I thought I would keep a log that I would update daily at first and then weekly to track my progress and recovery. I found going into my surgery reading others logs was very helpful.
I had my right hip resurfaced in November of 2011 with Dr Snyder. My second hip was done yesterday 2/10/21 with Dr Marchand in RI. The experience has been completely different this time around. Last time they did general anesthesia and this time I got a spinal and then something to make me sleep. Way better recovery post op this way and no foggyness waking up. It did take a few hours though to be able to move my feet and toes so that was weird. The surgery was textbook and no issues.
PT had me up and walking a tiny bit after surgery. My pain levels are fine and I haven’t taken any narcotics at all up to this point. Last night I didn’t sleep much at all. Going pee was a bit of a challenge. First time I got up and used the toilet but got super dizzy when I went back in bed so they gave me a urinal. It was hard to go but I figured it out. I actually went a ton last night so no catheter like last time.
This morning PT got me up and walking on the walker. I’m already able to go foot over foot so that is great. She had me do a bunch of other exercises which were def challenging. She did comment how much stronger I am that most patients which is why I was able to do it without problems. They are going to get me up again for more walking and then stairs. After that I will be ready to be discharged. I have a 2 hour drive home so that might be a challenge. I’m obviously not driving. So far no issues
Hi Pete
Thanks for the update. Glad things are going well. Always interesting to compare two surgeries. Many people find out they have different recoveries for each.
Sounds like you are moving right along. Good luck on your ride home. I look forward to reading more as you progress.
Pat
Congrats on the successful surgery. Your notes reminded me of my first night experience, when I was going pee constantly. I couldn’t believe how much I went.
I always marvel at the immediate weight-bearing stories, as I was no weight-bearing for 6 weeks post-surgery. The drive home should be no problem for you.
I made it home. The ride wasn’t terrible. Getting in the car was challenging but not too bad. When I got out of the car though OMG it is sore and stiff. Moving around is 20 times harder now than when I was at the hospital. I’m trying to take it easy right now so I don’t over work it. It is crazy sore though. I’m still peeing a lot which sucks because I have e to get up like every 20 min or so. I haven’t taken any Percocet yet but I might take one. I hate that stuff. That said, he has me on meds for the next 28 days. Last time I only took Tylenol after day 2. He has me on Meloxocam and Gabapenton. Pain is prob. a 5
Right now and about a 7 when I get up.
Today is 2 days post op in the morning. Last night was BRUTAL. I did WAY too much and it got to the point I could barely even move. I am still peeing constantly which made it difficult last night. Basically every 20 min. I had to get up and go to the bathroom. Then, when I made it upstairs into bed I was in agony. I ended up taking a Percoset and it didn't really kick in for a few hours. I brought the urinal with me so I didn't have to get up to pee which was a godsend. Sleeping was challenging because I'm a side sleeper and sleeping on my back is just super uncomfortable. I did manage to get some sleep so that's a major plus. My left side obliques are REALLY sore. I don't remember this from last time but I'm guessing it is from the surgery and being slammed when putting in the cup.
This morning so far I feel WAY better. I have PT coming in 15 minutes so we'll see how that goes. I'm going to try taking it way easier today. I will do my PT exercises with the PT and solo but I will not overdue it. Hopefully tonight isn't as bad as last night.
Congratulations! I'll be right there with you on March 1. I'm surprised they kept you overnight. While I spent my first night in the hospital with my previous resurfacing this time it's day surgery.
Congrats, Pete! Yeah, one of my nurses said the IV fluids and drinking lots of water and Gatorade would help flush the system, but peeing a river every half hour was the result! I filled a whole quart urinal jug right after my surgery... the “golden moment†before they let me leave. It was late and the staff at the surgery center actually cheered! Lots of water flowing after the swelling started and subsided as well. To be expected according to my nurses. I really should’ve invested in the raised toilet seats at home, thinking the 18†high-rises we had would be ok. Hang in there!
Go Pete!
This peeing...is it a man thing? I recall a guy in the hospital with me who could NOT pee and that was an issue. Prostate?
I peed normally but also swelled up from water retention and swelling.
They told me they give you something that makes it so you can't pee and the anesthesia messes with your bladder. My first surgery I could NOT pee and actually passed out trying to and smashed my head off the floor and needed an MRI. This time it was a little challenging trying to pee but I was peeing a TON.
