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THR My Intro...

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Hi Cardie

So sorry that you are in pain, do hope it can be sorted out soon.

Nothing wrong with being in hibernation re the exercise, I am constantly there!

But I am sad that you are feeling gloomy because of it. Hard to be positive when one is in pain and not sure what is the cause of it... But come to BS and we will try and make you smile.. I always try to remember the wheel of life, goes round and round and somehow it gets stuck in a rut and we just can't move it.. That's where you are right now, but remember, the wheel WILL turn again and things will improve :)
 
Hi Sarah, Diane, Sandy @Jyoti:

Nothing definitive on my pains from the PA at this last visit or from the OS when I'd seen him back in December. I didn't initiate this last visit to the OS, they called me in after my primary doctor called to chat with the OS about my situation. I went to my primary doc because she was one of the people that helped convince me to have the surgery and I was feeling at the end of my rope on being uncomfortable and not be able to exercise.

My husband theorizes that all my issues are related to the physiological changes in my anatomy now that the fake hip has been installed. This does make sense to me as well, especially if they have added over an inch to my leg and now it's the long leg! :rolleyes: (I had asked prior to the surgery, that my OS go conservatively on adding leg length and thought we'd agreed to 3/8 of an inch).

The pain in my glute muscles did settle down when I stopped all my stretches & exercising. The femur pains did not really change much and the knee "flash pain" stopped as I no longer did one legged exercises on the op-leg. My knee still doesn't move normally and continues to be uncomfortable but I think it may be related to tensions on the tendons and ligaments. I still have the groin pains (possibly at the origin of my adductor muscles) which at times are really limiting in how I can walk. As my OS said in December - "Most people come in with one or two pains, you have 18."

Don't I feel special.... :sigh:
Cardie
 
Hi Cardie,

Just a thought, but at one point in my recent recovery I had to go "back to basics" and did all the things I did right after the surgery...like pain meds round the clock, icing, elevating and basically no PT, just getting around my apartment for things I needed and major amounts of rest. I felt like I was going backwards but it was only needed for about a couple of days before I started to feel better again. I am still taking it easy, can't rush this not matter how hard I would like to. I know you don't like to take meds but maybe short term might help? Good luck to you with all of this...hoping for some improvement for you, take care.
 
Hi Cardie, ,
Sorry you are feeling the pain and the blues. I think we have similar history's so will let you know where i'm at and hope it helps as you are definately not on your own.

My surgery was 2 months before yours and I wanted as much leg length as possible. So I got 3 cms. Was really happy but like you it has taken a very long time for the muscles to cope with this. I still get right knee pain and foot pain as well as my on ging back pain. I have stopped gym exercises for over 3 months now. The pain has reduced as I'm not doing much apart from VERY basic exercises that my Physio told me. And I only started back in the pool in January and am doing again VERY basic exercises like putting the long floatation tube under my put and moving my leg in all the different planes. ie flexion, extension, abduction and adduction. The floatation device gives some resistance.

I also walk a lot in the pool to try and get my gait pattern right. I still have to use a crutch as I limp horribly when off the crutch. My abductor muscles are still not strong enough. I can't do ANY one legged exercises on my operated side. I still have to hold on.

I like you was constantly expecting things to change and to be honest it is so SLOW I only came to terms with it in January properly as I was stressing myself out saying by this time I will be better etc. I recently had to attend a wedding and the last thing I wanted was to wear my nice clothes with a horrible grey crutch by my side but I had to and I was OK with this as I realised I needed to accept it is taking longer.

The other week the Physio said that he thought I would be on the crutch for another 3 to 4 months. I was surprised that I wasn't upset as I have accepted that it will take time.

Stopping the gym work has helped my knee as it is no longer inflamed. Hopefully when I start back at the gym it will be stronger and better prepared for anything. My spine like yours was slightly twisted and is lordotic. He has said the spine is straighter and improving but still lordotic. He said that will improve but it will take years, however, doubt it will totally change, but that's fine.

One ting thing to keep at is stretching but be careful so you don't hurt yourself.

