after hip replacement

[MarilynKay]

Dear Sonia,
I hope that you will take care of yourself. I also waited for 6 years after I was told that I should have my hip replaced. I regret all of those years when I restricted myself from being able to walk and move without pain.
When you are 61 you regret those missed years. I probably overdo now to make up for those lost years. My new hip is wonderful. Occasionally my hip hurts, but mostly only when I sit for too long. My other hip has some damage, but since my first surgery it has stopped hurting. Now I am dealing with a shoulder that is being quite cranky. My family seems to have problems with osteo arthritis.
So good luck! Start training those arms. You can do that with full soup cans to begin with while you are sitting down. I have a friend with hips from the early 1980's. It is her second set and she is still going strong. She bikes and walks and works full time as a librarian.
So jump on board.

Annemarie, Congratulations on your recovery. Good luck on your second surgery. I'm sure that you will do well. I have a friend who is had her first hip done in May and will have the second one done in October. She can hardly wait. She is looking forward to being able to walk again. So keep up the good work! Marilyn

 

[Diane]

Newbie - starting to do "research"

X-rays showed I was a good candidate for double THR last year and imagine they will show the same or further degeneration this year. It is time to give in gracefully as the saying goes (I am 56).

Andrea - are you located anywhere close to Boston? Your Doctor sounds great and waking up to a "Dr. McDreamy" sounds like a good way to start a positive recovery

I am so impressed with your stories of perseverance and bravery not to mention the humor I have found here. May I be as brave - Diane

 

[MarilynKay]

Diane,
Welcome to the site! May you love your new hips as much as I have loved mine. Don't wait as long as I did for the replacement surgery. It is major surgery, so do be prepared for some recovery time. At least for the most part you won't be in pain. Let your doctor know what level of activity you plan for after your surgery. My doctor, who is one of the contributing doctors on this site, is wonderful! He cheers me on and gives me hope. I go in once a year and get his permission to do the next thing so my trainer will let me do it.
The only thing that I have backed down on has been the mountain biking to do an adventure race. My trainer walked me down a trail that scared me pea green and said this is an easy one. Needless to say I don't have the guts of Andrea. She is my rock idol. Oh well, there are still all the rest of the sports that I can participate in all be it slowly. Of course I was never fast when I had two perfect hips, I'm not sure why I think that would change because I have a new hip.
I think that Andrea lives in Vermont?
Hey Andrea, I'm thinking of doing a bike tour in Vermont next summer. Any place I should make sure I see?

So have fun researching and good luck!
Marilyn

 

[Sonia S.]

Well! So much for my hydrotherapie cl***!!! I injured my back at work and not only have hip problems now i suffer with back problem!!! I've stop working for 2 weeks, going to physio, getting better slowly. If it's not one thing it's the other! Hopefully i'll start the hydro next week only if my physio allows me. How is everyone? Sonia

 

[MarilynKay]

Dear Sonia,
I'm so sorry to hear about your back. Any injury is so frustrating! I think that backs are even more so. Good luck on the rest and the physio. I hope you have a great therapist. Take care of your self.
Marilyn

 

[Annemarie]

Greetings Terri. Most patients are forced to become mobile by the second week after hip surgery, a time when staple removal at a local medical facility becomes necessary. Caution during the first six weeks after surgery is vital as the hip implant requires time to settle in undisturbed. Even after that time some of us use cane or crutches in order to actively support the healing process. By eight weeks after the surgery you may be strong enough for your daughters wedding, but do take along a cane for added support. Good luck, Annemarie

 

[ripanco]

Hi Everyone,

Sonia!!!! UGH, not good! Make sure you give it plenty of rest and do what is allowed in physio. I bet the hydro cl***es will be good.

Umm, Marilyn, (who is doing tris), I think you have it the other way around: you have been my idol!! but thanks. and of course there is something you CAN'T miss in Vermont.....ME!!! I am in central VT, what company are you doing the bike tour with? If you do get here you have to look me up and we can go do some hippy stuff. Do you like beer?

Diane: I am in Vermont but I traveled about an hour to Dartmouth Medical Center in Hanover NH. Well worth the trip! But there are several top notch hospitals in the Boston area that are well known for good orthos. Funny, just last night at a complain meeting(I won't go there right now, just suffice to say we show dogs), one of the other bitches also had her hip done by our DR McDreamy and we were both singing his praises both for his truly dreamy good looks and his great bedside maner! Given the great job he did on my hips and how good he is with simultaneous bilateral, I wouldn't hesitate to make the trip.