Quote from: blinky on February 13, 2021, 09:55:47 AM
Go Pete!
This peeing...is it a man thing? I recall a guy in the hospital with me who could NOT pee and that was an issue. Prostate?
I peed normally but also swelled up from water retention and swelling.
That is CRAZY that they don't keep you over night. I'm glad I was able to stay the night. It was nice getting PT the day off and the following before going home. Good luck with your surgery. It will be a distant memory.
Quote from: catfriend on February 12, 2021, 06:25:59 PM
Congratulations! I'll be right there with you on March 1. I'm surprised they kept you overnight. While I spent my first night in the hospital with my previous resurfacing this time it's day surgery.
Today is day 3 post OP. So far so good. Feeling a lot better. I've been doing my PT exercises and getting up and walking the hallway. With my grabber, shoe horn I'm able to be more independent. I was able to move my bowels twice yesterday and again this morning so that's a huge victory. The hospital called yesterday morning and asked about that and the importance of going. My last surgery took me 5-6 days to do a BM.
I took a shower last night which was interesting. Right before I got really bad chills and started shivering. I took the shower and it was really bad when I got out. Lasted for maybe 10 minutes. I got in bed and pulled the covers up and then I was fine. Not sure if it was from the Percoset as it is a known side effect. I did take it about 20 minutes before this started. I did cut it in half and took a 1/2 pill in the morning and another 1/2 in the early evening. Not sure if that was the cause. I'm not taking any today and so far doing well. I took a few steps without using much or any pressure on the walker. My hip is stiff but I'm not in pain. It is difficult to do simple tasks obviously but so far so good.
The bruising is starting to settle in. There was a noticeable difference between yesterday morning and yesterday night. It is still spreading and getting darker. I've been icing it. There is def. some swelling but it's not out of control. Overall I'm in good spirits and def. way further along this time around than the last.
Today is Day 4 Post Op. I think my recovery is going great. I'm in good spirits and I've been doing a lot. I'm not taking any pain meds aside from the Tylenol and a nerve drug. My PT told me to avoid the exercise with the straight leg leg lift. You are basically laying on your back and wrap a towel around your foot and lift your leg up and back down. I decided to try it without the towel and I'm able to do them. Also, with the in and out laying leg slides I'm doing them without putting plastic down on the bed. Walking is getting easier and I'm putting less and less weight on the walker. Last night I started getting the night sweats. Last surgery these lasted about 2 weeks and were absolutely brutal. Last night was pretty bad. I had to change my shirt because it was drenched in sweat. Last time around I thought it was because of the anesthesia but this time I spoke with he anesthesiologist and he said that is not a side effect from it. Speaking with the nurse from the hospital she said it is common post surgery to have a fever and as long as it is below 101 don't worry about it. I'm wondering if I'm spiking a fever in my sleep? If it happens tonight we are going to take my temp right away and see if that's what's going on.
Swelling is starting to kick in and bruising is growing by the day. No incision pain but last night it was itchy so I guess that's good as it should mean it's healing.
Thank you for keeping this diary, It is really useful for a newbie like myself to read your story. BTW, what is Percocet?
Percocet is a narcotic pain killer. https://www.rxlist.com/percocet-drug.htm
Quote from: Minniemuis on February 15, 2021, 08:25:56 AM
Thank you for keeping this diary, It is really useful for a newbie like myself to read your story. BTW, what is Percocet?
You're welcome. Going into my 2nd surgery and it being 10 years later I didn't recall how long the recovery was. This time around I tried to find as many logs as I could and they were SUPER helpful. Everyone basically said that the first 2 weeks were really difficult and things got better from there. Some people went thru depression during this time and had lots of ups and downs. I literally read a ton of them and preferred the ones that were daily for the first few weeks and then a few times a week and then weekly and monthly. I hope this helps others.
Day 5 Post OP:
WOW, I woke up this morning and before getting out of bed I did my PT exercises. Easy peasy. I got up and showered and even dressed 100% by myself WITHOUT needing to use the grabber or anything to get my pants on. SCORE. I then was curious if I could walk with one crutch so I went down stairs and BOOM walking on just one crutch without any issues on DAY 5. Last time around I know it was 2 weeks before I got to this point. I have PT coming in a few hours so I will see what their thoughts are on this but I'm not unstable at all.
