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THR 26 days and I need a hug.

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Morning/afternoon/evening!!!...........Depending on where you are in the world.

Went for my first dog walk yesterday on my own. Walked for about a mile around the fields opposite my house. It's a bit up hill and down dale so I did quite well. It was quite a task holding cane, dog on lead and a full poo bag. And no I didn't consider making things easier for myself and put said poo bag in my pocket! A lot of friends I know put a loaded poo bag in their pocket to keep their hands warm on cold days(very cold in Old Blighty at the moment).............Why would you do that?!!! BARF!.......It absolutely pen and inks!!!
Moving on......When I'm walking uphill or upstairs I notice a twanging sensation in my groin.....I guess it feels right inside where my new hip is. There is no pain with the twanging but it's a bit disconcerting. Anyone had the same feeling? Anyone know what this could be? Feels like tendons or ligaments rubbing together. I have had the twanging since I left hospital. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about because as I said earlier there is no pain. I would be interested if anyone has also felt this.
I am being the hostess with the mostest today. One of my lovely friends is coming over and I'm cooking us some lunch. Nothing too taxing. Think I'll cook pesto pasta with dry fried pine nuts and Parmesan with a yummy side salad...........oooooo my mouths watering already.

Keep on keeping on Warriors.

Lotsa love

Jamie Oliver xxxxx
 
Hi there Queenie, long time since I caught up with you.

You are making good progress. I can imagine that first walk with your dog was special... Poop bag and all!

Regards the Feels like tendons or ligaments rubbing together you are spot on. Ligaments get stretched during a THR and whilst it is settling down in the early weeks, then can feel like a twang sensation.. I certainly felt it, changing hip position, such as walking up stairs, give it time, everything has to realign.

Love the sound of walking around the fields, any wildflowers out yet in your part of the UK?
 
Hi Queenie

Sorry to hear you've had a couple of Down Days. Unfortunately, seems to be par for the course as we all try to make our way through this labyrinth in which we have suddenly found ourselves stranded.

I had a few days like that in January, a few weeks after my second revision op, when I came down with a wracking cough. I quickly convinced myself that a whole regiment of tooled-up and dangerous germs was advancing through my body, working on a fiendishly-clever plan for a pincer movement attack on my defenceless new prosthesis.

I spent a couple of days sequestered in a darkened room, in my dressing gown, pathetically whimpering, and - as a mark of how low I had fallen - watching Jeremy Kyle and Wanted Down Under. (Come to think of it, though, I couldn't have hit rock bottom. I didn't watch Deal Or No Deal.)

When I went for my 8-week follow-up appt on Tuesday, I was sure the X-ray would reveal the tell-tale signs of "fluorescence", which were early clues to the presence of my infection, 18 months ago.

But no! Can you believe? No signs of infection. And there is more... Hardware in place. Wire fencing intact and tidy. Bone graft taking nicely. I am signed off for a year, and have no restrictions.

Believe me, after 3+ years of setbacks and disappointments, I know much better than to get too cocky about this. I have no clue as to how I got the infection. Perhaps I'll get one again? Just for now, though, I'm allowing myself to put on a different record than my favourite Staph City Blues.

Are you still not having physio? Like yours, my hospital didn't suggest it, and my GP couldn't provide it (for some reason I never really understood), but I see a girl now privately, and I really feel she helps. I'm not suggesting physio is good per se (some years ago I had occasion to experience physio on a different matter, and saw the good, the bad, and the lousy of the profession), but if you could find a good one I think you might find it helpful.

Keep smiling. (I imagine that is something you do a lot!)

Glynis

ps: Some time ago you said you don't know anyone who doesn't watch Downton. Oh yes you do! (Not enough car chases for my liking.)
 
Queenie, those who never pick up dog poo will not realize what a big milestone you just sailed past! :yay: It's a complex, multifaceted process, in which, any number of things might go awry, resulting in your twisting the wrong way, falling, or worse -- accidentally sticking your hand into the poo (a particular phobia of mine). Good for you, you brave soul! It will be quite a long time before I'm able to follow your lead and take Joe for a "nature walk." He's 100 lbs. of ground-sniffing, leash-pulling stubbornness, hell-bent on inhaling the scent of every chipmunk and squirrel in a 5-mile radius. I imagine that you put extra guest soap out for the folks who put in the the pocket for...[pausing to gag]..hand warming when they come to dinner. Ewwwww!!!

Your lunch sounds lovely! Pasta with fried pine nuts and a side salad -- ahh.

