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Bilateral THR ByGosh ByGolly ByLateral

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alexthecat I guess they all have their idiosyncrasies. I was and am still afraid of dislocation because I am a klutz! Didn't need him to scare me on that one.
Nice to talk about this with someone three years out. Reassuring. Thanks.
 
alexthecat and LeeApril26 How curious these OSs are with all of their different quirky things! The more we talk about our own surgeone, the more we learn how they each differ..
LeeApril26 Awww, I hope you don't have a sinus infection - they can be quite bothersome. I only had one, but it gave me the worst aches in my cheekbones. It cleared right up with antibiotics, though.
Thanks for another great idea about one pad in each place! You're an encyclopedia of good ideas and information sometimes. I'll try it and see how it works. :)

alexthecat There's a new thread for you to post your glass work called Art Gallery - something like that - under Social, I think. They have a few interesting creations already posted there. Yours would be a lovely addition!
 
Thanks ByGosh I get them fairly frequently. I have lots of allergies-mold, oak trees, etc. so the fluid accumulates and gets infected. I am starting Claritin D in the morning. Can't take it at night cause it keeps me up even more than usual. Hope I haven't reached the antibiotics stage.
I like to solve problems and work out solutions. It has factored into most of my work life. When I identify problems my brain keeps searching for fixes. It can annoy the heck out of people who just want to vent :hissy:
 
I think it's very natural to worry about dislocation in the early months after THR. With time, as you start doing more things, you will see what your hips are capable of and you learn to trust them. I went through a phase of "oh my gosh! I can't believe I just did that!" where I was remembering I had an artificial hip after I'd already done something that might seem risky. Nothing ever happened though, so I stopped worrying about it. I'm pretty athletic and I've put this hip through its paces. I know it's not going to let me down.
 
LeeApril26 alexthecat That's whats so interesting about this site is everyone's experiences while healing and after. My OS was so laid back that he made me feel that nothing can or will ever go wrong. So far, thank god, it hasn't but it's so interesting to hear what some of the warnings that are out there. I believe under some circumstances we should be careful, basically use common sense and we will be alright as long as there's no other health cautions.
 
Hm... maybe so, but it gets really hard to remember to be careful. My artificial hip doesn't feel different from my natural hip and most of the time I forget that there's anything different about it. As I moved out of recovery, other aspects of my life took priority. When I'm not on Bonesmart, I honestly never give that hip a thought or worry about being careful with it. It's just another part of my body.
 
ByGosh just (sort of) caught up on you! I'm glad the TENS is giving you some relief-- doesn't that indicate that it is soft tissue stuff going on? And you're doing another round of prednisone, too. I really hope that whatever you have is NOT RA. My shoulders are hurting too, I think it may be from lying around so much and not using them, also from not having those mega doses of NSAIDs going for me. Maybe that's all it is for you? One can hope...

LeeApril26 nasty things, sinus infections. I'm sorry you're stuck with one...One thing about being treated for allergic asthma, you (me, I mean) have quite an arsenal of drugs to throw at your sinuses. May I recommend Mucinex (regular, not D) taken twice a day during allergy season. It keeps you flowing, so the fluid doesn't stay in your sinuses. And a neti pot is very effective too-- do you use one? I am so leery of decongestants-- they dry you up, and my fear is if the stuff dries up while in my sinuses, I may need an excavator to fix things LOL.

alexthecat I'm another glass lover (got to see the Chihuly exhibit in Richmond VA and was transported...) so please do post something of your work for us! :)
 
sandybeach. alexthecat. I can't wait until thinking about my hip is not a constant in my head. It is getting easier, but I guess I am spooked. I wish my surgeon had been more laid back with the precautions and the sandals thing. I tend to take rules seriously, and I think they were overemphasized just to scare people into compliance. I don't need to be forced.

zauberflöte Thanks for the Mucinex suggestion. I don't usually take decongestants but all the dampness has led to a mold explosion. I walk past houses and smell it. Not my house, so far! I am avoiding the basement. I am hoping the medicine dries it up quickly because my face hurts. I hate taking antibiotics.
I saw a Chihuly exhibit at the NY Botanic Gardens, and it was wonderful-a fairyland of glass.
 
LeeApril26 I know what you mean, spooked, and I don't have (so far...) your kind of restrictions. You wonder what kind of statistics they have that we don't have access to, you know? But people have always put fences around the rules so we don't even come near breaking it. Sigh.
Mold, yuk yuk YUCK! We live with it all the time. Your poor face. How about, Mucinex and a gallon of water twice a day, and saline spray for the nose every hour. Nurse mom strikes again.:whistle: Wish I could let you use my steroid nasal inhaler-- works a treat!
The Chihuly I saw was indoors with the exception of one installation. A friend saw an exhibit at the Chicago botanicla garden, and sent me pics-- fairyland is right!
 