Pain levels are completely manageable. My fiance thinks I'm lying about it and thinks I'm doing too much. haha. I was in really good shape going into this and super strong. I exercised up to 2 days before my surgery and only didn't go the day before because it was snowing out. The month prior to surgery I used the exercise bike every day to keep the muscles around my hip strong. I'm def. thinking all of this has dramatically helped to this point. I have my follow up in 8 days and plan on going back to the gym the following day to do some really light exercises just to get back into a routine.
Quote from: PistolPete on February 15, 2021, 09:35:55 AM
Quote from: Minniemuis on February 15, 2021, 08:25:56 AM
Thank you for keeping this diary, It is really useful for a newbie like myself to read your story. BTW, what is Percocet?
You're welcome. Going into my 2nd surgery and it being 10 years later I didn't recall how long the recovery was. This time around I tried to find as many logs as I could and they were SUPER helpful. Everyone basically said that the first 2 weeks were really difficult and things got better from there. Some people went thru depression during this time and had lots of ups and downs. I literally read a ton of them and preferred the ones that were daily for the first few weeks and then a few times a week and then weekly and monthly. I hope this helps others.
Even though it's only been five years for me I can't entirely remember my recovery, either. I kept a blog for that recovery, and have found it helpful to review in preparation for my March 1 surgery. Looking back, I can see that day two post op was my worst day. By the time I was where you're at now - day 5 - I was doing MUCH better. I was in public on day 8, and went to a restaurant on day 9 (on my way to my first follow-up). You seem to be doing similar.
Good to see that you're on the stairs sooner this time out.
I do wish I had kept a better log of how much I was walking when. I graduated from my hall to my street to around the block to my community center track to parks, but I didn't keep notes of just how much I walked when, and I definitely don't remember.
It is like you're looking for, though: at first you note improvements each day, and then weekly, and then longer, and within a few months you're most of the way better.
I wore my Garmin from day 7 when I first ventured outdoors with 2 crutches, for a very slow mile+ around our estate, until the end of my first year - very instructive, and good for comparison with my THR which initially seemed worse but rapidly got better when that came along a couple of years later. Still wear a Garmin for activities, everything gets recorded when running to show balance L/R and stride data, interesting to watch trends.
That is a great idea. If you're ever down you can always reference back to see where you were and that is always encouraging. I want to venture outside but we've been getting nothing but snow and ice. We got an ice storm overnight and more snow in 2 days. It's been snowing basically every other day with no end in sight. I'm def. not walking with the risk of falling. I'm praying this cycle ends soon though as my street PERFECT for walking as I live on a cul-de-sac and we have hardly any traffic at all.
Quote from: petemeads on February 16, 2021, 05:20:59 AM
I wore my Garmin from day 7 when I first ventured outdoors with 2 crutches, for a very slow mile+ around our estate, until the end of my first year - very instructive, and good for comparison with my THR which initially seemed worse but rapidly got better when that came along a couple of years later. Still wear a Garmin for activities, everything gets recorded when running to show balance L/R and stride data, interesting to watch trends.
Day 6 Post Op:
Yesterday was GREAT!!!!! I spent basically the entire day on just one crutch. My PT and OT came and they were blown away with my progress. The PT agreed that one crutch is fine because I was walking great with it but she did say if my gait gets worse to go back to the walker. She gave me a bunch of new standing exercises to do so def. making progress. Yesterday was GREAT.
Today so far (9:30am) I'm SORE. Swelling is up for certain as well as bruising. I did my first round of PT exercises but I think I'm going to take it a bit slower today. It is like lifting weight. If you go super heavy one day you will then use a different group of muscles the following. If you do the same muscle group every day it won't recover. I will be curious to see how things go for the remainder of the day. That said I'm still feeling good. No real pain, no issues doing a BM, and I even got my TED socks on by myself. My OT showed me a trick. It was HARD but I did it. HAHA.
I'm also in good spirits. Some of the other logs I read people were getting depressed esp. during the first few weeks. I'm not feeling any of that. I am going to clean up my diet starting tomorrow as I'm def. getting squishier. My goal is to be shredded for the end of summer so I don't want to get out of hand right now.