I appreciate it is hard and I still get annoyed and frustrated but I've had to tell myself the time will come and it better be by the summer otherwise I definately won't be a happy bunny ;)
 
Me again Cardie...

Seemed better to pop into your thread :)

Are you still doing the Rolfing therapy? Just thought remember the kinetic place I had told you about....I had asked my PT guy what his thoughts are about this style and he made a blaaaa face and said its ok then added sometimes the basic PT and aerobic exercises do the trick in the recovery. We both agreed the kinetics is silly expensive the membership to their gym is really high. Right now it's on the back burner.

I know you had paused all your exercising or do you do little things?

Happy Happy Friday!

xxooxx
 
Hi Sarah,

I am still going to the rolfer, but it's only once a month. I will see her next week and hope that she goes full strength on me. I've gone back to the chiropractor once or twice to get the elbow to the low back muscles. I have experimented with a couple of exercises at home and some basic stretches to try to keep from being so rusty. I am beginning to venture back into the weight room on a very tight leash. Going back to the three leg machines (leg press, extension & hamstring) and using two legs, doing low weight and hi-reps for two sets and then taking my self back home. My quads and hamstrings are like jello from all this sitting around and I cannot continue to live like this, so am trying to get something going.

I did two different rounds of anti-inflammatories (Celebrex & Mobic for 10 days each) and am now back on glucosamine/condroitin/MSM as it can be helpful for inflammation. I have gotten my muscle aches and pains to settle down enough to try to get back to some exercise.

The big break (2 months) from all exercise was helpful in settling things down some - but now I have a great sense of muscle weakness and atrophy that I have to try to recover from. It has been way too long of a journey and I've been left to my own devices by both my OS and PT which makes me resentful!

I'll try swimming when the weather warms up, I can't tolerate being cold and shivering it makes my hip ache. I am having an MRI for my knee to see if there is something torn -- went back to a different OS that I'd seen in the past for a shoulder issue. I am in desperate need of gait training as my legs are just not functioning in a healthy way when it comes to walking around because of the hip & knee -- but that will have to come around after I know what the knee issue is....

At some point I'll probably have to consult with a back specialist on the posterior superior iliac spine issue -- unless the rolfer and chiropractor can get that bone back into place without disrupting my fake hip...

Hope you have a nice weekend,
Cardie
P.S. Hi @Jyoti: thanks for letting me know how you are doing and yes, lets hope the summer will find us both in a better place with our hips!! :)
 
Hi Cardie,
Just when I said I was patient I feel frustrated again ;-). I saw my massage therapist today and was saying that my Physio has been helping and things have improved but after 4 months of seeing him I'm back on a plateau. Unsure if he knows where to go now. But he has now spoken of using a raise in the shoe to see if that helps activate my muscles to aid my gait and walking!! She was talking about looking at different options and Rolfing came up.
Can I ask whether that has helped you? I would be very interested to know.
Thanks
Jyoti
 
Hi @Jyoti:

Sorry you are feeling frustrated again, it is such a roller coaster of progress, pain & emotion! :rolleyespink:

I have only had two appointments for rolfing, it's usually done about one time a month, giving some time for the body to make it's own adjustments after the appointment. I found both appointments to be helpful in allowing me to walk more normally in terms of my knee function (they bend normally after an appointment) and also feeling like I'm more centered on my feet (instead of walking on the outer sides of my feet) .

However, I will say that the knee stuff reverts back after a few days -- and I'm sure a lot of my gait & stride problems are a result of bad habits that arise from both atrophy of my muscles and discomfort in various places (SI joint, groin, quadricep muscles & my knee too..)

You have been having PT work for a while now, right? I know you said that you are on a break from the gym exercising now -- do you think that you've reached a plateau with PT stuff and need to take a break from that modality for a bit?

I don't know if you ever went back to the discussion that Alex & I were having in the other person's thread about psoas issues but here is something she said towards that end that really rings true for us in our striving towards fitness with the new hip and our CDH physical issues:
******************************
"I think your best bet may be to take a couple of recovery weeks to break the cycle. I have a feeling that, if you do that, things will start to settle down and you will be able to move forward again.

