Well, I just had my surgery this morning and started my recovery process. I had the surgery with Dr. Snyder at NewtonWellesley hospital justfor outside of Boston. Im feelingso ok right nowout so thatsI a plus. Surgery went well andI he saidwas my hipsurgery was reallya bad whenwe he got in there. Everything is really tight right no whic im guessing is normal. Anyways I will post me regarding my recovery
Congratulations! Reading your post made me smile. Looks like they've got you on some very good pain medications. It sounds like you are feeling good. So glad surgery went well.
Be looking forward to hearing more from you.
Luanna
Congratulations Pete! Welcome to the Hippy side of life!
It looks like you either have some killer pain meds or you are typing on a phone (or both).
Best wishes on your recovery.
Dan
Niceone mate! Keep us posted on your recovery
Danny
Congratulations. Glad to read everything went well. I look forward to hear how you progress.
Good Luck.
Pat
Good Job. I think it's the meds, that's ok, it makes us feel like we're there in the hospital.
Sorry, im typing on a phone and it always adds words etc. My leg is really tight right now and feels like a lead weight. Im afraid to move it at all. I don't have a catheter in but if I still can't pee they are putting one in. Ugggg. Also, whenever I eat anything I get really nautious and feel like im going to pass out. I also break out into a sweat and blood pressure drops tp 107let over 70. Im usually 118 over 79
The first day is rough, they threatened me with the catheter too, got me going right fast both times. Each person reacts differently to the drugs - they had me on morphine, but only for the first two days. The leg will feel that way for a bit, but the PT gets it loose.
Good luck, things get better - how's the OA pain?
While trying to pee in the potty chair I passed out and landed on my face. Luckily I fell on my right side. I hope there are no complications
What?! You guys didn't have to have a catheter? The worst part of the whole experience is when they took that @&$}%#*%* thing out.
Dan
Nope no catheter but if I can't pee which I still can't then I will need one. Uggg. Just got my ct scan so hopefully it is clear. All other tests were fine. They said vagel response most likely
Low blood pressure and problems with going are really common issues, be patient and your leg is going to feel like a log for a few days. Your leg will come back to life.
Chuck
So, I made it thru my first night. All the tests came back fine from when I blacked out. I couldn't urinate so I needed a catheder. They took it out and I was able to on my own this morning.
Good that everything came back well. How are you now?
Im feeling better so far today. I met with Dr. Snyder this morning and he said everything went awesome and that my recovery will be quick. He said tomorrow I will feel like a million dollars so that's encouraging. I will be startinglunenburg PT in 10the minutes or so.
Happy to hear your updates. Don't fall on your face any more ;D
In a couple weeks, you won't even be able to remember all of this - so you can look back and see how you recovered. It's not so easy while it's happening, but long after we recovery, it becomes less important because we are planing all the fun things we will be doing with our new hips.
Great to get a blow by blow recovery report. Take it easy. Don't get too active the first few days. Hope you get something good to eat! Have fun with the new hip 8)
Pat
Thank you Pat for the kind words and for building this great place. I took my first steps a few moments ago and it felt strange. No joint pain which is geat just a lot of tightness. Im sitting in a chair now so all is good.
Glad to hear everything went fine good luck in the pt phase.
Well, im now 2and days out from surgery and I feel a lot better already. I woke up at 4am4am which stinks but I also went to bed early last night. The day of surgery was def a challenge esp for me because of passing out. Aside from that the following day was so much better and although I haven't been out of bed yet today I can already tell it is going to be easier. Today it is easier to move my leg around so it should make pt even easier.
Pete I'm glad the op went well mate and your now starting your road to recovery! Keep the updates coming as your a few days ahead of me.
Danny
Sounds great Pete. I'm sure you'll be doing the stairs soon and then the dreaded simulated bathtub. Looks like you're on your way, will be tapdancing soon 8).
I just did the stairs and the bathtub. Both were much easier than I expected. Today has been a huge improvement. The tightness is still there and getting in and out of bed is the hardest part but it is not too bad.
Dan,
You will do great. The day of surgery is surely difficult but bearable. The second day is much better and two days after you will feel great. The nurses here are a little mad cause im only taking the Tylenol for pain but right now I don't feel the need for anything stronger. If I need it I will take it. Right now I feel I def don't need it. I've dealt with hip pain for so long and this is nothing. It could change over the next few hours though.
Yeah, keep your mind open on the pain meds, but I also didn't need more than Tylenol after the first couple of days; that happened both times.
If you can do without the meds that's good, just don't try to tough it out if you need it, but I was good with Tylenol after that for good.
One thing when you get home. I got the night sweats bad for about three weeks afterwards. It was probably the anesthesia working its way out of me, but pain didn't wake me up in bed, being drenched did. A towel laid out flat under my thorax and changing my top three or four times a night did the job for me.
Hopefully you won't have that issue, but if you do, talk to the folks in the doctor's office, but it's something that will likely lift in time; it did with me.
Interesting about the night sweats. I sweat a good amount at night but def. Noticed I woke up on fire. Haha. Glad to hear about the pain as I've read people on here going a month or more on them. I will have them with me and if I need it I will def. Take it. Not worth being in pain if I don't need to.
One other thing that is awesome is that I can now stand and lock both my knees. Because of leg length issues prior to surgery I couldn't do it. Now my leg length is even or close to even so that's awesome. I notice that walking with the crutches my foot touches down later than it use to. Awesome stuff.
Yeah Pete - you'll start noticing a lot of cool stuff as you go. Then you'll notice that you start taking it for granted.
I dropped a couple of things on the ground thi s morning, bent down to pick them up right next to my foot, then noticed that I hadn't 1. looked at the things on the floor in dread 2. positioned myself so I could support myself to get them 3. didn't blanch in pain as I bent down... I just reached and got them. Sublime.
Well, I'm back at home now. Sitting the car for the ride home wasn't bad but getting out of the car was a challenge. We have construction going on at our house so things are quite hectic. Anyways, it feels good to be in my own bed finally. I'm sure I'll get a better night sleep tonight. On a good note I won't be woken up to someone taking my blood at the wee hours of the morning. I will keep this post updated with my progress as I found these most useful for me.
