I had a follow up with the doctor on 1-24. This was the guy who did the actual surgery. He feels that I'm progressing along on schedule.

I asked for a script for PT, which he gave me.

Prior to surgery, back in September, I asked if I had the surgery done in the fall, (which ended up being November 28) if I'd be ready for umpiring my mid-April. Back then, he said that shouldn't be a problem.

In my last visit, he did make a point to remind me that hip surgery is a year long process for healing. So I think he did walk back his initial comments somewhat, but I'm sure that reminder gets conveyed to all his patients. While I'm not about to go running any marathons, I will need to do some amount of running. (Well, that's what I call it, anyway.)

The first PT session was Monday of this week. It was a lot of data gathering, history, and measurements for range of motion. The second session of the week go into a few exercises. Some were the same that I had been given by my home therapist. Some were new. I was told to stop doing one particular exercise where I lay on my back, non-operative leg bent up, and then raising the operative leg up. This was very difficult for a month after surgery, but over time, became easier. The therapist said they will give me something new a bit later that will be somewhat more challenging.

I did some mild squats with holding onto a table for support. Only a few, but the knees still complained a bit.

I was actually a bit sore on Tuesday which must have been just from the measurements of my range of motion. A bit of Tylenol took care of that.

I've been out in the neighborhood a little bit when we had some nicer weather. Today, we're back to 4 degrees with a wind chill of minus 4. I did run some errands Friday including food shopping and managed to get my steps to over 7400 which is my highest post-op.

PT will be twice a week for the next 5 weeks. One of my neighbors, an ex-Marine, tells me that any pain I might feel is weakness leaving my body. That sounds SO Marine-ish!

Jarheads! Pffft!

As important as it was, I always dreaded the measuring of range because the PT always forced it farther than I was ready to go.

Walk before running. :) A good walk allows similar mechanics and cardio with much less stress on the real and replaced joints.

Just a suggestion on something I mentioned to my PT. As an umpire, our movements are not always forward and reverse. we move laterally, sidling and cross-over steps, a lot. When I returned after my first replacement, I got hung up on a clump of dirt/mud and it was very painful.

I mentioned it to the PT after my second replacement and he had me do a few things that helped me become comfortable with lateral movement.

Good luck.

Those are the movements that most concern me. The sunny-day scenario of me walking on a flat surface is fine, but I need to account for those quick starts and stops and changes of direction.

Would your PT have a fit if you tried some slow Carioca? We used to do that as part of our form running for football and track...seems like a low-risk way to test your lateral movement/comfortablilty and get your hips moving.

I will ask. It does look like it could be helpful.

However, I'm not sure I'd be doing that 20 years ago with my hips in better shape than they are now!

I think your priority should center more on making sure you pick-up your feet instead of sliding them when moving in a lateral manner.

That old axiom that everybody puts their pants on the same way - one leg at a time? It doesn't really apply to people who have had hip surgery.

For me, it's been about a third of a leg at a time (on the operative side, anyway).

At one point, I got a bit absent-minded and tried putting my shorts on "the regular way" by lifting my leg up to the opening. I immediately got what I'd describe as an almost electric shock in my thigh. It was quite painful and for a short while I wasn't even able to lift my leg up. It eventually subsided to the point where I could walk around, but it was sore for about a day.

At my next PT session I mentioned it to the therapist. He thinks I aggravated my hip flexor muscle(s) which likely has some scar tissue. He did some massaging with a kind of rolling pin device up and down the thigh as well as some deep muscle manual massaging of the muscle just above the groin. He said I needed to continue to get some fresh blood into those areas to help the healing process.

I have been doing some other exercises with bands around either my ankles (for sidling) or knees (for sitting up without arm support). Also do a bit of recumbent biking for 5 or 6 minutes when I first get there. Then a few sets of leg pushes on a weight machine (feet up on a panel, then push back with knees and hips). I have a step exercise where I keep my right foot on a step, then step up and bring my left knee up high, then just step back again. The right foot stays on the step which will help to not aggravate the flexor muscle but strengthen the buttock.

I did ask about the carioca, and he knew what it was. He thinks that's too aggressive for me at this point. But I think I have some individual stationary exercises that might be considered part of the carioca regiment.

Yesterday he was doing some manual manipulation of my hip and thought I had made some good progress w/ ROM. So he went and got his measuring device and said I've gained over 10% in ROM. To me, it didn't seem all that impressive, but the therapist was quite pleased with it. He claims that will help with normal gait and future exercises.

So progress is being made. My knees still are problematic and sore after doing certain exercises. He wanted me to do an exercise yesterday, but I said I couldn't because the knee simply wouldn't cooperate. Too many parts wearing out! :(

I accepted my HS schedule over the weekend. My first game is scheduled for 4-11. That's almost 2 months to work on things and get more ROM and muscle strength.

After several weeks of PT, a month of March that was colder than the month of February, multiple snow storms in March, and still waiting for a few snow piles to melt, I did my first game yesterday.

My early schedule is all base assignments (by request).

While I've been doing some exercises at home to strengthen the hip/leg, being out on the field was the true test. I admit to being somewhat timid in my movements and did pass on doing some buttonhooking that I might otherwise have not had a problem with. Running was tentative and I never did go into a full out sprint.

Overall, I had some "tiredness" after the game, but so far this morning things seem pretty good. I still have some sensitivity on the outside of my thigh which can be a little sore. It's like having taken a pitch on an unprotected area that stays sore for several days. It seems to be slowly dissipating so I'm hopeful that more game action will further strengthen that area.

I took a couple of Tylenol before the game as a precaution.

Yesterday was a varsity game that ended up a mercy game. Today is a JV game that could have a similar result based on what I've heard from fellow officials that have worked the teams playing today.

Now it's day to day looking to "get back to normal".

new hip
 

I am sorry you have had so much trouble getting over this new hip. I got my new hip at 72. I did next to no P T, had very little pain and it all went very well. I will admit that my umpire days were over by then but, all things being equal, I don't think it would have been much a problem to umpire in a month to six weeks.

Please refer to the post I had early in this discussion.