[THR] Thank you so much Hippies.

A month ago I went to Google and through my tears I typed, "I am having a hip replacement and I'm so scared" It directed me to a man's post named Navyvet92, here on this forum.
I began to read his words, he was feeling everything that I was feeling, his fears were my fears, and I became emotionally attached to this poster right then and there. My surgery was scheduled for
June 25th, and I was glad to see his was much earlier as I could follow his progress that very night; and I did. His post led me to other posters and as I read and read I began to feel more and more
normal for feeling everything I was. The fears of not waking up after surgery or the the fear of
waking up during surgery! The fears of having small dogs running around during recovery or the
fear of the after pain... all in all, I was a mental mess. But suddenly it was okay, everyone I was
reading about went or was going through my very same emotions..and as I continued to read each
poster's fears and outcome, I grew stronger and stronger. Finding this site 2 weeks before my own
nightmare was about to happen was a pure blessing. Yeah I still had fears and bouts of crying,
but at least I no longer felt like a big scaredy cat cry baby, I felt normal and allowed myself to feel
what I wanted to feel, needed to feel.

Well, I am 12 days out of surgery. I didn't die on the table, which is awesome! I didn't wake up
on the table, Awesome! I had nurses from hell while in the hospital, (horribly rough with me while
moving me around) but that is behind me and I am now home, sitting on the edge of my bed
saying thank you to the people that helped me so much get through this and I just thought you should know.

Thank you.
Pam / Justadreamer

Hiya Pam welcome to Bonesmart. Rich aka navyvet92: will be thrilled to hear that his story has helped you. He had quite a difficult time of it after hs surgery but came through it like a real trooper and is doing great now.

It's good to hear you are doing well, the folks on here are a true inspiration, I couldn't have managed without the support

Take care and keep posting, if tou have any questions don't hesitiate ti ask them, there is always someone here who can help

Ann

Hi Pam. I too can't thank this site enough and will sing its praises from now on to anyone who will listen. It really makes a difference in your recovery and every step of the way has been discussed on this site so you will know each and every milestone being reached by you will have a post on it.
The posters on here do an outstanding job and ALL questions will get an answer.
So grab a cuppa, sit and relax and Wellcome to the best site on the net.

Oh, hello, Pam, so glad you are posting! So glad you are already 12 days out and that your found this site helpful. I think we all did/do.
Oh, sorry to hear the nurses were not gentle enough with you. Well, now just be very gentle with yourself.
Warm waishes on your healing journey,
Elle

Hi Pam welcome to the club. Good to see you are home and starting your rehab. Believe me the worst is now behind you. All of us have been where your are and felt the fears and anexity you feel. All normal. While we can't do this without the love and support of friends and love ones, it's good to talk and relie on those who have been there and still going through the process. Remember everyone's journey is different, so keep us updated on your progress.

Just adding my hellos, Pam. I was fortunate to have started my google searches several months ahead of my first hip surgery and to be able to read every word printed here on Bonesmart before I got too frightened of what I was committing to. As a result, I was able to bypass so much of the worry and fear and roller coaster of emotions that you describe. Really, every orthopedic surgeon in the entire world should give out this website the first time you ever go see him. It should be tattooed on his forehead!!

Hmm...what growing pains would we have if Bonesmart became a major player in the joint replacement information circuit? Would we lose more than we would gain? Just pondering.

Anyway, Pam, do keep us updated in the coming days. The worst is over, but recovery can be an uneven process, so don't hesitate to ask questions. We love to problem-solve and provide empathy and encouragement, and we love it even more when you have a great recovery that provides encouragement to everyone else.

Sharon

Thank you all for the warm welcome.

I remember when my daughter was 2, (now 24) and I was a very stressed mother. I asked a mother of teenagers
"does this ever get easier?" she replied "no, you just get new problems and worries as they grow" Well that's where I am
at now with this ordeal. New worries like, just how easy is this thing to pop out of place? what if i sit wrong out of old
habit and pop it out, etc etc. I find myself crossing one leg over the other, or twisting, or almost bending too low at times, etc.

