Broke down

[ronin]

My femur was unaffected. I think I hit the ground on my knee just right to jam the femur into the socket at the right angle to fracture both the anterior and posterior columns of the acetabulum. There was also a mildly displaced fracture of the inferior pubis ramus which wasn't treated. The shape of the socket was affected as well and the surgeon tried but could not rectify that. With the acetabulum pinned back together there still is not a perfect fit and there will be some rubbing that could result in arthritis down the road. Also, I was warned that it may require a hip replacement later. Some with my surgical result remain asymptomatic. Being older raises the odds of arthritis and a potential hip replacement in the future. I hope to know more next Friday at my 8 week follow up. I can say now that it is still very sore and aches but I can move around better and it doesn't hurt to put some weight on it. Still restricted from weight bearing but once in a while it is impossible not to get over onto the right leg a bit.

 

[ronin]

I appreciate all the well wishes and support from everyone. The stories you tell of your own recovery experiences are good for me to hear. It is hard when all I have time to do is sit and think. Not knowing what is coming is difficult. This isn't my first big biking injury. 8 yrs. ago I hit a rut and went over the bars into a hillside breaking several ribs, puncturing my lung, and suffering a Grade 5 AC separation. So I have experience with a long painful recovery. I made it back fully after surgery for that one.

 

[aaronc879]

I appreciate all the well wishes and support from everyone. The stories you tell of your own recovery experiences are good for me to hear. It is hard when all I have time to do is sit and think. Not knowing what is coming is difficult. This isn't my first big biking injury. 8 yrs. ago I hit a rut and went over the bars into a hillside breaking several ribs, puncturing my lung, and suffering a Grade 5 AC separation. So I have experience with a long painful recovery. I made it back fully after surgery for that one.

Do you have your phone with you when you ride? How did you get yourself to the hospital while also getting your bike back home? I worry a bit about that kind of thing since I ride well over 1000 miles a year with a hip replacement.

 

[dingo]

I had a running injury 4 years ago and decided to concentrate on walking along with some weight training. The pain from running on pavement had escalated some in recent years anyway so I didn’t give it a second thought. I do miss the trail running though.

 

[ronin]

Do you have your phone with you when you ride? How did you get yourself to the hospital while also getting your bike back home? I worry a bit about that kind of thing since I ride well over 1000 miles a year with a hip replacement.

This time I was on a major street (in the bike lane) on my way to the trailhead at the local regional park. I had just passed 2 motorcycle CHP officers finishing up giving a traffic citation (I think I might have been looking back over my shoulder at them when I wandered into the curb) and they saw me go down and were on me within a minute. They called the paramedics and ambo, I do carry a cell, so I called my wife and a neighbor (a deputy sheriff) who came to the accident site. Another CHP SUV unit was brought over to haul my bike for me and he followed my neighbor and wife home while I was transported to the local emergency room. Last I saw of my bike, one of the motor patrolmen was riding it down the sidewalk in the opposite direction. Weird thing to see and remember. Bike made it home and was unscathed. I am ending up with enough titanium in me to match my Ti hardtail 29er.

 

[ronin]

The first big one in 2015 was early in the AM, alone out in the hills on the trail. I walked out, bloodied and busted up badly, with my bike until I could get down to the trailhead so that my wife could pick me up and take me to the ER. The orthopedic surgeon who repaired my shoulder was a mountain biker and (not sure if it was jokingly or not) offered to buy the bike from my wife while I was in recovery coming out of the anesthesia.

 

[old medic]

With the acetabulum pinned back together there still is not a perfect fit and there will be some rubbing that could result in arthritis down the road. Also, I was warned that it may require a hip replacement later.

My Dr also said I can expect a hip replacement, probably in 10 years. I can feel the joint pop every once in a while. Its not that it hurts much when it happens,
more worrisome.

 

[street]

Almost level with the ground... Riding to my local mtb trails on 7/3, hit the curb and went into the sidewalk just right to blow out my acetabulum. Now almost 2 months later, traction, trauma surgery, plates and pins, I am close to being able to put weight on the leg affected. Let me tell you, this has been the single most negative thing in my life, including almost dying twice while surfing. At 71, the smart thing may be to hang up the bikes, but I am leaning towards going for the gusto into the sunset. Existential crisis but seeing the surgeon next week and getting his input. He rebuilt me because I am a young, active 71 so hopefully he says go for it, assuming I can rebuild my leg and hip back to where it needs to be. No small thing, unfortunately.

I sure wish you the best of luck to get back to what you love to do.

I often wonder about when I can't do the things I love to do or even the maintenance things then I won't be able to do them be like. We all will have to adjust and change as we age. It is a sad thing to hink about though.

 

[sturge]

The first big one in 2015 was early in the AM, alone out in the hills on the trail. I walked out, bloodied and busted up badly, with my bike until I could get down to the trailhead so that my wife could pick me up and take me to the ER. The orthopedic surgeon who repaired my shoulder was a mountain biker and (not sure if it was jokingly or not) offered to buy the bike from my wife while I was in recovery coming out of the anesthesia.

