Well, I stop by here once in a blue moon these days. The last time I thought I posted a question here for you Tom, trying to see if your health is okay. I probably posted the question in a thread I can't find now. Anyway, hope you're doing okay.

Thanks Larry. I seem to remember answering your question but no idea which thread it appears in.

I am doing well. I am navigating around my house or office now without the cane and with minor discomfort. The hip is doing really well now but I am a little impatient because it seems like the pain should be all gone by now....but I probably tend to push too hard whenever I notice improvement.

Takes time and the older we get possiblty the longer the recovery periods. As long as it is going uphill I would not be concerned. When science discovers how to stop the existing and renewed individual cells from changing some of their qualities with age. Lifespan may be increased for man. It may be as simple that as we age we do not replace cells as often now..

It almost looks like cells form barriers on their outsides or they get a reduced absorption ability. This changing many things. For example as we age the cells cannot produce as much heat. Indicating that they can no longer absorb the nutrients at the same rate as when we are younger. Obviouisly the same effect will impact healing to some degree.

It is sometimes a little hard to look at the bright side for all of us. You have not had any complications. That is something to really appreciate. They are not rampant in the medical field but they still are all too common.

Yeah, no complaints.

I notice that my torso cells are much more efficient at absorbing nutrients than when I was younger.;)

I went to the therapist on Thursday. What a wonderful friendly upbeat man. He made me feel really good about everything and gave me an exercise to do to strengthen my left leg. I stand on a step and let my body go down til my right heel touches the floor. Sets of twenty (3 sets four times a day. or was it four sets three times a day).;)

Well it is going right at the pain instead of avoiding it.

But it is yielding results already.;)

Outstanding! Beats the heck out of solving it with drugs. Good for you!

I always get off the drugs asap. When I was using the percoset for the first two weeks I mostly used just 1/8 as much as was prescribed. I don't feel the pain that much and drugs really affect me in low doses so I always take less than prescribed.

Most of my life I have also used drugs as little as possible. Seems when I do really need them they worked well. Not certain if it is because the body is so unused to them they do or not. .

I suspect Its partially lack of use and partially genetic.

Its been about a week now since I have used my cane. It is still sore a lot of the time but I can get around with minimal limping most of the time. I went up to the studebaker international meet and tramped around for about four hours checking all the vendors for things I can't live without.

I found a Nardi with an avanti center cap and another nose trim in great condition. $475 and 450 respectively. Neither vendor was inclined to dicker. I passed but am still thinking about them.

Everything else was just fun to look at.;)

Lots of lovely Studebakers to look at.

If you can get around an automotive flea market for four hours. Even if motivated to do so. You are doing pretty good at recovery.

At the last fairly local one for me in early August last year. The heat was almost too much for me. I got out of the sun about as much as I walked. The younger guys where not doing all that well in the heat either.

I also stopped attending the large Hershey events when the prices started doing what you experienced. I did buy a few things on the very last trip still.

Yeah, i did all right but I was uncomfortable.

Its hard not to buy anything if you have money in your pocket. I was lucky though, since I forgot to go to the bank before the meet and had only ten bucks cash in my pocket. I paid for parking and lunch. None of the vendors would take plastic. Several offered to let me take the item and mail them a check, but I refused knowing I would likely forget.

Trusting crowd, these Studebaker folks.;)

On friday and today I swam 35 minutes like I was before the hip replacement without pain or fatigue and did all the usual strokes.

I can walk briskly now and with only a slight limp. I'd say I'm about 95% as good as new. I'm ahead of where I was before the surgery on pain now.

I plan to race on the 20th of this month. I drove the race car onto the trailer and off last week. The seat has always been a very tight fit, and I was unable to get all the way down into it because of the new scar tissue on the hip. I'm putting in a 16" seat...the current seat is 15", I believe.

Does this mean you need to widen the track an inch?:)

My track is wide enough!

There is still a bit too much pain for where I should be. I've been monkeying around with my insoles and lifted shoes trying to get rid of that last bit of pain. Its not working.

