Just had hip replacement- any advice please
Comments
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Mikey23 wrote:@steel... happy to bud. Can you make it specific the type of info you require? Have you also looked at the other similar thread cos there is excellent advice there too!
Thanks Mikey, look into the other thread and emailed one of the posters Rob who was very helpful.
Just really wanted to know about recovery times and how long i would be off a bike and also driving.
Cheers0 -
I think the six week point is key. Most folks, me included, should be able to drive after the follow up visit to the fracture clinic and an ok from the specialist. I notified my insurers just to be on the safe side and they didnt require any additional evidence.
I think i could be back on the turbo trainer right now but am dragging my heels a bit. I would be ok for 10 minute doses at low resistence as long as i can lower myself on and have shoes already clipped in and stay as upright as possible. Must get started!0 -
Good luck Mikey am gearing myself up for committing to the operation0
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I may have posted further up, but had both done last year in March and May, back on the bike both times at 5 weeks, driving at 6, back playing squash at month 50
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Hi all again,
It's interesting to read each other's comments and thoughts as it really helps to gather in a range of information.
I have just passed Week 12 since the operation and accident. Highlights since my last posting are as follows;
* The NHS physio has given me the go ahead to begin crossing my legs again. He says pleased with my recovery. I believe the walking I did as soon as was possible has really helped. I also think the walking in the pool and the stretching in there once the scar had healed really helped. Latterly getting on the static bike has been beneficial as previously described.
* I'm also seeing a physio/ sports massage person at the gym and this has also been good. I have had work on both the hip and my right knee from him and this has loosened things . My right leg rotated outwards before the accident/ hip replacement and he has worked on the Itb and glutes. I chose him because of past work with hip replacement.
* Sunday marked exactly 12 weeks and quietly and on my own went out on the Road bike for the first time! It was a real challenge mentally to begin with as my confidence was low after the accident. Not the best morning as roads had some dampness. Very strange to begin with and I took it very gingerly. Slowly confidence returned. I headed home having ridden out some 11 miles. Legs told me about the ride despite my work on the bikes indoors. By the time I got home and had covered the 22 miles I was 'flowing' better. More rides on my own needed and my advice would be not to push it until you are ready and choose a decent day.
* I'm now sleeping on my good side regularly but still using a pillow between my legs for support to the hip. I catch myself turning over onto my bad side too, but stop myself!
* Getting my right sock on is slowly becoming easier! I am still too tired/ stiff so still ask my wife for help!
* I still notice new things that I can do. Tonight I noticed how walking up the stairs is becoming easier and I am ascending with both legs on most occasions.
* I use the gym studio which has mirrors to check my walking. Incredibly useful as I can see a slight lean to my right side so really concentrate on holding my core upright.
* At Week 12 its really important to work on the stretching. With this hard work I find my legs ache less and are less stiff.
*I had my bone density checked at end of Week 11 and still await results.
* At the density check my weight was checked. I asked for my weight and now know I've put on around half a stone so am working hard and have cut down on portion size and cake!
* I retain a positive outlook, am more determined to come back stronger. I continue to listen to my body, but do push myself at times. My private physio emphasised that there is still much going on beneath the surface. He described 6 months as the next big landmark and that a full year is needed for a full recovery. Time really is the healer.
As ever hope this is helpful, gives some encouragement and advice. Keep talking to the experts and others who have gone through the same thing. BW0 -
Yay, just done ten minutes on the turbo trainer. Low intensity, sitting upright and wearing trainers. A right olf faff getting on. Spent most of the afternoon working out how to safely get my leg over. Tried stqnding on a chair but this was too high. Eventually set up next to the stairs and used the bottom step to give me the height i needed. Onwards and upwards...0
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Welcome back to some cycling Mikey! It was interesting going out on the road bike on Sunday. No real problem getting on initially but harder later in the ride. Made me stop and think that still quite early. Ended up tipping the bike to remount.
The Watt bike has been great in the gym as no crossbar and can mount it that way.
Just be careful with the mounting,remember the danger of dislocation until Week 12 as you have done with your procedure to get on : - ) but enjoy that feeling of pedalling again!0 -
14 weeks in and first ride outside since the accident. Around 10 miles at 12.5 and coped all right. Have been doing loads of zwift with the help of caravan steps to get on and off. Gradually increasing the frequency and intensity and spending more time in the big ring and pushing uphill.