To answer an earlier post (my, how we skip around!) I currently write marketing collateral and educational courses [yawn] for a living, but I'm working on three novels in my *spare time* and dream of moving into book-writing as a full-time occupation. I just bought the Dragon dictation software in the hope that it will help me write whilst lying in bed (like Mark Twain did, but without the quill), so I don't kill myself from writing all day and then writing all evening. You're very sweet to want to buy a signed book copy and will probably be the only one who does. Thank you! And, also thanks for increasing my British vocabulary. One of my favorite expressions is, "Don't get your knickers in a twist." Do people really say that?

Here's wishing you many, many more walks with your dog as you watch the Spring emerge from its slumber all around the hills and dales.

Cheers!

HHH
 
Good morning , Queenie, although you may have had your delicious lunch by now. I am enjoying spending a quiet morning in my pj's. I love the four day week we are trying at school this year. Fridays are heavenly especially when you are still recovering from hip replacement.
I agree with HHH that picking up doggy poo requires all kinds of dexterity and I can picture myself doing a face plant! Good job!
I haven't experienced the thwang you describe but I am having some groin pain off and on. Most times I can relate it to something I have done such as getting down on one knee or stretching those hip flexors in some way. Most of my pain now is in my thigh though, something I think is due to those muscles being so weak before and now being used. There is an increased flexibility I can see slowly coming.
You mentioned awhile back about the anterior method and the table that is used. Just wanted to tell that my surgeon doesn't use a special table to do the anterior approach. He said he feels that there are too many injuries caused by the force of the table so he has developed a way of doing it without. Just a side note.
Anyway, enjoy the day! I am planning a lot of nothing with a bit of exercise. It's March 1st! Bring on the Spring!
 
Jeremy Kyle and warm poo bags in one thread - is there a difference between the two?!

You sound like you are doing great Queenie. I wish I'd been coming to yours for lunch today.
 
glynis.......Where have you been?....So lovely to hear from you!

A clean bill of health and no infection. Bet that's an enormous relief. So happy for you.
Glynis.....I understand you had a mini meltdown but to suggest that Deal or No Deal is of a lesser quality than Jeremy Kyle.......ARE YOU MAD?!!! Either way I understand that you must of been feeling pretty rotten to have stooped so low. It is strange that you have no idea where your infection came from. Fingers(NOT LEGS!) crossed you won't have to deal with that again.
I have had zero PT since I left hospital and I'm now 8wks post op. I've just continued with the exercises they gave me in hospital then added a few more at 6wks from the library on BS. Seeing my OS on Mon and hoping he'll lift most restrictions.
It's been lovely to hear from you. Don't be a stranger.

hiphiphorray....HIPPO!!..........Don't you mean multifaeceted process?.........See what I did there?!! I'm pleased that you all seem to appreciate how challenging a dog walk, and it entails, is for a woman fresh off the butchers block. You'll get there. Not before you're ready though Mrs. I know you've been over doing it lately so don't stoop to pick up poop before you're in a fit state to do so. Keep a bottle of hand sanitiser in your pocket in case of emergencies.
Yes we do say 'Don't get your knickers in a twist'. I love that one too. My dear old Nan used to say... 'Come on, let's go for a walk and blow the stink out of our drawers'. One of my favourites. I say it to my kids all the time.
I still have no idea what you do for a living..........What the dickens is Marketing Collateral? Straight over my head that one. I hope you find the time to write the books that are inside you. I know it's something you MUST do. I feel it in my Gypsy Blood.

Hi there Liphip - A four day week...lovely. So you have a nice long weekend every week. Super bloomin' duper. Being able to work with children is a wonderful experience but I know first hand how very tiring it is. Teachers never get enough recognition for what they do. Add a hip replacement to the mix and you have an extremely tiring work day. So go you Liphip.....you are doing an amazing job at getting back into 'normal' life!!
Do you think you have thigh pain because you had the anterior approach? My rump hurts more than anywhere else and I had the posterior approach.
Lovely to hear from you.

Firebrand.......Tee hee hee that made me chuckle. Lunch went down a treat. My friend was very impressed that I turned down her offers to help. It won't be long before you're making those delicious brownies.
Hope your recovery is coming along nicely.

Keep on keeping on.

Love to all

Queenie xxxx
 
Hi Queenie

Just a note to wish you all the best for your hospital appt tomorrow. I hope it will go as well as wot mine did, last week. These appointments tend to assume monumental proportions, don't they? It's quite a long drive from here to Wrightington where I had my ops, so my husband Graham always comes with me. When we are driving home I'll say: "You know when the surgeon said this..." and Graham will say: "He didn't say that. He said this..." And so it goes on... Does that ever happen in your house?

