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Welcome to being 50! For some reason turning 55 helped me make decision to accept diagnosis and treat! @Jp9294 is so right in that it is liberating!
Anyhow - I really believe that this past year of exercise has really paid off. Over the course of the year, I built up to the following routine for the last 2-3 months. I did all of the post-op exercises morning and night and during night if I woke up (insomniac). I also swam 20-30 minutes at the gym on most days. I did the water exercises in the book "Heal Your Hips" which took another 10-20 minutes in a therapy pool at our gym combined with water weights for arms and then added a few stretching exercises from my chiropractor while in the hot tub for 5-10 minutes. I did some recumbent bicycling if I didn't have time to get in water at gym. Hard at first but actually got easier and felt good. I am NOT a gym type person but normal outside exercising was not happening due to pain. I also got canes and made myself use most evenings just to strengthen "cane" muscles and learning how to use. Since I am only Day 4 and feel great with little to no pain still holding and I am starting to forget the cane if I set it down, I'm going to attribute it to exercises. Actually, I think in doing the exercises, I ended up being almost pain free on more days for last couple of months. Nothing helped huge limp though which was big deciding factor for me. (vanity?)

Did you get your date on Friday? After I got date, I was so excited, euphoric really! I was so so proud of myself for finding the right surgeon and getting to the place in my head to accept all and get better. Lasted a couple of days! My family thought I was crazy after all my fretting and refusal to even acknowledge! On Day 4 here, I am so guarded against feeling that euphoria bubbling up as so many warn that pain and exhaustion might still come and I don't want to emotionally/psychologically? crash if it does. You are the expert there though right?
 
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@ Me2, thank you for that great info on exercises. I realize how I have been coddling my hip and not using the front muscles for so long. I walk using my butt muscles to avoid pain. I need to build up the front part of my thigh. I always do hot tub exercises at night, walk a lot on campus but I need to really spend some time over the next 6 weeks building up that left thigh to gain strength for after. My dat is May 20 so I have 6 weeks to work on it. I have watched your recovery thread since day 1 and watched how amazing you are doing. I pride myself on being super healthy and strong so it inspires me to just get it together and do this thing and get on with my life:)


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@psychteach My muscles in front thigh area are also super weak. I can't even lift my knee much off floor without crazy knee pain (like if you are sitting in chair, feet on floor- weak side- lift that foot straight up to knee level). I've asked several surgeons and they think I can't do it because my hip is so bad and I've let those muscles get so weak. I even had an MRI of that knee last fall. Very minor damage (they said that most people have that level of minor damage in knees who are ever active.) They said it should in no way keep me from lifting my foot up... must be the hip/weak front thigh muscles. I have just been trying to walk around as much as I can tolerate (around house/shopping for brief periods) and a bit of swimming. I just can't do anything else. I am just hoping it will all work itself out after surgery. Surgeon doesn't seem concerned about it. I was really fretting about it a few months ago, but realized I can still walk around now. So, it's only going to get better after surgery.
 
@younghippie...Yes.. I can not , with my knee bent, lift up my left leg hardly at all. The muscles are so weak as I compensated by kind of walking with my butt instead. I am trying to build them up but my hip is so bad too that I do not know how much I will be able to strengthen pre op but I am going to do my best. I always had really strong legs.. So I am hoping they will come back... So frustrating isn't it? I plan to gain all my strength back and walk once I am recovered from this. I hate feeling this way!!!


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@Me2 sounds like good exercise regimen.
I did about 30 minutes daily doing sets of the post op exercises including side leg lifts, clams, and bridges.
Also did wall pushups and wall triceps pushups.
Did recumbent bike for an hour 3-4 days per week.
I sure wish I had done more, but the whole period of time has been a bit depressing.
I am sure with the time you have Jennifer @psychteach , you will do great!
 
Hi Jennifer, I'm amused to hear it's not just me asking the OS cheeky questions! I asked mine whether he considered his success rate good, and whether, if HE had to have a THR himself, he'd choose his hospital!

