Hi everyone,
I had bilateral HRA surgeries with Dr. Gross on December 12th and 14th of 2016, and am approximately two weeks and several days post surgery. I want to share my experience to others, and especially to those prospective patients considering this procedure. When my arthritis got to the point of affecting my daily activities of normal life last Spring, I began an inquiry to what my options were. I had pretty much resigned myself to the eventual total hip replacement surgery, and was rather saddened by the fact that I was going to have to retire from all of the sporting activities I used to enjoy. Before 2016, I had really never heard of hip resurfacing. Initially I did recall some of the bad press, and believed it was more or less an experimental procedure. Not until I landed on this very website, one that proved to be crucial to my decision, did I realize that there was an option for me - if you have realistic expectations, and choose your surgeon wisely. I'm still way premature in terms of assessing the ultimate outcome of my decision, but currently I couldn't be more happy that I made the right decision. I probably should have done this years ago.
Quick background: 54 year old male who has been living with OA for probably 15 years. I was still active in some sports (beach volleyball) right up to the very week prior to my surgeries, but was really having a hard time simply walking, so my sporting "game" was getting rather sad. My friends started to call me "the cripple" (all in good fun). Unaware that I could have benefitted from the HRA procedures years ago, I let both of my hips deteriorate rather severely. In my mind, I always thought that if I kept working through the pain and lack of motion, I could stave off any eventual serious debilitating effects of OA. By last Spring however, I realized this thinking was wrong. So after reading about individuals' stories here, and opinions of surgeons (two of the most vital and unmatched aspects of this website), and not to mention some frustrating hurdles to climb with insurance, I chose to undergo bilateral HRA with Dr. Gross in South Carolina.
So keeping in mind the primary audience of our stories should be those who are living with OA, and who might be considering hip resurfacing, I will attempt to detail what I consider most of the important details and concerns, which include all of the positive as well as the challenging aspects of the surgery and recovery. This site is a very positive and strong advocate of HRA (which is great), but it will only continue to be a respectable resource if both the good and not-so-good aspects of the procedures can be discussed. Fortunately, at this very early juncture, I pretty much have only positive things to say about my experience.
First things first. In my experience, the bilateral HRA procedures are something that you can undergo with perhaps at the most only a mild to moderate amount of pain and discomfort. With the exception of only one setback, my recovery would have otherwise been not very challenging at all. Keep in mind everyone has different pain thresholds and recoveries, but I would only consider myself merely average in terms of these traits.
The one issue I had post-op was probably very similar to what another poster here named Quig experienced with his bilateral surgeries earlier this year. It may have been a reaction to the spinal anesthesia, and the fact that bilateral patients have to undergo double the dose. What was kind of strange was I didn't have any adverse reaction of any kind up until the very minute I sat down in the car to drive to the airport on Sunday (had surgeries on the previous Mon, Wed). There was this moderate throbbing at the back/base of my skull, and the only slight remedy was to keep very still, and hold my head up with my fist. The pain began with the car ride, and continued with the 5-hour flight to California home (lasted about 7 hours). It wasn't terrible, but did make for an uncomfortable time. I'm merely speculating at this point since the problem began when I first had to sit upright in the car, but I think I could have made the problem worse by not getting off of my back more and sitting upright in the chair at the hospital/hotel (this is something the nurses and therapists try and get you to do). So that was truly the only challenging aspect of my experience. Wait, I lied. I would be less than honest if I didn't mention one other milestone that I endured that was a little rough - taking your first "big potty" :-). That was an hour and a half of my life that I wouldn't want to go through again. I don't know if it would have alleviated matters, but I would advise patients to ask the medical staff to give you all medications and advice to make this eventual event easier to endure. And, perhaps I should have been a little more conscious of my post-op meal choices, lol.
So, the above two issues were the real only tough times I had to go through. I don't want to minimize what is still considered major surgery, but everything else at this point has been relatively easy to accomplish. My next post will highlight what you can expect during the surgeries, and for the two-week period after. And I can't end this first post without saying that while I'm pretty certain a majority of the physicians and medical staff who are recommended here treat their patients with respect and professionalism, you couldn't be treated any better by Dr. Gross, his staff, and the hospital personnel (nurses and therapists). Even my wife commented on how friendly everyone was.
