BiffBadass

One of the forwards on our team tried the BHR (Birmingham Hip Resurfacing) as well. Same result, didn't provide any relief. Anecdotally, it seems to be a hit or miss procedure. Either works good, or not at all, no "felt 50% better" or anything like that. His doctor said the same as well, that yes try this and if it doesn't work, then you can go for a replacement. The cynic in me says this is great way to get more money out of you or your health plan! But up in Canada with some of the healthcare backlogs, I'd say he was trying to do the right thing as putting you through twice needlessly would just add to the backlog. It was killing me not to play hockey or ski, and so was an easy choice to go for the the replacement.

Good to see a pad slider doing well after surgery. As mentioned, was well after my time and my style is "old goalie"... Keep 'er going!

SaskTel Provincial Hockey tournament was back on again this year!

So, thought I would give a post full winter season update. As posted a while ago, I started playing full time back in September. So was 8 months back to full time play. I played recreational all winter and played in our corporate hockey tournament as well. 3 ski trips as well. Fernie, Nakiska, Norquay. Still feel like 110%. Zero pain. Zero problems. Completely back to normal. Full disclosure. I taught my kid how to pad slide, but I learned to play goal way before that was a thing, and can't pad slide to save my life, or more importantly to save a goal! Some of the senior hockey players in my summer hockey are stymied by my "old goalie" style. They are used to floppers always down on their knees for every shot. And by senior hockey players, I mean some of the best amateurs around. In Canada after you are finished junior, AHL, ECHL, even NHL, senior hockey is where people go to play competitive hockey. You can play ASHL A, which means you play late at night to the echo of the puck and no fans. Or you play senior, as I did many years ago in my 20's, where you play in small towns outside the big cities and have 200-500 local fans in the stands, and sometimes you get to watch the fights in the stands..! Old time hockey! Small town hockey! An example is the Qu'Appelle Valley Highway Hockey League here in Saskatchewan. Anyway, my point is, I do not know if a pad slider would experience problems due to the motions and mechanics of pad sliding. If you are a pad slider speak up. Also, my boss at work knows 2 people that also had anterior hip replacements. She said they apparently both experienced significant pain and swelling. They were on pain relievers, anti-inflammatory's, swollen, had bruising, etc, etc. As previously described, I woke up with ZERO pain, ZERO swelling, ZERO problems. My boss says I am a unicorn. I do point out the "gorgeous goalie body" my doctor had to deal with...! So just sharing there are other poorer outcomes after the surgery and not sure if my experience would be your experience... I will also say I was pretty religious about my post surgery exercises my physio therapist gave me. Yes they do help. Summer hockey has started again, and I am playing weekly as usual. That is my update. Hope all my notes help some others through their surgery and recovery. Mark.

So dean42mvg, how was the surgery and the recovery?

Oh, forgot, the superpath uses a lateral incision.... But is totally different from the old lateral approach.

I'm not a doctor (but I can pretend I am one in a chat room!) and had not heard of the Super-Path. I found this video. I appears the Super-Path has similar characteristics to the anterior approach, without the need to dislocate the hip (and need a $150K operating table). It appears to not cut muscles, tendons, etc, and would have the same good recovery time. All the best with your surgery! SuperPath Total Hip Replacement Chesterfield | Revision Hip Replacement St Louis (stlortho.com)

This is from my post back in July and demonstrates anterior approach (front). https://www.pbs.org/video/latest-procedure-latest-procedure-anterior-total-hip-replacement-surgery/

I had the anterior approach. I run our summer hockey league, so I have some pull in how we do things. My surgery was Feb 11. As described earlier started doing drops in July, and was the 3rd goalie in August - September for our weekly summer game. Did some 5-10 minute shifts in net so I was not playing tired. By the 4th week felt good, but played like crap. But this last Monday Sep 26, I played the full game. Lots of shots. Played awesome. Felt good. Won the game..! So that is almost exactly seven and a half months back to full game play. Winter hockey starts Sunday, I will be back at it full time. But keep in mind what an incredible athlete I am. Just ask me! You don't get this incredible by just working out. A lot of beer and rum is involved. I would recommend: Appleton Estate 15 Year Old (Minimum Age) Rum « The Rum Howler Blog Welcome to Original 16 Beer | The Premium Prairie Beer

Oh yeah, almost forgot my return to play song. Sung to the tune of AC/DC Back in Black.. Back in net Hit the deck Been too long Glad I'm so fit Cut hips By the best Had no pain Yes, I've been fixed I'm working my way Back to full game play Never going to stop Gonna play till I'm dead Got nine lives Cat eye (goalie mask cage) Stopping everyone like it's second nature 'Cause I'm back Yes, I'm back Well, I'm back Yes, I'm back....

