Hip surgery = torture!

[trails4u]

Well...here I sit, 5 days out from having my right hip scoped to clean up some arthritis, fix a torn labrum, and reshape the bones to correct an 'impingement.' I know...you're thinking holy #$%^ that must hurt! Well...here's the rub. It doesn't!! BUT...I'm still strapped to crutches, extremely limited in activities (mean therapist), banned from driving, and strongly encouraged to NOT tackle the 15 stairs down to my reloading room (mean wife).

After just a few hours of 'daytime' television...I now clearly understand why so many stay-at-home-mom types are crazy...the big box made them that way. So...I read, I eat, I read some more...surf CB and the news, eat some more....and dream of better days. Today is first day at home solo....if nothing else, that is proving to provide some laughs. One finds interesting ways to carry a sandwich and a glass of milk whist crutching along. :)

God bless you all.....these pages are the most interesting thing in my world right now!!

Trails.

[shdwlkr]

family member has had both hip joints replaced, once you are up and about again you might learn some other new things. Glad to hear you are on the mend and doing well

[Hickok]

Trails, prayers for your recovery and easing of pain. It has to be a nasty experience.

[trails4u]

Thanks shdwlkr.... Not something I really wanted to do, but lets just say I had one of those moments of clarity. I have three children (two teenage boys and a 9yo daughter), and my hips had degenerated to the point I was basically sitting on the sidelines. I'm one stubborn mule, but life has a way of punching you in the throat when you find yourself telling your daughter, 'No, let's not go squirrel hunting today, Daddy's hips hurt real bad'. At 42yo....it was time to put away the foolish pride and accept a worn-out body, and start doing something about it!

[trails4u]

Thanks, Hickok! Nastiest part is the boredom..... Where in WV? I grew up in/around Huntington....

[Hickok]

Thanks, Hickok! Nastiest part is the boredom..... Where in WV? I grew up in/around Huntington....Canaan Valley, Blackwater Falls area.

[Boolit_Head]

I can imagine, they operated on my heels and detached and reattached the Achilles tendon to remove some bone spurs on both feet a while ago. After the second surgery the doctor finally dropped the bomb that it would at least be a year before I was completely pain free. After 2 months of therapy to be able to do more than waddle I found out he was exactly right. It was excruciating to step down a 3 inch step in the beginning. It was a bit more than a year before I was completely pain free. I think he held out on that little tid bit to keep me from avoiding the surgery. In a way I was glad he did because I was about crippled up before the surgery. I am doing so much better now I am glad I did it.

[oldcanadice]

Carry on, sir. I finally gave up and have two steel hips -- would be in a wheelchair otherwise. I hope your doc is as good as mine is.

One real caution: Things were going so well with the second hip that I neglected my home-bound physical therapy. Don't do it! The result was a huge blood-clot that well might have killed or crippled me. It is 8 years later and still once in a while if my activity level is too low, the ankle swells up with edema like a pregnant woman in late term. Do your rehab faithfully, especially when you start moving around and feel good.

[Blue2]

My wife was a nurse working in neuro and orhtopedic surgery. She told me of working with a particular doctor who was demanding and had his own way of doing things. He always by habit took his bone grafts when doing a spinal fusion from the left side of the hip bone. They had a patient scheduled for surgery and they prepped him as usual to have the doner bone taken from the left side of the hip. He asked if they could take it from the other side and they said no,that Dr.XXX always worked from the left side and they could not make a change in procedure. So they prepped him. When the doctor arrived pre-surgery the patient asked the doctor if he would take the bone graft material from the other side. The doctor put on a stern face and said--Now-after these nurses have got you all prepared for surgery can you give me one reason why I would ask them to prepare the other side? The patient replied--Well doctor when my wife and I are having intimate moments together I always lay on my left side and I expect I will be laid up in bed for some time and I will not be able to lay over on the surgical graft site. The doctor smiled and said-Thats a good reason--Nurses prepare the patients other side for the surgical graft site!!

[bearcove]

Boredom is torture. I am 9 days from knee surgery and finally gave up. Back up on the boat fitting a hatch coaming and preping front deck for paint. Wife laughed at me for climbing a ladder with a cane.

[trails4u]

well played, bearcove.......a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.

Don't tell the wife....but I did make it down the evil stairs (quite easily, I might add) and got a good 3-4 hr. session in today at the bench. It was refreshing to say the least, and actually one of the longer bench sessions I've managed in a long time.


.223 dies were on the press....and components were handy, as was a pound of 748....so jwerd zombie killers were the order of the day. I know, I know...but hey, it's better than Judge Judy. :) Prepped a bunch of brass...while taking turns cranking out rounds on the little lee turret to break up the brass prep. In no hurry....but still managed to prep and load around 300 or so. Things are looking up already!! :bigsmyl2:

[rbertalotto]

INTERESTING!!!!

