THR Getting mixed messages on PT after THR<

I know, KathyD---crazy, isn't it?!?! These late spring storms always feel like such a betrayal.:bawl:I've been out gardening the past few days, probably cleaning up more than I should have, but at some point you just have to commit and clean things up. And to get 2 bomb cyclones so close together.....:gaah:

I picked forsythia, daffodils, and hyacinths today in case they didn't survive the storm. And who knows....maybe we'll end up getting much less than predicted.

You are supposed to get quite a bit from the sounds of things. Is Wed. a night you stay in Longmont, or are you going to drive back home? Hope your hip/hips manage the drive OK! Keep me posted on what you end up with! Be safe. :wave:
 
I drove back from Aurora this afternoon as they let me go early. Not a bad drive - just wet roads. Tomorrow morning I drive to Longmont, which may be a little more tricky. Both my hips are a little achey with this storm.
 
@KathyD --So glad today went OK. We got a lot more snow up north than was predicted--still not too bad since it was melting pretty fast on the roads. Longmont didn't get as much as we did here. BUT I imagine there will be a lot of ice in the morning on your drive no matter how much snow, as it was melting on the roads, and with the low temps overnight.....you know the drill! :gaah: Drive carefully!

Sometime when the barometer drops or we get moisture, my hip really complains leading up to, and during the storm. Surprisingly, this one wasn't bad at all---not sure if it is because I am getting far enough out from my August 3, surgery, or just a lucky storm. :) :-) (:

Hope once the storm ends, and the white knuckle driving up and down the mountain isn't needed, your hips will recover quickly! Funny---last week we were talking about a possible hike, and today we are talking about icy roads....Colorado!:rotfl:
 
You bet! Don't like the weather, wait a day. We got 10 inches up here.

How's your balance coming along? I am actually worse on my right hip, which was done 2 years ago. I think that I didn't go into surgery as strong with that one and I didn't rehab it as much. So now I do my exercises on both sides so I will be even.
 
@KathyD --I have looked into a couple of the local "balance" classes. Sadly, two of them that I think would be good are on days I watch my granddaughters. This summer I may try to get a back up babysitter so I can take one of the balance classes if I still think I need it.
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I am not aware of balance issues in general....only when I try to stand on one foot Then I totally fail the 30 second balance test. I keep reading that that is a very important thing to be able to do. I am trying to do some of the exercises people have suggested for balance, so that may help as well. Thanks for checking back in on me!

What is going on with your right hip---balance, pain, ROM, strength? I wonder if the sitting you have to do while commuting is impacting you?

I feel like I have been sitting way too much, coming off of winter, and then with our recent wintery weather. Even when I am not recovering from hip surgery, I get back and muscle pains from sitting too much, so I think I am having some of that go on now. It's not awful, but I am aware of more discomfort, so I need to listen to my body and get moving more!

Even here in Loveland we had varying amounts of snow---In my part of town we ended up with 12 inches. Nice, wet snow which will green up the lawn and give the gardens a good start:)
 
I think the difference in my hips is from the difference in PT I got post-op. Every therapist is different and I also have been working harder this time around. Since I have two good hips now, I don't want to waste them! I have a lot of hiking to do and I want to take up flat water kayaking. I had wanted to take up bouldering a few years ago but I can't take the risk of falling. I'll leave that to the youngsters.
 
When I was younger my kids and I did some pretty low key rock scrambling...not full blown bouldering. I thought it was great fun and also thought I might try some real life bouldering. But I agree---not worth the risk now, plus with a tear in my right bicep, I don't think my arm would hold up/hold me up:)

We used to white water raft a lot and I loved it. I stopped doing it after back surgery 9 years ago when my doctor said it was one of the things to avoid. I didn't ask if it was forever, but never got back into it. I've considered asking my surgeon at my one year hip follow up appointment, but was told by several others that rafting is something I should avoid forever. I am not particularly sporty but it was something we had such fun doing.

It's challenging to know what things one should/should not do as we move further out from the surgery. I think until I get a couple years out, I won't be fully confident that the hip really is set and ready to use without fear. @KathyD---how long did it take you after your first hip to feel sure it was healed and solid?
 
