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Post oper rt total hip replacement and my recovery using my Surge

I have had a Fitbit for several years and have found it very motivational.   But 4th of July weekend 2015 I realized there was something going on with my health.  At 11PM I was getting ready for bed but just didn’t feel right.   I checked my Fitbit Surge and notice my heart rate was racing then dropping , then racing again.  Told my husband something was wrong.  We went to our local emergency room and I was having a heart attach.  I had a typical female heart attach, no chest pain.  Because I listened to my body and my Fitbit I had no heart damage and was discharged home in 2 days.  

Now my new journey is I needed a total hip replacement.  On January 3rd I had surgery and since that day I have used my Fitbit to increase my activity by 250 steps a day.  3 weeks post open I have been discharged from Physical Therapy because I’m at the point most patients are at month 3.  I have lost 10% of my body fat.  3 weeks post oper I have no pain.  I have found the best health tool I have to keep me moving at 73 years old.  My goal to ride my Cattrike by Spring from Connecticut to Massachusetts.

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So glad to hear of your recovery. I'm scheduled for a total hip replacement next Wed. Before my hip got really bad, I was going to the gym everyday. Spinning, cardiosculpt, treadmill. I'm really limiting what I do at the gym now and I hate not being sweaty!! I know I'll be back in short order, but it is frustrating. I was glad to hear of you quick return to normal. I've been doing upper body weights 3x a week and I'm still walking outside and on the treadmill. Hopefully, I will bounce back as quickly as you did.

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One other thing my surgeon recommended to help recovery was the app Force. It gave me exercises to do prior to surgery and a lot of exercises post oper. It also had videos to do them correctly. University of Connecticut Health is concerning developing their own PT app and I have volunteered to help as a patient.
Good luck with your surgery. Get out of bed and walk. I started with 100 steps the day of surgery and increased by 250 steps each day.

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Thanks for the info.

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@aaronteachI wish you well on Wednesday.. What type of hip replacement are you having..?

 

I had a minimal invasion THR which left me with a incision in the groin.. I was surprised how well I was afterwards.. Smiley Happymaybe the effects of the anesthetic because i had never had an op before.. I had to use elbow crutches to start but mainly for balance..

 

The day after the op I had to walk the length of the hospital corridor and back a few times a day..

 

Again I stress this type of operation allows you to do that...

 

All the best from Melbourne...

 

 

 

 

 

Colin:Victoria, Australia
Ionic (OS 4.2.1, 27.72.1.15), Android App 3.45.1, Premium, Phone Sony Xperia XA2, Android 9.0
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@PegKauf that is amazing. I think a lot of folks would benefit from reading your story. I think sometimes people hide behind their age or their physical limitations- good for you for being advocate for both. @aaronteach wishing you a speedy recovery!

Elena | Pennsylvania

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Thanks so much

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@PegKauf  You will find your recovery amazing..and great inspirational posts.  My surgeon worried that we Fitbit users can get  too competitive with ourselves.. but we had a goal and we achieved that.. 

 

I had my THR when I was 75, now 78... and I have just looked back at my step count over the post op period because I experienced the exact positives as you have described. I had to ease back because I had done the exercises beforehand and had no discomfort afterwards and was surprised at how effortless it was to walk..

 

No pain, walking productively, and because it was my left hip and the cars here are right hand steering and braking I was doing all the normal things, only days after the op..

 

I was using a Surge then, and my only concern was my RHR went up to 74 and took 6 weeks to get back to normal 52-54.. Surgeon wasn't worried about that, just my body reacting to the op..

 

The plus with my op I found that my years of sciatic pain was the hip bone resting on the nerve..

 

Finally I was amazed at not having pain killers.. They gave me those opiate type pills next day based on other patient experience.. Wow, what they did do my head.. into another world.. I refused to take those because I found I didn't need them..  I can only presume you went through the same thing..

 

All the best in your recovery..

 

 

 

Colin:Victoria, Australia
Ionic (OS 4.2.1, 27.72.1.15), Android App 3.45.1, Premium, Phone Sony Xperia XA2, Android 9.0
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Wow, that’s amazing!! I’ve just had a hip replacement 2 days ago , I’m 53yrs of age and must say, really frustrated!! I hadn’t figured the pain would be SO BAD!! I’m determined to use my Fitbit to do xtra steps daily 

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Set an attainable goal and increase it everyday you can. I also had a app my ortho dr gave me to motivate me to do exercises. When I couldn’t sleep I would do my laying down exercises. Keep your chin up and move even 100 steps is good.


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I am about a month out from surgery. Went to physical therapy 4 x, then they dismissed me. I have to say that I'm a gym rat, go every day, 12-15000 steps a day, etc.  I've been back at the gym, doing mild spin classes, treadmill. Virtually no pain from hip, but now my back is killing me. Internet says that could be ligaments attaching to pelvis, adjusting my new gait versus old painful one, or one leg could be slightly longer than the other. Hmmm, don't know, but will give it another seek or so, then will have to do something.

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My back hurts the last week or two. One thing my surgeon taught me is if it hurts stop, slow it down. Try swimming or water walking. I’m 7 weeks post op and ready to get into the pool. I think my trying to walk without my cane is causing my back pain. My hip isn’t ready to take full weight of my body. The head of my femur cracked when he was drilling it for my replacement ball. I’m 72 years old and now realize I have to let my body heal.

Push but don’t push too hard.
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On thing I found out was, a few weeks after the op I started to get awkward back pain.. I already have L3/L5 stenosis issues but this was different.

