THR Surprised and glad to have op!
- Thread starter isolde
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isolde
junior member
Hope you aren't in too much pain @Constanze and good luck for your recovery. I went for lots of very short walks today with no crutches, felt strong but couldn't stop the limp yet - I feel like I'm shorter on the operated side. I will just keep on keeping on and I'm sure it will come.
Great Aunt Janet
senior
Constanze
graduate
OP
OP
isolde
junior member
I made some progress today regarding walking unaided without limping. My first walk is always awful as my first painkillers of the day haven't kicked in yet. I read that sentence and realised that it is really obvious what I should do about that! Yes, it is very hard to walk well when you are in pain!!! But I still don't really understand why painkillers should make your muscles feel so much stronger really. Before my op, for the last 5 years, I have managed to do lots of exercises and swimming while working through pain. Also 3 years ago I got knocked off my bike and broke my elbow, agonising pain for ages and had to do physio exercises to re-straighten my arm after it came out of plaster. I used to nearly faint with pain, I used to bruise from tearing capillaries, but I didn't feel the muscle was weak while I was doing it. (In case I sound like a masochist, it was well worth it, I had good results and fast.) But with the hip, I feel like a toddler trying to walk when I'm in pain.
On the second walk, painkillers well in, a lot easier to walk but still the limp. On the way back, it suddenly struck me that all the time I walked on crutches I was doing as the physios told me and pushing my heels downwards so my feet were at right-angles to my legs and walking very correctly, but that I had stopped doing that without crutches. As soon as I did it, the limp disappeared! On my next walks, I tired very easily doing this so @Great Aunt Janet I think the repairing tendons are still weak. I also decided to start doing all my physio exercises again that the hospital recommended that strengthen your calf and thigh muscles as I could feel them working those tendons. I'd stopped doing them as I was walking so far on crutches that they didn't seem useful, but now I'm walking very short walks I think they will do useful work.
So this is my latest attempt at not limping, @Constanze, and it seems quite good so far although I probably walk more like a robot than a human at this stage and can't go very far! No, I don't have any links with Germany, but I am from the west country and I love Tristan and Isolde, the legend and the music, (let's not mention the dreadful views of the composer, I just love the music). Your hospitals sound wonderful, very humane and patient with the patients!
On the second walk, painkillers well in, a lot easier to walk but still the limp. On the way back, it suddenly struck me that all the time I walked on crutches I was doing as the physios told me and pushing my heels downwards so my feet were at right-angles to my legs and walking very correctly, but that I had stopped doing that without crutches. As soon as I did it, the limp disappeared! On my next walks, I tired very easily doing this so @Great Aunt Janet I think the repairing tendons are still weak. I also decided to start doing all my physio exercises again that the hospital recommended that strengthen your calf and thigh muscles as I could feel them working those tendons. I'd stopped doing them as I was walking so far on crutches that they didn't seem useful, but now I'm walking very short walks I think they will do useful work.
So this is my latest attempt at not limping, @Constanze, and it seems quite good so far although I probably walk more like a robot than a human at this stage and can't go very far! No, I don't have any links with Germany, but I am from the west country and I love Tristan and Isolde, the legend and the music, (let's not mention the dreadful views of the composer, I just love the music). Your hospitals sound wonderful, very humane and patient with the patients!
copsham
post-grad
@isolde well done walking without a limp! It is so important. I remember walking tall and looking at my reflection and thinking "wow I am nearly back to normal". It is a long process and more subtle than I thought. At three months post op I am probably 80% recovered but very happy with it.
Karen x
Karen x
Great Aunt Janet
senior
Great @isolde! good insight into the painkiller thing too, need to get them in plenty of time so you don't have to wait for them to work. I watch my shadow when I am walking (when I am not looking straight ahead of course!!!) to see how straight and non-lurching I am being. When I don't focus I am all over the place. Will boost up the number of strengthening exercise I am doing as I think that is a good tip.
On on!