Day 7 Post Op:
Hopefully someone at some point finds this post helpful. Yesterday was GREAT!!!! I did my 1/4 squats and still on one crutch. Last night I thought I would try using my crutch like a cane to see if I could take a few steps. Yep, NO problem at all. I did a bunch of walking this way without any issues. I'm def. progressing well. Since about day 3 or 4 I was able to lift my leg from the floor into the leg without any assistance. Today the swelling and bruising is increasing and the outside of my leg is VERY SORE. I think I'm going to take it a little easier today to see if I can keep the swelling in check.
It's good to read that your recovery is going well Pete, keep it up but don't overdo it. Marathon not sprint.
Moe
Today is Day 8 Post Op. Yesterday my leg was SUPER sore. My hip was fine but my quad and hamstring were REALLY swollen. I took it easy yesterday. Def. don't want to overdue it. That said, I'm already for the cane. I ordered one from Walmart and I'm leaving in a few to go grab it. This will be my first time leaving the house since my surgery. That said, we've had a ton of snow and icy conditions so I didn't feel it was safe walking outside. My driveway gets a lot of ice so I didn't want to risk slipping and falling. I've been diligent with my PT and ice. I ice almost all day long. I have an ice machine so that's a god send. If you don't have one and you're going thru this surgery GET ONE!!!!! Works so much better than using ice packs and lasts 10 times longer. I fill the bowl with water and then add 4 frozen mini water bottles and it stays cold for HOURS. Much better than using ice in it.
I feel good today. I'm taking steps without assistance pretty easily. Again, not pushing it but I will transition to the cane today once I have it. If things start getting sore I will revert back to the crutch or even the walker.
Hey Pete - Thanks for the log. It sounds like your first week has gone well overall. I'm wondering if you did any "pre-hab" work to strengthen that side before surgery?
I go to the gym lifting about 6 or 7 days per week and I did this up to two days before surgery. That said, because of the major impingement I was hardly doing legs. Literally impossible to squat or do leg presses. I was doing leg extensions, leg curls, and calf exercises as well as riding the exercise bike. I did the bike nearly every day for about a month. I think just overall I'm really strong which has def. helped to this point. If you're thinking about or have surgery scheduled I recommend getting in shape prior 100%.
Quote from: tallmarkr on February 18, 2021, 12:01:53 PM
Hey Pete - Thanks for the log. It sounds like your first week has gone well overall. I'm wondering if you did any "pre-hab" work to strengthen that side before surgery?
Day 9 Post Op: Yesterday was AWESOME. I went to the store and it was the first time leaving the house. I was able to walk around and get a cane. I will say that people are ignorant though. Walking on a crutch you would think others would be careful around you. NOPE, some old woman literally cut me off to get out the door before me. I told her she was ignorant.
Anyways, PT came and she did clear me for using the cane. We went outside as the street was clear but it was VERY COLD out. We walked mostly the length of my street and back. Would have gone further but she was freezing. haha. She wanted me to call my surgeon to confirm if it was OK to already be on the cane and they said it was fine but if I feel any pain or discomfort to listen to my body and go back to the crutch or walker. No issues so far. Still no issues going the bathroom or sleeping. I tried laying on my operative side last night but that was a no-go.
Doing my marching exercises this morning I noticed how smooth my leg comes up. Pre-Op I could not do this or it would be extreme pain. It would also not be smooth and feel like everything was grinding. I'm really happy about that. The bruising is still growing but the swelling is starting to go down a bit. It's crazy because I have a large bruise around the back of my knee. I'm wondering if this is from pulling on my leg during surgery or just the bruise traveling down. Very strange if it is the later though because there is no bruising between my hamstring and this spot.
Glad to hear your recovery is moving along. I wish you the very best.
Pat
Thank you so much I'm very happy with how far along I am so quickly. Thank you for this awesome website. You might not hear it enough but it is the best resource we have. Going thru previous logs has helped me tremendously esp. before my surgery as I was getting more and more nervous about it all.
Quote from: Pat Walter on February 19, 2021, 12:29:51 PM
Glad to hear your recovery is moving along. I wish you the very best.
Pat
Day 10 Post Op: Coming up on 2 weeks. WOOT WOOT. Things still going well. I'm still only using the cane at this point and I'm taking steps without it. Going up and down stairs I'm stepping foot over foot so that's a huge step in the right direction. The weather here has been awful so I haven't been able to get outside for a walk. My road is covered in snow and it's basically snowed all week long. Not a ton but enough to cover the road. I may take a trip to Walmart just to walk around for exercise. I've been doing my PT exercises religiously which I def. think is helping. They are all getting easier. The 1/4 squats though KILL so I've been doing those sparingly. My PT said it's a little premature to start doing those.
