Category: Martin’s Reports

hi all

finally eventually had my surgery on Jan 6th, I went for the epidural with sedation combo rather than full anesthetic which in my case seemed to work to either put me asleep or make me forget as I have no memory of the procedure at all! (not sure I want memories though having spoken to some fellow patients over those first 3 days in recovery the experience is very odd so so I’m happy enough!!)

I wasn’t in total agony but it had gotten to the point where there was not much flexibility possible anymore on the left, I would unpredictably lock up with a massive stab (and yelp) now and again whenever I would do things like climbing stairs/steps and I hadn’t slept properly in a very long time, sporting activities were reduced to swimming (meh)

recovery good so far (arnica arnica arnica) scar healing nicely, off painkillers 100% now, def no pain from the surgery I’m doing the basic physio and walking about well and although I’m on crutches but they are more like stablilisers really I find I’m barely touching the floor and not putting much weight thru them as I walk…oh and I’m back at work!

kinda frustrated already and wanting to do much more but I need to temper myself a little, it’s only been 3 weeks after all

sometimes the joint feels a little “clunky” I’m guessing its all to do with lack of strength of the surrounding structures and need to achieve a tightening up and strengthening up of same

I’m not due to see the surgeon for another 3 weeks for hopefully a signoff to move to the next stage of getting on with proper strengthening exercises & careful return to sporting basics like the pool and upper body/core work, ellipitical, losing the crutches and mmmm well lets see about running again (I do think I have the courage for that) but minimum task is to crosstrain and properly diet myself back to as light a weight as feasible for me (I’m 92KG and I reckon need to get back … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)

Hi! ok so my name is Martin Courtney from Dublin, Ireland .

I’m 44, 5’8″ and 90 kilos now but usually 75. I started running in my early 30’s and my last marathon was October 2011. I’ve arrived at a point where I have decided to ignore naysayers, take a leap of faith and have a hip replacement as it seems that I have almost no useful cartilage remaining in my left hip. I’m going to take the leap because frankly I figure I’m damned if I don’t! Here’s how I’ve arrived at this point:

fit and competitive in my teens, cycling was my main thing apart from soccer…into my 20’s work and socialising gradually took over…until my early 30’s when I realised my lifestyle and that of my friends around me was not where I wanted to be….beer, pizza, TV couch potato territory….took to the bike again and decided to have a go at something crazy: a marathon! I figured if I was going to do one then I may as well do “the best one”, NYC. I scored first time on the lottery draw for 2003, trained, raised money for a local charity and joined the millions out there that already knew the secret! During that first marathon I marveled at how little old ladies were flying past me as I struggled around the top of 1st avenue…I vowed to myself that I would work to be like those veterans that flew past me that day doing marathons into my 80’s….it was the best thing I’d ever done and there was no going back to the couch! It was going to be one per year now for the rest of my life. Mostly I remained injury free although my left knee always bothered me (as I would eventually learn it wasn’t my knee at all) So cut to 2011….I’d completed 3 that year, the last one in late October. All grand but with a domestic situation to take care of I made a decision to take a break from running until the following January, no problem I figured, … (Click Here to View Full Post and Comments)