ANTERIOR RIGHT HIP REPLACEMENT #3

It seems like just last week that I had the surgery, but 5 weeks later, this new hip is the real deal!  Literally, after each week, the significant progress is amazing.  I say that, because after the first hip replacement, (left hip), I know that I said the same thing, but the technology took a big step forward in the last year and a half.

The biggest item that I still have to conquer, is raising my right leg up to my chest.  I put on my first pair of socks on yesterday; they were loose socks, so I could stick my toes into them while they were on the floor, then hook my right heel on the bed, and finally pull them up!  It seemed liked the greatest day, being able to do that.  Then I was able to put on my boots; all I ever was able to do was to slide my feet into my D.A.W.G.’s, (kinda like the shoe “Crocodile”), and then I was able to slip into a Nike slide-in shoe, so boots, YEA Baby !!!  And, and I mean AND, i put on real clothes.  That’s hard to describe how that felt!  So that’s my humor, but honestly, that’s a short time to be able to almost reaching down to touch my toes post surgery. The uncomfortableness of sleeping in a certain position was, each night, regressing as time rolled on.  I really don’t have any restrictions anymore; you really don’t realize that progress, until one day you realized that I slept good, without shifting my body around!  Small things I know, but they turn into BIG turnarounds.  Back to the first line in above, I can raise my right leg, maybe 50-60%, but it is an effort, but the hip-flexor is gaining so much strength it won’t be long where I can get a range of motion to the same level as my left leg.  A lot of  8 inch step downs, S-L-O-W standing lunges, abductor/adductor movements, lateral (side hip) movements, leg extensions, and just moved up to step ups onto an 18 inch bench, YES!  I know, I know, such little things, but when you think that you used to be able to do that about a year or so ago, without pain, well that’s where the gratitude comes from.  In all honesty, this is the part that I love, is the rehab part, although I’m very happy that I have no more hips to replace!  It’s fun to see the progress, but also very gracious.  You have to persevere through a little ego thing, but we have to do this EVERY day, (2-4 exercises per day), to regain our strength, coordination, stability, and range of motion to walk correctly again.  We have to, otherwise we delay the progress that we went into the surgery for!

As I described some of the routine that I have been going through, I don’t push too much, you can’t.  Why destroy what the doctor just did?  You have to push, though, and appreciate the progress that you can actually feel, rather than pain. I’ll keep everyone updated; it’s been a really cool ride through all of this!