Re: Moving slowly

[Guest guest]

Hi, Des,

As you've probably figured out by now, I was a little slow on the

uptake when starting out on this website, but now I think I've

gotten it right. I'm not sure anyone ever received my initial

responses. Thanks for getting back to me. Yes, our greatest concern,

beyond everything that's involved in this complex surgery, is the

the skill of our surgeon, but mine does these so often, is very

confident that he did a fine job. I just think he's had such great

results from most of his patients, and that he expected so much more

from yours truly that he really IS baffled by my slow recovery, but

he probably shouldn't have told me I was a puzzle. He has been very

reassuring, and has shown lots of concern. Now that I've heard

others' responses regarding slower recoveries, I feel comforted.

I'm still nervous, however.

I'll let you know how I fare. In the meantime, thanks for

responding.

Have a nice day.

Lari

> I'm so sorry you're experiencing these symptoms. It must have been

difficult

> to post with everyone raving about how good they feel.

>

> To be blunt, there are two things you don't want to hear a surgeon

say:

> " Whoops " and " Uh oh " .

>

> Not to shoot any arrows but if I felt the way you did, I'd get a

second

> opinion.

>

> Des Tuck

> Bilateral BHR

>

>

> In a message dated 2/18/2004 9:30:12 AM Pacific Standard Time,

> lariabraham@y... writes:

> I've been a bit hesitant to write, but now feel a huge need as I

am

> seeking someone out there (anyone!) who is feeling similarly to

me.

> On Jan. 29 I underwent a left-hip resurfacing in London for a long-

> standing AVN (we're American expats living in the UK). I am 46, a

> mother of three, and in very good physical shape overall. I went

> into the surgery strong, and have come out far behind what

everyone

> had hoped. My doctor, who is very experienced in this operation,

> says that I'm a " puzzle. " It's been three weeks since the

surgery,

> and I have huge pain in the hip joint. The swelling and bruising

in

> my knee has come down, but only just recently. For a while I felt

> like I'd had knee surgery! I cannot bear full weight on my left

leg

> whatsover without the aid of a crutch. I'm doing all the required

> exercises, but have so much pain day and night and, frankly,

deeply

> worry that I'll never regain any mobility-- never mind full. Is

> there anyone out there who has not come through this as expected?

> Can you share with me your experience(s)? Have you come through

it

> successfully--albeit more slowly than expected? Any tips for

coping?

> I am in serious need of positive reinforcement!

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

when I put my feet together, I sway a bit to the right. I know I'm not healing

the way anyone hoped, but he assures me it will get better. My gait was so

" off " for so many years. That, coupled with the surgical assault on my muscles,

and I'm all off kilter. Lari,

I was way off kilter. My poor brain didn't know where I was in space (I had two

tendon releases and my leg lengthened 2.5 cm by the resurfacing). It took a

long time before I could walk with any sureness. If I looked up, I would keel

right over backwards like those fainting goats and if anyone even touched me

just to pick a piece of fuzz off my shirt, it would be enough to knock me off

balance. I did a lot of work with a physical therapist to teach my brain where

my legs were and how they were supposed to work (I've had an abnormal gait all

my life, so this walking like a normal person is all new to me). I wonder if

some kind of gait training might help?

Cindy

C+ 5/25/01 and 6/28/01

_______________________________________________

[Guest guest]

In the meantime, I will tryto ‘do less’, although it is difficult to know what

this should be.Less driving? Less walking? Less sitting? Hard to know what is

bestto be doing. Do you guys find this? Patience, patience, patience,

Iguess.Eleanor,

Probably the thing I find the strangest about the artificial hips is that I

cannot tell that I have overdone it until it is too late. Pre-surgery, I would

work as long as I could, and could tell when I was getting tired, and could

stop. Now it's like " Whoops, shouldn't have done that last (whatever it was I

was doing). " No warning until it was too late. I've suffered lots of muscle

pain from overdoing, including groin pain which I had never even had pre-op.

Cindy

C+ 5/25/01 and 6/28/01

_______________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hi Eleanor

Definitely the one-hour drive using your operated leg and foot in

heavy traffic is causing you more pain. Once (pre-op), I got stuck in

" stop and go " traffic for a couple of hours, and I could hardly walk

at all for the next three days. I suppose it's not possible for you to

take public transit for a few more weeks?

