6 week doctor's visit (yesterday)
This was the first time I have seen my surgeon since my surgery. I FINALLY got to ask him about his comment in the recovery room where he said something about my "man" bone spurs. He clarified, that myself and one other woman had very large bone spurs, and that I was well overdue for a hip replacement. Fascinating, as I was still debating about getting it done, until I found this forum (January 2020) and read voraciously. While my pain was bearable, it was ever present, and the biggest issue was my world just was getting smaller and smaller (e.g. shorter walks, stopped doing certain exercises (e.g. leg lunges)). While the bone spurs showed up on the x-rays, I got the sense when he got in there, he was surprised.
I was expecting him to take another x-ray, which he didn't. He said he "cheated" and took one at some point during my surgery, and then I had one at 1 week appointment. I was hoping to hear how my bone growth was progressing. He essentially said at this point bone growth was 70% complete, and my healing was 20% complete. He also said that if the stem hasn't shifted in the first 3 weeks, there is less than 1% it will shift. I guess at this point, since I am not having pain, he is presuming my stem hasn't shifted.
I was also curious what he used, and he typed it in my phone (where I was trying to take notes). I have a Styker Accolade stem, Trident 2 cup and Ceramic biolox head.
He looked at my incision, and the funny spot at the bottom, I am "spitting a stitch". He was going to do something, and I asked if it was going to hurt, and he just took a closer look, and said, just let it finish. I guess if that happens (spitting a stitch), it is either at the top or bottom of the incision. He said I could take a bath, but I forgot to ask if I can start to use scar reducing strips. I am going to wait until the last of the bottom of the stitch looks good, before I do that.
My next appointment? In five years!!!! Unless I have any problems.
He concurred with my PT, that I could "graduate early", but recommended a home workout program. I saw my PT today, and told her. I have another appointment on Friday (that will be essentially 4.5 weeks of out-patient PT). I did a few more challenging exercises today, and the key issue is just lack of strength in the leg (compared to my non-surgical leg). I kept saying "good" leg and "bad" leg, and she (my PT) corrected me and suggested "surgical" and "non-surgical" leg. Actually, I think that is a healthier "tape" in my mind, and am going to work on changing the way I think, and refer to my left side, as the surgical leg.