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On April 1st my left hip received the BHR from
Dr. Andy Engh in Alexandria, Virginia. Dr. Engh had mentioned your
website as a source of information for me during my Pre-Op visit. I
have enjoyed reading about the experiences of others and it has
helped me to understand the challenges associated with Hip
Resurfacing options. Now two weeks into Post-Op I am feeling better
each day. The swelling in my left leg is reduced, the bruise on my
left leg has almost disappreared and I am now on one crutch. I
stopped the vicodin after one week and I am pleased with Tylenol. My
discomfort is minimal and I am able to sleep through the night.
Formal PT ends soon and I am looking forward to the four week mark
when I can use a recumbent bike and return to work full time.
Before the surgery I was once a 7 handicap in golf, I enjoyed
cycling, running, playing squash, and traveling. When I began to
feel the affects of the osteoarthritis, I began taking ibuprofin
frequently. Eventually the pain would not subside and I had to give
up most of my activities. I went to see a surgeon about a THR and he
said my days of running were over and I would need to take meds
until I turned 60 and then he would do the THR operation. That was
more than 10 years away! By my 50th birthday last fall my lower back
and right knee were in great pain from carrying my weight and
compensating for the osteoarthritis in my left hip. And as a
Regional Marketing Representative for an insurance company my work
on the road with heavy travel became difficult.
In January 2010 my primary physician recommended an Endoscopy when I
was having a preventative colonoscopy done. The results of the
Endoscopy showed that the pain meds where eating away my esophagus.
He recommended I stop the meds and referred me to Dr. Engh for a
consult on my osteoarthritis. What a great relief this journey has
been. His staff has taken great care of me along the way and Dr.
Engh took the time to answer my many questions. On the day of the
surgery I went in with great confidence and had little fear. I had
even done the Virtual Hip Resurfacing surgery on www.edheads.org to
be prepared! Today just 14 days afterwards after the BHR I have no
chronic pain in my hip. The pain from surgery is not too bad and the
scar on my hip is healing quickly. But most important now is that I
continue to take it easy and heal. But I truly can't wait for my
renewed life ahead this summer when I can ride a bike, swing a golf
club and feel good again!
Sandy
June 17, 2010
It has now been almost 3 months since my left hip
was resurfaced by Dr. Andy Engh. I have no pain from the surgery. In
fact I do not take any pain medicines at all, which is not bad for a
50 year old! For the past month I have been able to use my recumbent
bike, eliptical machine and moderate weight lifting a couple of
times each week. When I feel any pain in the muscles of my left leg
I stop and rest.
When I take a flight of stairs I think about how much stronger my
left hip and leg feels than the days when I would dread this
activity. And it is amazing to me that I can once again cross my leg
to put on a sock! During work I am able to walk normally without a
limp and I no longer feel the sharp pain when I get out of the car
after a long drive of an hour or more. My air travel has been
slightly delayed by the "frisking" procedure I must endure briefly
after passing thru the metal detector at the airport. But I
cooperate and tell the TSA agent that I am used to this with my hip
replacement (it makes them go faster!). Next month I plan to return
to cycling on the paved paths near my home in Northern Virginia. I
will start low and try to build up my mileage. I am also beginning
to swing a golf club (chipping and low irons) to stretch my muscles.
I can't wait until I can play again. But I want to make sure that it
is safe to do these activities so I will again take it easy.
One of the major reasons I considered hip resurfacing was to avoid
the reactions my body had to the strong NSAID medicines I took for
the chronic pain. I took them until I had an endoscopy in January
2010 and the doctor said my esophagus was one of the worst he had
seen because it was full of ulcers. he recommended that I stop
taking the medicines immediately. On June 10th I had the procedure
performed again and the results were excellent. As the doctor told
me, "You are completely healed. Keep doing what you are doing!". I
encourage any one taking strong pain medicines to ask their
physician if an endoscopy should be done. It could have been much
worse for me if I did not evaluate my hip surgery options until
later.
Overall I am very pleased with my recovery thus far and Dr. Engh's
staff continues to check-in with me to see how I am doing. No
worries here!
Sandy
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