I read on another thread that you recommend turkey for its somniferous effects. Aha! So that's why everyone always falls asleep after Christmas Day lunch. And there was me, thinking it was the Queen's Speech.

I've also noticed that a couple of people have mentioned that you have a natural flair for expressing yourself. I agree. You obviously have a real love for language and idiom. Sadly, increasingly rare, these days. I'm sure it will sound pompous, but I really despair how close we are coming to losing the richness of our language, under the malevolent influence of texting and Twitter.

Words rule, man!

Glynis
 
Hi Queenie,
Just wanted to echo Glunis and wish you well at your appointment. I'm sure you have already done this but write all your questions down. I thought for sure I would remember all mine and drove off without asking a few.
Here's to you and no restrictions!
 
Hey, Queenie. How did your appointment go, yesterday, and how are you feeling? More importantly, did you blow the stink out of your shorts? I'm still chuckling over that one. Did you chum with HRH Queen Elizabeth while you were there? I heard she's in the hospital with the flu. You probably didn't have time for her, though. No worries, she has people standing by to untwist her knickers, I'm sure.

Even though I might be able to do it now, rest assured that it will be quite some time before I inform my fiance of the return of my poop-scooping capability -- I'm thinking at least six months. Watching him perform the bend, grasp, squeeze, nose-wrinkle routine is another one of life's pleasures; one that I am reluctant to forgo. "A woman scorned makes a man pick up dog poop for all eternity." Isn't that how the saying goes?

So, marketing collateral consists mainly of brochures, white papers, data sheets, case studies, etc. It's mostly technical material because of my field of expertise. I'm currently writing about LED technology, 3-D printing and semiconductors. It's very dry content, and so my sci-fi manuscript about demon aliens hell-bent on turning the human race into a slave species is a welcome break from it. I'm also writing a coming-of-age novel about a minister's daughter in a charismatic hippy church, juxtaposed against the backdrop of a small, Southern U.S. Bible Belt town. It's (hopefully) humourous and definitely autobiographical. The third novel in my hopper speaks to the irony of the Badi prostitutes in Nepal and India, the corrupt government and caste system that keeps them pigeon-holed, and their reluctance to move into a more wholesome way of life, even when the door is wide open to them. Thank you for the encouragement. I feel the same way about the books inside me that one does about having children -- no matter what (if anything) comes of it afterward, they must be born or I will burst. Your gypsy blood is very intuitive.

'Sounds like your lunch was lovely. I am very impressed that you hosted a "do" so early in your recovery! I hope that hubby did the dishes.

Love and cheers to you!

HHH
 
Hello Lady-peeps...........I say Lady-peeps and not Gentlemen-peeps because I'm not aware of any callers of the male persuasion. But a very warm hello is bid to any Gentlemen-peeps that might be reading, just in case...............(No I haven't been drinking!).

Lady-peeps, I want to express how touched I was by your kind words when I checked in on the old Bonus Smartiferous today.

See Peeps(will stick to this as it includes everyone).........Peeps, I have been in a right old funny place, AGAIN!!! What is going on? Talk about up and down like a yoyo.

So I went to see my OS. Lovely Man. Top Geezer. He was one of the surgeons that developed The Exeter Hip(one of the most popular hips in the world)..........He Lectures in USA a lot. Yes, I am very fortunate to live in Exeter.

A lot was riding on this appointment. After seeing my OS I was going to start my new healthy eating and healthy lifestyle exercise plan. No pressure! I actually came away from said appointment feeling a bit lost.
All restrictions lifted and I can go back to normal life at my own pace. He didn't seem worried about the severe muscle pain on walking(rump and area around incision). He's arranging for me to have some physio but not sure when. He said he thinks I'm doing fine and that soon, he hopes, I won't even think about my hips.
Thing is, he didn't examine me at all or look at my incision. I didn't think about it until aterwards. Is this normal? My rump is still very swollen and I can't lie on my operated scar at all.
So in my mind there is something up with my muscles because they hurt so much. Please someone is this normal after 8wks? To feel so weak and tender still? He is a very nice man who basically said I'm doing ok and not to worry about anything. BUT IT STILL HURTS IN THE MUSCLE DEPARTMENT!! Yes I am taking meds. More so if I'm going out for a walk or when I go to bed.

Now because all restrictions have been lifted I feel that everyone's forgotten that I only had major surgery(sorry to get dramatic) 2mths ago and it's back to housework, driving the kids to school, walking the dog, shopping and cooking and I'm struggling with fatigue.
I feel really useless, sad and angry all at the same time........Grrrrrrrrrrrrr, Booo Hoooo, Ouch.
I have hated having to point out that actually I'm not Superwoman and I still need a bit of help here.