Last night sleeping I had an issue. I had a dream that I was in a fight and got knocked to the ground so I side kicked the person attacking me. Problem is I actually threw a side kick which woke me right up. Def. didn't feel good. Def. don't want to repeat that ever again.
Gonna start calling you “ProgressPete!†:) Watch what you eat before bedtime there, Chuck Norris! Kinda jealous about the snow report. We haven’t had a single flake here down South.
Quote from: Arthur Skoppie on February 20, 2021, 09:28:25 AM
Gonna start calling you “ProgressPete!†:) Watch what you eat before bedtime there, Chuck Norris! Kinda jealous about the snow report. We haven’t had a single flake here down South.
HAHA. Thank you. Sure rub it in that you haven't had any snow. We are getting ANOTHER storm Monday night. February has been Brutal. Tons of snow and VERY cold temps. Oh well, usually when we have a tough winter we have an awesome spring and summer so I will take it now to have the better weather later.
Day 11 Post Op: (this post might have TMI just warning)
Yesterday was my best day yet. Got up, did my exercises, iced my leg etc. The weather warmed up to a balmy 20 degrees so I decided to venture out alone. I walked down to my mailbox and back. It's prob. 1/4 mile total. I took a bunch of unassisted steps with mostly ease. I am limping though when not using the cane so I'm not going to push it. Def. don't want to build bad habits and then have to learn how to fix a bad gait. So, def. keeping an eye on that. But, it felt great. My fiance and I decided to go on a date. We went to a Habichi restaurant and had an awesome time. It's interesting the strange looks people give me walking on a crutch. I'm pretty built as I've been lifting for decades so people look confused. haha. I think my fiance wishes I took my single crutch instead of the cane though. haha
We came home and watched a movie and then had sex. Yes, we had sex with NO PROBLEMS..... We did it doggie style (I know TMI) but this worked great. If you're a new hippie I 100% recommend this. It didn't put any stress on my hip and we just went slower than usual obviously. My fiance was VERY happy as she was starting to feel neglected. HAHA. Kidding obviously, but she was teasing me about it.
The ONLY real nagging problem I'm having is my incision is SUPER ITCHY. Esp. at night. OMG I want to tear it off. I've read that taking Benedril will calm the histamines down and it won't itch. I haven't gone that route yet but last night I deeply thought about it. haha. Pain has been maybe a 1 or 2. My hip is tight and gets sore but doesn't hurt. Again, the marching exercise feels AMAZING. If I were to try that pre-op there is no way I could do it. It would hurt so much and would snap, crackle, and pop. Now, I can't believe how smooth it is. Also, on the laying heel slides my leg is extending further and further every single day. I meet with my surgeon in 2 days and I'm planning on going to the gym on day 3 to do PT stuff, ride the bike with no resistance, and do some light machines. Can't wait to have my life back but I'm feeling closer to normal with each passing day.
Day 12 Post Op:
I can't believe it's already been almost 2 weeks. Things are essentially the same. Yesterday we went to Walmart and I got to walk around the entire store. Def. the most I've walked at this point. I used the carriage as support and didn't have any issues. My incision is still super itchy esp at night and early morning. My leg is getting stronger and my PT exercises are getting easier. I have my follow up tomorrow. I'm hoping he lifts the 90 degree restriction but I'm not sure if that's at one month.
Dr. Gross prescribes Mupirocin ointment, stage name “Bactrobanâ€, for the incision once a day. I rub it on after showering. Mine never itched, although sometimes it feels like it is itching INSIDE. Must be the healing! Still using it, but about to run out.
Very interesting. I get my bandage removed today so I will ask if I can use this. They did say I could use Benadryl which would stop the itching. I might have to try that if it continues like it has been. Does the Mupirocin Ointment also help with scarring?
Quote from: Arthur Skoppie on February 22, 2021, 09:11:06 PM
Dr. Gross prescribes Mupirocin ointment, stage name “Bactrobanâ€, for the incision once a day. I rub it on after showering. Mine never itched, although sometimes it feels like it is itching INSIDE. Must be the healing! Still using it, but about to run out.