Your idea to cut back to fewer hours and 3 days instead of 4 sounds

wise, (so long as you don't do a lot of driving on your days off! )

And no doubt all the sitting is hard on you. Not to mention what

I call " gallery walking " : slow walking on hard marble floors seems to

be much harder on me than faster walking on natural surfaces outdoors.

Probably you should lie down instead of sitting whenever possible

(such as when at home). I was told to rest a lot, do my physio

exercises, walk about a mile (or two as I felt better) per day, and

not try to do much of anything else for the first two months. Of

course, I did more, and went back to work two afternoons a week at

about 3 weeks post-op (taking the bus), but some nights I was sure

exhausted, and the pain got worse if I overdid the sitting or gadding

about.

If you are past the one-month mark, massage every week or two

might help. We older ladies (I'm 53) shouldn't be rushing back to

work, or doing too many household chores at first, since we heal more

slowly. I had one of those loud clunks followed by excruciating pain

at about 8 days post-op. I think I twisted my leg a bit in a way it

wasn't ready to go yet. I took muscle relaxants (carbamol; maybe it

has a different name in England) four times a day for two days, and it

felt better.

Perhaps the slight difference in leg lengths is aggravating your

muscles and causing you to have more pain than some other hippies.

Hopefully it will adjust itself with time. I had to raise myself up

with my arms to a sitting position, in order to turn over in bed for

the first few months. At first I actually had to lift my leg very

carefully with my hands, to move it.

Hang in there, it should get better with time. I hope all the

lurkers here who haven't had their ops yet will realize that Dan's

recent experiences are the exception and not the norm. I wouldn't want

them to be downhearted if their recovery is less miraculous. I don't

know of any other 53-year-olds who were walking with no cane at all by

5 days post-op. I could sort of lurch (without crutch or cane) from

one hand-hold to another at that time, if necessary, but I wouldn't

really call it walking!

Best regards,

n

rBHR Oct.17/03 McMinn

[Guest guest]

Hi Cindy,

I would say that is by far my biggest bug bear............ I get in the pool

and feel I could swim and exercise forever I feel so good, so flexible,

agile etc and then about midnight I regret every stroke over what ever 'x'

is that my body may have been happy with............groan. Ditto with going

to visit friends and sitting etc............. Sort of hard to just wait and

wait while the rest of the body catches up with having a new hip

joint..........and strangely most of the time it isn't the hip joint that

has the pain but the back and arms........... BUT I only have to think back

a couple of years and remember I couldn't do a tiny bit of what I am now

doing, so hopefully bodies do finally catch up with what the mind wants to

do.........smile.

Edith LBHR Dr. L Walter Syd Aust 8/02

In the meantime, I will tryto 'do less', although it is difficult to know

what this should be.Less driving? Less walking? Less sitting? Hard to

know what is bestto be doing. Do you guys find this? Patience, patience,

patience, Iguess.Eleanor,

Probably the thing I find the strangest about the artificial hips is that I

cannot tell that I have overdone it until it is too late. Pre-surgery, I

would work as long as I could, and could tell when I was getting tired, and

could stop. Now it's like " Whoops, shouldn't have done that last (whatever

it was I was doing). " No warning until it was too late. I've suffered lots

of muscle pain from overdoing, including groin pain which I had never even

had pre-op.

Cindy

C+ 5/25/01 and 6/28/01

[Guest guest]

Hi Cindy,

I would say that is by far my biggest bug bear............ I get in the pool

and feel I could swim and exercise forever I feel so good, so flexible,

agile etc and then about midnight I regret every stroke over what ever 'x'

is that my body may have been happy with............groan. Ditto with going

to visit friends and sitting etc............. Sort of hard to just wait and

wait while the rest of the body catches up with having a new hip

joint..........and strangely most of the time it isn't the hip joint that

has the pain but the back and arms........... BUT I only have to think back

a couple of years and remember I couldn't do a tiny bit of what I am now

doing, so hopefully bodies do finally catch up with what the mind wants to

do.........smile.

