Layla, Mojo333, TerryB_TX Here I am! Life has been very busy here, and I have been thrown into it full throttle. Sorry to have been off the boards with no responses to anyone.
I just saw my revision surgeon a day ago, new xrays were taken and my revision is rock solid. The bone is doing what it is supposed to be doing, the surgeon couldn't be more pleased, nor could I. I am walking with no limp and hardly ever have any hip/thigh pain. I walk up stairs without using my arms or hands, leg over leg.
I can still feel that my operated (right) leg is weaker than my left leg and needs strengthening. Pain occasionally comes when I do a lot in a day, but it not the kind of pain I had before with the loose implant, and goes away after I rest. My scar does occasionally "pinch" or tighten and burn a little when I sit, but that is just tissue pain which will dissipate eventually, so no big deal. I am getting more comfortable when I sit for periods of time, still not quite fully comfortable but that is no big deal either. I also can drive for long periods of time without any pain.
I am now fully cleared to go back to the gym. The surgeon cautioned against doing squats or lunges, not good for the knees and just not great in general, and to not use bands around my legs/knees in training (no problem there, I tore my rotator cuff using bands and I detest them as a result). I can do leg presses and other leg/hip exercises on stationary weight equipment and work the Bosu ball for balance, etc. , also swimming and stationary bike/spinning. He said just to listen to my body, to not overdo in any circumstance--well, no problem there, I don't want to tempt fate.
I have a very long femoral stem, and I asked if there were any negatives associated with that, and he said not really, it just would be very hard to take out but he doesn't expect that will be necessary (only if I had an infection). To that end, he will prescribe antibiotics to me for teeth cleaning and all other dental work. He doesn't believe in tempting fate and is aware of current studies about antibiotics and hip implants, but he knows my personality and thinks I should take them for the rest of my life before dental work, and I will, of course.
I couldn't be happier with the outcome, and I have come a very long way as I was very much in the pits of despair before my revision. I never thought I would have this kind of success with this second implant, I just was sure that I would fall again into the morass of a poor outcome and more pain. I NEVER was pain free after the first implant surgery, and as my postings show, had chronic problems with it. But I have had the opposite experience now, and I couldn't be more grateful. I still occasionally ice with my Ossur unit, it is a wonderful device and I also use it on other parts of my body when they ache. So, all in, things are moving along extremely and I am looking forward to strengthening as much as possible now.
Thank you to all on this forum for your support and encouragement. I am not sure I could have gotten through this experience without you!
And
@Josephine is an incredible person, a gem, an asset, a diamond in platinum, and no words could express my appreciation for all her responses and reassurances. I just can't believe I am now a success story--pinch me!
United States
so very much for that wonderful update.
