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

[PegKauf]

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.

[Tampabay_97]

Thanks! Advice I would give to others is be as fit as you can going in,
your muscles will recover more easily, and don't wait too long. If you
wait until you literally can't walk to the bathroom you've let all those
surrounding muscles atrophy a bit and it will be harder.

[PegKauf]

At my age my biggest worry was
Dislocating my hip. So I have set low goals to give my hip and femur the time they needed to heal. My starting goals were increase steps 100/day. I celebrate every goal I make. I just finished waterproofing and staining my fence. This was my goal during the time our gym and pool were closed for maintenance. This weekend our goal is the bike a rail trail here in Connecticut. My husband and I have beautiful recumbent cat tykes.

Sent from my iPhone

[PegKauf]

The fitness app had exercises that needed to be done preop. They were hard because of all the pain, but I did them everyday.
What I like about the app is I’m a competitive person so I competed with myself everyday. Also there were exercises I could do in bed on nights I couldn’t sleep. I still do them 6 months later.

Sent from my iPhone

[Tampabay_97]

So cool. Yes there is almost no risk of dislocation with the anterior
method this no restrictions from day 1 but with other approaches I agree
that's a concern and from all I've heard revision is no fun

[Colinm39]

@PegKaufI'm 79 in a few months and my Anterior Hip Replacement has it's 3rd birthday tomorrow... I have had no issues and the aches and pains I get are age related stenosis of the lower spine..nothing to do with the hips. I'm thankful you are overcoming your cracked femur...

The Force App you're referring to is the "Force Patient" ?

I have a grease and oil change with my physio who works on my back and takes the "knots" out..  More importantly I have not had sciatic now for those 3 years..Because my left hip replacement was the result of no cartilage in that hip socket.  At times it would put pressure on the sciatic nerve and we only found that out when the surgeon was operating.

This table below was my typical recovery process - Australian Conditions.. I used 2 crutches, then the stick and I was driving at the 1-2 weeks

The surgeon wasn't pleased with my approach to the walking because I was surprised how easy it was and I had to ease back.. So I did water therapy for a few weeks... He blamed our Fitbit mentality for that.

---

@PegKauf wrote:
At my age my biggest worry was
Dislocating my hip. So I have set low goals to give my hip and femur the time they needed to heal. My starting goals were increase steps 100/day. I celebrate every goal I make. I just finished waterproofing and staining my fence. This was my goal during the time our gym and pool were closed for maintenance. This weekend our goal is the bike a rail trail here in Connecticut. My husband and I have beautiful recumbent cat tykes.

Sent from my iPhone

---

[Tampabay_97]

Great information and your fitness going into this plays a big part. I
never used crutches or a cane ditched the walker after day 4, overdid, sed
it again days 6 and 7 ditched for good thereafter

[Colinm39]

@Tampabay_97Yes, I agree, and I didn't need to pre-op exercise because the leg fitness was there.. Leading up to my hip replacement I had averaged 10,000 steps/day for the previous 4 years.

But one thing I stopped the next day... The medicos had me on opioids for pain....and never again... wow, the brain was in another world and they said your having them for pain... I  can't recall having a pain issue maybe that was just enough opioid to knock me out for a few hours..

---

@Tampabay_97 wrote:
Great information and your fitness going into this plays a big part. I
never used crutches or a cane ditched the walker after day 4, overdid, sed
it again days 6 and 7 ditched for good thereafter

---

[PegKauf]

Yes the app is Force Patient. I love it. It makes me do things even when I don’t feel like it.

Sent from my iPhone

[Tampabay_97]

No agreed. I took them a couple of days at night for bed then stopped

[DonMar]

13 weeks post op total right hip replacement. Just found my Fitbit after I misplaced it.  I gained about 7 lbs after surgery from the inactivity   I went to PT for 10 weeks.  Does anyone have any tips for walking. I get very tired after walking a bit. When does it get better. 

