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I like this description waaaay better some others I've read here over the years.
You win best description in my book!! What an honor, huh?
You're doing well...keep it up!
THR A New Ride Begins - The Puckhead's recovery
- Thread starter thepuckhead
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You win best description in my book!! What an honor, huh?
You're doing well...keep it up!
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@thepuckhead happy that you're home and off to a good start! The story of the dreaded compression socks was just too much! 
Woodstockhip
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I loathed the things.thepuckhead
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Will be one week tomorrow! Time for....the good, the bad and the ugly....
The good:
Pain is still very, very manageable. Did not get a sudden increase on day 4 or 5 when the injected pain control wore off. Whew. Stitches starting to pinch/bite. Vague ache in quad. Muscles in leg just kinda feel a bit janky, but not screaming.
Getting around is getting easier, bit by bit. Glorious adventures now await, such as, "hmmm....maybe I'll try sitting on this couch for a bit for a change of view." and "I think I can manage heating up some soup in an actual pot on the stove." Marquee days, I tell you.
Have been able to sleep on non op side since day 1 and love the little pillow that looks kind of like an hour glass - it's meant for side sleepers to support the spine, knees, etc. Last night, woke up and realized I'd turned over on my op side. Freaked out, but nothing horrid except some incision pain/pressure.
Have been showering every other day with wife's help. McGyvered my way into bath/shower combo on a shower seat.
PT home exercises going fine; just glute and quad squeezes and ankle pumps. Short, about the house excursions with walker. Can now reach and unplug my plasma circulation cuffs on my legs instead of having to unplug the whole cord.
How does one increase one's puck handling skills while recovering? Why, one learns to concentrate very hard on fine motor skills required to pick up all the **** that falls out of the freezer because wife likes to be PREPARED. I can pick up an ice cream container without smashing it, frozen meat, frozen water bottles AND half a bag of spilled frozen peas, one pea at a time. Innovative training, but I'll take it.
Oh, and I found all 9 seasons of Falcon Crest on Freevee! My best friend in junior high insisted that we watch it as Friday night appointment TV (she had a major thing for Lorenzo Lamas) - it is as gloriously, fabulously, AWFUL as I remembered. What fun. Nobody gives stinkeye like Jane Wyman. Nobody. Touch tone phones. Gloria Vanderbilt jeans. All the nostalgia a Gen X-er could want AND all the high, high drama.
The Bad
Dislocation still lurking in the back of my mind. But that's getting better. I'm focusing on slow, controlled movements, 50% weight bearing and, on advice of PT, avoiding continuous flexion of hip at 90 degrees (she said it can affect how well the hip settles if one constantly sits with it in flexion) and also doing some golfer's lifts, though I don't strictly have a 90 degree "rule" in place.
I was getting settled on a couch and Lefty rolled off the wedge pillow and twisted and OW OW OW OW. OMG, I've pulled the whole thing out of the socket! OMG! OMG! OK, so, it hurt like h*ll, but yeah, soft tissues don't like sudden oopsies when they're healing. Is fine.
The Ugly
Some people just shouldn't read their own surgical reports. I remember when I read my MRI report back in the days of disc herniations and I was promptly launched like a rocket into Panicverse. Things haven't changed!
Report keywords: "Let down external rotator muscles....Cup sank...posterior wall thin....2-3mm fracture...due to difficulty of cup adherence, planning conservative with 50% weight-bearing for 2-3 weeks and then we'll progress."
What that actually translates to, which I was too loopy to understand: "Her ideal size would be in between, so we tried both and while we were screwing in the larger one, a hairline fracture developed, so she'll need to be 50% weight bearing until the next appointment and we confirm that it's healed. This is to be sure the fracture doesn't spread and disrupt the implant, though I'm not really concerned about that."
What I have translated this to: "her bones are thin, the cup is unstable, unless the fracture heals, the cup will fall out and I'll dislocated in the middle of toileting and have to have a redo and that will fail, too...oh, and, HE DID CUT MUSCLE! That's what "let down" means! I know he didn't cut the major attachment muscles, but Tube Dude was right - all my external rotators were cut and now I'll suffer the same fate of his posterior buddies who can't play hockey anymore! OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG should have had an
The good:
Wow, heck yes, I'm honored! I don't think that prize is awarded lightly. Thank you!I like this description waaaay better some others I've read here over the years.
