First off I would like to thank everyone all their posts on the site and Patricia for starting this great site!. It has been a huge help to have this resource available before, during and after my hip resurfacing.
I am post op day 17. Dr. Ball at UCSD did my left BHR on June 3rd. I have nothing but great things to say about him and his staff/hospital at Thorton UCSD. It was a very good experience. I had narrowed it down to SU, Rogerson and Ball. I went with Ball after talking with him and realizing that he has perform a good number of BRH (over 500) and was up to date with all new aspects of the BHR. I could not have gone wrong with either of the three surgeons and was able to get in sooner with Dr. Ball and did not have to fly so this helped with my decision.
Currently at Day 17. I am up to a 45min walk (just over 2 miles) using a cane. The last few days I have been barely touching it on the ground but plan to keep using it for the next week as a safety precaution. I can walk moderately comfortable up and down stairs and have been performing all my exercises as I have had in home PT. I will have one more week of this in home PT and then move to a local PT that Dr. Ball has recommend here in Encinitas. I have felt a little more sore the last two days and am thinking that this is due to some new abduction exercises I started as well full walking up and down stairs. Nothing crazy sore, just starting to feel all the muscles around the hip (hip flexors, glutes, IT band). I will see what the therapist has to say but after I get up and moving for 5-10 steps it loosens up and I can almost walk without a limp. My hip extension is still very limited, at about 0 but this was where it was at before surgery. I am sure this is common as it hurt very bad the last 6 months when I would try to extend backwards. Still hurts but a different kind of hurt, more muscle/tightness rather then the sharp pain I had before.
I did get on the bike trainer (I have a computrainer that I mount my road bike on) at day 8. I put flat pedals on it and spun very easy, around 40rpm, for 10min and it felt great, all at 50 watts so almost no resistance. I did get on yesterday afternoon for 20min and up to 120 watts and almost broke a sweat. No pain at all, felt good to spin as I was up to 85rpm and feeling fine. I did also put on my cycling shoes and cleats (speedplay) but locked in the Left shoe in the cleat beforehand and did not twist out at the end but rather pulled my foot out of the shoe when I dismounted.I have also been lifting upper body exercises, all light weight and do this during my morning exercises.
Still have trouble sleeping through the night as I rarely sleep on my back, but I was not sleeping very well the last 6 months so nothing too out of the ordinary. I can now easily roll onto my non-op side and sleep for 1-2 hours and even roll onto my front and get some sleep. I have tried to roll onto the Operated side and can lay for 5-10min until it starts to hurt so will hold off on that for a while.
I did get a massage on day 14, just a very light flushing massage and not at all touching the operated area. My back has been getting very sore and this helped a lot. I plan to keep this up once a week until around 6-8 weeks out when I can start ART massage to help really loosen things ups.
Totally off meds. I had Oxycontin the first 3-4 days post opp then switched to Tylenol for 3-4 days and don't seem to need it the last 3-4 days. I do Ice 6-8 times a day which has helped a lot with the pain and I have had no swelling in the quad or lower leg. Swelling it completely down on the hip and just the incision looks like there is a small rope under it. I see Dr. Ball on Thursday (post op day 20) and hope to get the tape off and the OK to hit the water. If he gives me the okay I plan to start some very light swimming with a pull buoy and exercises in the water. I am also an avid paddle boarder so plan to start prone paddling as soon as I can. Not in the ocean, but will go down to the bay and stay out of the surf for several more week.
I am 44 years old, was big time into triathlons from the age of 15 doing many IM races and ultra runs and now still do a lot of cycling (road and mountain bike) and a lot of traditional paddling boarding (prone and on the knees) and SUP. I have raced the 32 mile Molokai to Oahu race the past few years on a prone board and look forward to getting back to this as well maybe even some running in 6-12 months time. I coach triathletes and work for Ironman as a race director for several events.
I think that is about it. Hope this can help someone as well feel free to let me know if I am doing anything good or bad. If there is anyone out there that does SUP (stand up paddling) i would love to hear when you got back on a board.
Roch Frey
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