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Author Topic: I hate being "Mr average"  (Read 13305 times)

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chris finn

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I hate being "Mr average"
« on: January 06, 2011, 12:10:46 PM »
Hi all.

Im 46 (end of Jan) and I had my left hip resurfaced on 9th Dec 2010. The op was done at Addenbrookes hospital Cambridge (England) And I cant praise the surgeon (Mr Norrish) or his team highly enough.

Im still waiting for physio at the moment, so I have been doing the exercises that were recomended to me at the hospital...and some I picked up from this site. But I dont know if Im doing too much or not enough.

During the day I try to go for a walk, and I do my exercises 2 or 3 times during the day. Although if I push it too much I get quite a bad ache in my hip.

Post op I had no pain at all..infact I stopped all pain relief after only 2 days (pain free for the first time in 3 years is so good  ;D ) although I still had to inject myself in the stomach everyday for 24 days, to stop blood clots forming (keep that one quiet dont they??  >:( )

I have a lot of trouble sleeping at night. I get 2 or 3 hours if Im lucky, but Ive put this down to the fact that I usually do a physical job as well as weight training and martial arts, and now Im doing next to nothing all day.

I realise that everyone recovers at their own rate, but it doesnt make it any easier. Im coming up to week 4 and I really thought I would be doing far more, due to the fact that I have always participated in sport, but my progress seems to have slowed right down. I suppose I will find out what the surgeon thinks of my progress at my 6 weeks check.

ok...rant over ;)

 Feel free to ask me anything you like about any aspect of the op or my recovery.
BIRMINGHAM RESURFACE, LEFT HIP, 9TH DEC 2010,BY MR A. NORRISH...CONSULTANT-SURGEON, ADDENBROOKE`S HOSPITAL...CAMBRIDGE UK

FlbrkMike

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Re: I hate being "Mr average"
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2011, 12:40:49 PM »
Hi Chris,

Glad to hear that you've gotten rid of that pain.  I'm hoping to get my left hip done within the next month, and I have a couple of questions for you if you wouldn't mind answering.

Are you employed, and if so what type of work (office, physical, etc.)?
Have you gone back to work?
Do you do any work at home?

The reason I ask is that I my job involves mostly office work with occasional walking around inspecting energy efficiency projects.  I know I won't be doing any of the inspection work for a few months, but I'm hoping at least to be able to work part time from home soon after the surgery so that I can avoid using up all of my vacation time and going into an unpaid leave situation.

Anybody's thoughts and experiences with this would be greatly appreciated.
« Last Edit: January 06, 2011, 12:42:20 PM by FlbrkMike »
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chris finn

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Re: I hate being "Mr average"
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2011, 12:53:16 PM »
Im an electrician (at the moment)

Im not at work. I was told by the surgeon that it would be at least 3 months before I could go back to work,although he will re-assess me at my 6 week check. To be honest there is no way I could go back to work at the moment. There isnt any facility for "light" work....so until I can pull my weight..Im off sick.

I dont get any sick pay from work at all, so we are living off of my wifes part time wages and benefits. Not ideal but there isnt much choice.
BIRMINGHAM RESURFACE, LEFT HIP, 9TH DEC 2010,BY MR A. NORRISH...CONSULTANT-SURGEON, ADDENBROOKE`S HOSPITAL...CAMBRIDGE UK

jjmclain

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Re: I hate being "Mr average"
« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2011, 01:23:15 PM »
Hi Chris,

Things will improve greatly after you hit that 4 week mark and some of your restrictions are lifted. I too am an athlete (triathlete plus fitness instructor) so I know how all of this inactivity is making you feel! My surgeon was very conservative, limiting me to 50% weightbearing 2 crutches for 3 weeks and then 1 crutch until I saw him at 4 weeks.

At 4 weeks, I was taken off of the crutches, allowed full weight bearing, and the 90 degree rule no longer applied. Plus I was taken off of the coumadin (blood thinner similar to what you are injecting into your stomach.) What a huge difference I have seen in the last 4 weeks. Believe me, it will only get better from here on out!

I didn't sleep much those first 4 weeks either. Some of it was sleeping in the same position causing leg pain, some of it was from the coumadin, etc. etc. Hang in there and within a week I am sure you will be posting again with an update as to how great you feel! You are still early on in your recovery.

andybc

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Re: I hate being "Mr average"
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2011, 01:53:31 PM »
Hi Chris,