On on!
Constanze
graduate
Hi @isolde , so I see, Tristan and Isolde. Very nice. Thanx also for the tips on how not to develop a limp. I will bear that in mind for the time after I have stopped using crutches, and thank you, @Great Aunt Janet ,for the tip watching my shadow.
Constanze
graduate
Hi Isolde,
Just wanted to check in and ask how your'e getting on. I'm over 5 weeks post-op and still weaker on the left but hope this will improve. I'm going to physiotherapy to address the problem.
Apart from this, my hip feels fine and I'm enjoying it. Will go to work on 1st June. My job doesn't involve physical work so I'll be fine. I'm a translator. Are you working yet. I'm finding it interesting that you are a train driver. You may have heard in the news that train drivers go on strike in Germany on and off. At the Moment they are not striking, but it has caused an awful lot of disruption. I wish you all the best with your health and your work - Bye - Constanze
Just wanted to check in and ask how your'e getting on. I'm over 5 weeks post-op and still weaker on the left but hope this will improve. I'm going to physiotherapy to address the problem.
Apart from this, my hip feels fine and I'm enjoying it. Will go to work on 1st June. My job doesn't involve physical work so I'll be fine. I'm a translator. Are you working yet. I'm finding it interesting that you are a train driver. You may have heard in the news that train drivers go on strike in Germany on and off. At the Moment they are not striking, but it has caused an awful lot of disruption. I wish you all the best with your health and your work - Bye - Constanze
OP
OP
isolde
junior member
Hi @Constanze
You sound like you are doing very well, I'm so glad because you have worked hard at your recovery. I'm glad you wrote on here because I keep meaning to update and then forgetting! And now I see it's 5 weeks since I last wrote. After 3 days off crutches I was in massive pain - I had walked too far too soon and had overdone it. So I had a day off and then went back to my little distance that I'd done with 2 crutches at first, and then had to go back to when I went onto 1 crutch. I had got the impression that I would walk further and further and gradually discard walking aids as I went, but this was not my experience at all. I had to gradually build distance each time from scratch. So I did this very gradually, 4 walks a day, and as the distance increased went down to twice a day to let the muscles recover. Then one week, 7 weeks post op, the recovery just took off: 0.7 miles x 2 Wednesday, 1 mile x 2 Friday, 1.5 miles for first time Saturday plus I started swimming again. Only 10 lengths the first day but good to get back. Then the next week it went to 2 miles walking and only doing that once a day as doing twice a day was aggravating the pain, but the swimming went to 1/2 a mile 4 times a week. From 18 May I have walked 3 miles, which was the distance I wanted to achieve before I went back to work. I'm not bothered about trying to up it, but my nice walks are 3.5 miles so I do that now. Since 17 May I stopped taking painkillers for exercise, so it was a long time before I could do that. Now it is just occasionally when my unoperated hip is just too bad. Also now I've stretched the distance to what I think is useful, I'm trying to manage pain better ready for going back to work - as I've said on here before I can't take Tramadol when I'm at work or within 2 days of driving a train, and that is the only thing I can take that works. So I've started a regime of walk 3.5 miles one day, swim 1km the next, no special exercise the next, then start again.
I saw my surgeon 8 weeks after the op and he was very pleased with my progress and how I was walking. He has put me on the list to have my right hip done as well, which I was delighted with. They can take as long as they like so I can get nice and strong, but I just wanted to be put on the list. He took my 90 degree restriction off so that I can do stretches to get my leg to be able to climb onto my trains when I go back to work. Not allowed to do that till 12 weeks post op so I will return to work 12 June. Within days the glutes had stretched loads and I can do the old stretches and lunges I used to do pre op and am delighted to see the operated leg does better than the other one! I also went for acupuncture and physio for the first time since the op last week. The lady who does it does Western Medical acupuncture and used to be a physio for the NHS; I started going to her when I had a big drug reaction to NSAIDs back in 2011 and realised somehow I had to go to work with no painkillers for the arthritis. She did muscle strength tests on me and was delighted with them and with my gait so that was lovely. She said how tall I looked, and a couple of other people have said that I look taller too so I must be walking more upright since the op. The only thing she found lacking was that I can't stand unsupported on the operated leg on its own for any time, so she has given me exercises for that. I still do the physio swing exercises from the hospital booklet as well as the glute stretches.
