November 1, 2014

Injury started with a sports hernia after Crossfit in 09, then spiraled to hip issues soon after. Had right hip done on Jan-2011 for FAI, labrum, also performed microfracture for damaged cartilage. Left hip done Nov-2012 same procedure.

This past May both hips failed one month apart. Seems the microfracture did not hold up. So now I am in the state of WOW two failed hip surgeries. I have pain sitting and lost some range of motion. I can still bike and do some exercise, pain is constant 24-7. I am 43 and just tired of 5 years of chronic pain, injuries doctors, etc.

I have a lot of joint space still based on my x-rays. I sent them to Dr. Gross and he said I would be a candidate. I think I would like to visit him and speak to him about it. I am in Miami so he is not too far.

I also researched stem cell/prp injections, not sure if this will buy me some time or just throwing money away. My bad spot is on the most weight bearing part of the hip joint, so not sure how the injections will help.

Like many of you I am just over it. I almost feel like I lost 5 years of my life with this crap.

April 14, 2016

Had my surgery this AM. Well oiled machine is an understatement, between the hospital and Dr. Gross’s team, you would think you are getting a tooth filled at the dentist, not a major surgery. Kudus to all of them.

My surgery was uneventful in his words, but he did find a part of the femur worn with no cartiledge and acetabulum worn to nothing in the same spot. This was causing the chronic pain 24/7. So although I had decent joint space in the rest of the joint, I feel the correct choice was made doing an HR. No other solution was present, another scope and microfracture would have been a waste.

I think I will be fine, so far I was able to walk a short period and be full weight bearing. My pain is minimal now from the surgery. I will get more details on the condition of the joint and his findings whenhe visits me tomorrow.

April 15, 2016

My operated leg seems to be loosening up a bit. It was hurting this am, but I am seeing some improvement in the pm. Stayed another day in SC as the drive back to Miami is 10 hours. So far all good.

The pain meds are giving me awful headaches. Hopefully drop them soon.

April 17, 2016

Made it back to Miami. Good news operated hip no groin pain from sitting. That was one of my major problems. Left hip bothered all the way back. Surgical pain tolerable, and those lovely cracks and pops.

Two take always for my next surgery for the left. Go into the surgery as light as possible, I weigh 210, best weight for me 180, would have made a difference. Do not lay in bed cause of pain. I laid in bed all day yesterday, you can’t, need to work the leg.

I am only 3 days out but your leg is useless thus were lighter body weight and upper body strength is key.

April 19, 2016

Day 6. Sleeping is still challenging. I was able to carefully rollover with a pillow between my legs and sleep on my stomach, with just my feet dangling off my bed. Getting stronger my pain is more focused on upper quad, kinda where your psoas passes threw, pain then flows down to the knee. Not too bad, but you feel it if you move too quickly.

I guess I need to be careful not to over do it, and just stick with his rehab and walking a few times a day outside. Still on two crutches have not attempted to go down to one.

April 23, 2016

So feeling good on day 10. Sitting on the couch I can feel than annoying pain in my left hip still. The right operated hip no pain sitting. I am thrilled just to sit without pain.

I will start progressing to one crutch today. I went into the surgery with good muscle strength in my hips, so I think that helped.

I think I will go see Dr. Gross for my follow up. I was debating to spend the money to fly up too see him for the follow up. The travel cost will be like 600 total, but I feel it’s worth it.

I want to discuss my surgery and the plan for my left hip.

April 30, 2016

Well it will be three weeks on Wednesday. Went to work yesterday no crutches. People are we’re amazed how fast I am recovering. They have seen me go through the scopes missing six weeks of work on each. I have been with the same company for 16 years so many old timers know my 7 year hip saga.

Interesting my knee pain on the left side that I would get is completely gone. Now this is the non resurfaced side, which still has damage from the failed scope. It will be interesting after the 6 week restrictions are up how much pain I still have on the left side. It’s been better now since I had the right corrected, but I have not been exercising just walking and phase one exercises. Once I can start more core I will know.

When I see Dr. Gross for the follow up we will discuss the left side. I scheduled the left for October. If the left side subsides enough where in the pain is minimal, I may hold off. My only fear is Dr. Gross retiring, but he is pretty young so I don’t see that happening. I would not be comfortable with another surgeon doing the left side.

May 4, 2016

I am 3 weeks and my incision is close to being healed. I have a pool in my house and it’s nice and warm, one good part of living in Miami.

Not a big swimmer, but plan to use it for rehab. I think it would be okay to do the following at this stage.

