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THR AussieMike returns

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Hi Mike

Alway good to read what you've been up to! Also love seeing you posting about your day when it is still the day before here (eg Tues with you but till early Mon evening here).

My physio recommended using an exercise bike to help my hip get moving so yesterday I got a great 2nd hand one. Only did 10 minutes on it today but feels great to be exercising. I also enjoyed a little walk in the sunshine but here it is autumn sunshine so a bit cold :)

Take care,
Steph
 
Hi Steph,

Great to hear from you!!

Interesting approach from your physio. I suspect their choice of the exercise bike is partly because of the outside temperature in Scotland in autumn. Its really helpful for me to know as I have an exercise bike waiting for me in my apartment when I go home next weekend. Did the physio give you any guidelines for using the bike?

More power to you (and your hip),

Mike
 
CURRENT DATE: Tuesday 16th October 2012
Procedure: LTHR - 24th September 2012
Post Op: 22 days
Location: My Lady's home
Entry Weight: 78kg / 172lb
Current Weight: 74.5kg / 164Ib
Target Weight: 70kg / 154bIb

CURRENT ISSUES:
Muscle imbalances in left leg

OPERATING HOSPITAL ACHIEVEMENTS (5 days):
1. Got out of bed independently
2. Stood in place with walking frame
3. Walked 6 meters to bathroom
4. Used bathroom independently
5. Took shower seated with assistance
6. Dressed with assistance
7. Walked 30 meters with a walking frame
8. Walked 10 meters with 2 crutches
9. Walked up and down 1 step repeatedly
10. Showered standing independently
11. Dressed independently (except TED socks)
12. Walked 100 meters with 2 crutches
13. Walked up and down the 6 step mini-stairs
14. Supporting my roomie and new friend David on his journey

REHABILITATION HOSPITAL ACHIEVEMENTS (14 days):
15. Walked down and up 2 flights of stairs (total 60 stairs)
16. Hip Flexion 90 degrees
17. Hip Abduction 30 degrees
18. Making people happy and positive
19. Walking with two walking sticks
20. Walking with one walking stick
21. Commenced hydrotherapy program
22. 30 seconds of continuous kicking against the Hydrojets
23. 60 second Plank
24. Breaststroke / Backstroke in the pool
25. Slept through the night without pain relief
26. Walking leg over leg down stairs
27. Walking leg over leg up stairs
28. 6 x 60 secs Planks with 30 secs rest between reps
29. Walking leg over leg up 10 flights of stairs
30. Lost 2.5kg / 5.5lb in bodyweight in rehab - none of it muscle

POST HOSPITAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
31. Completed 800 meters / 875 yards footpath (pavement) walk in 7.5 mins
32. Completed 800 meters / 875 yards footpath (pavement) walk in 6 mins
33. Completed 910 meters / 995 yards around local park.
34. Completed 1,350 meters /1,476 yards around local park.

CURRENT PAIN MANAGEMENT:
5mg Targin every 12 hours
5 mg Endone as required (max 2 per day)
2 Panadol every 12 hours
Aspirin 150mg per day
Ice packs as required

TODAY'S FOOD PLAN:
Breakfast
Sultana bran, skim milk, wholemeal toast (1) with grilled tomato, fresh squeezed orange juice, black tea.
Morning tea
Lemon cheesecake, lemon & ginger tea.
Lunch
Salad & cold meat sandwiches, lemon cheesecake, black tea.
Dinner
Chicken, potato, carrot, pumpkin, lemon cheesecake.

TODAY'S FOCUS:
1. Independent Physio exercises @ 7am
2. Morning walk @ 11.30am
3. Lunch with my sister
4. Afternoon walk @ 4.30pm
4. Aquatherapy @ 7pm

NOTES:

01.21 Made it into bed at 8.30pm last night and had a wonderful sleep until 12.30am. It makes such a huge difference.

04.57 Another few hours sleep in a recliner chair and I am feeling so much better than I was when I went to bed. Its such a fine line between feeling good and feeling wiped out at this stage. To remain in the feeling good state you have to get everything right. Right medication at the right time, right food, right exercise and enough rest.

The easiest of these should be medication and food. Inevitably I am going to push things from time to time on the exercise front as I seek to improve. But if I can ensure I have the other variables sorted it will minimise the effect of being ambitious.

09.04 OMG what a yummy breakfast this morning!! Fresh squeezed orange juice, cereal and cooked tomato on wholemeal toast and a cup of tea. Yes I know I am very fortunate.