Thanks,
Joe
(End part 1)
Joe
Congratulations on your 2 week anniversary. Sounds like you are doing well. I hope everything continues to go well for you. Thanks for the update. Looking forward to updates as you continue to heal.
Good Luck.
Pat
Awesome news Joe! I can't tell you how pleased I am to hear you're doing so well. Just be patient and keep up the good work. If you're enjoying your progress now, just wait... it gets better, and better, and BETTER!
Hey Joe,
Your bilateral partner from December 12 & 14th here.....
Roll Tide?
Hope you had a good trip home and sounds like you are doing great.
Only issue I'm having is some tough nights sleeping. Just inability to get comfortable on my back.
Take care!
Shelton
Hi Shelton,
Roll Tide! Of course I remember you. That was the first thing I heard when I woke up from my first surgery in the recovery room. I was thinking to myself, who is this crazy Alabama fan yelling "Roll Tide", and why am I and all the nursing staff laughing? I then understood you were simply coming out of your anesthesia.
Sounds like you're doing well too. Great to hear. Actually, the therapists at our last therapy class told me you walked all the way down the hall to the class unassisted one day after your second surgery, so I knew you must be recovering well (better than I was, for sure).
I was able to finally move from sleeping on my back to side and stomach about a week ago, and it is a little easier. What helped me was putting a pillow between my legs. Then, when the time is right, you can eventually turn over. There will be a small amount of pain where the incision are when you first do it. I bet you will be able to do it soon.
Great to hear you're doing well. Keep in touch.
-Joe
Hello All,
I'm about 3 weeks out from bilateral surgery, and everything is going even better than I would have expected. My last post dealt with the only moderate hurdle I had to overcome. This post will detail what to expect for the first two weeks during and after the surgeries. I'm writing about my experience with bilateral surgery as performed by Dr. Gross and his staff, but anyone considering bilateral hip resurfacing surgeries could find this info useful.
Day One:
I was admitted into the hospital at around 6:00 AM (Providence Hospital in Columbia, SC. Very nice looking place). You'll sit around for a bit filling our forms, but soon you will be entered into the pre-op area where they will start an IV on you, and get you dressed. Nothing too special there, but be prepared to sit there for a while. You will talk with the anesthesiologist and Lee Webb who assists Dr. Gross. You will then be wheeled into the surgical room. If you look around you can see some of the devices used, and the other thing I remember was it was very cold in the OR. It's now time to go to "sleep". The anesthesiologist will have you sit up, and he will put the sedation meds in your IV. It only takes about 2,3 seconds and it's "lights out". Dr. Gross uses a spinal and sedation (not a general). For me, as I believe for most patients, you're completely out.
So the next thing you remember is waking up in the recovery room. One of the benefits of not having a general anesthetic is you won't feel that groggy. For me, it felt like waking up from a long nap. What you won't feel however, is the use of your legs. You won't be able to move them for about 30-45 more minutes. Expect to lay there on the recovery room for another hour or so. I didn't experience any pain during that time.
I was wheeled into my hospital room that afternoon, and everything was unremarkable for the first day. There wasn't much pain (you will be on pain meds), and I slept much of the night. Note that you will have to sleep on your back. I normally don't, but I didn't have any problems.
Day Two:
This day was very similar to the previous day. Eventually, the physical therapist will arrive and the goal is to get you walking a little bit. The first thing that is noticeable is when you attempt to slide you operated leg to the side of the bed, it won't move. You'll have to wriggle it a bit, and eventually it will slowly move to where you want it to go. The therapist will help you stand and this was a little difficult at first, but once you do it a couple of times it's not too bad. You'll use a walker first (then crutches) and the first couple of steps on the operated leg feel strange. But every step you make gets easier. Getting back down in your bed is similar to getting out. Just be patient.
Later in the afternoon they will help you walk down to a hip class where you will see other patients. You should notice that it's even easier to walk than the first time. Getting in and out of the bed/chair is still a little tricky. The exercises they have you do are all straightforward and easy.
