Today I'm exactly one month out from left hip resurfacing with Dr. Pritchett. Results of an MRI just revealed a bulging disc that is causing sciatica on my right side. Lots of ice, stretching and continued core work are planned between now and January 23rd.
As others on here have written, I'm in a phase right now where my left hip isn't that bothersome. My ROM is horrible, but it's been that way for years. I have both mild dysplasia and pretty severe impingement. While I don't want to give myself false hopes, I think there is a good chance (once fully healed) my hip will be more functional than it has ever been.
Still, as the date moves closer, I find myself over analyzing my decision to have surgery and growing anxious. At 37, I feel a bit betrayed by my genetics... something I think a lot of us younger BHR patients have in common.
I want to say thank you to everyone past, present and future who contributes to this forum and to the doctors contributing to the science of joint replacement orthopedics. All of you have been immeasurably helpful in making what is arguably the biggest decision of my life.
Mate I know exactly how you feel. I'm even younger than you are by nearly a decade! But arthritis came and I could do one of 2 things, either grin and bear it and let it rule my life for years to come as it already was or take control and get put back to normal so that I could get my life back.
It's a huge decision but you have to live for the here and now.
Im not particularly worried about the longevity of hip resurfacing. If there well placed by the surgeon then I wouldn't dwel on that too much! (although it's difficult not to! I do it somedays!).
From what other patients from here have said your surgeon has a great rep. So just trust in his abilities.
Danny
Hi Baby Barista,
I just found out today from an MRI that I too have a compressed and bulging disc. Dr. Pritchett sent me in today for the MRI. It is slowing my progress a bit - but the plan is to build my core and make sure that I do everything I can to support my old back and my new hip. It's great that you are doing some pre surgery exercises to start that process. I found out 4 months after surgery about my back but I'm confident that it will sort itself out.
I'm so excited for you. I had the same sort of pre surgery self-questioning but I'm so glad I did it. My back is giving me trouble but the hip is GREAT! Hang in there.
Happy holidays to you.
Luanna
You will do great. I'm in the same boat as you as I'm 35 and feel let down by my genetics as well. That being said I'm 6 weeks post op and already it was the best decision I've made. No more pain and my range of motion is getting better by the day. My strength is way off but I'm getting there. You will do great esp. being young you will bounce back quickly.
I was given the OK today to visit a chiropractor to help along my sciatica. Did many of you out there require any chiropractic care before your surgery... just curious?
I visited a Chiro once a week for three months prior to surgery and thought I would return after surgery for more work. However, I quickly discovered that chiro's are not really allowed to do the kind of PT recommended after a hip resurfacing or replacement. I am going to outpatient PT. I suggest that you be very careful about seeing a Chiro at this time. They can do a lot of harm without realizing it.
Boomer
I agree with Boomer. I would stay away from a Chiro at all costs. i can see that causing more harm than good. Contact your surgeon and see what he says.
Dr. Pritchett recommends using both chiropractors and accupunture folks. Turns out my MRI came back normal after the radiologist read it so my back pain seems to be coming from tight IT Band, muscle weakness, and a bit of a leg length difference. Not a bulging disc as we thought at first.
I had my first chiro session today (for my back) and they use a Pulsar machine to do the work and do not use manual techniques with me. It worked before so I have every reason to believe that it will work again. Problem is - it works for a while but you have to keep going back.
Good to see you posting Baby Barista. Your surgery will be here before you know it.
Luanna
I should have been more clear, my surgeon has given the OK for chiropractic treatment. Reason being, my left side is getting the BHR and my sciatica (caused by a bulging disc seen on MRI) is on the right side. This could be very problematic post surgery. I have intermittently used chiropractors for the last couple decades to help in treatment of low back pain and they have been very helpful. Hopefully functioning hips will alleviate the posture problems that have led to the disc problem.