11.12 Went for a lovely walk with my lady around the local park this morning. My hip was fine and just a bit of tightness on the inside of both knees which indicates to me a change in my walking gait. A positive sign. It was very helpful to have a walking partner who could walk behind me from time to time and check if my shoulders were level. I have a tendency to place slightly less weight on the operated leg and have to consciously correct this to ensure good posture. It is probably a 5% difference but nice to check and correct it when I can.

12.24 Another weigh-in today reveals that I have lost 3.5kg / 8lb since the hip replacement operation. I am pleased with the rate of weight loss (slightly more than 1kg / 2.2kg per week) that I have achieved to date.

14.52 Nice to catch up with my sister for lunch. Not good when you need an Endone tablet in the middle of the visit and you fall asleep.

16.47 Went for a short afternoon walk (800m / 875 yd) in the warm afternoon sun. It's just so good to be mobile again.

21.15 Worked up an appetite at the swimming pool. Spent about 70 mins in the water doing my range of motion exercises, kicking exercises and strength exercises with the noodle. Home for a late chicken dinner. Yum.
 
I hope this post might prove interesting for people who have struggled with overeating...

The decline of my left hip started over 20 years ago with a sports accident. In the last four years, it directly effected my lifestyle. My mobility, my involvement in sports and fitness activities and eventually in everyday things like climbing stairs, getting in and out of my car and putting on shoes and socks all went into decline.

When you can't walk without pain the joy quickly disappears from your life. There are very few aspects of your daily life that remain unaffected. One of the few aspects of life that isn't affected is the joy of eating. Food tastes just as good as it always did. In this circumstance, it is one of the few outlets that gives you pleasure. I found myself eating for pleasure, over and over again. Such eating gave me a few short minutes of escape from the constant ache in my hip.

As my metabolism slowed along with my level of exercise, I started to prefer sweet foods and fatty foods. Foods that gave a quick hit of energy. Naturally I gained weight, which in turn made walking more painful. A vicious cycle.

As I mentally prepared for my THR surgery, I committed to losing the weight I had gained. What I found really interesting was that once the constant bone on bone pain was gone, so was my craving for sweet and fatty food. The hospital diet helped I think as junk food reaily wasn't accessible. But now that I am home, things remain the same. I don't want junk food and I sure don't need it. So far I have lost 3.5kg or 7.7lb in the three weeks since my operation.
 
Hi Mike, great news that you are getting out and about in the sunshine! Can you send some my way please. It's dark and cold here - constantly! :sad:

You point about eating for pleasure is a good one. Another reminder about the impact that constant pain has on our lives. Congrats on the steady weight loss!
 
Good grief Mike they look after you in Aus, they kick me out of hospital after 6 days. I did all my recovering at home and had no physio, did all on my own. Off work for 6 weeks.
 
Hi Mike

Great to catch up with your journal of recovery, which is an inspiration to so many hippies. You are progressing extremely well. Congratulations on the walking, socialising and weight loss.

Are you walking totally unaided?

Hugs
 
Jaycey said:
Hi Mike, great news that you are getting out and about in the sunshine! Can you send some my way please. It's dark and cold here - constantly! :sad:

You point about eating for pleasure is a good one. Another reminder about the impact that constant pain has on our lives. Congrats on the steady weight loss!
Click to expand...

Don't mean to brag Jaycey but it was a lovely spring day in Sydney with a high temperature of 34 degrees C or 93 degrees F. I have no idea how you guys survive in your climate - I would go insane!!
 
Mikeb said:
Good grief Mike they look after you in Aus, they kick me out of hospital after 6 days. I did all my recovering at home and had no physio, did all on my own. Off work for 6 weeks.
Click to expand...

G'day Mikeb,

Just to clarify the Australian operating hospital will kick you out after 4-5 days. In addition, at the OS recommendation you can spend up to 14 days in a rehabilitation facility. Given that I live alone in an apartment with 32 stairs, the doctor recommended that I spend 14 days in the rehab hospital. We do have one of the better health systems in the world, particularly if you are privately insured as I am.

Congratulations to you for doing the hard yards at home. In those circumstances, a six week return to work is a great result.

Cheers

Mike
 
Poppet said:
Hi Mike

Great to catch up with your journal of recovery, which is an inspiration to so many hippies. You are progressing extremely well. Congratulations on the walking, socialising and weight loss.

Are you walking totally unaided?

