Hip replacement 1-31-2013 Colorado Springs

[jellero]

new hip thursday, discharged saturday, hanging out at home now. kind of a whirlwind and it looks like the work starts now. so many things i have to avoid doing, like bending waist more than 90 degrees, rolling knee, crossing legs. anyone been through this? not a lot of pain and i have pills but thinking of dislocation when i say, go to pick up a dropped pencil is an issue (i will be buying more pencils.) any help appreciated, any info available and i will have the time. j

[Vinman]

are your precautions for lifetime or only for the first 6 weeks?

[Shredhead]

I'm going in for THR Monday. We'll have to compare notes.


Case of Three Floyd's says I'm back in the saddle before you!

[Shredhead]

I'm three days post op of an anterior approach total hip replacement. I'm currently 50% weight bearing on my hip and doing really well. I don't have hardly any restrictions, but I probably won't be doing any DH MTBing for a couple of months.

[jellero]

precautions are just until the muscle and bone grow back into the prothesis. one thing i won't compete in is rehabbing from this. it is a hard call, you have to do the exercises and walk but if you do just a tad too much it can set you back, a friend from ttips had his hip done mid january and he said he did some chores and got some bad pain move in afterwards. my advice, old pro i am at this is to get some good pain meds and take them as told. good time to quit drinking and catch up on andy griffith... as soon as i feel like it i will get back on my bike with my dog and slowly build more strength. but yes definately, let's compare notes. the pain from surgery was about nothing really. it started hurting when i ran out of the oxy at home. that also kept me from exercising as much as i should have and i was setting up. anterior approach is imperative as very little gets cut, just pushed to the side briefly. i felt the arthritis pain was gone within an hour of getting into my room from recovery. they just cut it out and threw it away. j
(shred, the restrictions are universal post thr, not just for me. just take it easy and let stuff heal)

[jellero]

here is some good info on rehabbing, what you should and shouldn't do etc. after THR. i am pretty much out on the fringe of intelligent life here, but close to xlnt skiing so i was glad to find this info. j
http://www.dukehealth.org/orthopaedi...al-hip-surgery

[Kraemer]

here is some good info on rehabbing, what you should and shouldn't do etc. after THR. i am pretty much out on the fringe of intelligent life here, but close to xlnt skiing so i was glad to find this info. j
http://www.dukehealth.org/orthopaedi...al-hip-surgery

Heal up ! I just did a nasty dislocate, wasn't reduced for 14 hours. Now I get to play the AVN waiting game. Hope I don't have to join ur club. Hope you Feel better man,

[superstator]

dislocation when i say, go to pick up a dropped pencil is an issue (i will be buying more pencils.)

This sounds like a solid strategy to me.

[Vinman]

jellero ask about doing some pool therapy to work on gait and strength in a reduced weight bearing environment as a transition to full weight bearing rehab.

[jellero]

i just went to the local doc for a script, PT but didn't think of the pool... i can walk now without a limp if i try, no cane. this is amazing. this isn't the first time i have rehabbed this leg, broke the knee and smashed hip many years back. push it, then back off, over and over. while lying down, i can pull right heel back as far as left now, one of the exercises that killed me a few days ago. hey, i am glad to be part of this "club"- i have a brand new hip without arthritis for the first time in decades. the joint itself is smooth as silk, i just need to grow into it without doing anything stupid.
also, dislocation of a major joint is probably the most pain you will ever feel. any more pain and you would be so shocky you wouldn't know about it. broke about 30 bones in one crash, jaw was mush, patrol was picking up teeth from the snow and i never passed out but don't remember the pain. actually had one of those "back from death" experiences. a whole other subject... j

[Shredhead]

I hear you about the pain meds. I knew a bunch of the nurses and was trying to be truthful in my pain number, mostly 4-5. But I just didn't feel good. Finely one of them told me "they won't give you shit unless your a 7". They doubled my Rx and now I feel good, but can tell when they start to wear off.

Vinn: my doc doesn't want me in the pool for four weeks, but I plan on hitting it hard. I will open mine early April after which I'll be in it everyday. Any specific exercises you recommend?

[jellero]

did they turn you loose shred?
they gave me 2-oxy ir every 4 hours an had me on the "pain machine" filled with dilaudid (lindsey lohan's favorite drug!), with a button i controlled for up to one dose per 10 minutes. i didn't hurt until the nurses messed with me. the key is to eat well and not just take the drugs. luckily this hospital had commercial room service with a full menu and all. like salmon filet with baked, veg, tossed salad for dinner, french toast, bacon for breakfast... get a coke or fruit juice whenever. j

[Vinman]

we typically see patients getting into the pool at 3 weeks depending on how their incision has healed.


Look around your area for a facility that has an underwater treadmill. This is the best gait training you can do. You'll be able to walk normally and perform exercises in the water that you could not do on land.

It would be impossible to recommend specific exercises without doing an eval first, every case is different especially if your protocol involves flexion and adduction precautions.

