newbie

[podgornymd]

I am 10 days postop from left BHR by Dr. Rector in boulder. This website has been invaluable to me in making my decision and which doctor to go with ,etc.. There is no substitute for hearing others personal experiences with surgery and recovery.

I am doing well. never had to take any pain meds after surgery b/c the game ready ice machine does the trick. I wish i was further along but am walking 3x/dy about 15-20 minutes with 1 crutch and doing PT exercises 3x/dy. Getting tired of laying on my back at night and still not able to tie my shoes but hopefully that will come soon.Still not sure what is too much or too little in terms of exercise. I am a ultra-endurance moutain bike racer and hope to get back doing that next summer.

Thanks again Pat for putting together this incredible web site.

[Pat Walter]

Great to hear you are doing well.  Be patient a little longer.  Some people have been able to put a pillow between their legs and sleep on the unoperated side.  Even if only partially on your side, it gives your back a rest.

Thanks for the update.  Looking forward to reading about your recovery.  Good Luck.

Pat

[Marco Polo]

Congratulations, and welcome to the other side.  It sounds like you are progressing well.  Have you tried the stationary bike yet?  I am 4 weeks post op and started using the stationary bike with no resistance after about 2 weeks.  I found it to be very helpful in mobilizing my hip joint.

All the best,

[hippy hippy shake]

Podgornymd,

I guess we share the same surgery date 4/18?  Except I had bilat and I am lagging way behind on recovery.  I still think I'm doing well, but am happy to hear that you seem to be moving right along.  The allergy season can't be helping me much around here (NJ) either. 

You're correct, this web site helps a lot with understanding what to expect, and I have found several individuals that have really helped further through PMs and phone calls (and this was having a friend at work 5 years out).   

[hernanu]

I think you are doing fine. We have all had the desire to be further along, given that the culture is definitely type A, very athletic here.

That is based on muscular achievement, we are pros at training and pushing the body to achieve in muscle growth and recuperation. HR is a structural procedure that has a large muscular component.

The important part, especially early on is the structural. The first six months are all about getting the bone to heal, to anneal itself to the device that has replaced part of your original bone equipment. Its function is replacing cartilage.

None of that is addressed by the type of training that we're used to or by the techniques that we use in each individual sport or training that we do. The thing that works with bone is to let it heal, then to apply appropriate pressure (by walking, etc.) to promote the bone's healing.

No amount of exercise will help the initial bonding of bone to metal lattice or bone to glue (where used), as a matter of fact, too much pressure early on may put it in peril. Your tool and weapon is that knowledge, that actual bone healing is happening, as well as muscular healing and strengthening.

As time passes, and the bone has healed, then is the time to ramp up the muscular workouts.  Patience gets you safely to the point where you can really turn it on and return to your full life.

You are both doing fine, not lagging in any way. Each of us has an individual path back, but common threads.

[podgornymd]

Thanks for all the great feedback. It seems like patience is the key to recovery but like most of us we are programmed to push through the pain. I will heed you r advice and maybe back off a little. Had my first bad day last night. Noticed some bruising traveling down my leg and into back of knee and presume it is normal pattern secondary to gravity and being on a an anti coagulant.

Marcopolo was wondering did you get on the bike before walking without crutches and if so how did you get on the spin bike? did you use a stool?

Hippy hippy shake i feel for you. I dont know how you guys get through the bilateral surgery. I know that is the best way  to go if you need to have both done but sounds painful. Make sure you move around as much as possible to avoid DVT (blood clot). God luck and hang in there you will be back before you know it.

[hernanu]

I did get on the bike when still on crutches, but by then, the crutches were almost done. I started outpatient PT at three to four weeks. I was still using a crutch, but mostly getting around without one.

Just used the step on one pedal, then lift the leg over. No resistance at all for a bit (one to three weeks), just getting that motion going.

At first, the biggest issue for me was discomfort of sitting while pedaling, but once I figured out what the height settings were for the seat, and especially for the handlebars, that let up. For some reason when the handlebars were equal to the seat in height, that caused me some serious discomfort.

I did have one comparatively strong leg each time, since my surgeries were spaced out by three months.

[Marco Polo]

Hern has given you good feedback on using the stationary bike while still using one or two crutches.  At first I found it difficult to get on, but as Hern points out the key is getting the seat and handle bars into the right position.  Once I raised the seat high enough I found that I could get on the bike (one leg at a time putting your non operated leg on the pedal first) and complete a rotation without breaking 90 degrees.  Even though now I am only using a walking stick I still use one crutch braced against the handle bars which I use as a raised handle bar to stay in a comfortable fairly upright pedaling position.

[podgornymd]

Thanks again. I will try and get spinning as soon as i feel up to it. maybe at 2 weeks.

My hip story is a little atypical. I am an ER doc in vail colorado and like i said before i am into ultraendurance mtn biking  and never had real hip pain until this past october. i did 2 long races in july and august and in best shape of my life when in october had pain in left hip.thought it was a bursitis but didnt go away so had xray and found out bone on bone. I was shocked. Being around some of the best orthopods in the world and some of my good friends i could pick their brains. tried steroid injections which didnt help then stem cells with PRP which helped for a few weeks, then became sedentary b/c developed back pain.

Finally realized i should have a replacement after only 4 months of pain.Most of the orthopods in vail dont do replacements and tried to steer me away from BHR , mostly b/c i think they werent up to date on the new technology. Thankfully i found this web site that opened my eyes to another option.You all helped me make my decision. Was hoping my rehab was going a little faster but it is what it is. Thanks again

[Pat Walter]

podgornymd

Thanks for your posts.  They are very enlightening about how few orthpedics know about and support hip resurfacing.  It is a shame, but that's why I started this website.

I think it is great you kept looking until you found hip resurfacing.  I hope your recovery will take off shortly - but don't over do!  What ever you do - Don't push thru the pain yet!  Give your body time to heal and in the long run you will better off.    You really know that anyways.

Thanks again for your thoughts and keep us posted on your recovery.

Pat

[Dannywayoflife]

podgornymd glad you made it to the other side! Unfortunately it's a common tale for patients to have resurfacing poo poo'd by surgeons who have either been scared by the false alarmist press or have tried it and not been skilled enough. Glad your on the mend though and you'll alway get great support from the great members on here!

[podgornymd]

Thanks for all the encouragement. Taking baby steps everyday and being patient.

Pat, Being in the medical field i can tell you that it is so difficult to stay up to date with the speed of the technology. In emergency medicine it isnt as bad as say ortho or radiology.It is really difficult to try and fit in a 2 week course and put your practice on hold to do it. Then you have to find 200 patients to do it on. For example i had to learn how to do ultrasound after 15 years out of residency with a 5 day course and then i have to use it all the time to get proficient at it. It wasnt easy.

My point is that alot of ortohpedists are unwilling or dont have the time to learn a very delicate surgery and that is why this web site is so invaluable because these orthopedists believe in it and are passionate about it.They are so specialized in what they do.  It really made me feel better about going to dr.rector.Thanks again for putting it together.