Beachgrad05

I am scheduled for surgery in about 3 months. I'm thankful that I'm still relatively functional tho with pain. The hip was causing untenable pain while cycling which was a big NO. I was involved in Motorcycle accident last October and the result was accelerated issues with my hip that I'd been managing by riding and meds.

I'm planning on riding up until surgery in fact I'm hoping to do a metric Century two days beforehand.

I was wondering if others who've had THR and were able to ride before surgery if that helped with keeping joint strong and aided recovery.

FBOATSB

Your post reminds me of the month I had to wait for spine surgery. While I was off work on disability, I did a brick paving job beside my garage about 8' by 38' because I knew I would be in no shape to do it afterwards if ever. I think the key is muscle tone and conditioning prior to the procedure. Worst thing would be to just lay down and wait as long as pain is managed. We all know how fast you lose ground if you do not keep it moving. Good luck with the hip and hammer through the physical therapy afterwards. Important for range of motion. I'm currently in "training" for a knee replacement

FBOATSB

By the way my ortho said cycling was as good or better than any physical therapy I could get in a clinical setting prior to a joint replacement.

Beachgrad05

My ortho was recommended by a fellow cyclist about my age who had hers done before I met her. Biggest issue for me has been my long commute (30 miles each way) 2.5 hours a day stuck sitting in one position and my job resulting in my sitting too much.

I've got an electronic sit/stand desk in the works to remedy the sitting at work too much. I also got word I'm getting transferred to office within 7 mikes of my home. I'm also changing positions slightly giving me better control over my day so I can stand and move more. I will be commuting by bike once I get my stuff there from current office. That should help me and assist with a bit of weight loss.

B. Carfree

If riding sixty miles as a commute is too far, can you manage doing half that? One can either drive halfway in and then ride the rest or drive in, leave the car overnight and ride home. The following day ride in and drive home.

Of course it's entirely possible that it's simply not feasible to ride where/when you need to (too many places fit that model), but keep an eye out. Traffic planners and engineers are waking up all over, albeit at a slow rate, to the need to accommodate active transportation.

Good luck with the hip replacement. My younger brother in law had a congenital hip defect. He waited until he was in non-stop debilitating pain (only in his mid-forties) to finally get it replaced. For a while he went back-and-forth between kicking himself for waiting so long (surgery was a huge success) and being thankful he waited until the state of the art was so well developed. He's in his fifties now and does week-long to month-long off-road bicycle races and also scouts out new routes for future events.

I'm counting on all the older Boomers to make sure there are lots of well-trained joint replacement surgeons and hardware ready when it's my turn.

Beachgrad05

It's too far time wise. I'm not fast enough and that 30 miles is freeway miles. Bike route is 37 miles. It would take me in excess of 2 hours each way by bike. I have a life. i work 9 hour days. I'm fully capable of riding 40 miles as long as pain is managed. Prior to my motorcycle accident I was riding Century rides regularly and had done one 2 months prior.

I do not feel safe leaving my car somewhere. It's just way to time intensive.

My hip issue is related to a congenital hip issue as well

FBOATSB

Glad to help, kid! The ortho group I'm going to is currently at 85 Docs and growing

rnothog

Had my left hip replaced in the summer of 2015 and the right one done this past January. I started riding 6 weeks post-op.

I definitely believe that cycling helped me prepare and rehab.

I ride motorcycles, too.

Beachgrad05

Sadly no more motorcycle for me. I was lucky to not be killed. I will keep everyone posted as I get closer to the big day. I start at new office on 18th and figure to commute by bike on the 21st

Beachgrad05

Hip replacement surgery was this past Monday. Spent 1 night in hospital and came home Tue afternoon. Was up walking with walker the afternoon on same day as surgery. Have home PT 3x week for three weeks. Sleeping has been tough since I don’t sleep on my back and can’t sleep on stomach. And not recommended to sleep on surgery side. Managing to get around house with walker, showering with help of shower chair. Raised toilet seat helps too. Ice packs provided by hospital allow for icing the swollen surgical side as the gave me enough gel packs to rotate them. Helps with pain mgmt.

alcjphil

Glad to hear all is going well. My experience 2 years ago was similar. My surgery was a Friday evening, so I wasn't up until the next morning, mine was done under a spinal so I couldn't move my legs for quite awhile afterwards. I was discharged on the Monday morning after I showed the nurses that I could walk a specified distance and negotiate stairs. They sent me home with a walker, but I never used it again after I got home although I used a cane for a couple of weeks. The day after I got home, the physical therapist rang my bell and I when I went to the door I was barely even limping. She seemed a bit taken aback that I was the patient standing in front of her not using any walking aids. I live alone and was able to fend for myself right away. After 2 weeks I was able to easily walk a couple of kilometers. I spent quite a fair amount of time taking walks. I only had a couple of weeks of in home therapy, after that I had to go to a rehab center for physio. Even though it wasn't recommended, I was able to drive fairly soon after surgery, luckily, my car was van like, so getting in and out was fairly easy. Pain was not a big problem, I had prescriptions for pain meds. The first time I needed a refill was just over a week after I got home and I was able to walk to and from the pharmacy, about a 1.5 km round trip.
I was back on my bike after 6 weeks

JanMM

Excellent!