Edith LBHR Dr. L Walter Syd Aust 8/02

In the meantime, I will tryto 'do less', although it is difficult to know

what this should be.Less driving? Less walking? Less sitting? Hard to

know what is bestto be doing. Do you guys find this? Patience, patience,

patience, Iguess.Eleanor,

Probably the thing I find the strangest about the artificial hips is that I

cannot tell that I have overdone it until it is too late. Pre-surgery, I

would work as long as I could, and could tell when I was getting tired, and

could stop. Now it's like " Whoops, shouldn't have done that last (whatever

it was I was doing). " No warning until it was too late. I've suffered lots

of muscle pain from overdoing, including groin pain which I had never even

had pre-op.

Cindy

C+ 5/25/01 and 6/28/01

[Guest guest]

Hi Cindy,

I would say that is by far my biggest bug bear............ I get in the pool

and feel I could swim and exercise forever I feel so good, so flexible,

agile etc and then about midnight I regret every stroke over what ever 'x'

is that my body may have been happy with............groan. Ditto with going

to visit friends and sitting etc............. Sort of hard to just wait and

wait while the rest of the body catches up with having a new hip

joint..........and strangely most of the time it isn't the hip joint that

has the pain but the back and arms........... BUT I only have to think back

a couple of years and remember I couldn't do a tiny bit of what I am now

doing, so hopefully bodies do finally catch up with what the mind wants to

do.........smile.

Edith LBHR Dr. L Walter Syd Aust 8/02

In the meantime, I will tryto 'do less', although it is difficult to know

what this should be.Less driving? Less walking? Less sitting? Hard to

know what is bestto be doing. Do you guys find this? Patience, patience,

patience, Iguess.Eleanor,

Probably the thing I find the strangest about the artificial hips is that I

cannot tell that I have overdone it until it is too late. Pre-surgery, I

would work as long as I could, and could tell when I was getting tired, and

could stop. Now it's like " Whoops, shouldn't have done that last (whatever

it was I was doing). " No warning until it was too late. I've suffered lots

of muscle pain from overdoing, including groin pain which I had never even

had pre-op.

Cindy

C+ 5/25/01 and 6/28/01

[Guest guest]

Dear Cindy,

How reassuring. That is exactly what is happening. I think I've walked

well/swam well/ driven well and then WHAM. Of course, sometimes, it is

abundantly evident at the time---eg my leg, groin, screaming at me when

it is stuck in a traffic jam. Are you still having groin/muscle pain

even after all these years? If so, about how often does the 'over

doing' it pain happen? And does the threshold change for the better or

is it random?

Interesting enough, last night I had a wonderful sleep and the pain in

my adductor muscle that was making is so hard for me even to turn over

in bed without crying out didn't materialise. And what did I do

yesterday----almost nothing physically---just a lovely 60th birthday

lunch with family and friends at a great pub.

Trial and error, I guess.

Am feeling so good this morning physically. But will be careful.

Eleanor

RE: Re: Moving slowly

In the meantime, I will tryto 'do less', although it is difficult to

know what this should be.Less driving? Less walking? Less sitting?

Hard to know what is bestto be doing. Do you guys find this? Patience,

patience, patience, Iguess.Eleanor,

Probably the thing I find the strangest about the artificial hips is

that I cannot tell that I have overdone it until it is too late.

Pre-surgery, I would work as long as I could, and could tell when I was

getting tired, and could stop. Now it's like " Whoops, shouldn't have

done that last (whatever it was I was doing). " No warning until it was

too late. I've suffered lots of muscle pain from overdoing, including

groin pain which I had never even had pre-op.

Cindy

C+ 5/25/01 and 6/28/01

_______________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Yes me too! And tomorrow I will be at 9 weeks post op! I am almost ashamed to

talk about that at 9 weeks on this site! But I had another setback last week

(just doing a little too much but really little) and it took me 3 days to get

back to where I was last Monday. And yes it is difficult to tell at the time, I

must admit that there is a little (tiny) red flag in the back of my mind and I

think I ignored it! Every week I think that in a couple of weeks things will be

better and I will be able to do this or that but it does not happen like that.

Recovery (in terms of pain and movemnt) is still very slow, although my general

health and energy is much better.

