THR On the other side and now in the right forum

[ByGosh]

Maeve Wow, you're busy! Lots of great outings. Congratulations on your grandson's wonderful performance and their whole production. It's so much fun to watch them acting, especially if they do a good job at it.
Your casserole sounds delicious. Is that an easy recipe to make? If it's not too long, could you let us in on it. We sure could use some new food ideas around here. But don't put yourself to too much trouble if it's long or complicated.
Cate Blanchett is an actress I also like. It sounds as though she did a great job, too bad the play didn't make it with you. Do you find it comfortable sitting in theatre seats?
Brrrrr- freezing where you visited! We're 80 degrees here now. How far away is your daughter from you? And are you also having winter now?
Well, you're doing great - sounds like you're nearly back to normal now, I'd say. Having fun, cooking, visiting, going to plays...Good for you! Just how it should be. Keep enjoying life and have some of that fun for me, too!

 

[Maeve]

Hi@sandybeach, ByGosh,BarbaraR,zauberflöte.
Thanks for all your positive feedback. I will certainly post the recipe for the chicken chorizo casserole as soon as I get home. It's very easy. All the recipes I cook are easy.
Finished my work project. Without going into too much detail, the client has a pretty dysfunctional HR department so it's hard yards trying to influence the culture when I only come in twice a year to review and advise.
Still it pays well and adds bit to our kitty for the trip. Might retire soon though as it"s hard to keep up the enthusiasm to motivate teams of people.
So home tomorrow and must get back to MY PHYSIO exercises. I've done NONE since last Friday.
Funny thing is...because I have rested from the twice daily regime I'm not sore...or stiff. So walking much better
I see now why Josephine insists hips need no physio!!
BUT there is also the other side to that argument....how do you build up the gluteus/ adductors/ abductors without exercises...the answer is you don't so I think it depends on what you expect as the final result
Forgot my cane twice today! A good sign....had to go back and find it when leaving work!
The downside to this is after all the easy mobility all day , it just takes a set of stairs to bring me back to reality! I'm still in recovery

 

[ByGosh]

Hi Maeve I'll wait for that recipe and hopefully be able to actually cook something, as I'm not doing much of that lately. I like easy, too.
But anyway --- you know I was thinking - why do we need to build up all these muscles if we can walk ok? I mean, won't just walking normally do it for us? I would like a tighter backside for vanity reasons, but as long as I can walk with a good steady gait, not have strain or pain, I'm ok if my adductors and abductors build themselves up by my walking alot and by my trips to the pool. I don't know. It's probably good for your body that you took a little break so it could rest up a bit. Not being sore or stiff, and walking much better, tells you something.
Your job sounds like it can be stressful to you, but like you said, it adds money to the kitty, and you do love your traveling, so hanging on for a while is probably a good thing. I'm glad that your work project is all finished and you'll be home soon.
You know, I think stairs are the hardest thing for our hips to do in the course of our everyday lives, don't you? It requires good coordination and lots of muscle power in the thighs and legs. It's a workout in itself! I have 2 sets of 13 steps in my house, from top floor to basement, and I have to do them multiple times a day. But you know what? My butt's still flabby...so what exercise helps that? The gluteal squeeze? What else? I want buns of steel again! LOL

 

[Peaches]

ByGosh and Maeve, I don't usually like to quote PTs because I find their advice all over the map and they often create problems where there are none. But I will quite my PT who came to my apt. after the surgery, and personally I do like her, and she did not bulldoze me into doing things i wasn't ready to do. anyway, she made a big point of telling me that stairs are the last frontier for a THR patient; that they require a lot of strength and it's really hard on the knees .... so take it easy.

Maeve, that's wonderful what all you got to do! And you know what, I remember a long time ago (after your surgery) you said you had theater tickets lined up and then had to give them away because you realized you weren't ready to go yet. So see how far you've come! You sound like you are doing great. So glad for you!

 

[zauberflöte]

Maeve I think it's a good thing you took a rest. The muscles need to be changed up in their challenges every so often, and the best ultra-athletes rest nearly as much as they train, I think I've heard. Your routine will thank you
I would shudder to have your job LOL. Motivating a dysfunctional team only twice a year, yikes! Not my area at all.

