Hip Toe.....

[FasterHorses]

Season's Greetings to you all!!!

So, I had a left hip replacement surgery on 14 Nov., and it has been a week now and I am fairly mobile with the use of a walker. Cannot quite get in or out of bed yet on my own, mostly due to my Heineken 24 pack. I am not cleared to drive myself for another 3 weeks. But Faster Horses is still in the water as of today and we were able to thoroughly winterize our systems before my surgery. By now I know you are all wondering if there is a question to be asked, yes there is!!!
How long will it be before I can climb a ladder to board her and start preparations for a spring commission? I have gotten many responses to this question from people who don't sail, so I would like to hear from any sailors who have experienced this. I also know that the most common answer is going to be to follow your doctor's orders, and I will.
Due to my recovery timeframe,we will probably not launch until mid June, so my next question would be, what experiences have you sailors with hip replacements to speak or comment on? My obvious concerns are, not necessarily in this order but, manual anchor retrieval, heeling, boarding from the dinghy (we stay on a mooring), and climbing the swim ladder. I expect there will be questions as to my general health and physical condition.
I hope this post leads to a lengthy thread as I am going stir crazy not being able to drive myself the 10 minutes it takes to get to the marina and the boat is still in the water (stir crazy =thinking I would be able to climb over the life lines for starters…..)
I appreciate all responses......
Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

s/v Faster Horses

 

[JRacer]

Wife had both done last year about six months apart. She was off work for about 4-6 weeks with each then back FT but was using the walker/cane and dealing with stairs. Make SURE they do physical therapy on you. She did PT with one and did not with the other and the one she did not do PT gives her problems sometimes.

 

[FasterHorses]

JRacer,
Thanks for your quick responses! I was prepped for surgery with 12 sessions of PT, to increase my flexibility and muscle in the operable leg. Now I have a PT come to my house during the month between my surgery and my surgeon visit, they provide me with exercises that strengthen my legs, check my vitals and such. After my visit with surgeon, I understand that I will then go to PT on an outpatient basis. There I will inform them of my sailing activity with the hopes that they will formulate a plan to get me back into 'ship shape'
Thanks again and Happy Thanksgiving!!!
s/v Faster Horses

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

be aware- if using Medicare there is a monetary cap on PT. I got capped out last month on the PT for my injured back. It does start over in January

 

[Will Gilmore]

Season's greetings,
Sorry, I have no experience with hip replacements. I see by your boat registration you live in CT where there is an "off- season" for sailing. May you recover before losing any days you could be sailing.

I hope this post leads to a lengthy thread as I am going stir crazy not being able to drive myself the 10 minutes it takes to get to the marin

In the interest of lengthening this post, I want to compliment you on the originality of your boat's name and tell you how pretty I think she is. I can see why you are concerned about when you can get back to her.
I hope your surgery was very successful and you are able to relax and enjoy the holidays with family.
Happy thanks giving.
- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[BlowMeAway]

Season's greetings,
Sorry, I have no experience with hip replacements. I see by your boat registration you live in CT where there is an "off- season" for sailing. May you recover before losing any days you could be sailing.

In the interest of lengthening this post, I want to compliment you on the originality of your boat's name and tell you how pretty I think she is. I can see why you are concerned about when you can get back to her.
I hope your surgery was very successful and you are able to relax and enjoy the holidays with family.
Happy thanks giving.
- Will (Dragonfly)

DITTO! Yeah, can’t wait for my turn to have surgery for Spinal Stenosis. I can still climb a ladder. But have you ever seen a Slough move? Once on board these old bones move like a Jaguar.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

debating that sort of surgery myself- Nuero doc wants to fuse three vertabrae. Still looking at options

 

[Will Gilmore]

Nuero doc wants to fuse three vertabrae. Still looking at options

Just got back from a doctor visit where he commented that it use to be standard treatment for knee problems to remind cartilage from the knee. He chuckled and said, "now they know they caused more problems then they helped. " I'm thinking one day doctor's are going to say that about vertebrate fusions.
- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[BlowMeAway]

remind cartilage

Spell correct? Spell correct is my worst enema!

 

[31seahorse]

Hip Hip Hooray! Hello Faster Horses.
I offer the following account of my surgeries and the recovery from each. (1) Those who are considering hip replacement surgery should be in as fine physical shape as is possible for them. (2) Choose a surgeon and facility in whom/which you have confidence and trust. (3) I can only speak to my current surgeries, but by all accounts the "anterior approach" is the surgery that offers the best results. (4) First surgery (right hip) was performed July 1, 2015. I worked diligently at physical therapy at home and then at a nearby outpatient facility. At my 2 week checkup I carried my cane into the doctor's exam room. At 3 weeks we took our boat out on the upper Chesapeake Bay, and I performed the sail raising activities as usual. (5) Left hip surgery was performed February 27, 2017 by the same surgeon who performed the first hip surgery. My 2 week checkup was postponed due to the heavy snowstorm in early March. My wife and I attempted to use our tractor to plow the driveway, but the snow was too deep to move the tractor. (see photo attached) We walked to the tractor shed and back in knee deep snow. That is probably not recommended, and I have not shown the picture to the surgeon! (6) I have continued to be active at home and on the boat. (7) Finally, I am more comfortable and mobile on the boat now than I had been for 2 or 3 years prior to the surgery.