So that's where I am. Sorry to moan. I've been having my own little pity party.

I'm really tired and haven't got the energy to write anymore, so if you don't mind I will come back tomorrow and reply to all who have asked after me.

Lotsa love

Queenie xxxx

Tried to cheer myself up by creating an avatar. I'm normally rubbish at the most simple of technical tasks. It's a photo of the view from my bedroom. Those are the fields that Archie and I walk. One morning I looked out and managed to capture the rainbow. I like the symbolism of hope. X
 
Oh luv, can anyone come to your pity party? Is it bring a bottle - will Cocodamol do?

Feel free and wallow. I know that as women we tend to carry the lions share of the housework. As good as our families have been, it is easy for them to see each step of our improvement as a sign for them to take a step back. But two months after major surgery is nothing - clearly you are tired, and still in pain. You can't just spring back to how you want to be. They still need to be putting the effort it - why should it be coming to a stop anyway?

Edited to say re your visit with your surgeon - as nice as they can be, I think that they are really only concerned with the mechanics of it all, and you were clearly ticked the boxes he needed ticked. The other stuff - the aches and pains and niggles - is what they tend to see more as peripheral 'touchy feely' stuff. Is it something that your GP could be a bit more helpful or informative on?

Take care x
 
Yep Queenie,perfectly normal for those muscles to be still bothersome. They have been pulled and stretched way out of their comfort zone so you can imagine they will still be feeling grumpy.

Your appt with the surgeon...lucky you getting to see your actual surgeon...it's the nurse for us Geordie folk.....seems to be pretty normal. As Firebrand rightly says, he is just interested in your movements, if you can move the right way...or semi the right way then he is happy things are on track

Many of us find it very difficult to lie on our operated side. A good way to go about it is do it every night just for a few minutes, gradually building the time up, you will get used to it. Are you using a pillow between your legs from knee to ankle, that really helps too, not with the scar area but just to make you feel more comfy.

Don't be worrying about letting your family know you haven't got your superwoman powers back just yet. Yes, restrictions are lifted but now you must learn how to move in those now permitted ways without causing yourself pain. Tell them you need at least another four weeks of taking it easy before normal activites can resume.

Take care

Ann
 
Dear Queenie, I agree with Ann and Firebrand that 1) the pain is probably normal and 2) you should feel free to wallow as much as you like. I brought my own bottle to the party, too. Cue the English drinking songs..."What do you do with a drunken sailor, what do you do..."

If anyone tries to tell you that you should just "get on with it" or belittles the after-effects of this major surgery, then please respond in the manner of the goat in the following video.



Cheers!

HHH
 
Queenie So sorry to hear you have these pains and surgeon supremo was less than concerned. Sometimes I think they monitor you to a certain point and as Firebrand mentioned if the mechanics of the replacement work, then he may feel his job is done. That downright sucks! He was the one who went in and rearranged the muscles, nerves and such, he should care if what he did still hurts. I've got a half of a bottle of oxycodon for that pity party, too bad I can't take that lovely drug.
 
Oh Queenie, I hear thee! They are so nonchalant about any question you ask and I am such a people pleaser that I just nodded without thinking till the 5 hour trip home! Did they at least do an xray? I have read on this forum that if you have real concerns you should go to a different doctor since the doc who did the surgery isn't very likely to admit something isn't going as it should. But, that doesn't mean there is something wrong, those muscles just need time to heal. I don't know if this would be comfortable or not but my hubby massaged my incision after it had healed up with Vitamin E oil. Maybe yours is too tender yet for this but the PT suggested it to break up some of the scar tissue. I think it helped.
I agree about the double edged sword of having no restrictions. It is great to be able to push yourself and try to do more but the expectations of those around us increase. With the Anterior method, it seems like 6 weeks was supposed to be the magic number and any discomfort or fatigue after that is less understood, at least in my house.
Look for little ways you are healing and try not to be discouraged. You could also call and ask the questions you have. Maybe the PT can take a look at the incision and see what they think. I know mine asked if I minded it he looked at it. I'm sure they have seen lots of scars and can tell something about how they are healing.
Keep on keepin' on my dear!
 
Oh Queenie, that's a bummer. (Sorry if that's a little too appropriate.) How disappointing.

First of all, I would remind yourself that you trust this man, and respect his opinion. If he feels your current pains are something which will settle down, then the likelihood is that he is right. You don't say if you had an X-ray. I'm sure he would not have let you go home without further investigation if he had any real worries.