Hugs
Click to expand...

G'day Poppet,

Just home from the local swimming pool after doing my hydrotherapy exercises. It was a big day with two walks as well. Hopefully this will make me tired and able to sleep soundly.

In answer to your question, I am walking unaided indoors only at the moment. I was advised by my physio to take my walking stick with me when outside to assist with uneven ground and to ensure people give me extra space in shops or on the street.

To be honest I don't really like the walking stick. It disrupts the normal walking action. Do you have a view on this?

Hugs

Mike
 
Hi there

Yes, I have to agree with you.. Personally, I found that using one walking stick made me walk very uneven. I stayed on my walker for the first 10 weeks, mainly because I was dreadfully immobile pre surgery and I had a severe Trendelenburg gait. For me, this worked well, I went back to work at 7 weeks on a phased return, 3 days a week. By the end of the 3 weeks back at work when I returned to full time I remember the day when I just forgot to use the walker... and that was the end of that aid...

But... I have a problem with my lower back and I find when I come home from work even at 11 months, tired after a long day, my hip is fine, but I am in pain with my back.. quite weird actually, because for the first 6 weeks I had no back pain at all.. I thought this is great, the THR has fixed it.. But sadly no.. so sometimes, I use the walker to take the pressure off my back.. Nordic Walking is great though, I would happily use my poles all the time... No back pain at all..

You might be better using two sticks for a while.. It is so important to ensure your gait is even.. Nite, nite.. Hope you get a goods nights sleep :)
 
Hey Mike, just had a thought, why don't you look into Nordic Walking... It really does help with your gait.. There is an Australian academy.. Just google it.. Patrick, the Director is fantastic. He works with a lot of joint replacement folk. He is in Melbourne, but you can ring him any time, he is very passionate about it.
 
Dear Poppet

I must confess that I am a little confused by Nordic Walking. From what I read, it is similar to power walking using nordick walking sticks to add to your propulsion. It is practised in groups and the sticks enable to walk faster than you ordinarily could and this action creates an aerobic effect. Is that right?

Wouldn't the emphasis be on speed rather than form? If that is the case, wouldn't the emphasis on speed, encourage me to develop bad habits trying to keep up with a group of people who are much fitter than I am?

Can you describe what a session of Nordic Walking entails and what you see as the major benefits for me?

Hugs

Mike
 
CURRENT DATE: Wednesday 17th October 2012
Procedure: LTHR - 24th September 2012
Post Op: 23 days
Location: My lady's home
Entry Weight: 78kg / 172lb
Current Weight: 74.5kg / 164Ib
Target Weight: 70kg / 154bIb

CURRENT ISSUES:
Muscle imbalances in left leg

OPERATING HOSPITAL ACHIEVEMENTS (5 days):
1. Got out of bed independently
2. Stood in place with walking frame
3. Walked 6 meters to bathroom
4. Used bathroom independently
5. Took shower seated with assistance
6. Dressed with assistance
7. Walked 30 meters with a walking frame
8. Walked 10 meters with 2 crutches
9. Walked up and down 1 step repeatedly
10. Showered standing independently
11. Dressed independently (except TED socks)
12. Walked 100 meters with 2 crutches
13. Walked up and down the 6 step mini-stairs
14. Supporting my roomie and new friend David on his journey

REHABILITATION HOSPITAL ACHIEVEMENTS (14 days):
15. Walked down and up 2 flights of stairs (total 60 stairs)
16. Hip Flexion 90 degrees
17. Hip Abduction 30 degrees
18. Making people happy and positive
19. Walking with two walking sticks
20. Walking with one walking stick
21. Commenced hydrotherapy program
22. 30 seconds of continuous kicking against the Hydrojets
23. 60 second Plank
24. Breaststroke / Backstroke in the pool
25. Slept through the night without pain relief
26. Walking leg over leg down stairs
27. Walking leg over leg up stairs
28. 6 x 60 secs Planks with 30 secs rest between reps
29. Walking leg over leg up 10 flights of stairs
30. Lost 2.5kg / 5.5lb in bodyweight in rehab - none of it muscle

POST HOSPITAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
31. Completed 800 meters / 875 yards footpath (pavement) walk in 7.5 mins
32. Completed 800 meters / 875 yards footpath (pavement) walk in 6 mins
33. Completed 910 meters / 995 yard walk around local park.
34. Completed 1,350 meters /1,476 yard walk around local park.
35. Lost a total of 3.5kg / 7.7lb in bodyweight since my THR.
36. Completed 2.34 km / 1.45 mile walk around local park.