My daughter the Osteopathic Pediatrician was here for the Indy 500 and says my hips aren't level so I'm going to see the surgeon who will take ex rays to verify my femurs are the same length. then I'll be meeting with a PT who specializes in correcting back problems.

Sorry to hear this Tom. Hope something easy can mitigate the issue. Pain makes or at least tends to draw my focus when I experience it.


All these pain clinics around do indicate that people in pain must be very common.

Thanks Barry!

So yesterday the surgeon looked at me and declared everything was hunky dory....or words to that effect. He gave me a couple of exercises to do and said to cut my lift on the left shoe from half inch to quarter.\

We looked at before and after x rays of my pelvis. Turns out my sockets are not even in the pelvis....heck the pelvis is not symmetrical either. But he thinks I'm fine.

Its still getting better now.

The hip is pretty much pain free now. My back is bothering me a bit. I am able now to exercise pretty aggressively and my strength is returning. I can run a little crossing the street but I still don't feel as agile as I should, though that is getting better. I am taking one 500 mg tylonal every morning but yesterday I forgot to before exercising and didn't realize it until I got home.;)

No pain at all from the hip now. I am pushing my exercise a bit now and am experiencing some pain from sore muscles now but nothing from the hip.

I am moving pretty quickly now once I get a few steps in to loosen the stiff parts when I stand up.

I can run a little but its pretty pitiful stiff old man running.;)

my wife wished she never had surgery,been a week now severe leg pain to hip.Plus her other problem.Refuses to eat,lost 30 pounds.She probably won't make it past sept.stays in bed/

Has she been to the doc lately? Staying in bed won't work. I'm having back pain now, perhaps she is as well.

well after 5 years of awful pain.i finally convinced a doctor to order a cT scan of wife's bladder with contrast.for today,hopefully we can get answers.She's been in bed now 6 days.

Good luck my friend.;)

Tom, life happened and let this slip. Anyway, read the updates and good that all is going well, to where better off than before.

Unpacked the top of the window regulators, forgot what was in the box until saw the wood. :P Looking forward to finishing this driveline fiasco and then can think about putting them in.

Like finding a pretty egg on Easter morning?;)

OK I found out whats wrong with my wife,after insisting on a CAT scan,she has a tumor in left kidney,also got infection from knee surgery and has necrosis on the end of hip,where ball is.Will need replacement.

it is a painful,but good tumor,not cancerous.

see,thats one reason,i hate going to hospitals,and seeing sterile instruments made in China.As much as they charge,it should be american made stuff.

Wow! She has some serious sounding problems there. At least the tumor is not malignant. Identifying these problems is the first step. No wonder she has been having so much pain.

well tumor they will watch,and finally treating her pain.Hip will need to be looked at or treated.They have a way of drilling out infection,and then pumping a cement in, or total replacement.The hips are different,you go in mornings,discharge that evening.

Hello TW, tried sending you a PM got a reply your file needs to erase some messages from me. before that can go through.

I emptied some and got your message, one at least.

The knee partial replacement done in NOvember last is now like a new natural knee. Never any pain or drama.

Hiked a few miles on Sunday at Turkey run. No pain but I got good and tired from walking up and down the hills. Not sore next day either.

I was just talking with my neighbor who is 89 years old. She said they used to think old people would fall down and break their hip when in fact it is actually the hip breaking that causes them to fall.

I went in one day and asked why they weren't Snap-On. :D

As stated earlier the knee now is completely feeling like original equipment. Only an odd ache now and then.

The hip now is healed nearly 100%. Never any pain any more and I am walking with no limp. I find myself now walking briskly here and there with no thought of the hip at all.

The legs are still weak from the lack of full exercise this year after the double replacement surgeries. I am working now on strengthening.

I am now below the weight I was prior to surgery. I had a small breakthrough about a month ago after switching from ranch dressing on my salads to vinegar and oil. It seems to affect my metabolism making me not desire to eat as much. Lost about 4 or 5 # since that change.

Off to the Y now.