THR Home and Feeling Great!

[Layla]

I'm sorry @luvsibes.
Thank you for sharing as a cautionary tale for others.
I can see how it could easily happen when you've been feeling so good.
I know you'll be back to your regular "new self" quickly because I'm sure you'll take the same
wise care that you have with your entire recovery.
Hugs and hopes this is only a quick drive through the ODIC.

 

[luvsibes]

Thanks @Jaycey - and @Mojo333 - for the input on my ODIC action. I've been gently stretching, using heat in a.m. and ice after walking and before bed. It's better but I'm back to the arabesque bend as bending over (and my ability to put my shoes on!) have gone retro! Walking doesn't hurt and in fact helps. I'm massaging the low back upper hip regularly and it's nothing I haven't felt in the past so I believe it will go away. It's interesting to know that I'm not alone with this experience, Jaycey!

 

[Mojo333]

It never hurts until we stop...was my experience.
I also had to relearn lessons.
Unfortunately the only way to know where the lines are is when we cross them.

 

[Squeaks123]

Great to hear your progress and all is going well.
thank you luvibes for sharing your experience which a lot of us are still yet to go through, it helps with the nerves as op fast approaching and very useful knowing the kind of things to expect and prepare for.
wishing you the very best with your hip and yoga

your a yoga superstar

 

[Mojo333]

Coming up on month four!
Hope you are doing well and you are starting to feel life with your bionic hip will be glorious.
All the best to you!

 

[Alitm]

Great to hear from you @luvsibes! Super check up but so sorry about your visit to the ODIC....I'm sure it will be fleeting. Will use it as a guide once I get that far out!

I've read both the books you recommended....they are really helpful, and I thank you for that My OS has said no hip physio until I see him again at six weeks, but wants me to walk as much as I want, building up slowly. I managed to get into the ODIC club week 2, with energy drain from doing too much too soon! Spent the weekend getting my energy back! Second surgery scheduled for Nov 8.

Take good care of yourself, ease back and away from the ODIC! Excited to hear about your teaching opportunity!

 

[Layla]

Happy Four Month Anniversary!
Now that you've made it to this point....doesn't time fly?
I have to say yours was a recovery I enjoyed following. Your sensible measured approach was a good example for others. I'm sure you're back engaging in life and that's why you're not around as much. That's our goal though, right? I wish all good things for you and hope you'll still stop by now and then to let us know how you're doing.
Your progress is inspiring to those following behind you.
Love and hugs to you!
@luvsibes

 

[luvsibes]

Thanks @layla - I was getting ready to post and saw your nice note! Thanks to all my hippy buddies that check in, too.

Today is the 4 month anniversary of the new hip and the surgery! I am on the path to a new life and feel 10 years younger without the limp and pain! I completed PT at the lovely warm salt water pool and will be back at my community warm arthritis exercise class in the harsh chlorine starting this morning. I will see my pool pals from the past 3 years going there thinking I'd beat surgery! It did help a lot so I'll stick with it through May to complete the 1 year of healing Dr. Klapper says this will all take!

In this past week I completed PT with 2 pool sessions, danced at a wedding, started teaching my 2 chair yoga classes, made a legislative visit for my AARP volunteer work, cleaned house, and continued to be able to walk Togo and rack up an average of 9,000 steps/day! I did ice after the dancing when I got home as hubs was concerned but he even got on the dance floor with me as he knows how much I enjoy rockin' out! We also made a short road trip with Togo for a weekend a couple of weeks ago. No ill effects from any of this!

I'm still challenged in ROM for sitting on the floor but Dr.K. says within the year I should be able to do that. Too much bending or lifting can cause some low back pain so I'm careful. We'll be cleaning out our 98 y.o. auntie's apartment so I know I'll be needing to be mindful of my moves. We moved her in late April and before we could do much, my surgery was moved up with little notice so we've been paying rent on the apt. since we couldn't really go up to her place and work on it. Oct. will be focused on that!

I will try to check in on my other Bsmart buddies later today. I'm off to the pool for "old home week" and hope to be able to use the weights and new moves I learned in my pool PT sessions! Mermaid time!

Love and healing vibes to all.

 

[Alitm]

@luvsibes You are such an inspiration!! Enjoy your mermaid time

 

[SurreyGirl]

That is fantastic! Well done

 

[luvsibes]

Thanks for the good wishes, @Alitm - and @SurreyGirl

 

[Mojo333]

Hope you are doing well @luvsibes
Have a good weekend!

 

[luvsibes]

Hello Bsmart hippies! Just a short note...all is going well but I can say that at 4 1/2 months we still need to use mindful movements and not overdo! I am finding that bending and lifting even a bag of moderate weight stuff can make my low back very tight and over-walking can cause that darned IT band to tighten. I like the post for @AnnieRose - that showed the IT massage (I do this all the time!) and a stretch.