So…we got to spend a whole 22 hours on our cruise ship vacation which started Saturday out of Baltimore……then Karen walked across an icy deck, slipped, fell, and broke her hip………Spend the next 20 hours in traction in the ships infirmary until we got to the first port of call, Cape Canaveral.


Yesterday, ambulance, fire trucks, police cars met us at the cruise ship at Port Canaveral, FL. Karen was taken off and we were transported to Cape Canaveral Hospital. ( Flight extraction was considered. I thought I’d at least get a helicopter ride out of the situation!)


We met with the surgeon yesterday and the surgery was done last night. A nice clean break. A few screws and a plate and she was walking today with a walker!!! Anazing!

We are now stuck in Florida.......We live in Massachusetts


Bigger issue is getting home as she can’t sit for hours on end due to a concern for blood clots. We'll know more in the coming days.


The cruise line is treating us like royalty! Calling two or three times a day to see if we need anything. I’m sure they are concerned that we are going to rename the ship “Bertalotto of the Seas”

[Boolit_Head]

Icy deck, you can bet your boots they are worried. Besides that it's just the right thing to do to take care of you.

[Markbo]

Prayers up for your full recovery

[4719dave]

hope all you people get well ..ice on the deck ??

[trails4u]

bertalotto, did they send her to a physical therapist?? if not...they should have. there are any number of exercises your wife can do to reduce the chances of throwing a clot. That, and she should have been prescribed a daily aspirin (I think mine is 325). It might make for a long trip home....but with aspirin, frequent stops and proper exercises, she should be fairly safe from clots.

Prayers up for a quick recovery!!

[Bruntson]

Good Luck to you trails4U. I find reloading very relaxing and calming. Plan to slip down to the reloading room each time the wife leaves the house. It will be our secret....

[trails4u]

Bruntson, you are so right! I have to fight to find time for it during 'normal' life, so now that I know I can tackle the stairs, this is like a loading bench revival! I might need to order components..... :bigsmyl2:

[Markbo]

Damn Roy that's terrible! I am so sorry this hapoened at all let alone on a long planned vacation! I went through this with my ex - hers was early onset arthritis. As you probably already know the number one thing is rehab....work, work, work. Dont let her skip any or take it easy on home exercising either. It will pay off in the end.

You're in my prayers brother!
Mark

[Rustyleee]

My now late aunt told me one time that life was pretty good for the first 40 years. After that it's patch, patch, patch.

[Blackwater]

Hoping you heal well and quickly. A good friend just had some vein surgery and is fit to be tied with pain, so it CAN get worse. I'm about ready to call my surgeon again and get him to tell me what's the next surgery on my back, or my hips. Hope this doesn't mess up turkey season for me!

[bedbugbilly]

My folks both had hip replacements - my mother had two and I have a cousin who has gone through both being replaced, on clean out and then he had it replaced a few months ago for the second time. At 63, I'm glad I haven't inherited any of that but I have other problems so it all equals out I guess. As hard as it is, hang in there and follow what they tell you - you don't want to have gone through all you did only to screw it up. Better days are coming and keep thinking about those kids and the things you want to do with them when healed up! Take care of yourself and mend fast . . . just think of this as a experience to help you appreciate all the blessings you have and how fortunate you are to healing and on your feet again soon to enjoy the kids and family as well as your other activities. Take care and you'll gain ground everyday and soon be back "up to snuff" again! :-)

[bob208]

greatest torture device devised by man. a Thomas traction splint. I was in one for 3 months.when I did get home I spent a lot of time at the reloading bench. in fact I still have some cans of bullets I cast back then.

[trails4u]

Thankfully no casts, splints or other evil devices here...just Doctor's orders to not put more than 20% weight on it. Hard to do...particularly with things like showering, gettin' around in the kitchen, etc. It would almost be easier if it hurt.....not that I'm wishing for that!! Follow-up appt. on the 23rd....I'm hopeful he'll lift at least some of the restrictions...

Thanks to you all for the kind words!

Trails.

[bearcove]

Went to my post op appt today Doc said he needed me to get on the table so I got up walked over to the table sat down. "Wow! you're doing good" Told him they said I could put weight on it as tolerated, and I had stuff to do. He chuckled and said okay.

[shoot-n-lead]

I hope everyone recovers fast and back to 100%...just DO the therapy.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

Hey trails4you, im throwing a prayer your way, I have lived half my life (13-now,29) in pain, it sucks, but a year ago I found a great physical therapist and it has reduced my pain levels from a 10 to a 2-4 depending on the day. I go every other week and I can really tell when I miss an appointment. so I wish you a speedy recovery, and try not to go too crazy.
Travis

[trails4u]

Geez...I had no idea so many of us are 'broken'. :) Maybe we need 'Post Your Surgery' sticky...... :holysheep

[bearcove]

We could have our own sub forum...