A friend brought her sister who was visiting from Chicago round for the day, the sister had had hip ops 15 years ago and said even now if she doesn't exercise regularly, her hips seize up: that they are not like the original ones in that. Never heard that before, I'm glad she warned me. I like exercise anyway so it's ok.
So that's me up to date: walk, swim, rest, hope pain finally goes away completely from operated hip as it's much better than it was. When I bend to do gardening for quite a long time, a few hours afterwards the soft tissue of the op site and the scar complain quite a lot but they will have to get used to it as I like my garden! I'm also getting pain if I carry heavy loads.
Hey, @Constanze , I heard about your striking train drivers! Something to do with smaller unions being allowed now and them trying for more money while they can? I don't know if that's true. We nearly had a rail strike this Monday but it got called off - it wasn't the drivers but the track staff and signallers. I'm really looking forward to going back to work again and back to normality, although with all my walks in my village I know many more neighbours now and they call out encouragement as I go by! I'm not surprised you are a translator - your English is amazing! I'm at almost 10 weeks post op and so have 2 more weeks of leisure which I will make the most of!
You sound like you are doing very well, I'm so glad because you have worked hard at your recovery. I'm glad you wrote on here because I keep meaning to update and then forgetting! And now I see it's 5 weeks since I last wrote. After 3 days off crutches I was in massive pain - I had walked too far too soon and had overdone it. So I had a day off and then went back to my little distance that I'd done with 2 crutches at first, and then had to go back to when I went onto 1 crutch. I had got the impression that I would walk further and further and gradually discard walking aids as I went, but this was not my experience at all. I had to gradually build distance each time from scratch. So I did this very gradually, 4 walks a day, and as the distance increased went down to twice a day to let the muscles recover. Then one week, 7 weeks post op, the recovery just took off: 0.7 miles x 2 Wednesday, 1 mile x 2 Friday, 1.5 miles for first time Saturday plus I started swimming again. Only 10 lengths the first day but good to get back. Then the next week it went to 2 miles walking and only doing that once a day as doing twice a day was aggravating the pain, but the swimming went to 1/2 a mile 4 times a week. From 18 May I have walked 3 miles, which was the distance I wanted to achieve before I went back to work. I'm not bothered about trying to up it, but my nice walks are 3.5 miles so I do that now. Since 17 May I stopped taking painkillers for exercise, so it was a long time before I could do that. Now it is just occasionally when my unoperated hip is just too bad. Also now I've stretched the distance to what I think is useful, I'm trying to manage pain better ready for going back to work - as I've said on here before I can't take Tramadol when I'm at work or within 2 days of driving a train, and that is the only thing I can take that works. So I've started a regime of walk 3.5 miles one day, swim 1km the next, no special exercise the next, then start again.
I saw my surgeon 8 weeks after the op and he was very pleased with my progress and how I was walking. He has put me on the list to have my right hip done as well, which I was delighted with. They can take as long as they like so I can get nice and strong, but I just wanted to be put on the list. He took my 90 degree restriction off so that I can do stretches to get my leg to be able to climb onto my trains when I go back to work. Not allowed to do that till 12 weeks post op so I will return to work 12 June. Within days the glutes had stretched loads and I can do the old stretches and lunges I used to do pre op and am delighted to see the operated leg does better than the other one! I also went for acupuncture and physio for the first time since the op last week. The lady who does it does Western Medical acupuncture and used to be a physio for the NHS; I started going to her when I had a big drug reaction to NSAIDs back in 2011 and realised somehow I had to go to work with no painkillers for the arthritis. She did muscle strength tests on me and was delighted with them and with my gait so that was lovely. She said how tall I looked, and a couple of other people have said that I look taller too so I must be walking more upright since the op. The only thing she found lacking was that I can't stand unsupported on the operated leg on its own for any time, so she has given me exercises for that. I still do the physio swing exercises from the hospital booklet as well as the glute stretches.