You win best description in my book!! What an honor, huh?
Pain is still very, very manageable. Did not get a sudden increase on day 4 or 5 when the injected pain control wore off. Whew. Stitches starting to pinch/bite. Vague ache in quad. Muscles in leg just kinda feel a bit janky, but not screaming.
Getting around is getting easier, bit by bit. Glorious adventures now await, such as, "hmmm....maybe I'll try sitting on this couch for a bit for a change of view." and "I think I can manage heating up some soup in an actual pot on the stove." Marquee days, I tell you.
Have been able to sleep on non op side since day 1 and love the little pillow that looks kind of like an hour glass - it's meant for side sleepers to support the spine, knees, etc. Last night, woke up and realized I'd turned over on my op side. Freaked out, but nothing horrid except some incision pain/pressure.
Have been showering every other day with wife's help. McGyvered my way into bath/shower combo on a shower seat.
PT home exercises going fine; just glute and quad squeezes and ankle pumps. Short, about the house excursions with walker. Can now reach and unplug my plasma circulation cuffs on my legs instead of having to unplug the whole cord.
How does one increase one's puck handling skills while recovering? Why, one learns to concentrate very hard on fine motor skills required to pick up all the **** that falls out of the freezer because wife likes to be PREPARED. I can pick up an ice cream container without smashing it, frozen meat, frozen water bottles AND half a bag of spilled frozen peas, one pea at a time. Innovative training, but I'll take it.
Oh, and I found all 9 seasons of Falcon Crest on Freevee! My best friend in junior high insisted that we watch it as Friday night appointment TV (she had a major thing for Lorenzo Lamas) - it is as gloriously, fabulously, AWFUL as I remembered. What fun. Nobody gives stinkeye like Jane Wyman. Nobody. Touch tone phones. Gloria Vanderbilt jeans. All the nostalgia a Gen X-er could want AND all the high, high drama.
The Bad
Dislocation still lurking in the back of my mind. But that's getting better. I'm focusing on slow, controlled movements, 50% weight bearing and, on advice of PT, avoiding continuous flexion of hip at 90 degrees (she said it can affect how well the hip settles if one constantly sits with it in flexion) and also doing some golfer's lifts, though I don't strictly have a 90 degree "rule" in place.
I was getting settled on a couch and Lefty rolled off the wedge pillow and twisted and OW OW OW OW. OMG, I've pulled the whole thing out of the socket! OMG! OMG! OK, so, it hurt like h*ll, but yeah, soft tissues don't like sudden oopsies when they're healing. Is fine.
The Ugly
Some people just shouldn't read their own surgical reports. I remember when I read my MRI report back in the days of disc herniations and I was promptly launched like a rocket into Panicverse. Things haven't changed!
Report keywords: "Let down external rotator muscles....Cup sank...posterior wall thin....2-3mm fracture...due to difficulty of cup adherence, planning conservative with 50% weight-bearing for 2-3 weeks and then we'll progress."
What that actually translates to, which I was too loopy to understand: "Her ideal size would be in between, so we tried both and while we were screwing in the larger one, a hairline fracture developed, so she'll need to be 50% weight bearing until the next appointment and we confirm that it's healed. This is to be sure the fracture doesn't spread and disrupt the implant, though I'm not really concerned about that."
What I have translated this to: "her bones are thin, the cup is unstable, unless the fracture heals, the cup will fall out and I'll dislocated in the middle of toileting and have to have a redo and that will fail, too...oh, and, HE DID CUT MUSCLE! That's what "let down" means! I know he didn't cut the major attachment muscles, but Tube Dude was right - all my external rotators were cut and now I'll suffer the same fate of his posterior buddies who can't play hockey anymore! OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG should have had an
Glad to hear from you @thepuckhead !
