THR Cstreet on the other side

[C Mac]

I'm going to have the "but your so young for a hip replacement" conversation about 1,000 times this week .

Tell them you just had a little trouble with your last Running with the Bulls event, but expect to be back in shape by next year's!

Glad your PT is going well.

Take care,
Cardie

 

[Jaycey]

Tell them you just had a little trouble with your last Running with the Bulls event, but expect to be back in shape by next year's!

:hysterical: That's a good one Cardie! Wish I had it earlier.

 

[beesquare]

@C Mac
This whole experience has really given me a new perspective on how tough it is for people that are wheelchair/cane/crutch bound. I'm feeling really lucky that there is light at the end of the tunnel for me.

Cstreet that is so, so true, I feel exactly the same. Glad you're doing so well. :rolleyespink:

 

[cstreet]

Just a little trade show update. I am having too mainly use the crutches. There are about 4000 people packed into a mid-size convention center so my little electric scooter became fairly useless. It's too quiet so I kept nearly taking out pedestrians in the halls .

I am trying to minimize the amount of walking around and I will be glad when this week is over.

I had not done any of my PT exercises this week. I am hopeful that all the walking around makes up for it.

Next trade show like this is in May of 2012 so by then I should be in much better shape!

 

[Jaycey]

Hi cstreet - my experience with tradeshows is that you are on your feet all day. Hope you aren't too uncomfortable! I think you are wise to use your crutches - especially with the crowds.

And yes, you are getting plenty of exercise. Don't worry about PT right now.

Hang in there!

 

[The Cappuccino Kid]

Hi cstreet I agree that you're wise to use your crutches.

It helps support you plus people tend to give you a bit of space.

Just think how you'll be next May.

 

[cstreet]

I made it through the week of the trade show. While it was hard I ended up building up my left leg quite a bit. When I got back I ditched the crutches and have just been using the cane.

I am now just past the 4 month mark. I walked about 4 blocks today pushing my 20 month old around in the stroller and then hung out at the park chasing (well walking slowly) after him. That's something I had stopped doing before the operation. So I am at the point now where I can do things again that I could not do before which is really cool. Now every month that goes by I should be in even better shape. I hope to ditch the cane in another couple of weeks.

Once and a while I take a bit of Advil for pain in my good hip but nothing like before the op when it was 12 a day. My good hip is just getting an increased workout but I am trying to be better about putting more weight on the new hip.

I can stand just on the new hip leg for 30 seconds now which is awesome. Before I could barely stand for a second or two. So while my recovery seemed to drag on I am feeling good now about the milestones I am hitting.

Hope all is well with everyone else. I am still lurking around just getting distracted with work and family.

 

[Jamie]

That's wonderful!!!! You ARE making progress. Glad to hear you're still with us too.

 

[Jaycey]

Great update Cstreet. Yes it takes some of us a bit more time to recover. But you are obviously doing all the right things. Well done!

 

[C Mac]

Hi C Street,

Nice to hear from you, I had wondered if you were wandering back into normal life -- and it sounds like you are! Enjoy your time at the park with your son!!

Just wondering how you've adjusted to the LLD now?

Take care,
Cardie

 

[cstreet]

Hi Cardie,

The LLD adjustment is going ok. I think I ended up getting maybe 1-1.5cms back. So I'll still need the lift. In fact my lift was not covering my whole LLD. My pelvis was shifting to make up the rest of it. So now I feel lopsided but my PT said it will just take time to adjust.

 

[C Mac]

Hi C Street,

My lift had not covered my entire LLD before surgery either. My spine and pelvis twists to compensate -- before surgery and now as well. That's why I'd been so surprised at the THR surgery recommendation as I'd always heard from my docs over the years to expect to have back problems, no one ever said I'd have hip problems....

I don't know exactly how much length I got from the hardware bundle, but I don't wear a lift right now. I still feel a bit lopsided at times too, but sometimes I think it is related to my stride. My stride on the normal hip is full range from front to back as I walk but my stride on the replaced hip is short, sort of front to directly under my body and not fully behind me as I walk.

Well, we are still newbies at this hip thing so hopefully we will "adjust" at some point!

Nice to hear from you,
Cardie

 

[NYLiz]

Way to go cstreet! So glad to hear of the continued progress you are making. Keep up the great work and in no time you will be running (ok, maybe jogging) after your son.

Liz

 

[Jamie]

It can take a while for your body to readjust, Cstreet.....you'll get there. You're doing just fine!

 

[LisaP]

CStreet, your definition of the "Frankenstein Walk" is exactly how I feel. My operative leg has decent range of motion to the front and sides but stops dead when I try to extend my leg backwards. It is so tight and it feels like it will never give in. Have you seen any progress? When I do extend my leg backwards my whole pelvis goes right alone with it. My PT and OS said this is normal for me because of my dysplasia and perthes. Could you keep me updated on any progress you are having with that Frankenstein Walk. It really helped reading someone else is going through this because I've really been worrying myself sick.

 

[Josephine]

Well now, Lisa .... consider how long your hip has been bad and how long all your muscles and your pelvis have had to get into the condition where it needed to have surgery. You really didn't expect it to be all sorted and back to normal in just 10 weeks, did you? It could take at least a year and probably more. You have to be .....









patient! :wink1:

 

[LisaP]

Well now, Lisa .... consider how long your hip has been bad and how long all your muscles and your pelvis have had to get into the condition where it needed to have surgery. You really didn't expect it to be all sorted and back to normal in just 10 weeks, did you? It could take at least a year and probably more. You have to be .....









patient! :wink1:

I know... not one of my virtues...

 

[C Mac]

.... consider how long your hip has been bad and how long all your muscles and your pelvis have had to get into the condition where it needed to have surgery. You really didn't expect it to be all sorted and back to normal in just 10 weeks, did you? It could take at least a year and probably more. You have to be .....
patient! :wink1:

We do hear this a lot on on the forum from others who have also gone through replacement surgery.

My complaint is that I did not hear anything like this from my doctors office in preparation for surgery or at the time of my follow-up or acute appointments when I was struggling with the recuperation process. Prior to surgery I was told that I wouldn't need physical therapy after the surgery, I'd be able to go back to whatever activities I wanted to and had done before surgery. After the surgery I was told by my doc that he had hoped and expected that I'd be further along than I was -- it's comments like these that leave us feeling like we are off track in our progress after surgery.

Ok, sorry to make a tantrum in C Streets thread... and thank you to all the people that have comforted and reassured us here on the BS forum both moderators and members! I know I'd be lost without this resource...

Take care,
Cardie

 

[Jaycey]

I hear you Cardie! And I ask the same question daily.

I too got the same information from my OS. But I think hearing the reality from people who have been there is a much better resource.

The OS does his/her thing and then moves to the next patient. You are then stuck to deal with the result. And sometimes the results isn't straight forward. Shame on your OS for discouraging you!

Every THR is different and there is no time scale for recovery. Too bad you can only confirm this when you are there!

Perhaps you should start a thread on this. I am sure there are lots of frustrated Smarties out there with the same issues.

 

[Josephine]

Trouble is with some of those guys, it's the easiest thing in the world to be ambitious with somebody else's stamina.