Incidentally, recovery is an integral part of athletic training. There is a quote from Chris Carmichael (Lance Armstrong’s trainer) which I like a lot:

“Recovery is part of your training and thinking of it that way helps you remain as committed to recovering as you are to working out.”


In most training plans, every third or fourth week is a low-volume week and a few times per year there is a week or two of no exercise at all. That is what your body needs in order to continue to build fitness and it applies to world-class athletes, as well as us mere mortals. You aren’t going to lose any of your fitness gains by taking a short break and I think it might be to your benefit. "
******************
My OS is also big on not over-therapying new hips, rest is a very important part of our recovery process. I think this may be more so for us with all the physical adjustments that our bodies are trying to make in response to a dramatic change in our geometry.

I have not found the answer on the lift yet either. If you take a PT break you could spend some time trying out different in-shoe lifts to see if anything feels better -- maybe something from the local store (do they have Dr. Scholls products there?) I'd suggest full sole, not just the heel cookie type. I just do my experimenting around the house -- I don't go out and about in anything yet.

Onward we go, my friend :friends:

Take care,
Cardie
 
Hey Cardie,

Sorry your having to deal with your knee and back too, that has to be super frustrating.

Love the training quote that's a great one!

My new therapist had said to me some of the things holding me back are both my knees being so....not sure of the right word fragile, lack of range of motion, my confidence?!?!? He said they definitely effect my balance with my new hip. The only good news my knees don't hurt at all. They just don't bend well maybe 110% since my car wreck all this years back I have never been able to get onto my knees and lean back in a sitting style. Plus being on my knees they are really sensitive. I babbled tonight sorry, it's about your painful knee right now. I hope the new dr visit will give you some help.

I am glad the new drug is helping with the pain that's good news!

Sending you lots of good thoughts and hope you are enjoying the weekend!

xxooxx
 
Hi Cardie,

Just want you to know I am thinking of you and certainly hope that you have some relief from some of these issues sooner rather than later. All the best to you.
 
Hi Cardie,
Thanks for the response. I'll have to do more research on the Rolfing. My massage therapist says she knows a few people so will talk to them about my issues.
The thing is I don't do that much with my Physio. Basically accupuncture and him showing me some stretches. I think I need to do more strengthening as I don't really do much apart from walk. I still can't stand on my right leg.
I'm going to have a good conversation with my Physio to look at a plan forward. It's not fun being stuck.
Wishing you the best .
Jyoti :friends:
 
Hi Cardie! If you need a spine doc reference just let me know. I know a really good one in our area. Hang in there...
 
Jyoti, I think you're wise to talk to your physio about your concerns. It may be that you would be happier working with someone else. You know, physios have different specialties, just as surgeons do. You may need a physio who has more experience and training working with people overcoming the sorts of challenges you have.

Cardie, it sounds like things are going well for you. I think you picked a good time to return to the gym and I know you will do your best not to overdo. The hard part is that you don't know you are overdoing until hours or days later. Just stay flexible and listen to your body. I need to follow my own advice. I just spent a weekend skiing, so tomorrow needs to be a rest day for me.

Another Chris Carmichael quote that really inspired me:

"The only time I ever encouraged athletes to stop exercising was when their physicians said their sport or activity level might kill them."

Of course, that doesn't mean that people who are actively recovering should push themselves to unreasonable levels of activity. He's just saying that, in the long term, we do return to the things we love.
 
Hey there Cardie,

Hope you are well and having a good week!

Few little updates from my therapy sessions. Monday I was mortified I had come back to a therapist who was basically going to ignore me for the entire session and throw out instructions and walk away dealing with his other favorite clients. Went back Wednesday and had his entire attention, do you think they do that and know they can balance everything out? I do like this therapist so I let the Monday slide :). Plus I can tell how much I've improved in such a short time.