Most curious, is weight gain. I'm more active now than I was pre-op. I haven't changed my eating habits in a way that I am aware of. My weight is up 6 lbs. and my pants are a bit tight. This doesn't sound like a lot but at 67 and 5', it is not a trend I want to see continue! I'm off to Weight Watchers (lifetimer) today and starting to track what goes in my mouth better. Maybe I've gotten too lax in my self-montoring of food intake! My OS doesn't think the prothesis is part of the gain but I had virtually no bone left at op time (OS said it looked like someone poured battery acid on my bones). He says I likely still have swelling and fluid! I find a lot of articles related to post-op THR and obesity but not weight gain of an avergae size person. What are your thoughts, @layla - and @Mojo - ?

 

[Layla]

Happy Sunday!
I'm sorry I'm not going to be of much help on this one. I have read the prosthetic is very light 3-5 lbs.
Here is the only article I found in our resources. Not lengthy or scientific, but here goes -
http://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/weight-gain-after-surgery.7468/

I know you're not alone, I've read this repeadly so it would be interesting to learn more on the subject.
I'll bet with your activity level it will slowly disappear over time.
You're doing great as always. Your updates are always a pleasure to read. Thanks for sharing and for your continued support to others on the forum.
I hope you have a great week!
@luvsibes

 

[alexthecat]

Well, of course, Jo has already studied this! She determined the weight of some prostheses and shared the results here:
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/weight-of-hip-and-knee-prostheses.5249/

Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk

 

[Layla]

Oops, silly uninformed me!
Sorry @luvsibes, I've actually read that article on Jo's research before and it slipped my mind.
Sincerest apologies.

 

[dogchick]

Hello Bsmart hippies! Just a short note...all is going well but I can say that at 4 1/2 months we still need to use mindful movements and not overdo! I am finding that bending and lifting even a bag of moderate weight stuff can make my low back very tight and over-walking can cause that darned IT band to tighten. I like the post for @AnnieRose - that showed the IT massage (I do this all the time!) and a stretch.
Most curious, is weight gain.

@luvsibes I'm coming up on 4 months soon, and I know what you mean about overdoing it, and picking up anything that has weight to it. It's still a little on the difficult side. I didn't even think about the fact that it's the IT band tightening, I just know that when I do a little too much, the whole side of my left leg just hurts and feels super sore, even to the touch. I'm going to have to look into that IT massage you are talking about because I was actually thinking I could truly benefit from a massage, was thinking about going to a local massage place, but it can get expensive.

Happy Sunday!
I'm sorry I'm not going to be of much help on this one. I have read the prosthetic is very light 3-5 lbs.
Here is the only article I found in our resources. Not lengthy or scientific, but here goes -
http://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/weight-gain-after-surgery.7468/
@luvsibes

Well, according to this article, I must be in the 140 who lost weight. I haven't been this weight since before I was PG with Pup Prince #1 (my oldest son). He is going to be 24 yrs. in about a week. I'm not complaining, it's a good thing and I'm hoping the weight loss will continue for at least another 25lbs. It's weird how our bodies react to the same thing so differently. I'm usually on the weight gain side of things, but this time I'm not. I'm sure it will all even out eventually.

 

[Layla]

I've heard both @dogchick
I've read of those who have no appetite and others who are eating non stop.
Too bad we don't have a choice in which way we want it to go for us. But you're happy, so that's great!
I hope you have a nice Sunday and a great week to come!

Sorry for the derail @luvsibes

 

[Lea61]

@luvsibes ... Sounds like you are doing great. I know I could look this up, but I thought I would just ask here... What is the "IT band" that tightens ? I'm guessing it's a muscle, and although I have heard it mentioned, I really don't know what or where it is ! LoL.
Sounds great to be 4 -1/2 months out (except for me, I'll be right back here with the other hip
Have a great day

 

[luvsibes]

Hello Bsmart hippy friends! It's 5 months post surgery now for me. I am so grateful to have done this and should have done it a year or so sooner!

I am walking an average of 10K steps/day, going to the warm water pool exercise 2x/week, teaching chair yoga 2x/week, and feeling pretty active. I'm counting Weight Watchers points trying to stabilize my weight which seems to be more than pre-surgery. I know that muscle weighs more than fat and I'm gaining new muscle and the prosthesis must weigh more than my bones which Dr. Klapper said looked like someone poured battery acid on them. I no longer have hip pain or a limp! I've danced at a wedding with no problems after. I can sit on the floor now but not for long! Slowly but surely it all is coming back to a standard of 4 years ago before all this hip stuff flared up.

The scar tissue is still quite sore to the touch and has the nerve pain at times. I bumped the area into furniture a couple of times and was nearly in tears! Dr. Klapper says to give it all a full year and all should be good then and to be mindful of my activities until then. I find that too much standing, sitting, or bending can create a deep low back pain...not with hip pain or walking challenges, just bending! Lifting is also a low back pain inducer. I try to work from my core/pelvis abdominal muscles.

That's my 5 month update. Recovery is still a work in progress but I am feeling so good that I often forget about the hip which is refreshing after 4 years of limiting my life due to the pain and mobility challenges.

Thanks to everyone along the way for the support and guidance.