Just curious---for the veterans on the forum, at what point did you feel your hip was pretty solid and set? Given they say it can take up to a year or year and a half to fully heal, I assume sometime after that?

I know many of us feel great earlier--I do. But I also know that there is still healing to do, and I don't want to mess anything up by attempting physical activities too soon. Is the hip itself healed and healthy sooner than the surrounding tissue? Or do they all take up to a year/year and a half?
 
I was around the 9 month mark on my 1st THR when I felt it was actually 'my hip'.... No-one gave me any instruction on what I could/couldn't do with my new hip...think these new hips are more solid than we all imagine !!!


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@Layla---thanks. I feel very healed, but as I am looking ahead to summer activities I am urging myself to be a little cautious. I am thinking about things like water parks (some rafts, impacts when hitting water), rock climbing, rafting, boating, etc. I have read so many different things online, and I think I never really got clear on it after my back surgery 9 years ago as well so I've not been doing some things I'd like to do if possible. I wiil read the article you shared. Calling my surgeon also is a good idea. Most of the time I forget I had the hip done.:flwrysmile:
 
@Debru4 I also am wondering how much to push this thing. At 4 months I know I have a fair amount of healing to do but I'm feeling somewhat solid and wondering how much strain I dare put on it. I probably should be patient and keep being careful for a while yet. Still achy when I get up after sitting a while. My big question is does the capsule of fiber around the joint heal? I know they have to cut into that no matter what approach is used and it does a lot to stabilize the joint. I guess I should call my OS too. It sounds like you are feeling pretty ambitious about activity! I hope you get to do some hiking pretty soon. :climb: :kayak:
 
My surgeon told me not to do anything silly for 6 months after my first hip. I think he wanted the bone to have grown into the implant solidly before I stressed it. That would have put me at about September 2017 and I think I did some hiking but not anything ambitious that fall. Right now I am regretting having gone on a short 2 mile hike last week, the first mile of which was steeper than I thought it was going to be. I am not having a lot of pain but my exercises hurt a little more and I feel like I lost a week or two of recovery. I am very impatient this time around.
 
@desertrat--I don't think I'd be thinking about it as much, but I've read so often on the forum that there's lots of healing yet to happen up to a year or year and a half. If that's the case, I don't want to jump the gun. But if my hip is solid and set (as it feels like it is), I am ready to roll. I know there is a range of times, and my own surgeon said it should be healed by 6-9 months (maybe up to a year) so I think I am in the clear. I was just curious what others felt/experienced. Hearing other's experiences is helpful I think, even for those of us past the early stages. It's been so darn stormy and inconsistent here in terms of weather that my plans to start some actually "hikes" haven't worked out. And now, I am feeling a bit out of shape, and probably need to work up to it again, as I've been pretty sluggish the past few weeks! I envy your living in sunny Arizona where you can be outdoors year round! Good question about the capsule around the joint. Let us know if you find an answer:) :friends:
 
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@KathyD--Sorry to hear your hike was a bit ambitious. I even find that sometimes a walk I'll go on one day feels differently than the same walk a few days later---lots of variables, the hip being only one of them for me I think. The areas you hike in are true hikes, and I'm sure changes in elevation are hard as early as it is for you in your recovery. I haven't done elevation yet---am actually a little more nervous about it now than I was in the fall.

I am a bit out of shape after winter---actually I was walking longer distances last fall at 4-5 months out than I am now, as my winter activity really decreased. Now that our weather is getting nicer, I'll be able to get out and garden, and walk in some more varied areas. That should help. :happydance:

Thanks for sharing what your doctor told you. I wasn't quite sure how long it took for the bone to grow solidly. My 6 week follow up was the last appointment I had, and that wasn't a question I had quite yet:) He said I was doing so well that he didn't need to see me until a year, unless I needed to see him before. His office is very accessible so that's not an issue. I simply didn't ask. :flwrysmile:
 
If you do ask let us know. I had the posterior approach complete with a large scar and was slow to heal. I went on a big holiday six months after the op and found that, with care, I could sail a hobie cat and do a fair bit of walking. I took my ice packs with me and some paracetamol and just made sure I relaxed and iced with my feet up for a while every day. That did the trick. It also did wonders for my state of mind!