All the orthopaedic equipment has now gone back and i can at last put my own socks and shoes on. Back to work on phased return. Life is beginning to get back to normal...0 -
And it will get better and better. I currently walk around 15 miles to work along side 100 miles a week on the bike, this is 4 years after my hip replacement. Just listen to your body in the early days and things will fall into place nicely.0
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i'm not sure when i first regained the ability to stand on one leg and put a sock on, then stand on the other to complete the set, but every time i do it i still feel the sense of victory
my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny0 -
Advise???? How about doing what your DOCTOR says to do. Not someone on a forum.0
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Five months since operation and I thought I would post an update.
Firstly the whole thing now seems like a very very long time ago. Time really is a healer.
Physically I'm doing really well. I have put lots of work in on the Wattbike and this is paying dividends. My last two rides in the gym show that I'm putting out 51% on my left and 49% on the right ( the replacement side.).
Out on the road I would say that I'm getting back to pre-accident levels well up to the 35 mile mark. I need to build up my endurance now with longer rides for sure. This has partly been due to time being very busy at work recently.
On that note it's definitely better for me to do something physical everyday. I've perhaps neglected the walking (time) which I think is still important. However, I did do a 2 mile light jog/ brisk walk this week with no issues
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My confidence is returning steadily helped in no end by the purchase of a new bike! ( Orro Terra SE - a fantastic do it all bike which will serve me well when not using the carbon.) Mentally I no longer felt right on my old bike. The Terra will be a great winter bike too with the ability to have 28mm and wider rubber.
I have a decent sports massage every fortnight now- started at weekly and this is v beneficial. It has also addressed other issues with my right leg associated with two previous knee ops. My right foot no longer splays outward and I think recovery on the hip has certainly been helped.
I still know I have had a replacement as can still get stiff especially if sat too long at work. If tired I can still limp slightly and lean towards my right. Once again the walking addresses this.
In terms of stretching etc I am still being told not to really overdo this at this point.
I will return to hospital at the one year mark for a further check and to make sure the leg has not dropped.
The whole process has had some benefits for me. I'm very determined to get above the physical levels of before. The eight weeks off work gave me time to re- focus in other areas too - particularly with my work which I am enjoying. In hindsight one piece of advice I would give is to ensure a longer part time re- integration into work to enable to have proper time to walk etc.
If out there and reading this in the early stages hang in there. It does get better.
BW0 -
Hi dennisn. I wanted to get back to your comment re the Doctor. You don't say whether you are going through this or not. When you are like I was/ am I have found it really useful to hear the stories of others as you have no idea in terms of recovery. My post has been about sharing my experience in the hope that it will give others some notion of the pathway. You will note if you read my posts that I have always noted the importance of getting the advice of the specialists throughout as you indicated. Recovery is different for all. Recovery can also be a lonely process and there also wasn't huge amounts out there which was bike related.
My last post is to give encouragement to those in the process themselves because at the time you cannot always see a way forward and can think that you won't recover. There has been some positive feedback and others have shared their stories too.
I hope this clarifies.0 -
Molteni Man wrote:Hi dennisn. I wanted to get back to your comment re the Doctor. You don't say whether you are going through this or not. When you are like I was/ am I have found it really useful to hear the stories of others as you have no idea in terms of recovery. My post has been about sharing my experience in the hope that it will give others some notion of the pathway. You will note if you read my posts that I have always noted the importance of getting the advice of the specialists throughout as you indicated. Recovery is different for all. Recovery can also be a lonely process and there also wasn't huge amounts out there which was bike related.
My last post is to give encouragement to those in the process themselves because at the time you cannot always see a way forward and can think that you won't recover. There has been some positive feedback and others have shared their stories too.
I hope this clarifies.