-I gained 16 lbs within 3 days of my surgery. I swear it all went straight to my operative leg, (left side) which has made
getting around a heck of an ordeal. Leg was so heavy and tight and at times it felt like I could just feel my skin stretching
and filling with more water. Then the bruises started just popping up. I went to the ER on my 3rd day home, was tested
for infection and clotting and was cleared on both. I was told the doc wanted to see me the following day. I explained
that the swelling wasn't going down, with ice or elevation, nothing worked. He put me on some water pills and potassium
and the swelling has started going down. I still have 6 lbs to go, but what a difference it has made to lose that 10 so far.
I am still waiting for my ankle to come back, I'm sure it will.. it better, I like having ankles. lol

Other than that, I believe the smaller annoyances will depart in time, like having to become a back sleeper. UG! Hate it.
The restless nights. So far I still don't think I've slept more than 2 hours, before waking and having to get tired again.
I don't think there is such thing as a comfortable chair. Then there's that having to learn to just sit still for long periods
of time. I think that's the worst part for me. I'm the type that if I get a little bored, I jump in the car and go for a
drive till I am ready to go home. Now I sit and stare at the TV. I like TV, but on my terms, not my leg's terms. lol

I am grateful you all are here. I am glad that I don't need to go out into the backyard to sit alone privately crying
and praying about my fears; that no one will understand here in my world at home. When I stumbled on this site
it was truly a prayer answered.

Pam
PS.
I wish I knew who invented the "grabber" lol I'd send them roses.

Welcome, Pam! So glad you found this site, it is the source of so much information, cameraderie, and comfort. Like Sharon, I found this site shortly after my diagnosis, and I know it saved a lot of sweat and tears and fears. I usually over-research stuff, but found I did not need to, because everything is right here in one place. Most of all, other people's experiences. At 4 weeks post-op, things are just normal enough that I can imagine life without walking aids; but we have a long ways to go before we can be carefree. By the way, these first weeks it IS possible to dislocate, but it's actually not very easy to do so. Your leg will let you know if you start to turn it wrong, just listen to it. All the precautions become second nature, sometimes to our deriment later on, when precautions are lifted but we can't imagine doing those things (I haven't crossed my legs in so long, pre and post surgery, it's hard to imagine being able to do so!). Welcome, remember to rest, ice, elevate, medicate, and visit the forum to let us know how you're doing!

Hi Pam, This group is GREAT, isn't it?! I found it a little while before my first hip replacement and it was a Godsend.

About your weight gain and swelling. I have that too. I gained 10 pounds of weight right in my leg immediately post op--and it didn't even look THAT swollen. I'm 16 days out and still puffy and the scale has only come down a little, but I can't wait until the swelling really subsides and I find out how much weight I have truly lost. Last time I found out at 4 weeks post op that I had lost 15 pounds from my pre surgery weight! (Much needed weight loss) That was a nice surprise. I'm trying to eat very healthfully and not pig out at all on anything, so I'm hoping I'll have a nice surprise this time too. But it is amazing how that swelling can add weight.

About dislocation. I worried about that a lot with my first hip, but much less with the second hip. I still abide by the hip precautions, but I have a rather large diameter femoral head and nice large socket liner, so I think it would take quite a bit to dislocate it. If your situtation is similar, you probably don't have much to worry about as long as you do sensible things and adhere to the general hip precautions.

Good luck and glad you found this board.

Dorothy

Hey there Pam,

Love the quote about motherhod...but you know, I think this is a tad easier than motherhood, because it will eventually get better/

Know EXACTLY what you mean about being afraid of doing something wrong. Like Debcakes said above, your hip will remind you. Sometimes I am about to do something and there is like an automatic warning system inside. I mentioned my fears to my (beloved) OS and he said, "These are precautions. The new femoral heads are much larger these days", echoing what Dorothy has said above as well.

