THR Here We Go Again!

Okay, a slow Friday in store for me as yesterday I clearly overdid things. My husband had to do a conference call from his office, so I tagged along and decided (WHY?!!) that I'd just walk down a couple of blocks from his office to a nearby shopping mall on my eternal quest (well, eternal since the beginning of the summer) for a lightweight summer jacket. I dutifully walked slowly, having folks whiz by me, their earbuds in place, staring at their phones and not paying any attention to where they were going. I was very careful and didn't get whammed into thankfully. Once at the mall, which is a pretty big place, I wandered around to various stores. After about an hour I was really starting to ache, not just left operated hip and thigh, but allegedly healed right leg and thigh, too. I finally found a jacket that was "good enough" even though probably overpriced but I just said "the heck with it" and slapped down my credit card. Then, it was the walk several blocks UPHILL back to my husband's office. I was almost shaking with fatigue. After a brief rest as my husband gathered up his things, it was a walk to the restaurant where we had reservations. Once arrived (and opting for the seats with cushions) I quickly downed two strong cocktails (boy, when I am stupid I am REALLY stupid...) and while I was feeling cheerful, my balance was a bit thrown off on the walk back to my husband's office (again all uphill) to get the car and drive home. I clung lovingly (necessarily) to my husband's arm on the way back and there was a lot of panting going on.

Once home I tottered into the house, grabbed ice packs and collapsed on our bed. Good news is I slept the best I've slept in weeks, almost a full 8 hours with no pee breaks, and woke up feeling--eh, okay but not completely rested. Needless to say, today I'm totally vegging out and only engaging in minimal activity. I need to change out bed and bath linens (Friday is a big laundry day) and at some point go to the grocery store, but in between I'm resting and icing and scolding myself silently for thinking that this much activity at only four weeks out from surgery was a good idea. Sheesh, I can so overestimate things sometimes. But I will recover, and this morning's shakiness should dissipate by mid afternoon, I'm guessing. Happy Friday everyone!

@mikeycat, the compression stockings from the hospital were the hideous over the knee variety which, once the swelling in my thigh went down, were a problem as they kept falling down and bunching uncomfortably around my knees. At my two week check up I whined about them and was given permission to shift over to knee highs. They weren't happy about this but reluctantly agreed (what else could they do, "you're not the boss of me"). Anyway, glad to have any and all compression stockings kicked to the curb now.
 
Oh dear @Barbaraj that sounds like an overly challenging excursion. I must admit that I have not been to the shops in 6 weeks! And I do not miss it. Its good you can have a rest day today and just focus on icing rather than ice and a slice :heehee:
 
I need to change out bed and bath linens (Friday is a big laundry day) and at some point go to the grocery store
Hmmmmm... doesn't sound like a restful day to me. Do be careful with all this activity. As you know it creeps up on you and bam - energy drain.
 
I’m so sorry @Barbaraj

Hope icing and rest helps. I think I’d beg off from any tasks out of the house for the day. It wipes me out still. You are still in very early days. Glad nothing was seriously hurt. Hope you can find a good book and pamper yourself today. Take care!! ❤️
 
I'm ready to take a nap just having read about your shopping and dining excursions! How badly do you need those groceries? If not urgent, I'd put that off 'til tomorrow.
 
Oh no! You are normally so cautious! Just goes to show it can happen to the best of us! Muted “Congratulations” in joining the ODIC and please ice ice ice and take it very easy today. You may need to eat a huge dose of humble pie but the key is to really scale back for a few days in case you have overstretched something. Let others wait on you and hope you make a fast recovery!!
 
Oh My Goodness that sounds like a first class honours degree straight into the ODIC Elite [emoji51][emoji51]

Perhaps the laundry & shopping should go on tomorrow’s priority list.... Top of the List Is REST & ICE!!

