Prepping for hip replacement

[cayenne]

Good morning all,

So in 5 weeks I will have a new hip and hopefully I can regain my sanity as not being able to do exercise to releive stress has been a big PITA. Literally.

I have completed recently 1 W30 in March-had one day off (Final 4 party) and right back W30 till the surgery the end of May.

I take probiotics daily and will cont with my other supplements except for glucosamine which I have ditched as hopefully the source of my high cholesterol.

As I continue towards the surgery date-what recommendations do you guys make to get ready nutritionally as well as post op to recover the best?

I already limit fruit. I am post menopausal but wonder if an iron supplement would help post op or just more red meat? I am a planner and will start to freeze stuff in the coming weeks.

I had litte to no weight loss with the W30 in March but my ability to burn calories has been really compromised as swimming a mile never really did "it" for me.

Thanks for the feedback,

C

[Carlaccini]

I would highly recommend bone broth.

 

And foods that support your bones - those higher in vitamin A, D, and K2 - Liver is the ideal form for this, but I understand if liver might not be you thing.  So cold water fatty fish - salmon, mackerel, sardines would help too.  Kale, Swiss Chard, and Dandelion greens are higher vitamin K2.

 

You could also work with a fermented fish oil supplement as an alternative.  You want to encourage healing and these food will help support it.

[MeadowLily]

Follow your doctor's orders after surgery with rehab.    Will you have one or both hips replaced.   If only one,  there's a tendency to favor the other hip during rehab.   You'll have to go slow with returning to running.  Walking on a golf course every day is better than pounding the pavement with a new hip.   Ease into running slowly as your doctor advises.  Do all that is advised...you want it to last waaaaay into the future.  Swimming would be great for rehab purposes.   An hour of swimming helps all of the joints and muscles.   It is something you could do for 5 weeks prior to surgery and would help the healing process afterwards.  It's calming for the mind.  You can swim with arm and leg weights for strength training.

[cayenne]

Great suggestions-appreciate it.

No more running for me(sigh and a few tears). Walking fast will be great as well as cycling if I can limit the falling risk. I do want the new hip to last so I will no be stupid. I am smart enough to change my activity as the biggest thing is being outside-walking a golf course if just fine with me.

Got the swimming down already but just not kicking as that is very painful-will add that back ASAP post op.

[MeadowLily]

Doctor's orders and common sense must prevail.   I'm surrounded by older folkaronies/care centers...those with hip replacements.  Walking is safer than biking on the roads for rehab.  There comes a time when a person has to look at their best possible life going forward and forget everything that's in the rearview mirror.

 

Getting older is not for sissies.  Aging gracefully with working body parts is what those in a care center long for. Broken hips, knee replacements.....walk the golf course. Consistency is better than extreme intensity.   The turtle and the hare.

[cayenne]

This philosophy that you mentioned, ML, is a good one. Coming from a background for 15 years of long distance racing and pushing my body is ingrained and not easily changed. My quality of life depends on movement, and release of endorphins which I do not get walking at a leisurely pace. I appreciate the fact I cannot run 15 miles or do the hard stuff but I could easily get hit by a car walking to work, or slip off a curb going to the nursing home you mentioned. I am not going to forget those wonderful times of extreme activity as it has made me who I am today. I plan on being smart, consistant and strong-I am not old, only 56. I just have to try a few things and see how they sit with what my needs are. I work with older folks who have had joint replacements on a daily basis, and my job is to get them back to what they want to be-with a sprinkle of reality mixed in.

I dont plan on cycling until I am completely healed-months away. Quality of life is different for everyone-I  plan on using my joints completely up, get them replaced and go again-as long as I can. I dont regret one single mile in the past-I embrace them and I thank my hip for a job well done.

I am a smart girl-and I understand your kind words are to direct me to a less impactful way of living-hard to give up what you love, and I plan to find other ways of getting those endorphins!!!

Thanks so much!