LeeApril26 zauberflöte sandybeach alexthecat It's very good to hear that your hips are now just another part of your anatomy, alexthecat That's what we all want to look forward to!

LeeApril26 I have to say that I agree w/nurse zauberflöte about the nasal recommendations. :) The Mucinex is really good to keep things flowing, forcing fluids helps, too, and during this season, a steroid nasal spray would reduce any inflammation before it gets too bad. I'm sure you know that your cheeks hurt because of all the pressure in your sinuses, from the congestion and the mucus membrances swelling. Warm, wet compresses may relieve some of that, and open things up a little. Some people even inhale steam, too. I'm sure you know that. Just don't burn anything! It's miserable having this, I know. I bet Poppet has some great holistic remedies. I'm personally not a fan of neti pots, although I know people swear by them. I've never had to use one, so I'm not speaking from experience.

zauberflöte I think one of the best ways to learn about the treatment of various ailments is by either having to use it yourself, or having to use it on your child. So your asthma and allergies gives you lots of personal experience with this and you know what to do. Good for you, but too bad you have to have asthma and allergies, though!

sandybeach Your OS sounds great to me. It's all their individual personalities that affects how they handle their patients. Yours sounds pretty down to earth, not very tense about it all. While others, seem more restrictive. Whatever the case, you did great without having to be cautioned too much! That's the good news, and most people do well.


Well, I do think the TENS helps the hip pain. I'm really suffering from my shoulders, though. I can blame it on a lot of things - but I can't help but wonder if it's all part of a systemic inflammation, like a type of RA.. that's what we're trying to figure out now. The rheumatologist is hesitant about starting me on methotrexate because I haven't fit the usual picture of RA - from negative blood work, to no morning stiffness, to no pain in the small joints of the hands and wrists. He said methotrexate has a lot of side effects, and can have long term adverse effects on other body systems, so before starting it, he wants to feel sure I really need it.
The next thing I'm doing is seeing a different OS to be sure the replacements are ok. If they are fine, I'll try the month long prednisone and see if it eliminates the hip pain. If it doesn't, or it comes back, then it seems I should try medication for RA and hope it works. It's worrisome, but I keep reminding myself that this is a process, and there will be an end to it at some point!
 
zauberflöte Did you ever see the PBS special on Chihuly, with his installations that floated on the canals in Venice? Spectacular!
My primary care doc used to prescribe Flonase, which I loved, but when I changed doctors (the other one retired to raise beefalo in upstate NY???) the new one would not prescribe it for me. He did give it to my son. I like the nurse mom advice.
ByGosh My husband uses a Neti pot but for some reason it creeps me out. I should pick up some saline spray. The hot compresses sound like a good idea. The Claritin D is helping a bit, but I am still sore. Way too hot to inhale steam.:)

When I was a newlywed in my early twenties, I had severe aches in my joints. The pain was awful. I was sent to a specialist, who diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis. I was upset by the diagnosis, and went to my allergist, who had cared for my very severe allergies since I was a child. I explained about the pain and the r.a., and he did a complete history of everything I was eating, drinking, taking, doing. After a long visit he told me to stop taking the birth control pills, and to forget about the r.a. I stopped the pills, and the pain went away. I have never heard of anyone who has had this happen to them besides me, but I always worry when I hear that diagnosis. And, that medication is serious stuff. I'm really glad your rheumatologist is being cautious, and hope the prednisone helps.

I can not remember if anyone has prescribed Celebrex? I can't take it because it is a sulfa drug, but my husband had good results from it when he was having severe pain.
 
Hi LeeApril26 Thanks, that's a really interesting story about the RA and birth control pills. Your doctor obviously knew you very well and understood a lot about your response to allergens and medications. How lucky for you that you had him to figure it out. He was right and thank goodness it wasn't RA.
Usually RA isn't very elusive, and shows up easily in blood work. There's appx. 20% of people who have negative blood work, but are diagnosed by their clinical symptoms. This should become more clear for me - I hope - before I lose any more joints.
Yes, I took Celebrex last summer. It had the side effect of making my ears ring very badly - all NSAIDS do that to me - it's not that common except with aspirin, but it can happen with other NSAIDS. Some are worse than others for me - Advil, Celebrex. I currently take Mobic, which isn't too bad.
Saline spray should be helpful. It can flush out the irritants, as well as help liquify the mucus. My son learned that if we use saline nasal spray daily in the winter, we're less likely to get colds and flu, so it must be beneficial in cleaning things out, and keeping the memebranes moist.
 
