Hip replacement 1-31-2013 Colorado Springs

[Tye 1on]

fkna i thought it was all dentists here!

great thread, jackson's been seeing a number of top-shelf alpinists getting hips earlier than one would expect. Great outcomes from what i've heard.

[jellero]

what do you mean, people getting new hips just to ski better?
i'm ready to ski after 7 weeks now but there are way too many people telling me to wait... i can walk better and farther than in years, zero hip pain, limp is gone. amazing stuff they can do. j

[Shredhead]

I’m six weeks post op today. I can walk without a cane, but I still have a limp. Doc told me my procedure took longer because I was very muscular and had very dense bones.
He actually chipped a bone in my hip. This has added to my pain and probably put me a couple of weeks behind schedule.
PT’s gone very well and I’m back in the pool 4-5 days a week. I couldn’t find any hydro therapy in my area, so I’m taking an aquafit class with a bunch of old ladies at the local park district.
It’s kind of embarrassing, but I think it helps the most and I feel really good when I leave.
I’m back on the bike almost every day, but it’s been icy here, so I’m taking it real easy. Might ski Aspen Mountains last weekend, probably just groomers if conditions are really good.

[jellero]

i was told today i could do anything i want except run, even kick over my motorcycle for the first time after 3 years.
i had anterior approach.

[jellero]

the surgeon told me no more restrictions, said i can kick over my motorcycle (HD), whatever. i cancelled PT because she messed up my back really bad second day. she started working on me before looking at MRI of spine and i have 4 bulging discs, next project. hip is no problem though, no pain. j

[Shredhead]

Seven weeks post op yesterday. Today was my last PT session. My insurance will only pay for 20 sessions/year and I used 10. Saving 10 just in case I do my knee.
Still limp a little, but mostly happy with the outcome so far.

I checked out my account online and it's about $80k billed so far without discounts. My companies health insurance renewal came back at +30% today.
I guess they plan on getting it back right away and then some. Small business ACA's delayed till 2015, so I'm sure it will go up again next year.

[jellero]

what did they do in PT? this woman really overdid it in my case. i'm hurting still after two weeks from her. i want to ski badly but the weather is not very good now anyway. still no pain from hip and it is so smooth. j

[Shredhead]

I did a lot of balance moves on the Fitter wobble board and Bosu ball. Lot's of exercises with therabands, like monster walks.
One legged squats to pick up cones or touche something real low.

[jellero]

the pt i was with really did a number on my back second day, set me back a month so i stopped that bs. had an epidural yesterday so for a few months the back should be painless. otherwise, my hip is working great, no issues. took a bike ride today with dog, kicked over and started my motorcycle with no pain. it used to make me scream to kick it. talk about pt. j

[Bodad]

Very first post on TGR (lurker till now). You got a great attitude Jellero. Sorry about the crash it sounds like it was a nasty one. I'm 46, had a total hip replacement at the VA in SLC about 3 years age after snapping my hip in a rough parachute landing a few years (and 2 surgerys) prior while in the Army. Glad you can get your HD started, I kick mine over with my thumb (09 Springer). I also ride dirtbikes and that was more of a challenge for me after surgery due to the higher seat but I still ride offroad and occasional motocross track. I too feel alot better with a prosthetic hip than I did prior to surgery.

Been sking about twice a week this season at Alta, usally ski one day a weekend with my 10 year old on the groomers then go back on Monday (my day off) to ski the rest of the mountain. Well at least that was what I was doing till about 3 weeks age when I tore my ACL (had recon surgery about a week ago, same leg as my hip) and I'm laid up again (checking in with the "ACL class of 2013" thread after this). Had nothing to do with my hip though just caught an edge or something, dont really know or really care what tripped me up, just part of the game.

But I can relate on how anxious you are to get back to skiing, we have had a few storms move through the area in the last few weeks and I can see the snow covered peaks of the Wasatch range from my windows and its killing me. Blue skys today, I'm sure its bluebird at Alta today, but I'm sitting on the sidelines again too. Doc says I will be able to mountain bike in a month or so and skiing again next season at 100%. But wont make it back to the lifts this season...but I am wondering if the snow sticks around into May if I will be able to venture into a little short easy backcountry skiing before it is compleatly gone.

P.S. how about posting a picture of the HD, if your kicking it over it's a classic.

[jellero]

Very first post on TGR (lurker till now). You got a great attitude Jellero. Sorry about the crash it sounds like it was a nasty one. I'm 46, had a total hip replacement at the VA in SLC about 3 years age after snapping my hip in a rough parachute landing a few years (and 2 surgerys) prior while in the Army. Glad you can get your HD started, I kick mine over with my thumb (09 Springer). I also ride dirtbikes and that was more of a challenge for me after surgery due to the higher seat but I still ride offroad and occasional motocross track. I too feel alot better with a prosthetic hip than I did prior to surgery.