Sounds great Pete. Nothing like home. Take it easy.
Dan
So, I'm on my 3rd day post surgery and things are still improving. It is so much easier getting in and out of bed and the pain is hardly noticeable even just taking Tylenol for the pain. I haven't taken any narcotics in 2 days so I'm happy about that. I had the visiting nurse and PT out to the house today. Both didn't seem to have any concerns. The Visiting Nurse said they have no concerns and therefore don't need to come back out unless I call them with issues or anything. The PT person said she would be back on Monday to work some more. I even showered for the first time myself which felt great. I was able to get undressed, get into the shower, bathe, get out of the shower, and dress myself. I'm feeling so much better after the shower. I hope I continue to make this progress tomorrow. The swelling is the only real issue right now and it's really bad. My entire leg past my knee is completely swollen and bruised up pretty bad. I was somewhat prepared for this after reading post on here about it but actually seeing the swelling is still shocking.
Hopefully this topic will give people insight on what to possibly expect after their procedure.
Hi PistolPete,
With that much swelling traveling down your leg, you might want to consider whether you have been spending enough time elevating your lower leg. Gravity is a pretty powerful force, and if you are upright a lot, all that fluid is going to get pulled down.
Also, are you doing a lot of ankle pumps. I was told that you cannot do too many of these. The calf muscles are sometimes called the second heart, because their contractions are what pumps the blood back up from the lower legs to the heart. When you have a lot of fluid collecting down there, ankle pumps are what gets it moving back up. For the first week or so, I did them whenever I was sitting and awake.
Thanks John that's great info. I don't think I am elevating my leg enough. I will try being an ankle pumping machine starting today.
Pistol,
Congrats on getting through to the other side. How are you feeling? Is the leg still super swollen?
My day 4 was really difficult. I felt like I had regressed. I'm thinking it's because the night before I only slept for 3 hours. I had a headache for most of the day and was just really uncomfortable. I'm thinking it was because I did too much the day prior. I ended up just taking it really easy yesterday and not doing much of anything but resting. I'm feeling better today already which is awesome. I'm still only taking the Tylenol for pain but prob. should have taken something stronger yesterday. I slept a lot last night but the night sweats are out of control. I wore a moisture wicking shirt which def. helped so I didn't retain all the sweat in my shirt. However, my covers, pillow, and mattress cover were all soaked so they need to be changed and washed daily. I hope the night sweats go away soon.
You will go up and down or take two steps forward and one backward, etc. Healing is not a straight line process. Many people have terrible night sweats, not unusual. Just something that will take place until the meds are all out of your body.
Sleeping is always a problem. I spent a lot of time in my recliner at night. I would sleep in bed awhile, then go to the recliner, then go back to bed. I ended up taking a lot of naps during the day. You will not get back to your normal routine for awhile. Some people ask their family doctor for some sleep aid meds at night. I didn't bother, I just rolled with the punches. Eventually, it will all get better, but you have a few weeks of trying to get back to normal ahead of you. No way to tell how long it will take. Just know that eventually, you will get back to normal and not even think much about the troubled times you are having now. Sometimes people forget and when they go back and read about their recoveries, they are suprised. So this too shall pass - just be patient and don't fight it.
Good Luck.
Pat
They will go away, Pete. I had them just as bad and was starting to get worried, but they happened the same way both times.
It really did help to take a large towel (beach towel), put it sideways on the bed on my thorax area. That way I avoided changing sheets every time. The shirts went, two to three a night, but it was more comfortable; pillow covers were another matter, no helping those.
It was normal for me, I expected it the second time around, despite it being a pain. It went away by the third week. Rest does help a lot. Like mine, your recovery is not going to be linear. There will be times when you'll feel like it's not progressing, but it is - for every progress, there needs to be some rest for your body to get used to the change.
Pete congrats , I am two days behind you and reading your posts now, I'll look forward to the ride home in the car,and try to figure out how to get out of the car. The only thing I am doing for exercises is the ankle pumps and getting in and out of bed,that is a challenge. We'll have to meet for coffee someday when we are both a little more up to it and discuss the procedures. good luck on day 5 and I'll be working on day 3.
I'd be up to meeting up with you. How did your surgery go? The ride home wasn't bad. Getting into the car wasn't bad. Getting out of the car I did not enjoy at all. But it is great to be back home. I've been updating this topic each day because I feel it's good for people going thru this to have an idea of what they might expect with the process along the way.
Couldn't agree more Pete. This forum really helps get an idea on what to expect. Everyone is different but similarities are common. Surgery went great, hadto have a catheter on Thurs because I couldn't pee, I thought it was because I was restricted to the bed on my back, heard the guy in the nexxt room sying the same thing the next day,need to stand to get everything working properly. Now I just need to have a bowel movement so I can go home tomorrow. I have been taking the pain pills,more to sleep than for pain, the sleping pills just don't do it. Hopefully the colace works to combat the back up.
I didn't have the backup issues. I almost went the day after surgery but they said I wouldn't. I did go the following day. It will feel really weird when you sit down to poop but I didn't have any issues. I too couldn't pee and that was not fun. The catheter was prob. hands down one of the worst experiences of my life. Because of it I still have issues peeing because it hurts a bit. I guess it's totally normal. I'm feeling really good today which I'm excited about.
You guys are still in the early stages, the 'going' issues clear up fast, then the muscle issues are the most important. Sounds to me like you're both having good early progress. In time to catch the Pats vs. Jets.... ;D
I made it through another day and the good news is that the swelling is almost gone which is awesome. The bruising is still there but seems to be navigating down my leg away from my hip. Yesterday was a little difficult because we needed to paint our living room and I thought I might be able to help. I stood up grabbed a roller and just laughed as there was no way I could help. That's been the hardest part of everything with not being able to do such easy tasks. I cannot wait to be independent again. My recovery seems quite slow but I'm def. making some grounds. My doctor said I would prob. be on crutches for a week or so and tomorrow marks the first week and there is no way I could switch over to a cane at this point. I would bet I would need at least another week or so.
