There is a guy in long beach (a cop) whose wife is paralyzed from a gun shot wound. And they both still get out in the water. SO you could be a lot worse off. Remember “I thought I had it bad cause I had no shoes, until I met the man with no feet”…
My wife just had one knee replaced (5 weeks), she’s getting aroung pretty good now. The Dr told her that modern hip replacement is actually easier to recover from than the knee surgery. So hang in there.
There are many stories of guys who were told they couldn’t do x or y. Most of them didn’t listen and they are back doing whatever they want.
Get your head together and quit saying the word "can't". Make sure you have a doctor that understands the need to surf again. Find a doctor that specializes in athletes. But remember, they ALL say they specialize in athletes. If he says you "can't" surf then you can't let him cut you open. Move on the next qualified doc. MAKE SURE YOUR DOC IS GOOD! Do you think Lebron James would let some random doctor cut him open and tell him to never dribble a basketball again? Fawk no. They'd find a way to get 7 more years out of his hip. Why is Lebron more important that you? If you don't have insurance, find a job immediately that you can get some. Sometimes it's cosidered a "pre-exisiting condition" and you may have to wait a while to get it fixed.
Now let's move on to worst case scenario...total hip replacement. From what I can gather, the worst case scenario is a hip replacement, right? Not a big deal. There's people that surf, ski, or snowboard with problems way worse than yours. Ask Richie Lovett how it's going.... http://www.skuff.tv/clip/VDZZDXiUM7w/ Fake knees are way worse than fake hips, so consider yourself kind of lucky. I lived in a ski town and used to end the day in the Gym's hot tub with other shredders that were all over 70 years old. They ALL had a fake joint or two and slashed the mountains 100+ days a year way harder than most 20 year olds. Skiing's way more desructive to the joints than surfing. If gimpy old women can do it, then there's no reason you can't surf. But if it gets to that point, just know that a fake hip won't hold you back. I got one a dozen years ago at 27 years old. I've been beating the shit out of it ever since and all is well.
There's a chick that had her knee replaced 6 months ago that has a really good blog describing everything. http://surfandthefury.blogspot.com/ . It'll give you some kind of idea. Just remember, knees are worse than hips.
There you go. Just get after it. You only live once.
My friend Tom O'Brien was having back and hip problems. Turned out he needed a hip replacement. He went ahead and had it done. Within a year he was ripping again. Three years later he won the 2008 Eastern Surfing Championchips held in 6 to 8 foot surf in Cape Hattaras. Tom is approaching 50 but can outsurf guys 20 years younger on a shortboard or a longboard with his artificial hip. Click the link below for the news story on his accomplishment.
"There are many stories of guys who were told they couldn't do x or y. Most of them didn't listen and they are back doing whatever they want. The human body is an amazing machine. We create our own reality each day!"
Eeee...yeah, I know what is being said here...and I agree...BUT I'd also offer that if surgical action in undertaken you really need to listen to the rehab/aftersurgery instructions. I know people who have blown out their backs by blowing off surgeon post-op instructions with no hope of another reconstruction. Also, once a joint has been replaced you get to regain most mobility, but the more action and stress you put on it the sooner it will wear out - probably not the metal but the bone around it - requiring another replacement. Many people who get hip replacements young only get about 10 years out of them. The trick is they only do the replacements X number of times - like 2 or 3.
All that means is common sense. Creating our own reality is a good thought. Even if we never have any physical problems develop few of us will be able to surf at peak performance all our lives anyway. Sometimes we might have to redefine our notion of surfing, as many others have written in this thread. Tom Morey espoused a philosophy of surfing life like a wave. Mental, physical, and environmental issues can all be cause to reappraise and redefine our surfing experiences. it's all about balancing, maintaining and regaining...
But I meant what I said about creating our own reality. Its a zen/karma thing. Good things come back to you just like bad. But knowing this we can have some level of control in our reality. How many dreams do we make into solid reality? A lot in my life. Yeah sometimes it takes a lot of real work as well, but the dream is the beginning of that creation. So create a good reality not a bad one.
