First two trike rides after a total left hip replacement

[Keystone]

Thanks for the kind and encouraging words Bob and trikermutha. I really appreciate it. I'm married to an RN that has worked rehab for many years. She has been working real hard with me too. She wants me to be able to take my late winter trip again in Feb/March. If I can't ride I most likely would not bother going. Our plan this year is for her to fly down for a long weekend/short week and join me. She still has a good decade until she retires but has encouraged me to enjoy my retirement. one of the many reasons we have been married for so long.

[Capt.Bob]

Ken, You are very fortunate to have a wife who happens to be a rehab nurse. That is a real bonus when it comes to rehabbing from these relatively life changing medical events that affect our riding. I feel like a really skated through this procedure in that my surgeon signed-off the case as of yesterday after 6 weeks because I was fortunate to have made significant progress towards a fairly full recovery of pre-morbid function.

One of the things that I pre-loaded into my decision making for the type of surgery and surgeon that I was going to employ was based on the activities that I was looking to maintain or even return to that had fallen out of favor due to physical limitations. For those of us who are candidates for an Anterior Approach hip replacement, we are fortunate because the surgeon can use minimally invasive procedures (if properly trained) and in my case worked on the hip replacement with only a 4.5" incision on the front portion of my upper leg.

Some things that I found helpful were to make sure that I had my weight down, was not suffering from other chronic illness such as diabetes or COPD that would affect my recovery period. I have been told that smokers have a much more difficult time in recovery due to the affects of tobacco and adequate oxygenation and are reportedly encouraged to try and stop smoking prior to surgery for improved outcomes.

Many of us have purchased our trikes due to past injuries or advancing age and we have to be strategic in figuring out ways to keep ourselves in the game. Trikes seem like a terrific method for staying out in the wind and I am having too much fun on them to consider going back to two wheels even though my new hip would likely accomodate the change when fully strenghtened.

[Rev J]

Getting old ain't for the faint of heart. I'm getting to the stage in life where if it moves it hurts but not complaining. Many of my class mates and buds didn't make this far. God has blessed me with 58 years so far and counting. Glad to hear you are improving and back in the saddle (best kinda of therapy, knees in the breeze). Have a blessed and pain free day, Rev. J

[1dn5up]

I’m full of advice so to avoid the beating ,listen to her

Im also my worst enemy when it comes to any illnesses. The lights are on, but nobody’s home