No pain

I stopped taking the pain meds. I am POD (post-op day) #4. I never felt any pain, which was surprisingly strange. I continued the pain meds a few days, but am now sticking to tylenol. When lying in bed it is amazing to me that my hip and back do not hurt. I guess I was in quite a bit of pain before- much be on the right track since it is better already.

The procedure went well. Arthroscopically they confirmed the impingement and re-shaped the femoral head/neck. I had more cartilage damage and arthritis than they expected. The opened the hip up through an anterior incision. The removed the cartilage and smoothed the arthritis.

This led to favorable hip restrictions. Instead of non-weight bearing, I am able to step with 50% weight on my post-op leg. Instead of swinging each step with the crutches, I walk through which seems much easier than how I practiced.

One reason to do the surgery was to prevent joint damage- so I was disappointed that there was more cartilage damage and arthritis than expected. They fixed the anatomic abnormality, but instead of preserving the joint they "cleaned it up". I suppose there is a greater risk that I will need a future hip replacement, and it increases my concerns about my right hip.

The doctor was pretty clear that I should take it easy on my joint. So my running and triathlon days are indeed behind me. I am glad that I chose a cardiology sub-specialty that is outside of the cath lab. I will not be able to wear lead daily. But probably once or twice a week will be okay.

So today I am the most relaxed and well rested board certified cardiologist on the planet. Not a bad deal.