Day 13 Post Op:
I honestly cannot believe it's been nearly 2 weeks already. Time is FLYING by. I have my follow up today so they will remove the bandage. I'm going to attempt the gym shortly. Will keep it VERY VERY easy just mostly want to get in to see many of my friends and to try to get back into a routine.
Yesterday during PT things were going great UNTIL I tried getting up from the floor. She wanted a harder surface than my bed and I told her I could get down on the floor. I did without issue but getting up I strained the front of my hip. It hurt REALLY REALLY BAD. Like, nearly passed out. haha. It was fine after a couple of minutes but I took it very easy the last few days. She went over my walking and said my stride is short so I need to do some stretching. She said I'm doing great off the cane but when I do my stride gets even shorter so she wants me stretching and walking on my longer stride. I'm guessing because the impingement I had prior to surgery my stride has DEF. shortened. Glad she pointed it out so I can be aware of it. Def not something I would have known prior.
I will post back later after my follow up.
So, I went to the gym this morning and did some machines and 10 min with no resistance on the exercise bike. Felt good to be back. I then had my follow up. They removed the bandage and Holy Hell my scar must be 12-13" long. My other side is only 6" or so. They have some weird bandage with strips over it that I need to keep on for another week or two. Looks like Train Tracks running the entire length. I cannot believe how large the incision is though. OMG
Anyways, they said things are looking awesome. X-Rays are perfect, mobility is great, healing looks perfect, swelling looks good, and bruising is nearly gone. They said I can go beyond the 90 degree bend but listen to my body. Any pain and it means my body doesn't like that yet. He said I'm cleared to do pretty much any upper body exercises so long as I'm not twisting and torquing on my hip. He said most machines are perfectly fine. He said let PT guide me into adding lower body exercises and be extra cautious when doing it alone. He said there is almost no risk of the implant moving at this point but to be smart and let my body heal. He said the 6 month restriction is because they want to be conservative with things and have people ease their way back into activity .
The Mupirocin doesn’t necessarily help with scar appearance, but it does keep the itching at bay. Perhaps Polysporin or Neosporin would do the same. This is prescription, not OTC. Dr. Gross’s literature says that he doesn’t believe in “potions†that will reduce the appearance of the scar. Personally, I’m going to tell everyone that I was lucky that shark bit me where he did and didn’t take my leg off! ;D
They said not to put anything on it. He said the itching is from the dry skin caused from being taped and under dressing. SO funny how each surgeon has a different approach. haha
Quote from: Arthur Skoppie on February 24, 2021, 08:37:43 PM
The Mupirocin doesn’t necessarily help with scar appearance, but it does keep the itching at bay. Perhaps Polysporin or Neosporin would do the same. This is prescription, not OTC. Dr. Gross’s literature says that he doesn’t believe in “potions†that will reduce the appearance of the scar. Personally, I’m going to tell everyone that I was lucky that shark bit me where he did and didn’t take my leg off! ;D
Day 15: Yesterday was another great day. I'm pretty much off the cane around the house at this point. I can go up and down stairs without issue without it and going foot over foot. I have a bit of a limp but not too bad. My stride has gotten much much longer. I also went to the gym again yesterday and it went great. I added a bit of weight to the machines I did and went up to a level 3 on the exercise bike. I will keep the resistance low until PT clears me to go higher. My In home PT discharged me yesterday. She said she has been doing this for 20 years and this is the fastest she's seen anyone recover to where I'm already at. I start outpatient PT on Monday. I'm going to the gym again this morning. I've still been icing it most of the day. Swelling has gone down and the bruising is almost completely gone. I'm happy with where I am at this point and excited to see where I am in the next 2 weeks. They lifted the 90 degree restriction but said don't do anything that hurts and to slowly work into it. My PT had me doing a lot more stretches as she said I'm really stiff and tight in certain areas. I haven't been able to stretch for the past year or longer because it hurt too much. I'm excited to start working on my flexibility again.
Day 16 Post Op: I did a lot yesterday. I want to the gym and a ton of things. I also did 10 1/2 min. on the exercise bike and 4 1/2 min on the Elliptical. The Elliptical was challenging but I didn't push it. When I got tired I stopped. Hence the 4.5 minutes. When I came home I iced for a bit and relaxed. Then, decided to take a walk to the mailbox. I did NOT use the cane and I didn't have any issues at all. I would say I'm off everything about 95% of the time. Before bed I got down on the floor and did my PT exercises and even did some Hollow Holds, reverse sit ups, bridges and some Jiu Jitsu exercises. Def. felt good to be able to do some of this stuff. We had sex again last night so I was happy about that.
