Biomet Resurfacing scheduled DR. Gross Oct. 22nd questions

[triathloner]

Well I finally have scheduled my resurf with Dr Gross in SC.  I'm excited and slightly worried all at once, but can't wait to walk pain free.  My question is one that has been asked before but I'll ask again for those newer hippies who may have some new insight.  What did you purchase before your resurfacing to aid in recovery?  What have you done to prepare your house.  Our TV/ family room is in the basement where we have a bathroom, but will I be mobile enough to get up and down the stairs, or should I move the tv upstairs so I won't have to be tackling the stairs as much.  Also will I get crutches at the hospital or would I have to have them before I get there.  I'm flying on a plane and would rather not have to bother with them prior to resurfacing. 

Also in what capacity will I be able to help around the house after.  I have four children ages 13,11,7, and 23 months.  They are great kids and help out a lot, especially the two oldest.  My wife works part time some days and some evenings about 20 hours per week.  The 13 year old will even watch all of them for short periods now.  If my wife has a night shift at what point would I be able to get by with help from the oldest kids?  Daytime would be daycare until I could manage with the 2 year old.  He is a pretty easy 2 year old believe it or not.  Any idea when I could manage with him?  Anybody else take care of their children early in recovery? 

Thanks for all your help or ideas and past experiences.  If you can think of anything I should be doing pre op to get ready it would be great.

Thanks
AL.

[TomBuell]

Hi Al - Good luck with your surgery. I'm sure you'll be glad with the results.
As always, any advice you get here is purely personal, based on our own experience, and can't replace advice from your doctor or physioptherapist. Here's my experience.
You probably will be able to climb steps using your crutches (which I was given at the hospital) when you get home, but you probably don't want to do it very often at first. My insurance company paid for a hospital bed, which we put in the main floor dining room near the kitchen and living room. I used it for the first week. I found it was nice to be around people in the main part of the house.
To get personal for a moment, I used a plastic urine bottle at the hospital, which was emptied by nurses, and took it home with me. It was very handy since it meant I didn't have to keep getting in and out of bed, but it means somebody has to empty it. I guess you could always get more than one.
As for other items, you'll probably want a raised toilet seat for when you do eventually use the facilities. If you go to a medical supply store and ask for a "hip kit," it will include a grabber for picking things up at a distance or off the floor, a sock assistant, some elastic laces for your shoes, a long shoe horn for when you can't bend over, and maybe some other things. It was handy, but my insurance didn't cover it. It cost about $40.
You know your family better than we do, but I know I wouldn't have been much help with small kids for the first week or two. You can always dole out advice and settle disputes, but probably no playing Twister or badminton. I think carrying around a toddler would be challenging for the first few weeks.
Good luck - Tom

 

[fenceman]

Hi Al,  I am 5 weeks out and just beginning to become useful around the house.  I have 3 kid that are older than yours, 15, 12, 9 and they have been a great help to me and  to my wife around the house.  First week coming home I laid around and complained but each week I was able to do more.  The biggest problem is carrying anything around while you have to use 2 crutches.  Standing is not a problem so I could set-up in the kitchen and load the dishwasher or cook when I really got bored.

It was easier to go up and down stairs holding on to both railings and having my kids carry the crutches.  I never felt comfortable going down stairs on my crutches.  I ask for and received crutches from the hospital PT.  Make sure you request an isle seat on the plane so that you can extend the leg.  I could not bend mine for very long due to swelling in the thigh.

Listen to your Dr. and don't overdue it.  Good Luck and heal quickly. Bill

[CITY2SOUTH]

Al,
Good Luck with surgery. Dr.G and his staff are awesome. Jean filled you in on everything so all I will mention is that you will need help with your 2 yr old for at least 2 weeks 24/7. I have a 3 yr old and if not for my husband taking off for the first 2 weeks I don't know what I would have done. My son is an easy going child as well but they still have needs. Don't expect to do anything for him for 2 weeks. Everyone recovers differently but I think that is the minimum time frame for toddler/preschooler issues. I used 2 crutches for a few days then went to 1 crutch so they did not get much use..By week 3 I was getting around with a cane and able to help with my son.