A friend brought her sister who was visiting from Chicago round for the day, the sister had had hip ops 15 years ago and said even now if she doesn't exercise regularly, her hips seize up: that they are not like the original ones in that. Never heard that before, I'm glad she warned me. I like exercise anyway so it's ok.
So that's me up to date: walk, swim, rest, hope pain finally goes away completely from operated hip as it's much better than it was. When I bend to do gardening for quite a long time, a few hours afterwards the soft tissue of the op site and the scar complain quite a lot but they will have to get used to it as I like my garden! I'm also getting pain if I carry heavy loads.
Hey, @Constanze , I heard about your striking train drivers! Something to do with smaller unions being allowed now and them trying for more money while they can? I don't know if that's true. We nearly had a rail strike this Monday but it got called off - it wasn't the drivers but the track staff and signallers. I'm really looking forward to going back to work again and back to normality, although with all my walks in my village I know many more neighbours now and they call out encouragement as I go by! I'm not surprised you are a translator - your English is amazing! I'm at almost 10 weeks post op and so have 2 more weeks of leisure which I will make the most of!
Great Aunt Janet
senior
Great report @isolde, you really have come so far - and very interesting about the lunges and different exercises, I am just at 7 weeks so have a bit to do to get those muscles stronger. I am a bit slower I think - but am back at work so at least I know I can function properly - still can't stand on operated leg for any time either. Is this normal?
Constanze
graduate
Poppet
Nutritional Advisor
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Hi @isolde - I thought you might like to get a snapshot of where you are in the medically acknowledged healing phases.
The following is a link to an article which provides the science regarding the healing process beneath and around the implant and the approximate timeframes for our bodies healing phases and processes.
Healing Phases & Nutrition
Nutrition plays a huge part in surgical recovery, in fact it is one of the 'forgotten topics' of recovery..
This second link is to other nutritional articles which you may find interesting, including one relating to bone health.
Nutritional advice for pre op and recovery
This third link refers to my ongoing research..
nutritional-snippets-did-you-know
Feel free to tag me if you have any questions regarding nutrition.
However, I would appreciate if you (or any other member) do not request advice regards supplements as I would be breaking the Common Law Act (under which I am governed) to prescribe outside of my practice, especially via the Internet.
The following is a link to an article which provides the science regarding the healing process beneath and around the implant and the approximate timeframes for our bodies healing phases and processes.
Healing Phases & Nutrition
Nutrition plays a huge part in surgical recovery, in fact it is one of the 'forgotten topics' of recovery..
This second link is to other nutritional articles which you may find interesting, including one relating to bone health.
Nutritional advice for pre op and recovery
This third link refers to my ongoing research..
nutritional-snippets-did-you-know
Feel free to tag me if you have any questions regarding nutrition.
However, I would appreciate if you (or any other member) do not request advice regards supplements as I would be breaking the Common Law Act (under which I am governed) to prescribe outside of my practice, especially via the Internet.
