[THR] I made it!

Hello my friends! I made it! Better living through metallurgy!

Spinal was the way to go. I did not go to my dark place. Pain well controlled with dilaudid (sp?). Walking about 50 feet at a time, catheter out tomorrow, Spirits up, everything that happened to me was expected in no small part to you all here!

Will post more in a couple days when I get home!

Welcome Hagar!!

Glad you're sounding so VERY upbeat.

We look forward to hearing the updates...Rest, ice, and rest some more.

Good for you,

Z

Excellent, Hagar! It's great to hear that you have come through your surgery with flying colors and are on your feet.

Hi Hager,

Good for you! Post when you can and you will find all the encouragement, information and help you need to get through your recovery. All the best to you.

Yea, Hagar! Now comes the fun part. Pampering yourself and letting your body do some healing.Take care and let us know how things are going.

Hagar

So happy to hear that your surgery went well.

Good for you. Now as everyone had said take a easy, ice, control pain, sleep and say upbeat. However if you do feel down don't let it get you really down. You had major surgrey let your body tell you what you need to do. I'm so glad everything went to well. :doggieshmooze:tashia:flowerysmile:

Congrats Hagar!!!! You sound really happy! Glad surgery went well.

Hello Hagar

I heard that day 6 can be a rough one for some people so I have a plan. Don't have a day 6. Just jump from day 5 to day 5A and then to 7. We do it in the Gov't all the time manipulate the statistics to suit our outcomes.

Take care

Hagar, I am SO glad to hear that the surgery went well and that you are in good spirits :yes 4:.

Hagar

Well done and glad you made it safely to the other side, remember frustration is a word not allowed and patience is the name of the game.
Happy healing.

Billy

Another quick update. Going home tomorrow, catheter out. Great pain control until my leg dangled a bit and the tension forces caused pain to shoot up to 6 or 7 but back down now, lesson learned. Overall 2 or 3. Going on a blood thinner called Rivaroxaban 10mg for 35 days. Expect to be off narcotics in 7-10 days, then have to have my wife hold me back!

If anyone reading these forums is contemplating hip replacement, do it. Process not fun but pretty minor, but it feels so good afterward. Surgeon said I needed this a couple years ago! My care here at Seattle's Virginia Mason hospital has been outstanding in every way,

Hagar,

Sounds great. Don't quit the narcotics too soon if you find you need them. They help with the healing process so much. I still take a small dose at night to deal with some pain even after 12 weeks. Take care and please keep us up to date. All the best to you.

Hagar,

Let me 2nd or 3rd the advice on pain meds. If it wasn't for my interest in driving again I might still be on them (well proabably not...).

I was very active early on, in a good way, and that led to a fair amount of soreness. I found that when I was off the pain meds I was sore enuf to want to sit more and skip that next set of stretches or exercices, or more importantly, start to throw a little limp into my otherwise fine gait. I walked more appropriately when the pain was ABSENT.

It worked for me, but I stayed on them for about 4 weeks....finally dropped them all together as I need to drive pretty much every day...

Good luck,

Z

Glad it's all gone well Hagar!

Came home yesterday, slept in my own bed and what a relief. I have never been in the hospital before and it is not fun. Every piece of dignity and privacy is taken away. And worth every bit! I had an outstanding procedure from beginning to end.

Right now my pain is about 3 and my last narcotic was 14 hours ago. Feeling good, just walked 500 feet around in circles through the house, with my little bichon dogs walking in a train behind me. I need to put that up somewhere and put a link to it; a very funny video.

Had my first shower this morning with this waterproof dressing on. A walk in shower and my wife got in to help me. I was careful to keep 3 limbs in contact with something for support. If I was moving a foot, then both hands were grasping something firmly. I found I could do more than I expected but I was constantly aware of falling and found myself restraining myself naturally - which is certainly not a trait of mine!

I am so lucky to be young enough to physically handle this and have my wife home for six weeks. I also noticed in the hospital that people with knee transplants were definitely slower in getting on their feet. I was not aware but apparently recovering from a knee is much more difficult than a hip. I will get my other hip done next year probably, and I would use the exact same doctor, procedure, anesthesia, even room and staff if I could get it.

I have some swelling and bruising and low back pain because the cushions I am sitting on everywhere are not quite flat and it is tweaking me a bit. We will address that.

Oh, I never would have imagined it but I sure like that catheter!

Thanks all, more to come.