I stayed on two crutches for a week, then one crutch for about a week, week and a half. Your progress sound pretty good so far, don't put a schedule on things, do things when they feel right.
I was able to drive about two to three weeks in, did he tell you when you could drive?
He said I should be able to drive in a week or two post surgery so long as I was off the narcotics. I can't imagine trying to get behind the wheel at this point. My days start off great and by the mid to late afternoon is when everything gets really tight and more and more difficult. My morning today started of great. I did a bunch of laps around the house and then took a nap around 2 for an hour and when I woke was really tight. I don't think I over did anything but I'm sure it's just my body telling me to take it easy. I'm looking forward to the progress I will make this week as things are def. slowly starting to get a little easier.
I couldn't think of driving that quickly either, especially with my right side, but when the time came, I was pretty ready - he's pretty good about estimating those things.
I was tight after naps too. I never took naps normally before (do now, go figure). I think if we do our stuff, the body will complain. You're doing fine.
Well, today was my 1 week anneversary and things are still progresing slowly. I was able take a few steps with only 1 crutch today. I could go 10 or so steps with the one crutch. The biggest issue I feel is tightness and weakness in my front outside quad in the operated leg. I'm sure as this muscle group gets stronger things will get easier. I may have a possible UTI as I tested 50% possible positive on one test and negative on another. Will have to retest tomorrow. Right now I've cut my pain medacine quite a bit. I'm only taking 1 dose of Tylenol in the morning and a 1/2 dose right before bed. 3 pills total all day plus my asprin that I'm taking twice daily to keep my blood thinned out.
Everyone says that day 10 is typically the big day so I'm pretty excited for Wed. Hopefully I'll have the same luck. It's def. getting easier getting around the house but I will so excited to get outside and go for a walk at some point.
I'd use two crutches outside for a bit, Pete. The slopes and contours of "smooth" pavement are a challenge at first, no matter how flat they look. You'll be off crutches soon enough, you just want to get as much benefit as you can from your walking.
I agree 100%. If I walk with one crutch the other will be under my armpit. Safety is #1.
Walking is one of the best exercises that you can do Pete, you might be sore here and there just listen to your body and please protect that hip. A fall at this point could be catastrophic.
Chuck
Pete,
I started making real progress when I finally got myself walking a bit. I was very careful and still at 11 weeks carry a cane just in case I run into difficult terrain and need it. Listen to your body.
The other thing that I found useful was to take pain meds as needed so that I didn't create a cycle of pain that was then very hard to break. I hated the idea of taking the stuff but found that after working hard sometimes I needed a bit more than tylenol. Everyone is different and it sounds like you are doing extremely well.
Luanna
Pete how's it going today?
I just had my first visit with the visiting nurse, blood pressure was up, but I explained I had just gotten off the phone with Blue Cross, so that explains the elevation. No problems with the paying of the bills but BCBS was trying to "educate" me on what to expect from the surgery. I told them that i had received the OK for the surgery from them, dated the day after surgery had occurred. They had all sorts of questions, I finally got tired of them and told them my Dr. could answer any questions I had, and I also had you guys to run stuff by. I am real tired of the bureaucracies of BCBS, I am fighting with them over my acid reflux disease and the med, nexium, which needs to be approved by BCBS every year now.
My recent updates are, got home yesterday, ride wasn't bad but getting out of the car was an adventure. After the whole day and finally relaxing in my new recliner, the leg was sore and swollen. Tried to sleep in the bed and woke up about two hours later, both legs wore sore from not moving at all. I had to pee and it took awhile to get the strength up in the leg to get out of bed. I then took a pain med and went out to my recliner, soooooo comfy, I slept through the rest of the night. The recliner will be home for the foreseeable future. can walk with the two crutches now, occasionally get a twinge of pain, but still no strength. Doing quad sets now as I write this. Tomorrow is first PT session at home, hopefully i get the OK to do the exercises I have seen here from McMinn Centre, we'll see. Next Wed. is the next appt. with the Dr., 13 days post op. , and will get the 28 staples removed from my 33cm wound. Is this average for BHR? I'll post if anything else comes up before Wed, 11/23.
Hey Cantab, sounds pretty standard. Don't worry about the strength, it comes back soon enough. You just need to be patient with everything that's coming your way right now. Your body is in the first throes of healing, so let it. Good that you're moving and doing exercises; let yourself rest too.
Make sure you become a partner with your PT person, let him/her lead since she's the pro, but let her know where you want to go with the PT, where you want to be by the time he/she leaves. I had to give up my idea of working out, since that was for someone not recovering - show her the exercises and then let her tell you what she plans. I know in my recoveries, we talked a lot about what she was doing and why. I understood that way why we were doing certain things (my worst were lateral leg raises, only got them done towards the end).
I also asked mine when she would consider me "done" so that I knew if I was reaching my goals. They're your partners in getting well as quickly as possible, and every one I met was very dedicated. Good luck (and this is going to sound weird) and have fun, this is the beginning of a painless workout life.
Let's see 33 cm --> ~13 inches.. Mine were 6 inches on the right and 8 inches on the right. I lose unless I claim the additive property : 6 + 8 = 14... I win!
Pete,
Great to hear your'e progressing well are so positive straight after your op. Really useful reading for those about to have HR. I look forward to reading more good stuff before next Wed!
Danny - how are you getting on mate?
Simon
Cantab- I think you're my long lost brother. I too received that call from BCBS and it was odd. They want to call me again next week. Very strange. I also have Acid Reflux and use to take Nexium. It was an act of congress to get it approved and I let it lapse once and now can't get it no matter how hard I fight them. I now take Prilosec OTC and it doesn't really work. My incision isn't quite that large but prob. around 9 inches or so. I also didn't get staples I just got regular stitches that disolve. My covering comes off tomorow.
Being home at first is a blessing as well as a nightmare. The first few days home are really difficult but things def. get beter each day. The recovery has been harder than I honestly thought it was going to be. I'm on day 10 and each day is a new milestone. I actually went outside yesterday with PT and walked a 1/2 mile. It felt really good. She gave me some new exercises to do as well which is good. The night sweats are still there but not as bad so hopefully I will get over them soon enough.