OP
OP
isolde
junior member
I'm not sure, @Great Aunt Janet whether it is normal not to be able to stand on one leg after the op. My acupuncturist/physio seemed surprised when I said I couldn't, but at my last medical at work the doctor got me to stand on one leg and I could do it on the right leg but not the left without holding onto something. He said that showed the arthritis was worse in the left than the right, but now only the right one has arthritis and it's still stronger, so that will blow his mind when I see him to get his ok to go back to work! I'm not that amazed personally that tendons that have been sawn in half or moved (you can see my knowledge of what they do in the op is very vague!! I will watch the youtube video of the op after I've had and recovered from my second op because it just makes me feel faint thinking about what they do to you!) are not very strong at first. That's why it's so hard to walk again at first. The only reason I even thought to see if I could do it was because I was stupid enough to try and find out what I should be able to do at 6 weeks and found an incredibly demoralising site of some surgeon in Atlanta who reckoned you should be able to climb Everest or something and by the way you shouldn't even try to walk without crutches if you couldn't stand on that leg unsupported. By 6 weeks I'd been off crutches for nearly 2 weeks and was working hard at walking nicely and further, often with difficulty, but unwilling to go backwards. We are all variable and able to do completely different things at different times, and some things you can do already do I can't do still. My husband has been quite helpful on this: he said stop looking for sites that will make you feel bad when most of them say you're doing fine! And also said why not practice standing on the operated leg, tensing the bum muscles like the physio said, but lightly rest your fingers on the kitchen worktop or something for balance so you build strength until the extra strength you need for balance comes. Which seems very sensible and I'm doing that. And @Constanze, you sound like you're doing amazing exercise already and are making superb progress, I would have a sarnie and a siesta on your lunch hour if I were you!
OP
OP
isolde
junior member
Hi @Poppet thank you for the links. Don't worry, I'm very conscious of putting in the ingredients to rebuild muscle, tendons and bones. I filled my freezer with good stuff before the op and have continued to eat to heal. When I came out of hospital I didn't even fancy anything unhealthy and completely craved my oranages and the salmon, eggs, peppers, broccoli, lentils that my husband was cooking for me. I still love all that stuff now but it didn't take long to fancy cakes and choccie again unfortunately! I don't take supplements, I get it from my food.
Constanze
graduate
Hi Isolde,
One more thing about exercise: They made me do very tough exercises in rehab. They took it for granted I could do that. The Moderators on this Website say that some of the exercises they make you do, and that includes my exercises during the 3 week rehab, are questionable (too hard, too painful). Well I found them exhausting. I forgot to mention to you that in Germany the usual schedule is 7 days Hospital followed by 3 weeks rehab after hip replacement).
What you told me about this friend of yours and exercise with an artificial hip sounds strange. I've never heard that the hip should seize up due to lack of exercise. Now while exercise is no problem for me - I'm an exercise junky, my husband would like me to do less, so we have more time together and so I concentrate more on other things. Did I mention, I did 10 marathons in a lifetime (including London) and tried for Ironman Frankfurt but didn't finish (just did half and then got disqualified for not Meeting the time requirement at km 96 cycling).
Anyway, concerning exercise, the only thing my surgeon told me was that I needed it because I've got osteoporosis, and exercise helps against osteoporosis, or at least helps, so that the osteoporosis doesn't get worse. The fact that I've done exercise all my life may have helped me with my recovery. I did not take up running until I was about 50, but as a Teenager, I walked quite a lot in the Alpes and went canoeing on the lakes in Bavaria. I'm from Munich. And as a young mum, I always went swimming and cycling and climbed around with my 4 daughters.
You also mentioned my translator's job. I've made an effort with my English ever since I was 11. I just like the language. I like the music in English - all these British Pop groups - like many young people did in those days. Then I liked the language even more when I found out it's spoken in so many countries all over the world.
One more thing about exercise: They made me do very tough exercises in rehab. They took it for granted I could do that. The Moderators on this Website say that some of the exercises they make you do, and that includes my exercises during the 3 week rehab, are questionable (too hard, too painful). Well I found them exhausting. I forgot to mention to you that in Germany the usual schedule is 7 days Hospital followed by 3 weeks rehab after hip replacement).
What you told me about this friend of yours and exercise with an artificial hip sounds strange. I've never heard that the hip should seize up due to lack of exercise. Now while exercise is no problem for me - I'm an exercise junky, my husband would like me to do less, so we have more time together and so I concentrate more on other things. Did I mention, I did 10 marathons in a lifetime (including London) and tried for Ironman Frankfurt but didn't finish (just did half and then got disqualified for not Meeting the time requirement at km 96 cycling).