All that being said.....the Heineken counterbalance might be more of a problem than the hip joint itself. Consider your ability to move about the deck and up or down the ladder prior to the surgery. Muscle strength is critical in securing the hip joint and in maintaining your balance and safety on deck. On a 39 foot boat hauling the anchor will be a serious chore. That is why they sell anchor windlass equipment. Do whatever exercises that are prescribed by your therapist and your surgeon. By spring all should be healed well. Best Wishes from one who has had many of the same questions you have posed in your post.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

BIG problem is balance- I have had difficulties with that to the point of modifying my halyards-this sux

 

[NYSail]

Your recovery from this is dependent upon how good of shape you were in prior to surgery coupled with physical therapy post surgery.

 

[shemandr]

[QUOTE="Spell correct? Spell correct is my worst enema![/QUOTE]
Maybe it should be called Spell Incorrect?

 

[Will Gilmore]

Maybe it should be called Spell Incorrect?

I think it calls itself, 'Spill Collect'.
I use 'Swype' (swipe) oon (on) my phone and it always changes yippy(you) to toy, no no to yippy. I mean yippy, errr, 'you' to 'yippy.
It even changes words I get right to words I didn't mean. The problem is it does that after I've put a period on the sentence and moved on.
- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[FasterHorses]

HAPPY THNKSGIVING AMERICA!!!​

First I want to say that...... Our VFW Post ( not that I'm a member, for now just a friendly supporter/guest) is serving Bloody Mary's until noon for FREE!!! Gotta love America....
Now, if I may try to steer this thread back on course.....
I am 57 yrs. old, a former ski instructor at Killington Mountain Resort of 7 yrs., which may have exacerbated the arthritis in my hip. I am a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served our country climbing in and out of tanks. So I consider myself as being quite fit for my age prior to the degradation of the cartilage in my hip. We have just about everything needed in our home gym, from treadmill to free weights, to PT myself once cleared by my physician after outpatient care concludes. Oh, I may have overestimated my abs.... I buy a 24 pack of Heneiken for the boat for easy storage, but the Admiral says I am only carrying about a 12-18 pk. around my waist which will come off via my NordicTrack once I am cleared.... So it seems that the consensus is that, if I was in shape prior to surgery, am diligent in following post surgery orders, and start and follow a good regiment for strength recovery, I hope to be able to climb that ladder sometime by April, depending on how much snow we get..... Wish me luck!!! Now I intend to start planning a modification of our anchor locker, to incorporate a shelf for the windlass... Please feel free to follow me onto another thread,
Happy Thanksgiving To You All!!!
s/v Faster Horses

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

I think it calls itself, 'Spill Collect'.
I use 'Swype' (swipe) oon (on) my phone and it always changes yippy(you) to toy, no no to yippy. I mean yippy, errr, 'you' to 'yippy.
It even changes words I get right to words I didn't mean. The problem is it does that after I've put a period on the sentence and moved on.
- Will (Dragonfly)

On your phone? so turn it off. Go to "Usage-General-Keyboard-Auto correct", and turn it off

 

[Will Gilmore]

On your phone? so turn it off. Go to "Usage-General-Keyboard-Auto correct", and turn it off

Thanks Charlie. It seems to be getting worse so I will do that. Only thing is, then I won't have anything to blame my mistakes on. It'll just be ALL me.
- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Roadking Larry]

On auto-correct - many years ago I had a very annoying co-worker a real walking, talking rectum of a human being. Said co-worker also like to leave for the day without securing his computer. A number of us on the evening shift took it upon ourselves to "enhance" his spell check dictionary.

As to the hip replacement, There have been two women at the marina that have had it done. First one was going on two years ago, 2ndone was two weeks ago. 1st one is overjoyed with the results and enjoys sailing much more than pre-surgery.
I'm also interested in the OPs results because there is a possibility that due to the arthritis in my right hip I will be getting some custom work done myself.

 

[FasterHorses]

Roadking Larry,
It seems as this thread has sailed its course....
I have learned a few things from this procedure which is considered major surgery. First, you will know when your condition has gotten to the point where it can no longer be put off or ignored when you start to subconsciously avoid bending at the hip, like squatting to get into the dinghy from a dock. You cannot find a comfortable position at the helm, whether sitting or standing. Mostly though, it is the limp that your friends and family will notice much sooner than you will. I had asked the Admiral to take a video of my gait/stride unbeknownst to me so as to be able to see it in comparison to post surgery. I suggest anyone who thinks they may have arthritis in their hip to do so. I waited too long, not wanting to forego this past sailing sea sun with my new Nav toys, but no skiing this winter....
If you have any other questions regarding my results, I welcome you to PM me through this site.

 

[FasterHorses]

In the interest of lengthening this post, I want to compliment you on the originality of your boat's name and tell you how pretty I think she is. I can see why you are concerned about when you can get back to her.
Dragonfly,
Thank you for the compliment, the name came with the boat, which is originally out of Boston, Ma. The name is from a an old country song about wild women, whiskey, and Faster Horses as the story has it. She sails nicely, and although we have not mastered sailing this large a vessel, we invite you to Mystic, CT. for a sail with us !!!
Happy Holidays!!!