I'm not taking any pain meds at this point. If I feel pain I will take some tylenol but as of right now I didn't take anything today and don't plan on it. I took my first dose of Tylenol yesterday morning and haven't taken it since. Pain really isn't an issue and hasn't been for me which is great. However, the discomfort from moving the leg is the issue. I can feel how weak my muscles are and it's something I need to get use to.
I'm now walking with 1 crutch which is great. I still carry the 2nd one with me in case I need it but I really need to work on strenthening my muscles back. The PT said yesterday that in some ways I have a long road ahead of me. She said that because my hip was messed up for so long that my stabalizer muscles haven't been used in a very long time. She said she will put together specific exercises to get me to strenthen those back up.
Quote from: Kiwi on November 15, 2011, 07:34:25 PM
Pete,
Great to hear your'e progressing well are so positive straight after your op. Really useful reading for those about to have HR. I look forward to reading more good stuff before next Wed!
Danny - how are you getting on mate?
Simon
Thanks Simon,
I'm trying to update this daily to give people an idea of what they might expect. I found a few of these before my surgery and they were quite helpful. Good luck with your surgery next week.
Pete
Day 11:
OK, so I did a LOT today. I'm feeling so much better but I'm sure I did way too much. I got up and felt really good. Still no pain meds so I'm excited about that esp. since I'm not in any pain. I went for about a 1/2 mile walk with 1 crutch today which felt great. I also worked in my basement standing up for about 45 min. without crutches. Then I went to my Martial Arts school and taught one of the kids classes tonight. Teaching was difficult but I made it thru. Luckily my partner was there to help out so we each taught for about 10 minutes then would switch back and forth.
I also just took the covering off and it's pretty nasty. The scar is quite long about 7" or so. No drainage or redness around the site and very litle bruising. I did cover it back up even though I prob. didn't need to but figure I will do that for another day or 2 just to be safe. I'm sure I will be tired tomorrow from everything I did today but I really want to get my life back. I did an exercise this morning where I lifted my operated leg and just let the leg hang free and rotated my foot in a circle and everything felt sooooo smooth. No clicking or anything. If I did this presurgery the foot would stop and not be able to complete the circle. I would prob. make a triangle at best.
Pete
Sounds like you are having fun with your new hip. Enjoy. I too get amazed now and then when I realize that I've done some activity and have NOT had to stop doing it or even THOUGHT about the hip. After so long its a welcome change. I hope you keep amazing yourself too Pete!
Curt
Cool stuff, Pete - I'm sure it was good for your students to see you too. Isn't that smooth feeling the greatest thing after the locking and snap feeling pre surgery? Sounds like things are progressing well for you.
It is an interesting feeling. I was doing leg lifts out to the side today and it feel weird. The hip glides smooth but it feels like an opposite magnetic force in the hip. Can't realy describe it but it feels odd.
Outside lifts (abduction) has been my weakest motion since surgery. Not sure which muscles and tendons were at fault, but its the very last thing that is giving me a reason to remember that I had an operation.
Curt
Abduction, leg out to the side type exercises are the last to return to normal. I could not move my leg out to the side, then somewhere at 4-6 weeks, I think, it was once again doable. My recovery was so long ago that I can't remember my timeline well anymore.
Everything will return to normal for most people. Just takes time.
Pat
Things are really starting to progress which is great. Tomorrow will mark 2 weeks post surgery and every day gets easier. Yesterday I did a lot and was the first day I didn't spend much or any time in bed. Since my house had a fire a month or so ago we're living in a construction zone. That being said my house has not been safe really at all for someone recovering from surgery esp. while being on crutches. I had some friends/relatives over to move boxes and furnature around so that's a major plus. I didn't helpe move anything but let everyone know how we wanted our rooms setup. So, I was on my feet for most of the day. I've been doing my exercises and the IT band hurts sometimes and other times feels fine.
This morning I took 5 consecutive steps without any assistence. (I did have the crutch in my hand) but was able to take some steps without assistence) Today I feel even better and I'm heading out in a bit with my wife and son to get my hair cut and to go buy her a pair of boots. Looking forward to getting out of this house. I haven't attempted to drive as of yet and I will prob. wait another week or so. However, I might have to drive my son to and from school on Tuesday. Luckily it's only about 2 miles from my house.
Pete
I think you'll be fine, Pete, you just have to make sure you can get in and out of the car ok (will be stiff) and especially be able to move your foot from accelerator to brake and back without a problem.
Quote from: hernanu on November 20, 2011, 11:23:02 AM
I think you'll be fine, Pete, you just have to make sure you can get in and out of the car ok (will be stiff) and especially be able to move your foot from accelerator to brake and back without a problem.
I actually have someone to take him on Tuesday so that's a plus. I'm sure I can drive but might want to wait another week. My wife, son, and I just got back from a trip to get my hair cut and a trip to Target. I was able to walk around the entire store with 1 crutch which was great. Def. feels great to get out of the house and to be up and about again.
So, I ended up going out to get my haircut and to go shopping at Target today. We walked a TON which was great. I only used 1 crutch and I also switched over to the cane tonight. I will still use the crutch when I'm sore etc. but for the most part it will be great to be walking with less support. This will help strengthen the operated leg. I'm def. sore now that it's night time but I did manage to get in a nice nap in the afternoon.
I'm still getting the night sweats but they are getting a little bit less sweaty. My leg lifts and routines for PT are getting easier but the IT band stiffness is def. difficult. I tried to buy a massage roller but couldn't find one today. My wife was going to buy a vibrating one but I think I need something firm that I can use a lot of pressure with.
Other than that I'm making some progress each day. Can't wait to be walking normal again. I think my limp is mostly gone which is awesome and getting in and out of bed and the car is no longer a major chore. I'm thinking by Christmas I will be feeling awesome.
I'll bet you feel better before Xmas, Pete. The move and strengthening over the next weeks will take you by surprise, I'll bet. Save some energy from PT to concentrate on walking too. Its nice to measure progress now isn't it? Beats "another crappy day with a sore hip...think I'll just sit here". Keep it going Pete.