[southpaw]

My first thought was to say something about having 3 kids and then needing hip surgery, but then I realized that I have 3 kids. So, I am going to let that one go.

I know a few people that have have some form of hip surgery and all wish they would have done it sooner. Here's hoping the best for you.:drinks:

Jerry Jr.

[trails4u]

Southpaw....I only wish I'd worn them out in such ways. :) Unfortunately, more a case of hard livin' and a few too many misguided years on dirt bikes!!

[RogerDat]

Always seems to be tough to balance "pushing" enough with home exercises, and being mobile enough to keep things from binding up vs. not overdoing it so you experience a bad set back.

Glad you found your way to the bench, hope for full recovery without any speed bumps. I would sit down and scooch on my butt down the stairs to avoid another bout of daytime television. For crying out loud, a "judge" show where the cases are all paternity related and the whole time the two parties are airing their dirty laundry and trashing each other the DNA test has already been run and paternity question is already known to the judge. Enough to make you want to see if you can find Rachel Maddow shows available online.

[popper]

Friend in KC just got both knees replaced. She said they didn't tell her how bad it would be. Get well soon.

[trapper9260]

I know how it is about the hip.I had broke my hip where I was working back in 2008 and they screw me back together and was laid up for some time and then about 2 years later the ball in my hip was die on me and one of the screws was rub the socket and need hip total replacement after and then almost 2 years later was put out of work because could not do the job I was doing. So I know how it is to what the OP is going through.I did 2 times and I was climb the walls just about at the time . It change the way of life for me now.But the man thing I able to still walk and adjust to what I do. Hope all will work out for you the OP and take it slow and give your self to heal.

[white eagle]

Had my hip resurfaced in 2008 6 mths after that I went to Idaho elk huntng
my hip was pain free for about 6 mths then the pain came back been living with it since
now I have severe osteoarthritis in all my joints,probably from being a mason for most of my life
having total knee replacement on 3-8 right side then the other side will be done as long as it doesn't
interfere with deer hunting
I know what you are feeling just be sure not to push to hard but push a bit
nothing good comes from over doing it even if the doc says its ok

[Blackwater]

Now that we're living longer, our joints just don't seem to last any longer than they used to, so .... we get the joint surgeries we have now. I for one am very grateful for them. Yeah, they hurt, but if the doc is good and we do our part, it leads to something "better," even if it can't make us 16 again. I've benefited from one surgery on my neck and two on my back, and I couldn't be happier with the results. It looks like I'm likely to need one more on my back and then the hips. I just hope my luck hasn't run out with the results! Every surgery, there's a chance we won't even make it off the table alive. It happens, even still, though the rate is lower than ever before.

There's always risk involved, and there's no way to eliminate it. Maybe one day we'll find a magic wand to wave over us and restore us to our teen years' status, but it sure hasn't made it here yet! Personally, I'm just happy to still BE here! And if I am never able to get around like I used to love to do, I have many, many memories of when I could, and that keeps me at least a little warm at night. This life was never meant to be trouble free. If it was, we'd NEVER learn or pay attention. So, we all try to soldier along and deal with what presents itself to be dealt with. Same old, same old, and I doubt that'll ever change. And if it DID, I suspect it'd be for the worse! I'll take what we've got, and learn to be happy with it, and appreciative for it.

[Boolit_Head]

For joint issues try that Condroitin/Glucosomine combination pills, they really work to increase the fluid and joint comfort.

[Markbo]

"Chondroitin and glucosamine is a combination product that has been used in alternative medicine as a possibly effective aid in treating osteoarthritis pain.
Other uses not proven with research have included treating rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, cataracts, glaucoma, bladder problems, heart disease, high cholesterol, or TMJ (temporomandibular joint disease).
It is not certain whether chondroitin and glucosamine is effective in treating any medical condition. Medicinal use of this product has not been approved by the FDA. Chondroitin and glucosamine should not be used in place of medication prescribed for you by your doctor.
Chondroitin and glucosamine is often sold as an herbal supplement. There are no regulated manufacturing standards in place for many herbal compounds and some marketed supplements have been found to be contaminated with toxic metals or other drugs. Herbal/health supplements should be purchased from a reliable source to minimize the risk of contamination."

This copied.from WebMD. Bold emphasis mine.

[ohiomadman]

Trails4u, did the doctors make you go though physical therapy first for your torn labrum?

I have had hip pain for years and finally got the VA to do a MRI and they said I have a torn labrum.

All they want to do for me is the P.T. but it is not helping. Just wondered if they had you try that first.