ByGosh I think we all have our different levels of how "buns of steel" we want to be, yes? For myself, I find that daily activities are easier if I do some targeted strength training-- so the time is worth it to me. I WISH I had your stairs!! A year ago I finally bought a little stair stepper, to make up for the 5 years I'd just spent with no stairs. Coming from a lifetime of stairs, like you. So that helped, and I have to say the "jeans profile" improved too. You may have less flab than you think!! The exercise that I feel does the most good is bridges. Of course I doubt we're allowed that yet, but I will cheerfully do them the rest of my life if it helps me avoid looking like my mom

 

[ByGosh]

Ow ow ow zauberflöte Bridges? You've done them? In your lifetime before surgery? I haven't done one since my gymnastics team in highschool. Are they what I think they are? Like an upside down spider? Ow ow ow. Can you limbo, too?

And yes, you're right about the targeted strength training. We do tend to let lots of muscles go unused in our day to day activities. My triceps are flabby, they could use some targeting (or tucking, more like it!) I'm just really looking at all of this exercising from my own skewed perspective of someone who is still in pain, and feels that walking now would be enough, for me. But if this wasn't during recovery time, I would be all for targeting those muscle groups that tend to lose it as we age. That's part of the recommended program for aging - strength training, like weights, some aerobics or cardio like walking or swimming, and something for balance, like yoga or pilates, right? I'm just thinking of recovery now... ow ow ow...

Now back to my butt muscles --how do I firm them up? Not to mention the breasties...

 

[zauberflöte]

ByGosh that's very odd, I thought I posted a picture of somebody demonstrating a bridge. You're thinking of the crab crawl, and I have never in my life been able to do that! (nor limbo, come to that...) On your back, legs drawn up towards your rear about halfway, lift the butt up (slowly if you want to torture yourself, with a "lap weight" if you want more torture) so you are balanced on your shoulders and feet, hold as you like, and go back down. The shoulders remain anchored at all times, the arms I guess laid by your sides. I was doing 12, with a 12 second hold at the top, and 12 lbs on my lap, hoping to goodness the dumbbell would not roll off the flattened ankle weights onto my face!
You are right, for you (and me!!) now, walking is the best. But there will be a later And that's when you (and I!!) can do bridges. I guess glute clenches is the closest we come in recovery? And for the "sweater" area, you can bench press as much as you want and the soft tissue will still be at the south pole, I'm afraid

 

[ByGosh]

zauberflöte Oh yes, the Bridge! Now I know, and it's the feet and shoulders, not the feet and the hands supporting us. whew! Now tell me, what muscle groups will that help? Is it good for the back? The abds, the behinney? I'll give it a try, someday, when my groins give me permission. Thanks for the info.

 

[zauberflöte]

ByGosh the behiney, the hams, and if you set your feet up on your heels, the front of the calf, whatever that's called. But mostly what you notice in the rear jeans pockets LOL. Getting out of chairs, easier. Going up stairs, easier. Stooping and coming back up, easier. We will love the results when we start doing The Bridge!see that little guy? he did bridges till he dropped, and now he can dance on his rear end!!!!

 

[ByGosh]

zauberflöte I wonder what muscle groups he's working when he's doing his behiney dance?

 

[Maeve]

Hi ByGosh, Peaches zauberflöte and sandybeach.
Back from my country trip and today picked up my orthotics. Put them in my shoes and expected INSTANT Smooth walking power with knees positioned correctly and everything else miraculously fixed. Not quite!! The podiatrist is a very cute guy and explained to me that they would not instantly give me a catwalk model's walk! Lol.
My "biomechanics" are complex it seems so they will need some getting used to. They definitely position my knees correctly though and over time my muscles will get used to them....very fancy "virtual, computer manufactured" orthotics....with a very fancy price tag.
Then off to the ASIC store for the correct neutral runners...gel nimbus. I need to wear them a few hours a day at first and get used to them. So that's what I will do!
Forgot to take my cane with me....how funny!
Now, before I get dinner on, here is the recipe you requested ByGosh.

