seenoweevil

That about sums it up, and the reason I've been away for awhile.
In July I started having some difficulty riding. I'd pulled a shoulder muscle and thought it might have affected my neck and some nerves too, so I didn't worry much about it until the first of August. The feeling finally manifested into a "cold" pain in the center of my chest under exertion, so I went to see the cardiologist. 99% blocked. I had the balloon treatment and that part of me is feeling fine.
My right hip has been giving me fits for a while too, and now it is finally affecting my riding. Well, that just won't do. I'm going in the morning to have an MRI to see what my options are. So please speak up, I'd really appreciate hearing how any of your hip replacements have gone, since I'm staring one in the face.

qcpmsame 

Weevil,
Hope the MRI can direct the docs to what ails your hip so it can be put right. Glad the angioplasty worked for you, maybe after the hip gets fixed you will be on your way to riding as much as you care to.

Bill

Bluetail

I'm now a year out from having had a total hip replacement, and it's as though nothing happened: not the osteoarthritis, pain, limited range of motion, back aches, etc. etc., that really limited my riding before the surgery. To celebrate five weeks post-op, I rode 8 miles (probably shouldn't have, but i felt that good). By April or May of this year, I could mount the bike normally--again--as if nothing bad had happened, as i no longer had to lay the bike down, step over the top bar & lift it up.

If you need THR, interview several surgeons; do your internet research & talk to patients who've had the procedure. Find one who only does hips & knees, and I strongly recommend the anterior procedure, which not only minimizes cutting muscle and blood loss, but also results in no limitations on range of motion. Many surgeons are still doing the lateral approach, but do your homework and find a surgeon/procedure combo that you're most comfortable with.

Bottom line? Just do it, get it behind you & you'll be amazed at how good you feel, and how--once you get over your very natural initial anxiety about 'what if i fall'--you will be riding more pain-free miles than you can imagine today.

Bill Walker

I had the angioplasty with a stent several years ago. After getting really serious about my diet last year and with the help of modern drugs my bad cholesterol is down to 80 or below. Luckily my joints seem to be hanging in there. I don't know much about hips but my father in law had both knees replace at the same time. He was a new man afterward.

Bill

Brew1

Had mine in November of 2010, was biking again on the trainer in mid January of 2011 (hadn't been able to ride for over 12 years). Was back at work in two weeks with one crutch. The pain slowly dissipates over about 1-1/2 years and now I don't notice it at all. I attribute most of the pain to tendons and ligaments being stretched like they haven't been before. I have over 2k miles on this year and last year I maybe put on 1500miles. Feels great.... Mine was the ZimmerMini (spl?) which is titanium with plastic joints that can be replaced if needed. The doctor said that the replacement of the plastic joints would be about an hour surgery.

twinrox

weevil. i had my right hip ("completely destroyed and collapsing" as the surgeon put it) replaced on June 28, one year to the day after my accident. On August 7 he gave me permission to ride and i now have ridden about 300 miles.

Louis

Dang, Karl, sorry to hear about all that. I'm pulling for you, pal.

MinnMan

I lost 6 months of riding to a mystery ailment that turned out to be ostearthritis in both hips (but it's worse on the right side). I saw the surgeon and I thought I was heaaded for a THR, but he refused to operate on me - he said I'm too young (51) and that the hip isn't bad enough. Hip replacements, he said, last 15-20 years and so if I have one now, odds are I'll need it again later. So what to do?

Then I discovered Tylenol. one dose (2 500 mg pills) and I'm good to ride. It doesn't eliminate the pain, but it works wonders.

So I'm riding again and very very happy about it. I guess my hips will slowly get worse and then they'll be willing to operate.

But now I'm a bit worried about the effect of the tylenol on my liver. After I did some reading about the dangees of tylenol, I pretty much stopped drinking (in combination, they are much worse than alone). Will I trash my liver in the process of delaying the surgery?

FreeFloat

IF he can find the parts!
But I'm guessing that the orthopods have a C&V section on their site, so ten years in the future should you need the new plastic joints a good doc that's keeping up will be able to locate some almost good as new components for you.