THR A hiker's tale (male, age 49)

[pdx_hiker]

Day 32: Life's a beach!

(I was NOT going to let an 80°-at-the-coast October day go to waste. The soft dunes weren't fun to walk up — are they ever? — but the wet sand felt great.)

It seems a bit early to me for those types of strengthening exercises. I would be especially cautious about pushing those straight leg raises, especially the supine ones, if they're causing you any trouble.

The supine exercises are easy; the abduction ones are much harder. But even those don't even remotely feel like overdoing it.

Hope you're using the golfers reach to pick up those softballs.

Not really... my surgeon said I'm not under any bending restrictions. I just have to listen to my body, and my body is saying MOVE.

 

[CricketHip]

Nothing like some sand between your toes.
You are doing so well!

 

[Layla]

Well that looks like fun!

The soft dunes weren't fun to walk up — are they ever? —

As you know and experienced, your gait changes while walking on sand.
It's more of a workout. Beach sand provides an unpredictable and uneven walking surface. This can place increased stress / strain and loading on your joints. Walking in the softer sand requires increased energy expenditure, forcing you to work harder, compared to walking on an even, firm surface. The foot will sink slightly into the sand. This will provide the least amount of stability, which forces you to use muscles throughout your legs more.

I hope you enjoyed your time at the beach and aren't feeling any negative effects today. If you are, I'm sure a little ice and rest will have you back to good quickly.
Happy Sunday!

 

[myglasshalffull]

pdx.
Looks so nice and we took advantage of 70 degree East Coast day this past Tuesday at the beach.
Chairs, bottle of wine and cheese and crackers and only a few people.
Sun, no wind an amazing day.

 

[pdx_hiker]

Day 45: The knee pain has subsided a bit in the last few days, thank god. Let's hope it stays that way.

This week, I had my 6-weeks-after follow-up with the orthopedic surgeon, and my third session with the physical therapist. Both said they didn't see any limp, and the OS said the range of motion in my repaired hip is already pretty close to my good hip. I'll see the surgeon again next September, and maybe one more check-in with the PT a few weeks from now.

So from now on, it's just continuing exercises at home to strengthen the muscles in my left leg, and trying to remember to take it easy on the new parts (and the incision) until it's been 3 or 4 months and I can get back to fully normal life.

 

[pdx_hiker]

Day 63: Unfortunately, in the two weeks since my 6-week checkup, I've developed a few new symptoms:

1. The incision/scar on my rump has been more noticeable lately when I move; it feels tight. I'm not too concerned about this; scars are scars, and they take a while to get settled. The physical therapist told me to try "scar massage," so I'm doing that more now.
2. Sometimes I feel a little bit of a "thunk" as the muscles and/or tendons slide past the outside of my hip (greater trochanter), above my incision. It's not painful or audible, it just feels weird. I'd rather have smooth than chunky muscle movement!
3. I'm having some mild pain/achiness inside my thigh. It's not enough to keep me awake at night or anything like that, but I didn't notice this before, and it's a bit worrying. Loose femoral stem? Microfractures? Non-micro fractures??

I contacted the orthopedics office today, and they're having me come in for an exam and x-ray next week so they can see if something obvious is causing the mid-thigh pain. But I keep wondering: if they DO see something on the x-ray, what could possibly be done about it?

 

[pdx_hiker]

Update: The physical therapist says the "thunk" on the outside of my hip is probably due to a stiff I.T. band, and she gave me some stretching exercises.

 

[pdx_hiker]

Day 71: I had x-rays taken yesterday, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with my implant. So I'll just keep on keepin' on, and hopefully my thigh will adjust and stop complaining once it gets used to the new regime. They did say I probably have some mild "trochanteric bursitis" and gave me even more stretching exercises to try.

Meanwhile, today I played disc golf for the first time since the surgery. Since I'm right-handed, my backhand throwing motion mostly pivots off my right leg (the non-operative one), so it went pretty well. By the third or fourth hole, I wasn't thinking about my hip very much.