— swim laps with the web hand thingys I bought, great upper body workout. No kicking of my legs or pushing off the sides.
— walk forward,backward and latterly in waist deep water.
— hanging off the side in the deep end just rotate my hip in different directions.

May 16, 2016

I have been doing three days straight of 30-40 minutes swimming/chest deep walking sideways and backwards.

Wow, I feel better, loosened up the hip a lot, pool is no joke for recovering. Kinda enjoying the swimming part for  an upper body workout.

May 25, 2016

So he took a bunch of X-rays and he did a range of motion test. He was surprised how well I was able to walk and get up from a chair, my gait looked perfect to him.

My psoas scored  a 3/5 and my abductor scored 5/5 in strengh. The pool has been helping so much. He was thrilled with my progress and basically being pain free. I was a grey area patient with a lot of joint space with prior failed scopes, so he was hesitant to operate.

If anything comes out of cases like mine.is sometimes you need to push the surgeon. I wish I had done this back in early 2015 after I saw him on November 2014. I have not felt this good since late 2008, after that is was a that is was just years of battling failed scopes and constant hip pain.

Now it’s on to phase 2, I have the rest of the week off looking forward to be off these restriction. Again thanks for all the comments and advice. This board has a great bunch of people on it, really helped me through this entire process. It also opened my eyes how important your health is and don’t take life for granted, very humbling going from horrible chronic pain everyday to actually looking forward to getting up in the mornings.

June 7, 2016

I am 8 weeks out. I continue to progress my hip feels great. Started to work glutes and abductors more. Still a little hesitant with the forward leg lifts(psoas is touchy). I am climbing stairs normal just holding on to the rail.

I noticed my back acting up after I started stretching once the six weeks was up. It might be do to all the compensation for years of the bad hip. I am going to the gym daily and doing machines for upper body and just elliptical for lower.

My next step is to start Core-x resistance band training and really focus on planks, bridges, etc.

All in all I could not be happier with the surgery and Dr. Gross and his staff.

July 2, 2016

Just a word of warning to all recovering. Be really careful with your hip flexor when recovering. I am 3 months out from Dr. Gross, doing great until this past week. I thought I would ramp up my exercise, so just practiced climbing one stair up and down for maybe 10 minutes straight on Tuesday, plus my normal hip phase 2 exercises.

I really aggravated my psoas, hopefully not full blown tendonitis. My glutes are firing perfect so it was not glute weakness. Back to dosing ibuprofen and just walking in the pool.

August 29, 2016

Thought I would give a 20 week update, all is good. My hip keeps improving. Now doing single leg balancing, free standing squats, and tons of other hip exercises. Still getting an occasional psoas issue, but it seems to go away the next day. My bad hip complains a little, but I am postponing the surgery on that one till next year, I had an October date. I notice some days it barely bothers. I spoke to Dr.Gross last month, he says give it a year on your right and then see how the left feels day to day.

I got on my mountain bike and rode a few blocks yesterday, wow did that feel great.  Dr. Gross likes his patients to wait the 6 months, for fear of falling. I was reading Dr.Su says it’s okay to bike outside at 3-4 months, but of course every surgeon has different protocols.

September 26, 2016

Well I biked about 20 miles over the weekend and have been walking about an hour a day. My hip feels great. The more I push it the better it feels, I guess all the muscles are finally working properly.

I am going to focus on my core/posture, it has taken a beating since all these injuries from 2009. I notice I have anterior pelvic tilt, which I am working on correcting.

November 2, 2016

Well I tested out my new hip not the way I intended. My lab got attacked by two pit bulls, I had to sprint after one pitbull, I jumped on top of it and choked it till the owner could get the collar on. The other I had to pick up over my shoulder. One of the scariest things that ever happened to me.

My adrenalin  took over once I saw my dog being attacked. Lucky she only got five puncture wounds around her neck. She seems to be ok I took her to the vet.

My hip feels good from all the jumping/cutting and sprinting.

I am 7 months out and my hip flexors are still cranky, they have been dysfunctional for so long, its going to take time to unwind. I think people fail to realize that muscles can take along time to start working properly/symmetrically again. All the years with a bad joint your body adapts, now with a new joint in cannot just snap back. I know it stinks I have been through it, and the hip flexors are just finicky causing back, groin and tightness.

December 21, 2016

Well I am eight months out and did a jog/walk for 1.5 miles yesterday. That’s the first time I have jogged in 8 years. My HS hip felt great. I had some joint pain in the non HR hip after running, but not bad today.

I am feeling it in the muscles today as expected. I miss running, so I am going to introduce it back every other day.

Amazing these HR components feel so natural. I never get why Dr.Gross told me I might not like the feel of it.