Monday, February 4, 2013

Proximal Hamstring Repair Surgery

So, the time has come.  In my mind anyway.  We'll see if the surgeon agrees or not.

I really took it easy last week.  Lots of swimming and other easy work that didn't involve the hamstring.  Very easy bike riding, no running.  Overall the hamstring has improved, but not nearly enough.  At this point even a light ride aggravates things.  This would lead me to believe that it would take several weeks, if not months of no working out coupled with rehab to get back to a good place.  And at that point there is no guarantee that I'd be back at 100% and it seems more likely that I'd just aggravate things again.  So, it is time to get this repaired once and for all.

For those of you wondering how this surgery happens, here you go:

Warning:  This video is disturbing and nasty.  View at your own risk.



I have no doubt I will be an absolute pleasure to deal with during my recovery.  As far as rehab goes, from what I've heard it sucks.  Here are some of the highlights I've gotten from my PT.

Days 1-7:
I'll be given an ankle pump.  For some reason that sounds dirty to me, but I'm pretty sure it is to make sure my feet and ankles don't swell up.  This is probably a lot like compression socks.  I have friends that enjoy that fashion no-no.

The biggest issue for days 1-7 is that I can't do anything.  I am expected to lie prone or on my side the entire time.  When I asked how I go to the bathroom...the words bedpan and standing toilette were used.  At that point I asked if a medically induced coma was possible.  I don't think that request was taken as seriously as it should have been.  Apparently there are risks to the brain.  My obvious response is that the risk of brain injury is much higher because I'll be bashing my face against something hard after about 2 days.



Days 8-14:
Still pretty restrictive.  Not sure about sitting or anything like that.  But lots of range of motion work.  If its anything like the ROM work I did after tearing my ACL in college...it will royally suck.  I'm not sure if it is still like this...but back in Eau Claire where I did all my rehab it was horribly painful.  I went through the surgery with 2 other kids and they had us on a table cranking on our legs.  For some reason it wasn't bad for me, but the other two had it bad.  They basically needed to be given a wooden stick to bite down on while they basically screamed in agony.  Awesome!  I couldn't find a youtube video of that, instead I have this:



Weeks 3-5:
On crutches.  From what I've heard I can't drive for 4 weeks.  Not really able to sit for about that long as well.
Not sure when I can go back to work.

Weeks 6-9:
Walking with normal ROM.  From this point on things don't sound too bad.  I'm able to do most normal stuff.  I can start very light swim/bike/run.  But no intensity of any kind.  I probably won't be able to push off the walls in swimming.  Biking will have little to no resistance.  Running will be on a zero-gravity treadmill or in very short durations.  Not sure at this point.

Weeks 10-24:
More of the same with increasing durations and intensity.

At that point I will hopefully be cleared for full training.  But I'm pretty sure this is all a best-case scenario.  If I do anything stupid, or in other words, if I am myself, there will be complications delaying things.

I don't know when the surgery will occur.  If it were up to me it would be tomorrow.  Lets get this show on the road.  I am hoping we'll get this moving sometime the week of Feb 18th.  But I am not sure. 

I'm wondering who thought this "healthy lifestyle" thing was actually healthy.  I feel like I should run down the list of surgeries and medical issues that have been caused by athletics again.  I think I blogged about it once before.  I'll have to dig that up.

On Sunday as I was sulking and somewhat depressed, (while eating a 1 pound bag of sour jelly bellies and drinking 20oz of coke) I was thinking about how I might actually be better off being lazy and getting fat.  It may be healthier for me and it seems to work for a huge segment of the population.  Who am I to judge?  In fact, once upon a time I was 265lbs.  I could go back to that pretty easily.  In fact, I bet I could get back up there before my rehab is complete!



I'll have to ponder that.

I should add...I will be taking pictures and logging my progress along the way. 

3 comments:

  1. were you able to find a surgeon willing to do the surgery...I need one bad
    have been suffering with this for 3 yrs on both legs now..and everything keeps getting worse ..I can't do anything even swimming with a bouy now hurts my adductors...I can't find one doctor wiling to try to figure it out or give me the surgery..I have a huge mass of tissue on the back medial semitendonosis..hurts like a mother when I do anything even walking now has completely been eliminated...too painful...feels like my hamstring and adductors are just flopping around back there..

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    Replies
    1. If you read future posts you'll find that I don't have a HS tear afterall...so no, I didn't find a doctor to do the surgery.

      Sorry, hope you find some relief.

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    2. try dr carlos guanche at SCOI in los angeles

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcahW7zYifE

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