I found several small buckwheat hull pillows kept me from rolling over onto the OP side
I filled them w extra hulls which made them heavier. But they really worked
I love my grabbers. Still use them.
I found several small buckwheat hull pillows kept me from rolling over onto the OP side
I filled them w extra hulls which made them heavier. But they really worked
I love my grabbers. Still use them.
Oh my stars, I hope you aren't letting yourself get too anxious about the What Ifs...
I see your sense of humor is still intact
you crack me up!
You are doing just fine, friend.
Healing Mojo coming your way
I see your sense of humor is still intact
you crack me up!
You are doing just fine, friend.
Healing Mojo coming your way
@thepuckhead About your "ugly" section .... Way back in the day before desktop computers I was what was called a "medical care pricer" for a large medical center .... I read operative reports and decided if what the surgeon said was done was what was actually done ... and if there were any "extras" (like say an incidental appendectomy while doing other abdominal surgery) that could be billed for. One of the major things I learned from doing that job was that "medical speak" sometimes does not translate well into plain English! And often times the medical jargon sounds much much worse than it actually is! Do talk to your surgeon about the operative report and don't allow your self to get into a down ward thinking spiral! You are an athlete and were in good general health prior to getting this hip replacement and there is every reason to expect that with care and patience and following the precept of "heal first, train later" you will make a full recovery. And be able to return to your favorite activities.
thepuckhead
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Good morning from official Week One graduation!
Let's try again now that I'm not grumpy from the compression socks attacking me in the middle of the night again. Seriously, what kind of torture devices ARE those? One little wrinkle and you wake up with a snare around your leg. I know, I know...blood clots...pesky little things and far more catastrophic than getting attacked at 2am by your own stupid socks. They will burn someday. Payback's coming.
First, I am proud to say that today, on my big day, I managed to set up a new base camp on a DIFFERENT couch with just me and my grabber. Used backpack to carry and made it over here with a full cup of coffee, thankyouverymuch. Nice view of the grey house across the street instead of the yellow house in back. Another beautiful sunny and cold day here.
Also, my wife talked me through the nastiness of the downward spiral and pretty soon I realized that, no, I'm not sitting here with a Sword of Damocles over my head. The decision to go 50% weight bearing for 2-3 weeks, depending on confirmation that the fracture is healing in the right direction, which it should do, is a conservative decision made because 100% weight bearing *could* (again, could <> will) result in fracture shift and dislocation. It does not mean "if that fracture hasn't healed or has gotten worse, we will have to operate again and redo the whole thing." I think if the surgeon thought that was a real possibility, I wouldn't be weight bearing at all. Or even mobile. I'd be in a wheelchair.
Have come up with strategies for mitigating the avalanche of catastrophe:
1. Form questions for next appointment and look at it as problem solving. Worrying forward does no good, but planned questions will get me the information I need to help put some of this unknown in context.
2. Schedule spa/meditation time during my most vulnerable periods. For me, those are afternoons. Something about the day draining away as I'm sitting on an icepack glaring at my walker is kinda triggering.
3. Eyes on the prize, baby. The prize is real walking first, then gradual progress from there.
4. In weightlifting, there's a powerful rule about leaving your ego at the door. The ego is the thing that gets you loading plates too heavy and kicking yourself for not being able to bench X amount of weight and then giving yourself a nice injury to prove that yes you CAN TOO press 1000 pounds of iron. The ego has no place in the weight room and it can kinda chill out during recovery, too. A humbling experience is not a bad one; it leads to compassion and understanding. So, suck it up, buttercup.
Here are my questions (so far) for the next appointment. I'll post the answers I get from either the PA or surgeon in case anyone might find them helpful in their search for answers or perspectives:
1. Why is the surgeon comfortable offering no restrictions?
2. The NP told me that the primary reason dislocation risk is much less is because of "no muscle cutting." Does that mean no cutting of the major attachment muscles? Since the rotator muscles were cut, does that increase dislocation risk? Or are there other reasons for the decreased risk?