Take care,
Lisa
Uncemented/Biomet/Gross/6-23-08

[triathloner]

Thanks everyone for your words of advice.  jeanie thans so much for taking the extra time, you answered so many of my questions that I was going to call them on.  And yes I am a cyclist, I love it and am still putting in quite a few miles a week.  It is the one thing I want to continue along with swimming.  I never loved running, and just did it to compete in triathlons.  I'll probably never do any more just so as not to take the chance on the resurfacing.  I did always dream of the big one (Ironman) but alas is guess it just not going to happen.  Or perhaps I'll tackle it and just speed walk the run, who knows. 

[Pat Walter]

Al
I want to wish you good luck with your upcoming surgery.

Jeanie
That is a great post.  I will try to find a place to give it a permanent home.

Pat

[TomBuell]

Pat - That was a great post from Jeanie. Far more detailed than mine. But I can't see it anymore in this thread. Great to give it a permanent home, but I think others would benefit from it here, too.
Just my two cents - Tom

[Pat Walter]

Note: This is an original post from Jeanie that I thought should be it's own topic. Yet folks wanted a copy on this thread too. So I am placing a copy below


Hi Al,
I'm 3 weeks out from surgery with Dr. Gross.  Here are my tips for you:

Crutches/Cane
During your pre-op appt. with Dr. Gross the day before your surgery, the tech will come in and fit you for crutches.  So, you don't have to worry about getting crutches ahead of time.   You will want to get a cane to start using at some point during your recovery.    I used two crutches for the first several days, then I went to one crutch on post-op day 5 and started using the cane on post-op day 7-8-ish.   On post-op day 5, I was somewhat surprised to find it actually much easier to manage with one crutch, rather than two.  Then, it was good to have the cane sitting there so that I could start to experiment with what the cane would feel like.  I found it a much bigger deal to go from one crutch to a cane and for several days I used both as I gradually weaned myself from crutch to cane.  I bought a cane at Walgreens.  They had a good selection.  I recommend getting one with a nice comfy foam grip handle.  You'll appreciate the cushioned grip on longer walks.


Hip Kit
Also during your pre-op appt. with Dr. Gross, Nancy Smith will provide you with a number to call to order a hip kit that they'll deliver to you in the hospital.  I ordered the kit in the hospital because I was going to stay at my sister's house in NC for a week before flying home to Utah the following week.  If you'll be flying out the day after your released from the hospital then perhaps you'll want to get one ahead of time at home and save the trouble of packing it up and checking it with your luggage.  For me the most important items in the hip kit have been The Grabber, sponge on a stick and chair thing that fits over the toilet.    I have found all of these things very useful.  I used the leg lifter for only the first few days to lift my leg in and out of bed. 

PolarCare 300
When you wake up in recovery you'll find that your hip is wrapped up in a nice cool Polarcare 300.  You get to take this home with you as a parting gift!   The Polarcare was my best friend during the first week of my recovery.  I went through about a bag of ice a day.   Each day when my brother-in-law came home from work carrying a bag of ice I would scream out 'The Iceman Cometh!'.  You'll need a lot of ice!   The Polarcare is a little square cooler that you fill with ice water that has a hose connected to a neoprene wrap with little plastic cells on one side that the ice water circulates through.  The neoprene wrap is designed to fit your hip and it attaches around your hips and upper thigh with velcro.  Usually you plug it in and the pump that continually circulates the cold water from the cooler through the wrap runs on electricity.  However, it also has a hand pump that you can use to re-circulate the ice water.  I'm telling you all this because you'll want to bring the polarcare home with you.  They'll give it to you in a box that you can easily pack it back into and check at the airport.  So, you may want to bring a marker and packing tape to seal the box and write your contact information on the box before checking it.  Or, if you have someone traveling with you who's willing to carry the Polarcare on the plane, then I think it would be great to have the Polarcare with you on the plane and use the hand pump to circulate the water.  It should easily fit into the overhead bin during takeoff and landing.  My boyfriend stayed home to care for our dogs while I travelled east for the surgery and my entire family lives on the east coast.  So, I flew alone and I checked my Polarcare and I was wishing that I had it during the flight. 

Flying Home
I arranged for a wheelchair ahead of time for getting through the airport.  Again, if i wasn't traveling alone, I certainly could have managed it without it.  But, it's a service that's provided and it worked out well for me especially since I flew on the day tropical storm Hannah was hitting the east coast and the airports where jammed with people.  The last thing you want is some nitwit who's rushing and not paying attention to knock you off your feet.

