Dr Gross Activity Restrictions

[Asalisbu]

After years of sucking it up and five months of waiting to get a slot with Dr Gross I only have about ten days left with my original hips before the Doc has at them. 

I am not sure how one laments the loss of two of their oldest friends.   I mean I have known them all my life.  I am planning to take them to a nice dinner, maybe a stroll on the beach, and curl up with a nice light romantic comedy to send them off.  God speed old friends....I let you down and completely shredded you out in just under 44 years. 

Aside from dealing with the cold feet of is it really that bad, do I really need to do this, this site and Dr. Gross’ office have really helped me prepare.  Elevated toilet just arrived.  Mailman left under the mail box at the end of my driveway. Picture on the box for the world to see.   Told my neighbor to mind his own business and then set my dog loose on his yard that night.

Anyway to the topic, the thing I am wrestling with most right now is the inactivity.  Obviously like many on here I am very active, even now I remain relatively active despite the damage.

It’s freaking me out and it appears Dr Gross is more conservative then some.  I will ask on Thursday but so I can start getting my head prepared any idea on how many weeks Before I can start doing the following:

Stationary bike
Swimming
Plank/push ups
Pull ups
Yoga
Standing weight lifting activities
Martial Arts (Jiu jitsu which is all hips and grips and is my gold standard desire of return)

I am a miserable patient but I will follow instructions to the letter and I know the key is to take it easy for a very long while. So any advice on this so I can start to come to grips on it now would be great. 

Thanks in advance hipsters. 

[Saddlepal3]

Dear Asalisbu,
Congratulations on your decision to move forward with this. As you already know, you’re in good hands with Dr. Gross and his team. I can’t speak specifically to the length of time before you can return to the activities you list; however I can speak to the necessity of redirecting your will and determination to the process of recovery. It’s possible that you won’t feel like doing any of said activities for awhile after surgery, but there will come a time when you start feeling antsy. We’ve all been there. It’s not fun, but you’ll just have to suck it up and be grateful for “baby steps.” Dr. Gross may give you a list of activities that you CAN do, and that will help get your mind off what you can’t.
Good luck, and be sure to order a “grabber” tool so you can put on your underwear (if you want to).

[Joe_CA]

Hello Asalisbu,

Very funny post. So a bilateral within the same week with Dr. Gross I assume? I had the same operations a few months shy of two years ago. Your concern about inactivity and postponing activities was similar to mine. I kept thinking to myself: "Awwww man! I have to wait 6 months to play sports again?". But then I remembered that I had knee surgery (quad tendon rupture) that kept me out more than a year. Believe me, the time will fly by once the surgery is complete and you're in the 6-month limited restriction period. And you'll be out walking around, pain free, enjoying your new hips that will keep you busy.

Here's my opinion of some of your activities you have listed. Keep in mind these are only my accounts of what I was personally able to do post-surgery, and they shouldn't supersede the orders of Dr. Gross and staff. Also, I believe I was very fortunate in my recovery, and was able to walk unassisted at around 10 days after my 2nd hip was done.

Stationary bike - I was able to do light stationary bike around 3 weeks post-op. I kept it at low resistance, for short durations (20 minutes), and was careful in my pedaling.
Swimming - Talk to others here on that (another bilateral patient - "blinky" comes to mind). But I'd guess light swimming could be done at 6-8 weeks (limited to no kicking, no leg push offs of the wall etc.)
Plank/push ups - I would think these could be done within the first couple of weeks.
Pull ups - Same as above, but the only concern is slipping and falling off the bar. Dr. Gross's staff informed me that to screw up your devices, it would take the force of jumping off a single story roof. This assumes you're not on  the "slow recovery" (low bone density) program. If that's the case, please disregard everything I have mentioned!
Yoga - I can't help you with this one, but others should be able to.
Standing weight lifting activities - This is a tricky one. I would avoid these until you're closer the 4,5 months mark. However, I went back to the gym within 6 weeks, and was able to do upper body weights that weren't in the standing position (bench press, curls, and anything where you could sit etc.)
Martial Arts - Can't help you with this either. Probably should wait until the 6-month mark.


You picked a great surgeon and staff. Good luck with your upcoming surgery!

[blinky]

The healing period won't be as bad as you fear, I promise. Looking back, I had all kinds of plans to lift weights in the early weeks and I didn't do it. Also, you really just have to strictly behave yourself for six weeks, then the biggest restrictions lift and you can gradually add more activities.

The first week or two, you will be weak and tired and your legs will not feel like they are under your power, that log leggedness everyone talks about. You won't be in pain, just fatigued and discombobulated. You'll be focusing on doing simple tasks like getting up and walking to the kitchen so won't be worried about losing fitness. But you will be walking and you will be doing those simple, first exercises, like the heal slides. This is the intense rest period.

Then you will start to feel better and get a little restless. Walking will be a treat---no pain--- and those first exercises will feel easy. Sometime in week three or four your incisions will heal and you will be able to get in the pool. This opens up new rehab/fitness opportunities. You can swim freestyle or swim with paddles or even walk/aquajog in the water. Again, your body may surprise you with what it can and can't do. (I swam 400m to start and my legs felt weird, kind of floating behind me, not helping much, so it was more of a pulling exercise. But they quickly came back on line. The first month in the pool, walking in the water, especially sideways, helped as much as anything.Getting into and out of the water was the hardest part; going up and down a ladder was a surprising challenge.)

I didn't ride a stationary bike until six weeks out, but when I could, I added that and the elliptical. And by six weeks, the walking limits begin to lift, but you are supposed to gradually add distance.So really you just have to restrain yourself for six weeks.

I found that yes, I got restless after the first few weeks, but I could satisfy myself with walking and swimming.I also found that some things I was allowed to do I couldn't do right away. The biggest was getting down on the floor. I missed getting on the floor and was dying to be free to do that at six weeks. But I was so stiff and awkward that it wasn't as much of a treat as I'd hoped. (It got better.)

Congrats on making the decision to make a change. Your neighbors will enjoy watching you crutch around the 'hood. Maybe they will bring you ice for the ice machine or casseroles to eat....

 

[Asalisbu]

Thanks Blinky, Saddle, and Joe. 

All great stuff.  I love this site.  Blinky I have been reading your posts for years and have found them very useful being a previous bilat with Gross. 

I am just going to hunker down and let nature take its course.  Sounds good with the pool and the bike being kinda of early to fend off the restlessness if I’m up for it.  Used to swim in college so will be nice to get back to it, slow as it will be. 

I too am very anxious to get back down on the floor with more ease.   Right now I need about a week to pre plan and execute my approach, landing spot, and egress for such a maneuver. I told my wife the Navy Seals dont prepare as much for an assault as I do trying to use my hips to get on the floor. 

So for now I will prep for step by step and look forward to walking with crutches.   I’m going to walk by my neighbors car at 11 every night and set off his alarm.   I will just tell him I lost my balance and had to lean on his car to catch me.   

As always thank you hipsters.