THR 2Kittens' Recovery Thread

[Jamie]

@2Kittens .... I'm glad to hear you're doing well since your surgery on December 2nd.

Perhaps you didn't see the Personal Message I sent you on December 10th. If you would, please take a look at it and let me know if you are interested in participating in a pilot program we have for recovering hip replacement patients. All the information about it is in the message. I'm hoping you'll join your fellow SuperNovas in this wonderful opportunity - no cost to you at all and you will receive a $50 Amazon card when you complete the pilot program.

To access your Personal Messages, click on the little envelope in the blue tool bar at the top right of your screen.

 

[2Kittens]

Hi Jamie yes I did see it and thank you for the invite I have just been struggling with weakness and not feeling good so I haven’t done anything about it.

I think I have “done it“ today I woke up with some kind of weird tendon pain in my back and very painful pain deep inside the hip not the joint but in the soft tissue like I was told in the beginning here (at least I think so!!! It can’t be dislocation or something scary like that!!!?) and I thought it was my hip joint and someone on here said it was soft tissue and it’s even worse than when I came home of course I was on more pain meds then but this pain is pretty bad thankfully it’s off/on today. when I walk around it’s not bad at all and it’s not in the rest of my leg the rest of my leg is finally coming along pretty good the only thing I did different is a session on my recumbent bike and don’t worry it doesn’t break the 90° rule even though my surgeon says I don’t have restrictions like that and I did 20 minutes on it and I didn’t feel pain or anything bad so that’s the only thing I can think of maybe it bruised the soft tissue trying to heal? Since it’s not an upright bike I am leaning back on my upper buttocks if that makes sense. Anybody have this? Needless to say it reminds me to take it easy even if I feel OK but it’s hard because you don’t know what is going to set you back!!! And it’s depressing because I want to exercise. It’s been 4 weeks since surgery.

I would like to wish everybody a happy new year!!!!!!!

 

[2Kittens]

Also I wanted to add: how does one know if they have an infection?
Along with everything I posted above, my other muscles ache and the last couple days I felt like I was coming down with something complete with sore throat and chest heaviness all have eased up a bit but this weird achiness and then along with this sharp rise in hip soft tissue pain.

I have to say these symptoms ARE NOT unusual for me at all as I have CFS and Fibromyalgia but of course hip infection would cross my mind...no graver that I can discern but haven’t taken temp.

 

[Jaycey]

@2Kittens Too much too soon. At only 4 weeks out 20 minutes on that bike is too much. Please slow down and let that hip heal. There will be plenty of time for exercise later. Ice, elevate and let all this ease.

 

[2Kittens]

@2Kittens Too much too soon. At only 4 weeks out 20 minutes on that bike is too much. Please slow down and let that hip heal. There will be plenty of time for exercise later. Ice, elevate and let all this ease.

Thank you, Jaycey it’s SO hard to know when one’s crossing the line as I posted in Ava’s thread it’s not like we’re pushing into pain or have done this before and it becomes scary at this point and one becomes gun shy so to speak as we’re supposed to be progressive in our activity and then bam!!

 

[Elf1]

@2Kittens I've been away from the forum for a bit and am just now catching up on your thread. It is definitely a very thin line we walk between enough and too much. Most times we don't know we've overdone it until the next day or two, that's when the pain hits.

You really need to take things slow and easy, use your patience muscle (I know, very hard) and listen to your body. It really will tell you when it isn't happy, and considering you have other conditions that can affect your pain, energy and mood levels, you really have to listen hard.

I can only tell you about my experience, which will be different than yours. I probably stayed on the walker for about a month, especially if out in public. Transitioned over to the cane and used that for probably a good two to three months, again especially in public. I have had spine surgery, have arthritis in my Sacroiliac joints or multiple other places in my body. Thanks to my friends here I avoided landing in the ODIC for too long.

 

[2Kittens]

Thank you, Elf1.
As I said in Ava’s thread also it is really hard to tell especially if we’re not pushing into pain at all and sometimes we don’t even know what we did, plus the need to slowly ramp up activity (normal chores and walking) as sitting and lying down for weeks isn’t conducive to healing, either. I was also given the go ahead by my PT for the bike and it didn’t hurt at all and I’m assuming that’s what it was so I won’t even touch that for awhile. I guess I’ll just focus on walking and the very minor PT movements for at least another month as I really now have no clue what my body will be ready for and when.
The recumbent bike (IF that’s what caused the set back) just seemed like a safe way to get some exercise:movement but I am now thinking it didn’t like reclining in that position on the buttocks with the legs moving like that if the soft tissue wasn’t healed yet. I don’t know about a regular exercise bike.