Recliner Chair
On Surfacehippy, I kept reading about people raving about their recliner chairs during recovery.  I didn't have a recliner chair and I didn't want to spend a lot of money to buy a recliner.  My sister didn't have a recliner at her house either and for the first week that I stayed there, I had a hard time finding any comfort while sitting.  Most of the time I spent in bed with my legs on a pillow or on the sofa with my legs on an ottoman and a couple of pillows.  I was always uncomfortably slouching because I was paranoid about breaking the 90 degree rule.  I broke down and ordered a $230 zero-gravity recliner from relaxtheback.com.  It's called the La Fuma Microsuede Recliner and it's absolute heaven on earth.   It's the only chair that I've been comfortable sitting in and I even find myself sleeping in it a lot.  Whenever I come in from a longer walk, I usually pass out for an hour in my recliner.  It's sooooo comfortable.  Plus, it's portable.  So, we move it around easily from the TV room, to the back patio and upstairs to the bedroom.  So, if you already have a recliner then put it in the room that you'll want to spend most of your time because you'll be spending a lot of time in the recliner.  If you don't already have a recliner then I recommend spending the $230 for the La Fuma.  It's worth every penny for the comfort it provides. 

Stairs
When you're in the hospital, the PT therapist will teach you how to do stairs.  I found the uncarpeted, cement steps at the hospital to be terrifying the first time.  But since then, I've found stairs to be very easy to manage.  You'll quickly get the hang of it.  I wouldn't worry too much about the stairs.

Kids
I don't have kids, so I really can't offer any advice on taking care of kids.  I bet the older kids will be really helpful to have around as gophers and shoe-tyers.  My biggest problem is that have to have my boyfriend put my sneakers on for me before he leaves for work each morning and I have to keep them on all day.  Sometimes I'm still snoozing in bed when he's putting my sneaks on for the day.  I wish I had someone to tie my left sneaker during the day!

Physical Condition
Since your username is Triathloner, you must be a cyclist.  I'm a cyclist and it was the one thing that I could still do really well despite my hip.  So, I did A LOT of it in the months prior to surgery.  I was in very good shape going into the surgery and I think that has paid dividends during my recovery.   So, my last piece of advice is to go into surgery in the best shape possible.  I think it may help.

Lastly, I was terrified about the surgery.  I was second-guessing it all throughout the week before.  Luckily, when you get to the hospital everything happens very quickly and before you know it, it's all behind you.  The difficult thing for me right now is that I feel like it's going to be long time before I really know if this was successful and that bothers me.  Right now, it seems like everything is good and right on track.  But, I won't really feel good about calling this a success until I get to that 6 month mark.  Boy, that's a long time!

I hope this was helpful!  I'll be happy to answer more questions.  Good Luck!

Jeanie

[obxpelican]

I agree that was one of the most comprehensive posts on what to expect and what you need.  I wish I had that before I went to Columbia, SC.

Chuck

Note: This is an original post from Jeanie that I thought should be it's own topic. Yet folks wanted a copy on this thread too. So I am placing a copy below


Hi Al,
I'm 3 weeks out from surgery with Dr. Gross.  Here are my tips for you:

Crutches/Cane
During your pre-op appt. with Dr. Gross the day before your surgery, the tech will come in and fit you for crutches.  So, you don't have to worry about getting crutches ahead of time.   You will want to get a cane to start using at some point during your recovery.    I used two crutches for the first several days, then I went to one crutch on post-op day 5 and started using the cane on post-op day 7-8-ish.   On post-op day 5, I was somewhat surprised to find it actually much easier to manage with one crutch, rather than two.  Then, it was good to have the cane sitting there so that I could start to experiment with what the cane would feel like.  I found it a much bigger deal to go from one crutch to a cane and for several days I used both as I gradually weaned myself from crutch to cane.  I bought a cane at Walgreens.  They had a good selection.  I recommend getting one with a nice comfy foam grip handle.  You'll appreciate the cushioned grip on longer walks.


Hip Kit
Also during your pre-op appt. with Dr. Gross, Nancy Smith will provide you with a number to call to order a hip kit that they'll deliver to you in the hospital.  I ordered the kit in the hospital because I was going to stay at my sister's house in NC for a week before flying home to Utah the following week.  If you'll be flying out the day after your released from the hospital then perhaps you'll want to get one ahead of time at home and save the trouble of packing it up and checking it with your luggage.  For me the most important items in the hip kit have been The Grabber, sponge on a stick and chair thing that fits over the toilet.    I have found all of these things very useful.  I used the leg lifter for only the first few days to lift my leg in and out of bed. 