Day Three:
This is the day of my second hip surgery (left). In terms of the pre-OP it was almost identical. Except there was a little delay after I was wheeled into the OR, and I got to listen to some nice classic rock-n-roll music the staff was playing in the OR. I believe I have seen a movie or two where this happened. The post-OP period was very similar to the first surgery for the first hour or so. Then things got a little more difficult in the afternoon and evening. As far as pain goes after both hips have been operated, it's really not too bad. I'd give it a 3 or so (out of 10) on the old pain meter. What was different than the first surgery was it was definitely harder to sleep. I only got some intermittent sleep that night. Again, I used the pain meds as frequently as allowable, and this helped to reduce pain and to help you sleep a little.
Day Four:
Days 3 and 4 are definitely the toughest (if you don't experience the "headache" issues I had on the trip home). The occupational and physical therapists will again get you to get up and start walking. This time it's far more difficult without the use of a good leg. Just be patient. They will be there to make sure you don't fall (they will stand behind you, and have a belt around you for the first couple of trips). The first time you try and move your legs off the bed, try to stand up, and sit down will be hard. Even though they said I had bad form some times, I felt that using my arms helped a lot while standing up. And remember that each time things get easier. Another piece of advice which may have contributed to the pain in my head/neck on day 6. Try and get out of your hospital bed on days 4 and beyond and sit upright in the chair that's in your room. The staff encourages you to do so. I think this might assist in reducing some of the effects of the anesthesia in the days to come.
Days Five, Six
As said above, every time you get up and walk it gets easier. They will probably get you moving around on crutches by now (to me they seemed more useful than the walker). They should also get you to take a shower. Don't feel like you've regressed if the shower is more difficult than you would have expected. The warm water makes you a little more dizzy.
I stayed at the hotel 200 yards from the hospital (For Dr. Gross patients, I recommend this). When I was discharged, it wasn't very hard to get into the car. Just put the seat back as far as it goes, and slant the chair back all the way too. Get your butt as far back as far as it can in the seat, and swing your legs around. It was a lot easier than I thought.
Days Six through Fourteen - Quick Observations.
These days will show great improvement, and you should really been over any tough portions of the procedures.
- I never had much swelling, and unlike many here, I didn't find the Polar Ice machine all that useful. I used it for the first days after each surgery, but never used it afterwards. I know that icing helps overall though.
- As far as the flying went, besides the headache issue (that I'm speculating is not completely common), the trip home would have been a piece of cake. I flew coach, and didn't have any pain or movement issues while flying for the 5 hours home. I did take the pain meds right before boarding to be safe.
- I went off the crutches probably on probably day 10 or so. Everyone's different. I don't know if my continued sporting activities and weight training right up until the days before the surgeries helped in this regard. For me, all the weakness/instability went away on both hips right around day 10.
- Others have mentioned this, but as you start walking you will notice some days are easier than others. Don't feel like you're regressing. It's probably a sign of soreness from the day prior.
- And by the second week, I felt that in terms of simply walking, sleeping and some of the normal activities of daily life, I'm already better than I was before my surgeries. I'm back at work too (desk job). There is some minor residual pain around the surgical sites, but all the other pain of movement I had experienced is completely gone. So I am very content at this point for sure!
(End Part Two).
Thanks everyone,
Joe
Awesome write-up Joe. It's great to see you progressing so well.
If you think it's good now, you're going to be one very, very, VERY happy guy in a couple months.
Congrats on getting to the other side. Keep on keeping on!
Thanks Quig. I am so fortunate to have a guy like you to answer all my questions and concerns. Knowing what I know now, I should have done this year's ago, and then I could have been an advisor to you. Looking forward to your next update.
Great update Joe. Thanks for taking time to write it. I know many people will read it. I added it to your story on the main site. I try to keep up to date with the stories when I can.
http://www.surfacehippy.info/hipresurfacing/stories/dr-gross/878-joe-s-bilateral-hip-resurfacing-with-dr-gross-2016 (http://www.surfacehippy.info/hipresurfacing/stories/dr-gross/878-joe-s-bilateral-hip-resurfacing-with-dr-gross-2016)
I hope to read another update again.
Pat
Hi All,
It's been a month since my bilateral surgeries. I'm still doing great. I had a quick question. Has anyone experienced pain after sneezing? I did a quick search here and there were a few posts of patients who had similar stories. Fortunately, the pain only lasts a few seconds and is isolated to the front, top portion of only one leg (right). If anyone has suggestions to minimize the pain during sneezing, I'd appreciate it.
