Slow program progress update and questions

[claudia]

Just wanted to update everyone who was so kind with their encouraging words when I was down -  Almost 3 weeks and I don't take any more pain meds, I try not to take Tylenol and instead take Arnica which helps; I'm sleeping better but not quite through the night yet and I'm able to lift my leg on the operated side.  Still on 10% weight bearing on crutches. ALso the "isometric" exercises.  Honestly, I want to just bust out and see what I can do with this hip! It's like I have restless leg syndrome! But -  Marginal bone density necessitates Fosimax and a s-l-o-w and careful recovery.  I'm doing much better just getting cabin fever because I am not driving.  I don't have the strength in my right leg yet and not real comfortable using my left for the brake.
Two things Ive noticed:  1.  I am constantly, ravenously hungry.  I am not sure whether that is my body's reaction to a major surgery or whether it's boredom.  Right now I don't want to add any weight to my recovery process.  Is this just me or have others experienced this?
2.  An area of my incision is starting to "bug" me.  There does not appear to be an infection and it's healing nicely but the incision is hurting more now in a particular area then prior.  It seems to be more on the inside.  Is this scar tissue starting to form?
Thanks for all your input and advice!

[Maureen]

Just wanted to update everyone who was so kind with their encouraging words when I was down -  Almost 3 weeks and I don't take any more pain meds, I try not to take Tylenol and instead take Arnica which helps; I'm sleeping better but not quite through the night yet and I'm able to lift my leg on the operated side.  Still on 10% weight bearing on crutches. ALso the "isometric" exercises.  Honestly, I want to just bust out and see what I can do with this hip! It's like I have restless leg syndrome! But -  Marginal bone density necessitates Fosimax and a s-l-o-w and careful recovery.  I'm doing much better just getting cabin fever because I am not driving.  I don't have the strength in my right leg yet and not real comfortable using my left for the brake.
Two things Ive noticed:  1.  I am constantly, ravenously hungry.  I am not sure whether that is my body's reaction to a major surgery or whether it's boredom.  Right now I don't want to add any weight to my recovery process.  Is this just me or have others experienced this?
2.  An area of my incision is starting to "bug" me.  There does not appear to be an infection and it's healing nicely but the incision is hurting more now in a particular area then prior.  It seems to be more on the inside.  Is this scar tissue starting to form?
Thanks for all your input and advice!

Claudia
I am soooo happy to hear things are getting better for you!   
I did not drive until mid-way through week 3 (even though I wasn't on any meds and wasn't even using crutches anymore - I just couldn't master the left foot braking thing either !)  I  figured at 3.5 weeks I could just drive normally, lol!
Interesting that you mention the incision pain - I feel like just this week (week 4),  some of the numbness is wearing off and I'm noticing some hot spots as well.  Especially after I walk (so then of course I worry if I've damaged something) 
I actually had somewhat of a decreased appetite (I think 'cause I felt kinda yucky) but I think it's starting to come back.   AND I'm noticing a slow return of libido too - I read a little bit of the Sex forum and was utterly amazed at how quickly many folks returned to action!  Funny, I can walk two miles now but still wasn't thinking about intimacy AT ALL until maybe a couple of days ago...
I guess it is true that everyone's recovery is different!
Hugs,


Maureen
Dr. Gross 3/12/18 right HR

[blinky]

Hey Claudia!


1) I did get hungry, but not until later. The first few weeks my appetite was so dead I had to plan what I ate to make sure I got enough protein before I quit eating. Once my appetite came back, I tried to stay with the habit of eating the most nutritious foods first in the hope I'd fill up before I got to the cookies. (No, it didn't always work.)


I have two suggestions. First, try to get out of the house. Can you get a ride to the movies or a coffee shop? Meet friends, have them drive you? I couldn't drive for six weeks (bilat) so was at the mercy of other people. It wasn't easy, especially when H left town and college-aged son was in charge. Son was well intentioned, but he was eager to meet friends and go out, not take his mom to the supermarket or pool. Second, do try to focus on nutrition. I don't know if a full fledged diet is in order, since you do need calories to heal, but thinking about eating good food could take your mind off the crap you want to eat.


2) The incision. One side did obsess me. There was swelling and tenderness. I think it was a nerve issue, not a serious one, but it did feel different. It doesn't bother me any more, but I think I was aware of it for quite a while.I am still defatted on both sides around the incisions and I have to be careful how I lie on my sides---without my natural padding, the hard floor hurts.  I can lie on my sides, but need something soft between me and the floor.


