THR 1st Surgery has 2nd Surgery

[1stSurgery]

Thanks @Layla for all the consistent support. You're the forum overseeing angel! Today is good but record breaking heat here. Was over 100 yesterday early morning and today were around 95, still morning... So I'm languishing a bit. My garden went into shock from yesterday's 105-110 temps and even sturdy succulents succumbed and went drooping. It was brutal, like a blast furnace outside all through the night.

I still limp when I walk and am trying very hard to correct it as I can. Right side is just shot and pained so it is what it is. New side has a few mild twinges when full weight bearing around knee and near ankle. Just adjustments I imagine to the new hip. Some days I walk well, others very choppy. Tues is post op OS visit. Making question list now! Slept on right side last night for first time! ("Honey look!! I'm sleeping on my side!!!") that was a welcome relief, used a memory foam small wedge pillow between legs. Perfect. Now if it would just cool down some.... Today I'm going to work on better walking form unassisted. I've purposely taken it slow and easy to try and avoid setbacks as best possible and because bad right hip won't allow much else. But the body is responding nicely and range of motion improves daily.

That's the undramatic but progressing one month update from this June Sunbeam hippy.

 

[1stSurgery]

I have what seems like a dumb question.

I was told to remove dressing on day 7 which I did. All was well and steri-strips were over the dissolvable stitches. The OS patient guide/booklet says the strips will fall off on their own shortly after, and stitches dissolve, but... One month later the strips are still there. I've been very careful in shower not to put that area under direct spray (strong shower head water pressure) as was instructed, but I think by now they should be off?? I left word with OS to ask about it, but it's Saturday and probably won't hear back till Mon/Tues and my appt is Tues AM. Anyone?

 

[luvsibes]

Great question... I have a similar situation. Bandages removed at post-op on Monday and I have the strips too with the wound "glued" . I called OS yesterday to ask what I should do. I was told at appt. but wasn't sure. I
was told they will fall off on their own with the shower water and don't force them.

 

[1stSurgery]

Thanks @luvsibes -- same situation. I'm just letting them be for now but maybe I shouldn't protect them from direct shower spray anymore?
How is your walking coming? I just did a 14 min walk but had to yell at my right (bad) hip from 10 mins on to stop biting and barking. I then ignored her and ploughed ahead to give leftie her due exercise time. Only did 20 mins once. Often stop at 10.... Right hip is being so interfering. Today I worked on form to try to negate the limp. Did the heel / toe Layla recommends and it went pretty well. Can't see how I will be able to do "real" walks until I do THR on right side though. She, righty, is just not in for cooperative walking. "Does not play well with others"
Hope you're savoring the daily progress points!

 

[Mojo333]

That's the undramatic but progressing one month update from this June Sunbeam hippy.

Great update and happy your new hip is progressing.
Sorry your other one is giving you fits.
Hope today is a Good Day!

 

[luvsibes]

Good Morning. My OS said it's ok to let the shower water onto the tapes but don't force any removal as they will loosen on their own. I still ice the area as it has that wound burn feeling at times. That along with the over 100 degree temps here (you're LA also so you know!) and our AC went out. The parts stores were closed and repairs booked so we are toughing it out with ceiling fans and box fans (Togo the husky has at least 2 personal box fans.). The heat must be making them begin to lift as I lost two this morning painlessly and there's nothing ugly under there! I still can't put anything other than a cotton yoga pant over it.

I'm grateful my right hip didn't suffer along the journey. My bad hip began causing knee and back issues so I knew it was time! I'm stunned at how much better I am walking and feeling.

I love your humor. Keep telling that challenging hip to hang in there and cooperate. It sounds like you are making progress!

 

[1stSurgery]

@luvsibes Thanks re the strips. I've been doing this weird dance in the shower to avoid the strong pressure in the wound so maybe I will be less careful now. Post op visit to OS Tuesday AM and want to hear all good news! I too can only wear yoga pants for now. I think we are at similar paths in walking. I have a little pain from time to time on left (op) side, mostly around knee cap oddly....but just twinges of what I interpret to be things settling into new positions. If the right side were halfway considerate or healthy I'd be walking pretty well but alas.. As for the groin pain, is it consistent? Every walk? Because I only have occasional bouts of some minor pains, sometimes groin, but not consistently. I'm concentrating on more time off cane too. Heard something crash upstairs today and found myself, without thinking, running upstairs with no cane and no railing...just fine! That was revelatory! Turns out the tall cylindrical fan had fallen...turns out hubby had put it on top of the piano bench!! I will reserve commenting on the wisdom of that decision.... But at least I found out I can run upstairs now. Always good when there's a fire in the neighborhood. First week home we had a nearby fire with evacuations and I was more than a little nervous!

Keep up the good work and keep me posted how you're doing @luvsibes - we are just a day apart. And yes, the heat has been BRUTAL here!!

 

[Eman85]

I didn't have anything over my incison but a clear strip and no outer stitches. I was allowed to shower and get it wet from day 1. I showered every day and did my best to get that tape to come loose but it didn't budge. By week 2 it was driving me crazy with itching, which was when my follow up was. The nurse gently rolled the tape and removed it, and I was so happy to see it go.

 

[Layla]

Thanks for the kind words a few posts back, sweetie.
There are so many nice people on BS making it easy to offer support.
Happy One Month Anniversary!
Let us know how your post op visit goes on Tuesday morning.
Wishing you a wonderful week!
@1stSurgery

 

[1stSurgery]

Thanks @Mojo333 for the good wishes, right back at you!

@Eman85 its funny how each OS has their own varied set of rules. I'm glad you were able to free your wound! Hopefully mine will be set free at Tues appt as well. I even tried getting it wet today, strips didn't budge.