3. Do rotator muscles typically heal well or do they typically need additional help?
And now, off to read the article for what's on the menu for Week 2. What exciting feats will I achieve in the coming week? Stay tuned....
Cheers and onward!
Let's try again now that I'm not grumpy from the compression socks attacking me in the middle of the night again. Seriously, what kind of torture devices ARE those? One little wrinkle and you wake up with a snare around your leg. I know, I know...blood clots...pesky little things and far more catastrophic than getting attacked at 2am by your own stupid socks. They will burn someday. Payback's coming.
First, I am proud to say that today, on my big day, I managed to set up a new base camp on a DIFFERENT couch with just me and my grabber. Used backpack to carry and made it over here with a full cup of coffee, thankyouverymuch. Nice view of the grey house across the street instead of the yellow house in back. Another beautiful sunny and cold day here.
Also, my wife talked me through the nastiness of the downward spiral and pretty soon I realized that, no, I'm not sitting here with a Sword of Damocles over my head. The decision to go 50% weight bearing for 2-3 weeks, depending on confirmation that the fracture is healing in the right direction, which it should do, is a conservative decision made because 100% weight bearing *could* (again, could <> will) result in fracture shift and dislocation. It does not mean "if that fracture hasn't healed or has gotten worse, we will have to operate again and redo the whole thing." I think if the surgeon thought that was a real possibility, I wouldn't be weight bearing at all. Or even mobile. I'd be in a wheelchair.
Have come up with strategies for mitigating the avalanche of catastrophe:
1. Form questions for next appointment and look at it as problem solving. Worrying forward does no good, but planned questions will get me the information I need to help put some of this unknown in context.
2. Schedule spa/meditation time during my most vulnerable periods. For me, those are afternoons. Something about the day draining away as I'm sitting on an icepack glaring at my walker is kinda triggering.
3. Eyes on the prize, baby. The prize is real walking first, then gradual progress from there.
4. In weightlifting, there's a powerful rule about leaving your ego at the door. The ego is the thing that gets you loading plates too heavy and kicking yourself for not being able to bench X amount of weight and then giving yourself a nice injury to prove that yes you CAN TOO press 1000 pounds of iron. The ego has no place in the weight room and it can kinda chill out during recovery, too. A humbling experience is not a bad one; it leads to compassion and understanding. So, suck it up, buttercup.
Here are my questions (so far) for the next appointment. I'll post the answers I get from either the PA or surgeon in case anyone might find them helpful in their search for answers or perspectives:
1. Why is the surgeon comfortable offering no restrictions?
2. The NP told me that the primary reason dislocation risk is much less is because of "no muscle cutting." Does that mean no cutting of the major attachment muscles? Since the rotator muscles were cut, does that increase dislocation risk? Or are there other reasons for the decreased risk?
3. Do rotator muscles typically heal well or do they typically need additional help?
And now, off to read the article for what's on the menu for Week 2. What exciting feats will I achieve in the coming week? Stay tuned....
Cheers and onward!
Oh those sound amazing. Kind of like sandbags stacked up against a rising river, LOL. I found myself again last night having gotten on to my operated side. Haven't had any problems with that, but still kind of freaks me out.
Oh, but I'm SO GOOD AT THAT!! It's absolutely a talent and I'm supposed to share my talents with the world, right? Seriously, thanks for the healing mojo. That's powerful stuff.
Voice of reason strikes again. Darn you. Stop interrupting my pity party. It's so much fun! I know doctors have to be very exacting when writing up notes. They have to use specific language and they're meant for insurance and other medical professional brains to consume. That's the whole reason the surgeon comes and delivers the skinny after the surgery - because they're the ones with the expertise and context for the goings-on in the OR and what needs to be communicated to the patient is very, very different from what needs to be communicated to the insurance company or another medical professional. It's not sugar coating to know your audience.
@thepuckhead - glad you are a week out and that you have been able to digest the curvy path toward recovery. As Mike Tyson famously said “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” It will always be necessary to pivot to the new realities but it sounds like your surgeon did what was necessary and to ensure your best outcome.