I think he should have looked at your incision scar. Does it look OK to you? If you have any concerns, is there a practice nurse at your GP's who could have a quick look at it? The nurse who took my staples out certainly gave me the impression that if there was anything on earth worth knowing about incision scars then she had that information safely stored in one of her comprehensive memory banks.

I would follow up on the physio you were offered. I find my girl, Victoria, very helpful. "It's clunking here..." That's OK. "There's a sharp pain there..." That's not OK. Try this exercise. She offers the knowledge and reassurance we are all seeking. Mind you, I tried a few also-rans before I found Victoria.

When you think about it, if it were really true that "hips have a way of looking after themselves", then none of us would be typing our fingers to the bone on this forum.

It is 12 weeks now since my second op, and I still find myself lacking energy at times. I'm sure this is quite normal, and is something we'll all work through, given time.

As for looking after your family, then I'm sure that is very difficult at times. Overall though, I think children are very resilient, and I don't think they'll come to any harm if mum can't be as hands-on with them as she would like. Take whatever short cuts you can. Nothing wrong with ready meals warmed up in the oven every now and then. And does that top really need ironing? No, I don't think so.

Hope the warmer weather will put a Spring in your step. Neat avatar, by the way.

Glynis
 
Queenie said:
glynis.......Where have you been?....So lovely to hear from you!

I'm pleased that you all seem to appreciate how challenging a dog walk, and it entails, is for a woman fresh off the butchers block.


Love to all

Queenie xxxx
Click to expand...
I don't know if you get the 'handle plastic bags' from your markets, as we do. I find it helpful to bring one on my walks. I throw the full poop bags into it. Let the handle hang from wrist or finger. I'm walking a neighbor's dog as well as mine at lunchtimes, so this keeps down the ick factor!
 
Hippy12, lucky you! They outlawed all plastic shopping bags in San Francisco, so they're like gold to us when we run across them. We hoard them. My dog is big, and so is his poop ick factor, so we use the paper towel inside a plastic bag method. What I can't stand is when a gust of wind blows the bag aside just when you're reaching for the pile. :shocked:

Thinking of you, Queenie, and hoping today is better for you!

HHH
 
Bless you lovely ladies. You really are a tonic. Thank you so much for dropping by and giving me your words of wisdom.
Apologies for not being quite myself of late. Still working on that one!

@Firebrand- You are right about the touchy feely stuff. Think i'll just turn to My friends on BS for that. Even my closest buddies can't empathise like a friend on BS. My OS was really just concerned with the mechanics of my hip this is true but I do have the upmost confidence in him so maybe I was expecting too much. I'm seeing a physio next Tuesday so I'll try and lap up as much TFS as I can then!

Anniepops - I've been sleeping with a pillow between my legs for about 5yrs now. It's so comfortable that I think I'll be sleeping like that for the rest of my life! I have had a little word with my family about my fatigue and explained that my Superwoman powers might not return for a few weeks yet. They took this information on board........Watch this space.

glynis - I didn't have an X-ray. I'm sure my incision scar is ok but seeing as I told him that it was still very tender and swollen in that area, I was surprised he didn't want a quick look. But like you say I do trust him and respect his opinion so I guess I've just got to accept that there is nothing wrong and that I'm a bit of a slow healer. Whilst I'm sorry to hear that you still find yourself lacking in energy at times I am also able to take comfort in this information, so thank you for sharing this golden nugget!
You're right about the ready meals but nothing with 'beef' in at the moment eh?!!
Hope your recovery is moving onwards and upwards. X

Hippy12 - double trouble in the poop scoop department eh? Extra Brownie points to you for being a good neighbour. You'll be in the short queue to heaven now, as my dear old Gran used to say.

Liphip - so pleased you were listening!! I'm going to try massaging my scar to see if it releases anything. Thanks for that. I think I was on a bit of a downer and couldn't see the wood for the trees. So I'm now concentrating on the positives. Looking at what I can do, not what I can't. Hope you're enjoying your lovely long weekends and not overdoing things too much. Thank you for your words of encouragement.

hiphiphorray - what would I do without you? Thanks for the Goat clip. I'm going to put that into action at the first available opportunity. You are funny. Now lets talk about these books. You must, must, must write them, then get them published. Easier said than done I know but the outline you gave for all three books already has me completely hooked. What a wonderful imagination you've got. I'm particularly interested in the autobiographical novel...........I have sooo many questions!!
So please don't burst.....Far too messy......get those fabulous, humorous, touching words down on paper. You never fail to make me laugh and cheer me up. I feel this is a gift that should be shared amongst the masses. I know it is.

Thanks again everyone, you are all bloomin' marvellous.

Keep on keepin' on Warriors

Lotsa lurve

Queenie xxx
 
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