Back in action!

[Eric Sedletzky]

I just got my life back after three months of physical therapy and strengthening of my new hip replacement.
Did a boat cleaning work dive just a few days ago and it felt great!!
I'm back in action!
Next is pool laps with fins to get the capsule firmed up 100%
Still a bit of a challenge to get to my left foot but that will just take time. Other that that I was able to gear up completely unassisted
and get my bootie and fin on.
I'm ready for a beach dive!

Some word of advice for anybody needing a hip replacement for whatever it's worth:
Don't fear it or put it off if you're miserable, just do it!
Try to avoid getting those hip shots to extend surgery. I got three of them over a three year period and they are less effective each time you get one. Not only that they accelerate the wearing process because the pain is temporarily gone so people feel like they are healed and tend to abuse the joint. They won't do surgery for at least 6 months after your last shot and my last shot lasted all of six weeks! After it wore off I was absolutely miserable and could barely walk but had four and a half months to go. Anti inflamatories are no good for your liver and pain pills are very bad too.
The other piece of advice is don't lift weights too heavy if you're young. There's absolutely no reason to try and be the biggest guy around, all you do is damage your body. It's easy to get caught up in if you're a gym rat like I was.
Just do light squats and leg work to keep in shape and strong for diving. Forget about those inverted leg presses, very hard on your hip joints in that position of powering up with your knees that close to your chest.

Peace

 

[chillyinCanada]

Hi Eric, what exactly was the damage you'd done to your hip? I ask because I've had bursitis flares in my hip numerous times since a skiing injury when I was 21. I have to have the cortisone shots when the pain is very bad. Fortunately, this has only been necessary every number of years. That said, things are a lot worse these days, apparently due to deterioration/degeneration of my spine. Sorry, I digress. I'm interested in the nature of the damage to your hip that required your hip replacement. Thanks in advance

 

[Cali_diver]

I have a labral tear which requires surgery, but the surgery has a more intensive rehab than a hip replacement. So I am putting it off as long as I can in the hopes of a hip replacement!! You are dead on about the shots, my second one lasted maybe 2 weeks so I live on anti-inflamatories. Good new is it doesn't hurt when I dive so I dive a lot!! Congrats on getting back in the water... keep us posted!

 

[drrich2]

Congrats.s, and glad to hear you're on your way back to doing what you love.

Richard.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Hi Eric, what exactly was the damage you'd done to your hip? I ask because I've had bursitis flares in my hip numerous times since a skiing injury when I was 21. I have to have the cortisone shots when the pain is very bad. Fortunately, this has only been necessary every number of years. That said, things are a lot worse these days, apparently due to deterioration/degeneration of my spine. Sorry, I digress. I'm interested in the nature of the damage to your hip that required your hip replacement. Thanks in advance

My damage was caused by excessive loading up of weight and grinding out reps doing leg presses. I was one of those goons that had every 45lb plate in the gym piled on the machine and plus someone sitting on it. My recollection is I had about 900 lbs on it and did a set of narrow stance leg presses. After I felt numb and I thought to myself that it couldn't be good.
Upon reflection I hypothisise that I had probably scored the cartilage on the left hip joint and it was a down hill run for 30 years. My right hip is fine as are all the rest of my joints so I lucked out. I used to use the seated leg press to avoid screwing up my back with bar squats, so instead of blowing out my back my back I blew out my hip.
But those days are long gone. Looking at me now you'd never know I was 280 lbs and had 30" thies and 20" arms.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I have a labral tear which requires surgery, but the surgery has a more intensive rehab than a hip replacement. So I am putting it off as long as I can in the hopes of a hip replacement!! You are dead on about the shots, my second one lasted maybe 2 weeks so I live on anti-inflamatories. Good new is it doesn't hurt when I dive so I dive a lot!! Congrats on getting back in the water... keep us posted!

Diving was one of the things that made it feel better because it was a no load excercise and fin kicking helped stregthen and stabilize the capsule (the tough membrane that surrounds the joint). After the dive the hip would feel great but then the hike up the beach loaded up with weight would undo all the benefits of the dive.
Towards the last few months I was finally bone to bone and the pain was almost unbearable no matter what I did, so I was unable to dive.
This whole new hip things is like a new life!

 

[BoltSnap]

@Eric Sedletzky

I am very happy and excited for you. May you enjoy many many more years of diving in good health and free from pain!!!

 

[Neilwood]

So glad to hear you are back to diving - hope for many more dives for you.

 

[Bob DBF]

Congrats on getting back in action, may be I'll see you around campus.


Bob

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Congrats on getting back in action, may be I'll see you around campus.


Bob

I was going to call you about that.
I'm looking at a weekday.
You game?