Sorry about the swelling. It will go down.

Yeah, enough TV for a lifetime. Unfortunately I have just discovered how to stream shows from China and am on a "Big Love" marathon.

Wishing a good healing journey.

Warm regards,
Elle
P.S. I am sending my roses to the toilet seat person!

There you go Pam. I didn't know about the water retention weight gain either. So guess who cried for a whole day and when after a week of hardly eating anything due to meds, was so shocked to see 10 lbs of weight gain. You don't get that info in the pamphlets your sent home with. I did buy some elasticated waist, long skirts and I found them to be so easy to put on (over the head) and it helped with freedom of movement and was comfy to sit in all day.

Another thing about the weight. I had mentioned in my previous post that I had lost weight when I weighed in at the 4 week mark and I thought then that the water weight was completely gone. But, turns out I still had enough swelling in the hip and leg area (again, it didn't look that obvious) that my pre-surgery jeans didn't want to fit there. They were looser around the waist and the other leg, but not the hip.

I've never had any freakish type swelling with either hip surgery, but it's amazing how the fluid can sneak around and settle into the tissues in an area, spread out, and be a little stubborn to leave. I wear shorts every day now (17 days post op and 10 pounds heavier) but you'd have to look hard at my lower legs to notice a difference in the swelling. It's all in the upper thigh and hip area.

Don't worry ... the fluid will leave you. I don't get much actual decrease by elevation or icing, but it does make it feel beter temporarily, so I ice a lot.

Dorothy

And once again the answers and reassurances come flowing in. Thank you all for that.

I am not really worried about gaining weight, my annoyance is where it is and the extra limitations
and stinging sensations that its causing. Seems the swelling has moved down from my thigh and knee and
just lingering in my calf and foot. I'm not complaining, I know now it will pass...I just hope it hurries, makes
sitting up very uncomfortable for more than a few minutes before it gets tight and painful and with this lovely
bout of insomnia I am having, sucks laying down so much.

I do hope to see a nice weight loss in a few weeks, that be cool! But alas I'm fluffy now, always been
fluffy and eh.. if I stay fluffy a bit longer, I'm use to it and okay with it. I actually was glad for the fluff when
it came to having to give those blood thinning injections in my side.

I do feel like I am doing really well with this recovery tho. I can put full weight on my leg without any pain at all.
I walk around the house with the walker many times a day for a few minutes and I take 8 stairs 2 times a day.
Now I am not sure if it's due to the pain meds that I can accomplish this stuff with no pain, and I am really not
feeling ready to stop taking them long enough to find out. (insert chicken dance here) They had me on loretab
4x a day. Last prescription I got said 2x a day.. but no way. I've read many many times here to stay ahead
of the pain, and that I do.

I go see the doctor again in 2 days. Hope to have continuing good news then.

Thanks again all.
Pam

Oh and Elle... YES those potty seat people are marvelous. I'll send them roses too!

Pam, when you get a second, try to add your surgery type (i.e., LTHR, RTHR, BTHR) and date to your signature, so we have your stats on your posts and don't have to scroll up to your first entry.

I too am not worrying about my weight. As a long time fluffy girl, I know when there's enough on my plate (so to speak) and what to worry about first. Eating healthily (little fat, lotsa fiber and water water water, fruits, veg) is what I'm trying to do to make up a little for the lack of movement. And heehee, yes, I was happy for a little extra fluff about the midsection with the blood thinner shots!

It sounds like you are doing GREAT for two weeks post-surgery!! I had steps to contend with, too, and I think it actually helped me progress a little faster. It is way to early to even consider cutting back on pain meds. They are indeed making it easier for you to perambulate around your house without pain, it's their job.

Hey, Elle11, is that site vip-tv.net? That the Chinese streaming site I'm addicted to!! Addictive as potato chips,and just as nutritious!