Went to the chiropractor. As he was doing some table manipulations to gauge my ROM, he told me I had some of the tightest quads and hip flexors he'd ever. No sh!t? Maybe it's 'cause my hip joints are bone on bone?!?!
He was actually very cool and understanding. It was a successful visit and I have already felt some relief. I'm going to see him twice a week for the next two weeks until surgery.
Closer creeps the hour...
I think whatever works is fine, baby barista, just check with your surgeon, and don't do anything to challenge the healing that's going to happen.
I think you'll see a lot of improvement from the improvement in posture, gait, etc. and that will help, but if after the healing is done, more is needed from chiropractors or acupuncture, why not?
Getting pre-op accupuncture and scheduling my post-op too. My gal is one of the best in Boulder, works with athletes and understands both the athletic state of mind as well as big major surgeries and how to provide the best treatment. I am so looking forward to my appointment tomorrow for some relief now that I am under 2 wks till surgery. It can't come soon enough.
Finished my final chiropractic treatment before surgery Monday. I can say that it my case, it was a very wise decision. My sciatica has greatly improved and I feel a lot more mobility in my lumbar spine.
Now it's on to the arthritic hip...
Last supper before surgery, but nothing really sounds good. I think maybe it's the nerves really kicking in. But there's no looking back for me. Since I've been off the Celebrex for a week, my hip has been reminding me why I'm having this done. Early wakeup call of 4:30am... and surgery at Swedish Orthopedic at 7:40. See you all on the other side!
Good luck mate you'll be fine. You'll soon be on the road to recovery and be able to get your life back
Danny
Best wishes and no worries.
You'll do GREAT! I had to check in at 5:30am for a 7:40am surgery too. By the time you get to the operating room you'll be happy as a clam at high tide. Relaxed and ready for your new hip! It will be over before you know it and you'll be on your way to having a new lease on life.
Sending positive thoughts your direction....
Luanna
Good luck! Early surgery is the best, because you get a little longer time in the hospital to recover. Check back in...tell us how you feel.
Good luck! Hope everything goes well and we hear from you soon
Laying here in recovery, enjoying ice chips. Surgery was like laying down for nap... woke up and it was all done. Still waiting for feeling to come back. Since my brain is still coasted in happy gravy. I will provide a more thorough update later : )
Awesome mate congrats. Welcome to the club.
Danny
Great news, congrats!
If you follow the program, use the ice, do the meds and exercises when the time comes and you'll be surprised how well it goes. Every day from here on out your hip will get better, and not worse, like the days before you had it fixed.
Dan
So I took my first steps with a walker 4 1/2 hours after I left the operating room. For you voyeurs out there, here's a link to the video my wife shot.
http://youtu.be/vnP5MEz3v3A (http://youtu.be/vnP5MEz3v3A)
Dr. Pritchett said the arthritis was even more advanced than it appeared on X-ray. The joint space that appeared on film was just that... empty space. He had to clean up a significant amount of osteophyte from my inferior femoral head. He had templated me for a 52mm BHR head and corresponding cup. Fortunately, once Dr. Pritchett got in there, my femoral neck measured out correctly and that is the component I got.
Laying here in bed, I'm pretty sore at the incision site and my groin. But thanks to the information shared on this board, I've known exactly what to expect :)
Thanks again to everyone who makes this site so great, and Pat who keeps it online. I'll keep you posted on my progress!
-Rob
P.S. I'm the only person on this floor today who is still years away from collecting Social Security :-\
Awesome, thx for posting your first walk.
Boy that sure looks familiar. You are doing great!
Dan
Baby Barista,
My surgery took place sever weeks ago, and I barely remember anything that happened in the hospital. It fades quickly because you become so busy and focussed in recovery. You will be amazed at how tuned in you become with what your body needs and what it is saying to you. Each day it gets a little bit better and the aches and pains start to fade. It's a slow process, but you won't mind it because you can sense the progress you are making and it's pretty pleasing.
Take it slowly, eat as much as you want and sleep as often as you can. Your body will do most of the work.