We have a sex forum?!?! (FWIW, I think it took us 2-3 weeks and we did it standing up.)


Dr Gross
bilat
11-15

[Pat Walter]

Claudia   Glad you are starting to feel better.  It just times time, longer for some.  The incisions often are tender and sometimes itchy.  There is scar tissue beginning to build.  I had a very hard pull apart feeling weeks after surgery after I walked.  Strange - felt like it was pulling apart.  but finally, it got better. 

Many people use vitamin E or other scar meds after the incision has closed and started to heal.  Sometimes massaging the incision helps.

Major surgery is tough, even if it is hip resurfacing.  The surgeons have to cut a lot to get access to the hip joint.  So even though we all love our hip resurfacings, we face the same healing process after surgery.

Good Luck.

Pat

[claudia]

Wow - I can't believe it will be almost 5 weeks that I had the surgery.  4 full weeks on 10% weight bearing with crutches and starting on Wednesday I can begin to put limited  "weight as tolerated" for one week and then the 6th week, more weight. (with crutches)  I've been very compliant with the 10% weight limit and anxious to discover what happens when I put weight on the hip.  Not much pain but of course, I haven't really used the hip!  What can I expect when i start putting weight on it?  Any recommendations or suggestions what NOT to do?
Thanks!

[karlos.bell]

  Doing well keep it up. Improvements are slow.

[ArthriticHip]

Hey Claudia - Sounds like you're moving right along! I'm just a bit ahead of you, this week I passed the 8 week mark since my surgery. I was on a 75% weight bearing rule for the first 6 weeks per my surgeon, Dr Brooks at the Cleveland Clinic. Thought it might be helpful to pass along my experience when I was cleared to increase my weight bearing on my re-surfaced hip at 6 weeks. My recovery at 6 weeks had gone very well. My leg was feeling really good. Aside from some occasional stiffness, there was no pain and I was moving really well on my crutches. When I was cleared to lose the crutches, putting 100% of the weight on my leg was a little more difficult then I expected. I was able to walk, but with a pretty good limp. Over the next few days I was bound and determined to walk my way through the soreness I was experiencing, but my thigh, calf, buttocks, and various ligaments weren't having anything to do with it. I decided to slow down, take it easy...and wow did that make a difference. The last 4 days I've seen VAST improvement as my muscles and ligaments just seem to be settling down and getting use to the additional use. I'm now walking without a limp, with no joint pain. The past few days it's finally felt like all of this has been worth it. I've decided I'm going to take about another month and just live life pain free, let my muscles continue to heal, and then I might start some additional walking and light exercise that has been OK'd by my surgeon. My advice would be take it slow and listen to your body. Good luck with your continued recovery.

[claudia]

This may be a little long but hopefully it will help those who don't have as easy a time with surgery as most and are on the Slow Program with Dr Gross.
Update from a "slow programmer"...  Now in the beginning of week 6 and feeling pretty good.  Since the first 4 weeks were essentially 10% or toe touch on my operated leg I had no idea if my hip was better or worse than before I had surgery.  It wasn't until last week I really began to feel the difference in my hip.  It was "amazing". I felt like I had been "heeeeealed".  Putting my weight finally on the hip (about 50%) felt so good!  I wanted to run as fast as I could through the house!  Yes It was wobbly, the incision hurt,  my muscles hurt and it felt "strange" but the same pain I had going into the surgery, was gone.  That bone on bone feeling that makes you miserable all day was done.   What I realized as well was I was a Motrin addict.  For years I woke up and took Motrin in the morning to just take the edge off, then in the afternoon and at night to sleep.  I am seriously surprised i still have a liver.  It's pretty strange NOT taking Motrin to get by in my day.    SO week 6, I am on one crutch which gives me a  lot more freedom to function throughout the day.  I am now putting about 85% weight on my hip only because it still is sore in the joint and I'm wobbly.  The only difficulty I have is still getting in and out of bed, a chair, the car.  I still have some difficulty sleeping throughout the night and can't lay on the side of my incision.   I haven't driven on my own yet but will do so next week. Not until the end of week 6 can I ditch the 90 degree rule.  After week 6 I will be on a cane (im thinking I might try my trekking pole with shocks.  Has anyone used that instead of a cane?)  I received Dr Gross's packet on the next phase of exercise and further instructions.