Nine months out now I don’t think I would be confident with white water rafting or anything that requires a quick movement where one doesn’t have time to think about it.

I am thinking of going back to scuba diving in two months time but very gently! No strong currents or jumping off boats!

What I love about this forum is the number of ladies from 55 upwards who participate in this sort of stuff. I think some of our surgeons (ie mine) expect us to scale back when in reality we want as much of our old lives back as much as possible...to be fair the only thing he strongly discouraged was skiing.
 
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@SurreyGirl--I agree, that the goal for many of us is not just to alleviate pain, but also to be able to resume activities we enjoy, or try things we've always wanted to. Although I loved whitewater rafting.....nothing like the rush of a Class 4 or 5 rapid, when I am logical about it, I think the jarring and slamming, as well as the possibility of popping out wouldn't be best for my hip or my back. I need to let that go, or maybe look into a different type of rafting.

Had you done a lot of hoby cat sailing prior to the time you mentioned above after your surgery? Do you do a lot of water activities?

After my back surgery my surgeon shared a list I should avoid. It included speed boating. About 1 1 /2 years later I found myself on a speedboat, and it was so painful. Suddenly, out of the blue, his words came to my mind and I was terrified I had ruined my back. I was sore for days, but the pain subsided which was a huge relief. In that case, it was the slamming and jarring that did me in! Have avoided the fast body slamming boat rides ever since.

I had such an easy early recovery---incredibly lucky. I was able to walk distances painlessly, and that has been my main form of exercise. I think I am just restless to do more, and am dreaming too big for now..:spin:

Like you, I also appreciate how many of those on the forum are so encouraging of others---the over 55 crowd needs all the cheering on we can get! :heehee: Glad to be on the same team as you!
 
I think I'll stick to walking on the flats for now. I am waiting until I feel I can spread both legs out far enough in the kayak to push against the sides for balance. The biggest rapid I've ever done in a kayak is about a class 0.5 and it scared me to death! I think if you rafted in a biggish river without a tons of rocks and nothing more than Class III, you would be OK if you fell out. I'm thinking of the Colorado right above Moab.

I got both my hips done relatively early in the the arthritis course. I mean that I didn't wait until I was totally disabled because I have all these things I want to do. And think of this, Ladies - our hips are better than those of the same age who are walking on their original hips! Go Bionic Women!
 
Great point, @KathyD! Bionic Women, we are!!:yes!:

I also had mine done before I was totally debilitated---just in a ton of pain. And I had done the long trip to Europe right before surgery, so while my hip was ruined, the rest of my body was in decent shape.

That's funny about your .5 rapid--:heehee: I've only been in a kayak a few times on small, mild lakes--liked it, then, but truthfully, the idea of tipping and rolling in a kayak scares me to death.....I'm not a swimmer---just like being on the water. I've been on several float trips and milder runs--always nice to be out and enjoy nature, but not the same thrill as a run down the Poudre or the Arkansas. My favorite is the Brown's Canyon on the Arkansas and the Royal Gorge---lots of excitement. I've only done commercial on those more challenging ones and that was over 10 years ago---seems like a lifetime in many ways.

Fun to think about the new things, and old things possible now that we have new hips! Have a great week!
 
What lovely encouraging posts! I have loved hobiecat sailing on holiday for years and the stronger the winds the better. Now I think I have to be more careful and take a heavy water sports guy with me to counterbalance the cat in strong winds. But flat water sailing and yachts are now fine.

I am a Padi Advanced level (holiday) diver but again will not do anything extreme and will keep to depths of less than 80 feet so I can get myself out of trouble if needs be.

Since I got my new hip I have noticed a huge difference swimming and realised my legs had been weak for years. Looking forward to swimming in warm salt water again !

And enjoying walking too. I was never much of a walker but that is changing as I get stronger and less tired.
All good bar my stubborn itchy scar that whinges as soon as I overdo it!

I even go to loos further away from my office to get some stairs in and keep moving. I feel like I have a new lease of life and want to respect my body rather more than I did before...

Maybe I should think about gentle kayaking too. Nothing extreme! Might have a lesson so thanks @Debru4 for the inspiration!
 

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