Sunita

R BHR De Smet Jan 6, 04

RE: Re: Moving slowly

In the meantime, I will tryto 'do less', although it is difficult to

know what this should be.Less driving? Less walking? Less sitting?

Hard to know what is bestto be doing. Do you guys find this? Patience,

patience, patience, Iguess.Eleanor,

Probably the thing I find the strangest about the artificial hips is

that I cannot tell that I have overdone it until it is too late.

Pre-surgery, I would work as long as I could, and could tell when I was

getting tired, and could stop. Now it's like " Whoops, shouldn't have

done that last (whatever it was I was doing). " No warning until it was

too late. I've suffered lots of muscle pain from overdoing, including

groin pain which I had never even had pre-op.

Cindy

C+ 5/25/01 and 6/28/01

_______________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Dear n and Sunita,

Many thanks for your messages. I realise that I didn’t say at any point

how long it is since my op ---- 14 ½ weeks---so I wouldn’t worry about

your difficulties at 9, Sunita. And keep hanging on to the fact that

your general health and energy is much better. Something must be

changing. You are a good month + ahead of me, n, and I assume

you are doing pretty well by now?

I do agree that it is good to have all experiences, good and difficult,

written here, as it is important if one isn’t a fast healer as many are,

not to get too discouraged or feel a personal failure. And to be

prepared for all eventualities---like going on holiday prepared for the

fact that it could rain and know how one will manage it, and then be

delighted when the sun shines every day.

My sun peeks out occasionally. Went to the hospital physio today who,

after 3 weeks, noticed a distinct improvement in my walking. Less

waddling. I did think it had improved. She remeasured my legs and the

operated one is now 1/3 inch longer instead of ½ inch longer. Perhaps

it is bedding in a little. Have bought a heel raiser, but think I’ll

ask for an orthotics referral when I next see my OS. The physio gave me

some new pilates exercises for strengthening the pelvic girdle. Now I

must do them religiously for 2 weeks until I see her again. They are

not painful to do, which sometimes stopped me doing adductor muscles

exercises on the basis of pain=no go.

n---unfortunately the tube is not good for me, at present. When

fit, there is a fast 10 minute walk to it on the home end; and when I

arrive, another fast 15 minute walk. Great when I am back to normal (as

I know I will be!), but too tiring now. London commuting is a bummer.

Great city, but not this aspect of it.

Am definitely going to get more aromatherapy message for now. The

physio said when I come next time she’d see if deep therapeutic massage

would help the tightness under my wound area that I experience fairly

often. I do regular ordinary ‘wound massage’ daily with Vitamin E from

the pill (thanks Sunita) or the cream.

Eleanor

r/BHR Skinner Nov 26/03

Re: Moving slowly

Hi Eleanor

Definitely the one-hour drive using your operated leg and foot in

heavy traffic is causing you more pain. Once (pre-op), I got stuck in

" stop and go " traffic for a couple of hours, and I could hardly walk

at all for the next three days. I suppose it's not possible for you to

take public transit for a few more weeks?

Your idea to cut back to fewer hours and 3 days instead of 4 sounds

wise, (so long as you don't do a lot of driving on your days off! )

And no doubt all the sitting is hard on you. Not to mention what

I call " gallery walking " : slow walking on hard marble floors seems to

be much harder on me than faster walking on natural surfaces outdoors.

Probably you should lie down instead of sitting whenever possible

(such as when at home). I was told to rest a lot, do my physio

exercises, walk about a mile (or two as I felt better) per day, and

not try to do much of anything else for the first two months. Of

course, I did more, and went back to work two afternoons a week at

about 3 weeks post-op (taking the bus), but some nights I was sure

exhausted, and the pain got worse if I overdid the sitting or gadding

about.

If you are past the one-month mark, massage every week or two

might help. We older ladies (I'm 53) shouldn't be rushing back to

work, or doing too many household chores at first, since we heal more

slowly. I had one of those loud clunks followed by excruciating pain

at about 8 days post-op. I think I twisted my leg a bit in a way it

wasn't ready to go yet. I took muscle relaxants (carbamol; maybe it

has a different name in England) four times a day for two days, and it

felt better.

Perhaps the slight difference in leg lengths is aggravating your

muscles and causing you to have more pain than some other hippies.