 

My Hip replacement was caused by having no cartilage in my left hip. The resulting wasting of the thigh muscles and the sciatica made me aware I could be having atrophy of that thigh.. Xrays showed the issue and osteo growth had prevented me having a dislocated hip. The surgeon found that my years of sciatic pain was caused by the hip bone was resting on the sciatic nerve. He was surprised that for the years leading up to the op I had been averaging my 10,000 steps/day which included a 45 minute planned walk. Amazing how the body adjusts, and the growth on the outside of the hip based on his experience was about 10 years in the making.. Amazing..

 

I was born with one leg longer or shorter Smiley Happy which ever way you look at it and one extra rib on the short leg side.

 

In rehabilitation in their wisdom they set me up with shoe inserts to bring the leg length the same.

 

That was the problem, and with excellent interface with my physio whom I have used for years we established because I had been walking with the leg differences for 70+ years of my life, my bone structure was reacting to the inserts so we gradually reduced the insert height back to no inserts..

 

It's now 2.5 years since we reverted to no inserts and I have had no issues. I wear New Balance black walking shoes for everything and need to buy those at regular intervals because they don't wear out, they just break down.. I have 4 pair of which I rotate and buy in bulk when they are on sale.

 

This link is about life of our walking shoes

 

@PegKaufI was into water walking as part of my rehab and that helped immensely which include exercises holding onto the side of the wellness pool....Floating was a wonderful relaxing experience...

 


@PegKaufwrote:
My back hurts the last week or two. One thing my surgeon taught me is if it hurts stop, slow it down. Try swimming or water walking. I’m 7 weeks post op and ready to get into the pool. I think my trying to walk without my cane is causing my back pain. My hip isn’t ready to take full weight of my body. The head of my femur cracked when he was drilling it for my replacement ball. I’m 72 years old and now realize I have to let my body heal.

Push but don’t push too hard.
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Colin:Victoria, Australia
Ionic (OS 4.2.1, 27.72.1.15), Android App 3.45.1, Premium, Phone Sony Xperia XA2, Android 9.0
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45 years ago I was hit by a car in front of the VA Hospital I worked at. I Fx my rt femur. I had a nonunion for 3 years due to osteomyelitis. I ended up with my
Rt leg 2” shorter than my left. That might be causing my back pain but I’m pretty sure it’s caused by my hip just isn’t ready to take full weight bearing yet. Doing exercises to strengthen my hip. Good luck in your recovery

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@PegKaufPhew... what trauma you went through then... .. my leg was only 5/8" difference but enough to walk with what looked like a limp.. and cause odd issues after my OP. I'm a rapid walker..

 

I have no issues with the hip now, our only concern is the lower back. I had an MRI recently for that, my physio looked at it, and whether it was a backhanded compliment I'm not sure.. He studied the report and the scan and said, "I have clients who can't walk with a back like yours"... He qualified that by saying,  "you have a solid bone structure and that's helping to keep the nerves in control..

 

Touching my toes relieves me of any lower back pain.. and my Physio doesn't want me lifting more than 7 lb (3kg) as a balanced load from each hand and tighten the core.. He gives me traction every few months.  I do all of the shopping.

 

My GP's reaction was... "You have no symptoms of what the MRI shows, back operations are dangerous, at 78 go out and enjoy yourself.."   Just had my annual checkup and all OK..

 

Growing older has it's challenges as we are finding out. All the best with your recovery..

 


@PegKaufwrote:

45 years ago I was hit by a car in front of the VA Hospital I worked at. I Fx my rt femur. I had a nonunion for 3 years due to osteomyelitis. I ended up with my
Rt leg 2” shorter than my left. That might be causing my back pain but I’m pretty sure it’s caused by my hip just isn’t ready to take full weight bearing yet. Doing exercises to strengthen my hip. Good luck in your recovery


 

 

Colin:Victoria, Australia
Ionic (OS 4.2.1, 27.72.1.15), Android App 3.45.1, Premium, Phone Sony Xperia XA2, Android 9.0
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Thank you so much for the advice , I will use it

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So, I just had my hip replaced using the anterior method.  I was off the walker for good in maybe 6 days (okay okay I overdid it on the first 3 days home and paid for that by being back on the walker for a few days.  I am exactly 3 weeks post op and I am waking 10,000 steps a day.  What I would say is that you will definitely not be back to "normal" in 4 weeks.  there is a LOT of swelling that takes place in your leg, around the surgical site, etc.  I was super fit, with thin thighs, so I was what they call a super easy one.  I still had lots of swelling, the incision still aches just a little now and again, and the muscles in your leg get very very stretched out and therefore are extremely cranky for a while afterward.  Mine still hurt to the point where I can't take a knee yet (only because of my thigh muscles...my hip feels fine) so be prepared.  But I highly recommend if you have a really qualified surgeon.  I did and it's a must!

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I’m 72 years old. Had my rt hip replacement 6 months ago. My surgeon uses a online app for Home physical therapy. I love the app. I have exercises I can do in bed 2-3 times a night. I used ice packs in the evening my upper leg would swell. Once my sutures we’re out I started water walking 5000-6000 steps. I also do my exercises in the pool too. Last week I finally rode my recumbent bike.
The online app is Force it’s great with videos and progressive exercises.

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Very cool. I was allowed in home PT 3 times a week and at 3 weeks post op
will get 70,000 steps in this week.
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Wow!!! That’s amazing!!! I’m about 4 months after surgery, managing average 10,000 steps daily. Had a set back recently after swimming in very rough sea, couldn’t get up quick enough and badly jarred hip!!! Doing gym work out * 3 weekly and spin class *2 weekly so getting there slowly. Good luck with your recovery.

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