[jellero]

i worked a broken ankle several years ago by trying to jog in lake michigan. nice sandy bottom/beach with thigh to waist high water so can see how the treadmill would work the same. it will be awhile before the lake warms up though, if i ever make it back there again.
i hope i don't sound clumsy... it wasn't my fault. j

[Shredhead]

did they turn you loose shred?
they gave me 2-oxy ir every 4 hours an had me on the "pain machine" filled with dilaudid (lindsey lohan's favorite drug!), with a button i controlled for up to one dose per 10 minutes. i didn't hurt until the nurses messed with me. the key is to eat well and not just take the drugs. luckily this hospital had commercial room service with a full menu and all. like salmon filet with baked, veg, tossed salad for dinner, french toast, bacon for breakfast... get a coke or fruit juice whenever. j

I got out Thursday. I only got an oxy every 12hours, 10mil vic every 6hours and dilaudid on request, about every 6hours at first. I was in pain and was watching the clock, They finally loosed up and basically doubled my meds.

I went out to a club last night and saw the Guess Who and am paying the price today.


Vin: I will look for a facility with an inpool treadmil! I do appreaciate your opinion.

[jellero]

that dilaudid didn't do anything for me at all. the 12 hour is oxycodine. does it work??
the guess who is still together?? where are you? i used to do light shows in high school and gw was one band. i'm surprised they are still alive. not with bertrum cummins?
yes, you pay later for what you do, like picking up a pencil off the floor. i'm learning the hard way but still chopping wood up for spring. you back in the saddle yet? j

[Shredhead]

Yes, the Oxy worked good, but only in the hospital. Now I'm doing a 10mil vicadin about every three hours. Today was the first day back at work. Only using one crutch now, but my leg swelled up pretty good today.

The wife and I both like small venue live music. We have a nice lub in the western suburbs of chicago, that gets a very nice mix of older rock show and it's only minutes from my house. Kale and Peterson are the only original members, but they were pretty dam good.
War with tower of Power is the next show, Boz Skaggs and then America.

[jellero]

the animals and steppenwolf played the rodeo grounds not too long ago... none of the originals.. i've been walking without a cane or anything for a week now, no joint pain, just feel like i fell out of a truck in general. the tea i make is the best for pain and sleep but i'm in colorado so it's legal. finally starting pt thursday. i know some that had the posterior approach and they took a year to get where i am now in two weeks. j

[Shredhead]

I wish I had tea. One crutch full time might have been a little soon, I'm fricken sore today. Let me know what PT works best?

Good Luck!

[jellero]

pt doesn't feel good i know that much. i made a cane long before surgery which is much better than a crutch. i spit a little wood yesterday and i'm hurtin'. it doesn't take much to do too much.
one exercise is lie on back, pull good leg heel back as far as you can, then bring operated leg back until it hurts, then straighten, 10 times, 3-5 sets over day. do not force it back. the the isometrics of butt, thigh, lower leg. flex muscle and hold for 5 sec., ten times 3-5 times a day. i'm doing lumbar stretches too. i need to ski some bumps and get everything all aligned. used to do that and it worked. j

[Shredhead]

First day back on the fat bike. Just a short ride on the road, but if felt good. Better than walking, since I'm still on a crutch.
Mostly off the meds, except at night and after pt.

[jellero]

I'm going in for THR Monday. We'll have to compare notes.


Case of Three Floyd's says I'm back in the saddle before you!

shred, glad to hear you got back in the saddle bike wise and it's a good thing i didn't bet you because i was out riding saturday and would have won. not sure what three floyd's is but i i bet it would have been expensive to ship all the way to colorado... anyway, saw my doc today and he said see ya next year. he said i could ski but would have to take it very easy which doesn't sound like very much fun.
i am amazed at this sugery, absolutely. j

[Shredhead]

Good for you dude. Ski this season? Some nice spring groomers sound kinda fun to me!

Yes, the anterior approach seams to be the way to go. I'm looking into knees now. My right has been going out for about 10 years and probably caused my left hip to prematurely wear out.

[jellero]

wish they did backs... my back is still a problem and i am hoping that it will settle down once i get fully healed and not limping at all. a bump run would help. i'm moving quite a bit of wood, several cords of green that is in the way so maybe that will help. i am living proof of the pain killing powers of mmj though. this oil i make is the ticket for joint pain. the rest of the states need to get moving on legalizing mmj at least. j

[Orthoski]

new hip thursday, discharged saturday, hanging out at home now. kind of a whirlwind and it looks like the work starts now. so many things i have to avoid doing, like bending waist more than 90 degrees, rolling knee, crossing legs. anyone been through this? not a lot of pain and i have pills but thinking of dislocation when i say, go to pick up a dropped pencil is an issue (i will be buying more pencils.) any help appreciated, any info available and i will have the time. j

Btw, dislocation precautions, while most critical in the immediate post-op period, are often applied for life. From the precautions that you listed it sounds like you had a posterior approach to your hip replacement. While the capsule/muscles healing will help minimize the chance of dislocation, invariably the range of motion of a replaced hip is not the same as the hip your mom gave you for biomechanical reasons. Hence, doctors will often recommend that you don't sit on a very low couch, that you put your socks on by putting your foot on the opposite knee (rather than bending downwards), etc. Obviously, precautions are different in an anterior approach (it has to do with what was disrupted in order to get to the hip). Glad to hear you're doing so well this quickly.