Anyway, concerning exercise, the only thing my surgeon told me was that I needed it because I've got osteoporosis, and exercise helps against osteoporosis, or at least helps, so that the osteoporosis doesn't get worse. The fact that I've done exercise all my life may have helped me with my recovery. I did not take up running until I was about 50, but as a Teenager, I walked quite a lot in the Alpes and went canoeing on the lakes in Bavaria. I'm from Munich. And as a young mum, I always went swimming and cycling and climbed around with my 4 daughters.
You also mentioned my translator's job. I've made an effort with my English ever since I was 11. I just like the language. I like the music in English - all these British Pop groups - like many young people did in those days. Then I liked the language even more when I found out it's spoken in so many countries all over the world.
OP
OP
isolde
junior member
Hi @Constanze, the whole exercise issue I find very interesting. I'm sorry to hear you have osteoporosis and exercise seems to be the best thing for it. I was always active as a kid in the west country, cycling, swimming and horseriding and in my twenties, thirties and forties did cross country running for pleasure and to keep fit. Nothing on your heroic scale! Just for half an hour, 4 or 5 times a week, running through woods and fields with my wonderful giant Schnauzer when she was alive. Also swimming, again only for fitness and enjoyment. I do think how fit you are going into this op makes a difference, I was swimming an hour a day 5 times a week and doing physio stretches every day to stretch my hip tendons, even when later in the day my hips were screaming and I could hardly walk.
So when I had the op my legs were very strong to support me - but this was bad as well as good, because when I started walking outside I felt I could walk and walk, the hip tendons didn't protest, and it wasn't until hours later that the tendons inflamed and let me know it had been way too much. Your system in Germany sounded strict, but at least you had guidance on what to do - I had to constantly overdo it, get nagged by my husband that yet again I had overdone it, and try to guess what the tendons could stand. I love Bonesmart, but most of the mantras I completely ignored! I didn't ice once, and I did as much exercise as I could get away with! I feel very well, and that it is healing very nicely. Having gone through the strenuous exercise regime in the 3 week rehab, what is your opinion? Do you think they made you do too much? Did it cause harm or unnecessary pain do you think, or put you in a very good condition?
I love the Alps, I went there for the first time last year and just want to go again and again. How lovely to live near them when you were a kid. We went to the Italian Alps, the Aosta Valley, in late June/early July. All the wonderful flowers and we found a family of quite tame marmots! We did forays into France and Switzerland from there, but I wanted the Italian side as I like languages too, and love Italian and French. I think English has a huge and subtle vocabulary but Italian and French are more musical! And German seems to have the best whole huge concepts in a single word!
So when I had the op my legs were very strong to support me - but this was bad as well as good, because when I started walking outside I felt I could walk and walk, the hip tendons didn't protest, and it wasn't until hours later that the tendons inflamed and let me know it had been way too much. Your system in Germany sounded strict, but at least you had guidance on what to do - I had to constantly overdo it, get nagged by my husband that yet again I had overdone it, and try to guess what the tendons could stand. I love Bonesmart, but most of the mantras I completely ignored! I didn't ice once, and I did as much exercise as I could get away with! I feel very well, and that it is healing very nicely. Having gone through the strenuous exercise regime in the 3 week rehab, what is your opinion? Do you think they made you do too much? Did it cause harm or unnecessary pain do you think, or put you in a very good condition?
I love the Alps, I went there for the first time last year and just want to go again and again. How lovely to live near them when you were a kid. We went to the Italian Alps, the Aosta Valley, in late June/early July. All the wonderful flowers and we found a family of quite tame marmots! We did forays into France and Switzerland from there, but I wanted the Italian side as I like languages too, and love Italian and French. I think English has a huge and subtle vocabulary but Italian and French are more musical! And German seems to have the best whole huge concepts in a single word!