And I have big "alert the media" news, yet again!! I went for a walk in the cul de sac on my street. With cane. Nice breezes coming in now cooling things down, my first outing on the street - live in the hills and it's pretty steep either way. Was lovely and also freeing. I've had this stubborn eye infection (chalazion) on lid since out of hospital which has made it impossible to wear lenses --and it lasted about a full month. RX glasses have a dated prescription, not that useful. Hoping tomorrow I can finally wear lenses and see again. Then I can drive. At 20-600 you don't want me behind the wheel without lenses...

You're welcome @Layla! And thank you for spreading your care all over the forum so kindly! We all appreciate it. The hip-a-versary went well and the extra walking is really paying off. Happy hippy here. I'm just ignoring the cranky right side for now.

 

[Mojo333]

Hoping tomorrow I can finally wear lenses and see again. Then I can drive. At 20-600 you don't want me behind the wheel without lenses...

Right ! Oh my stars..No wrecking the car!
Please be careful and no wrecking your recovery either

 

[luvsibes]

Hello 1st Surgery! I hope you are doing well. I love the way you write with something that will make me chuckle. The stair story was amazing; you did it, it increased your confidence, but probably not the best. We have a busy week with visiting niece and family activities and another young person, my step great-g-dau leaving tomorrow for a year working in New Zealand. It seems we have a family gathering every day this week. We were at a mall for a meal on Sun. eve and took an escalator to the 2nd floor. That went well with my cane but when it was time for us to descend, the down escalator was broken! I looked around for an elevator but had to go down the long flight. I hadn't done a real stairway but I made it slowly down one careful step at a time. Another milestone!

I will send good thoughts for your appt. tomorrow. Meanwhile, I've lost 2-3 strips and it doesn't look bad underneath!

 

[1stSurgery]

HI @luvsibes and congrats on your escalator victory ...that must've been an unwelcome surprise! And congrats on some more strips coming off. I think mine are affixed with super glue or something! The aren't budging. Maybe tomorrow they will remove them at Dr's visit. It's always nice to have family visit. First few weeks I had a lot of friends drop by and it made the time pass more quickly and pleasantly. I have not yet ventured out to restaurants but then I had this stubborn eyelid infection for a month that I didn't want to subject diners to! It's finally gone down and may wear lenses again today even. Heat has abated some which is a relief. Enjoy your visits with family and all and don't overdo anything. We need to form another club to counter the overdid it club.... The Overly Cautious Club. OCC. I think I'm in that one... ;)

 

[Mojo333]

Hope today is a Good Day.
The OCC is preferable to the ODIC.
Especially these early days.
Your courage and strength will be back soon enough.
You've got this!

 

[1stSurgery]

Thank you for the vote of confidence @Mojo333! I went to OS for first post op and got most the sticky steri strips removed, but more importantly got a "gold star" review on my walking!! And when reviewing the X-ray, he said "it doesn't get any prettier than that". So I'm very pleased everything is doing well and on track. The OCC club is the tortoise in the race... .

He explained the healing process to not be dissimilar to having broken the pelvis and the femur...that it will take time. Gave me a list of some basic info and sent me on my way. Also he did say that because my not yet replaced hip was kicking up a fuss after about ten mins of walking to just do several shorter walks rather than one long one. And next...to schedule the cantankerous right hip replacement. All in all, yes, a GOOD day!

 

[Mojo333]

this is how we do it!
Great report, and I also agree I did better with more frequent by shorter distances.
Then ice and elevate.

 

[1stSurgery]

this is how we do it!
Great report, and I also agree I did better with more frequent by shorter distances.
Then ice and elevate.

You too can be a charter member of the OCC @Mojo333! And as the (self-appointed) OCC President, I hereby declare today to be Big Fat Nap Day. After walking too much yesterday, staying up last night with resulting aches, and the long car ride in traffic to the OS today, I'm settling in for my big nap now. Let the ODICs go run marathons and hike Machu Picchu after re-roofing the house and doing ten loads of laundry.
I'll just be here napping!

 

[Mojo333]

I'm with you...lots of deep healing to do. And got our whole rest of our lives to wear these new hips.
I took things very easy also.

I'm 14 months post op. I rode for six hours on a boat in two foot seas all day Saturday. Washed the boat and did a pile of fishing at the pond Sunday.
Today, we unloaded approximately sixty 40 lb boxes into the food bank (I had some help) and unloaded 96 bread trays on and off truck in 95 degree weather.
All done with no hip pain and impeccable posture

The fact that I can do this now, and was decrepit and sleep deprived April of last year is nothing short of miraculous.
Given the proper time to heal, you too will be "jam up and jelly tight"

Excuse the southern colloquialism!

Keep doing it the easy way...

 

[1stSurgery]

Wow, @Mojo333!! Amazing!! You rock and I hereby remove you from the OCC group! But I think the point is well taken, all the previous slow & steady healing earlier is what helped to allow you to do all that activity 14 mos later with no pain. Congratulations! Now I'm tired just reading your post and may need another nap...

 

[1stSurgery]

So it's true. Something does happen in that 4-5 week period. I started to feel some incoming malaise, maybe the start of depression, which is not at all my norm -- and remembered someone here talking about eating ice cream the other day, which sounded like a good tonic to me.

So I just downed half a pint of smooth rich dark chocolate ice cream....and I must say it definitely helped!!

But I think after a month something in our inner clocks say OK time to move on. And something in our log legs says Time to keep recovering. There are all those milestones coming up to 4 weeks and then what? Kind of more of the same... With the bad right hip limitations I can't add on walk time, until another surgery. So progress seems harder to quantify. I've got the shower mastered and the dressing and shoes, socks, etc. It's all good, really just wanted to share that ....before you try anti-depressants.... I highly recommend indulging in some really good ice cream!!