Well, you did ask for advice. Advice is the word I didn't like. Hip replacement, broken legs, spinal surgery, etc., etc. is not something you ask for advice about from people on a forum. This is the territory of Doctors and people in the know about your own unique situation. Not someone with zero knowledge of your issues.0 -
Totally agreed re the importance of medical advice. This has been so important all along. My surgeon, NHS physio, doctor and other physio have all given important medical advice. Listening to your body is also vital. Advice can also refer to general tips, pointers etc and these have also been incredibly useful throughout. Two people at the gym have shared the things they did and the points they found helpful. The Forum allows a further chance to share and take in. Again, I'm not sure if you have experienced this, but it is incredibly helpful to hear from others who have experienced something like this and hear their ' journeys ' . It can give hope when one is not certain about how things progress. There are also non - medical matters such as letting your insurance company know re driving etc that I was not informed about so advice here is useful too.The post has I hope been a useful forum for all of this. Everyone has contributed in this positive ethos reading back through all posts. BW0
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In most cases doctors do not always have the knowledge to aid you with your recovery to previous fitness. When I had my Achilles repair by a very experienced Surgeon in this field. He was used to dealing with 20 year old rugby players not 60 year old rock climbing cyclists. So he could only advise me so far. You are better off finding a physio who has delt with your problem.dennisn wrote:Molteni Man wrote:Hi dennisn. I wanted to get back to your comment re the Doctor. You don't say whether you are going through this or not. When you are like I was/ am I have found it really useful to hear the stories of others as you have no idea in terms of recovery. My post has been about sharing my experience in the hope that it will give others some notion of the pathway. You will note if you read my posts that I have always noted the importance of getting the advice of the specialists throughout as you indicated. Recovery is different for all. Recovery can also be a lonely process and there also wasn't huge amounts out there which was bike related.
My last post is to give encouragement to those in the process themselves because at the time you cannot always see a way forward and can think that you won't recover. There has been some positive feedback and others have shared their stories too.
I hope this clarifies.
Well, you did ask for advice. Advice is the word I didn't like. Hip replacement, broken legs, spinal surgery, etc., etc. is not something you ask for advice about from people on a forum. This is the territory of Doctors and people in the know about your own unique situation. Not someone with zero knowledge of your issues.0 -
Anyone may use any "advice" they can get. Don't listen to your Doctor. Up to you. Just go out and hammer away and see if it holds together. If it doesn't have it done again. That's advice, although IMHO, really bad advice. As for "...doctors do not always have the knowledge to....". With surgery like that you'd better be prepared to not be able to get back to your ".. previous fitness..." level, EVER.Webboo wrote:
In most cases doctors do not always have the knowledge to aid you with your recovery to previous fitness. When I had my Achilles repair by a very experienced Surgeon in this field. He was used to dealing with 20 year old rugby players not 60 year old rock climbing cyclists. So he could only advise me so far. You are better off finding a physio who has delt with your problem.dennisn wrote:Molteni Man wrote:Hi dennisn. I wanted to get back to your comment re the Doctor. You don't say whether you are going through this or not. When you are like I was/ am I have found it really useful to hear the stories of others as you have no idea in terms of recovery. My post has been about sharing my experience in the hope that it will give others some notion of the pathway. You will note if you read my posts that I have always noted the importance of getting the advice of the specialists throughout as you indicated. Recovery is different for all. Recovery can also be a lonely process and there also wasn't huge amounts out there which was bike related.
My last post is to give encouragement to those in the process themselves because at the time you cannot always see a way forward and can think that you won't recover. There has been some positive feedback and others have shared their stories too.
I hope this clarifies.
Well, you did ask for advice. Advice is the word I didn't like. Hip replacement, broken legs, spinal surgery, etc., etc. is not something you ask for advice about from people on a forum. This is the territory of Doctors and people in the know about your own unique situation. Not someone with zero knowledge of your issues.0 -
Are you for real, be prepared to never get back to previous fitness. The glass is certainly half empty with you.
Having worked closely with the medical profession in Psychiatry for 30 plus years I can say with fair degree of certainty, Medics don't always have all the answers.0 -
There was a documentary series in the 1970s following a man from a plane crash, from which he emerged barely alive. They managed to get him back to "better than before" - cost the healthcare provider an absolute packet though. He was certainly stronger & faster than before though.
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Yes, I'm for real. The list of athletes who endure some sort of medical dilemma is countless. The number who never make it back to their "previous fitness" levels is also countless. Football players, cyclists, baseball players, tennis players, you name the sport and I'm sure their are plenty of guys and girls who " can't do it like they used to". The amount of injuries that force athletes to curtail or even quit the sport are countless. If you take a hard crash and the Doctors have to put you back together there's always a possibility that you may not even walk right again, let alone pedal a bike. You may work with whomever you want, but when you tear yourself up badly enough there may not be anyone in the world that can help you get back.Webboo wrote:Are you for real, be prepared to never get back to previous fitness. The glass is certainly half empty with you.