Firstly, it sounds as though you're doing really well and ultimately it will be a very good result, but I do sympathise with your feeling that progress is slower than you hoped for. I'm now 6 weeks post op and feel exactly the same. I went back to work on Tuesday. I have an essentially sedentary job but have a fair bit of walking up and down corridors. The first 2 days were ok but my hip's been really sore today and I've started using a stick almost all the time again. With it, I'm nearly pain free.
I'm afraid I think 3 months will probably be about right for you, given your job. I would say, don't push it. But just keep being nice to your wife! Reassure her, you're really looking forward to getting back to helping with the housework but at the moment, it's just not possible.
I'm fascinated by this concept of people saying they were pain free after the op. Do you really mean that? Did the pain, start, then, after you started mobilising? I've been taken to task by several people for disputing this claim, but I  find it hard to believe. My beef is that it's a bit depressing for those of us that still aren't pain free even after 6 weeks. Given the amount of soft tissue trauma involved in the op, I don't see how it can conceivably not hurt. Having said which I'm very aware my pain threshold seems to be much lower than average!
Incidentally, sleeping on my side with a pillow between my legs, I still don't get more than a couple of hourse sleep a night. Luckily, I don't need more than 4 or 5 hours, but it's a bit wearing.
But it genuinely does improve bit by bit although some days are worse than others, so one can't expect to wake up feeling better absolutely every day.
Keep it up and don't get despondent.
Best wishes.
Andy

chris finn

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Re: I hate being "Mr average"
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2011, 03:01:15 PM »
thanks for the replies so far....

jjmclain.....Im down to one crutch...tried a stick, but it gave nowhere near the support I need at the moment. Hopefully my sleeping will improve now that the injections have stopped..Im looking forward to my 6 week check, even if its just so someone can give me some feed back.

andybc...sorry to say, but yes.....I woke up after the op with no pain at all (ok so I was still full of drugs ) but as  I said... I stopped all pain relief just 2 days after the op. Now I am still pain free as long as I dont push it too far...I have been trying to squat (bodyweight only)..dumb I know  :o and I think it was too much,too soon. I told the wife about me helping with the housework soon.....she is still laughing ;D
BIRMINGHAM RESURFACE, LEFT HIP, 9TH DEC 2010,BY MR A. NORRISH...CONSULTANT-SURGEON, ADDENBROOKE`S HOSPITAL...CAMBRIDGE UK

littleb

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Re: I hate being "Mr average"
« Reply #6 on: January 08, 2011, 12:33:37 AM »
For me when I woke with the wow it doesn't hurt anymore, I meant that pain within the joint. Knowing that was gone made the surgical pain easier to deal with. I knew that would go away.

Because of the very physical requirements of my job and osteopenia, I wont be going back to work till I hit the 6 month point. I have a somewhat higher risk of fracture so we aren't taking chances.
RBHR
Dr. Su
8/19/10

ReneeP

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Re: I hate being "Mr average"
« Reply #7 on: January 08, 2011, 09:49:59 AM »
I had a BHR on 11/8/10 which was converted to a THR on 12/13/10 due to a femoral neck fracture.  I still haven't slept a full night in a real bed since before my first surgery.  I think it's very common to have trouble sleeping after this surgery.
Renee

Right BHR 11/8/10
revised to THR 12/13/10
Dr. John Keggi

chris finn

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Re: I hate being "Mr average"
« Reply #8 on: January 17, 2011, 05:47:34 AM »
Pain started last night. Its centered around the hip....and is severe enough to stop me sleeping properly. Its still bad today...moving at all is painful and walking is a nightmare. Didnt do anything silly yesterday, so Im puting it down to sitting on a rather hard chair at my brothers for several hours. Im going to see how it goes before I panic and call the hospital...well thats the plan anyway.  :o :o
BIRMINGHAM RESURFACE, LEFT HIP, 9TH DEC 2010,BY MR A. NORRISH...CONSULTANT-SURGEON, ADDENBROOKE`S HOSPITAL...CAMBRIDGE UK

andybc

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Re: I hate being "Mr average"
« Reply #9 on: January 17, 2011, 05:47:08 PM »
Chris, I'm not sure what physio etc you're doing at the moment, but maybe you should stop everything and just do the bare minimum. I've found a couple of times exercise/physio's made things worse but the pain resolved when I stopped.
Also, I hope you've not been doing anything silly, like house work, because that is obviously very likely to stir things up.
Back to a more serious note, I'm sure it would be wise to check with the surgeon if it doesn't rsolve in a couple of days.
Best

Andy BC

chris finn

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Re: I hate being "Mr average"
« Reply #10 on: January 18, 2011, 06:22:50 AM »
Think you may be right Andy.....didnt do any exercises yesterday and its feeling much better today. Forgot to mention, when it was bad the area was swollen and very warm to the touch.
BIRMINGHAM RESURFACE, LEFT HIP, 9TH DEC 2010,BY MR A. NORRISH...CONSULTANT-SURGEON, ADDENBROOKE`S HOSPITAL...CAMBRIDGE UK

chris finn

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Re: I hate being "Mr average"
« Reply #11 on: January 19, 2011, 01:11:49 PM »
Pain was virtually gone today.....so I had a go at driving. Went well, and I think using the clutch actually exercises the hip. Also saw the physio today and he reckons Im doing very well...although he is more used to 70 year olds with full hip replacements, as my local hospital dont do resurfacing...he did some deep massage..and my hip feels soooo good now.
BIRMINGHAM RESURFACE, LEFT HIP, 9TH DEC 2010,BY MR A. NORRISH...CONSULTANT-SURGEON, ADDENBROOKE`S HOSPITAL...CAMBRIDGE UK