PolarCare 300
When you wake up in recovery you'll find that your hip is wrapped up in a nice cool Polarcare 300.  You get to take this home with you as a parting gift!   The Polarcare was my best friend during the first week of my recovery.  I went through about a bag of ice a day.   Each day when my brother-in-law came home from work carrying a bag of ice I would scream out 'The Iceman Cometh!'.  You'll need a lot of ice!   The Polarcare is a little square cooler that you fill with ice water that has a hose connected to a neoprene wrap with little plastic cells on one side that the ice water circulates through.  The neoprene wrap is designed to fit your hip and it attaches around your hips and upper thigh with velcro.  Usually you plug it in and the pump that continually circulates the cold water from the cooler through the wrap runs on electricity.  However, it also has a hand pump that you can use to re-circulate the ice water.  I'm telling you all this because you'll want to bring the polarcare home with you.  They'll give it to you in a box that you can easily pack it back into and check at the airport.  So, you may want to bring a marker and packing tape to seal the box and write your contact information on the box before checking it.  Or, if you have someone traveling with you who's willing to carry the Polarcare on the plane, then I think it would be great to have the Polarcare with you on the plane and use the hand pump to circulate the water.  It should easily fit into the overhead bin during takeoff and landing.  My boyfriend stayed home to care for our dogs while I travelled east for the surgery and my entire family lives on the east coast.  So, I flew alone and I checked my Polarcare and I was wishing that I had it during the flight. 

Flying Home
I arranged for a wheelchair ahead of time for getting through the airport.  Again, if i wasn't traveling alone, I certainly could have managed it without it.  But, it's a service that's provided and it worked out well for me especially since I flew on the day tropical storm Hannah was hitting the east coast and the airports where jammed with people.  The last thing you want is some nitwit who's rushing and not paying attention to knock you off your feet.

Recliner Chair
On Surfacehippy, I kept reading about people raving about their recliner chairs during recovery.  I didn't have a recliner chair and I didn't want to spend a lot of money to buy a recliner.  My sister didn't have a recliner at her house either and for the first week that I stayed there, I had a hard time finding any comfort while sitting.  Most of the time I spent in bed with my legs on a pillow or on the sofa with my legs on an ottoman and a couple of pillows.  I was always uncomfortably slouching because I was paranoid about breaking the 90 degree rule.  I broke down and ordered a $230 zero-gravity recliner from relaxtheback.com.  It's called the La Fuma Microsuede Recliner and it's absolute heaven on earth.   It's the only chair that I've been comfortable sitting in and I even find myself sleeping in it a lot.  Whenever I come in from a longer walk, I usually pass out for an hour in my recliner.  It's sooooo comfortable.  Plus, it's portable.  So, we move it around easily from the TV room, to the back patio and upstairs to the bedroom.  So, if you already have a recliner then put it in the room that you'll want to spend most of your time because you'll be spending a lot of time in the recliner.  If you don't already have a recliner then I recommend spending the $230 for the La Fuma.  It's worth every penny for the comfort it provides. 

Stairs
When you're in the hospital, the PT therapist will teach you how to do stairs.  I found the uncarpeted, cement steps at the hospital to be terrifying the first time.  But since then, I've found stairs to be very easy to manage.  You'll quickly get the hang of it.  I wouldn't worry too much about the stairs.

Kids
I don't have kids, so I really can't offer any advice on taking care of kids.  I bet the older kids will be really helpful to have around as gophers and shoe-tyers.  My biggest problem is that have to have my boyfriend put my sneakers on for me before he leaves for work each morning and I have to keep them on all day.  Sometimes I'm still snoozing in bed when he's putting my sneaks on for the day.  I wish I had someone to tie my left sneaker during the day!

Physical Condition
Since your username is Triathloner, you must be a cyclist.  I'm a cyclist and it was the one thing that I could still do really well despite my hip.  So, I did A LOT of it in the months prior to surgery.  I was in very good shape going into the surgery and I think that has paid dividends during my recovery.   So, my last piece of advice is to go into surgery in the best shape possible.  I think it may help.

Lastly, I was terrified about the surgery.  I was second-guessing it all throughout the week before.  Luckily, when you get to the hospital everything happens very quickly and before you know it, it's all behind you.  The difficult thing for me right now is that I feel like it's going to be long time before I really know if this was successful and that bothers me.  Right now, it seems like everything is good and right on track.  But, I won't really feel good about calling this a success until I get to that 6 month mark.  Boy, that's a long time!