Thanks,
Joe
I'm sorry to be the one to bring this to your attention Joe, but sneezing is just not allowed at this point in your recovery. Also no coughing or laughing. Recovery is serious business. Keep that in mind and keep up the good work. 8)
And on a more serious note, at the early stages of recovery lots of sudden movements will certainly cause little 'ouches'. Don't sweat it, all that stuff will go away with time.
On the spin bike this morning I reached for a water bottle and had a pretty significant 'ouch!' moment too. First time in a while that has happened but it still does once in a while...
Good one Quig! Reminds me of the ol' joke.
Patient: "Doctor, it hurts when I do this."
Doctor: "Well, don't do that. That will be $150, you can pay on your way out. Have a nice day."
Actually, that's kind of what they said when I contacted Dr. Gross's office. Basically telling me there's not much you can do at my point, and to try to avoid sneezing. :-) Lol. They did say the pain should subside as the weeks go by (Man, I tell you it *hurt* after a sneeze - but again, only for about a second or two).
So I don't really know if you can actually suppress sneezing, but I haven't sneezed since! (I've felt some urges to sneeze, and I "willed" them away).
Just a quick note on the one real issue I had post-surgery - the spinal headache. After doing some "extensive internet research" :-), this is definitely what I experienced. I incorrectly attributed the headache to the spinal anesthesia medication, when it turns out it is actually due to the leakage of your spinal fluid. I know others who have experienced this on this website have already specified the true cause.
The medical literature on the internet claim that roughly 40% of patients receiving spinal taps will experience some level of spinal headaches with various symptoms (dizziness, nausea, ringing in the ears) which includes neck stiffness/pain and aversion to light/sound that got me. And I guess bilateral patients would therefore up their odds since they have to undergo two spinal taps. And the literature also states that people don't tend to get the headaches until 3-5 days later, when they sit up or stand (lying down usually makes the symptoms go away). So that explains my story. I was on my back pretty much the entire time, and as soon as I had to sit upright in the car, the symptoms began.
I don't know what a patient can do to prevent these. I actually don't know if Dr. Gross allows any options for anesthesia, but an alternative like general anesthesia might bring about a whole new set of rare but serious risks perhaps far worse than the headaches. New patients should ask Dr. Gross about their options (if any). There are procedures for treating serious headaches which involve injecting your own blood ("blood patch") to stop the leakage (again, I don't know if Dr. Gross or other hospital staff performs these). I would also ask him if sitting up for periods of time soon after surgery would help prevent the symptoms, or bring them on faster so they don't occur at inopportune times, for example when you're traveling home on a plane (which happened to me).
One option I can think of for patients who are closer by, and are driven to/from South Carolina, is to make sure your passenger seat reclines all the way back in a flat position (not all cars can do this). The literature claims the symptoms basically disappear when you are able to lay down. My personal story can attest to this. When I got home, and was able to lay down, presto! I felt normal again.
Good luck.
Ugh, the spinal headache. Easily the worst part of the the whole process for me. I was beyond miserable for my flights home. Laying down would help pretty much immediately.
We did discuss doing the 'blood patch' to help alleviate my spinal headache but they wouldn't do it until I had been off the blood-thinners for 24 hours. That meant upon making the decision to do the blood patch I still had to wait 24 hours so it was going to really mess up my scheduled flights to return home. It was also explained to me that the blood patch had it's own set of potential side effects which are not good so it's a bit of a gamble. I gambled on no patch, lots of laying down, and then hoping the flights would go ok. They didn't, but I made it home just fine. It was one heck of a long day though.
Yeah, thanks Quig for reminding me about your story. Sounds you had it worse than I did. So at least in our opinions, patients should strive for finding ways to lay down, especially for those driving/flying long distances.
I guess the real questions are: Would patients who suffer leakage be able to avoid the spinal headache if they were able to lay down for longer periods of time? In other words, would we have avoided it if we would have stayed at the hotel in our beds for another 3-6 days? Lol, I don't know if the trade off would have been worth it. Or is the spinal headache going to present itself one way or another when you eventually have to sit up/stand, no matter how long you try and wait it out.
The way it was explained to me, the more time spent laying down the more comfortable you'll be and the faster it would heal. They also had me wearing a 'core compression strap' which was not pleasant at all.
