advice for post hip surgery

So...after watching my friend rip my ass all winter at the face...i decided that I would run the marathon in November to get in shape...was up to 4-5 miles daily but in a lot of pain

went to the ortho....x-rays....hole in neck of femur....cat scan...three stress fractures

this explains why I skied the slides like a chicken

and why the glades off approach were so difficult...

its hard to ski WF with a fractured femur

surgery on June 5

a screw...a plate   more screws

PT now

working on twisting the leg...lifts, calf stuff, and of course squats

open to additional advice

PT ends at the end of August

I am allowed to start to run on Aug 15

in the meanwhile...contemplating what to grill next winter on the hill...thinking of actually bringing up a wok and making chinese....outside on the deck

Coming at this from a person that had a shoulder re-built 15 years ago... nothing about hips here.  

I assume your doctor is well aware of what you want your post-op activity level to be.  I also assume your doing the PT as hard as you can and as often as possible.  Your only real risk is making sure that your doctors know you want to be better then you were before.  Too many orthopedic surgeons (and physical therapists) are happy if your 80-90% of your past.  

Let them know what you are after and they will put you there.  The biggest thing is just keep moving it and pushing yourself hard to get that extra degree that you did not have the day before.  Its going to hurt like hell.  Become friends with the heating pad as you already have.  Kind of blows my mind they are releasing you from PT that soon.  

Wish I could be more help specific to your needs!  Keep at it, push hard, and you'll be making turns again in no time.  

I had a tendency towards stress fractures from running (feet and legs, not hip).  Last stress fracture I had about 2 years ago; I switched to an elliptical during recovery, and transitioned to a rubberized track when I was fully cleared to do so.  The best advice I got was when my orthopedist recommended that I stop running on consecutive days.  It allowed my bones a 24 hour window to heal from the impacts, and it actually appeared to help my bone density.  No problems with stress fractures since.  It has done nothing to help my bursitis or general bad attitude about running though.  But it's the best off season exercise for me, and it doesn't require a gym membership .

best of luck with the PT/rehab grill - I'll be in the same boat next season. have OA pretty bad in my right hip so a replacement is inevitable. I'm doing PT to strengthen and stretch this bad boy out with along with a side of cortisone to try to eke out one more mtb and ski season fortunately those are the two things I can do that don't bother me too much  hiking, skating and hockey not so much. I figure an early spring surgery and pt should put me back on the bike (maybe not mtb) in time to rehab for 15/16 ski season. my ortho's on board and says i'll even be back in the bumps and gates by the end of the season (unless he's just blowing smoke up my ass...) but he's a skier as well though and seems to think my expectations are realistic.

Good luck, I know people who have gone on to continue with an active life.

If the therapist gives you homework as it were, be sure to do the homework.  Based on boatloads of experience, you might not feel 100% at the end of therapy, but you gotta stick with it.  If you have access to a pool, and it's OK with your doctor and PT, try incorporating pool running into your recovery: less impact than the road or the woods.  Best wishes for 100% recovery.

Good luck with the rehab

No more running for you.  Buy a bike.

Ballet bars are great for stretching. They produce results quicker than other stretches and are easier to do.

You can use your kitchen counter as one. Put a throw pillow on the counter then put your foot on it. Stretch the elevated leg and the supporting leg, then switch. A little experimenting and you'll soon learn how to stretch most leg muscles.

Huddler's stretch is great for the thigh muscle but hard to do on the floor as we age or if it's too tight. Doing it on the bed/edge of the bed solves this.

With all due respect, I'd suggest that one avoid the hurdler's stretch.  I don't use it with any of my clients.  It reeaaallly stresses the medial collateral ligament, and can cause pain/stress on one's kneecap.  

Peter, what do you suggest for thigh stretching ?

Sometimes over developed, unstretched thighs can make the ligaments under the knee cap actually get out of position, off to the side. Something I suspect happens to those who don't stretch especially those who work the thigh muscle a lot.

Myself, when I keep the thigh stretched it eliminates my pain in my knee area(tendons I suspect). The kind of pain you feel when ascending stairs. Huddler's on the bed lets the foot sink in the mattress and lessens the pull. One doesn't have to go all the way back.

Anyone who's never stretched or those who workout a lot and never stretch must ease into stretching slowly. Some take a long time.

I've found that as I age, stretching greatly helps in many ways.

While the new dynamic stretching is all the rage I agree with SB and stretch statically everyday.  If I miss a day I feel like crap.

I stretch my hamstrings with a leg on the stairs and also with a towel laying on my back which seems to be the PT preferred method.

@ Snoballs, the quad stretch I like is, you're standing up straight, with one hand out to a wall, or on a chair for balance.  With your there hand, grab your ankle and pull up towards your gluteus until you feel the stretch.  Maintain good posture; don't hinge forward at the waist.  I found photos with good technique on Google by searching "quadriceps stretch."  There's no need to torque the daylights out of your leg.

You could also purchase a foam roller and do self-myofascial release (SMR).  These can be bought at e.g. Dick's Sporting Goods.  Your physical therapist should have some ideas on SMR to point you in the right direction.

@ Coach Z +1.  None of us is getting any younger.

Personally, I like dynamic stretching pre-workout and static stretching post workout.  Full disclosure: I'm a certified personal trainer, not a physical therapist.