So, thought I would give an update on my return to play. As described earlier, I had NO PAIN right from the moment I woke up. Been going hard at it with daily exercises and visits to physio. I mentioned the sliders earlier and still feel they are awesome. Another item you should get for rehab is a good set of ankle weights (both legs to make easier doing exercises and not have to stop and change), as they are very useful for many exercises. Surgery on Feb 11. Used walker for a week Crutches for 2 weeks inside Used crutches outside as snow was late this year and they wanted to slow me down and not slip and fall which would be the worst thing I could do Cane for 4 weeks Returned to work half days in 1 month for 2 weeks Returned to work full day in 6 weeks Began bicycling as soon as the snow was gone Exercises daily throughout Doctor said the thing they look for each time you come in is the distance between some landmarks on your bones and the implants so see if they have moved. Said revision surgery if you screw things up can be tough and problematic. Got permission from doctor and mid-June (4 months) started skating around during summer hockey warmups. Just to get some skating muscles back in shape. Bought some cooperall style regular hockey player pants to wear on ice, with some thin padded ref underwear Again, falling is worst thing you could do If I wore goalie pants they are big and flop around and may not be in position Cooperall style pants hug your torso and legs so will be guaranteed Late July (5 months from surgery) put on pads and start doing some drops and stretches on ice. Hip felt good, but butterfly felt a bit tight for some muscles as you really cannot replace up and down on the ice with a dry land option. Last couple of weeks (6 months from surgery). Played a 3-4 x 5 minute shifts in weekly summer hockey (had 3 goalies there). I don't want to be out there tired and make some move that causes grief, so play some short shifts and get some muscle memory back and take some real shots. Also begged my way on for free at the end of the night a few days and had a couple of buds come out and take some shots on me. Also did a lot of laps with the gear on. Summer hockey ends the end of Sep and Winter hockey starts in Oct. Not sure if I will be ready for full games right away in Oct, and I don't want to be an super-hero and go full time too soon and screw things up. But every day on the ice feels better and better.

Well, back around 1985-86 I was playing in the SaskTel provincial hockey tournament (we lost 1-0 in the competitive division final. ARGH.). We had chartered a bus with another team from Regina so we could drink all the way back and forth. As I mentioned there was drinking. One guy from the other team was hammered and annoying. Staggering up and down the bus, all over people, and asking everyone "Watsch yer name?" (with lots of spittle on top). The movie Back To The Future was out, and I didn't feel like getting into a conversation with the annoying drunk, so I just said off the top of my head "Biff" (from the back to the future character). The guys on my team picked up on this and then Badass kind of just came along as it flowed. And matched my personality. You know, Bad is the name, Ass is the game! Anyway, I have multiple nicknames for various situations. In my NHL playoff pool, I am der "StudMeister UberPooler HockeyKaiser". Was on a networking course in Washington D.C. and bored. Thought I would slag some of the other pool members as I was leading by a lot. I remembered the funny old computer room notice in pig German about "no fingerpoken und mittengrabbin". So, I was telling the other pool members that they were "slackenjawwin, spittendroolen, und privatepullen" and came up with that handle to complete the slagging. Gets lots of respect! At home I am "A-Cool-A-Mah-Dada" (Hakuna Matata - Lion King). Yes my kids "love" this. At Laserquest I am "the Dadinator". At the cabin we have rule that you need to write a name on your red plastic cup so you re-use it, but it can't be your real name or dad, etc. Needs to be something creative. So I am often "The Notorius D.A.D." (Notorious B.I.G.).

Awesome. I post about those SKLZ Slidez and the ad for the website is now suddenly SKLZ equipment....! Its like they read our posts or something!