Today I got up and was a bit sore. I went to the gym and left my cane in the locker. No issues walking around. I only did 10 min on the exercise bike and I skipped the elliptical. After the gym I stopped at the grocery store to grab some things. I ended up having to walk around the entire store but thankfully I brought my cane with me. I def. needed it at that point esp. after carrying a several liters of Seltzer water.
Day 17: Another great day. getting stronger every single day. I hit the gym this morning and did a few light sets of leg extensions on the machine. Again, no cane. I would say I'm walking 95% without the cane. After the gym we went out to an Arcade type place and spend over 3 hours there. Most of this time was walking or standing and I did not bring the cane. I'm sore now but not terrible. I'm icing it now but overall feel really good.
Day 19: Everything is pretty much the same. Going to the gym every morning and slowly building things back. Walking 95% unassisted but using the cane to make sure I don't develop a limp. I start outpatient PT today so we will see how that goes. I did a LOT this past weekend so I'm feeling it a bit. No pain just sore. I'm still icing it but the swelling is pretty much all gone at this point. I have 2 more days of taking Tylenol and I will prob. continue wearing my TED socks until Friday. I think because I'm so active and I'm up and about I prob. don't need them. That will be basically 3 1/2 weeks wearing them. Also, on Friday I'm going to take the final zip tie bandage off. They said last Tuesday to keep it on for a week to a week and a half so I will prob just take it off on Friday unless it starts coming off prior.
Day 21: Things are still progressing nicely. I've stopped using the toilet seat extender a few days ago. Still hardly using the cane at all even when I go out. Today I started outpatient PT and that went great. They gave me some new exercises to do and were blown away with my progress thus far. I'm still going to the gym daily and started adding in some light machine calf raises and light leg extensions. My PT said that was perfectly fine just to listen to my body. They approved me for 8 weeks of PT two times per week but said they doubt I will need to go that long. My strength is coming back which I'm excited about. Hopeful to get my life back to normal within the next 2 months or so.
Fantastic! Well done.
I made the mistake of doing 100 lunge-walks in the gym on Saturday (50 per leg, no rest). I've barely been able to walk since, but not hip-related. Just super sore muscles. Still, I'm glad to feel that 'ole lactic acid pain again!
Quote from: imgetinold on March 08, 2021, 12:09:45 PM
Fantastic! Well done.
I made the mistake of doing 100 lunge-walks in the gym on Saturday (50 per leg, no rest). I've barely been able to walk since, but not hip-related. Just super sore muscles. Still, I'm glad to feel that 'ole lactic acid pain again!
Hopefully it's getting better. Sometimes we feel good when we are at the gym and think we are SuperMan to quickly get told by our bodies days later that we are mere mortals. haha
Day 26: Somehow, I'm hovering around the one month mark already. The time is FLYING by. Just got back from PT and she stepped things up today. I was literally sweating while there. She had me doing a ton of step down exercises on the stairs which REALLY target where I'm weak. She said she is blown away with where I'm at already and to keep doing what I'm doing.
I've been doing great overall. Been still hitting the gym every day working mostly upper body. I did the elipictal again today but that is still really challenging. I've been walking 100% without the cane. I'm able to sleep on my operated side for long lengths of time which is AWESOME. I can also sleep on my stomach and flipping over and around is getting so much easier. Yesterday, I did a ton. Went to the gym in the morning, then went grocery shopping. to the pet warehouse, and then Walmart. It was a TON of walking but I felt good. I also removed the zipper thing on my scar the other day. It was super super sticky and left a residue that took about 2 days to get off. I didn't want to get in there and scrub away so I just used some antibacterial soap and slowly went at it.
