Trailblazer Jaycey on the other side

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Oh Jaycey. I think a lot of us hippies have the back problems too. I had the back surgery in 1984 and have really never been the same. I think my hip may have compensated for the bad back until it deteriorated also. I'm finding the leg length discrepancy HAS gotten a lot less (still there, but better) and I'm a ways ahead of you, despite all my other problems with it. You've certainly been there for me with your kind words:cnsl:. We've been thru an awful lot and we'll see each other with ups and downs. That's the way it will be I'm sure for the next year or so. But we are healing and recovering and it's hard when you have a bad day when you've had a few good ones, but be gentle with yourself. Whether you realize it or not you ARE doing an awful lot! Cyber hug from me as well! Best...
 
Jaycey, I think if you woke up "stiff and sore" you should have given the gym a miss and rested that day! Otherwise your aches and pains will always follow you around. Be kinder to yourself, Missy!
 
Jaycey,

Awww, hate to hear that you're having a crummy day..... I think Jamie is right, it can feel like one step backwards for every two steps forward. Sometimes you have to take a step back and look at the big picture to see the improvement.

Maybe you need to back off on what you're doing? I really don't think it helps to push too hard.....in my case, I know the pt that guy was having me do was too aggressive for my back and was causing me problems. I've gone back to my more gentle at home pt, riding my bike and swimming a bit and I feel so much better.

Hope tomorrow is a better day for you!!
 
I think Karen is right. You get stronger on the days you recover, not the days you work out. So, adequate rest and nutrition are important too.

It's hard because, if you were active before your hip(s) got bad, you might want to jump right back to where you were before... at least, I do! My recovery seems to work better when I ease into new activities and listen to my body when it tells me that it needs a day off.
 
I am now proof the least little thing can set you back in your recovery. I had three very little things change over the course of the last two weeks and they all added up to the last few days of moving backward instead of progressing.

I switched my pain meds from diclofenac to ibuprofen almost two weeks ago. For the past week I have been having major gastrointestinal problems. Sleep has not been what it should be as well. I found myself avoiding the ibuprofen due to the discomfort. So I am (sadly) switching back to the diclofenac as it has never caused me any side effects. I still need my pain control.

I had stopped my afternoon lie down. I didn't do this on purpose - just got too busy and realised by late evening I had missed my rest time. I need a midday break - no matter what. :zzz:

I had what I thought was a very minor fall two days ago. Tripped over a box and just sat down quickly. I fell on a wooden floor so it really didn't hurt me at the time. But I think just the jarring of the fall is what caused my soreness and stiffness. It is better today but I really feel like a healing body does not take those bumps very well.

So I need to get everything working again. Get the bumps healed and the pain meds on schedule.

This whole recovery is a balancing act.

Thanks for being there (as always).:gphg:
 
wow Jaycey,

I'm not a Dr. so don't know too much to say technically, but I am sorry you are taking tiny steps backwards. That must be really hard.

But - you are surviving right? From what I know of you so far you are really a trooper (trailblazer:)) and won't let these 3 things get you down for long - you know you will succeed - even if its eventually...

so, how'd the pep talk work? I thought I did an ok job, LOL. Just wanted to let you know I'm thinking of you and appreciating hearing your continuing story, it helps me more than you know.

Hope you cheer up soon,
((hugs))
Linda.
 
Thanks for the pep talk Linda. You did make me laugh.

No this won't stop me. I am a rather stubborn person so it will take more than this to slow me down. Just need to take some time to recover and move to the next stage. That's what this whole thing is about!

Thanks for your support! Much appreciated!
 
I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I used to work as a personal trainer. I sometimes used to train people who were preparing for marathons or long-distance bicycle races. Those folks train hard for months and then, after their race, they do nothing for a couple of weeks while they recover.

