THR A New Ride Begins - The Puckhead's recovery

[thepuckhead]

From limping and staggering around on occasion from catching pain....I will start the recovery journey tomorrow after my left THR. Will post as I can for anyone interested in the journey of a rec hockey player from the days of a walker back to the rink!

Cheers!

 

[Layla]

Hello thepuckhead,
Please do share your journey with us. We'd love to follow your progress and support you as you're healing. I wish you all the best tomorrow, an uneventful surgery and smooth recovery.
Let us know how your doing once you're resting comfortably at home. Hope to hear from you soon!

HIP RECOVERY GUIDELINES

As you begin healing, please keep in mind that each recovery is unique. While the BoneSmart philosophy successfully works for many, there will be exceptions. Between the recommendations found here, your surgeon's recovery protocol and any physical therapy you may engage in, the key is to find what works best for you.

1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary.

2. Control discomfort:

rest​

elevate​

ice​

take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

3. Do what you want to do BUT

a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​

b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy​

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

Activity progression for THRs​

The recovery articles
Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery
Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

BIG TIP: 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.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery. While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.

 

[Mojo333]

See you on The Healing Side.
Bye bye hip pain

 

[myglasshalffull]

All my best!

 

[zauberflöte]

@thepuckhead you go girl, next hockey season is already looking good! Be sure always to wear maximum padding lol!

 

[Ocean]

Best wishes for your surgery xx

 

[HollyNY]

See you soon!

This surgeey is a beast. But so is OA

We all know what it takes to literally get back on our feet.

 

[thepuckhead]

I made it!

Gotta say, I'm stunned at how smoothly it went. Pain is managed very well and the first time I took a step, you were right, @HollyNY - it felt so much stronger. Passed both the walk up and down the hall and stairs same day and decided to stay overnight to test out things like getting in and out of bed, changing clothes, etc.

All my mental prep and all the professionalism/expertise helped so much that I'm not even that concerned about the complication I have. Hey, anxiety, you missed one! The surgeon had to really "ream" the socket part of the joint to get the cup in and a hairline fracture developed. So, I can't fully bear weight on Lefty until I have my follow up appointment in two weeks. And do you see me panicking? Do you see me perusing Dr. Google for OMG I'm going to dislocate for sure articles? Why, no, no you do not. I'm actually glad I *did* have the posterior approach because he could see the fracture and put in extra screws*. Funny how life works sometimes.

PT was awesome - she said the phrase that I think I *may* have heard somewhere before: "You're not working out/in training; you're healing." Nurses brought fresh ice packs regularly.

Am home now, in recliner, icing my bum, heel pumps, cat on lap, coffee, TED stocking and calf cuffs. No restrictions other than the half-weight bearing on Lefty and also need to wear the calf cuffs anytime I'm sitting, sleeping, lying down, etc. TED stockings 20 hrs a day. Pain is 2-3. I remember that Day 4 may be D-Day, when the injected painkiller wears off, so oxy on standby.

I have every confidence now that the surgery is done that I can rehab back to my old life, but better. I was already walking upright and walking better the same day. That hip felt SO strong and I am SO motivated to take it easy and rehab properly. Next two weeks, I am couch potato with little walks around the house for necessities and the exercises the PT showed me (ankle pumps, glute/quad tightening).

Cheers and thanks again for all the well wishes and encouragement!

*Not that other approaches wouldn't manage this, of course - I was just remembering one advantage of posterior is the high visibility the surgeon has. No approach turf battles starting here!

 

[HollyNY]

Such great news @thepuckhead !.

When the bruising and pain flare up, icing and elevating really do help.

The other balance to find is oxy can be constipating. Every time I took one I took a softener with it. Plus lots of water.

It is really remarkable surgery and these surgical teams are so efficient.

 

[Jaycey]

Welcome to the other side!

"You're not working out/in training; you're healing."

Hmmm... where have I heard this before? Sounds like you are off to a good start! Take is slow and steady.

 

[Gloucestergal65]

Good to see you back after your surgery. I look forward to following your posts.

