THR 2 weeks post op and miserable

[dianehelen]

The vac did it's job, taking my wound from a massive 16cm deep to about 4cm, but as the wound got less deep it became impossible for the vac to draw from the bottom, and the exudate was leaking thru the shallow edges. Also my skin is just destroyed from that tape. I sure hope I'm done with it too!

 

[bamagirl]

Wow @dianehelen . I've been following your story and just can't imagine what you've been going through. But...it seems there is light at the end of the tunnel. Your would is only a 1/4 of it's original size! That is real progress! I would think you could dump the vac now and let it heal as long as the nurses/doctor are following it closely. I sure hope you can move on soon and enjoy actually having a new hip.

 

[dianehelen]

Thanks @bamagirl. I'm hoping the vac is done, each dressing change that seems more likely. I just can't wait till I can take a real shower, it may be soon.

 

[bamagirl]

I know this doesn't compare, but I can sympathize. About 10 years ago I got bit by a brown recluse spider on my abdomen when I lived in Alabama and had a pretty deep open/draining wound that had to be packed every day for around 6 weeks. It was torture!

 

[dianehelen]

Ughhh @bamagirl I was bitten by one of those evil spiders too, about 35 years ago and it was nasty. It was on my leg and I had to go for painful debridement several times. My leg blew up like a balloon, and so painful.

 

[Josephine]

Sorry if this is all "tmi", and sorry I have not been a good supportive member here

Diane, I so very distressed to read that you feel because you are in the mire and not able to be supportive to others that you're not welcome here. NOTHING IS FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!! Come to us when you need a shoulder to cry on or lean on. That's what BoneSmart is all about. Give us the chance to support you when you need it, okay? And I'm really glad you got rid of that infernal machine!

btw, just a little ask - can you please put some paragraphs in your post? As you can see, I've edited your post. I know you were upset when you wrote it but that big unbroken block of text is too much for my old eyes!

 

[Jamie]

Diane.....this is such wonderful news...to know you are free of the vac and that things are improving. I'm so happy for you. You have been through so much. Please keep in touch here. We care about you and want to help you get through this!!!

 

[dianehelen]

Wow, the forum is finally working again.

Just a quick update, I'm still hangin in there , still seeing wound care once a week, and home nurse dressing change every other day. The pain from the wound is starting to be more bearable, but still annoying. I'm so glad to be free of the evil vac.

I'm 5 months+ from my original LTHR and while the pain I had pre surgery is certainly much better, I can't say I'm pain free. I'm trying to get around and walk more, but the hip still feels somewhat stiff. Is this pretty normal? No sharp or stabbing pain, just doesn't feel like I don't have to think about it with every step. How long would be a good bench mark to walk and not think about my hip?

I've been wondering how you @Vetgirl and @shrinkette are doing.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Hope the forum stays well too

 

[IMs]

I am glad you are feeling better than before and that the infection depth has lessened significantly. I am 230 lbs. and going in for RTHR in about 2 weeks...am apprehensive about the outcome because of weight and diabetes, high BP, high cholesterol, asthma etc. Also, I do not want General Anesthesia...

Wishing you speedier recovery, all the best and God bless! IMs

 

[dianehelen]

All the best to you IMs. I don't know how tall you are so I can't say if you are as heavy as I am, but I am very tall and have about 75 pounds on you. But I do not, surprisingly , do not have any of those typical comorbidities. In fact my bp tends to run in the low range. But my surgeon did tell me from the start that many drs would not have operated on me at my weight. Be did, but I'm sure the weight did and still does impact my overall recovery and mobility. He did say that my infection was not related to my weight, just always a risk with any surgery. Just my crummy luck. I hope you surgery and recovery go well and you are on the road to recovery soon. I asked to not have general anrsthesia but I was told that was one thing my weight precluded, as they really felt it was safer to have my breathing controlled under general, and being intubated. I hated that part. Hope you have the choice. Be well, good luck.

 

[LeeApril26]

@dianehelen and @IMs I had a LTHR 16 months ago. I am 5' 7" and somewhere between the two of you in weight. I don't think my weight was a factor in either the anesthesia or recovery. I am generally healthy-no blood pressure, cholesterol or diabetes issues. I had a spinal and a fentamyn (sp?) patch for anesthesia, and I was able to leave the hospital walking on a cane, though my leg did feel like a log. I went home to a duplex apartment and did stairs a couple of times a day. I am not an athlete, though I do swim and do water aerobics a couple of times a week, and as I live in NYC I walk every day even when I don't want to
My OS never suggested that my weight was a problem for the surgery, though of course he said the arthritis would be less of an issue if I could lose weight. I think I had a fairly normal recovery-lots of ice, home and then outside PT, used a cane for about 10 weeks, but really didn't get back to regular full activity for a while.

I am really glad you are off the vac, dianehelen. You should check with Josephine, but I think some stiffness is normal, especially since you really didn't have the option of a full recovery with your previous medical issues. I still occasionally feel a little stiffness in the muscles in my thigh if I overdo my activities. Best wishes!

 

[IMs]

Thank you so much @dianehelen and @LeeApril26 for the information and encouragement. I sincerely hope and pray that you march steadily and speedily towards complete recovery and normalcy. Warmest regards, prayers, all the best and God bless ALL!

 

[Hoppy Nanny]

Glad things have improved for you @dianehelen.....it wasn't until I was about 9 months post op that I could honestly say that I had no pain at all in my hip....and I didn't have to contend with an infection ....now at 11 months I actually don't think about my hip at all. When they say it's a years worth of recovery! I think they are right! X


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[dianehelen]

Thanks for that timeframe @hoppynanny it gives me some encouragement that I'm in a normal healing range especially all the mess I've dealt with. Now if I was only done with this wound I would feel almost normal. But it is progressing. Today is Thursday which means wound doc. I'm missing a whole season of swimming. Latest wound measures, in cm 7.5x1.5x.5, down from it's starting enormity on April 1st of 17x5x16, whew!

 

[bottomshollow]

Latest wound measures, in cm 7.5x1.5x.5, down from it's starting enormity on April 1st of 17x5x16, whew!

This is a great improvement---and I'm so sorry that it is taking soooooo loooong to resolve. You've been a real trooper so I think you deservie this:

Take care @dianehelen and keep us posted. We care.

 

[dianehelen]

Awe thank you so much @bottomshollow

 

[Hoppy Nanny]

So glad your wound has done so well....hopefully you will be able to catch up on your swimming very soon xxx


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[dianehelen]

@cthipster wow, guess you have not read thru my whole thread/saga. I guess my thread title can be misleading but with this forums unusual rules of only allowing 1 post, it can be confusing unless you have followed a post from the start. My LTHR was March 3rd, so I'm way past the issues I posted when I created this post. Since then I have struggled with a wound infection that in still dealing with. The hip recovery , tho still aware, had come along. Thanks for your thoughts but they are way outdated

 

[bottomshollow]

@dianehelen, thread titles can be changed. If you'd like to make a change, just tag me with what you want, and I'll take care of it.

 

[cthipster]

@dianehelen, thanks, I deleted my post. You are right, I got distracted in the middle of reading the thread and then convinced myself I had read the last one.

Sorry about the wound infection!