Week 4 post-op...

[shabbis]

Entering week 4 post-op. No crutches or cane. Can walk around with a slight limp, although working hard to not favor the operated side, but let me tell you, that's a lot of work. Feel like I am having to teach my operated leg how to properly walk again.

Started the real PT a couple days back (not just the PT the hospital assigns). I am amazed at how much my operated quad has atrophied. Looks like I have some work ahead. All of the new PT has caused a lot more soreness through the entire leg, I guess that's good. A sign of progress.

Being pretty young and very active pre-op, as I am sure many of you are as well, I think I might be pushing the PT a little too hard, thinking that will speed up recovery. My PT told me slow and steady will win this race. It's difficult, I just want to go out and run 6 miles or cycle 40 miles or get a couple runs in on the mountain or drop in on a couple of waves right now. I am not the type to just sit around when I am not working, so this as been a difficult 3 weeks.

Also having issues getting comfortable at night, so I still don't sleep much. Not so much pain, just a lot of soreness and, I guess you could call it "healing", as everything on the operated side is recovering. I know it'll pass with time, more PT and a lot of ice.

Besides all that, the new hip itself is smooth when I move it. No more arthritis clicking and crunching. No more lower back pain when walking or standing for more than a couple minutes.

[Dannywayoflife]

Your pt is right, I know it's hard but honestly a slow and sensible start will pay dividends in the long term.

[hernanu]

I think you're finding out what the toughest part of the recuperation is: patience.

If you look around at the people who are or have been in this site, you'll see marathoners, triathlon athletes, sprinters, mountain climbers, martial artists (Danny and I fit in there), water and fire rescue, horse racers, and so on. 

The one thing we all seem to have in common is a lack of patience and the ability to push through pain. That is the thing you have to fight off in this recovery, since it is not going to help and could definitely be harmful.

You don't want to cause a revision by pushing too early.

You have two types of healing going on here: healing your muscles, which although it takes time and comes sooner, is not the most important early on.

The important one is healing your bones. This is a structural thing and does not respond to pushing through pain. If you feel pain, you need to back down. The first six months I was told by my doctor to let the bone heal.

It seems like forever, but it passes - then you can work on the muscular return. I couldn't go back to contact, punching bag work until a year had passed. Once I went back though, my hips were sound and I could go full speed.

Let your bones heal. As athletes, we're used to pushing through muscular pain - early on this is not what you're dealing with. Let your bones heal around the implant, get strong without shocking them loose and you'll be fine for the long run.

[shabbis]

Thanks for the advice hernanu!


Typing this while sitting in the lodge at Mt Bachelor jealously watching people ski down the hill...


Next season.......

[shoraztri]

Hi Hernanu,
 Top advice that you have given out. PATIENCE IS BLOODY HARD TO FIND , us Tri boyos lack it alot !!. of the time. Is atimely reminder for me to "hold-up" before I push to early . Am 25 weeks post Op. and out Tri season is upon us , so getting twitchy !!.
Cheers ,
 Kiwi Boyo from Down Under.