Troweltalk
graduate
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2008
- Messages
- 592
- Age
- 68
- Country
United States
- Gender
- Male
Well in just a few weeks I will be six months post-op. So how do I feel, really?
The arthritis pain in my hip has been gone since I woke up in the recovery room, which I suspect is pretty normal for most of us. Of course it was replaced by surgery pain.
My incision healed beautifully (pictures of my butt later, ladies. contain yourselves...:D) but I do have a little numbness along part of one side of the scar. Surgeon and GP both tell me this is normal. Not really a bother, just a bit odd to the touch.
Surgery pain has been gone for some time, maybe 2 - 3 months. What is left is a tense feeling in my hip joint; sorta feels like I have a metal ball in there :p but while it is an odd sensation, it is not painful in any way.
I am still a little stiff when I've been sitting for long periods of time, but I can tell even that is better now than just a month ago.
In the last few weeks I have returned to doing more aggressive activities that I use to do before arthritis pain slowed me down. I am remodeling a bathroom and even spending time down on the floor installing tile. I went off-roading over the long Memorial Day weekend and walked up and down some steep trails with slippery rocks; I did walk more gingerly than before, but this wasn't a physical limitation, only a mental one. I didn't want to find out the hard way what would happened if I slipped.
My range of motion still isn't quite as good as my good side, but note that I have no arthritis at all in the other hip. I can put on my sock and tie my shoe without grimacing any more; to me that was a benchmark moment. It said, "you're back". Such a little thing, but yet doing so is a big moment, at least it was for me.
I'm walking 1 - 2 miles almost every day. I ride my recumbent stationary bike 20 - 30 minutes almost every day, and I try to get in a pool at least 2 - 3 times per week (wished my schedule would permit it more). I could do none of these things the day before surgery without excrusiating pain. I have not taken so much as a Tylenol in over 2 months.
The surgery did what I wanted it to do; it didn't make me an athlete, but it did allow me to return to what I considered normal and important functions for my life-style. The process was difficult both physically and mentally for those first few weeks, there were moments in the first week or two I wondered "what the hell ahve I done to myself?" but I was encouraged by the fact that I could see and feel improvement every few days, certainly every week in the beginning.
Anyway, I am looking forward to my one year anniversary, I suspect it just keeps getting a little better. I hope it has for you too; let us know?
The arthritis pain in my hip has been gone since I woke up in the recovery room, which I suspect is pretty normal for most of us. Of course it was replaced by surgery pain.
My incision healed beautifully (pictures of my butt later, ladies. contain yourselves...:D) but I do have a little numbness along part of one side of the scar. Surgeon and GP both tell me this is normal. Not really a bother, just a bit odd to the touch.
Surgery pain has been gone for some time, maybe 2 - 3 months. What is left is a tense feeling in my hip joint; sorta feels like I have a metal ball in there :p but while it is an odd sensation, it is not painful in any way.
I am still a little stiff when I've been sitting for long periods of time, but I can tell even that is better now than just a month ago.
In the last few weeks I have returned to doing more aggressive activities that I use to do before arthritis pain slowed me down. I am remodeling a bathroom and even spending time down on the floor installing tile. I went off-roading over the long Memorial Day weekend and walked up and down some steep trails with slippery rocks; I did walk more gingerly than before, but this wasn't a physical limitation, only a mental one. I didn't want to find out the hard way what would happened if I slipped.
My range of motion still isn't quite as good as my good side, but note that I have no arthritis at all in the other hip. I can put on my sock and tie my shoe without grimacing any more; to me that was a benchmark moment. It said, "you're back". Such a little thing, but yet doing so is a big moment, at least it was for me.
I'm walking 1 - 2 miles almost every day. I ride my recumbent stationary bike 20 - 30 minutes almost every day, and I try to get in a pool at least 2 - 3 times per week (wished my schedule would permit it more). I could do none of these things the day before surgery without excrusiating pain. I have not taken so much as a Tylenol in over 2 months.
The surgery did what I wanted it to do; it didn't make me an athlete, but it did allow me to return to what I considered normal and important functions for my life-style. The process was difficult both physically and mentally for those first few weeks, there were moments in the first week or two I wondered "what the hell ahve I done to myself?" but I was encouraged by the fact that I could see and feel improvement every few days, certainly every week in the beginning.
Anyway, I am looking forward to my one year anniversary, I suspect it just keeps getting a little better. I hope it has for you too; let us know?