Hey Joe,
Are you headed back to SC for your 6 week check up next week?
I'll be there on the 24th.
Wondering if any physical therapy is recommended going forward. So far, sticking to DR's orders, daily walking and swimming. Up to walking about a mile on flat terrain.
Can get pretty tight and sore after sitting or driving for a period of time.
All in all doing pretty good though.
Take care!
Shelton
Hi Shelton,
I won't be coming back to SC for the 6 week checkup. I plan on doing it remotely. I wish I lived within driving distance because I'd prefer to do it there.
I think you're now ready for the "phase-2" exercises. I have already started them a little early (don't tell anyone :-)). They involve leg lifts (back and side), and some stretches. Dr. Gross doesn't appear to have patients rely on actual PTs too much after surgery, but the documentation suggests having a PT show you how to do the phase-2 exercises (they seem pretty self explanatory to me). I've been doing them every day for a week, and they do help with some of the soreness (especially the tightness in the upper front of your leg - psosas).
Besides the exercises above, I've been on a stationary bike a little, and have been walking about 2 miles per day. Sometimes I will get a little sore, and will back off for a day. At this point I'm really not experiencing any issues. Even driving and sleeping haven't been issues for many weeks. The only real problem is putting off the urge to start running and jumping again :-).
I haven't tried swimming, but that sounds like a good activity for your hips as well as overall conditioning. Let us know how your 6 week check up goes. Sounds like you're doing well, especially given that you're a bilateral patient.
Hello!
Just checking in here. It has been two months since my bilateral hip resurfacing surgery with Dr. Gross. I just wanted to leave a quick update. I'm basically doing great, without any real issues to speak of. Here's some quick observations dealing with the 3 week post surgery mark to my current 8 week milestone.
While I'm more than satisfied with the steady progress, the first thing I've noticed is the pace of the progress has slowed down compared to what occurred to me during the first 2-3 weeks. In the first couple of weeks, you could see significant improvements almost on a daily basis. Now, and for the last couple of weeks, the improvements seem to be measurable as each week goes by. Note I'm not complaining or anything, but one needs to set their expectations accordingly.
Similar to above, the last several weeks are a little different than the initial post-op period. After about week 2, I noticed most/all of the pre surgery pain while walking quickly went away. I thought maybe this pattern would continue to a point where I had no pain or soreness. But of course, with the additional walking, exercises and stretches, I've found that I get a little sore now and again, especially on days after I push it a little harder than normal. After getting up from sitting for a while, I will experience a soreness and unsteadiness a little bit similar to how I felt pre-surgery. However, after then walking a few steps, things magically are almost back to normal (which never occurred pre-surgery). Again, things are *far* improved compared to pre-surgery, but there is still a lower level of soreness. I went back and read stories of others and was reminded that this is normal. I guess I thought I would have some sort of miraculous recovery, which is pretty silly. :-)
Then again, I am truly so much better than I was before, and continue to remind myself how lucky I am to have decided to have this surgery done, and to be patient at this still relatively early juncture. Actually, my range of motion is already far superior to how I was earlier. I can now pick things off the floor with ease, and can seemingly walk unlimited distances, and don't wake up in the middle of the night due to hip pain. Oh, and I believe I was becoming slightly "bow-legged" over the last couple of years due to my bad hips, and this has appeared to have gone away (look in the mirror and my legs look straighter now). So I guess I should count my blessings!
I hope everyone else is doing fine. I will give another update at my 3-month milestone.
Take care,
Joe
I think you'll find that progress won't be linear.
Things for me got to a particular level, then stayed that way for a bit and I got another surge of improvements. My take on this is that your body is a complex mechanism, filled with invisible mends and fixes that need to happen before the next step forward.
I can remember steps forward which were out of reach for a while and then suddenly they were not only there but easy:
reaching my shoes to tie them easily, walking without a limp, driving, (at seven months for me) starting to run a bit, the last time my hips clicked or popped, the first time I did a leg press with weights, hitting the punching bag, finally kicking the heavy bag.... etc.
All seemed out of reach and took time, but are now an inherent part of my routines. I don't think any of them came without a stretch of time when it seemed no progress was being made.
Good luck and, in my opinion, patience is the key here.
Hey Joe!