Hopefully it will adjust itself with time. I had to raise myself up

with my arms to a sitting position, in order to turn over in bed for

the first few months. At first I actually had to lift my leg very

carefully with my hands, to move it.

Hang in there, it should get better with time. I hope all the

lurkers here who haven't had their ops yet will realize that Dan's

recent experiences are the exception and not the norm. I wouldn't want

them to be downhearted if their recovery is less miraculous. I don't

know of any other 53-year-olds who were walking with no cane at all by

5 days post-op. I could sort of lurch (without crutch or cane) from

one hand-hold to another at that time, if necessary, but I wouldn't

really call it walking!

Best regards,

n

rBHR Oct.17/03 McMinn

[Guest guest]

Are you still having groin/muscle paineven after all these years? If so, about

how often does the 'over doing' it pain happen? And does the threshold change

for the better oris it random?I still have some pain because I am still

improving, and I keep pushing myself. I am still gettting stronger, and more

flexible. The overdoing it happens far less often as I get stronger. It

happens mostly now if I try something new that I haven't done in years, and

whatever it is uses muscles that haven't been worked much. My last big " whoops "

was cleaning up yard debris. I raked several barrels full and actually hurt my

shoulder and arms more than my legs, but my lower back had fits too. I could

barely raise my arms at the end of the day.

Things I still want to try--horseback riding (not ready to subject a horse to

that yet), roller skating, ballroom dancing, scuba diving, and kayaking.

Cindy C+ 6/25/01 and 6/28/01

_______________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Cindy,

Inspiring.

Eleanor

RE: Re: Moving slowly

Are you still having groin/muscle paineven after all these years? If

so, about how often does the 'over doing' it pain happen? And does the

threshold change for the better oris it random?I still have some pain

because I am still improving, and I keep pushing myself. I am still

gettting stronger, and more flexible. The overdoing it happens far less

often as I get stronger. It happens mostly now if I try something new

that I haven't done in years, and whatever it is uses muscles that

haven't been worked much. My last big " whoops " was cleaning up yard

debris. I raked several barrels full and actually hurt my shoulder and

arms more than my legs, but my lower back had fits too. I could barely

raise my arms at the end of the day.

Things I still want to try--horseback riding (not ready to subject a

horse to that yet), roller skating, ballroom dancing, scuba diving, and

kayaking.

Cindy C+ 6/25/01 and 6/28/01

_______________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Cindy,

Inspiring.

Eleanor

RE: Re: Moving slowly

Are you still having groin/muscle paineven after all these years? If

so, about how often does the 'over doing' it pain happen? And does the

threshold change for the better oris it random?I still have some pain

because I am still improving, and I keep pushing myself. I am still

gettting stronger, and more flexible. The overdoing it happens far less

often as I get stronger. It happens mostly now if I try something new

that I haven't done in years, and whatever it is uses muscles that

haven't been worked much. My last big " whoops " was cleaning up yard

debris. I raked several barrels full and actually hurt my shoulder and

arms more than my legs, but my lower back had fits too. I could barely

raise my arms at the end of the day.

Things I still want to try--horseback riding (not ready to subject a

horse to that yet), roller skating, ballroom dancing, scuba diving, and

kayaking.

Cindy C+ 6/25/01 and 6/28/01

_______________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Cindy,

Inspiring.

Eleanor

RE: Re: Moving slowly

Are you still having groin/muscle paineven after all these years? If

so, about how often does the 'over doing' it pain happen? And does the

threshold change for the better oris it random?I still have some pain

because I am still improving, and I keep pushing myself. I am still

gettting stronger, and more flexible. The overdoing it happens far less

often as I get stronger. It happens mostly now if I try something new

that I haven't done in years, and whatever it is uses muscles that

haven't been worked much. My last big " whoops " was cleaning up yard

debris. I raked several barrels full and actually hurt my shoulder and

arms more than my legs, but my lower back had fits too. I could barely

raise my arms at the end of the day.

Things I still want to try--horseback riding (not ready to subject a

horse to that yet), roller skating, ballroom dancing, scuba diving, and

kayaking.

Cindy C+ 6/25/01 and 6/28/01

_______________________________________________