THR Newbie! Anterior hip on May 19, 2015

[donor]

Had right hip done Tuesday it's Sunday now. 2 nights in hospital with wicked nausea....that was bad despite all the anti nausea meds. Came home Thursday noon. Then the constipation really hit even with the colace and Mirilax. Omg! Home nurse came yesterday and I learned absolutely nothing more than I already knew. Being a holiday weekend no one will see me until Wed or Thursday next week so I'm comforted to find you guys here. This am I have new ankle swelling which is a bit scary. My leg has been very swollen and tight but ankle just started this am. I was told to walk and move as tolerated but now am just elevating until someone calls me from doctor service. Would love a little hands holding or talking to someone who has been here too. I'm in Bay Area in CA. Thanks so much for listening.
Chris

 

[JulieJF]

@donor

Hi Chris! Finding this forum is rather a godsend, I think.

Before I left the hospital, my surgeon told me not to worry if the swelling in my leg extended down to my foot. I still have swelling down to my knee two weeks after my surgery. The remedy he recommended is the same as the BoneSmart mantra - ice and elevate.

I'm sure it's unsettling getting home and having questions over the holiday weekend. Hopefully, you'll get answers and reassurance here!

 

[donor]

Thank you so much Miss Julie! Even though the people at the hospital were very nice and I like the surgeon a lot I feel like there are so many things I'm on my own with. I am very grateful to have found you all here there is so much information at this site .... for example how to use a cane. I left with crutches but do not need them unless I am walking outside. PT in hospital forgot to address cane 101.

 

[Cindy99]

@donor It's too bad that the early phase of your recovery is over a holiday. I hate holidays anyway, and I don't like that I'm left without support for three or four days. I can appreciate your frustration and being scared.

I do find also that they leave you to your own devices for quite a bit. it's actually pretty shocking to me. I somehow got it in my head that they were going to be with me through thick and thin till I was completely recovered. it doesn't feel like that though .

yes this forum is great. I've been leaning on it quite a bit. I don't have the physical issues you are experiencing, that must be awful. I did however get food poisoning last week, and I called the visiting nurses and they were very responsive. However it was not over a holiday.

I learned a long time ago never to have a health emergency on a weekend so that I would never have to end up stranded in an emergency room with no way to get home! don't you know, we are only supposed to be sick Monday to Friday?

I hope you feel better, and get all of your issues sorted out. We are here.

 

[Gummy Bears]

@donor have you tried prune juice and alvocadoes for the constipation?

 

[sharonslp]

Chris, swelling is quite normal. Let me give you some basic reading material for all new hippies.

Sharon

First are the BoneSmart mantras ....
- rest, elevate, ice and take your pain meds by the clock
- if it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physiotherapist - to do it to you
- if your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again
- if you won't die if it's not done, don't do it
- never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can go to sleep!
- be active as much as you need to be but not more than is necessary, meaning so much that you end up being in pain, exhausted or desperate to sit down or lay down!

Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery
Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Activity progression for THRs
Home physio (PT)
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

 

[donor]

Thank you I read most of them already..this has been so helpful!

 

[donor]

@Gummy Bears ....no but it's slightly better now....once the initial EVENT. Sorry.. but talking about poop seems to be normal here and for sure it was at hospital. Even tho they sent me home with all of mine. :(

 

[Josephine]

Of course it's normal! Everyone's on narcotics - famous for making you constipated!
Constipation and stool softeners

Are you following the mantra? Best way forward.

And as for PT/exercises, please bear in mind that hips actually don't need much exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

 

[sunbunny]

@donor so sorry you are having so much trouble. Don't worry about PT right now. You will get enough exercise taking care of bathroom and other stuff. Please ice all the time and stay ahead of pain with Meds. Poop is a big issue and can make you miserable. I take a colace everyday but in the beginning I needed one at night and morning. Part of the problem is lack of food intake, stress, no sleep, pain, worry etc. your post made me laugh! Sent you home with your poop indeed. The first couple weeks are difficult as you sort all this stuff out. Your journey will have its ups and downs. Don't stress if you get the crying jags. I am down to about one a day. Oh and another good idea is to use as many pillows that make you comfortable. I am sending you hugs and good thoughts. This forum is a great support. None of your questions or concerns are silly and chances are we have asked the same thing too.