Jaycey, you've been working hard for a long time. Having a bad hip is a lot of work. Recovering from surgery is a lot of work, too. Maybe it's time to take a couple of days off to rest up and pamper yourself. I have a feeling that, if you do, you will come back even stronger than you were before. What do you think?
 
Well said, Alex. Rest is what is called for.

Jaycey, whatever possessed you to change from diclofenac to ibuprofen? Diclofenac is a much better analgesic and, as you've discovered, has less impact on the stomach. We used to give it in recovery to patients who couldn't have narcotics because they were going home the same day. With a couple of paracetamol, it was terrific!
 
Live and learn I guess Jo. I took ibuprofen for my back for years and it never bothered me. But it certainly isn't my choice now. I do take it with paracetamol and yes it is working.

You are right Alex. I have gotten off track with my moving ahead and then resting. It's fine to exercise but if I am exercising, shopping, running errands and doing my part time work I am not allowing my body time to heal.

I am trying my best to scale back now and take more time for myself. Unfortunately this involves pushing back on requests for my time - which is a stress in itself.
 
Around the 2-month mark, I think it gets harder to pace yourself, even though we were all experts at that before surgery. I mean, the pain is gone and forgotten. You feel stronger than you have in ages and there is this huge temptation to rush out into the world and start making up for lost time.

Jaycey, I know it's hard to deal with those requests on your time. Other people see you doing more and feeling better and they start to want things from you. Often I think they expect you to be completely recovered as soon as you stop using a cane to walk. Two months is still somewhat early in recovery though and you need to take care of yourself first.
 
Alex, you are exactly right. Only in my case it was I was expected to be completely recovered when I walked out of the hospital.

And yes, two months is very early. I am going to keep reminding myself over and over.

Thanks so much for your support!
 
And remember, you can exercise or work but you shouldn't try to do both!
 
Jaycey, sometimes we need a bit of a wake-up call to signal when we need to scale it back a little. You had yours and....good for you, you listened to your body!!! You're still in recovery, you know....despite what all those around you may think. I'm glad you are back to placing yourself in the number one position! Take those pain meds, enjoy those naps and put people off as much as you need to. Your mental and physical health depend on it!
 
Hi Lorraine,

I am not in the least bit brave - believe me. If you read any of my pre-op posts I was freaking out!:shk:

In the end I was sedated enough to just lie there and listen when I had to. I must admit all the research I did here on BoneSmart was a great help. I knew what they were doing so I just let them get on with it.

Most patients get something to help them calm down just before the op and then the spinal puts them to sleep - so don't worry. I just didn't ask for anything pre-op and I am one of the weird ones who did not just doze off.

I am squeamish as well - but here is an animated site (link is in the library) entitled "Do your own surgery" that just shows you in cartoon form what will be done. It's quite informative if you want to get an idea of the procedure.

Take care!
 
Hi Jaycey
I'm glad you are listening to the Bonesmart folks.. they know best.
I hope you are feeling good today.:thmb:
 
Hi Sylvia, thanks for being there!

Yes I am feeling better these days. I have scaled WAY back on my activities and am back to the one big thing a day and then a day to recover schedule. I was just doing way too much and listening to everyone else and not myself.

The very good news is the osteopathy seems to be working on my back issues. I can't tell you how wonderful this is! I have been in pain for so long on my right side and to get some relief is just a miracle.

My hip is also doing very well. It's hard to describe but it feels like more a part of me now. I think it's part of the healing and strengthening the muscles in the area. Now I want to work on longer walking and work with my PT on more advanced strengthening for hip as well as back.

All in all - things are starting to look good!
 
so glad your feeling better jaycey.my sister ended up back in hospital after takin ibuferon when she had her hip replacement.dont think its kind on the digestive system in some patients. love hugs and best wishes x
 
Glad you are feeling better, Jaycey. You are doing so good in your recovery. Hopefully I'll catch up soon. Alex has been sharing some great strenthening exercises. I want to be ready for school in a month.
 
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