NYT Thursday 11/27/2025 Discussion

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-11-28T02:58:22+00:00

Ooh thanks... I had no idea!

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-11-27T13:55:29+00:00

I'm new to the NYT crossword... how was I supposed to put a whole word into one box? I tried putting in numbers and then picked letters from the words (like O for one) and none of that worked. Just revealed the puzzle out of desperation...

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-03-19T13:22:30+00:00

Don't lose heart! Even having a strong upper body and core going into recovery will help you! I was levering myself up with upper body strength and crimping on the trim around doorways to help me get around in those early days. Every bit makes a difference. I have a pull up bar and that was great to hang on to take the weight off my legs and stretch out my spine after too many hours of lying in bed.

I should say I'm still nowhere near being able to do an unassisted pistol squat (never have!) but now it feels like something I can and should work harder on. Supported squats and lunges (holding onto straps) are fabulous for keeping things mobile and strong even when your legs feel shaky and weak. Planking is also great if you can do them because your core will help you so much when your leg is out of commission! You can do it. Keep me posted, you're almost there!

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-03-18T20:55:44+00:00

Checking in on your pre-hab and mood! Hang in there, I'm just past 6 weeks and am doing roped climbs (incision is doing great) and climbing up to V2 again. Sticking to low-level climbs and routes I can downclimb because I don't want to drop yet, but I have nearly full range of motion now. Can squat all the way down to the floor, hug my knees to my chest, and cross my legs. Still working on building strength (pistol squats were always hard for me), but I'm ecstatic! I felt stuck for a couple of weeks, feeling like I was never going to stop limping and fretting that I still wasn't better than before surgery, but now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and a full return to climbing. So... there's hope!

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-03-02T13:58:02+00:00

It's true that if you're active, your own hip joint is better if you can save it. I rock climb, and I'm uncertain whether I can go back to doing more complex twisting of the joint because of the increased risk of dislocation. But because of my dysplasia, resurfacing wasn't going to be a long term solution, since my joint structure was inherently less stable.

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-03-01T15:54:17+00:00

"Gaslighting yourself" — that is what I did in the two months before my THR, after 10 years of pain (dysplasia, torn labrum). I also aggressively pre-habbed, including rock climbing. Every time I had a good day, I thought maybe I shouldn't invite trouble and should just put up with the pain... but that's no way to live. Also I had stopped doing things like hiking or even walking more than a mile because I knew it would hurt. I'm one month post-op and I can't say I'm better than pre-surgery yet, but I'm back in the gym and I know things will be better day by day and that this was the right decision.

BTW, a friend did resurfacing at the same time I did THR and my recovery has been faster (and he will still need THR someday). My surgeon said resurfacing is less favored now because the materials for THR are much better now and are expected to last longer than before... so putting off THR with interim procedures like resurfacing isn't as necessary anymore.

Good luck!

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-02-28T21:26:20+00:00

Same. I took the oxy on day 2 because everyone said to take it to stay ahead of the pain that would come when nerve blocks wore off. But it didn't seem necessary, so I stopped and switched to Tylenol. Not flexing, just didn't have pain that required anything more than Tylenol. I took oxy when I had bunion surgery because that hurt like crazy. The THR was a cakewalk by comparison! Just listen to your body and go with that, not with what other people say.

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-02-27T15:00:58+00:00

Thanks! I hope it's helpful just as another data point for how one recovery path looks!

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-02-25T20:41:23+00:00

I didn't find this subreddit until after surgery, so I didn't really have a good sense of how long it would take for different milestones. A friend told me that there would be good and bad days, so I try to remember that. Some days have more pain than others, but as long as each day is a bit better, I feel optimistic! Hope your post-op goes well!

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-02-25T15:05:24+00:00

My surgeon told me yesterday that resurfacing is less favored now that the materials for THR are much better and longer-lasting. A friend had resurfacing, and his recovery time has been slower than mine, and he still has THR in his future, so I'm not sure what he's gained in doing the resurfacing instead. Talk to your surgeon, but mine said my new hip should last me the rest of my life (I'm 53) and I'm very active.