 

[zauberflöte]

@thepuckhead wow you sound positively exhilarated! I know exactly how you feel, and am so happy for you! Sounds like all went well, and the hospital team gave you confidence in yourself and them. I know nothing about hairline fractures, but screws I do. Did you see your discharge xray? I nearly panicked seeing my screws lol. The image makes it look to my untrained eye as though they are sticking up into my guts n gizzards. I am glad I don't have to see my insides

You haven't mentioned what you're going to read or binge-watch-- anything picked out? Netflix was still "old movies&tv shows" in 2013, and I watched/napped through Monarch Of The Glen during the day and the original Mission Impossible at night. My eyes were wonky from the general anaesthetic, and reading was just too hard. Okay, my brain was messed up from the oxy quite a bit too...

 

[tanvat]

Congratulations!

 

[djklaugh]

@thepuckhead Welcome to the recovery side! Oh I love the cat in lap -- they do make wonderful purr-a-medics!

With care that hairline fracture will heal and you'll continue to improve on this journey to full functionality!

 

[Mojo333]

So glad to see you are all Done and Dusted!
Keep your patience muscle toned up and Ice Ice Baby

 

[Layla]

Well you certainly sound upbeat! Congrats on the new hip and the brighter future in sight. Thanks for sharing your journey with us. I will follow your progress with interest.
Have a great Thursday!
@thepuckhead

 

[myglasshalffull]

Congrats, sounds like you are on right path to recovery, enjoy your lazy days!

 

[thepuckhead]

When compression socks ATTACK....

Last night, put on a pair of the new compression socks I bought. Woke up at 4am with what felt like tons of mosquitoes nibbling at my legs. There I was, sleeping well and I woke up thinking, "what the h*ll? Did I buy WOOL compression socks?" Thing is, I'm wearing anti-clot cuffs that plug in, so it's not going to be an easy feat to free myself. Freed Righty straight away. Ahhhhh. And now....Lefty.

I tried to un-velcro Lefty with my right toes first and...nope. Tried to push the cuff and sock off together. Righty was a valiant soldier, but...oh, hay-ull no. Wife woke up and asked if I needed to use the bathroom.

"No, but these socks need to come off NOW."

She got up and started trying to free Lefty and that d*mn thing WOULDN'T budge. It must be the wrong size. Meanwhile, zzzzt, zzzzt, zzzt. She's half asleep and suddenly my foot turns like a faucet and Lefty was not having that! She turned on more lights and got her glasses and slowly, oh sooooo slowly, got rid of the dastardly sock.

I kept thinking - well, I hadn't accounted for dislocating because my wife pulled off a compression sock, but...

Anyway, got the thing off and today the hospital ones are right back on. Oh, and pro tip: sock-put-on tool and compression socks? Not gonna happen. The socks freaking compress the little sled part so you can't get your foot in. Genius. Whoda thunk?

Otherwise, digestion milestone achieved.

And, I didn't mention this yesterday, but I notice that when I get up, I just get up. There's soreness from the surgery, but the pain that gave me pause when I stood up and had to "test" the leg first? GONE.

Maybe by the time I go in for my follow up to be sure the fracture is healed, a lot of the soreness from surgery will be better and I'll really get a chance to walk, for real, even a few steps.

Did you see your discharge xray?

No, I didn't, but honestly, I don't understand anything about what I'm looking at on an x-ray. I'm like...."shadows? White things?" My surgeon tried to point out the bone on bone situation and I'm thinking, "well, I can see a round thing and a long thing, but...." Don't think I'll be able to miss the new hip, though!

You haven't mentioned what you're going to read or binge-watch-- anything picked out?

Oh, soooooo many things! We just got Roku and I am going nuts trying to figure out where to start. Plus I stopped at the library and got a bunch of poetry. Poetry is like the ultimate, decadent reading. Just one page can totally change your perspective on the world.

Oh, and @djklaugh - the cats are fantastic purrramedics (ha ha), but they do not understand the cuffs on my legs and why "mom" suddenly is SO noisy!

 

[HollyNY]

I only had the ted hose in the hospital. A nurse cut them off that morning.

Hated them

 

[zauberflöte]

@thepuckhead you are the storyteller I have aspired to be! You painted quite a picture...Sorry your new socks didn't quite work out, and very glad your help was at hand!

I noticed buried in the humor a little bit of what seemed to be excellent news-- congratulations!

We've had a Roku since they first came out-- it is a magical device. I keep a little one in my suitcase for vacations! There is an app too, and when both my remotes act up, I have used the remote on the app.

Keep up the chillaxin' and gentle walks-in', and one day at a time you'll notice new improvements!