Hope your hip recovery goes well...you've been through it before so you know the drill. My PT guy was awesome for all my recent 'events'...full ankle replacement 2.5 years ago, and hand/wrist/shoulder surgeries about 1.5 years ago. He encouraged me to push it (on my terms) but also forced me to listen to my body and don't over do it. Find your happy medium and do your thing...there will be good days, and bad days.

After full ankle replacement (also lots of titanium!), I was off the bike for about 6 months. I'm in Eastern CT and there are no 'groomed' trails so I started out riding country road loops or 'rail trails'. I kept the 'boot' on for the first couple of months of rides just in case. Riding flat terrain was easy (like riding a bike LOL!) but as soon as I had to put more load on the ankle for a climb I realized recovery would take awhile. After all that sitting around the cardio was a factor too! I also had to switch from clip-ins to flats which took months to really get comfortable with, especially in technical terrain.

Slowly worked my way back onto some of easier trail loops, and was back to riding most trails by about 8-9 months. I was able to do my first day of skiing after about 10 months...then I had 'event' falling down stairs tearing rotator cuff, followed by a bad car crash 2 months later breaking wrist/hand. Two separate surgeries about 2 months apart and my 'activities' stopped again for months while I recovered. I was so bummed but determined to keep working and get it behind me again.

It's been about 18 months since shoulder/wrist/hand surgery and the recovery/PT was about 6 months. I'm pretty much fully recovered and back to riding everything I ever did before. I find there's more little voices in my head that appear instantly on those tough/technical sections but I'm starting to power through some of them because I know mentally what's coming LOL!
But I have no shame and willingly do the 'go around' for some of them. No matter...a ride is a ride and it's great to NOT be on the couch!

I resist riding solo but sometimes I do when there's nobody to ride with (not many over 60 riders left!). On those days I'm more conservative in choosing lower risk lines but I really enjoy doing the entire ride on my terms...it's like therapy for me.

 

[aaronc879]

I sure wish you the best of luck to get back to what you love to do.

I often wonder about when I can't do the things I love to do or even the maintenance things then I won't be able to do them be like. We all will have to adjust and change as we age. It is a sad thing to hink about though.

In my case I had to give up almost everything in my late 30's. I will never be able to hike any of the major trails like I was starting to train for when I had my original injury. I can't even go to a local festival that requires hours of walking. There are a few I used to go to and I can't do any of it anymore for more than an hour even with OTC pain meds. If you made to your 60's+ before losing that ability then count yourself lucky. Don't postpone doing those things that require physical ability because you never know when you will lose that ability for good.

 

[old medic]

I will never be able to hike any of the major trails like I was starting to train for......
Don't postpone doing those things that require physical ability because you never know when you will lose that ability for good.

Ill second that opinion. I was so looking forward to getting back into backpacking. Growing up in the Catskills of NY, I had Hiked most of those trails and mountaintop's before I was 18.

 

[John Galt III]

I'm 69. A month ago I was digging a tiny new sapling out of my garden, in the usual way, which is to jump on a shovel to get down deep under the root. Done it a million times. This time I heard a snap from my right knee. No pain. I didn't jump any more, but kept stepping on the shovel with the right foot. Knee pain comes and goes still. 2 months ago I got plantar fasciitis in my right foot during a pickleball game. I was playing one on one and way harder than usual. Of course these injuries coincided with me having to help move my mother out of her apartment. Walking miles each day carrying stuff of various weights. Walking stuff out to my car in the parking lot, 2 minutes each way. That is finally over, after 3 weeks, and I can now baby my poor right leg. Getting my girl friend to massage it daily. Hope it all heals up eventually. I have realized it is to my advantage to keep active, but now I have to be more cautious.

 

[GaryInCO]

At 66 I've quit skiing -- lost stamina when I got cancer, never really had the budget for such a pricey habit anyway!! Also quit riding my motorcycle (never rode it much), and I'm about to call it quits on my bike. I don't enjoy it enough to risk possible consequences. My brother is 69 and loves riding, more power to 'im. If it gives him joy, it's worth it. I'm transitioning to pickleball, hiking, weight training. Still keeping active, just much reduced chance of serious injury.

 

[Chuckanut]

We injure more easily and heal more slowly. It’s time to adapt to the new reality. I do less and do it more slowly. Somethings I don’t do anymore. But, movement is always forward to new experiences and new growth. We have been blessed to become senior citizens. A lot of people never make it this far. Use these years to adapt and move foreword.

 

[eytonxav]

Getting back to an activity you love can be a powerful motivator for rehab and recovery. Hope it goes well for you.

 

[Aerides]

I'm transitioning to pickleball, hiking, weight training.

I mentioned to my Ortho surgeon that every guy I know over 70 is playing pickleball. He rolled his eyes up to the ceiling "Ah, pickleball, the gift that keeps on giving" (he meant to his paycheck).

 

[67walkon]

Ronin, I fractured my acetabulum 14 years ago. The head of my femur was also damaged and had an area of avn. 2 plates and 9 screws put it back together. I was in a wheelchair for 8 weeks. They couldn’t do a hip replacement then because of the damage to the socket.