Your progress sounds great. The rate sounds familiar. Like you, I made remarkable gains at first, going from someone in pain (who denied she was in pain) and avoided moving to someone who wasn't in pain and wanted to walk and move all the time. At eight weeks I remember I did an hour charity swim and was so stoked afterwards I fairly skipped across the parking lot. Would have skipped except I remembered no running until six months out. I went home and walked a good distance, then felt like crap the next day because I overdid it.
That continues to be my story. I feel really good. I try something new. I can do it! Yay! I over do it. I set myself back. But after a few days I am ready to go again. My abilities keep growing, but it is two steps forward one step back, largely due to my own choices.
You will continue to make gains, maybe more slowly. Like hernanu says you may plateau or find your progress to be nonlinear, but you will keep improving. I am still trying new things, testing out the hips.
Hi Joe
Thanks for your update. As others have said, healing is not a straight line. Sometimes 2 steps forward and one back. Just be patient and let your body heal at it's own speed. Six months is a time when many people feel more normal - varies for many people.
Good Luck.
Pat
Hey Joe,
I had to laugh when i read your latest post because my recovery seems identical to yours. My sixth week actually felt like week three. Knock on wood, the last two weeks have been good. If i push the walking and excercise, pay for it the next day with soreness.
I guess patience is the key.
Going to walk a mile today and do all my leg excercises.
Shelton
Hey Sheltons,
Yeah, it was kind of funny that I somehow thought this recovery was going to be a piece of cake. I'm not even an overly optimistic person by nature, but since things were going so positive and quick the first month, I thought that I would be back to normal in less than 2 months. Then my body slammed me back to reality by saying:
"Hey dummy. You think you're special or something? You think you can avoid all the pain and work everyone else did with their recoveries? Think again brother. We've got a lot of work and time to go through."
So yeah. This is definitely not an easy ride. One thing I did notice by reading the stories here though. There appears to be a common pattern I've noticed on here with recoveries. People's stories seem to drop off noticeably right around the 4-month mark. If I'm right, I'd say that's the point where things really improve. We will have to wait and see...
And thanks blinky, Hernau, Pat etc. for your helpful advice.
One more quick note for any prospective patients. Please understand that I'm simply saying my recovery wasn't a "walk through the park" as I initially envisioned it would be given my experience the first few weeks.
But my recovery isn't difficult at all up to this point. It's just that you will likely experience some pain/soreness. However my soreness isn't anywhere near the level it was pre-surgery (I'd say perhaps 50%), and it is only there perhaps an hour or two after exercising, or for the first few seconds after standing up. The pain and soreness aren't there constantly like it was pre-surgery.
Just want to put a more positive spin on things, because I am still very content with my recovery!
"Yeah, it was kind of funny that I somehow thought this recovery was going to be a piece of cake. I'm not even an overly optimistic person by nature, but since things were going so positive and quick the first month, I thought that I would be back to normal in less than 2 months. Then my body slammed me back to reality by saying:
"Hey dummy. You think you're special or something? You think you can avoid all the pain and work everyone else did with their recoveries? Think again brother. We've got a lot of work and time to go through." "
I think it's very easy to read the stories by those who recover super fast, and assume you will be one of those and not one of those who recovers at an "average" or slower rater. (Really, there's no such thing as average in your recovery. It's all about you.) Also, just because someone recovers fast doesn't mean there isn't pain, soreness, weakness, and a lot of work along the way.
"So yeah. This is definitely not an easy ride. One thing I did notice by reading the stories here though. There appears to be a common pattern I've noticed on here with recoveries. People's stories seem to drop off noticeably right around the 4-month mark. If I'm right, I'd say that's the point where things really improve. We will have to wait and see..."
At first you have daily or near daily milestones. Then it's weekly. Then it slows down and you hardly notice. You'll probably still have some weakness and occasional soreness, but it diminishes in frequency and intensity. You know you're improving, but the steep part of the improvement curve has passed. It's gradual now. It becomes hard to update because you just don't feel it. No news is good news. At some point you'll realize you're back to normal. Maybe that'll happen at 6 months, or maybe 8, 10, or 12. I'm at 13 months out and I would say I'm fully recovered, and I would have said this a few months ago (although I can't put a date to it). My surgical leg is still a bit weaker, but if I spent more time on it I could get it back faster. Right now I've injured my right (surgical side) foot somehow, so walking etc are out until it gets better.