Howzit pauwel, There is a doctor here on Kauai that does a new type of hip replacement and a good friend had it done. He was back in the water in 3 weeks. I am just now getting ready to start getting back into surfing since my cancer operation. They fianally took out the feeding tube that was inserted in my stomach which kept me from paddleing or even going in the ocean. I have been out of the water since the begiining of this year and in your case it should be a lot shorter time out of the water. Aloha,Kokua
for a while now my girlfriend has suffered from the results of cancer
the cancer was gone quickly, but there is a lot to suffer from still
she has always complained to me about how people always try and be positive
she reasons that if you are in a fucked up situation, what is there to be positive?
if you are in a sad situation, you need to deal with it, cry, yell, talk to loved ones, and what so on.
now, i am not saying that trying to be positive is bad. all i am saying is that your situation is HORRIBLE. i contemplate that a lot, or similar horrible situations.
it will take a while before you accept it maybe, but you sure must continue training for surfing
get a power ball, big and small, and when you can, balance and train
i whink of you, wish you strength , mentally and physically
The University of Washington has a new approach to repairing cartlidge, they do it for shoulders too. Its a way to prolong the use of the joint area without having to do replacement surgery. I can get a P.O.C if you like. Best of luck! One thought, do you have an MRI, or CAT scan of your hip area? If you have actual films of your hip the medical team will want to look at your images to rule out your candidacy. The surgery will only work for special types of injuries.
A really close friend of mine just got diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis… big shock of course.
I know its different, but i’ve had a lot thoughts like “what if I couldn’t surf again” and stuff running through my head, just trying to get my mind around what he must be dealing with. He’s not a surfer, but a really talented sporty guy.
He’s basically got a time limit, at some point in his life, he’ll be bound to a wheel chair. Maybe in 20 years time, maybe 5. He’s 31 like me.
So yeah, you’ve got a chance man, play your cards as straight as you can, like Nels says, and work hard and thats all you can do.
Do not think that way pauwel, I had the same thing. 1994 I had hip arthroscopy and it was a grade IV lesion that was found. Told I would need a hip replacement probably in 5 years. I moutain bike, work out at a gym, surf every day I can and generally have no discomfort at all in the hip UNLESS: I carry anyting really heavy (30 lbs or more) for a distance or I run. I take a reliable brand of glucosamine, 3,000 mg per day, stopped Karate competition, and stay away from longboards (too heavy and ungainly on the beach walk). No pain, no problems. Trust me, you can get past this. I am an orthopaedic surgeon and know what my options are and what the consequences of the wrong activity can mean. Glucosamine, biking, surfing all good. Take care and get back in the water when you know you’re ready.
Aloha wouter, hate to disagree with you but my friends and doctors have told me that they think that my great positive thinking and optimistic outlook on life has been a major factor on my good recovery from my cancer survivorship.. But then again I am a happy person and have always had a great outlook on life. Has your girl friend had treatment yet? If so is she in remmision or cured . I have to admit I had moments of deep depression and even thought about suicide bcause I felt so weak and fatigued but thoe feelings would only last or a short time and then I would be OK. I am ow almost back to my normal self except for some changes in my life style but I have learned to live with them and people tell me I look great and I feel great. Aloha,Kokua
if one says that being positive helps fight cancer, everybody would be sent of to see the psychologist, or even psychiatrist
to say that, would mean that all those folks who were super positive and didn’t make it, were not positive enough?
cancer is a disease in the cells, not in the head.
surely, positive attitudes help to survive. one has only to look at the ex-Farc hostage Mme Betancourt.
or think of those people who can --let go-- and die at their own wis. one can hold onto life, being positive, loving it. yes
but to fight cancer, or survive it by being positive, no, and there is NO scientific proof that being positive helps people survive cancer
you are either lucky or you are not.
again, this is my opinion, respectfully!
this cancer thing has been a daily discussion topic since february 28, 2008, and not always fun as you know!
but for somebody to not surf, must be equally painful, i also learned, that one should not compare the face of death with a gastro-enteritus of another.if you dont know better, a gastro enteritus is the end of the world, and the worst that can happen. Wait till we go to war.
the world is a very unfair place with a lot of suffering.