Curt
Sounds like real progress, Pete. I'd keep some real attention on your gait, but it sounds like the walking is really getting good.
I'm glad the sweats are going down. They went pretty fast for me once they started reducing. A simple foam roller is the best, you'll be doing it on the IT band and other muscles. I got mine from my PT, but it should be easy to get it from Amazon, etc.
Christmas will be good for you. Hopefully the heavy snow holds off until then so you can do some more walking.
Yesterday I passed another milestone. I drove for the first time since my operation and everything was fine. It's easier getting in and out of the car so that's a plus. I drove myself to my Martial Arts school and taught the kids class as well. It's good getting back to my regular routine although it's difficult teaching because I can't demonstrate anything.
Another positive is that I want to lose weight. Right before surgery I was up to 192lbs. which is fairly average for me. Now, 2 weeks post op and I'm already down to 184. My goal is to be at 175lbs. and completely ripped. I only have 9lbs. to go so that should be a piece of cake. Starting to clean my diet up and should be hitting the gym again starting next week. I will just do light weight with high reps and do upper body only. IT band stiffness is still my biggest issue. I have PT coming in 1/2 hour so I will talk to her about it.
BRING IT ON!!!!
Sounds great Pete! Good recovery. I'm on my way to being ripped, just a bit back on the road behind you ::)
Light weights is a good approach, be aware of fatigue and give yourself some easy things to do. The first few times I went back for light upper body work, I got a bit dizzy, just my body sorting itself out, I figure. I changed my routine so that I now always take a drink after every set on anything. Before, I would cycle through as fast as possible, drinking only at the end of the entire workout.
Keep it up...
BTW - I've periodically asked a trainer at my gym to watch me while I was on the treadmill walking (early) and running (now), to let me know how my gait is, and if they saw any issues. It always helps to get more eyes on, to spot any problems that need fixing.
I'm 19 days post op right now and things are going pretty good. I typically spend most of the day with the cane but by the end of the day I'm back on 1 crutch as things tighten up. Yesterday was Thanksgiving and I'm paying for it today. I've been on the crutch all day today and sleeping for a majority of the day as well. I was up most of the day yesterday and didn't get to rest really at all so I know that's why I'm so sore. The night sweats come and go. 2 nights ago I didn't have any but last night they came back.
I'm guessing I will be on the crutch for another 2-3 weeks which I'm fine with.
Sounds like the night sweats are almost done. You can really tell when you push it, cause you crash afterwards
Quote from: hernanu on November 25, 2011, 07:57:26 PM
Sounds like the night sweats are almost done. You can really tell when you push it, cause you crash afterwards
Very True!!!! I've had 2 days where I did way too much and the next day I spend sleeping the majority of the day away. Tomorrow morning my wife and I are heading out tile shopping for our kitchen. Really looking forward to getting out on the town walking and I'm sure Sunday will be spent with some extra shut-eye. haha
Did you start outpatient PT right after your Home PT ended? My PT person suggested I don't do any PT until after my followup with Dr. Snyder on the 16th of Dec.
I started pretty quickly afterwards, but it was about four weeks after the surgery, so I had my meeting with him about that time. I went right in and they were pretty active.
That's good to know. My PT discharged me so quickly. She said that I was progressing nicely and she had no concerns that I wasn't doing what I needed to be doing. I thought it was a bit early but what can you do. My visiting nurse only came out once and she discharged me right away as well. I guess I must not be very likeable. haha
Actually pretty good news, they came out to me about three weeks. Just keep doing the exercises, walking,etc. and you'll be fine to go into PT. I'm sure you're doing all that anyways. It's only a couple of weeks, then you'll be in PT for a bit until you graduate.
Pete,
Sounds like your moving forward every day. At 15 days, I'm still on two crutches, the leg is getting stronger everyday. The in home PT says my tight quad is holding me back, I can't bend the knee to 90 degrees without feeling the tightness. But my abductor exercises are better than average, according to PT. I start outpatient PT on Monday. My biggest problem is the swelling. I still have significant swelling right on the hip, like a hip pointer. Most of the other swelling and bruising is gone. It seemed to be going down until I did PT and then went out for a walk. I'm not sure if I overdid it, I did ice after both PT and the walk. Been trying to ice the hip and quad as much as possible. Is your hip still swollen? Anyone else have swelling at the two week mark?
I don't have any swelling at all and it stopped about a week and a half post surgery. You had Dr. Pritchett do your surgery right? I have a friend going to see him next month to have his hip done. Not being able to bend your knee to 90 degrees sounds pretty normal. Some days my IT band gets so stiff I can barely bend my knee at all. I can't believe you're already going to be going to outpatient PT. I too was on 2 crutches for about 2 weeks. I'm struggling walking with the cane to be honest. We went out tile shopping and then to Toys R Us this morning and walking with the cane proved difficult. I'm trying to push it more and more though as I need the muscles to strengthen and feel that if I baby it things won't get stronger. Have you tried walking with 1 crutch yet?
I had Dr Specht at Lahey do my surgery. I have tried 1 crutch but feel like a fish out of water, really awkward. I hope to try the cane by the end of next week, just around the house. Hopefully the pt helps and the swelling goes down. Good luck with the IT band, it is a bitch to work
UPDATE:
So, today marks 3 weeks post op and I'm feeling SOOO much better. My operated leg is still weak but it's getting stronger for sure. The night sweats are completely gone so that's AWESOME!!!! I'm able to sleep on my stomach which is great because that's how I use to always sleep. This morning I started going up the stairs foot over foot which is a huge milestone. This will help to strengthen my leg for sure. I'm still walking with just the cane and not using the one crutch at night any more. I'm also taking steps without the cane although I keep it in my hand to be safe. I'm guessing another week or week and a half with the cane and I should be a walking solo man.
The flexibility is getting better and I can put my socks and shoes on without the sock tool or the shoe horn. I have the elastic shoelaces so I don't need to tie them. I could prob. tie my sneakers now but found it's easier with the elastic shoelaces. I've been doing my PT exercises 3-5 times per day and doing 15 reps instead of 10 as I want to strenthen the area as best as possible. I'm no longer doing in home PT and won't start outpatient until after I meet with my surgeon on Dec. 16th.