Having worked closely with the medical profession in Psychiatry for 30 plus years I can say with fair degree of certainty, Medics don't always have all the answers.0 -
Man Of Lard wrote:There was a documentary series in the 1970s following a man from a plane crash, from which he emerged barely alive. They managed to get him back to "better than before" - cost the healthcare provider an absolute packet though. He was certainly stronger & faster than before though.
This DOES NOT happen to everyone or even most people.0 -
And people call me a pessimist. I may have stop being so grumpy as you seem to be turning it in to an art form.dennisn wrote:
Yes, I'm for real. The list of athletes who endure some sort of medical dilemma is countless. The number who never make it back to their "previous fitness" levels is also countless. Football players, cyclists, baseball players, tennis players, you name the sport and I'm sure their are plenty of guys and girls who " can't do it like they used to". The amount of injuries that force athletes to curtail or even quit the sport are countless. If you take a hard crash and the Doctors have to put you back together there's always a possibility that you may not even walk right again, let alone pedal a bike. You may work with whomever you want, but when you tear yourself up badly enough there may not be anyone in the world that can help you get back.Webboo wrote:Are you for real, be prepared to never get back to previous fitness. The glass is certainly half empty with you.
Having worked closely with the medical profession in Psychiatry for 30 plus years I can say with fair degree of certainty, Medics don't always have all the answers. 0 -
Think about it. How many shots to the head do boxers have to take before they call it quits? Why do people retire from cycling after a bad injury? Have you never heard of a football or basketball player who couldn't continue his career after a knee injury? How about a good back injury that needs a plate inserted simply to keep you sort of pain free? Do you think for a minute that these athletes just decided to quit a sport they love? No, they quit because they couldn't get back to where they were. This happens all the time in BOTH amateur and pro sports. People get injured, they try to return to a level they were at, and it doesn't happen or can't happen. Oh sure, some catch a break and "get back". Depending on how bad the injury was.Webboo wrote:
And people call me a pessimist. I may have stop being so grumpy as you seem to be turning it in to an art form.dennisn wrote:
Yes, I'm for real. The list of athletes who endure some sort of medical dilemma is countless. The number who never make it back to their "previous fitness" levels is also countless. Football players, cyclists, baseball players, tennis players, you name the sport and I'm sure their are plenty of guys and girls who " can't do it like they used to". The amount of injuries that force athletes to curtail or even quit the sport are countless. If you take a hard crash and the Doctors have to put you back together there's always a possibility that you may not even walk right again, let alone pedal a bike. You may work with whomever you want, but when you tear yourself up badly enough there may not be anyone in the world that can help you get back.Webboo wrote:Are you for real, be prepared to never get back to previous fitness. The glass is certainly half empty with you.
Having worked closely with the medical profession in Psychiatry for 30 plus years I can say with fair degree of certainty, Medics don't always have all the answers.0 -
Maybe you need to get the moderators to remove the health bit from these threads. So that no one gives injury advice because clearly in your world once you are injured you are f**ked for life.
Enjoy your day.0 -
dennisn wrote:Webboo wrote:Maybe you need to get the moderators to remove the health bit from these threads. So that no one gives injury advice because clearly in your world once you are injured you are f**ked for life.
Enjoy your day.
Now you're getting just lame with your replies.
Totally agree listen to your doctor, but my hip injury doesn't affect my bike riding it affects me walking and functioning whilst off the bike, so i don't see any reason once the injury has healed that i can't ride to my current fitness.
I also understand that the problem with after the intial op that its the damage the surgeon makes to the muscle that causes complications to sitting down putting on socks etc0 -
Actually I'm not lame at all as I made a full recovery from my Achilles rupture.dennisn wrote:Webboo wrote:Maybe you need to get the moderators to remove the health bit from these threads. So that no one gives injury advice because clearly in your world once you are injured you are f**ked for life.
Enjoy your day.
Now you're getting just lame with your replies. 0 -
Well in order to get advice from my doctor then I'd have to wait for four weeks so practically no thanks. Best advice is to read the Readers Digest Home Health Manual (1961) it is perfect....take your pickelf on your holibobs....
jeez :roll:0
