February 19, 2012

P90X and Hip Replacement Recovery: a Highly Unscientific Study

We just got back from a week's ski vacation in Sunday River, Maine. I took a week's hiatus from P09X, meaning I suspended the program for a week after Sunday's X-Stretch. I counted the day's skiing as a workout from Monday-Friday, did an extra Yoga-X on Saturday after our drive home, and then completed the AMW run tonight before supper. Tomorrow morning I'll start Week 7 of the program, picking up where I left off. I'm looking forward to it!

The week of family skiing was marred by a fairly serious accident, as my mother was injured on the slopes during a lesson on Monday morning. She ended up being evacuated by the ski patrol and taken by ambulance to the hospital in Norway, Maine. She was diagnosed with a broken hip, and on Tuesday morning she had a full hip replacement.

By Tuesday afternoon she was already feeling infinitely better. Thursday she was discharged from the hospital and had dinner with us in our condominium. Friday and Saturday my dad drove her and her newly installed hardware back to Nova Scotia, where she is now recovering at home.

This is somewhat faster than a normal recovery time from a hip replacement. My mother will be 64 in July, and has suffered from aggressive rheumatoid arthritis since she was in her 30s. There is no doubt that both of those factors contributed to the severity of the break. But the doctors agree that what facilitated her recovery was her exceptional fitness. She has remained very active througout her life, in spite of her arthritis, and has spent the last few months doing P90X with my dad in their basement gym. She has much stronger muscles than the average hip replacement patient, and that's allowed her to get back on her feet in record time.

So if you are collecting reasons for keeping up this challenge — and for continuing the committment way beyond these 224 days — you can add that to the list.

Here's hoping that metal joint doesn't slow you down too much, mom!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Highly unscientific study my good friend... n=1, no control group, 2 weeks follow up, non standard rehab protocol... ahem... and attributing all this to the Jack Lalane of the millenium... hmmmm

sorry to hear about your mom... THA a very good idea given the history or RA, age and activity level...

do you ever remember your biggest ski fall??? Saudan? Pakalolo? Cougar Chute????

Amateur said...

YES I will remember that fall for the rest of my life. Cougar Chute ... I have skied it since. Once. Some day I will take my kids there and show them the place :-)

Don't know if you know the ortho who saw my mom in Norway when she came in ... Sean Hanley. Was at the 96 Games as an MD. He didn't do the surgery though.

Pay per head services said...

I hope that you mother is alright. It is a pity that she had to go for that kind of thing.