I'm teaching my Martial Arts classes so I'm back to work. It's a challenge for sure but I'm not doing anything but telling everyone what to do. The IT band stiffness isn't nearly as bad anymore. It is tight but nothing I can't deal with. I started icing again to just try to keep inflamation down as much as possible. Not taking any pain meds as I really haven't since I've been home from the hospital.
Over all things are progressing pretty well. I will say that these past 3 weeks have been some of the most difficult in my life but the progress has been pretty good.
Pete,
Great progress! I am a little ahead of you (surgery 10/24- 5 weeks today), so a lot of what you re going through is familiar. I am returning to work next Monday 12/5; my job position working in a Pulp / Paper mill in an industrial setting entails a lot of stair climbing and walking. I have the walking down just fine- this week I will be stretching little by little, and focusing on the stairs.
Good luck for a continued smooth recovery!
Steve
Sounds like you're really coming past the worst part, Pete. I also had the night sweats go away around then, it really was the most annoying part of the whole thing to me, kept waking me up, etc.
I have to say the best part of the recovery has been to be able to sleep. Before the surgeries, I was at most sleeping one or two hours, then waking in pain (or with a dislocation) and staying awake for a half hour or an hour, then drifting to sleep, then repeating. I got at the most 4 hours of sleep, and not any really deep sleep. After the procedures, I can sleep for long periods (for me) and am gradually lengthening the time.
I actually slept for eight hours last night! But pretty much from the start I was getting much deeper sleep and finding out what people meant when they talked about a good sleep. I'm glad you're coming into the next part of recuperation. Outpatient PT was exhausting some times, and you'll have some setbacks, but you'll see some significant improvements ahead.
19 days to get rid of the sweats. I hope so. I don't have it every night but last night was a 3 T-shirt night. I'm at 13 days, got my staples out today and feeling better every day.
The night sweats were one of the worst parts. Mine stopped a few days ago. I had them every night for acute 2 weeks then would get it every other and now they are gone. Hope you get over them quickly. I didn't get staples and didn't need any stitches removed or anything. Funny how each surgeon has his sown technique.
Yeah, I liked how Dr. Snyder did mine, just glue and steri strips for the first, then only glue for the second, with the amazing psychadelic ::) silver bandage on it.
I agree Hern. I'm just over 3 weeks post op and the scar looks awesome. Like you Dr. Snyder just used some type of glue and that magical silver bandage. Right now it is just a line and doesn't look gross at all. I'm guessing after a year or so it will just be a light line and won't look like much of anything. There isn't an indention and obviously no scarring from staples or anything as I didn't get any.
I'm walking more unassisted each day and now trying to walk with just the cane in my hand as much as possible. My goal is to be walking without the cane at some point next week.
My scar on that side is still noticeable, but pretty freakin' light. The other side is not bad, but it is darker and has more terrain :o . Neither is especially bad, and it gives me great material for locker room jokes... "Chair lift accident..." ;D
Sounds like you're right on the brink of walking without assistance soon, Pete.
I'm starting to test the hip out a little bit. Today I was curious if I could kick with my left leg. (my right leg is my operated leg) That being said I'm a better kicker with my left leg. I haven't been able to do side kicks at all for well over a year with my either leg but specifically with my left leg. I decided to hold on to some support and very SLOWLY go thru the motion of a side kick. I brought my left knee up high into chamber and slowly extended the leg out and back. Pre-Surgery I could only go about knee high and it was total agony. Now just a few weeks post op I'm already at waste level. This is with having hardly any strength in my operated leg.
THE FUTURE IS LOOKING AWESOME RIGHT NOW!!!!
It is cool, Pete. Take care, especially with that kick, but I am able to do the same move with no support now, and do a full strength kick at knee level. I'm taking it slow, though and the roundhouse kicks are doing well at full strength at waist level.
It is also very good for the small muscles to chamber the leg and balance there for a bit. I've retaken up juggling on one leg to force those little suckers to work.
I noticed tonight that my operated leg has atrophied really bad. I haven't measured it yet but I would say prob. 3 or more inches at least. I have large muscular quads and looking at this leg it looks weird. Oh well, that will return. On a good note I was able to have sex tonight with my wife for the first time. Not bragging or anything like that but it is nice getting back to a semi-normal life again. No issues with that and absolutely no pain which is great.
Tomorrow I'm off to a snowmobile show with LOTS of walking so that should prove interesting. I'm sure I will pay for it on Sunday. Plus, mentally it's going to kick my butt since I won't be snowmobiling this winter.
You'll get that back, Pete, its just a matter of working out when you get to that point. As you're finding out, getting back to life pain free is great.
Walking is good, just take a few breaks and ice on the way maybe. Drink lots of fluids, I think it helped me when walking a fair amount.
Today is my 4 week anneversary of my surgery and I'm feeling really good. I walked without any assistence for over 90% of the day which is awesome. I even primed 2 of my bathrooms in preparation for painting. This was a bit of a challenge but I was able to complete it all by myself. Sleeping is going great and I'm sleeping better than I have in years.
Sounds like you're hitting your stride, Pete. Be careful still of carrying heavy stuff, no matter how good you feel. Around three months is when you need to watch out for femoral neck issues, so forget carrying any cement bags or any huge paint cans.
Thanks for the reminder. I still have a long recovery to go and need to keep reminding myself of this. I also was able to cut my own toenails yesterday which was cool and def. a challenge.
Quote from: hernanu on December 06, 2011, 10:25:44 AM
Sounds like you're hitting your stride, Pete. Be careful still of carrying heavy stuff, no matter how good you feel. Around three months is when you need to watch out for femoral neck issues, so forget carrying any cement bags or any huge paint cans.
What's the theory behind the risk of femoral neck issues at 3 months? Any literature to read on this topic?