I had a "Hellascious" time in the beginning.  Problems with throwing up pain pills, pain, helplessness, unexpectedly on crutches for 6 weeks, depression, isolation, wondering whether it was me and whether I made a huge mistake.  I think I was pretty miserable for the first 2 weeks.  My body was screaming and I was blaming my husband for supporting me in this process.  "It was all HIS fault".  Oh my, he had a time with me.  I'm an impatient, results oriented, no nonsense, type A personality who is generally NOT a good patient.  I think psychologically that contributed to my misery.  I had two arthroscopic surgeries on this hip prior and it wasn't nearly as bad so my expectations were skewed.   The first 6 weeks have been a struggle but getting slowly better each day.  Each little accomplishment is a blessing to me.  I'm supposed to see a PT for evaluation of my hip function next week.  Dr Gross's instructions are pretty specific to the PT and I look at the pics on the form and think, wow, are they sure I will be able to do THAT with my hip?  I haven't been able to bend my hip out like that for 4 years!   
So as the weeks progress, I'm ok'd for further exercise like my stationary bike (although the incision seems like it's going to be an issue on the seat) and light exercise up until 6 months while the biggest risk of femoral fracture is present.  I'll have to ask if I can walk for exercise.  I have some questions but I will start a new topic on those.  All is moving along slowly - but doing very well.  Thanks everyone.

[Quig]

Great update!! Really nice to read that you're doing so much better... Just think how great you'll feel in a couple months.    And the time will really start to fly as you're able to be more active. You're well through the hardest part, good job!

[John C]

It was great to read your very positive post. Like many of us, you were having a tough time there for awhile, so it is wonderful that you are starting to see the light. I am 10 days into my second hip from Dr Gross. The first one was 10 years ago, and having gone through that makes this one easier just because I went in expecting the first couple of weeks to be rough, and remembering that things do start getting batter faster once you get to that six week mark.
A couple of thoughts on your questions. You asked about walking poles. These can be a nice thing to progress to after a cane, especially for uneven ground, but they do not replace a cane. A cane is intended to be able to take some of your weight when needed, which walking poles cannot do to nearly the same degree, so I would I would not think of them as a substitute or option, until you no longer need the weight support of a cane. A cane is a wonderful thing to have along for a long walk where your  hip might fatigue out on you during the walk home.
You also asked about walking for exercise. This is exactly Dr Gross's primary point. He feels that walking is the best possible exercise after hip surgery. You just need to pace the rate at which you increase the distance and grade of your walks.
Keep up the good attitude. There are often a few brief setbacks along the way during the next year, but you now know that you can get through them.

[Pat Walter]

Claudia

I am glad things are going better for you.  Thank You for sharing your update.  It does help to have all kinds of stories posted - slow recoveries, normal recoveries and fast recoveries.  You really had a difficult time in the beginning and I hope those become far memories at some point.  When people have bad hip problems for many years, as you did, it often takes much longer to recover and get back to normal.  Your body has been trying to balance and work with a poor hip. So the whole body has to heal, not just the hip.

Anyways, I hope you are now on a fast track to feeling better.  Thanks  for sharing your story and updates.

I wish you the very best.

Pat

[Owl]

Claudia:


I'm glad to hear that you're progressing well.  I'm almost 10 weeks post-op and have been on the extra-slow recovery program (10% weight-bearing for six weeks) and am progressing to full weight-bearing over six weeks (two more to go) with a walker and crutches then, if everything goes as expected, will be on a cane for another four weeks after that.


I know what you mean about finally getting to put some weight on the hip.  After being so careful for the first six weeks, I really have to remind myself that I can put more weight on it now but it has improved my mood immensely and made me really anxious to get rid of the walker and crutches.  I've been off work all this time and look forward to going back when I'm on a cane.  I live alone and am getting of being in the house most of the day although I do get out on the deck some and take the occasional drive.


Good luck with your continuing recovery!

[claudia]

10 weeks today!  Woooo, whoooo!  Progress is going slowly.  At 6 weeks I was supposed to be on a cane but that didn't work out so well, so for about 2 weeks I switched between cane and one crutch.  To date I am using the cane more at home and the crutch when i go out.  When I try going without either, it's difficult, awkward, a bit painful and I limp terribly so decided to perfect my "form" before I go off the cane completely.  I did get approval to walk for exercise with a cane and I am hoping that will help to strengthen my hip and leg.   I use my stationary bike basically for range of motion as suggested by the PT when I went for my 6 week eval.  That's been very helpful.  Can't believe how "weak" my operated side is.  I can barely do side leg lifts.  Regular leg lifts are doing much better but side ones - killer!  One really positive note:  Before I had surgery, I could barely make it from the IKEA parking lot to the store front.  Last week.  We spent 3 hours milling around IKEA (with one cane).  The true test