Chicken Chorizo Hotpot.
1 large chicken in 8 pieces or marylands or drumsticks...I used skinless thighs.
1 chorizo sliced thickly...you could add two
2 garlic cloves, 1 onion roughly chopped
1 red capsicum sliced
2 carrots sliced
1 tin crushed tomatoes
1 tin white beans
Salt and oepper
3 bay leaves
Handfull of black olives
A few glugs of extra virgin olive oil.
Heat oven to 190 (celsius)
Toss together all ingredients except olive oil in a baking dish
Drizzle oil over
Cover with foil.
Bake 90 minutes
Remove foil
Bake another 45 minutes
Serve with crusty bread.
Bon Appetite

 

[zauberflöte]

Maeve bionic hip, virtual orthotics, what will you have next? LOL That recipe is a winner, sooo easy! I like your cooking style-- measuring olive oil in glugs, that's how I do it ! Could this hotpot have some cheese over it for the last half hour, do you think? Maybe asiago?
Keep us posted on how your knees and muscles do with these new helpers in your shoes. Will you wear the orthotics all the time now? (displaying my ignorance here,,,)

 

[LeeApril26]

Maeve. You are a busy woman and a good cook. Thanks for the recipe-looks delicious. I was impressed by your six hour car journey and your wise words on consulting. I am on hiatus now, but it is so true. Very hard to effect change in dysfunctional systems. Your grandson's play sounds like it was lots of fun-youth and enthusiasm are energy-giving, I think.
Are you finding the Asics gel nimbus sneakers comfortable? I am in the market for a new pair.

 

[Maeve]

Hi LeeApril26,
The ASIC Nimbus are great. Very lightweight, and fit the orthotics easily. I bought the elastic laces too which makes it easier.
Today I started my 5 exercise physiotherapy sessions...actually the assessment.
Interesting prognosis...which I agree with...now it's time to put the effort into focussing on using the muscles that have now been strengthened and stretched in maximising my ease of mobility and making those muscles do their share. My hamstrings, for example are mega strong and have compensated over a long time for the weak glutes.
Soooo more work but I see the progression - rehabilitation, physiotherapy and now exercise physiology.
The plan is to work very hard in the hydro pool gradually moving from the more supportive deeper end to eventually progress through the shallower parts onto dry land all the time focussing on total muscle usage! Like some sort of creature from the deep emerging methinks! Lol.
Again the challenge is that this is all a new learning curve as I have never used my whole muscle system ...just relied on stronger ones compensating for the weaker ones which apparently have been on strike...shut down to protect the joint as it deteriorated over the decades.
Haven't explained it very well here but the Exercise Physiologist made sense!
I think the two big tasks I need to accomplish are a long walk (caneless) over various terrains and some on and off buses and trains just to be confident I can handle all this, including cobblestones and vaporettos in Venice.
Have 8 weeks to get onto top form!
I think confidence is the key for me. Fingers crossed!

 

[LeeApril26]

Thank you Maeve. Your physio plan sounds great. We have similar problems: the glutes on my the operated side have gotten very weak. The other side and hamstrings are okay. The hydrotherapy plan is fantastic. I don't have access to hyDro, so have been exercising on my own in a pool as well as working with a PT. the motivation- a trip to Venice- would certainly work for me, and your goals are right on. Let me know how it goes.
I will check out the ASICs.

 

[zauberflöte]

Maeve Hydro Physiological Therapy (or whatever it's actually called)-- I will have this picture of you emerging from the water like both Raquel Welch and oh dear now I can't think of her name-- Jinx was her character, both actors in James Bond movies. Sun on the water drops, slo-mo fantasy world....

 

[mondo_caine]

With your confidence and determination, the cobblestones don't stand a chance! I'm off for a week in the hills and I hope I can manage okay. I'm more or less okay without the cane now, but the doc told me the third month is when most people tend to feel they are completely okay and overdo things, so I still try to use the cane for at least 30% of the time. If I remember!!

 

[Maeve]

You're so right mondo_caine, it's easy to think we are more recovered than we actually are!
I find if I work my glutes....by stepping up on the operated leg first it quickly puts me in my place. So interesting how our muscles compensate for each other - when one muscle group is struggling another takes over but it's time for the glutes to have a turn. I have a feeling hiking in the hills where you will be going might really test them out. Have fun!
We have two ports we are visiting in India on our cruise- Mumbai and Cochin....so looking forward to that! Have always wanted to visit your vibrant country.
Funnily zauberflöte, i have an image of the "monster from the deep" as I emerge from the hydro pool. I much prefer your image

It's great you've got a pool at home LeeApril26. The exercise I will most focus on is stepping up on my operated leg and down on the other. The other exercise is stepping up on the operated leg and just tapping the toe of the other leg on the step ....the operated leg stays on the upper step for all the reps.
Another one is stand on the operated leg and move the good leg/ foot to the side, then back, then side and to the front!

 

[TeeEm]

I can't think of her name--

Ursula Andress Lol

 

[Maeve]

Nope...that's not me either! Shame!