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Hip Infection 2 stage revision, hip infection

And I am HOME!!! :loveshwr:

Got home about noon yesterday. They were very efficient in getting discharges done yesterday, because they had a whole bunch of unexpected surgeries done yesterday. While I feel for those waiting for rooms, it definitely worked to our advantage. :happydance:

Physically, it was a rough day. As you get closer to leaving, they decrease the stronger meds and move over to lesser doses and a milder version. In my case, that meant the pain got way out ahead of me. :bricks:

Hoping for a better day today, but if not, it is only two days until I can call and discuss a switch.

I still woke up every 2 hours or so, to go to the bathroom, but even so, got better rest than in the hospital. Waking up due to my own body's signals is just more restful, compared to waking up because someone wants your vitals or your blood, lol!

Until the pain got out ahead, I was feeling *so much* better than before the surgery! Having the spacer out and the "real" prosthetics in, wow, what a difference!:wowspring:Less pain, and what there is, is steady and predictable, not random and intense and sometimes scary! I had been so concerned about how much strength I was losing, being inactive, but apparently it wasn't as much as I feared. I may bump into that more as I increase activity, but right now I seem to be doing well.

The best thing is a feeling of freedom!! I know that things could possibly go wrong, but, I don't feel like I have something heavy hanging over my head now! It is done! and I am on my way at last!:dancy:

Ask me again in a couple of days, right?

Today I am going to review what Josephine has shared about PT and not overdoing, and figure out what I should or should not do. Hip replacement folks don't get referred for PT, which is in line with what Josephine suggests, but we do have a series of exercises we are supposed to do, several of which are painful at this point. So I need to sort that out a bit.
 
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What great news @dinsmaum! I've kept you in my thoughts and prayers for an easy surgery and recovery. Looks like you're headed in that direction. You've been through so much and now it's time for good things to come your way. Slow and steady has worked out well for me and I'm sure will also work out well for you. Hugs from HOT and sunny SoCal! :loveshwr:
 
@Josephine : I remember seeing posts on other threads about which post op exercises to just ditch, most of them as I recall :loll:but can't find them now. I would like to get/review your thoughts on these.
My OS does not refer us out to PT or have them come to us; he feels it is unnecessary. We are sent home with the exercises we did at the hospital and are expected to continue those.
Here is what I am supposed to do Weeks 1 and 2 post op
* walk 300-500 ft at least twice a day
* Climb and descend a flight of stairs once a day if necessary
*Actively ben hip 60degrees
Range of motion -strengthening exercises, 30 reps, 3 times a day: ankle pumps, quad set, short arc quad, heel slide, straight leg raise, long arc quad
After Week 2, we add some different ones.

I doubt I am going to do three sets a day; I would rather walk if it comes to that.

What do you think?
 
To be honest, I would not recommend any of them! Hips actually don't need any 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.
 
I didn't do much of any exercises except the glute flexs, knee presses and ankle pumping. I figured getting up and down every 2 hours was enough. The main reason I did the exercises mentioned was because of the fear of blood clots.
I'm gonna say the getting up and down to pee at least 12 times a day was good enough for me.
So glad you're home and mostly comfortable!!
 
Hi @dinsmaum I see I have missed quite a bit since I've been off bonesmart, but thought I 'd check back in and see how everyone's doing....and look at you!! So glad you are finally rid of that awful spacer! Isn't it a wonderful feeling to just have to concentrate on positive progress going forward? And, that is what it will be for you.

Regarding the exercises: I went back to my OS at my 3 month check up with a list to go through, one of which was pain in my hip area, thigh and down my knee. Classic IT band issues. We successfully discussed and addressed everything on my list including what to do about this uncomfortable pain. I kind of knew but wanted to hear from him. I was being so cautious with my exercises and hip restrictions that I wasn't moving forward enough. He said caution is good, but I do not have to follow them anymore and gave me a few IT band exercises to concentrate on to stretch it out. What a difference it made within a couple of days! I am doing so much better!

I am concentrating on walking, stationary bike and eventually getting out for trail riding soon. With that, I am increasing my stretches and strengthening and concentrating on walking without a limp. I can walk up and down a flight of stairs without holding onto the banister, but I still will use it because it gives me more control and balance. You want to make sure that when walking up, you keep your leg and knee straight ahead of you and avoid having the knee gravitate inward.

You are still early in your recovery and perhaps very light stretches and increased walking might be a comfortable route to take. Continue to heal, take it slowly and by the end of the summer, hopefully, all this will be a distant bump in the road!

Blessings,
 
So, I am 9 days post op. This is so different than the recovery from the Stage 1 surgery! There are issues, for sure, but it feels more, I don't know, normal?

I am still in my downstairs hospital bed, and in no hurry to change that. Just a few steps from bed to bathroom, which is so nice, plus the ability to rise and lower the head of the bed is really helpful.:SUNsmile:

Had my first post op shower yesterday! It was wonderful! I had put it off because of those stairs. Stairs had become so incredibly painful, post broken spacer, and I just couldn't face it for awhile.

Well, guess what? Climbing those stairs tired me right out, BUT... there was no pain! Like, none! :loveshwr: I need assistance still, thanks to the lack of railing part way up, but it was just so doable. Now, partly that was because I was at that sweet spot with the pain meds, but mostly it is just due to that spacer being gone!

Speaking of which, I am not thrilled with the current pain meds. Not so much because they are less effective but because I *feel* like they make me more tired and slow than the stronger ones did. Strange, eh? But I feel fuzzier.