Hey Joe, I'm glad to hear things are progressing... they'll keep getting better and better and better but, like you're learning, the progress is not necessarily linear.
I agree that the 4 month mark was a big milestone. That's when I really started to feel GOOD again. Granted, after surgery was a huge improvement that the bone-on-bone pain was gone but there is plenty of soft tissue soreness and stiffness and weakness and that is NOT pleasant. Seems like right around 4 months is when things seemed really get much easier and the strength really starts to come back.
Hang in there... 8)
Just a quick update at a little more than the 3 month mark.
I can already jog!
Don't worry, I know I'm not supposed to do run until I'm cleared after 6 months, but I was feeling so good that I had to test my new legs out. I only went about 20 feet on soft surface (sand), and I proceeded very gingerly. But it felt so good and normal. I haven't run properly in probably ten years! In the last several years, it would seriously take me a couple of laps around the track to even feel halfway normal. I am now super confident that I will be able to run again, pain free and without limping! :-) And it's funny because I was never a big runner in the past (just perhaps 5 miles per week on average to stay in shape).
Like me, I bet many of you prior to surgery had dreams where you were running. The dreams were pretty powerful and uplifting, and you felt as if you were back in a time before the arthritis came into your life. Then you woke up, and were let down, reminded of the reality that perhaps your running days were over... Again, I don't even know how much I will run if/when I make a full recovery, but it is damned good to know that I at least may have the option!
Things are only improving in all other areas. The pain after sitting for a long time is pretty much gone, and much of the strength has come back (I'd guess around 60-70 percent). I still truly believe that something magical happens for most of us right around the 4-month post-surgical milestone, which is about 3 weeks away for me.
So far, so good. I wish all of you the best in your own personal recoveries.
What a great update Joe! It's awesome to see you enjoying your progress and looking forward with such an optimistic outlook... and just wait, it just keeps getting better.
You sir, are going to have the best summer you've had in many years! 8)
Hello,
Just here to add another update at the 4-month mark (well, 16 weeks anyway). My recovery is going very well, and I am very satisfied with how things are progressing. I haven't been on this site much in the last couple of weeks. I have read some of the other recent stories here, and have seen several individuals who are having some difficulties. I'm confident that their aches and pains will soon subside, and that when it's all said and done, we will all be satisfied with our new hips in the long run.
I'm still performing my recommended exercises (weighted front and side leg lifts), though not as frequent. For the last couple of weeks, I have integrated some other rehab activities which may not explicitly be advised by Dr. Gross's staff. I'm doing light lunges (no weights), some light weight (and not too deep) squats, leg extensions and curls etc. I've also started to run in the sand for approximately a half a mile several times per week. I'm being very careful to not put any undue force on my hips when I do these new exercises, and even the sand running probably isn't as impactful as walking fast on the cement. The running was a little hard at first, but after the first few times, it really has helped the front psosas tightness.
Every once in a while I will overdo things, and my muscles and tendons will be sore. But this pain truly isn't even close to what I was prior to surgery. Maybe my level of satisfaction as this point (besides dumb luck) is due to letting my hips deteriorate for so many years (probably 10+). So in comparison, things just appear to be better. Another thing I've been doing is simply working through the pain if/when it comes during my workouts. I know my body good enough to know when I can push a little harder, versus stopping because I'm doing more damage.
I wish you all the best, and for those of you with ongoing issues, don't stop doing what you can to get over the next hurdle. Whether that be resting more, new stretches, and/or different forms of PT/exercises. Good luck.
Congrats on your 16 week milestone. Isn't it crazy how the time flies? Keep up the great work, I'm sure the progress will continue!
Just posting for my (almost) 6 month post-surgery mark (I used 24 weeks because it came quicker :-))
Bottom Line: I couldn't be happier.
To go back a year ago and recall all the hobbling and pain I experienced while trying to remain active, and then compare to how I feel now is simply hard to imagine. I'm doing activities that I haven't done in *years*. I ran on the track a few weeks ago and did a little more than a 9 minute mile. I know that's not too impressive, but in years past it would take me 9 minutes just to warm up a half of mile so I could even attempt to run more. I've played beach volleyball for a few weeks too, and while my jumping isn't back to 100%, I've been able to run after balls and dive like I did 20 years prior.