Good luck with your research and don't worry about being gracefull!

Andrea

 

[Sonia S.]

Hello andrea,
It's been over 1 year for you, do have any pain what so ever? I think you are the active kind aren't you? Do you think it has help you more being active and aren't you scared of maybe damaging your new hips? I tought that we need to take care of the new hips once they are in place. I am not the type to exercise so if after having THR X2 i don't exercise does that mean i'll go rusty? Sonia.


PS: Thanks everyone for your kind wishes, Sonia XXX

 

[Sonia S.]

PS Again: Andrea, i tried to insert smilies but i coudn't. How do you do it? I'm going to try again and see how i go... No i cannot!!! Can you explain please...

 

[ripanco]

Hi Sonia,
Yea, I quess you can say I am the active kind. I love sports, my horse, my dogs, being strong and healthy, living and loving with my DH and yes, my new hips have given me a new lease on life so that I have been able to return to the activities I love. I have had plenty of times that I have been scared or at least concerned about the new hips and I sure don't want to ruin them, but I am always finding out just what I can do with them. They are pretty darn tough and very functionable. When I do have pain it is almost always muscle, tendonn, ligament from overuse, not a bad thing ususally. My recent x-rays showed wonderful bone growth around the prosethis and my strong muscles are doing a great job of holding it all together.

Everyone must live their life as they see fit. If you do not like to exercise that is just fine, but you should at least do enough to stay healthy and not be too heavy, because that can be tough on new hips. You just need to find that happy mediium. Things like the hydro cl*** are perfect and quess what???? that is exercising!

The smileys: I just use my keyboard to type colon :, followed by ), the left parenthethies. it comes out like this .

How is the back doing?

Andrea

 

[Diane]

I am originally from VT (Northfield) - now living in the western 'burbs of Boston but ski Killington frequently (green/blue trails). 2 years ago I started skiing on ski boards (Head Big Easy) as they are shorter and fatter which has worked really well for me rather than give up skiing. That fact that I still ski is somewhat amusing as a bad ski fall 20 years ago is what started the downhill spiral for my hips.

I continue to be encouraged by what I read here and on other boards. On August 7th I am scheduled for x-rays and a consult at Lahey clinic.

I fought this for so long working with some great people along the way but must admit I am now almost eager to move forward with the surgery and to start enjoying "the rest of my life".

Stay tuned,
Diane

 

[ripanco]

Small world Diane!

My folks live in Northfield, I am in Duxbury, on Camel's Hump.

I have been downhill skiing since age 5, my folks were directors at Otis Ridge Jr Ski Camp in Otis Ma, maybe you know of it, so we spent every weekend there. I was PSIA certified but gave up teaching years ago. Killington is great, but Mad River is still my fav. I am not crazy about the new short, wide skis, I still love fast big GS turns and hard carving. Can not do bumps like I use to but once in a while I try.

Like you I resisted the whole idea of surgery for years, but when I finally met the right surgeon I was comfortable with, all of a sudden, I couldn't wait to get it done. Now I am sorry I waited so long. Keep doing your research and start doing some serious strength training!!

Andrea

 

[Diane]

It is such a small world

I have attached a graphic of what I ski on as they are beyond "short and wide" but I love the little guys - just throw them in the trunk of the car. My boots are a hybrid between ski and snowboard so are very comfortable. As you might guess, unlike you, I am totally a recreational skier.

I guess one of the major concerns all of us pre-surgery folks have are the warnings about range of motion issues (don't cross center line, etc.) but it sounds like you do things that test that thought process. I can sit and be a couch potato without the surgery but that is not what I am looking for so chatting with people who have "been there done that" is good.

Keep your fingers crossed that my experience with the Doc. at Lahey is all good and I can move forward quickly. If I don't connect well with him then I will need put out feelers for someone else and all that takes time. Another thing about me - once I decide to do something I am full throttle

Diane

 

[Sonia S.]

Well!!! i can't even insert smileys and now peole are even inserting images!!! What an embar***ment for me! I have to try harder...
Andrea, the last time i rode a horse was 23 years ago. Now my legs don't spread out at all because they are so stiff! I walk like a robot! BUT one day when i have the THR and if i'm strong enough that is one of the things i'm going to do, ride a horse!!! Will i really going to be able to do what ever, i wonder? For me it would have been i dream come true because no one has any idea how desable i am. My back is doing better but will never be 100 percent, mostly because of the faulty hips! I'm going back to work monday :rolleyes: (i've inserted a smiley as you explained let see if it works). Anyway keep up the good work. Sonia.