Pridedog

I had my right hip replaced 10 weeks ago. What I learned is that everyone has a different experience and to celebrate the little victories. I did a preventatve exercise program given to me by the hospital for a month before surgery. Not sure how much it helped as I came out of surgery with strained ligaments in right knee, to go with right hip replacement. So I had to rehab knee along with hip, which provided some challenges.

At 6 weeks I rode a trike outdoors for 2 miles on flat terrain. At 8 weeks I was on 2 wheels. I was a little nervous about crashing. At 9 weeks I finally rode with cleated shoe on right foot. Currently at 20 miles a day and starting to find some hills. Still pretty slow but enjoying riding outside.

My suggestion is to take full advantage of therapy and celebrate the small victories and the big ones will come. My first victory that said there was hope was the day I was able to make a complete revolution with my right leg on the stationary bike.

Beachgrad05

Recovery is progressing nicely. Upgraded to using cane last week. This week not using cane around house and only taking with on outings to insure no falls/accidents. One more home PT visit Monday. Then supposed to be referred to outpatient PT.

I’m anxious to get on bike on trainer. I’m thinking of selling my Kurt Kinetic dumb trainer and getting Wahoo Kickr smart trainer (wheel off). I can get Zwift for another year at the lower rate.

rumrunn6

hang in there. any pool work?

Beachgrad05

Think I’m still prohibited from things like Jacuzzis and pools.

Wanderer

Good Luck, I found bicycling the best thing for a severely damaged knee.... I wish you all the luck and blessings in the world!

Beachgrad05

I put my bike on trainer last Monday. Managed 45 min and 7.7 miles on Zwift. Didn’t ride again until Friday and yesterday (Saturday). Both days managed just over an hour and 13.1 miles on Zwift. No ride today. Don’t want to overdo things.

I’ve ordered a Wahoo Kickr that should be here on Thursday. Will be selling my dumb trainer.

I’m going to use that to help me get both into shape and strengthen my hip. Plus training for AIDS LifeCycle 2018.

Wanderer

I was just wondering about how you were doing - keep it up!

PaddleFoot

Beachgrad05: that is so great you are doing well! Keep up your PT and stay safe. In Zwift, the easiest way to keep track of your current effort is to watch your average watt/KG by your name on the rider list. Much easier than watching watt output.

Retirement is pretty good on this side of the state line too, Wanderer!

Beachgrad05

I look st that and I’m a pathetic 1.0 watt/kg for most part. I’m also trying not to overdo things. Today I had to walk a bit at mall to pick up Apple TV as none of the handicap spots were available. I felt fatigued in hip. I had to sit and take a break.

Beachgrad05

Update: I got the Kickr and wow that is a difference getting to "feel" hills. I have resistance set at the lower end as I am not trying to hurt myself. I have managed 328 miles since surgery. I also managed 65 miles in one go which was painful for my tailbone and sitbones but not my hip. I have follow up with surgeon on jan 17 and I hope to be cleared to ride outdoors at that point. I have heard the typical time is 3 months post op. I am signed up for Tour de Palm Springs (century) ride on Feb 10. It is a flat ride but the wind can be horrible so "invisible hills".

Beachgrad05

I was cleared to ride outside late January. I have been riding outside typically 50 mile training rides on Saturdays. I did do the century in Palm Springs and I did OK tho not as fast as I had wanted. Zwift only prepares you for so much. There's no wind in Zwift. Plus I was riding alone on the century and having at least one buddy to ride with helps when fatigue is setting in.

canklecat

Sounds good, glad to know about your progress.

A friend who's in her 70s had knee and hip replacement surgeries since retiring a few years ago and hasn't fared as well, in part due to depression. She'd always been a positive person before, optimistic and pragmatic about almost everything. But I think she underestimated the recovery process and was discouraged by how difficult it was to resume tennis and other activities she enjoyed.

I tried to encourage her to get into some low impact aerobic exercise like spinning or bicycling, but she wasn't interested. I know it works for my depression -- I get more benefit from an hour on the bike than I ever did from anti-depressants years ago after setbacks from illnesses and injuries.

BobbyG

I had spent a year off my bike in 2010 due to a bulging disc in my neck. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to ride again. I made a full recovery, but I understand the whole emotion of rediscovering what you can do post recovery.

Your story makes me happy.