My biggest challenge is fatigue. It is enormous.:bricks: But, I got the lab results from my last day in the hospital, and I am firmly in the anemic camp again. Surgical blood loss. So, on the one hand, good. An explanation. And, knowing that this is something that will improve, with time. On the other hand, nuts. It is such a slow process. After Stage 1 surgery, it took 6 weeks or so, with a transfusion and treatment, to get back into the very lowest "normal" range. Of course I want to feel better sooner than that, right? Especially as I will probably be heading back to work about 6 weeks post op.

I am walking a little bit every day, trying to go a teeny bit further each time, depending on how I am feeling. I am grateful for all of the information Josephine provides about recovery. I feel that it has given me the freedom to really listen to my own body, take it easy and go as slowly and carefully as I need to. This is quite a gift indeed!:angel:
 
@keepmovin : I was so delighted to read about your progress! :loveshwr: Because I am so glad for you, and because it is encouraging for me, and gives me glimpses of it being better! I am impressed with all you are doing. And very glad your surgeon took the time to work through your questions and give concrete advice. Surgeons are not always the best communicators, and it is a delight to work with one who is.

Are the stretches for the IT band helping yet? Am interested in how that goes.

It in indeed such a relief to be at this point, the moving forward point. It is funny how conditioned we become. I have spent so much time at the hospital in these last 4 months, between tests and surgeries. The other day I was thinking about something, I don't remember what, and I thought "Well, when I am at the hospital I will..." And suddenly realized: I will not *be* at the hospital! There is nothing on my schedule for the hospital! It felt strange but wonderful!:yes!:
 
@dinsmaum, hurray for having no hospital time on your calendar! And glad that you are feeling no pain, amazing! Good luck with the fatigue and turning the anemia around. Wonderful to hear that you are doing so well after all you have been through. ♥♥♥
 
@Krista , I still have plenty of pain,as the pain meds ebb and flow in effect, but not from doing the stairs. Just that surgical pain though, not pain like the spacer caused, that is for sure. I do complain a bit around the house, because I feel that the pain meds aren't doing their job, but in all fairness, it is so much better than before the surgery!
 
Oooh, sorry about that pain. Nice that it is better than pre-op with the dreaded spacer. I hope you aren't undermedicated, my dear! May you sleep well tonight.
 
@Krista , I may very well be undermedicated. I have not been happy with the meds since they switched me from percocet to norco the last day or so in the hospital. In spite of it being a higher dose, the norco is just not working as well. It feels really inconsistent. :gaah:I see the surgeon Monday for my 2 week check up and we will discuss!

The other thing going on is that it looks like I may have a bit of infection at one of the staple sites. I can't really see the incision very well, but had noticed an increase in tenderness and a feeling of heaviness. Son checked, and felt like it just didn't look quite right. So my sister in law the RN came out this morning and looked, and saw some drainage and increased redness in that spot.:groan: She felt it is okay to wait to Monday unless the drainage increases, the redness increases, the pain increases or I start running any degree of fever.

So we are just watching carefully for now, and hopefully all will be fine.
 
Ugh, about all of it. Not having adequate pain control is bad. I was on Norcos also, and took two 10's every 4 hours for the first few weeks. Apparently my OS's office wanted me on less, but on any less, I was in significantly more pain. And a major boo-hoo about the possible infection at a staple site. Hoping for the best with these two challenges, @dinsmaum.
 
Hello, everyone! I am back for a minute. I am finally on-line again, but this new computer is going elsewhere to get data transferred from the old one, and I don't know how long it will be gone.

I am now 5 weeks out, today, from the second surgery, and doing well! :yahoo:

Over the last week or two I have had a big jump in energy, both emotional and physical. While I still wear out quickly, it feels like I have more to start with. Emotionally, I had been feeling kind of flat, since finding out the spacer broke. Some of that was the effects of the anesthesia and pain meds I am sure, but some was just trauma. But I am feeling a definite return of emotional vitality and resilience, and it is delightful! :happydance:

I had my follow up appointment with the surgeon yesterday, and it went very well. I had completed the 2 weeks of antibiotics due to concern about the incision. Apparently it looks wonderful now! :yes: No signs of any problems whatsoever. I will have more blood work done in about a month, and return to the surgeon in 2 months. If all is well then, I will go 4 months before checking back in.

But I will tell you what. If they said I needed to come in every week even, to stay on top of it, I would not complain. I really don't EVER want to go through this again!:bignono:

I was cleared to drive! I don't have to take the 2 aspirin every day anymore, and my stomach is grateful! I can immerse in water, oh boy bath tub here I come! I am cleared to do cardio, low impact and starting slowly of course! I can get a massage! :yes!:

Still struggling with restless legs, but tonic with quinine is helping. Not going for meds yet, because I believe it is related to the surgery induced anemia and should improve. Meanwhile, while not the healthiest thing, I do like tonic and lime over ice, especially in this heat. My sleep patterns are way whacky still, which is okay while I am not working, but concerns me about when I go back. :umm:

Pain has improved a lot during the day time, but at night it is still a problem. Fortunately they agreed to another refill on the med that works. I think that will be the last time though.

I am going back to work Aug 1, half time for the first two weeks, and then will increase as I gain stamina. I have mixed feelings about it. Now that I am feeling better and not housebound, I kind of like being home. I have my little routines, and everything is just slow and mellow. Right how I need it to be right now. But, well, you know, bills. And I do miss doing my job, if not all the drama and stress that goes with it.

I share all this both because I am just so delighted to be at this point :roseshwr: and also to remind those of you in the midst of it, it does get better, and sooner than it seems like it will ! Thinking of you especially @McDeeva ! :-) Just keep taking it day by day, and hang in there, and before you know it "normal" will be within sight!:flwrysmile:
 
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