ByGosh I know this is oversimplifying it regarding your shoulders, but might it be simply under-use syndrome? Weakness? Or, are you taking less NSAIDs than prior t surgery? I am, and I have a terrible arm/shoulder pain that was only a hint for years, and my thumbs hurt like crazy, which they never did before (and of course the other hip is not happy at all). I'm just assuming that these problems were there, but the advil was taking care of them. Just throwing ideas into the pot, not trying to tell you or the doctors stuff.
You are so right about how to get up close and personal with medical conditions and treatments! We can also count aging parents into the mix. PS I LOVE my neti pot. Must use distilled water, and had to get over the "weird factor" on the first use, but boy oh boy does it clear out the allergens from the sinuses! And no drugs :)

LeeApril26 Thanks for "supporting nurse mom" LOL I use Beconase, which is more or less the same as Flonase I think. Wonder why the new doctor wouldn't give it to you? Might be worth a trip to an allergist, just bypass the PCP altogether? And that PBS special was how I first saw Chihuly-- I turned on the tv in the middle of it, and never caught his name! That came later, but I was already hooked.
Celebrex is a sulfa drug? Who knew? I was prescribed it for 21 days post-op. I found it to be less than useful, and was very happy to get back on some advil, especially as I was only taking 1 Celebrex in the morning so had no coverage at night.
 
ByGosh. I was very lucky with my allergist. When I was a child I broke out in hives whenever my skin got cold-rain, wind, a cold container of milk, the ocean in the summer. Hideous, itchy hives all over my face and any other exposed area. Started when I was eight-never knew why. We found him when I was twelve and becoming quite sensitive about the hives. He started me on nightly shots. In addition to the cold allergy I was allergic to 120 of the 180 substances I was tested for. By the time I was 20 I had no more hives, and I only react to bees, shellfish, sulfa drugs and cola. Stopped the shots at almost 21. He saved my life.
I did not know about the 20% who test negative-worrisome. I take Mobic for my knees.
Interesting about the saline solution and fewer colds. Thanks for the info.
zauberflöte. I discovered Celebrex was a sulfa drug when I took one of my husband's for knee pain. Instant ER.
Could be no Flonase because I take a couple of other meds. I should ask. Will if this sinus thing persists.
 
Hi zauberflöte Thanks for your thoughts about my shoulders - I think it's great to put our heads together and I welcome all input! Really! :friends: My shoulders started about 18 mos ago - mild, and I assumed it was 30 years of swimming just about everyday. They got bad last summer, then again in the fall. I did have an xray in Feb and had mild arthritis and 'rotator cuff disease' which I believe is tendons, muscles, etc.
Now when I'm not fraught with anxiety due to pain about all of this, I tell myself it's tendonitis from overuse. I still paddle around the pool, using mainly my arms. And I had them in a stressful position last week, sitting at the counter, using a hand mixer and spatula to bake a cake - they flared badly the next day. But I also know RA can affect tissues surrounding the joints, and since that's on the table, I can't help but associate all of this. If my hips were fine, I wouldn't worry so much.
I take the same NSAIDS as pre-op, meloxican. Can you take more NSAIDS for your shoulders and thumbs, or are you maxed out on the dose? I didn't like Celebrex, either. I didn't feel it did much, and my ears were ringing alot from it. I even got fuzzy hearing in 1 ear, like it was clogged, and the ear doctor said all NSAIDS can cause ear ringing, not just aspirin. It subsided within 3 days of stopping the med.

It's too bad your have other joints acting up now. Have you tried Aleve (naproxyn)? There's also the one LeeApril26 and I take - meloxicam. I know of diclofenac, too. Sometimes one works better than another, or one has less side effects. How do you like Elmore Oil?

LeeApril26 That's quite a story! No wonder you liked and trusted this doctor. I worked last year for a while at a pediatrician's office and one of the docs was a pediatric allergist. Plus being a school nurse, I've learned alot about food allergies. So I find your story really interesting. How unfortunate for you. It's incredible that you were allergic to 120 things! I can see why you get sinus irritations and infections - you must still be sensitive to pollens and grasses, etc. How lucky you were to be able to be tested as a child. I didn't realize it was being done then. I also believe he saved your life - and greatly improved the quality of life you have by desensitizing you to so many things. Do you have to carry an Epipen with you?