Congratulations on the beginning of a new, pain free existence.
Boomer
Congrats and welcome to the other side! Take it easy and don't let the sound of the walker wheels drive you crazy.
Hi Baby Barista,
Enjoyed watching you take your first post op steps and so soon after surgery! My leg was totally numb from the epidural until the following morning. :)
Take care and follow all the protocols. Keep us posted on your progress.
Luanna
Rob, I just caught the video, all I can say is excellent! You did much better than I did the first time. I did have the same socks, though.
Congrats! Looking good. You'll recover very quickly, since it appears that you are about 25 years old. Like others said....keep the ice on....stay on top of the pain. Your 25 year old body will take care of the rest! ;D
37 years old, but whose counting right? Today started out pretty rough. We came home last night and I got right into bed, but had a tough time falling asleep. Then I woke up about 5am with a 102 degree fever. I got very nauseated and hit the reset button. My wife called Dr. Pritchett, who prescribed anti nausea drugs. After taking those, I did my exercises and felt significantly better.
Still haven't had a BM since Sunday morning, that's a bit disheartening... but tonight I'm hoping to make the magic happen. I'm icing nonstop but my operative thigh is still about twice the size of the other.
A couple interesting notes: Dr. Pritchett now uses sutures instead of staples and seals the incision with a colloidal silver patch, allowing you to go in the shower or pool immediately. Also, most pain management is now all oral meds, beginning with several painkillers in preop.
Get a big container of whole prunes and eat raisin bran 2x a day...
Forget the suppositories and all that other shit...
Baby B, I had some slight fevers as well. Nothing like 102 though. It sounds like you got that under control though.
The BM was the toughest thing for me. It took me many days before I finally went. I tried a little of everything - prunes, coffee, etc. I kept joking that if I keep eating I am going to explode like that guy in "The Meaning of Life."
That is interesting that Dr. P has added a colloidal silver patch. They did give me waterproof bandages in the hospital that allowed me to shower at least. I also had sutures and oral pain meds though I didn't need much of the latter.
Best wishes.
Dan
Hi BB,
I had a fever off and on for the first couple of days after surgery. Guess it is pretty common. Glad to hear that you are at home and coping well. The nausea was the worst for me - it lasted about 3 long miserable days. Sounds like the pill you took fixed you right up.
Take it slow and easy.
Luanna
One step forward, two steps back....
By yesterday afternoon, I started feeling pretty crummy once again. At about 8pm, I woke up in the recliner on fire. My temp was 105 and I felt like I was living in dream land. Called Dr. Pritchett, he had me pack ice bags around me, drink ice water, and take both Tylenol and Advil. He says its rare for people to run fevers that high post-op, but it does happen from time to time. Between the meds, the ice and the cold washcloths, I got the upperhand on the fever by about midnight. Still no BM. That's really making me cranky. Trying all the remedies but, it appears we have a failure to communicate. Hoping today is a little better. ;)
We all hit walls at different times, small and big - hope you both cool down and loosen up in the right places 8) .
Jealous of the fancy socks. Mine were drab gray.
I hear ya on the BM, but it will happen..... I think the positioning on the throne compromises the process as well. Keep up on all the home and medical remedies.
Seems so weird to see you moving the same way I did - that we've been through the same thing and are on the road to recovery. Good to know there are others out there who understand exactly where we are!!!
LOVE my socks. Yesterday I chewed through a box of apricots and half a box of prunes. By 6pm there was still no action, so I kicked up to the milk of magnesia. Followed two tablespoons of that with a big glass of water and waited. It wasn't long before the magic happened. Felt much better after that.
Last night I slept in bed for the first time. I strapped the wedge between my legs, rolled onto my good side, and tucked a body pillow behind me for support. I think that worked pretty well.
Today I'm pretty sore. I think it's because I did all of my exercises and walked around the house quite a bit yesterday. It's interesting how your body keeps you in check : )
Continued success at your end WTW15... it's inspiring to see how others are getting along!