Been sking about twice a week this season at Alta, usally ski one day a weekend with my 10 year old on the groomers then go back on Monday (my day off) to ski the rest of the mountain. Well at least that was what I was doing till about 3 weeks age when I tore my ACL (had recon surgery about a week ago, same leg as my hip) and I'm laid up again (checking in with the "ACL class of 2013" thread after this). Had nothing to do with my hip though just caught an edge or something, dont really know or really care what tripped me up, just part of the game.

But I can relate on how anxious you are to get back to skiing, we have had a few storms move through the area in the last few weeks and I can see the snow covered peaks of the Wasatch range from my windows and its killing me. Blue skys today, I'm sure its bluebird at Alta today, but I'm sitting on the sidelines again too. Doc says I will be able to mountain bike in a month or so and skiing again next season at 100%. But wont make it back to the lifts this season...but I am wondering if the snow sticks around into May if I will be able to venture into a little short easy backcountry skiing before it is compleatly gone.

P.S. how about posting a picture of the HD, if your kicking it over it's a classic.

o.k., 1961 FL. i've had this bike 39 years, since i was a kid... no wonder my hip was shot. j

[half-fast]

Had my right hip done yesterday. Anterior. My quad is real sore, but that's it for now. Hope to get out of hospital tomorrow

[jellero]

congratulations. don't be in a rush to leave... i wish i'd worked the hospital for another day or two.
does the pain surprise you?? j

[jellero]

oops double

[half-fast]

I actually thought I'd have more pain, but of a different type, if that makes any sense

[freeheeljay]

Still experiencing some stiffness and the hip isn't as strong as it should be, but it sure was nice to be back on snow again!

[Shredhead]

^^^
Good for you dude!

I went in for a 2nd opinion on my hip bone chip, because it's still giving me a little pain. Apparently it's a more common complication with the anterior approach.

Almost 12 weeks and going strong. I'm sure I could do almost anything, just don't want to fall.

[jellero]

nice jay. i wish i'd gone up for one day at the area. my docs seemed concerned that i might fall skiing, which never happens, yet riding a bike was a great idea... i was riding yesterday with my dog at a pretty good speed going around the lake here and got clotheslined by some kids heavy fishing line right on my neck. i hit the brakes, wrapped the line around my hand to try and break it. just imagine a lure ripping across your neck, carotid artery and all. didn't fall though and avoided the lure. then the mother yells at me for saying WTF is going on in front of her darling child. i'll take the mountains any day to people and man made crap. anyway, i can ride that bike like the wind compared to the last several years. i was riding with
1 1/2 leg before. keep these new hips moving guys... j

[freeheeljay]

Conditions were perfect to try a few turns. It's amazing how much better the new hip feels!

[jellero]

"better?" my hip is about the only thing i have that doesn't hurt. i have been hauling horse manure for the garden, shovel to wheelbarrow, then around the garage to the garden. then raking it out and roto-tilling in, planting. i could barely plant last year. couldn't bend over to weed very well, no new manure and anything of value in the soil blows away over the winter. so it's back to normal++ as far as the garden goes, plus i'm building a greenhouse. i have never enjoyed moving manure so much. j

[Shredhead]

I took my first SL run behind the boat this weekend. I was a little tentative on my cuts and thus hit the wake with a flatter ski than I would have liked. This caused a little pain, but not too much and I'm glad I went.

[jellero]

i water ski anymore and can't walk for a week. i spent every summer of my life until the last few on the lake(s) a couple hundred miles north of you shred.
my back just keeps getting worse since march, anyone else have all this hip activity cause back pain? pt twice a week now, considering surgery again... maybe i've been overdoing it, dunno. j

[Shredhead]

I crashed my bike on Monday, four months to the day after surgery. Landed smack dab on my hip! Still hurts, but I think I lucked out.

Bummer about the pain. You should try yoga. My best buds a rippin skier and he used to have BP. Swears child's pose and a strong core cured it.
Plus the scenery in the ashram's in Aspen is unbelievable.

Good Luck!

[jellero]

didn't they tell you to take off some time from crashing?
turns out with me the doc changed my thyroid meds/dose in april, then left for a month a few weeks ago. my thyroid level went way low, then i increased dose after blood work and it went way up which causes expansion and contraction of joints like being on the "rack". i switched back to my old dose and meds that at least worked correctly. just stopping the thyroid meds for two days cut out about 80% of the pain. j

[Shredhead]

5 1/3 months post op. Been riding the shit out of my bike, 200miles/week. Yesterday was the best day on the water so far this year, until I pulled my hamstring on a slalom start.
It really hurts. Appointment with the Ortho Wednesday. Getting old sucks.