Wednesday he kicked my bum a little. We did these walking lunges (not low) with each lunge I had to stretch the opposite arm high. Gulp it was exhausting. Half way through I asked him had I left it too long for therapy and he said NO absolutely not and added I was smart to stay home and heal first, maybe I would be at a higher level if I had come sooner, however at this time I would have no reason to experience any post surgery type of pain. I did say my friend (you) gave me the idea to delay a little. Funny like you are my friend across the street!! You are :)

Thank you for being such a great cheerleader and supportive friend!

xxooxx
 
March 1st -- time to spring forward -- even if it's on a tight leash!! I am going to work both legs, together, at the gym and get this show on the road. It is time for my hamstring & quadricep muscles to come out of hibernation...

Today is rolfing appointment number three and I'm going to ask her to work on me full strength and see how I tolerate it. @Jyoti: if you have any questions that you'd like me to ask my rolfer do let me know, she and I correspond by email when I'm between appointments. Also, check the rolfing website I'd encourage you to call and speak with a rolfer in your area about your particular situation.

Also, I'm wondering if you have pain? Or are you feeling plateaued on your range of motion and strength activities solely? If you are not having trouble with persistent pain then maybe it is a matter of moving from the stretches to strengthening work. I am going with the notion that my issues are related to the new geometry of my leg -- lengthened & angled differently, and the soft tissues are adapting to this change. I have to work on engaging my quads & hamstrings to help them adapt (strengthen) and assist in making my legs function with this new normal. I am done with the singular focus on my op leg, that is not making the whole system work better -- it only helped in those early weeks when I was getting back to normal after the surgery.

You are right, it is not fun to be stuck -- and sometimes we are left to our own devices in trying to move forward. If you can't get your PT person to change focus then maybe a different one as Alex suggested, or maybe going back into the gym with a trainer??

@DallasSarah: Lunges, good for you!! You can do these while you are walking Miles and in time your legs will cope better with them and you will feel more powerful. I thought of you, my friend, the other day when one of the old guys at the rec center came in to work out and he had his training notebook, water bottle & bag of fun size snickers bars... "My friend, Sarah, would like to be your training partner." :heehee: We are across the street, the Cyber Street!! :thumb:

Take care :friends:
Cardie
 
Sarah and Cardie,

On those lunges with the arm swing...

When I first tried those a few weeks ago they were pretty uncomfortable....borderline painful (not a good pain). I had to stop.

For those who can't picture this, the idea is that when in the lunge position with the operated leg forward, as you swing your arm (or in some cases they have me swing a 5 lb weight to and fro) your center of gravity changes, your balance gets compromised during the swing, and the muscles around your hip need to fire and balance and keep you on your feet. It exercises all those muscles supporting your hip.

After a couple weeks I can do these pain free and I think they are working...

Z
 
Oyyyyyy I'm worn out reading about those lunges LOL......5lb weights oh my goodness!

I'm a baby my version of a lunge is very mild, it is intense exercise though. He was saying the goal is to stretch those bum behind my hip muscles I don't know the name duh!! I'm ok walking step forward it's the......I don't know what the real wording is GRUMBLE!!

Snickers <------ drooling big time! I'm getting close to 20lb loss mark :). Noooooo snicker bars for me right now LOL

Glad you are well Cardie and Z!

xxooxx
 
Cardie, how did your recent Rolfing session go? Do you feel like your Rolfer's adjustments and corrections are starting to stick?
 
Rolfing appointment number 3 went fine -- now I remember what "full strength" rolfing feels like.... I was a little sore the next day and at points during the session, but I often have sore muscles anyway so it was not a problem. I do feel like it is helpful in working on the fascia in ways that I could not achieve on my own or through exercising. Rolfing is a modality that works on the whole body, so it also helps with some of the bad habits that I think I've developed over the course of the 9 months since my surgery. She works on my neck & back and she informed me that we will need to do some work on my shoulders now as well. I usually feel more balanced on my legs for a while after a session.

After nine months of dealing with my knee "flash pain" I have gotten the results of my MRI and do have a torn meniscus. @Josephine: I'd be interested in your experience of this condition as it occurs in relation to the use of the hana table during THR surgery.

Thanks,
Cardie
 
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