8 weeks post op - diet update and some ramblings.......

so after 3 weeks back to work, normality and a high protein low carb diet - im pleased to report ive dropped 9 lbs :) - which has been tough as i really cant do much exercise in its strictest sense - if i could have approached this and combined it with some high intensity cardio intervals etc i would have dropped double - so this week i will go back to a more normal diet split 30% protein 50% carbs and 20% fat aiming for around 1800 kcals a day cycling lower and higher kcal days - aiming to drop another 1-2lb a week and slowly add in more work on the turbo trainer and keep on walking and rehabing!

Saturday was a bit of a waste again this week as the plumber was in and around for a few hrs again and i didnt get out for much of a walk and had little if any time to do the rehab work
soooooo...... made up for it on Sunday - doubled up the rehab work and walked 3.5 miles in 1 chunk in the worst weather this year which resulted in me averaging 18 min/mile (usually around 20 min/mile) and walked again in the evening - the result? WELL my right bum cheek and groin and inner thigh are all very tender - i have no worries about this it is all muscular but it just shows that even increasing pace whilst walking can work ones muscles a whole lot harder!

today i rehabbed and walked twice - nothing too strenuous just to loosen the legs followed by a 10 min session on the turbo trainer - 4 min warm up then up to 5th/min 4th/min 3rd/min 2nd/min 1st/2 min - this was testing my legs knew id done it and i actually broke a sweat - it felt awesome!!

thats me sng

just keep improving (with the odd niggle?)...........

continued to have a great week - work is seeming more like the norm and less of a chore and i am starting to feel more like my "old" self or should i say my "pre pain" self?
i stuck to my plan and built the walking so my longest daily walk is 1.5 miles+ with 2 shorter 0.5 mile walks to ease the stiffness in the morning and at lunch time- it all good
ive been riding the bike on the turbo every other day and that has brought a whole different set of aches to the table!
in general i feel like im improving BUT i do have a niggle or 2 keep getting a pain or 2 in my groin and bum cheek which definitely feels muscular and a daily ache/discomfort around the scar - problem here is i struggle tell really if it is muscular or in my new joint as i have such a big numb patch around the scar

some days i think i do too much and others i feel i could run a marathon again.....but sadly those days are gone...

onwards and upwards - goals to achieve and milestones to be smashed :-)

7 weeks and 1 day.......

today was so busy i didnt know if i was coming or going!

7am - 0.5 mile walk
8am - work
1pm - 0.5 mile walk
445pm - arrive home
5pm - 1.6 mile walk
6pm - dinner
645pm - 10 mins intervals on turbo trainer
705pm - rehab work
745pm - put the boys to bed
805pm - collapse

busiest day yet since returning to work and i really enjoyed it - good to be back to normal and feel normal too
lunchtime walk is now a regular thing may need to extend it a bit but all ok for now
long walk was comfortable and hilly
turbo felt good low gears/resistance and high cadence

best bit - putting my boys to bed - 1st time since the op - and the 3 of us really enjoyed stories and cuddles :)

progress, physio a whole lot of walking going on.........

after been given the go ahead to start and return to a more normal existence i have moved on this week and i am feeling a little less cripple and a lot more me!
- i dispensed with the bath board after a couple of practice runs getting in and out of the shower
-we brought the furniture in from the garage and got the house back to normal
-i returned the perching stool to the kind colleague that lent me it
-the grandad chair is history and back to its home
-and finally after my physio appointment on Friday the stick is gone!!!!

once the garage was free of furniture i spent some time on Thursday pm setting up my bike and the turbo trainer in the garage - by the time id finished i was buggered and didnt even try it!

friday am brought an early physio appointment 1st thing he told me to kick the stick into touch as long as i work hard not to limp and then a shake up of exercises which was good - for a couple of week ive felt that 3 or 4 of them were not really doing much for me as they were too easy -
-rear band raise
-side band raise
-mini squat
-stepping practice
so with those removed and the following added it is more challenging -
-pistol squats (to isolate the glutes)
-supermans (again to isolate the glutes)
-1 leg calf raises on a step/curb (changed from 2 legs)
-1 leg balancing on stability disc (change from floor exercise)

discussed with him the fact that doing the rehab stuff twice a day and walking twice a day and fitting in a full time job was leaving me shattered - he said to try and build some of the rehab work into my day (stepping up 2 stairs at a time - each time i go up stairs rather than doing as an exercise) and also to miss rehab here and there to allow my muscles to recover as the exercises are fairly advanced and amount to a body weight workout

finally he got me on the static bike and showed me how best to get on and off so i was all sett to get going at home :)

see him again in 2 week and can i get hole of an exercise ball in the meantime ready for the next stage of exercises

so Friday pm i got on to the bike ! did a massive 5 mins and got off exhausted ?? how does that work - its not the long since i rode the static bike for 40 mins at a time no problem - but itll come

