chrpennings said:
I was on the long waiting list for Hip surgery and suddenly they had a cancellation and now are scheduled for surgery next week.
You just may be able to make QZ, Chris!! Having had both of my hips replaced in the past year, I can give you some recovery milestones that may allow you to make the trip. I will assume your op is scheduled for about 11/15. Are you having it done at Kaiser? If so, the surgeons there have done thousands so you are in good hands. Here are some milestones that I recorded. Recovery from my 2nd (right hip) op was about 1 1/2 weeks faster than the left hip. You are just a young fellow - so yours should go quicker.
o You will be up the AM after surgery. You won't walk far -- but you will be walking w/a walker.
o By the 3rd day you will have progressed to walking down the hall a ways, and also up and down a group steps using the walker that the PT's will have set up for you. If you pass that test, they will release you after day 3.
o The next milestone will be getting from the walker to a cane. That will take another 3 to 4 weeks -- so about the 3rd week in December. Your home PT and Occupational Therapist (OT) will move you along -- but will watch you closely. DO THE EXERCISES they teach.
o On the 1st replacement, I was behind the wheel of my Jeep in the middle of week 6 - and on the 2nd, was behind the wheel in 4 1/2 weeks. Slowly and very carefully, but in there and driving. The surgeons criteria for driving my Jeep was that I had to feel OK on just the cane -- and not on pain pills anymore. If it is your left hip, starting to drive will be a bit easier -- in that you can't apply brake pedal pressure with the surgery leg. However, I was OK with doing that with my left leg, whereas I could handle the gas pedal OK with my surgery leg.
o So that should give you 2 or 3 weeks to progress to the RV.
Actually, driving the RV would not be such a problem -- whereas getting the RV ready to drive will require help. There are very strong rules that must be followed to avoid pulling that sucker out of the socket during the 1st 6 months to 1 year. For example, you will not want to ever have your knees higher than your hips. Very difficult to get an RV ready to roll with that constaint. And no twisting or bending over and such.
So bottom line, Chris, if you can get help getting ready to travel, you should be just fine driving - tho you will need rest more often that usual. Actually, when I say you will need help -- that would mean in that time frame, there would be little you could do to get an RV ready to travel.
Whatever you decide Chris -- let me know if there is any way I can help you along. Will try to contact you guys when I visit SJ later this month and at Christmas. My plan is to head South from SJ the day after Christmas with family there. Good luck, my friend. You will be "soooo" glad you have decided to have this done.