Looks like I should have googled further. Much cheaper to be found... SKLZ Slidez-Functional Core Stability Discs, Exercise & Fitness - Amazon Canada

Had both hips replaced Feb 11. Got the call Monday to come in Friday. Short notice but had new orthopedic surgeon in town and when he gets a slot, then I go! Anterior approach. If you have any choice go for the anterior (front). https://www.pbs.org/video/latest-procedure-latest-procedure-anterior-total-hip-replacement-surgery/ Awesome video above explains how and why better. Woke up from surgery with ZERO pain. Nurses kept saying hit the button stay ahead of the pain. I said I have NO PAIN. After a couple of years of constant pain was wonderful. Was standing by bed that night. Walking with walker next day, had me do some physio test and show if I can get in/out of bed and up/down stairs, and then they kicked me out! Used walker for a week, then crutches for 2 inside then cane for 4 more. I used the crutches outside for 4 weeks as they said they wanted to slow me down, and with all the snow and ice, slipping and falling would be the worst thing I could do to impact my recovery. (Bonus sidebar , my dad was a goalie too, and his "claim to fame" was he was backup goalie to Glenn Hall back in Humboldt, SK, when he was a teenager. Dad went on to be a politician and bureaucrat, while Glen went on to something bigger in the hockey world. Something called the NHL. Not sure if you have heard of it... ) Have been doing physio and my daily exercises since. I run our summer hockey group (my son is playing goal for me, 3rd generation goalie) and so I have been out skating for 10 minutes or so before each weekly summer game. Hopefully putting on pads soon and doing some drops. Not trying to rush things as don't want to screw things up. As you do exercises, if there is one thing that I think is really good it is using sliders. I found some on sale before surgery for $10 (I think they were $40 regular) in a clearance bin and thought maybe they might be handy. Then the physiotherapist wanted to add this. This is what I found. Slidez | agility-sports (agilitysportstt.com) Ridiculous that they say $250 online. Look around and you can find MUCH cheaper. When you slide on a carpet it is the closest to actual front, side and 45 degree skating push. And you can really get into it and push hard without being on ice. Best simulation to skating I have found off ice. Anyway, hope to get back between the pipe this upcoming season.

Thanks Steve. From your post, you imply that you had knee replacement. I am also interested in your knee story. I tore my left MCL about 30 years ago, tore my left meniscus and ACL and had half the meniscus removed (inside) about 25 years ago, and then had the ACL repaired about 23 years ago (using the middle of the kneecap patellar tendon). All my knee repairs have held up. I have used a generation 2 knee braces for about 28 years and would recommend it to anyone worried about their knees. But. Yeah eventually I am going to need knee replacement on both sides. Any info on this also appreciated. Did I mention I am an avid skier as well. Once or twice to the mountains every year for about 12 years with family and friends. Lake Louise, Sunshine Village, Fernie, Kicking Horse, Revelstoke, Sun Peaks, Vail, Beaver Creek, Squaw Valley (or whatever name now), Whistler/Blackcomb… Can’t figure out why my hips and knees are wearing out…!?! Anyone else with some rehab timeframes for hip replacement? Or knee stories too. Mark

Hi guys, I am 57 years old and just got both hip replaced 2 days ago at the same time using the anterior procedure. Discharged the next day and now at home looking for advice on return to play. Like a number of people here, I have been playing goal forever since I was about 7 years old. I played on multiple teams at the same time, played senior here in Saskatchewan, organized and played summer hockey for years, and run our men's team in the winter. I have also been chairman of the SaskTel provincial hockey tournament multiple times (the major telco here in Sask). In fact just before Covid and before my hips ground to a halt, I won the 37th Annual SaskTel Provincial Hockey Tournament, And I am one of only 3 remaining players that played in the original event (which we won). So like all of you, I consider myself to be a high performance athlete!! Anyway, I am interested in some of the timelines people had for return to play. Can some people share what timelines they experienced for various stages in their rehab. Month x - Walker Month x - Crutches Month x - Cane Month x - Bicycling or similar Month x - Just skating Month x - Pads on doing some drops, etc Month x - Part games Month x - Full play Or any other stage you think should be included in here. There does not appear to be much advice out there for return to play in high impact sports, which I think men's beer league is not that high impact, but the doctor's do classify it as such. Anyway, any information would be welcomed. Thanks. Mark.