Way to GO.............Baby Barista!!! ;)
Luanna
Today I backed off of the exercises and walking around the house, with hopes I wouldn't be as sore and exhausted. It helped a bit, but I am swollen beyond what I had expected. I'm icing several times a day. My operative thigh is so swollen it's tight to the touch. This feels especially strange in the groin area. My bruising and swelling is also now extending to my knee and beyond. When I try to bend my knee to get into the shower, I can barely do it. It feels like I have a fat-roll in the way ; ) One of my PT nurses in the hospital suggested my swelling might be especially bad, because my thighs are so muscular, and took a greater level of torque to dislocate my femur. Haven't asked Dr. Pritchett about this yet. Whatever the case, I feel like I could be making better progress if my swelling were diminished.
My swelling was shocking but I was told expected. My knee looked like a melon. There were a few days it hurt to put weight on knee. The swelling then dropped down the leg and my foot was huge. The RN told me once it moved to the foot it would start to recede, she was right, but it did not happen quickly. I still have swelling in my knee and thigh but not near as bad.
I also had groin pain pretty bad, that has not been an issue the last few days. I too found that it helped just sitting/sleeping for a day to reduce the pain. There was a direct correlation between movement/activity and the level of pain.
Are you elevating the leg? Icing and elevation together are the best way of dealing with that.
The swelling will go down, the bruising will travel, as long as you're doing what your surgeon prescribed to avoid clots, you should be fine.
BB-
Your recovery sounds very similar to mine. I started out with no real bruising and it got worse each day for about 7 days. It even extended down to my ankle. I have pretty muscular legs from biking and hiking also.
It sounds like your swelling is worse. I spent a lot of time sitting or lying on the bed with ice in the first two weeks. It sounds like you are being much more active.
Are you taking aspirin this first week to prevent clots? How is your incision looking?
Best wishes.
Dan
I am spending the bulk of my time in a recliner with ice on my hip. I think I may just need to take it easier on the walking and exercises. Last night I went a full 8 hours without pain meds and that was a huge freaking mistake. I woke up in such pain and with the shakes, that I broke down in tears and scared the kids. Just trying to keep my eye on the prize : ) Though the idea of returning to my desk job in another two weeks seems less and less likely
Hi BB,
You'll be surprised at how much better you'll be feeling in a couple of weeks. Danny has muscular quads too and he also had a rough bit of time right after surgery.
Keep the pain under control, rest, ice, and elevate.
Sending you positive well-wishes!!!
Luanna
Quote from: Baby Barista on January 28, 2012, 01:12:38 PMThough the idea of returning to my desk job in another two weeks seems less and less likely
I planned on returning to work on 1/30 but my doctor indicated I need more time. I too had some concerns returning on the 30th. Still in a bit of pain and in need of more PT. It is looking like a 2/13 return date.
Well done, Rob! I'm so relieved you're relieved!
mslenzdion, I sorry you couldn't return to work as soon as you'd hoped, but on the other hand we'll get to see you
'round here and you'll be feeling ever so much better.
2fer
How are you doing today Baby Barista?
Luanna
Swelling is about the same today. Since mornings have been rough... I'm now starting out straight away with my anti nausea, painkiller, and Tylenol. That set my day up right.
What is different today is the pain/tightness in my quads. It's at it peak right now, a 9 out of 10 on the pain scale. Feels like I got whacked in the thigh with a lead pipe. That's made doing anything difficult. I've been icing as per usual, but I'm also lightly massaging my leg. Any other tips for that acute thigh pain aka non stop charley horse?
Some doctors will prescribe a heavy anti inflammatory drug along with pain meds, you should be well passed the point where extreme bone pain is an issue being that you are 6 days post-op.
I would call your doctor and explain your pain, you should not be a 9/10 pain wise this far post-op, although it's not totally abnormal to be in that much pain 6 days out, usually by now the pain is beginning to wane.