Day 32 Post Op: I'm feeling GREAT!!!! I've been hitting the gym every day and slowly getting back into shape. I think I did a little too much a few days ago so yesterday and the day before things were sore so I just took it easy and today it feels great. I can put my socks and shoes on without any devices and can tie my sneakers on my own which is super helpful. My strength is coming back slowly but consistently. Today at the gym I did some machine squats. The base has a slanted support so I first tried it without any weight. I added 50lbs. and then 90lbs. but didn't go any higher. Not going deep like I used to before having issues and a far cry from the 900lbs. I was doing before my hip started to grow but it is major progress to me. I did that for 4 sets of 15-20 and then some seated leg curls, and 10 minutes on the bike. I'm starting to do lunges but only going about halfway down and I'm even able to throw some SUPER light kicks without speed, power or anything but going thru range of motion. I tried doing some planks and didn't have any issues.
I have a follow up in a week and a half which will be 6 weeks. They said at the 6 week mark the bone will be fused to the implant and at that point I can start doing a little more. I'm excited to be able to go hiking when the weather breaks and get out without pain. We are getting a new puppy in a week and a half so he will keep me busy and walking more and more. Super excited.
6 WEEKS POST OP: I had my 6 week follow up today and all is good. They are super happy with my progress so far. The past week I've been working on balance and building the stabilizer muscles. I cleaned up my diet and I'm already down 6lbs. in a week so that's encouraging. Still hitting the gym daily. I've added in some light Romanian Deadlifts, TRX full squats, and even started doing a TINY bit of jumping rope.
My PT is still blown away at my progress. I'm getting a little bit of a sharp pain, kind of like biting your tongue, on the inside of my groin when I do certain motions. The Physicians Assistant said that is just inflammation in the soft tissue and that will go away over time. He said since I'm doing a lot of rehab etc it is just causing it to be inflamed. X-Rays looked perfect and I don't have another follow up until 6 months. I'm glad I'm where I'm at and looking forward to getting stronger and stronger each week.
I had a little bit of an issue so I texted my Surgeon. I noticed my scar was getting red and didn't look great. I sent him a picture and he called me back. He said to just keep an eye on it but he wasn't concerned. He asked how my recovery was going and he did say to not overdue it. He said there is a ton of soft tissue damage and inflammation and I need to let that settle in. My balance is really starting to come back which is great.
I found the Bosu ball very helpful in regaining balance and rebuilding the soft tissue/glute muscles for the fine motor control needed for balance. Building up to a 20 rep set of deep squats followed by a 10 rep set of partial one legged squats was a turning point but it took a good 2-3 months after my 6 week appointment before I could do that. Sounds like your advancing rapidly.
I'm 8 weeks post op and feeling mostly good. I have some pain during certain movements but overall things are going well. My flexibility in my hip flexors right now is my biggest issue. I started jumping rope and that's going pretty well. I only do 50 or so reps and then stop and I'm not slamming anything. Yesterday and today we did a mile and a half walk around the lake. I will try hiking the mountain near me within the next couple weeks just going super slow. I'm still hitting the gym daily and aside from injuring my neck/shoulder that's been great. The other day I did some leg presses. I only went up to 100lbs. with super strict form for sets of 15 and I could have done more but slow and steady wins the race. I will do a bit more this week but again I won't push things. I'm guessing the next month is when I will see the big progress.
PistolPete is locked and loaded! Great to hear about your progress. You are an inspiration!
Not to discourage you, but make sure you don’t overdo and compromise any of your surgeon’s hard work. Those internal sutures will start dissolving soon and you don't want to accidentally tear something. Last thing any of us want is to be cut open again when we’ve come so far.
I agree with you on that. Def. don't want to have to go back under the knife. I'm at 3 months now and feeling pretty good. The only issue I'mr really having is my hip flexor highness in both hips. It is really quite bad and I'm working on stretching to loosen it up. I'm still hitting the gym and started adding in leg presses but nothing crazy. I need to work on my range of motion more. I'm still in the gym daily and with our new puppy we've been taking him for walks daily so getting in plenty of exercise. My goal is to be super lean this summer so I started tweaking my diet and adding in a little more cardio. I'm still jumping rope and getting so much better at it so I'm happy about that. Other than that not too much to report. I feel good overall.
Quote from: Arthur Plastie on April 22, 2021, 07:36:45 AM
PistolPete is locked and loaded! Great to hear about your progress. You are an inspiration!
Not to discourage you, but make sure you don’t overdo and compromise any of your surgeon’s hard work. Those internal sutures will start dissolving soon and you don't want to accidentally tear something. Last thing any of us want is to be cut open again when we’ve come so far.