just got my left hip resurfaced

[BillB]

Thanks to Patricia and this web site,  I have a resurfaced hip. Originally I thought that I was a bit too old but after all the good information on this site, I guess I am not.           My dentist always complained that my jaw was like rock so I did figure i must be a good candidate for this, even though I am 70.  I spend my winters in Mt. Tremblant, QC and did ski all this winter also. My wife helped buckle my left boot and after the painful limp to the lift, I was OK while my knees were bent - angulation on the steeper slopes was a bit painful - but worth it. Afterwards, I did pay for it the rest of the evening.   I am super active and the restrictions put on THR by my local surgeon, as far as skiing goes, well, I did not like it.

I am 10 days now from surgery and could walk with a cane but am sticking to crutches - either one or two - depending on what I am doing. I like to push but with caution, being a pilot all my life with 3,000 parachute jumps.     After 4 days I have swelling in my thigh - after all the good info on this site I am icing the leg 3 time a day, elevated, after my excercise sesions. The swelling is slowly going down and even though my thigh feels very tight still, the excercises have now allowed me to be able to lift the leg easily to the bed.  No one has talked about the difficulty of getting in and out of bed the first few days. That was a trip.        I will post the time that it will take for the swelling to go away totally.
Thanks again Pat, for this great website.      Bill

[hernanu]

Congratulations Bill ! glad to hear everything went well. You are experiencing the usual stuff we've all dealt with, so everything seems normal. No wonder you're a good candidate with that many jumps.

I agree about getting in and out of bed. One trick that the occupational therapist at the hospital showed me for that (since I had one hip done at a time), was to have the non-operated leg ankle under the operated leg ankle and use that to lift the operated leg either getting on or off the bed. It helped a lot early on, when the operated leg is just very painful to move on / off the bed.

[Ernie]

Getting in and out of bed was the worst part for me too.  A similar trick someone told me about on the third day which I'm definitely going to file away for when I have my other hip done, was to squeeze a pillow between both legs so the unoperated leg helps support and stabilize the operated leg when getting in and out of bed.

[toby]

Congratulations Bill and greetings from London,
Brilliant news, the swelling will subside-just take it easy. (I didn't cos I felt so great but made the swelling worse... my surgeon said to me.. you can overdo it but you can't under do it!-bear it in mind Bill).
Actually, when I went for my 6 week check up I met a post 70 resurface patient(retired military man) who was doing superbly-very fit and active, striding away from his check up delighted with his HR-I'm sure you'll be just the same.
Best Wishes
Toby

[hipnhop]

Bill congrats. Try using your crutch to help you raise you leg. Just flip it around and put your foot in the open space. Just don't poke yourself in the eye.

[Pat Walter]

Bill - Congratulations on the new hip!  Glad everything is working out for you.  Your experince helps people to understand that each person must be looked at as an individual - not male, female, old or young.  It is each persons' bone density that determine if you are a good candidate.

I hope everything continues to go well for you.  Women like to wear silky PJs so they can rotate easily on the bed.  You can put a plastic bag under your butt to help on the bed and the car seat.

Take it easy and if you overdue and get swelling - rest, ice and keep your leg up.  Take it easy in the begining.

Who was your surgeon?  I would like to know and I am sure others would too. 

Thanks for the kind words about the website.

Good Luck.

Pat

[newdog]

Bill,
Way to go! You are an inspiration. I look forward to more posts from you as you progress. You're the man!   

Steve (newdog)

[Tin Soldier]

That's pretty awesome making it to 70 before getting a new hip.  I'm 41 and I'm not confident that this will be the only in my life that I will fuss with my hips. 

Agreed on the bed, it was one of hardest parts of this whole thing.  Great ideas from folks.  I used the strap they giev you at the hospital to loop both feet together so good leg was supporting bad leg and I could help by pulling on the strap.  Still hurt when I made a slight mistake in the process.

Congrats, Bill.   

[BillB]

Mysurgeon is Dr. Mont in Baltimore.      It is hard to hold back on excercising the leg even though it is swollen. i do the excercises twice a day as far as the stiffness of the swelling allows me without too much pain.   Mt therapist seems to feel that is the right way for now.    I am icing it 3 times a day but the wselling has not reduced much yet- that is 5 days now.   Something must be working because there in no pain in lifting the leg in and out of bed anymore - that is one heck of a relief!!

[richardLB]

i hope i am still skiing at 70, fantastic well done.
i had my hip done 5 weeks ago. Ref the bed thing, they came and raised my bed up and my chair, so you don't have to go back so far when you sit down.  The best tip i got was sit down on the side at the end of the bed walk your hands back pulling your body slowly moving on to and up the bed, my legs just follow and you don't have to lift either of them. i don't know if this helps but it works for me.

[jjmclain]

Bill B,

I was swollen a lot at first as well...you could definitely tell a difference between my two legs as well as each half of my body!!! It did not affect my PT or progress either.

June