Hoping you don’t suffer too much.. ps.. The cocktails sounded a great idea [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]


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Thanks for your concern, everyone! I did indeed take it "kinda-sorta" easy yesterday, certainly no lengthy periods of time on my feet. I did change out bed and bath linens, but if done slowly it isn't that difficult, and I also managed to wash, dry and fold two loads of laundry. And a quick trip to the grocery store in the afternoon. I think, for me, overdoing it is spending an inordinate amount of time on my feet for a long period. Walking nonstop for the better part of 3 hours is what really killed me the other day, I think. As long as I'm able to intersperse periods of activity with rest/ice, I seem to manage just fine which was the case yesterday. I'm lucky that I really didn't experience any ill effects from Thursday's marathon of activity and, as I mentioned, even slept better than I'd slept in weeks through sheer exhaustion--NOT that I'm recommend that as a sleep aid!

Today I've got an appointment this morning, lunch with my younger daughter this afternoon and then this evening we're attending a dance performance where I get to see my younger son perform. He'll do a solo number, I think, as well as performing with the class he teaches. I haven't seen him perform in a long time so this will be fun! He's a hip hop dancer and while the lyrics of some of the songs are appalling (I just mentally go "la-la-la" to avoid really paying attention to them), I mostly focus on my talented son's dancing. It is amazing to both my husband and to me; neither of us have any talent in this area--my husband is more rhythmic and intuitive than I am, for certain, but I am a HORRIBLE dancer: stiff, awkward and self-conscious. Oh, what I'd give to have my body move so naturally and comfortably like my son's body.

PS And yes, @Hoppy Nanny, those cocktails tasted GREAT, but not a great idea on an empty stomach for a recovering hipster. Still, lovely pink color with a fresh raspberry and mint leaf in each one, pretty and tasty. Just a wee bit strong! The wobble on the way back to the car reminded me with each step that what I'd done was completely ill advised. But frankly the whole day was probably a bit ill advised. Still, no ill effects and it's another day trudging along the hip recovery trail!
 
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Another gloomy day here in the PNW, uncharacteristically cool with heavy overcast--odd for August when we're usually whining about how hot it is and how cranky the heat is making us feel. I wish it would warm up somewhat, as I've an old friend stopping by just after lunch. She lives out of state but is here for a brief while visiting her children and grandchildren before flying out tomorrow, I think. It would be so pleasant to sit out on our back deck with a glass of wine and jabber away. But we can drink and jabber inside as well, I guess. And if she's game for it, I am thinking I could propose a walk down to the park/bluff at some point, to get us out and about and, for me, some much needed exercise. I suppose it will depend on whether she's got on sensible shoes or not. She's tiny and I suspect my shoes wouldn't fit her even if I proposed a short-term loan.

Yesterday went well, having seen three out of our four kids (older daughter in the AM, lunch with younger daughter in the PM when she got off a half day of work, and then off to watch youngest son perform last night. As I said before, I really enjoy watching him as he's a talented dancer and I am just so impressed with how easily and dynamically he's able to move. As a recovering hipster, it is particularly amazing to watch him although mentally I'm saying "ouch, ouch, ouch" with every new twist and turn. The studio where he performed had NO seating (the place was crowded with youngsters, my husband and I felt ancient and particularly so as we had folding chairs which we sat in--"give those grandparents some space". It was a bit humbling but once my son started dancing that's where my focus went.

Tonight is bar trivia although there is apparently a professional football game going on in early evening so trivia might be canceled or seriously curtailed. I wouldn't mind that at all as I got a dose of son last night and I'm content. Bar food is--ahem--not the best and I'd vastly prefer just staying home this evening but we'll see. Happy Sunday everyone!
 