I was back on the bike at 8 weeks + 1 day. They estimated I could get 3 to 4 years out of the repair. I got 14.

Just over 8 weeks ago, I had that hip replaced. I waited too long. I’ve been on the trainer and hope to be on the road again next week, after the holiday people clear out.

There is zero pain in the joint. The joint had been kind of iffy ever since the injury but I could ride the bike so I dealt with it. Unfortunately, the repaired joint failed in March and circumstances delayed my hip replacement until early July so I lost a lot of strength and stamina.

I’m almost 74. Hip replacement is a miracle surgery these days. If you can manage the range of motion, you can probably ride. It might take some time to see how functional your repair is but if it doesn’t work well enough or you get arthritis, a hip replacement is pretty easy.

BTW, my repaired joint totally failed because the previously damaged head of the femur with avn partially collapsed into the socket. You might not have that issue.

Be encouraged!

 

[GaryInCO]

I mentioned to my Ortho surgeon that every guy I know over 70 is playing pickleball. He rolled his eyes up to the ceiling "Ah, pickleball, the gift that keeps on giving" (he meant to his paycheck).

Yes, you can definitely injure yourself with pickleball. But you can with biking and other activities too, and the pickleball injuries tend to be a lot less severe.

Meanwhile, pickleball is tremendous for mobility, balance, reaction time, and other things. It seems like a good trade-off. And it’s even a good social activity. I don’t offhand know of any other exercise forms that give you so many benefits for so little risk. Can anyone suggest some?

 

[aaronc879]

Yes, you can definitely injure yourself with pickleball. But you can with biking and other activities too, and the pickleball injuries tend to be a lot less severe.

Meanwhile, pickleball is tremendous for mobility, balance, reaction time, and other things. It seems like a good trade-off. And it’s even a good social activity. I don’t offhand know of any other exercise forms that give you so many benefits for so little risk. Can anyone suggest some?

This is just my personal opinion based on my experience and observation. It seems pickleball is far more likely to result in injury than riding a bike. Seems like a large percentage of people over 60 playing pickleball will get an injury that required surgery whether it is a torn muscle, tendon, ligament or a broken bone. Riding a bike can result in severe injury in a very small number of cases but almost always results in no injury at all. With my health issues I ride a bike quite often with nothing but a little extra soreness but if I played pickleball I would be way worse off possibly even needing to have my hip replacement replaced much sooner than I would like. It different for everyone but pickleball is definitely far from risk free.

 

[ronin]

Followed up with the surgeon yesterday, a few days past 7 weeks post-surgery. Healing coming along well. He manipulated the leg in the hip joint and said it felt supple and I didn't have any pain while he was moving my leg around. Still some significant numbness in the quad muscle from trauma due to clamping during surgery. Seems to be slowly waking up.

Can work my way up to 50% weight bearing over the next 2 weeks then full weight with walker until my next follow-up in 4 weeks. Probably PT and possibly switch from walker to cane at that point.

My strength and mobility are getting better (from nil after the surgery). Pain is not too bad. Only on 1 acetaminophen 2x daily. Will probably see about stopping that this coming week as it just slightly seems to take the edge off for a couple of hours anyway.

So I can see progress, albeit slow. No way to speed things up, just trying to deal with it all day-by-day.

Going back and forth on shooting for getting back on the bike eventually. Risk/reward obviously. Nowhere close at this point anyway so it's moot right now.

 

[pacergal]

Sounds like good news! Glad you are healing well.
Continued well wishes for good health.

 

[67walkon]

Ronin, I got on the bike for a short ride today. I’d done some riding on a smart trainer but not much. It felt great but even modest hills felt like killers. I lost a lot of strength and stamina.

But, the hip felt great. Just keep working at it slowly and see how it goes.

 

[old medic]

Followed up with the surgeon yesterday, a few days past 7 weeks post-surgery. Healing coming along well.
Only on 1 acetaminophen 2x daily.

Sounds great. At 15 1/2 weeks I'm still taking 3-4K MG acetaminophen a day and occasional Oxy before bed. Dr is sending me to a pain management clinic for other possible options.

 

[aaronc879]

Sounds great. At 15 1/2 weeks I'm still taking 3-4K MG acetaminophen a day and occasional Oxy before bed. Dr is sending me to a pain management clinic for other possible options.

I think I was about 12 weeks before I stopped taking the occasional Oxy. Five years later I am still taking 1-2K mg of acetaminophen if i'm doing something active. Sometimes adding 400-600mg Ibuprofen as needed on top of the acetaminophen.

 

[ronin]

I had a couple of pictures that I took while mountain biking in Santa Cruz earlier this spring blown up by Shutterfly that were delivered yesterday. So I gathered up some tools and proceeded to hang them. Had to rehang 2 other ones already on the walls and needed to bend and stretch to get it done because I couldn't move furniture that was a bit in the way. Boy did that wipe me out, something so simple. Feeling it this morning. Came out really nice though.