 

[Layla]

Hello pdx_hiker
I wasn't familiar with disc golf...had to look that one up. It's good to hear you enjoyed it!
I'm sorry you're dealing with mild trochanteric bursitis. I will leave an article from the BoneSmart Library on this topic. I hope it eases soon. Happy Thanksgiving! Trochanteric bursitis with THR
@pdx_hiker

 

[Layla]

Happy Three Month Anniversary!
I hope the stretching exercises have eased the TB.
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season with those you love!
@pdx_hiker

 

[pdx_hiker]

Day 148: I've been cleared to do normal activities for almost two months now, but I finally went on my first "real" hike yesterday: 5 miles round-trip with 1600' of elevation gain. (By Pacific Northwest standards, this is a pretty easy hike.) I found that my biggest problem at first was that I've been sitting on my butt for almost five months, so I'm pretty out of shape. Granted, this happens to me pretty much every February, but it's more extreme this year since I was totally out of commission for a while. Fortunately I got into the groove, fitness-wise, after a couple miles.

I didn't really notice much pain in my hip/leg on the way up, but I felt it going downhill, which I kind of expected. Just a dull achy feeling that seemed to be in the middle of my thigh, similar to what I was feeling in November. The good news is, I didn't feel any pain after I was done with the hike, nor the next day. But I went out and played disc golf for a few hours today, and I felt a little pain then, especially when I jogged a little bit. Naproxen sodium helped.

While it's not even remotely debilitating, I wish I knew exactly WHY I'm having pain, and where it was originating: which nerves are unhappy? Will it get better over time, or is this just what it's like to live with a hip implant?

 

[djklaugh]

@pdx_hiker "I wish I knew exactly WHY I'm having pain" ..... "I've been sitting on my butt for almost five months" I think you answered your own question. Sounds like you earned a place in the ODIC (Over Did It Club).

 

[Jaycey]

went on my first "real" hike yesterday: 5 miles round-trip with 1600' of elevation gain.

Will it get better over time, or is this just what it's like to live with a hip implant?

My friend you are only 5 months out from major surgery. Anytime you start a new activity that new hip will complain. No, it won't be like this forever. But do be realistic with your expectations. This process can take one year or more.

 

[Debru4]

Fellow hiker here, (I'm from Colorado, the land of over 50 Fourteeners.) In actuality, your hike of 5 miles and 1600 feet elevation gain, no matter where you do it qualifies as moderate/moderately difficult byhaiking standards." I copied one of the things I found below:

Is 1500 ft elevation gain a lot?

For example, it rates a hike that covers either five to eight miles or more than 1,500 vertical feet of elevation gain and loss (which is the same as 3,000 feet of cumulative gain and loss) as moderately difficult—in other words, either statistic makes it that difficult."

After my hip replacement, I also found it hard to adjust my expectations and thinking as I went through recovery. Some things, like walking increasing distances on mostly flat ground and doing daily life activities, came back very easily and painlessly. When I prematurely tried to resume things I had found "easy" before, I would often feel some discomfort. Sometimes it was just a little--small twinges, but if I didn't pay attention, before long they had turned to actual pain. In those cases, I'd stop, reset, and take it slower the next time.

My first actual hike with a 1700 elevation gain was at 9 months, and I did use a pole. I felt no pain going up, and did fine coming down as well. I was giddy with relief that my hip was doing so well and I was leading my family both up and down, just like the good old days. Two days later not only did I have some slight hip area twinges, but I also had pain in my left knee---the opposite one to my replacement. The knee pain worsened, and I ended up needing PT for a displaced patella, as a result of my body not yet being in sync and ready for that hike. My orthopedic doctor said things like this are very common in people who are impatient and make assumptions that they are fully recovered too soon. The sore knee really felt like a setback.

