Revision THR A new year and new hope: revision for loosened THR

[prairienut]

Thank you all for your words of optimism and support. It means a lot. @Izabel, I have been following your backpacking adventures and am very impressed. You a good sport and a trooper! But that is why you are able to enjoy your life so much. You're willing to take a chance. It's truly inspiring.

 

[inthebeginning]

It's truly inspiring.

That’s what it’s all about!

 

[Izabel]

@Izabel, I have been following your backpacking adventures and am very impressed. You a good sport and a trooper! But that is why you are able to enjoy your life so much. You're willing to take a chance. It's truly inspiring.

I have never backpacked in my life and don't plan to start now! But thank you for thinking I am so adventurous! I am more like this ...
Sending you for the weekend.

Izabel xx

 

[Mojo333]

Hope all is continuing to go well with you!
Close to five months out from revision, I hope you are hippy happy!

 

[prairienut]

I have never backpacked in my life

Oh, Sorry Izabel. I had you confused with another hippie. You probably should not start backpacking now. Besides, you are an inspiration even without the backpacking!

 

[prairienut]

@Mojo333, Well, I am nearly 6 months out from my revision, and I remain very happy with the result. I have asked for my surgeon to be added to the database so I can give him a review here. He has been known to tell patients, "I love doing revisions!" This is just the type of confidence you want for the somewhat tricky revision procedure that can present unexpected complications.

I can report no pain except for very, very occasional, mild thigh pain, and I believe this is fading into oblivion, at least I hope so. I am back to full-blown weeding and crawling around in my garden. I cannot feel the difference between my operated and unoperated side except for the operated side being slightly less flexible and not quite as strong. I am going to the gym twice a week, and I hope this will help even up my strength. It's no surprise that my balance has improved now that the femoral stem is no longer wobbling around! Life is good. A big thank you to Bonesmart for being here when I needed it.

 

[Layla]

What a wonderful update! You're doing so well. Your journey will be inspirational to those facing revision or following closely behind you. Thanks for sharing. It's nice to know your back gardening and doing the things you find fulfilling with realative ease. I'm sure your visits to the gym will help re-build the strength you've lost. You still have some room for improvement with several months until complete healing has occurred.
I hope you have a lovely Summer!
@prairienut

 

[Mojo333]

So nice to hear you are well..and thank you for supplying information for others.

 

[CPH]

You are Such an inspiration! I am 5 weeks out from my emergency revision due to broken femur & still non weight bearing for 3 more weeks. Hoping my recovery will be as successful as yours!

 

[prairienut]

Greetings Bonesmarties: Here it is, my 7-month revision recovery milestone. The surgery to fix my loose femoral stem is a distant memory at this point. I cannot say there has been any appreciable change since last month, and that is good news. I remain pain-free. Maybe occasionally there is a very mild ache in my thigh. Dr. Waddell says it is "end-of-stem pain" which may or may not be with me long-term. Even if it persists, I can easily live with it. I have no pain at all on weight-bearing so I am back to hiking and walking the dogs over hill and dale. I work out at the gym twice a week to strengthen muscles and increase flexibility. My garden is finally getting back into shape with some enthusiastic attention to weeding, trimming, edging, vine-pulling (ugh!), and pruning. The Monarchs and hummingbirds are flocking to my border of native plants. Very rewarding! I sent a thank you letter to my surgeon, and his office says it will be going into his list of testimonials on the HSS website. Surgeons are self-confident, busy people, but even they need some positive feedback once in a while, and in this case it was richly deserved. He gave me my right leg back! Here is a picture of me in my garden of self-sown cardinal flowers. [Pro tip: These are hummingbird magnets. Plant them, and they will come.]

 

[Going4fun]

@prairienut ... so great to hear of your wonderful progress and hear of you returning to your activities. Great photo. Wouldn't suspect the person in that photo has had major hip surgeries. Love that things worked out with Dr. Waddell ... HSS was a great choice for the revision.

Thanks for the update.

 

[Mojo333]

Gorgeous!!!! @prairienut
You and the garden!
I do hope the thigh pain resolves but isn't it Tremendous to get back to a happy healthy life.
That picture says happy and healthy to me.
Do also pat yourself on the back for walking the walk and getting it done.
Hope your weekend is sweet.

 

[CricketHip]

Beautiful picture of both you and your garden. Congratulations! You did it and are out there, enjoying life.

 

[CPH]

@prairienut you are truly the light at the end of my tunnel! So comforting to hear how far you have come on this journey. My fingers are crossed that I will have such good news to share six months from now. In the meantime “ you go girl!”

 

[Mojo333]

@prairienut
Just wanted to say thank you for checking back in with the forum and lending support to other hippys, especially those who are facing revision surgery.
Hope you are doing well and had a great summer!

 

[prairienut]

@Mojo333 , I'm happy to share my experiences with others if it can help in some small way. I am just past the 9-month mark, and everything with the revised hip seems fine and normal. No significant change in the last several months. I am working out with a trainer twice a week at the gym. I'm splurging on this luxury because having a trainer ensures I actually go in regularly. I need that discipline. Otherwise, there is every excuse in the book to skip the gym. My trainer is a tiny, lithe woman, and I am 5'11'' and 150 pounds. We must look comical together, but she is very good at using stretching, balance, and body weight exercises (such as the Plank) to increase muscle strength, agility, and balance. It has been well worth the time and money. I would like to see more attention given to making a smooth transition following joint replacement surgery between working with a PT and working with a certified trainer at a gym, It is so important to keep the core muscles and the muscles around the replaced joint strong to ensure the longest possible life for the prosthesis. Trainers should get specific instruction in the exercises that promote the long-term health of THRs and TKRs and in dislocation avoidance. Considering the large number of joint replacements being done these days, this should be a growth area for fitness centers.

 

[Layla]

Hi there
Great to read how well you're doing @prarienut
Thanks for checking in, updating and your continued support here offering hope to those who undergo revisions. There is life after revision and you're living proof. May it only get better!

 

[Mojo333]

There is life after revision and you're living proof. May it only get better!

Yep! What Layla said.

 

[prairienut]

As I like to say, "Revisions Rock!"

 

[prairienut]

Yesterday was my 10-month revisi-versary. I continue to go to the gym twice a week and work on flexibility, balance, and strength. My trainer is a great believer in using body-weight exercises and poses rather than the exercise machines. I like this because I can do most of the exercises at home, too. My balance continues to improve mostly because I have a hip prosthesis that is now actually bonded to the bone, a refreshing feeling! The flexibility of my operated hip is still not quite equal to the non-operated side, but I won't push things past what feels comfortable. My surgeon's answer to the question, "How long will I have hip precautions?" still rings in my ear: "Forever!" I think he was kidding but not totally. Neither of us want to see a dislocation. Two weekends ago, I was back on my bicycle celebrating the opening of a new rail trail near us. It had beautiful views of the Ashokan Reservoir and the fall colors in the Catskills. Sure felt good to be zooming along on the relatively level trail. Speaking of my surgeon, I just found out he is moving from HSS Stamford, CT to Atlanta, GA. I have one last appointment with him in December which is close to the one-year point. I am sad he is moving because I figured if anything went wrong with either hip, I had someone I could trust not too far away. I hope it was a great promotion for him. He deserves it!

Bottom line is that I have reached that lovely place where one can say, "Hip, what hip?"