At the gym I'm doing squats, lunges with proper form and little pain. I'm picking stuff off the ground and putting on my pants without holding onto to something, tying my shoes with ease, running up stairs. Senior citizens are no longer stepping around me during walks because I was too slow. Forget about it! I've even returned to playing basketball with my kids again in the driveway. I'd like to say I'm beating them, but I'd be lying (they're teenagers now, and getting much better than me).
I could yammer on for the next hour about how satisfied I am with deciding to obtain hip-resurfacing. This website was such a important part of my decision. Without it, I'm not sure I would have been able to reject the numerous ways in which I was being dissuaded from getting this done, from unscrupulous lawyers ads on TV, to the uninformed and/or untrained physicians I encountered. I recall my rock-bottom moment during this journey one night after being informed that afternoon by a MD that "there was no way" I was a candidate for this procedure, "You're hips are too far gone". I remember sitting alone at home, and telling myself over and over "You're becoming a cripple, and there isn't much you can do about it". I cried like a little baby.
Yep, that was the lowest moment. And guess what? The highest moment came, even surpassing how great I feel now, was when I found this website, and was advised that perhaps my path was not set in stone, and that many people have encountered the exact same headwinds that I have. And then adding to that, getting to view so many fine examples of real people with their personal stories of great outcomes, and returning to sports that provide them with a quality of life they once enjoyed. It was like finding an oasis in the desert.
I'm sure Pat gets tired of hearing this, but we are all so blessed and thankful for what you do. And thanks to all who share here, and who have helped me.
Joe
Joe
Thanks for the update. Glad things are moving right along for you. Thanks for taking time to share your experience. I know other people enjoy reading about your journey and as you said, it is great for perspective patients to learn what great options are available.
Thanks again for your kind words about the website. I am very, very happy that it can help people solve their problems and get back to a normal, pain free life.
Good Luck.
Pat
Awesome report Joe!
And, guess what....? It's early sir, you're still healing. You have plenty more progress ahead of you. It's going to keep getting better, and better, and better!
Congrats and it's great to hear how pleased you are. Gonna be one heck of a summer! 8)
One Year post-op Update:
Hi everyone.
Well. it's been a year since my bilateral hip resurfacing surgery performed by Dr. Gross last December. It's been an amazing ride. I would have been completely satisfied even if I didn't recover any more since the six-month mark last June. But, as everyone informed me, I would continue to improve. And I have. Perhaps I'm done making additional physical improvements, and I don't care. I'm at the point where I don't even think about the surgeries, or my hips.
I'm trying hard to come up with some additional information for people on the fence, considering having the surgery. I don't need to rehash all the fun I've been having this Summer and Fall. Well, except to say I'm now getting some wins at the beach volleyball courts, and occasionally kicking my cocky 15 year old teenager's a$$ in basketball now and again . :-)
All I can say is, if you're in pain and feel like your quality of life has diminished because you can't participate in physical activities you once enjoyed, please seriously consider having hip resurfacing done. And the sooner the better. And the only other piece of advice I can offer, which is a daily mantra here, is to choose an experienced surgeon. I happened to get one of the best, but I'm rather certain I would still be completely satisfied if I were to have chosen one of the other 10-20 top surgeons recommended here. Also, while luck no doubt played a factor in my trouble-free recovery, try and stay active and strong (where possible) before your surgery date, and stay committed to your post-op rehab routines.
As my good buddy and fellow bilateral Dr. Gross patient Quig stated to me, I will continue to "pay it forward" here, and chime in when I have some advice to offer throughout the years.
Simply an amazing website and people here. How lucky of me to have landed here when I did.
-Joe
Great update Joe
Nice to hear that your new hips can fully take the weight transfers, the pounding on the joints from basketball, and the pressure strength from weight training squats/lunges and the push off rigours of beach volleyball
Yeah! Go Joe!
Crazy that it has already been a year.... time flies when you're having FUN! I can't tell you how happy I am to see how well you're doing. Keep kicking that kid's butt on the basketball court(!!!) and keep up the beach volleyball.
Congrats, and keep up the good work. It just keeps getting better and better... you're not even close to being done improving. Enjoy!! 8)