Constanze
graduate
Hi @isolde - more comments on diet and exercise:
About food: I try to eat healthily and cook my own meals for myself and for my husband - lots of fresh things like fresh vegetables - but I also have a craving for choccie and cake. I Need the sweetness to give me strength for my brain and nerves - so I can concentrate better on my work for example. I don't believe in a diet for weight control - it doesn't work for me. That's why I took to long-distance running. It's a minimum of effort as far as time management goes - all you have to do is put your running shoes on and - go. But now I'll wait a year or so until I heal first until - maybe - I'll take up some light jogging again. I want to heal first. I'm happy I can walk 6 km again without Feeling I have overdone it.
You asked my whether the exercise at my 3 weeks of rehab were too much, and looking back on it - my answer is yes. I often felt sore after certain gymnastics exercises or it was just so much effort that it hurt a bit. I remember the bone smart Mantras say if it hurts, don't do it. Maybe they trusted me to do all that at this early stage because they thought I was fit and could dexo it. I did a lot of exercise - including strength exercise at the gym - preop and went to the op quite fit. And then my surgeon thinks it's good for me because I've osteoporosis. Ever since I'm back from rehab, I haven't done anything that goes beyond the pain Level, only exercise with which I'm comfortable. I've go 3 more physiotherapy sessions as an outpatient. After that I'll also do some training at my old local gym. Hope you are also making progress with your healing and recovery - bye - Constanze
About food: I try to eat healthily and cook my own meals for myself and for my husband - lots of fresh things like fresh vegetables - but I also have a craving for choccie and cake. I Need the sweetness to give me strength for my brain and nerves - so I can concentrate better on my work for example. I don't believe in a diet for weight control - it doesn't work for me. That's why I took to long-distance running. It's a minimum of effort as far as time management goes - all you have to do is put your running shoes on and - go. But now I'll wait a year or so until I heal first until - maybe - I'll take up some light jogging again. I want to heal first. I'm happy I can walk 6 km again without Feeling I have overdone it.
You asked my whether the exercise at my 3 weeks of rehab were too much, and looking back on it - my answer is yes. I often felt sore after certain gymnastics exercises or it was just so much effort that it hurt a bit. I remember the bone smart Mantras say if it hurts, don't do it. Maybe they trusted me to do all that at this early stage because they thought I was fit and could dexo it. I did a lot of exercise - including strength exercise at the gym - preop and went to the op quite fit. And then my surgeon thinks it's good for me because I've osteoporosis. Ever since I'm back from rehab, I haven't done anything that goes beyond the pain Level, only exercise with which I'm comfortable. I've go 3 more physiotherapy sessions as an outpatient. After that I'll also do some training at my old local gym. Hope you are also making progress with your healing and recovery - bye - Constanze
OP
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isolde
junior member
I'm itching to get back to work, still slobbing out at home as the surgeon said I couldn't go back to work till 12 weeks post op (driving trains, but involves a lot of climbing about and some heavy stuff). I told my manager this and that I therefore would start back this Friday, 12 June, but I have to pass a medical first and they can't fit me in until Monday 15. So my garden is really well-cared for this year! Also lovely to be able to go to the pool when I like instead of fitting it around shifts - I get to swim when it's almost empty and no kids hurling themselves in! I'm still doing lots of walking around my village, 3.5 miles. Today I needed something in town (Bedford), the town centre is 3.5 miles from us so I walked and it was nice to actually have something to walk towards. But an elderly couple who live in our road pulled over in their car, amazed and slightly alarmed I think, when I was almost there as the last time they'd seen me I was on crutches. I think the only thing I've found a bit hard was London buses when I went to visit a friend last week - walking down a bus that was speeding away from the bus stop was a bit jolty. But walking in crowds where you keep having to stop suddenly was fine. I've had the date for my pre-op appointment for having my right hip done but no date for the actual op yet. Doing this all again is a bit daunting, but at least I'll have an idea of what to do next time!
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