Everyone recovers at a different rate, hope you feel better.
Chuck
If you can find Danny's thread about his recovery, you'll see that he had a lot of thigh pain early on. Had to do with how muscular his quads were. His doc told him that he'd experience more pain early on I believe. Danny - correct me if I'm wrong here.
I'd call in to see if there is anything they can give you to help relax your thigh muscles. Sounds like a spasm.
Luanna
I agree with Luanna. A nasty hip flexor spasm had me bawling at PT last Friday; rest, light massage, and a muscle relaxer did the trick for me. Let us know what works for you because those intense spasms grab a lot of people as they are recovering.
Good luck and feel lots better soon!
2fer
Past couple days have been okay.. thigh pain is still pretty intense. I asked Dr. Pritchett about this. He said it is common in people with muscular thighs to experience pretty intense pain near the one week mark. He said it takes a greater level of torque to dislocate the femur and a greater amount of pressure to keep the leg out of joint while he works. He said the best thing to do is deep tissue massage. It hurts like hell, but it does feel better afterward.. I also tried out our handheld back massager and that seemed to work well too..
Good to hear that things are settling out a bit. You might want to PM Dannywayolife and compare quad size and pain levels. Very similar except for Danny was a bit more vocal about his discomfort if I recall correctly. ;D
Luanna
Quad has been improving. I've been giving it some self administered shiatsu massage. I go until I want to punch myself in the face... Then I back off. It's worked! It is funny how as soon as one part feels better, you feel something new. Usually it's a smaller something, but still... something. I now beginning to feel some of the tendon and ligament slipping/snapping some people have described. I may have felt an occasional clunk, but I can't be sure. It's certainly not the feeling I expected.
I've been filling my days with daytime television and naps. Our nanny gets the kids from school, and rides herd until my wife gets home. I didn't realize there was this much crappy daytime television! Anybody have a Netflix recommendation? Right now I'm watching VH1's "History of Metal". My brain is still a little mushy from painkillers to read a book. I'll start reading next week.
I don't usually brag, but I've gotta tell you, my family has been remarkable throughout this whole thing. My three year old helps daddy every morning get out of bed. She gets him his crutches, his sweatshirt and his slippers. My six year old son has been my second pair of hands, fetching my phone, my iPad, my headphones... if I need it, he's Johnny-on-the-spot to bring it. And my wife... what can I say, she's the absolute best! She took the first week post-op off from work. For every small improvement, she's been right there to point it out and congratulate me. And when the pain brought tears, she was there to hold me and remind me that it's only temporary. Without a doubt, this would be a much more difficult journey without their tremendous support.
Barista;
Great to hear about the family helping out; has to be a huge comfort to have them helping.
Daytime TV is the worst. I found myself watching various PBS and related series off DVD or online through Netflix etc, Ken Burns stuff (Civil War, National Parks, etc, etc) I'd watch an episode or 2-3 per day to kill time, nice thing about a series is that it can burn time over an extended period. If you have access, Hulu online also has all the comedy central stuff (Colbert/Stewart) which were great while sitting there doing nothing in the early stages of recovery, and Amamzon online has alot of content as well (we get them through a Roku device or a Sony Blue Ray with built in web connectivity). I was so desperate I followed the Conrad Murray wrongful death trial (M Jackson), which was a welcome distraction that dragged on for weeks (got hooked in the hospital).
I normally read a lot, but like you, didn't read much at all during my recovery from BHR #1, I was off the narco's after 2nd week, but just didn't feel like reading. Made up for it since though.
Quote from: Baby Barista on February 02, 2012, 11:52:04 AM
Quad has been improving. I've been giving it some self administered shiatsu massage. I go until I want to punch myself in the face... Then I back off. It's worked! It is funny how as soon as one part feels better, you feel something new. Usually it's a smaller something, but still... something. I now beginning to feel some of the tendon and ligament slipping/snapping some people have described. I may have felt an occasional clunk, but I can't be sure. It's certainly not the feeling I expected.