I hope this was helpful!  I'll be happy to answer more questions.  Good Luck!

Jeanie

[LM]

Al-

Jeanie's post is very comprehensive and spot on.  I will add a couple of personal comments:

Flying: I'm not sure if you are flying or driving.  I flew from Charlotte to Phoenix with no issues one day after I was released. I had someone traveling with me, so I crutched my way through both airports (he took all the carry on bags).  Everyone was very accomodating. The "exercise" actually felt good, especially after being on a 5 hour flight. Depending on how far you have to walk, however, your arms may get a little tired.  I did alot of upper arm work outs before the surgery knowing I'd be on crutches for a week or so.  I would agree, though, to be careful if there is any possibility of "pushing and shoving".  You may want to consider a wheelchair as some people just don't pay attention to anything around them.  I bought a pillow to place in my seat so I would be sitting a bit higher and softer. 

PolarCare: This will be one of your best friends. DO NOT leave without it.  I still use it occasionally now 6 weeks later, especially if I have taken a longer walk and stressed the muscles a bit. I did not need it on the plane ride, but it was utilized as soon as I got home to help with the swelling from the flight. 

Recliner:  I have seen a number of posts regarding the zero gravity recliner.  I think everyone has different needs and comfort levels. I never considered getting a recliner of any sort and never needed one, although it may be a nice investment in general.   I had no problem sitting on a couch, but had to be careful getting up.  I only had one hip done, so my good leg got well used getting up off the couch or out of chairs.  Don't laugh, but the best chair for me was actually one of my plastic outdoor patio chairs.  I went back to work full time 7 days after  surgery (I could work from home) and this chair provided the best height and overall comfort (especially in front of the computer) and the arms allowed me to easily push myself up to standing. I place a pad on it for added comfort.

Physical Fitness: I too got myself in the best possible shape (and weight) prior to surgery, and I believe this along with a positive attitude (and a fabulous surgeon) is why my recovery as been so good.  I used a stationary bike, eliptical and swimming plus upper and lower body weight workouts 4-5 days per week.  I know many folks posting just can't do alot physically because of their pain, but if you can do anything, do it.  I am now 6 weeks post op and started back at the gym with upper body workouts at week 2.  I went to 1 crutch after the first week (it is easier with one than two) and went to a cane after 2 weeks.  I used the gym track to walk with my cane (too hot in Phoenix to walk outdoors).  At 4 weeks I was already walking 1.5 miles every day. But everyone must listen to their bodies and they should not compare themselves to others.  You may read some posts where people are out skiing, dancing, cycling already at week 6.  I feel like I'm in good shape, but I choose to stick to walking and will slowly add swimming, eliptical and biking in the next several weeks. 

Here is another tip that I sort of fell upon.  If you are staying at the Courtyard on the hospital campus, tell them you are having hip surgery and request one of the handicapped enabled rooms.  My room was a couple doors from the elevator (nice not having to walk too far down the hallway), the shower was handicapped equipped which made it easier/safer getting in/out and they provided a raised toilet seat, for which I was grateful for.  When I made reservations I told them I was having hip surgery with Dr. Gross (they of course were very familiar with him), so I assume the reservation agent put a note on my reservation.  But others we met in the hotel who also had surgery had not been given this type of room, so I assume one should request it.

You will be in great hands with Dr. Gross, Lee Webb, his entire team and the staff at Providence.  Top notch surgeon and all very experienced professionals.  I couldn't have had a better experience.  I thought I was "nuts" having major surgery with a doctor that I only met over a 20 minute telephone conversation.  This has been one of the best decisions I've ever made going with this team.

I too won't say it's a success until that 6 month mark and ultimately 3-4 years from now when more results are available, but if my recovery continues as it has been, I have no doubts I will be making the same comments as I am now.  After 7 years of ongoing pain, I'm thrilled to have that gone and be back on the road to participating in activities I had to give up. Prior to surgery I slept maybe 2-3 hours at a time.  I now sleep pretty much through the night.  I had forgotten what that was like.  And it still amazes me how pain free this whole experience has been for me as well.  A couple of pain pills one day after release, none since. 

Only a few short weeks to go.  I wish you the same great experience I have had.  Good luck.