As for exercise, I'd recommend swimming. I can barely walk, but swimming is much, much less painful. I've been swimming 4 times a week, and have built up from just 4 lengths each time to 24. Lying on your back and just kicking your legs (arms still) is very good for your thigh and bum muscles - I can feel mine now, which I couldn't do 6 months ago. :)

Good luck :)
 
Sense of humor helps us...maybe I won't be funny after the surgery? (nah) :rofsign:Covering up for pain and disgust with how my hip has failed me..give me the new one!
 
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@VF I think sense of humor pretty important to pack for after surgery! At Day 5, I definitely appreciate the sense of humor and perspective gained from Bonesmart and all of you here!

Cheeky question: At my pre-op visit where I met all the caregivers to be involved in my care during my stay, everyone including me was fairly intense with strong desire to help me fulfill my idiosyncrasies. The 40ish PT guy asked what were my goals for PT. I, thinking of my list of long term goals, said "Ability to have good sex." Certainly livened up that conversation. We enjoyed joking about it through therapy sessions post op much to the chagrin of the 3-4 young physical therapists who took a while to figure out the conversation.
 
The best exercise I would recommend before surgery is to find the heaviest bottle of pain meds you can comfortably lift with your bicepts then pop off the cap with your finger muscles and curl prescribed dosages to mouth, again using bicepts.Practice that up till surgery and for a while after and I promise those qhads will get stronger.You doubt me? Give it a whirl.Peace.And good luck.
 
@Roofmaster.. Hahahha .. Lol!! That sounds about all I can do right now...trying my best .. But most of my leg muscle building may be after as the hip is really shot!
Thanks for the input.. Need to laugh right about now


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Aww isn't that cute, you thought I was kidding.Really pain pill curls and sleep.Arghh, mmmm pain pill curls and sleep.Lol.Peace.
 
I fully understand your feeling when you got the date. I was in a state of shock………the reality of it all sinks in. But being part of Bonesmart has helped so much.

I work out with a personal trainer…….he makes sure I am doing the right exercises (for my hip) without hurting myself. I have great arms and calves :loll: we will work on the area in-between (butt and abs) after surgery.:dancy:
 
@Jaycey I know you mentioned your hip collapsing . I am fearful mine might have. Is that a distinct actual event or can it just happen slowly and pain get worse. I have this horrible soreness that is pretty intense. Does that effect anything for the surgery? Should I worry?


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Jen do you really need something else to worry about?!! LOL!! You are going to be fine. Whatever needs to be done will be done and you will begin your recovery. Can not wait for you to be on the other side. Your nerves are palpable and I just want this to be over for you my friend. Hang in there! Hugs, jackie
 
Sometimes we don't get to choose what we worry about -- our heads just seem to have mind of its own?
 
Hi @psychteach I'm so glad I've stumbled onto your thread.

How fantastic to have your date...scary but exciting. All your fears are normal. I will be having my hip put back in around that date too.

When I was going in for my aspiration and then removal of my infected hip....I asked the aneathesist and scrub nurses to make sure everyone washed their hands better this time!!! and on one of my OS's visits after my surgery, he had a cold, so I said to him that I hope you didn't sneeze into my joint. They all laughed in good humour and know I'm like that...joking. Sometimes if you don't laugh, you'll cry.

In fact when they hit the alarm and they all came running when my blood pressure went super low, I looked at them all from my tilted backwards bed and said to them all that if they just let me have a sleep I'm sure I'd be fine!!! They laughed but I said can't you put a note on my door saying no entry so I could sleep??? They kept laughing and I said you did when I had my youngest child and still laughing they said it wasn't going to happen because I was sick. At least I tried....

I think a sense of humour is important and also don't be afraid to ask any question....EVER....it's your body. In fact I pulled quite a few nurses up on hygiene when they were putting things into my IV....I made sure they swabbed the entry point etc. when I explained my paranoia they were all very understanding. I told my Dr this and he said I had every right to ask them to do so.

Sorry Jen....I'm hijacking your thread....I just wanted to say I support you, your fears, your humour ...everything
 
@Vetgirl this might be dumb question but what are you doing fir hip if they took infected one out and no new one til May. Talk about scary --- for you and me and the rest if us.


Sheryl from Pittsburgh
LTHR on 4/2/2014
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Hi @Me2 I have a cement spacer. It's not as bad as it sounds. I get around on a walker, crutches and a wheelchair when I'm out
 
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