From my understanding, there are two issues that relate to the three month concern. One of the issues is that studies have shown that the blood supply to the head and neck of the femur is compromised during surgery. These same studies show that it does return, but in the mean time, this could compromise the strength of the bone. The other issue is that the new loads on the bone cause some "remodeling" over period of months, meaning that some areas of bone are reduced and other areas strengthened in line with the new forces. During this process, the bone could be more vulnerable. What makes the three month time frame so dangerous, is that you are feeling pretty good, and ready to get back into action, not taking into account that the bone is still going through a process of healing and change. For Dr. Gross, the key timing is that he has had no femoral neck fractures after six months, so that is his period of caution, before lifting restrictions.
Yes, totally agree John, and Pete PLEASE be careful, nobody wants you to fail, we all want success.
Glad to hear you are doing well.
Chuck
I thought it would be a good idea to paint the bathroom yesterday. I thought it would be good because the room is fairly small and using the step ladder would be good to strengthen the leg a bit. That being said I def. overdid it and am paying the price today. Very sore and tight. Today will be a lazy day and moving forward I'm not going to be so ambitious.
I hit the gym this morning and it felt GREAT!!! I did 10 minutes on the bike at a slow pace and with very little resistence. Then I did a few upper body machine exercises with lighter weight and another 10 minutes walking on the treadmill. I like walking on the treadmill as it's easy to use the side supports similar to walking with the cane and get the hip moving.
Great work Pete, sounds like you're progressing really well mate.
Keep it up!
Cheers
Simon
5 WEEKS POST OP UPDATE- I'm 5 weeks post op today and things keep improving. My strength is coming back which is awesome. I hit the gym this morning and did 11 minutes on the bike, some upper body exercises, did light weight on the abductor and adductor machines which was awesome, and even did some crunches on the ab benches. I'm not walking with any crutches or anything and I have my follow up with my surgeon on Friday. All is looking good and def. getting my life back more and more each day. I can't wait to be back at training Martial Arts again but that is a ways off.
6 WEEK POST OP UPDATE- Well, I'm at 6 weeks and things are going awesome. I met with my surgeon last Friday and he said everything looks perfect which is great to hear. I start Outpatient PT on Wed. and had my evaluation today and they said I was much further along in my recovery than most so that's encouraging. They also said I will only need rehab for 4 weeks twice per week. Nothing wrong with that. I'm getting my life back more and more by the day. I was out and about all weekend walking around the malls without crutches or a cane and felt great even at night. I hit the gym this morning and started on the eliptical machine, added in the leg press machine, and just doing a little more each time. Everything is right on par and no pain and no meds at all. Can't wait to continue getting in better shape by the week.
Sounds great, Pete.
Outpatient PT is very good, gets you focused correctly and addresses the ROM. Tell them what you want to accomplish, so both you and they have a goal. I told them I wanted to work on returning to MA and soccer, so they added a few things to work on that.
Love the results, guy.
Sounds great Pete, really encouraging as you're a couple weeks ahead of me.
I hit an exercycle yesterday for the is time - only 4minutes as my butt's still sore, otherwise my legs could have kept going for a bit longer. Today I hit the pool for the first time - wow that was relaxing for the muscles!
You're in awesome shape mate - keep it up!
Simon
Thanks Simon and Hern. I feeling F-ING awesome right now!!! I'm on top of the world. I did some light sparring with my kids tonight doing just hands and it just felt incredible to be moving easily again. Everyone said the 6 week mark was the sweetspot and I was hoping it would be for me as well and I can honestly say it's DEFINATELY TRUE!!! I'm SO glad I had this surgery and would recommend it to anyone.
Some others say to never have surgery with Dr. Snyder but at this point am 100% confident that I went with him and would recommend him to anyone. I will def. repeat with him in a few years when I need my left hip done.
8 WEEK UPDATE- Well, it's hard to believe that it's already been 8 weeks since my surgery. That being said the recovery is going well. I'm getting my life back for sure. Doing PT and trying to build the strength back. I'm able to do more and more each week which is awesome. I started doing some light kicking tonight which felt fantastic. I can see how this will be a long process for sure but I will be dilligent in my recovery so I make the best recovery I can possibly make.
I'm getting some clicking now that I'm doing more. Some days are worse than others but I started icing again and this seems to be helping quite a bit.
I found the rule for me to be that when I started doing more or something new, that I would get a bit of clicking until I was comfortable with it, then it went away for that.
I think I just need to be patient that it will happen, but it is more and more rare as I go.
Pete,
Great to be on the good side of the operation isn't it? How is the ROM?
I seem to be getting better with strength in some areas and others are much slower. Still weak standing on the operated leg by itself, but quads and hamstrings seem to be almost normal when doing exercises on the machines, except press. My ROM is what is bothering me, still can't put on my own sock on operated leg. ROM wasn't that great before surgery. Had my 6 week (a week late) last Thurs. and got all restrictions removed , except running and the knee to chest movement. Get to start assisted stretching at PT this week I hope that helps, it should. Gotta go back to work Feb 1. and I should probably wear socks under my boots.
My ROM is doing pretty good. I can tie my shoes and all that but I do have a bit of pain when cutting my toenails on my operated leg. My ROM when standing or moving my leg around though is so much better than it has been in years. I'm excited to see where things go.
I was actually sparring with some of my students last night and was even throwing some kicks which was awesome. It made me feel like I'm slowly getting back to normal.
Somehow I'm actually going to be testing for my 4th degree blackbelt next month so that should prove interesting. My instructors knows my limitations so the workout won't be hard so that's def. a plus.
11 WEEK UPDATE- So, I'm now 11 weeks post op and everything is coming together. I've been doing all my PT exercises and going to PT twice per week which has helped a ton. I have an awesome PT and he's always pushing me. He has me doing squats and holding them for 30 seconds on the Bosu ball and a lot of other exercises. The hip is getting stronger so that's a plus. I'm also trying to get back in shape with eating healthy again and hitting the gym. I'm getting stronger but not being stupid. 2 weeks ago I was leg pressing only 90lbs. with high reps for range of motion. Last week I went up to 180lbs. and this week to 270lbs. A far cry from the 600+ I use to do but I will never stress my hips with that much weight again. I will prob. keep the weight here for a few weeks.