 

[Cindy99]

@Gummy Bears ....no but it's slightly better now....once the initial EVENT. Sorry.. but talking about poop seems to be normal here and for sure it was at hospital. Even tho they sent me home with all of mine. :(

Ha! I got them in rehab by clogging up the toilet two days in a row!!

 

[donor]

@Cindy99 yay for you!!!! I would have been proud for one good clog but alas....zip. I was a wreck truly. All the colace and Mirilax but still nothing. My surgery was Tuesday and Monday I was a nervous wreck and had diarrhea all day so I had a double triple quadruple whammie going on. And have suffered from fissures since a kid so....it was a bad MANY days waiting to deliver. These posts made me laugh thank you! Reading as I am elevated....leg I mean.

 

[donor]

I would love to ask a question about pain managing. Because I was deathly nauseous from Tuesday through Friday the doctor took me off Tramadol and gave me .8 zofran on Friday. Mostly the hospital anti-nausea medicine didn't work and I was barely able to eat or keep anything down until Friday. I am doing pretty well on Tylenol and double celebrex for now. I never do well with anesthesia of any type. Has anyone had a similar experience?

 

[zauberflöte]

Hi @donor ! I have had a mini version of your reactions. GA always makes me nauseated. 30 years ago I spent a good 12 hours throwing up every few minutes. Hurts when they've been messing inside your abdomen/pelvic area!!! Things have come a long way, and two years ago for the hip I only threw up for a couple of hours. They had to try 3 anti-nausea meds to get me comfortable. And then the oxycodone! O my yes, can make a person quite miserable. I find I have to eat something substantial with it for a settled stomach. A handful of nuts with a few spoons of ice cream became my go-to for the middle-of-the night dose. Tramadol doesn't upset my stomach, but I much prefer an opiate. It is VERY clear when the time has come to wean from the opiates!
My surgery was on May 21/2013-- so this very holiday weekend came along just a week later. I wound up in the ER that Sunday, afraid I had a clot. The redeeming feature of that visit was that we had just met our family out-of-pocket max on insurance, so I knew we would n't have to pay a penny :lol:


My phone sent this using BoneSmart Forum, clever phone!

 

[donor]

I spoke too soon about being ok on Tylenol. It's 3am and the pain is just bad. Hubby just set me up in recliner chair with ice packed everywhere. I'm going to try a tramadol this an with some food. Maybe a couple days out with hospital meds gone from body I won't get so ill. Ty for all sweet comments.

 

[Jaycey]

@donor I'm going to tag @Josephine to see if she has any advice on tramadol/tylenol. Can you tell us exactly what you have been prescribed (type of meds and amount, how often).

 

[forbesy]

Sorry to hear you are having problems with your meds fingers crossed you can get that sorted out soon.

Billy

 

[JulieJF]

@donor

In hospital, I had serious nausea from the oxycodone. About a week later, I ran out of the anti-nausea medicine they had prescribed, but I seem not to need it any longer. I hope you can get this sorted out quickly. Nausea is the worst!

 

[donor]

I was rxd tramadol 50mg every 4 hrs but it made me nauseated and vomit so doc took me off, gave me zofran and said to do 1000 Tylenol every 6 hrs. The nausea was bad and I was unable to eat or hold food down which contributed to 3rd degree constipation. First few days Tylenol seemed ok. He also gave me Percocet but said if I could not do tramadol I probably could not use it. I'm on double celebrex until Tuesday. Home health agency has not been helpful. I also have Ultracet here. Because of the nausea and constipation I'm just leary of all these meds. Thanks for the kind thoughts.

 

[Josephine]

I feel for you as at one week out, Tylenol is just not going to be adequate for you. It will be in 2-3 weeks but not right now. You really do need something like Tramadol or codeine. It's the standard pain med for hips in the UK - along with paracetamol of course (what we call Tylenol!). So how are you with codeine?