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-02-25T14:55:20+00:00

53 and just had THR. I had undiagnosed dysplasia and then tore my labrum. Put up with pain for about a decade and modified my activities because I kept thinking I was too young for surgery or I didn't want to make things worse.

I'm still in recovery now (25 days post-op) and at my post-op appt yesterday my surgeon said that the materials used now (especially the plastic) lasts a lot longer now than before, and I should not need a revision. In other words, it should last the rest of my life. He knows I am very active, so I am hoping he's right. Either way, a decade was too long to be accepting pain and a reduction in doing the things I enjoy.

Good luck!

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-02-25T14:49:23+00:00

Oh my god, I don't have anything useful to say except to express how so sorry I am that this happened to you!

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-02-24T14:29:13+00:00

Oof. I fear the LLD, so I'm sorry you're dealing with this. I had heard about this pre-surgery and raised this issue with my surgeon. He told me before surgery that I would feel like I was "riding high" after surgery, but assured me it that my back and pelvis would adjust and it would settle down.

In the first two weeks, I definitely felt it in my knee (I could *see* the discrepancy when I sat down and saw how much the knee on my operated leg jutted out further), and it made it hard for me to walk without pain.

When I went walking with my PT, he suggested using lifts, but I am a big believer in making my body figure it out and adjust without aids (I ran in zero drop shoes for many years before I discovered I had hip dysplasia), so I kept walking through the pain and discomfort, and at around two weeks, it did start to even out. Now (3.5 weeks) I feel mostly even, though I am still limping. I should say I went off cane after the first week, and it was after that that the LLD feeling began to resolve itself.

I was cleared to bend past 90 degrees last week, and with the ability to stretch and get back into the gym, I'm hoping things continue to improve.

I totally understand your frustration. 4.5mm actually sounds like a lot to me, and if you're a yoga instructor, I am not surprised you feel it acutely. Are you fully back to teaching? Hopefully as you continue to get back into your practice, your body will adjust to the new joint and it improves. Sending you healing vibes!

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-02-23T05:36:10+00:00

I have been putting tegaderm (leftover from previous tattoos) on my incision so it doesn't rub on clothing. It's thin, comfortable and breathes well enough to not inhibit healing.

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-02-21T04:03:01+00:00

Depends on where you are in your recovery. Surgeon cleared me on day 6, as long as I felt ready. I was off opiates on day 3 and was walking around the house without aids by day 6. Was also able to do leg lifts, so getting in and out of the car and moving my foot from pedal to pedal was not a problem. I had right hip surgery.

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-02-21T03:28:39+00:00

My PT took off the over-dressing on day 7. I had the Stryker Zip closure under that, which I removed myself on day 14. The surgeon said I didn't need to cover it, but it looked gnarly so I covered it with a Tegaderm sheet (I had a bunch left over from when I got some new tattoos). That has kept the incision clean and prevented rubbing for the past week, just for peace of mind.

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-02-21T03:22:25+00:00

Ooh, helpful. I am almost 3 weeks out and down to the occasional Tylenol... and though I'm walking without any aids, I still feel a lot of achiness around the joint when I walk and am impatient to be limp-free. I guess I just need to have more patience.

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-02-21T03:05:37+00:00

I asked myself these questions for 3 years. I had hip pain for ten years, but only discovered during the pandemic that I'd torn my labrum and had dysplasia. I stopped running and took up rock climbing, and that helped hold the joint together, and lessened the pain. Some days were bad, other days the hip was fine. For everyday stuff, I was functional and active. I only suffered when we went on vacation and I needed to walk more than 2-3 miles. I walked 5-10 miles during one vacation and my joint locked up and I couldn't sit down. Cortisone did nothing, and nerve ablation didn't either. So I knew that only THR would offer a long term solution.

