Getting behind the wheel, going up stairs and walking farther than ever

Sunday, Aug. 20 One of the most significant days in a hip replacement patient's recovery is the day you get to drive the car again. During my first recovery I was told I could drive after Frank (my doctor) did the one-month exam. About a week before that, the office called and said he was going on vacation and the exam was pushed back two weeks. I asked if I could drive after a month and the nurse said. No, I'd have to wait until Frank checked me. Those two weeks damn near killed me. Having to depend on my wife to take me everywhere really sucked!

Now I only have to wait four weeks: there's no exam; I just have to feel safe. The four weeks is over today, so now I'm allowed to drive. I went out for just a little drive of about five miles, and it felt good. There was hardly any discomfort at all; I did have to put a pad on the seat to raise my hips. After my first replacement it hurt to drive for a few days.

Later this afternoon I had a meeting to go to if I could make it. My wife, Linda, was tied up and couldn't take me. However, about an hour after I got back from my first drive, I felt very tired. I was so tired I knew that going to the meeting wasn't a good idea. So I took a two-hour nap and then watched Tiger Woods win another PGA Championship.

Monday, Aug. 21 I went out and walked 4-and-a-half times around the addition in 47 minutes, two minutes slower than Saturday. It was early so I wasn't really awake at first. I did do a lot more walking without the cane. It's getting better and better.

About 10:30 am I went to visit my mother. She's in a special care unit, and I haven't seen her since a week before the replacement. I didn't want to be around a lot of people and run the risk of getting some kind of infection that close to surgery. She has Alzheimer's and I usually try to see her four or five times a week. The care facility is three blocks away, so driving wasn't difficult. I also have handicapped sticker so I get to park in front.

After the visit I drove to the bank and got a little "walking around money" and went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things. When I got my shopping cart, I just put my cane in it and used the cart as a crutch. I walked well and had no problems. I did see the mother of one of my former players. Her son was the guy I talked about who was 45 and had a hip replacement. He was dong fine but had started limping again. His surgery was in October and that really shouldn't be happening. She said Frank told him he hadn't been walking enough. He was just playing golf and lifting weights. He started walking about a mile a day and the limp went away. Remember: walking rehabs hips!

I went home did my strength workout and took a nap. A pretty full day and it was only 1 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 22 I went out this morning as usual; however I changed the walk a bit. After walking around the addition one time I walked a quarter of the way around without the cane on lap two. When I passed half a lap I walked about one-eighth of a lap without the cane. I kept alternating in that manner, but as I was nearing the end of lap three I got a bit lightheaded, so I stopped when I got back home.

About 11:30 a.m., I drove over to the community center where I lift weights. They have a second floor that is the walking track. I haven't done any steps yet, and I wanted to find out where I was as far as going up and down steps. There are 17 steps and it is in front of the main desk. I told the women at the desk if I fell to come and get me. I started off putting both feet on each step, going one at a time. You step up with the good leg while grabbing the railing with the hand on your good side and your hand on the operated side holding the cane. Going down, it is reversed you step down with the bad leg and cane then follow with the good leg. It felt good going up and down.

In fact, it felt too easy, so I changed by walking up the steps normally, one foot on a step. I did the same going down, no problem. I walked up and down five times, rested about one minute between each set. I then rested about five minutes, talked to a few people and repeated the five sets. That was enough for today. I'll be back on Thursday to repeat the steps.

Wednesday, Aug. 23 I got up early, as usual, and walked. The first lap I used the cane the entire way. At the beginning of the second lap, I didn't use it and walked halfway around the addition. I then walked a quarter of the way with the cane and then the last quarter I didn't use it. Therefore on the second lap I walked three-quarters of the way without using the cane. One the third lap I used the cane most of the time -- I was a bit tired. I walked a bit over three laps.

At 11:30 a.m., I did my strength workout then drove to the community center and did the stairs again. I did the two sets of five and added a third set with two reps. By this time, my breathing was a bit labored. I then went to the weight room and took some dumbbells and did three sets of 15 reps of kick backs for my triceps. I used 15, 20, 25 pounds for the weight. There really isn't anything at home that I can use to get a good workout for my triceps.

I'm going to the weight room on Friday after the stairs and see what I can do then.

Thursday, Aug. 24 It's been one month since the surgery. Time flies when you're having fun! I walked three-and-one-quarter times around the addition -- one and a quarter laps were without a cane. I did my entire second lap without the cane.

I went to lunch with a college fraternity brother. It was good getting back into a more normal routine. After lunch I went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things again. Walking there is good, since it's a pretty big store. The things I had to get were on opposite ends of the store. One of the items I had to get, hairspray for my wife, was on the bottom shelf and I had to ask a woman to get it for me since I can't bend past me knees. It was kind of funny. With all the walking I did, I didn't go to the community center to go up the steps.

Friday, Aug. 25 Today is a big day with my recovery! It's the last day I have to wear the *&^%$# TEDs hose! Tonight when Linda takes them off, I just might burn them all. It'll be so nice to get rid of them. When I went out this morning I walked the first two laps around the addition with out using the cane. I thought I'd try and see how doing one complete lap felt and I just kept going. I did three and half laps. The total time was 35 minutes.

At 9:30 a.m. I went to the community center and did two sets of five stairs and one set of three. That got me sweating a bit. I then went to the weight room and did some exercises that didn't break the hip precautions. Here are the exercises I did:

Four sets of 15 on the pec deck machine with 100 pounds

Four sets of 15 doing a standing lat pull using 60 pounds

Three sets of 10 standing military dumbbell press with 25 pounds

Four sets of 15 triceps press with 60 pounds

Four sets of 15 dumbbell curls with 30 pounds

I felt pretty good after the workout. I then went home cleaned up. My brother Mike, who is in town visiting my mother, came by and we went to lunch. After lunch I drove about 15 minutes away to get a hair cut. It felt good to get rid of it. When I got home I took a nap. I was pretty tired.

I was thinking about going to a high school football game tonight to see my good friend's team, but I'm not sure that it won't be too much. I think I'll stay home and watch the Eagles and Steelers play. One of the guys who played for us when I was in Michigan is starting at left guard for the Eagles, so I think I'll watch him.

Saturday, Aug. 26 As has been my habit on Saturdays I sleep in. Therefore I don't walk early. Usually I eat, drink some coffee and read the paper before I go out. Today I decided to wear my New Balance walking shoes. I have been wearing a pair of "boat shoes" since they are easy to just slip on.

I walked so much better in the walking shoes! I went three times around the addition with out the cane in 28 minutes, and then went for a fourth time around -- the first half of which I used the cane and the second half without the cane. The total time was a bit over 37 minutes. This is by far the best I've felt walking. I know the shoes had something to do with it.

During the day at home I am not using the cane much. As Frank has said you can rehab the hip by just going through daily living. So that's what I'm doing. I try as much as possible to not limp and to walk with a normal gait. That's not always easy. I have to think about it. By the end of the day I find myself using the cane since the leg is a little tired. I also ice the hip down a couple of times a day -- but not as much as I had before. I am also taking one pain pill a day, just before bed. Starting on Sunday, I'll probably try and skip the bed time pill and see how long I can go before I need a pill.