I've been filling my days with daytime television and naps. Our nanny gets the kids from school, and rides herd until my wife gets home. I didn't realize there was this much crappy daytime television! Anybody have a Netflix recommendation? Right now I'm watching VH1's "History of Metal". My brain is still a little mushy from painkillers to read a book. I'll start reading next week.
I don't usually brag, but I've gotta tell you, my family has been remarkable throughout this whole thing. My three year old helps daddy every morning get out of bed. She gets him his crutches, his sweatshirt and his slippers. My six year old son has been my second pair of hands, fetching my phone, my iPad, my headphones... if I need it, he's Johnny-on-the-spot to bring it. And my wife... what can I say, she's the absolute best! She took the first week post-op off from work. For every small improvement, she's been right there to point it out and congratulate me. And when the pain brought tears, she was there to hold me and remind me that it's only temporary. Without a doubt, this would be a much more difficult journey without their tremendous support.
Great that your family has been spoiling you. Just a warning - if you punch yourself in the face, the face will hurt.
Recommendations for good movies:
- Better Off Dead.
- Lone Star State of Mind
- O Brother Where Art Thou?
- Raising Arizona
- Unstoppable
Sounds like you are doing well BB. I am not much a TV person so I spent most of my time on the computer or reading.
You sound like a lucky man with a family like that. You should treat them to a great vacation when you are healed. I was fortunate that my gf had the summer off and could take care of me.
Best wishes.
Dan
Went in for my two week follow up yesterday. Dr. Pritchett said the wound looked great. The silver bandage had worked very well.
They took two X-rays, a an anterior pelvic and a cross table. Dr. Pritchett called me out to take a look. Just to my naked eye it appeared to be a pretty darn good placement. He scaled up the image and brought up the measuring tool... 40-degrees on the nose! He said he was also very pleased with the seating of the cup (I had dysplasia) and the estimated anteversion. On the femoral side, the X-rays show the prosthetic is well centered on the neck in both planes.
I'll be starting PT next week and meet with Dr. Pritchett in another 6-weeks.
All in all, I've been very pleased with the outcome to this point. Before surgery I had severe femero-acetabular impingement. Doing some of the at home exercises I can already tell that's gone. My hip glides thru positions, that before, would have caused sharp stabbing pains. Lots of work ahead, but I'm looking forward to it.
Great results, the silver bandage did wonders for me too (second time around). It is fun having that type of hip mobility once the HR is in.
I am sorry I missed out on the silver bandage. You must have better insurance. ;)
Isn't the range of motion great? I can't believe how flexible I have become.
Glad to hear you are doing well. We will have to get together for coffee one of these times that I come through Seattle.
Best wishes.
Dan
Yay! Good report. Glad all is going well. Did you ask for a copy of your xrays so you can post them on the site?
Luanna
Been absent from here for a few days now. I've been feeling quite a bit better here in week three. I started PT yesterday and have invested in a cane. I tried the cane out while I ran a few errands and discovered I was pretty sore. At 18 days out from surgery, I'm just not quite ready for that. However, I have ditched one side of the crutches and find that suits me pretty well. I have not experienced any clunking, but I do have lots of snap, crackle and pop in the ligaments and tendons surrounding the joint. It doesn't hurt. I guess I'd describe it as more of a "creepy" feeling... you know sorta like when that one uncle shows up for Thanksgiving?
Anyway, I'm curious to hear from people with bilateral arthritis, who went back to taking Celebrex, or something comparable, after surgery. Dr. Pritchett says if you do go back to taking it, your chance of heterotopic ossification is nil. But he indicated there's not definitive proof that it doesn't interfere with implant ingrowth. Thoughts?
A study I saw said that aspirin cuts the risk of HO. I was on it to help with any blood clots, so as a side benefit that might have worked. Don't know about Celebrex, was never on it.