 

[FCBayern]

Even a regular exercise bike would be a problem as early in as you are. Our hips never tell us at the time we are doing something that it is too much, but it will be happy to tell you that night or the next day by providing you plenty of pain. I would suggest going back to the activity guidelines that were posted for you when you first joined the recovery side. You are at the stage where it's REALLY easy to over do. The direct surgical pain is fading and your hip doesn't complain while you do something, but it's still too much and your hip will tell you so.

 

[2Kittens]

One thing that bothers me is well meaning friends. One friend told me i should be driving by now at a month out because her co worker who’s 15 yrs older than me (same OS as me) was driving in 2 weeks and we both had our right hip done. I was like arrggghhh! I’ll drive when my leg is ready. The friend knows nothing about hip surgery!! On the other hand she helped me so much in the early days.

 

[djklaugh]

@2Kittens Ah yes the ill informed friends/relatives It can be truly baffling to hear some of what comes from well intentioned folks. I guess the only thing to do (unless you want to re educated friend) is just shake your head and change the subject.

 

[FCBayern]

Try not to let those stories bother you @2Kittens. Our memories have the ability over time to erase the memories of how much pain we really experienced. Every time I hear of these miraculous recoveries I just assume it's from somebody 5 years or more out whose memories of the bad parts have faded and their sense of how long it took are distorted.

 

[Elf1]

@2Kittens I didn't drive until I was 6 weeks out and had my right hip done. What a lot of "well meaning" friends don't understand is we are all different, our recoveries are different, and the amount of damage we had prior to surgery is different.

You definitely want your Surgeon's approval and you want to make sure that you can move your foot/leg quickly to step in the brake and that you have the strength to step on the brake and hold it. Most folks go with their spouse/friend to a vacant parking lot and try some emergency stops before heading out on the road. You don't want to hurt your new hip and you sure don't want to be in an accident because you aren't quite strong enough yet.

 

[Layla]

One friend told me i should be driving by now at a month out

You should have chuckled and asked this friend if that’s when she began driving after her hip surgery. When she reminded you she didn’t have hip surgery, I’d say “Exactly!”
I don’t understand the value in her words which weren’t up-lifting. I’d avoid conversations with her, temporarily, if it’s frustrating you.
Happy One Month Anniversary! Slowly but surely it does get better. Hang in there!

 

[2Kittens]

Question. I am five weeks postop and try driving and feel very capable of it went up and down my driveway anyway I don’t remember any restrictions specifically from my OS but I put a call into his office and the receptionist was asking about if he had put any restrictions in place and I said I didn’t see any so she was unsure if I need a specific release from him or not. I am wondering about this? It sounded like she thought if I felt capable then I could go ahead without “consent”

 

[Elf1]

@2Kittens I would wait until you are sure the surgeon approved it. Also, make sure you are capable of moving your leg/foot quickly to slam on the brakes on the event that you would need to. Would hate for you to get out there and find out you can't move quick enough.

 

[Merrytaylor]

I just started driving about a week ago. Mine was my left hip December 1st. It just felt like it was time. Drove to PT today about 30 minutes away and it felt fine. My only problem is getting my semi - log leg into the car!

 

[Merrytaylor]

Oh one more thing...when I am able and am cleared I have an exercise recumbent type bike but isn’t it weight bearing walking that my hip needs?

I have this same question. I don’t see that it was answered - unless I missed it. Thanks

 

[2Kittens]

Oh one more thing...when I am able and am cleared I have an exercise recumbent type bike but isn’t it weight bearing walking that my hip needs?

I have this same question. I don’t see that it was answered - unless I missed it. Thanks

Merry Taylor I tried my recumbent bike for 20 minutes felt great BUT a day later was in severe pain under incision soft tissue site so I have to heal more before I try it again!

 

[Eman85]

The big thing about driving is use of any pain meds. After that it's whether or not you can safely move your leg to operate the car. With my left it was 2 weeks and no big deal with an automatic transmission. With my right I went 3 weeks and at that point it wasn't comfortable to sit and use the pedals but it was OK for short distances.

 

[Merrytaylor]

Oh one more thing...when I am able and am cleared I have an exercise recumbent type bike but isn’t it weight bearing walking that my hip needs?

I have this same question. I don’t see that it was answered - unless I missed it. Thanks

Merry Taylor I tried my recumbent bike for 20 minutes felt great BUT a day later was in severe pain under incision soft tissue site so I have to heal more before I try it again!

Wow, that’s scary. I think I will wait a little longer! Thanks