THE CLUBHOUSE

After 4 years waiting I finally got my total hip replacement this week. Don’t know how long surgery was or how long I was in recovery (they took my glasses). They said once all the anesthesia wore off I would be trading one pain for another but there was no comparison. The bone on bone hip was much worse.

The only real pain is my thigh feels like I just did 10K squats. Found out later the knee ache is because of the hammering done to get the new piece in place.
A few PT sessions, some hospital food, and I was back out the door in 36 hrs.

I’m home now. The Dr wants only 50% weight on the new hip til he sees me so it means I’ll be using a walker for the near future. And it also means I’m living in a spare bedroom ( that’s been a storage room) on my first floor. Next week PT will teach me to navigate the stairs with a cane So I can get to a shower (sponge baths suck).

Still don’t know when I’ll be on my 3rd floor with my models kits...

Wont be the same around here not seeing your work. Hope everything heals well and quickly.

kevtk135 wrote: The only real pain is my thigh feels like I just did 10K squats. Found out later the knee ache is because of the hammering done to get the new piece in place.

There used to be a TV series called The Operation. Completely graphic episodes covering different surgeries. I saw the knee replacement, so I'm keenly aware of why you're in pain They used hammers, chisels, large diameter power drills, etc. Then after all that the doctors wanted to show how flexibl the (knee) was before putting it back together they bend it forward and back a few times

Ooof.
That doesn't sound pleasant at all.
Any of it. The pain before or after.

Hope you recover quickly. I know how bad surgical recoveries can be.

Hope you heal fast. I can relate to the before and after pains. I had to have both my knees replaced 12 and 13 years ago. The operation pain was nowhere near as bad as the bone on bone before. Make sure you do the PT exercises though. If you don't it takes longer to heal up and my not be as good as it should be.

Thanks for the kind words, guys. I’m a week post op today and have nurse coming today to take dressing off. PT coming today to and I should be allowed to do stairs. Oh yeah. Not cutting PT short. Tho all said the hip is easier than the knee, and it’s just a matter of walking.
Slow but sure I guess.

Good luck! Yea I've known a couple people had the hips done and they rehabbed quicker than my knees. Took about 3 months on first knee and 5 months on 2nd knee only because I pushed too hard and pulled my hamstring. That took as long as the knee recovery.

You should be up and down your steps in no time!

Work it...get back to normal!

Good luck brother - I'll just echo that doing the PT exercises to a "T" as prescribed by the doctors is the KEY to recovering a full range of motion/use of the joint.

Give us updates - we're keeping you in our thoughts...

Take care brother.

Thanks guys!
Progresses is being made - slowly - but being made. The knee pain is lasting a little longer than I thought (one of the artifacts of surgery). The biggest disappointment is the PTherapist spoke to my ortho Dr and he wants me using only 50% on the leg for a month! I thought I'd be full weight by the time I saw him next week.

Thanks for all the well wishes!!!

Good luck my friend, hope you heal fast. Looking forward to see your next work, that will be the sign you feel better.
All my thoughts are with you.
Pat

kevtk135 wrote:The biggest disappointment is the PTherapist spoke to my ortho Dr and he wants me using only 50% on the leg for a month! I thought I'd be full weight by the time I saw him next week.

That sounds normal to me.
Don't try to rush it, you will only suffer setbacks doing that.
It takes time for the body to heal, and as we get older, it takes a bit longer.

Write a short story Kevin, read a cool book, do something new you never thought you could do.

Yea - don't push it. I did that on my 2nd knee replacement hoping to rehab it faster and wound up pulling my hamstring. That took longer to rehab than the knee would have. Your PT should show you best way to go up and down steps. When you are up to it you can get back up to your hobby room!

Hope that you recover quickly.

Thanks guys.

Little update. Saw the surgeon and got good and a little disappointing news.
Good news is the staples are out and all is healing. I also got an explanation as to why the extra time not putting weight on it. Seems I may have an XXL exterior, but my bones are size XS. He said the device implanted would have been the same one he would have used for a 110lb woman... So he wanted the extra healing time.

I can start putting weight on it by next week which is good news, but the disappointing part is I still have another 3 weeks before I can drive. Thats where it's at.

Sounds like good news all around.
3 weeks isn't that long. It will fly right by.

Thanks, Trevor.

One good thing you will be ready to go when decent weather comes!