Quote from: Baby Barista on February 10, 2012, 01:55:50 PM
Anyway, I'm curious to hear from people with bilateral arthritis, who went back to taking Celebrex, or something comparable, after surgery. Dr. Pritchett says if you do go back to taking it, your chance of heterotopic ossification is nil. But he indicated there's not definitive proof that it doesn't interfere with implant ingrowth. Thoughts?
after my left hip operation (sept 2011) and having my right hip surgery scheduled (april 2012), my doctor said it would be fine to take celebrex (or similar) between operations. i did not specifically ask about HO but, again, he said "no problem". i did not take anything from sept to jan but i just started taking celebrex again in feb and plan to take it everyday until april/my second surgery.
He should be able to look at your xrays at your 8 week checkup and judge how well the implant bone growth is coming along and then give you specific advice on how to eliminate the possibility of HO. He should also have any info at that time to tell you how you are doing in the HO area.
Dr. P told me that I could go back on my calcium supplements when he saw that I showed no signs of HO at 8 weeks. He also told me that I could take NSAIDs at 4 months to help with my back pain as needed. But I'm very reluctant to take anything that might interfere with bone growth into the implants so I try not to take them. I might feel more comfortable taking them after the 6 month mark but not now. I'm very conservative.
Luanna
Hey Baby! ;)
I don't know anything about HO, so I'm afraid I can't help you there. I can tell you I take Aspirin everyday for the clotting and like it just fine.
QuoteAll in all, I've been very pleased with the outcome to this point. Before surgery I had severe femero-acetabular impingement. Doing some of the at home exercises I can already tell that's gone. My hip glides thru positions, that before, would have caused sharp stabbing pains. Lots of work ahead, but I'm looking forward to it. - BB
Me too! My FAI never went away after my failed arthroscopies circa 2009, which failed, as you know, because they didn't look for my rare form of bone on bone OA since they couldn't see it on all my films through those pre resurfacing years.
Anyway, back to the point, I LOOOOVVVVE PT now too! Gawd, it feels great to walk sideways in the pool, I was just cleared yesterday to do pool PT everyday!! Do you have a pool nearby that you can use free through your PT insurance coverage? If it's something available to you, I want you to know how great working out in the water is!!!
By far, it has the least 'push back' latent pain in the evenings, and I want you to have something fabulous to look forward to in the near future, Bebe!
Keep on keeping on,
2fer
FIVE WEEK UPDATE:
Several changes in the last couple weeks. After ditching one crutch in week three, I pretty quickly moved over to the cane. I spent about five days on the cane, when I started walking on my own. Since then, I've only occasionally used the cane when I've been sore.
The snapping in the tendons/ligaments and such has reduced significantly since starting physical therapy. Day by day, I can tell I'm getting more range of motion in the joint, but I'm still REALLY tight in the anterior most part of my groin. My therapist tends to think that half of that is related to surgery and the other half to my posture for the last 20 years. The pain in my hips caused me to tilt my pelvis forward. That's led to a massive dominance of my hip flexors over the iliopsosas, which has become weak, inflexible and shortened. I have a lot of work ahead to strengthen the psosas and regain a more normal pelvic tilt.
Secondly, I still have a fair amount of soreness along the incision site. It has healed beautifully, but it's sore. Specifically, if I'm not warmed up well and flex my glutes, I have a lot of tugging along the greater trochanter. Also, I still can't sleep on my operative side. Too much pressure causes burning pain.
What's the time frame other hippies went back to comfortably sleeping on their operative side?
The incision thing sounds like scar tissue. Check with your surgeon to see if you can have massage to help that. It helped me quite a bit
Your report sounds about like mine at 5 weeks. Someone else - perhaps it was Tin or DGossack joked about Dr. Pritchett sewing up the hip capsule too tight. I had a tightness in my groin that took quite some time to relax. Think it had to do with glutes. My IT Band was and still is tight and I'm still struggling with psoas stuff. But coming along. It really, really, really, takes a lot of patience.
