What we should not do. Kay's question.

[Guest guest]

This will be a good topic for me too, Kay. Now that I think

about it, I didn't get much guidance from Dr. Amstutz about what NOT

to do after my 6 week visit. I have relied on my friend/PT for such

info. He strongly recommends avoiding any stretches that cross the

operated leg over the non-operated leg...something about that being

the way they dislocated it. Joyce said her surgeon told her not to

stand up straight from a squat. (Right Joyce?) I'm afraid I'm guilty

of that already. I'm looking forward to some of the

more " experienced " hippies' responses.

And I'm almost positive that Dr. Amstutz advised me to do as

little cooking and cleaning as possible, and to try to spend as much

time as I can watching sports and enjoying cigars.

C+ Amstutz 4-15-04

-- In surfacehippy , Kay Bishop

wrote:

> At just over 5 weeks post LBR op I having been following your

reports with great interest. I " did " the furniture shops with a

friend on Friday - most enjoyable - and " did " the electical and

gadget shops ( not so enjoyable) yesterday with my partner - about 2

hours of walking. I was exhausted, but not too achy and actually

slept well last night - 6 hours without getting up! I took both my

crutches with me as I find I still need them for support, when I am

out, physically and mentally. AND , the biggest bonus is that when

people see you on crutches they make way for you, put you at the

head of a queue etc!!! I think that this week my surgeon will allow

me to be off this wretched uncomfortable raised chair - and

hopefully I can manage to bend my long legs comfortably into my

little car and DRIVE!

> Those aches in what I call the " bum bones " - how do you know if

they are aches from stretching muscles and ligaments or whatever

else is in there, appropriately, or if you are doing too much? I

have a small series of exercises to do at home and start

hydrotherapy this week I hope.

> Also has anyone had knee pain after the op? The area of my left

knee is still sore, it wont bend properly and feels as if there is a

fluid build up behind it and at the top of my calf muscle. I had

the cartilage removed 25 years ago (hockey injury) and have never

had trouble since. My left ankle is still a little puffy too -guess

that will go down eventually. Also the numbness is gradually going

from nerve damage around the wound - the nerves grow back 1 mm a

day I was told! Lots of growing to be done!

> Is there anything I shouldn't be doing????

> Thankyou everyone for your interesting reports and for this

terrific support group. Reading it has certainly alleviated many of

my little worries and it is great to read of the wonderful progress

people have made.

> Cheers

> Kay

>

> Joyce Graves wrote:

>

> The description of the muscle tightness and the lower back pain is

exactly

> what I, too, have experienced. I'm 4 months post-op now and

things are

> steadily improving. It's frustrating, though, because I want to

be able to

> walk distances and I can't, yet. I have no joint pain at all, but

the butt

> muscles, the psoas muscle, and whatever else is in there are still

very

> tight. The thing is, you can't do too much to stretch them until

your

> joint is healed enough to really tax it. So it's a s-l-o-w

process. Just

> little gains here and there. I'm much, much more flexible now

that I was

> at 6 weeks. I've been seeing a chiropractor/kenesiologist who

uses a cold

> blazer on me. Speeds healing and is particularly helpful in

getting that

> brain/muscle connection going again. Keeping my spine aligned is

also

> extremely helpful. I remember at 6 weeks I was still

concentrating on

> " pushing off " on the foot of my surgical leg, being mindful of

doing it

> correctly or as naturally as I could muster. It DOES come back --

the

> ability to move without muscle spasms. Gentle exercises at first

and then

> more demanding ones as I'm able. Anyway, I remember when I was 6

weeks

> post-op and people were writing about being several months post-op

and I

> thought, " I'll never get there. " Patience. Common sense.

Remember what

> you've been through -- pre-op & the surgery itself. Joyce (Dr

Gross, LHR,

> 2/2/04)

>

> sungold518@e...

>

>

>

> Re: 6 week report card.

>

>

>

>

> I'm not a doctor, for sure...but...the description of the

continuing

> discomfort you're feeling from deep inside across the front of the

> hip sounds like problems with the iliopsoas. Given the nature of

> resurfing and hip repair, that one may take a while to work out

> completely. Most of the best stretches I know for it (and I've

been

> on intense, unfriendly terms with my iliopsoas for years) would

also

> torque the repaired joint in ways you'd rather not torque it just

> yet. There are some stretches you and do, if it's the iliopsoas,

and

> a good PT should be able find to a useful and productive middle

> ground.

>

> For the rest of the six week report... I seem to recall you were

> concerned going into your check-up that things weren't all going

as

> well as you'd like. This letter is a good sign.

>

> You go, boy..

>

> Alan

>

> >

> >

> > Hi Guys,

> > I've been trying to be good and not write all the time, but

6

> > weeks is a " big " watermark, so I'm checking in. I figure I'm

about

> > 80% on the strength, but only 60 percent on flexibility (using

the

> > non-op leg for comparison.) I still struggle with flexion, and

can

> > barely achieve 90 degrees on my own. PT says don't sweat it. I'm

> > Doing the bike at the gym, and weights (upper body only). I walk

on

> > and off all day at work so I'm not really worrying about getting

> > enough walking in. I don't really have pain when I walk...but I

do

> > feel discomfort across the front of my hip, way deep inside as I

> try

> > to walk without any compensating limp. It's going away slowly,

so

> > that's encouraging.

> > I'm getting tight in my lower back, and really miss doing

> > my " cross over " stretches where I cross my leg over my body and

> keep

> > my shoulders on the floor. But I'm doing what I can. Any lower

back

> > stretching tips?

> > All in all I'm doing ok. I seem to be a grow-plateau type

> > healer. But I still feel like it will be a long time till I can

tie

> > a shoe in front of me. I'm looking forward to 3 days off to get

> some

> > yard work done.

> > C+ Amstutz 4-15-04

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hey Chris...

Whatever else he might be... Dr. Amstutz is a GUY. What would expect

him to recommend??? Sensitivity? Flower arranging? Oragami?

That no-cooking, no-cleaning rx is one real guys would have no

trouble following. And physicians must always know their patients.

All the best...

Alan (you know...the hip does seem to get sooooo much tighter as I

stand at the kitchen sink...washing dishes. The doc may be on to

something.)

> > >

> > >

> > > Hi Guys,

> > > I've been trying to be good and not write all the time,

but

> 6

> > > weeks is a " big " watermark, so I'm checking in. I figure I'm

> about

> > > 80% on the strength, but only 60 percent on flexibility (using

> the

> > > non-op leg for comparison.) I still struggle with flexion, and

> can

> > > barely achieve 90 degrees on my own. PT says don't sweat it.

I'm

> > > Doing the bike at the gym, and weights (upper body only). I

walk

> on

> > > and off all day at work so I'm not really worrying about

getting

> > > enough walking in. I don't really have pain when I walk...but I

> do

> > > feel discomfort across the front of my hip, way deep inside as

I

> > try

> > > to walk without any compensating limp. It's going away slowly,

> so

> > > that's encouraging.

> > > I'm getting tight in my lower back, and really miss doing

> > > my " cross over " stretches where I cross my leg over my body and

> > keep

> > > my shoulders on the floor. But I'm doing what I can. Any lower

> back

> > > stretching tips?

> > > All in all I'm doing ok. I seem to be a grow-plateau type

> > > healer. But I still feel like it will be a long time till I can

> tie

> > > a shoe in front of me. I'm looking forward to 3 days off to get

> > some

> > > yard work done.

> > > C+ Amstutz 4-15-04

> >

> >

> >