Saturday was my hardest day yet - i didn't walk, bike or do my exercises - BUT i spent 5 hrs on me feet been a plumbers mate - trying to get to the bottom of why our shower is not working very well at all - definitely the hardest thing i have done pre op

Sunday was a great day - i did the rehab stuff twice as prescribed i walked round the supermarket with the family to do the "big" shop and then i walked home 3 miles all in one go! it was brill and extremely liberating i felt great :) so i got on the bike and rode 10 mins too - then i made Sunday lunch and walked the dog again - 4.5miles total furthest yet post op and a huge milestone for me

today i will mostly be resting and recovering for my next assault on the streets

laters sng

6 weeks post op - follow up appointment and goal setting.......

finally the time has come and i can stop counting the days post op -im now 6 weeks post op this is the magic number, this is the mile stone, this is what ive been working towards..........

so had my follow up appointment with the surgeon - for whatever reason i was nervous! not sure why but i was bricking it - somewhere in the back of my mind i think i thought there was going to be a sting in the tail after everything seemed to have gone so well.....BUT no issues, no sting in the tail - he was pleased to tell me it had gone and was doing as well if not better than expected at this stage, basically ive done all i can and its worked!! all the rehab work and walking has done the trick :)

so the burning question was do i still have to adhere to the restrictions? the answer - no not really, dont go throwing myself into life, break myself in gently and if it hurts stop - makes sense really!!  :)

can i drive? yes no problem!! 

is there anything wrong with the other one? no!!

what happens now? keep up the good work and see you in a year for a follow up+xray!!

chuffed with that - boy done good :)

followed up with a nice little 1.1 mile walk Monday pm (in addition to 0.5 m in the morning and a lunchtime stroll)

tuesday walked 0.5m in the morning + a lunchtime stroll and followed up with 1.2 miles Tuesday pm

GOALS-

short term

after last returning to work last week and easing off the walking this week i will be building it back up - ill include a lunchtime walk and try for an evening walk of a mile+ and aim to build that to 1.5 miles each evening and aim for longer walks sat/sun

medium term

set up the turbo trainer and build in some bike time to help with fitness and build more stamina

long term (6months-june)

this may seem a little off the wall - but im going to walk a marathon distance - ill eat fish and chips half way and drink some tea along the way and it will all be very civilised but its my goal and i can do what i want!!

long,long,long term (september 2015)

im going to do a 24 hr/100km challenge walk 

so there you have it thats my goals - im sure they will be tweaked along the way but thats where im headed

laters sng

Dday+39,40+41 - work, shopping and some serious walking..........

finished thursday off with a pb walk of 1.4 miles and felt good for it

friday was very much a rest day - in all senses - i went to work and did my bit (and thats all it was), i did no rehab exercise and i walked very little - may sound lazy - BUT i needed it and it set me up for a good weekend........

saturday brought a trip to clifton moor to buy new sitting arrangements - our couches are 15 yrs old and your arse just about touches the floor - thus not suitable for an old fart with a hip replacement!! - and my no 1 priority when i get the all clear is to get rid of the old man chair and sit comfortably! - so new couches bought and due in mid feb - but the bigger picture here is i managed to trail round a retail park for 3.5 hrs ! and yvette said "you weren't half as stressed with it now your hips been done...." :)

then in the afternoon i walked and i just kept going and really enjoyed it and a new pb distance 1.5 miles
all rehab work done - some in the queue at costa believe it or not :)

sunday i decided as i still felt good i would have another "good" walk - so  i didnt do my rehab work early morning - i ate breakfast and took it easy then off i went - it was nowhere glamorous just a walk which ended in a 2.2 mile loop and at the end i still felt fresh - a little stiffness after a short sit down but other than that all good

rehab work done sunday evening and now parked for relax before work again tomorrow and my 6 week check up late afternoon......

laters sng

This is rock and roll....

Monday to Thursdays rehab and walking log....