At 5 weeks I was uncomfortable sleeping on my operated side - don't recall when that became comfortable. Can do it now with no problem. Try it for short periods of time and you will over time be able to do it for longer periods.
The body heals at its own annoying pace. Do you have an 8 week check up coming up with Dr. Pritchett?
Luanna
Hi Baby B,
It's Day 69 post op, and I can lie for a few moments on my L hip just fine, but the R hip is still giving me kittens. Patience, grasshopper!
Here's wishing you the speediest of recoveries.
2fer
BB I am just a week ahead of you and feeling the same things. My PT did a good 10 min massage on my scar and it helped WORLDS!!! I am now doing mini massages frequently during the day and it's helping, but I have the same issues as you!!! I am able to lay on the op'd side for about 15 min at a time. Not sleeping on it yet, but getting closer. On the non-op'd side I could lay for about 30 min, but then the tugging/pulling was just too much until the massage. Last night, I was able to actually fall asleep on the no-op'd side. Progress!
I go for my 6 wk check up tomorrow. Can't wait to see my hip on film!
I've gotta say, those massages helped me quite a bit on both sides.
Excellent job BB
I think I was laying on my op side at about 4 weeks, but it was not comfortable. Pretty quickly within a few days, the amount of time I could lay on the op side increased. I don't think you're far off. Like Hern said, the massaging my help and maybe that's sort of what I was getting by simply laying on the scar tissue.
I think I was the one that made the comment about Pritchett sewing up the capsule tighter than other surgeons. I actually wouldn't know, because I never had another surgeon. I was joking around becasue I felt like I was behind on regaining ROM. Maybe he does sew them up tighter than others so he doesn't have to worry about dislocation. ???
2 MONTH UPDATE
-----------------
Just passed the two month mark on my Pritchett installed BHR. Progress has been pretty linear the last four weeks. The only setback came when my aging dog tangled in my feet and I levered her off of my left foot. That sent a shot of pain in my hip. I felt a little hobbled for a couple days, but it has passed. I think I overstressed the hip capsule or any number of the other smaller ligaments and muscles surrounding the joint.
Most of the tightness in the front of my groin has disappeared and my gait is now normal. Friends who haven't seen me in a few weeks have a hard time believing how rapidly I have progressed.
The most pain I had after surgery, was in the area directly below the incision, extending to the lateral part of the knee. That area is still quite tender. Dr. Pritchett indicated that due to the muscularity of my legs, the internal rotation of the leg during surgery, likely caused a severe pull of the vastus lateralis and the lateral head of the hamstrings. My PT has been doing some deep massage that hurts like hell, but overall has helped to improve the pain.
Strength wise, the most stubborn muscle group is the short external rotators... the muscles whose tendons are cut from the bone to allow internal rotation during surgery. They are later reattached through a hole drilled in the bone. When my PT did a test last week, that had me lying on my left side and trying to externally rotate and touch my left foot to the inside of my elevated right leg, I couldn't do it. But in just a few short days, by performing some simple exercises, they're starting to come online. I didn't realize how crucial those muscles were to tasks like putting on pants, socks, etc. until after a few days of work, and those tasks became easier.
I'm at the gym lifting three days a week. I'm careful when using dumbbells above 50 pounds, to carry them one at a time to my work area, so as not to put too much stress on my hip. The only workout my legs are getting is from swimming three days a week and walking. I think the swimming has also greatly helped in my recovery.
After long suffering from FAI, most of the impingement is gone. I still get some sharp pains when drawing my knee toward my chest, but I think it's too early to tell if that's related to surgery, or some remnant of the FAI (scar tissue, inflamed tissue, etc.)
All in all, I am increasingly happy with the outcome and my decision to have BHR surgery. Looking forward to months ahead and getting back to everything I used to do!
Great report, I'm glad you are doing so well!
Glad you're doing so well, BB - keep it up.