We used to give allergy shots at the pediatrician's office, and a few of the kids started to react and had to be given Epipen and benadryl. It's happened to me in the schools, too, and then we'd transport them to the ER. Mostly in school it's the peanuts, shellfish, eggs, tree nuts, soy allergies - especially the nuts. It's a big deal now with kids and food in school, and what's allowed, and their snacks, and parties. No food sharing, no birthday parties, cupcakes, etc. at lots of schools.

So you were lucky to have him as your doctor! Is he still around?
 
Oh, yes ByGosh, I carry a double epi-pen. I hardly ever think about allergies anymore, but with the risk of bees and mold I like to be sure. I am probably still sensitive to lots of things, but no longer have eczema or hives, for the last 44 years. Every once in a while I eat something and know it's bothering me, but Benadryl or Chlortrimeton usually does the trick. Compared to my adolescence, this is really nothing. I was one of the first to get the very comprehensive skin testing, and I am patient X in several journals because of the cold allergy. My doctor was chief allergist at Downstate Hospital in the 50s and 60s, and I was present and tested once at a seminar at the medical program there. It was all pretty terrible for a young adolescent, but he was wonderful, and very ahead of his time. When I was younger I used to pop an allergy pill and eat shrimp, but I have grown older and wiser. I am puzzled by the banning of peanut butter, etc. I can just imagine my mother telling the nuns that no one in my school could have chocolate, wheat, berries, peaches, eggs and so forth, because I would get very sick. In those days people did not pay attention to allergies in the same way, at least not it my world. I had several close calls but soon learned what not to eat. Now I eat everything except shellfish and cola, but in moderation.
As a school nurse you must have seen lots of reactions. I have heard that in some places the school nurse is not allowed to administer an epi-pen, which I find very strange. Have you encountered that?

I have a funny sandals/sinus infection story to share but I will post it on my thread later.
 
ByGosh I do hear you on the RA, what an awful thing to have hanging over your head... I don't know about taking more ibuprofen-- I was taking the full prescription dose for well over ten years, not necessarily for arthritis, just because things all over my body hurt less if I took it. But on here I learn about CKD, and I wonder if my number is coming along in line on that! So I'm a tad bit nervous. I tried Aleve when it first came out and it gave me palpitationsfor 12 hours, so that wasn't pleasant at all.
I read somewhere (Josephine posted it? Wall Street Journal?) about adverse cardiac effects when on NSAIDs, and it makes me wonder if all that ibuprofen gave me my cardiomyopathy!! No doctor has suggested that to me, but maybe they don't care how you got it, only that they can get it under control LOL.
I had that ears-ringing too while i was taking both aspirin and celebrex! I recognized it from my early days when I'd take massive amounts of aspirin one a month. Very different from the usual tinnitus... what i'd like to do is get another new hip, PT for the shoulders, and I don't know what for my hands. Maybe it is just time to hang up my performing; I know people who've done that... it's just a real admission that you''re OLD, dontcha know.:umm:

LeeApril26 back when we were kids, nobody was suing the pants off anybody else if their kid got an allergic reaction to some other kid's PB&J. But there are a huge number of allergies now compared to 50-60 years ago, and I think it's all environmental. We are constantly admonished to keep the house sanitary-- SANitary fer criyi!-- and the littles don't get a chance to develop an immune system that works. Probably their parents actually didn't either, come to think of it. I felt like my kids were the last of the "dirt-eaters" LOL but actually they went to school with plenty of dirty, healthy kids. But even in their generation, the allergies were cropping up.
Gonna check out your sandal/sinus connection.... my interest is piqued!
 
Re: all the cooking conversation...

Shortly after we were married, I told my husband that I sometimes felt guilty because I didn't cook for him the way my mother cooked for my father. He said, "If I wanted a cook, I'd have married Chef Boy-arDee." And then he said, "If you cooked for me the way your mother cooked for your father, I'd be dead," because he also has heart problems, and the food I grew up with was pretty high-fat.

I have since learned how to cook, but not at the level that would be considered an art form.
 
I think the Elmore oil should be renamed "Peaches and Zauberflote" oil (with the umlaut, of course). It still wouldn't mean anything, but it would probably attract a lot of attention.
 
sandybeach
I noticed you said you had inner thigh cramps. If they are anything like mine they are excruciating. The pain of a charlie horse doesn't come anywhere close. I tried just about every idea i could find on the internet and nothing worked until I tried tonic water with quinine. This also worked for my Mom but if you want to give it a go, make sure it says quinine n the packaging. Two of the ones that I know have it for sure are Canada Dry and Schweppes.
 
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