To Chris

[Guest guest]

Hey, buddy. You asked:

" Joyce, how's your flexion? If you are standing on your non-op leg, how

high can you bring your knee up without using your hands to pull? How about

on your back? How far past 90 degrees can you get by pulling up? "

I can bring my leg all the way up, past 90 degrees, un-aided. Both while

standing and while lying on my back. That movement is totally restored. I

can also, easily, squat down and stay in that position and then raise back

up -- un-aided. (This is a forbidden position according to my surgeon's

instructions and I've only done it when I'd spaced out my restrictions).

Before surgery and for weeks afterwards, I couldn't raise my leg up at all.

In fact, pre-op, when I'd get in my car, I'd have to use my hands to lift

my leg up to get it in the car with the rest of me! It's my left hip, so

I'd open the car door, sit behind the wheel, and then lift my left leg to

get it in. I think that the isometric exercises I've done since the first

day post-op have been helpful. I contract and release the butt and leg

muscles all the time. And I'd just keep practicing lifting that leg

unaided. Gradually that movement came back. I still have an aching lower

back -- though it is nothing like it was pre-op. That's partly because

I've got some arthritis in there and partly because of the way my whole

body compensated for my hip OA. The chiropractor is really, really helpful

with this mess. What I'm still working on is being able to walk distances

without all of these muscles getting into spasms. Some days seem to be

better than others. But I think that's coming to me, too. It's just slow

as hell. Well, it's not that slow really. After all, it's only been 16

weeks! I was told, by Dr Gross, NOT to do any exercise that would

duplicate the dislocation position for at least 6 months (Other Doc Gross

patients speak to this....) Also -- massage is really, really helpful.

When I get all of those muscles really loosened by a deep massage, I walk

more easily. Each time it " lasts " longer. Joyce (Dr Gross, LHR, 2/2/04)

sungold518@...