Yesterday marked the 4th week since my Hip Replacement Surgery. My last entry discussed my recovery and the feeling that I was rehabbing, not recovering. The distinction was clear to me: no more drugs, a desire to move about, an overall with-it feeling mentally and physically, and a need to rebuild my hip and leg. I was surprised but I had lost 10 pounds during the recovery phase - no beer or wine, and not a strong desire to do a lot of eating in general.
My routine consists of:
1. exercises
- core work (difficult to explain but the activities emphasize the deeper muscles of the stomach and the back)
- wall squats 3x15
- standing sideways to a wall, short squats with a ball pressed against the wall mid-thigh on the good leg with the foot off the ground - 3x10 (these are tough as my new hip is bearing all of my body weight and I do a mini-squat)
- clams - 3x15 - lying on my non-surgery side bent at the knees and move my left leg up as high as possible - this rebuilds the strap muscles on my atrophy-like left glute
- hallway controlled walks - delayed heel - toe steps emphasizing weight on my left leg.
2. daily walk - getting longer each day (or I try)
- started out small distances then progressed to about 1.5 km. Now walking to and fro the physiotherapist in my town. About 20 minutes each way.
- As I walk to ensure my posture and core is as tight as possible - 1 minute of this, then regular walking, then back to core work etc....
3. a lot of sitting around - not lying around!!
- I do gravity influenced stretches on the "new" hip while lying down
- sitting I do straight back exercises
4. pool workout (started yesterday)
- a series of exercises at 30 reps per
- 15 reps of walking the width of the pool
- the pool offers huge benefits as the friction combined with the subtle currents move the leg slightly that doubles the emphasis and stress (all good) on the hip and leg.
- I can kick straight legged with a swim board - no frog legged breast stroke kicks
I try to do all of the above everyday. The first pool exercise day knocked me flat - physically my stamina is improving, but it remains quite low.
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I believe I am quite far along on the whole rehab thing, according to my physiotherapist, home care worker and others. I was an athletic freak - not in any ultimate shape or prowess - who played almost anything. At one point in my mid-teens I was playing three sports at once - track and field, lacrosse, and football. This whole "investment" lasted for the next two decades - well into my thirties. Things wound down somewhat, but it resurged when opportunity came knocking in my mid-forties. Why is this related? I feel that my core, the basic make-up of my body allowed me to go into the surgery well prepared for recovery and rehab.
My future is such that the cartilage in my remaining good hip is apparently on its way, though at this point no issues or pain. And with my new hip, its life-span is about 15 years. I am now 50, so I am looking at another one at about 65 or so.... Who knows? By then there may be a magic technique that does not require it to be replaced. Then again, maybe not. The long and short of all this is I can expect 2 or 3 more hip operations in my lifetime should it go as long as I plan given the current techniques.
fin