I am 4 1/2 years post op, and rarely even think about my hip replacement. It was life changing and a huge success. Looking back, the saying "go slow to go fast" really sums up my best advice for making the transition back to your previous active life.

 

[@Life 411]

I hope you get back to softball! Sleepless nights with achy hips after softball about 3 years ago were my body’s first hint that I’d be spending this summer bouncing back from a bilateral THR.

My volleyball days are probably over too? Especially the way I used to play - not indestructible anymore! Maybe I can still practice with my son who’s 13 and just getting interested. He’ll just have to take my word for it on how awesome I used to be

But here I am, feeling way better at op+10 weeks than preop. There’s still hiking and biking and swimming ahead and - maybe - some non extreme snow sports out there still.

So good luck and ever upwards in your recovery!

Just curious about your comment on volleyball. Why can't you plan any more? Indoor or sand? I'm 55 and just 4 weeks post op and I certainly plan to get back to my favorite sport - beach doubles.

 

[cold_brew]

I hope you get back to softball! Sleepless nights with achy hips after softball about 3 years ago were my body’s first hint that I’d be spending this summer bouncing back from a bilateral THR.

My volleyball days are probably over too? Especially the way I used to play - not indestructible anymore! Maybe I can still practice with my son who’s 13 and just getting interested. He’ll just have to take my word for it on how awesome I used to be

But here I am, feeling way better at op+10 weeks than preop. There’s still hiking and biking and swimming ahead and - maybe - some non extreme snow sports out there still.

So good luck and ever upwards in your recovery!

Just curious about your comment on volleyball. Why can't you plan any more? Indoor or sand? I'm 55 and just 4 weeks post op and I certainly plan to get back to my favorite sport - beach doubles.

6+ months out now and I feel real good but impact is not the thing. Running and jumping are a ways off. So I could play “picnic” level volleyball I suppose but I’d probably overdo it and dive after a ball like I was 35 and regret it. I’m going to save my stupid moments for the snow

 

[pdx_hiker]

Just curious about your comment on volleyball. Why can't you plan any more? Indoor or sand? I'm 55 and just 4 weeks post op and I certainly plan to get back to my favorite sport - beach doubles.

Me, I prefer indoor volleyball. I'm assuming I won't be playing anymore because jumping vertically, lunging sideways, and dropping hard to my knees aren't good ideas. Yeah, I know I could play and just take it easy, but I'm not sure I'd have the self-control. Plus, I don't like to suck.

 

[Mojo333]

I don't like to do things badly either, and I like my forever hips and REALLY prefer not to have to go back and fix anything further, so I have edited out a few hard-on-the-hips or riskier activities out of my life.
I enjoy being able to do all the things I do pain-free and sleep without discomfort.

 

[pdx_hiker]

Day 194: Cabin fever forced me into giving volleyball a shot, with the understanding that I'd need to limit my motion: no jumping to block or hit, no lunging (especially to my left side), no slamming down hard on the kneepads. I started out OK, but as time went on, my instincts took over and I got less careful. I jumped at the net a few times (trying to land on my right leg if possible), and a couple times I even fell over and hit the ground on my left side.

No damage or severe pain resulted, other than muscle soreness from doing real exercise after 6 months off... but I know that it's not about one day of activity, it's about limiting the LONG-TERM stress on the implant. If I'm going to go back to volleyball on a regular basis, I need to be more careful, and it's going to be a mental challenge, not a physical one. This is a casual pickup game where no one else cares if I phone it in, but I still have to figure out how to stop myself from playing with my usual enthusiasm.

(I think softball will be easier to manage, because that's a series of discrete motions that I can wrap my head around one at a time. Volleyball is a continuous flow of reflexes.)

 

[djklaugh]

@pdx_hiker Nice up date! I'm glad to hear you had fun and did not sustain any injuries! Maybe explore other kinds of exercise like Pickleball or join a Dragon boat crew and get to rowing? Portland does have many options for the energetic sportsman that probably are less risky for a new hip.