get it out of the corner of the garage, and I think I'm going to give it a go.
Should I be worried?
Thanks,
Mike
Yup...Im still here.
Ive been weight training,using a cross trainer, a heavy bag and the rower for quite a whille now.
I did have a glitch a few weeks back. Lots of pain in my hip...trouble sleeping etc. Saw the consultant and he did x-rays and a blood test as a precaution. The x-rays were ok. And I went back for the blood test results a couple of days ago...and they are ok too. Turns out that the pain was caused by an inflammed nerve..he gave me an injection right into the pain area, when I went for the x-rays and blood test..and the pain went after about 2 days.
I had been doing to much too soon apparently...so I have reigned it in a bit. I think it was the interval style training on the rower and cross trainer that caused the problem. So for now Im using a "normal" pace for my cardio sessions and everything is fine so far.
At first I just practised getting the rower set up and sitting on it. Then I started performing the action...but very slowly. Once I could do that and know I had no pain, I started to use it on a regular basis....increasing the speed of stroke over time....
I would say to give it a go..but maybe avoid interval training for now ;) ;) Let me know how you get on when you do give it a go.
good luck.......Chris
I got the rowing machine out yesterday and did three 5 minute sets at a low setting (2 out of 10) and a fairly slow pace, with about a minute between each. The first set was very slow and felt really good - no pain, no stiffness and my knees actually did not stick out to the sides :D . So good that I unintentionally started speeding up in the second set and had to consciously slow down. Third set was at a pretty even pace.
I actually got my HR up to about 138, which isn't particularly high but considering my lack of cardio work in the past couple of years was pretty good, and it felt great. It also gave me a good warmup for my other regular PT exercises. I really was very happy just so see that I could get my feet strapped in and grab the bar with no trouble, and work the thing at all.
This would be barely a warm-up for the workouts I used to do but it's been such a long time, and this was really pretty much of a trial run, I didn't want to push it. Plus, I don't have any callouses on my hands and I didn't want to cause any blisters. I think I'll try again tomorrow before our big Easter dinner, maybe a little longer and maybe a little harder.
Thats fantastic :)
What you said about " This would be barely a warm-up for the workouts I used to do but it's been such a long time," is the bit that I really need to get into my head. It has to be a slow build up to where you were before....after all..it took many months if not years to get to that stage of fitness the first time.
Very obvious advice, but something that I still have to remind myself of everytime I hit the gym....maybe I should put it on a poster and hang it in my gym ;) ;D
Its good to hear that your back on the road to regaining your previous fitness levels. Im sure that you will do it...with a little patience ;) ;D
:) :) The erg is great - I have been tentatively building up - it's nice to feel fitness, strength and mobility improving but still a looong way to go.
I've had all the usual start-up stiffness and little reminders of the op when I overdo it a bit on the exercise, but generally have had an easy time of it. (3 months post-op). But I got a bit carried away cleaning out the garage yesterday and I'm paying for it! Where's the hot tub?? ;D
Quote from: halfdone on April 24, 2011, 10:42:48 AM
:) :) The erg is great -
Amen to that.
I did two 10 minute sets this morning, still at a #2 setting but a slightly faster pace. The second one was at a 2:17/500m average pace. Still a warmup pace, but I did work up a good sweat. No pain at all (so far). I go for PT tomorrow afternoon so I'll skip rowing and get another session in on Tuesday.
Like Chris said, though, I need to be careful not to push it too far too fast. Just exploring my limits right now.
I am at 21 months post BHR. I talked to Dr. Gross today.
He said it could be an abductor tendant tear, has anyone had this or therapy for it. I would appreciate any input.
Thank you,
Stano
I'm up to 2 or 3 times per week on the rower now, 25 to 30 minutes per session. Feeling a lot stronger and more confident, though still going very light on resistance. For some reason my therapist is still not too sure about me doing this, though she has me doing leg presses on the weight machine during my sessions there. A lot more resistance with the weights than on the erg.
Nice one Mike :)
I can sort of see where your therapist is coming from. With the weights you are training in a specific plane of movement, but the rower tends to be a looser movement....which could possibly affect your hip...at least thats my thinking from my experience with the rower.
But the rowing isnt just about physical progress, its also about mental progress. Your getting back into doing stuff which you consider to be normal...and just like me with the weights and heavy bag...it gives you a mental boost to think that you are returning to your life BBHR (Before Birmingham Hip Replacement ;) )
keep up the good work..it sounds like your making great progress ;D
oh..by the way...touching my toes quite easily now. I keep getting the urge to go for a run ( Im lucky enough to be able to run through woodland ) but I am still a bit apprehensive at the moment...maybe soon.
I had it or something similar, check out my thread for details, it went away on its own.