How It Began

10 years ago, as I walked briskly with my best friend on our daily excursion through the neighborhoods of Seattle, I began to notice that after 15 minutes of walking I began to favor my right leg and I limped a bit. It felt odd and uncomfortable. Marg said that I had a “hitch in my get along”. I was relatively young and didn't think much of it. The discomfort came and went but as time passed it became more constant. I stopped walking and working out my lower body at the gym thinking it would pass. It didn't.

7 Years Later
Fast forward 7 years later, and I'm barely able to get out of bed. The pain in my lower back is excruciating. My SI joint is locked up and I am miserable. I went to see Dr. Mary Cunningham and she did x-rays of my back and hip and put me into physical therapy. She showed me my hip x-ray and said “This is not good”. There was arthritis, a cyst, and not much cartilage left. She immediately referred me to a colleague in her office, the colleague was Dr. Pritchett.

3 Years Ago
3 years ago was my first visit to Dr. Pritchett. He told me that he predicted that I'd need hip surgery within 2-5 years. My world collapsed. Later, I realized how lucky I was to have a condition that can be fixed. After two injections, a year of physical therapy, and working out at the gym I went back and he said “not yet”. I was back a year later and he said “It’s time”.  By that time, I was unable to even give a small dinner party for my friends or work in my garden without being in major pain.

Surgery
My surgery went well. I had trouble with the pain medications and ended up staying in the hospital an extra day. Every time they tried to get me up to do physical or occupational therapy I’d become very ill and they would rush me back to bed. I’m sure I was not one of their favorite patients. I remember going home in the car with a hospital bucket in my hands and a cold wash cloth that said “hospital property” on it. I feel like that’s all I have left of the hospital experience â€" a $60,000 wash rag. I’ll cherish it.

Recovery
I’m recovering nicely. I’m at 7 weeks post-op now and see my surgeon for my 8 week checkup next week.
I’m so excited to be free of that horrible hip pain. Now, as the discomfort of the surgery slowly leaves my body, I look forward to an active and pain free future.

Luanna

Thank You for taking time to organize and post your story here.  Other people will be able to follow it.  Taking time to tell your story helps new people learn how great hip resurfacing is.

Good Luck.

Pat

Good story, well documented.

Hope everything continues on the right path.


Chuck

Nice post, Luanna. It's heartening to see that, like most of us, the pain and decrease of life was reversed. I'm glad you're feeling so much better.

Thanks everyone. I appreciate your positive comments.

Today I had my 8 week checkup with Dr. Pritchett. My bone is sticking nicely to the implant. He explained that it is the acetabular cup part that needs to adhere. So, I'm pleased. I asked about taking calcium supplements and the potential for them causing excessive bone growth into the tissue. He said that he recommends not taking extra calcium supplements for the first few weeks, but since I'm not showing any signs of bone growing where it should not - I can begin taking my calcium again.

Restrictions on activity - None.

Next Appointment - 1 year.

We chatted about many things and I have to say that I was very pleased with my checkup and so glad that I was referred to Dr. Pritchett. I really didn't know much about HR or how to select a surgeon. I just took the referral I was given after seeing another orthopedic doc that I picked out of the phone book.  Every once in a while you get Lucky!

Luanna

That is great news, Luanna!  Thank you so much for sharing your story!

Hi Luanna... from Luann! Glad to hear you are doing well!! Keep up the good healing and keep posting and letting us know how you are coming along!  Congrats, Lu

Good news, Luanna! You're doing very well. Keep posting.

Thanks Carla and everyone for your well-wishes! I'm feeling really good tonight. Went out and bought a bathing suit so I can start swimming tomorrow.

Luann, how funny to have 2 Luann's on the same site with hip resurfacings. Such an unusual name and we even spell it the same. I added an a on the end so folks could tell us apart. Small world.

Anniee, thanks so much. I'm still in awe of you!  ;D

Thanks newdog. I'll keep posting. I have a long way to go in my recovery journey.

Cheers,
Luanna

Good job Luanna.  Lucky?  I'd say so.  I went through 3 orthos to get to him.  Although one was strictly arthroscopic, and another one was a fairly experienced C+ installer. 

I'm on the one year plan now also.  ALthough one year from LBHR is this Feb, so do I see him then or split the diff?  I'll have to ask. 

Good job, again.

Hi,
I'm doing well overall but I've had my share of challenges. I was feeling great at 11 weeks and totally overdid and wham - my back locked up and I was down and out for almost 2 weeks. Now, at 15 weeks I'm having weird nagging pain at the top of my operated hip - very tip top called the iliac crest. Any ideas of what is causing this would be most welcome and any other folks who have experienced this please share.