Laurie

[John C]

The previous posts are wonderful, and packed with great information. Because of my own experience, I want to add a balancing perspective. From reading about the fast and pain free recoveries like these, I came out of surgery with many expectations. When I experienced a fair amount of pain when attempting to walk, needed pain pills for many days in order to get any sleep, and needed to be on two crutches for over a month and a cane to six weeks, it made me feel like something must be wrong. This caused some unnecessary worry and anxiety. Now that I am out three months, everything is progressing very well, and those worries are just a bad memory, which I attribute to setting too high of a standard for my initial recovery, based on my readings.
I think that Pat gives the best advice when she says that everyone heals at their own pace, so try to avoid expectations and comparisons. Being prepared for a wide possible range of initial experiences, makes it easier to relax and let your own healing process take place.

John/ Left Biomet/ Dr Gross/ 6-16-08

[obxpelican]

Al,

I know of someone else who will become a Dr. Gross hippie on that day--- which operation time did you get?  I'll have to introduce you guys to each other.

In regard to dealing with your 2 year old with Dr. Gross he usually gives you a 90 degree rule with your hip, you might be tired the first few weeks (I was) but even the first week I was home I was able to help make breakfast in the morning and dinner in the evening.  Dr. Gross won't want you picking things up without using a grabber that you can either buy like Jean mentioned or you can buy them separately.  Personally I found the sock device and the grabber to be the best tools in that kit.  Nancy will let you know how to buy that kit when you see the crew on the 21st.

Dr. Gross was able to tell me if I was going to be full weight bearing before I even saw him, if you are full weight bearing you'll be surprised what you'll be able to do.  Having the extra kids will help you a lot I am sure.

What John said is true, some people do not rehab quickly, some do really quickly, some are average. 

Good Luck, you'll be fine Dr. Gross and crew will take good care of you, Dr. Gross is one of the top surgeons in the world, he's awesome.  Dr. Gross takes on patients that other doctors would not even think of doing.


Chuck

[triathloner]

Thanks for all the replies, this is great info, and makes the worrying a little less.        obxpelican: I have the later sugery of the day but can't remember the time right now.  I am having my dexascan today and can't wait to get them my info on that to see what I will be weight bearing after surgery.  I'm hoping for the best, but at 5"9 and 210ish weight I'm worried a little about being heavy.  I'm pretty muscular in the sense that I can go out and bike 50 miles or swim 2-3 miles at a time now.  So I'm hoping that my bmi isn't as high as the formula's say as there must be some good muscle structure under my chubbyness.  Have any of you been around 25 bmi and had recovery's without much problems? 

[TomBuell]

I'm 6'5" and weigh 260. There's a lot of muscle under there, but probably an extra 30-40 pounds from my prime weight. My doc told me to put only 20 percent pressure (basically no pressure) on for the first two weeks, and then to use both crutches for a month.
So to answer your question, I'm a big heavy guy and so far I have had no major complications and feeling good at nearly three months post-op.
- Tom

[obxpelican]

I am not the most trim guy, I should probably lose 25 - 35 pounds to hit my best weight and I do not think my weight affected me whatsoever.  Do some upper body work pre-op, you will use your upper body a lot in the beginning, but IMHO you sould like you're pretty fit. 

The one thing I saw online is that if you are really heavy it can cause you to possibly get that dreaded spinal headache, I brought it up to Lee the day before and she said that problem is rare and if your are morbidly obese it raises the chances.  You'll be surprised how you will find ways of doing things not to break the 90 degree rule.  I never told Lee or Dr. Gross but at 3 weeks or so post-op I was out trimming grass in the back and front yard, although the trimmer was real light so it was not much of a workout.

Don't worry you'll do fine, Dr. Gross is one of the best around.  Lee and Nancy are fantastic to deal with.

Please update us when you get the chance.  I'll let Lisa know you are one of the later, I think she is 7:30.



Chuck

Thanks for all the replies, this is great info, and makes the worrying a little less.        obxpelican: I have the later sugery of the day but can't remember the time right now.  I am having my dexascan today and can't wait to get them my info on that to see what I will be weight bearing after surgery.  I'm hoping for the best, but at 5"9 and 210ish weight I'm worried a little about being heavy.  I'm pretty muscular in the sense that I can go out and bike 50 miles or swim 2-3 miles at a time now.  So I'm hoping that my bmi isn't as high as the formula's say as there must be some good muscle structure under my chubbyness.  Have any of you been around 25 bmi and had recovery's without much problems?