chris finn

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Re: I hate being "Mr average"
« Reply #12 on: January 25, 2011, 11:26:20 AM »
Feeling soooooo good today. Ive not been using any walking aid for 4 days now and it feels great. I went in the gym today (I have one at home) and did chest,shoulders and triceps and it felt great. Still some exercises that I cant do but I managed to put a routine together. Back, biceps etc on Thursday...but no legs for now.
BIRMINGHAM RESURFACE, LEFT HIP, 9TH DEC 2010,BY MR A. NORRISH...CONSULTANT-SURGEON, ADDENBROOKE`S HOSPITAL...CAMBRIDGE UK

fenceman

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Re: I hate being "Mr average"
« Reply #13 on: January 26, 2011, 02:10:29 PM »
Chris, be careful doing any squats.  The weak part of the operation is the femoral head and squats put a lot of pressure on that area.  My Dr. did not recommend any squat/leg presses for a year.  He had one patient that went back to the gym and was doing leg presses at 6 to 8 weeks and he snapped his femoral head. Ended up with a THR.

Since you have done martial arts I would recommend  Tia Chi or holding stances in low positions to build the legs.  Lots of walking also helped me.  You need to be patient with your healing process.

L-BHR - Aug 2008 - Dr. Brooks  Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
R-BHR - Dec 2012 - Dr. Brooks  Cleveland Clinic Euclid Hospital
L-BHR Revision Nov 2017 - Dr. Brooks Euclid

chris finn

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Re: I hate being "Mr average"
« Reply #14 on: January 27, 2011, 03:44:53 AM »
Cheers for the heads up  ;D

to be honest Im absolutely terrified of dislocating it or breaking the head...so its gonna be a very long time before I do anything for my legs. I walk quite a bit.... never thought of holding stances etc...a kind of dynamic tension ??...sounds good  ;D
BIRMINGHAM RESURFACE, LEFT HIP, 9TH DEC 2010,BY MR A. NORRISH...CONSULTANT-SURGEON, ADDENBROOKE`S HOSPITAL...CAMBRIDGE UK

andybc

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Re: I hate being "Mr average"
« Reply #15 on: January 27, 2011, 04:59:57 PM »
I find that holding a glass of wine and gently raising it to my lips then lowering it helps; repeating this regularly seems to ease the discomfort in my hip. Not sure why exactly, but who cares?

Andy

FlbrkMike

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Re: I hate being "Mr average"
« Reply #16 on: January 27, 2011, 05:36:28 PM »
I find that holding a glass of wine and gently raising it to my lips then lowering it helps; repeating this regularly seems to ease the discomfort in my hip. Not sure why exactly, but who cares?

Andy

Be sure to repeat this often, with both hands.  Otherwise you may develop lopsided biceps.
Dr. Ball
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LBHR 2/11/11
RBHR 3/11/11

gazza

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Re: I hate being "Mr average"
« Reply #17 on: January 27, 2011, 06:25:50 PM »
Chris
I agree with Andybc, try the wine exercise, it works really well.. In fact I've continued with this exercise and am still applying 3 times a week!
On a more serious note, try and take it easy. I wanted to get right back into stuff, but after a few weeks I managed to become more patient. No physio was available to me (each SHA has a different approach), but after a the 1st week I managed to walk about 1 mile 3 times a day (my 2 dogs talked me into it) and built up to 3 miles over time.  Make sure your walking with good form using crutches or sticks, if you start to limp it will make your back or other hip / knee or something hurt. I was terrified of running (I weighed 112Kg) and breaking the femoral head off. But gradually built up exercise, after 7 months I started cycling and swimming on a regular basis (no running until 12 months and my weight less that 100 Kg -- self imposed). I have now entered a couple of Triathlons and returned to martial arts.. The only time my hip hurts is after doing heavy squats in the gym (must be a warning there somewhere).  Good luck and take it steady, it will be worth it.
Gaz
LBHR 03 Nov 2009 Mr T.M. Abuzakuk  Derby, England

chris finn

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Re: I hate being "Mr average"
« Reply #18 on: January 28, 2011, 02:55:01 AM »
wine!?!!?!?! yuk..it all tastes like vinegar to me.....give me guiness anyday  ;) :D
BIRMINGHAM RESURFACE, LEFT HIP, 9TH DEC 2010,BY MR A. NORRISH...CONSULTANT-SURGEON, ADDENBROOKE`S HOSPITAL...CAMBRIDGE UK

gary2010

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Re: I hate being "Mr average"
« Reply #19 on: January 28, 2011, 07:47:46 AM »
I was never a fan of static exercise until I got injured. Pre-op I got into the habit of maintaining a 'horse' stance while standing at a washbasin, shaving or cleaning my teeth, several times a day varying the width from time to time and slowly shifting weight from one side to the other. After the surgery I started again with the knees slightly bent and gradually lowered as my endurance improved, I'm sure it has helped. Lunges are important as well, squats are easy now (I'm exactly 3 months ahead of you) but the lunge still requires work.

Guinness works well.

 

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