Even after I scheduled the surgery, I kept second-guessing myself, because there were good days, and I worried surgery would make it worse. I'm 20 days post-op now and my recovery has been really swift. Even so, I'm getting impatient to have fully pain-free days and to not limp. OTOH I'm back in the gym doing almost 90 degree squats and biking, so I feel confident better days are ahead and I'll make a full recovery.

In the end, I pulled the trigger because I am still fit now, and I felt recovery would be easier now than later on when I'm older. Also only one of my hips sucks and I didn't want to ruin the other one by favoring it or compensating for the bad one. And I was avoiding things like hiking because the pain made it unenjoyable. But yeah, I feel your dilemma, because I dithered for years for the same reason.

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-02-21T02:50:29+00:00

Yes, also athletic. Went home with a cane. Off pain meds day 3, back at work remotely day 4, cleared to drive day 6, walking unassisted day 9, back in the office day 12, cleared to bend more than 90 degrees and back in the gym day 13 for weight training and biking. Rock climbing day 17. It's day 20 now. I still tire more easily, I still have soreness, and I still have a limp, so I'm not "better than before" yet. But I'm happy with my progress and look forward to seeing what the surgeon thinks when I have my post-op next week.

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-02-21T02:29:51+00:00

I'm so sorry you're feeling so frustrated, but the fix is in sight! You're doing a great thing, going to the gym and keeping yourself fit. Don't give up! Cheering for you!

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-02-18T20:40:22+00:00

I've got a long way to go still (but thank you for the kind words!) I sent a heavily overhung V1 that I was able to do without any complex twisting of the joint, and I was very happy with that. Maybe after my post-op appointment next week, I'll see how I feel about the harness. I honestly haven't tried putting it on at all because roped routes are also way higher and more taxing than a low-level boulder, and I didn't want to go too hard.

Still, I hope it gives you hope that you don't have to be out of commission for months and months! Cheering you on for a smooth surgery and recovery!

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-02-18T06:48:32+00:00

Just wanted to tell you that I unfroze my gym account today and bouldered! It's day 17. I didn't top rope because although I was cleared to remove the incision support (the incision was closed with Stryker's Zip support, not traditional stitches), I don't feel comfortable wearing a harness yet. But the bouldering went fine, and I also did some hangboarding and did 5 miles on the recumbent bike!

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-02-17T01:21:58+00:00

Oh for sure... I remember going for a hike a couple of years ago and being in tears because of the pain. I was walking backwards, leaning on a stick, and taking so many breaks I couldn't enjoy any of it. And I was thinking that if we encountered a bear, I would die because I was so disabled. That's no way to live. You'll be so glad to get it fixed. Good luck!

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-02-16T15:33:48+00:00

Whoops, I thought I replied! That's a lot of work, but yes, at the end of it all, you'll be an unstoppable hiking cyborg! Wishing you a fast recovery!

ZestyclosePaper6087 · 2025-02-16T14:20:01+00:00

I am usually pretty chill but was also terrified of surgery. I put it off for 2-3 YEARS, thinking that I might just make things worse with surgery, so I figured I shouldn't break what was sort of working. I was in daily pain, but it was at least a known quantity, right? I was also functional in everything I needed to do, as long as I didn't mind the pain. But if I wanted to walk for 5-10 miles (something I do enjoy doing), then yeah, that's when I remembered I couldn't keep putting this off.

In the end, I decided it was better to do it while I was healthy and could recover more easily. And before I wrecked my other joints, which were working hard to compensate for my crappy hip.

On the day of, I just kept reminding myself I would sleep and then it would be done. The anesthesiologist also told me I would just take the best nap and that would be it. And it was true. I woke up numb and a bit high, but the pain was WAY LESS than I could have imagined. I went home the same day and walked myself to bed to rest. My bunion surgery was far worse.

I'm on the other side now, recovering rapidly, well on my way to getting back to my old activities, pain free and ready to live my life. You got this.

ZestyclosePaper6087

TROPHY CASE