CURRENT PAIN MANAGEMENT:
5mg Targin every 12 hours
5 mg Endone as required (max 2 per day)
2 Panadol every 12 hours
Aspirin 150mg per day
Ice packs as required

TODAY'S FOOD PLAN:
Breakfast
Sultana bran, skim milk, wholemeal toast (2), fresh squeezed orange juice, black tea.
Lunch
Chicken roll, lemon cheesecake, water.
Snack
Low calorie jelly
Dinner
Steak, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, choko, water, black tea.

TODAY'S FOCUS:
1. Independent Physio exercises @ 7am
2. Oval walk - 3 laps (1,880 meters / 2,055 yards) @ 10.30am
3. Afternoon walk @ 4.30pm


NOTES:

02.04 Slept from 8.30pm through to 1.30am - a total of 5 hours uninterrupted sleep. The evening session at the pool certainly gave me a relaxed tiredness that helped me to sleep.

Today I am looking to extend the length of my morning walk to 3 laps of the local oval for a total walk of 1,880 meters which is more than 1 mile for all our US hippies. A nice little milestone that makes me think of that old country song "Walk a mile in my shoes"

04.40 Having trouble getting back to sleep as even my lady's breathing patterns seem to keep me awake. So I am back in the recliner chair again. There is something about US baseball matches that help me to sleep.

07.24 Woke up again with some stiffness in the lower back. Taking things slowly and just listening to my body to see what to do. Its breakfast time.

10.05 Spent some time reading and writing as the soreness went away. It must be time to exercise now. Off to the park.

11.56 Completed four laps around the local park at total distance of 2,340 meters / 2,559 yards. Concentrated on doing intervals of walking without using the walking stick. I find that my stride is slightly longer without the walking stick.

14.46 Took part in a two-hour teleconference with my office. It was good to find that my ability to concentrate was sound. I remember having problems after GA and the heart-lung machine used during heart surgery.

19.14 After a restful afternoon, I went shopping with my lady to buy some food for dinner. I just wanted to get out in crowds to ensure I am confident with my mobility.
 
We are planning a big day out tomorrow. This day will give me a really good idea of where I am at for independent living and a return to work. I made an undertaking before my operation to give a testimonial speech tomorrow to a long time colleague. This will require 45 mins car travel in each direction and attendance at the function for 90 mins. Throughout the function, I will be seated excluding the 7 min speech.

As the function is near my apartment, we will also take the opportunity to do a supermarket shop to restock my fridge in preparation for my return to my apartment next weekend. At the same time, we will collect some business shirts for ironing and empty my mailboxes. All in all we will be out and about for about 5 - 6 hours.
 
Have a good day but don't overdue it. Be careful. Tashia
 
Hi Mike

Nordic Walking is all about the correct technique. I leant the technique from a PT who is an internationally qualified Nordic Walking Instructor. It was an intensive session to ensure that my gait was correct. That I was using the correct upper body muscles.

I checked this out with my OS and he was very impressed that I was doing NW. If you do a google search, for Gary Guten MD, Orthopedic Surgeon you will get lots of hits. There are heaps of medical specialists recommending it for all sorts of medical conditions, joint replacement, cardiac, Parkinson's.. and many more conditions..

Here are a few links..

broken link removed: https://www.nordicwalkingaustralia.com.au/index.php?page=health-facts



 
Thanks Poppet.

It is interesting stuff. I note that Patrick Kelly offers a free trial lesson on Saturdays at 9.30am before his regular class at 10.30am in Centennial Park in Sydney. So I think I might do this and see what I make of it. I can understand the attraction for you, especially in your situation with your back issues. Thanks again for making me aware of it.

Hugs

Mike
 
AussieMike said:
Hi Steph,

Great to hear from you!!

Interesting approach from your physio. I suspect their choice of the exercise bike is partly because of the outside temperature in Scotland in autumn. Its really helpful for me to know as I have an exercise bike waiting for me in my apartment when I go home next weekend. Did the physio give you any guidelines for using the bike?

More power to you (and your hip),

Mike
Click to expand...

Hiya

The physio said to just get the hip moving and increasing time on the bike rather than increasing speed or resistance. I am currently sat on my bike now doing my 20 minutes, joys of smart phones! I don't want to over do it so once 20 minutes is feeling quite easy I'll increase my time again.

Steph
 
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