I've also been teaching my kickboxing classes and will start training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu again next week but only going about 20%. I'm feeling pretty good but the hip def. does get sore for sure esp. after I do a lot. Overall I'm happy with my progress but thought I would be further along than I am.
Your progress sounds awesome. As a fellow hippy, I have to admit that I was a little scared by the weights that you are up to. Some surgeons, including mine, limit you to somewhere around 50 pounds for the first six months, due to the danger of femoral neck fracture as the bone is remodeling during that time.
I know that I sound paranoid, but I would at least check with your surgeon to be sure that he is okay with that much weight during the six month danger period.
Sound like you're progressing really well Pete. All sounds very positive. I think you should be very pleased with where you're at for just 11 weeks!
Agree with John C on checking in with surgeon re weights. Can't be too safe with what is long term investment.
Pete,
I would be really careful, the amount of weight you are talking about is WAY too much weight this early on. If you fracture the neck of your femur you will end up with a THR really fast.
As Kiwi said, this is long term, don't make mistakes short term.
Chuck
Pete,
ive got to say i aggree with what Chuck,Kiwi and John have said. You are only 77 days after a major op. You are making awesome progress but if i were you id back off on the weight untill atleast 6 months dont forget that it takes a full 12 months for your bone density to normalise.
Well done on your progress though awesom
Danny
Thanks, I will take your advice and cut back on the weight and just do higher reps. I meet with my surgeon oin mid-Feb. so I will talk to him and see what he suggest. I went to a BJJ torn. as we had some of our guys competing and it killed me not to be able to fight. Knowing that I can't compete until 2013 is really difficult to swallow esp. knowing that in prob. 2-3 years I will be going thru this again on my left side. I will dedicate this year to just eating healthy and getting into great shape and "looking" physically fit. haha. I will train light BJJ and Muay Thai for the next few months and around November I will really step my training up. Next Jan. I will be competing in grappling tornaments and will training like there is no tomorrow. I'm def. happy with the progress for the most part but really thought I would be further along at this point.
I'm also starting to wear light ankle weight (6lbs. for now) and walking with them and just wearing them around and doing some PT exercises with them. My PT said to do this because I'm still getting a good amount of clicking and that by adding really light weight will help to build the stablizer muscles to hold the hip capsule together better.
I also wore the ankle weights; they are a great idea for many reasons.
Well, I did some Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training tonight. I didn't do the warmup of running or any of that but did very light drilling. Basically armbar drills which was awesome because it was basically just swinging your legs up and around which felt great without applying any pressure. Then we worked on some 1/2 guard techniques and again I went very very light at about 20%. I even stepped out during one of the sweeps because I knew it wouldn't be good for the hip. I then lightly rolled with my instructor again at about 20% or so. It was a great day and perfect for me mentally. I honestly didn't see any dangers and I'm confident doing this at this pace for the next few months will be a huge benefit for my recovery. It's def. hard going light but it's the perfect solution to dying to get on the mats and fulfilling that desire with easy training.
All sounds good Pete - you're the judge of it and have plenty of knowledge to guide your way. Must have felt great.
Well, I haven't been on here for a long time but figured I would stop back for an update. It's been about 4 1/2 months since my surgery and time has been flying by. The 1 year mark will be here before I know it. First off I feel awesome. I've been working out and eating right and it shows. I'm going smart in the gym and teaching kickboxing. I'm kicking but nothing to crazy just going fairly light but doing lots of lunges etc. I'm done with rehab and just overall feel great. I'm not doing BJJ training really at all. I've done a few classes going really light and knowing my limitations and only rolling with my instructor but even that I just don't feel comfortable enough so I will just give it more time.
I no longer have a limp and I had a follow up with my surgeon a few weeks ago and he was really excited with my progress. He said my flexibility is much better than it should be for this point of my recovery. He said my R.O.M. is AWESOME and to keep doing what I'm doing and be smart for the next 8 months. He cleared me to go up to 250lbs. on leg presses which is a far cry from the 650lbs. I use to do. No wonder I have bad hips. I can cut my toenails by putting my heel on the chair I'm sitting on and cut like I did 5 years ago. I can lift my heel out to the side without issue. The one thing I cannot do is a runners stretch where my left leg is out and I tuck my right foot in. I can do this with my right leg out but when my left is out I can't bring my operated foot in and reach forward. I also can't do butterfly stretched yet but then again I'm not doing any stretches for the hip yet and just doing more for hamstrings etc.
I've been busy setting up my new Martial Arts school and getting ready for my big move but I'm on track to getting this done and opening at the new place next week. Lots going on and so glad I went thru with this surgery. I'm hoping I have several more years before I have to worry about the left hip.
Excellent work Pete - all sounds really great.
Isn't it amazing how quickly the time flys after those first 6 weeks?
Great news, Pete. The stretching will come, I can easily do that stretch now - it's just a matter of time and patience. My roundhouse and front kicks are going at full speed now, slowly working on the side kicks - don't know if those are more demanding on the hips, or my lack of confidence in them yet.
My two year reunion with Dr. Snyder is coming up this August, can't wait to see what I look like, I know I feel as good as you sound.
Congrats on the new school, will have to check it out some day.
Quote from: John C on November 11, 2011, 12:52:40 AM
Hi PistolPete,
With that much swelling traveling down your leg, you might want to consider whether you have been spending enough time elevating your lower leg. Gravity is a pretty powerful force, and if you are upright a lot, all that fluid is going to get pulled down.
Also, are you doing a lot of ankle pumps. I was told that you cannot do too many of these. The calf muscles are sometimes called the second heart, because their contractions are what pumps the blood back up from the lower legs to the heart. When you have a lot of fluid collecting down there, ankle pumps are what gets it moving back up. For the first week or so, I did them whenever I was sitting and awake.
John C, what are ankle pumps?
Hi Arrojo,
Ankle pumps are nothing fancy, but very important post surgery. It is simply flexing your ankle up and down repeatedly. The reason this is so important is that it flexes and relaxes the calf muscle, which pumps blood back up out of the lower leg towards the heart. This helps with swelling, and helps to avoid clots. In normal daily life this is taken care of by the calf muscles flexing when we walk, but post surgery, the ankle pumps have to serve this important role.