[DonMar]

13 weeks post op total right hip replacement. Just found my Fitbit after I misplaced it.  I gained about 7 lbs after surgery from the inactivity   I went to PT for 10 weeks.  Does anyone have any tips for walking. I get very tired after walking a bit. When does it get better. 

[PegKauf]

I’m 7months post op. I started 1week post op setting goals for walking. I started at 250 steps and increase it 250 each day. My doctor also gave me a PT app called Force. I faithfully do the exercises.

Set goals you can physically do and then increase your goal.

Good luck

Sent from my iPhone

[DonMar]

Thanks slow but steady. That’s what my doc said. I’ll try it.

Sent from my iPhone

[Tampabay_97]

So I was walking 9 days after Total Hip replacement. I think the key is to
build. If you can do half a mile before it aches, do that for 3 days then
increase by a few blocks then a few more etc. I am 4 weeks post op
now...almost 5 and I am up to 5 miles at a time on fairly flat ground. My
leg swells a bit after but I just ice it and move on.

[Colinm39]

@DonMarSlow and steady and increase a little each day..  Depending on what's causing your tiredness I have found walking around the sports ovals on a softer terrain is beneficial, you get more effort for less distance..

Also as I get older (80 next year) I find the large shopping malls can be detrimental to our legs.. With those very thick concrete floors it's like a jack hammer effect and micro slips on the tiled floors..

I'm 3 years post opp, so any walking is beneficial.. Using the tricks like walking from a parked car which you have parked further away from an entrance.  That's normally on bitumen which is easier on the legs and back, than concrete pavement.  I always walk briskly.. Just walked from the car park, down a shopping strip to the Post Office and back.. So Concrete, bitumen and a 3m (10') gradient one way, and 1km (5/8 mile).= and 1259 steps... Depending on your weather... But it's always a mindset thing...

So all of these small things add up to a gain.... I happen to live where I have 4 sports ovals between me and the shops  and an athletic track and 2 walk parks with gravel paths.. 

So part of the pre-opp is definitely getting your thinking around those little extra things we can do..

---

@DonMar wrote:
Thanks slow but steady. That’s what my doc said. I’ll try it.

Sent from my iPhone

---

[PegKauf]

Once my sutures we’re out I also started water walking in the pool. I’m 7 months out now and I still water walk for an hour 4x a week. Last weekend I rode my recumbent bike 3 miles for the first time in 3 years. Yesterday I did 8 miles. You have to give your body time to heal. If if hurt slow down

Sent from my iPhone

[ScottishWalker]

I am 49. I have had hip arthritis for about 15 years but it only got bad last year after a yoga class. I have dropped from easily walking 6 miles fast to basically going around the block with my small dog. Some days are bad and some are ok. I have scheduled a THR for January 2019. I am scared if I've made the right decision, if my on and off again pain warrants the surgery. I've opted for the anterior approach. I've lost 20lbs and hoping to get another 10 off before surgery. What can I do to stay confident in my decision and be in the best shape for the best outcome ? 

[Tampabay_97]

You are 100 percent making the right choice. Anterior is the way to go,
recovery is easy and your hip won't heal on its own....ever. so fix it
before you are so limited it affects your recovery. My surgery was 25 min
I and out and besr thing I ever did.

[ScottishWalker]

Thank you for the vote of confidence. I was thinking I should do it while I still have some muscle left in my leg! I can definitely feel them getting weaker and after a year of messing with hip injections and PT, this is probably the best course of action. I just need to be brave lol !

[katyog25]

Hi ScottishWalker I totally understand your concerns. I have only very positive things to say about my surgery. It was extremely complicated but was the best thing I ever did. I feel I have my life back. 7 months post surgery, I'm actually running again  (I never thought I'd ever be able to run). My best advice is to get strong before surgery and then start strengthening exercises as soon as you can. I started going to the gym3 times a week 4 weeks post surgery. I did A LOT of research in line so I knew exactly what muscles to target. I can only reiterate how it turned my life around for the better. I'm wishing you all the very best.