All I can say is, "WOW". You seem to have jumped back into life with both feet (ahem....both HIPS)!:rotfl: I suspect you are a pretty high energy person in general to be able to continue so many of your previous routines (-changing sheets, trivia night, game night, grocery shopping....) in such early stages of your recovery! I'm not much of a fan of errand running. I have my "big shop" of groceries delivered monthly from the nearby store with a couple of in between stops for fruits and veg, and I do a "wine run" every couple of months to avoid having to shop for that more often either.:heehee: So happy to hear you are doing so well!:loveshwr:
 
Yup, I have to agree that my life is pretty darn sweet and despite ongoing ache and stiffness, plus that tiresome energy drain on far too many evenings, life is good. Today we're off to have drinks with our older son and his girlfriend at some allegedly "awesome" rooftop bar. It will be the last time we see them as they set out on Wednesday for an almost 3 month trip, touring the Philippines, Indonesia, Bali, Myanmar, Thailand, Amsterdam (girlfriend's twin sister lives there) and Prague (trust fund baby of my son's who is living in a garret somewhere and attempting to write the Great American Novel).

It's still early enough in the day as I'm writing this that I'm feeling a bit crabby--ouf, the back of my thigh is aching and I am tired of this stiffness, even as I know that during the day it will fade, only to return in the evening when my energy level starts to drag. I had an old friend stop by for a visit yesterday afternoon and she marveled at how well I was doing so that was definitely a mood booster. When someone comments about that, I do think I try to stand up a bit straighter and walk more confidently!

And so a new week begins. This Wednesday will be five weeks and while I'm not out of the woods yet, I feel I'm doing pretty well. And the skin around my incision is definitely improving--not so discolored and all blisters have faded. Now, oddly enough, the skin appears to be very dry and flaking. I've started rubbing some antibacterial ointment around the whole area to prevent itching. It's a process! Happy Monday everyone.
 
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Sounds like you are doing incredibly well and undertaking so much and your life appears to be as it was. Your son sounds like a wonderful dancer and you must be very proud of your children. Drink lots of water as that hydrates you as well in addition to oil or ointment for your incision.Happy 5 weeks.
 
These are lovely stories, @Barbaraj , full of life and love and variety. I get the sense that the stiffness, soreness, and fatigue cast a slight pall over them - so that you enjoy everything, but just not quite as much as you will a bit further down the recovery road. Voltaire tells us, “Perfection is the enemy of good.” These last few posts sound so very good, one can’t help but be confident that better is coming, day by day.
 
Thanks, @mikeycat and @Ptarmigan I am doing well, although haven't slept well the last couple of nights for some reason. I am tired by day's end, but my brain won't shut off to allow me to get to sleep (loved the Tramadol for that, but seems stupid and overkill at this point in recovery) and then this morning I woke up before 5:00 AM--oh, the horror--with an ache in my hip, low level but clearly it woke me up and I couldn't get back to sleep--argh! The next three days we have our grandkids here; they arrived last night. I confess I'm a little nervous about this. They are good kidlets but, at ages 5 and 7, they are active little kids and entertaining them will be exhausting. I don't usually allow them to watch much TV but after breakfast this morning I plopped them down in front of the TV to watch cartoons so I could finish my coffee and newspaper in peace. I wanted to check in on the forum today, and I need to send out a couple morning emails. Then I will turn my attention to the wee ones and a busy day will ensue. I have already had to remind my grandson once last night that "grandma has an ouchy on her hip" as he was trying to climb over my lap, and I can see I will need to be mindful in the days ahead.

We are going to pack a picnic lunch today and haul 'em up to a local park with a big water feature plus the usual playground equipment. Their mama packed their swim suits so we'll change when we get there and let them romp around to burn off energy while we supervise. I think I do need to drink more water and will pack a big water bottle full of ice and water (regrettably I guess I'll leave that thermos of wine at home) and I also will try to do some gentle walking around at the park as well. Probably haven't been doing enough walking lately and that may be why I am aching a bit more.

But another day here in hip recovery land, and it's supposed to be sunny and warm today. Perfect for the park! Hope everyone has a great day.
 
Sounds like a lovely active day for you. At least you will have the children's mother with you which should ease some of the stress.Sorry about that ache kinda makes you want to stay home I assume but everyday there will always be something and it appears that nothing stops you so kudos and have a good time.
 
I dont have kids, but all the adventures you go on with them seem awesome! Sorry for the achey hip. Does movement help or hinder? Reason I ask is that it helps me to move especially first thing or if I have been sitting at my computer. Have a lovely day
 

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