Hoping it is temporary. I'm sure my surgeon's assistant is getting tired of my questions. :) I'm supposed to build up my core but dang, I'm not sure how to even begin. My PT is handing me over to her partner as she says she has done all she can for me. I'm trying to be good and do all the right things..... but this recovery stuff is hard.

When I compare where I was just after surgery to now though - I've made tons of progress so I'm not whining....exactly!

Luanna

Luanna,

Are you sure it's not bursitis?   Although the placement of the pain is a little off.



Chuck

Hey Luanna, check this site out :
http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=12001

It appears to be a common issue if you need some more core strengthening or IT band work. Do you have a foam roller? Might help with the IT band stuff.

Thanks guys. Chuck, I sure hope that it isn't bursitis. Seems more like muscles, tendons, and/or nerves.

Hern - YES - the link that you posted hit it spot on!! That's it. I don't have a foam roller...well I have half of a foam roller for upper body work. But I do have a rolling pin - you know - the kind used for baking. Would that work?  Do I just roll it up and down my leg?

I'm thinking about hiring a bodybuilder and trainer acquaintence who works in a PT clinic to set me up with an exercise program to help strengthen areas that are weak. Right now I'm whopperjawed and my gait is off a bit. My right hip is hiked up some and that is most likely straining muscles etc. I had no idea that I was so out of shape. Do other folks here use personal trainers to get back into shape?

Luanna

I got a personal trainer for a month to help me transition to my own training.

I told her what I had done with the PT, and that I wanted core strengthening, she designed a workout regimen that I'm still using every other day. Basically she mixed calisthenics, atypical weight work, balancing, yoga and pilates. I also added punching bag work and treadmill / stairmaster later, but she was pretty good at addressing my core.

The rolling pin might be a bit hard, but I know you can get a foam roller on amazon for about 14 bucks. I think they're also available at sporting goods stores.

Luanna-

The rolling pin might help in the short run.  But the foam roller is really nice.  After the rolling pin you may "knead" one.

These little aches and pains are why I am still going to physical therapy.  They give me really strange exercises that continue to stretch and strengthen the hip capsule.  Even though I feel really normal doing regular things, when I do the exercises I can tell that I still have some weakness in those smaller stabilizer muscles.

I think I had similar pain that you described.  I was icing and elevating a lot to deal with it.  I also have attacked the exercising with a focused determination.

Best wishes.

Dan

Quote from: DGossack on December 14, 2011, 01:16:24 AM
The rolling pin might help in the short run.  But the foam roller is really nice.  After the rolling pin you may "knead" one.

Too funny Dan. I've ordered a foam roller from Amazon. On the way! My PT thought that trying to roll on it might be too painful for me. Thinks I'm a wimp. :)
I actually used the rolling pin a few weeks back and wasn't ready for pressure on that area but I think the foam roller will work better.

This pain is really odd. Niggly and annoying but not dramatic. Kind of feels like a bruise at the top of my hip. Good to hear that I'm not the only one who has experienced it. I'm sure it will pass.

Thanks for your input.

Luanna

I had a problem with a really tight IT band at one point in my hip saga.  The foam roller works great to kind of iron things out.  I got mine from Amazon too! 

Week 16. I met with my surgeon yesterday and we took x-rays of both my hip and my back. Good news - the resurfaced hip looks great. The other hip isn't looking so good. It appears to have a cyst on it as well as some bone on bone, however, it doesn't hurt so I'm ignoring it until it causes problems.

The NOT so good news - I go in for an MRI next week for my lower back. The only thing he said was "You need an MRI for your back".... I guess I was not wanting to hear that so he had to say it several times. Very patient man.  :) The discs between L-4 & L-5, and L5 & S1 seem to be very compressed. The back pain is keeping me from making good progress with my hip recovery - so we'll see.

I've convinced myself that once I strengthen my core and get the hip muscles stronger the back will settle itself out. The eternal optimist. Anyway, that's the latest on my recovery.

Overall very good.

Luanna

Quote from: Luanna on December 22, 2011, 09:51:22 AM
I've convinced myself that once I strengthen my core and get the hip muscles stronger the back will settle itself out. The eternal optimist. Anyway, that's the latest on my recovery.

Overall very good.

Lianna

It certainly can't hurt to work on your core and increasing your hip's muscular strength.  Sounds to me like a very good plan. Helping our body's muscles work properly is an excellent way to support your spine and could very well help your back to become asymptomatic.