As to your cut muscles I don’t know exactly how to compare mine to yours but I had a mini posterior and my leg came back as strong as ever. No noticeable weakness or deficiencies.
I’m typing from my hospital bed after having surgery about 12 hours ago. Painful but nothing crazy. Doctor said I have strong bones which made it good to work on. Sorry about your fracture but you are doing the right thing in your exercise and walking. Best of luck!
As to your cut muscles I don’t know exactly how to compare mine to yours but I had a mini posterior and my leg came back as strong as ever. No noticeable weakness or deficiencies.
I’m typing from my hospital bed after having surgery about 12 hours ago. Painful but nothing crazy. Doctor said I have strong bones which made it good to work on. Sorry about your fracture but you are doing the right thing in your exercise and walking. Best of luck!
zauberflöte
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@thepuckhead once again, humor reigns! Are you perhaps a writer for your day job?
Surgeon report panic reaction aside, it sounds like you're doing really well! And your favorite awful jr high tv show, what more can a person ask! That would be like me having found, I don't know, The Man From Uncle!
I have to agree with the ice cream-- I found myself craving protein for a week or two, and there's only so much cheddar one can eat before one gets stopped up..... ice cream is too protein, so there! And pucking up peas one at a time----- your team mates are proud of you!
When I was 29 and again at 37, I had straight-across-the bikini-line-for-5-inches surgeries. Talk about cutting a whole lot of muscle all the way through! Both times, regained all strength. Let your rotators heal up totally completely absolutely (check the chart in the library here for muscle healing time) and then give them some graduated exercise.
Edit:PS, you would not be the first to burn the compression socks....
Surgeon report panic reaction aside, it sounds like you're doing really well! And your favorite awful jr high tv show, what more can a person ask! That would be like me having found, I don't know, The Man From Uncle!
I have to agree with the ice cream-- I found myself craving protein for a week or two, and there's only so much cheddar one can eat before one gets stopped up..... ice cream is too protein, so there! And pucking up peas one at a time----- your team mates are proud of you!
When I was 29 and again at 37, I had straight-across-the bikini-line-for-5-inches surgeries. Talk about cutting a whole lot of muscle all the way through! Both times, regained all strength. Let your rotators heal up totally completely absolutely (check the chart in the library here for muscle healing time) and then give them some graduated exercise.
Edit:PS, you would not be the first to burn the compression socks....
Klassy
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Hi @thepuckhead , just catching up with your recovery. It sounds like it is going really well. Except for the dreaded compression socks of course!
While you are sitting there, your cells are flat out at work rebuilding you better. Downtime in recovery is never time wasted, it is time invested in a wonderful future.
@thepuckhead just catching up. You are on the road to back to slap shots and goals! As you heal have found meditation/mindfulness and other ways to channel your energy in a positive way (like here!) equally important to physical side of the equation. Wishing you healing vibes!
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Your posts are definitely good for a laugh.I hope you have a great Sunday and week!
I love, Klassy's, post above. Wise words for you to ponder.
Below is another I love and read here at one point in time -
"Your current situation is not your permanent destination."
Hold that thought!
thepuckhead
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Good morning from week 2 graduation day! Sitting here at “base camp” (recliner in tv room, ice pack on thigh, coffee. Sunny morning and a positively balmy 30 degrees!) feeling pretty good overall.
Soft tissue pain from the surgery has gone down a LOT and the bruising has faded quite a bit. Pain level has never gone above a 3 and no pain has been constant. Sleeping well and moving around much easier.
My wife keeps telling how wonderful it is to see me stand up straight, even with a walker, and to see me just get up from a chair or couch and proceed. Hip itself still feels really strong and stable and I sooooooo want to start walking….to riff on Twisted Sister: “I WANNA WALK!!!!!”
Summary of pains:
Top of thigh feels a bit of a pinch/grab/tension like it would really, really like to stretch.
Side of thigh/hipbone area reporting occasional pinch
That’s it. Seriously. That. Is. It. If it hurts, ice it. If it’s above a 6, call clinic. Very, very doable and I’m still just so grateful and amazed at how well this has gone from a post-surgical pain perspective.
Life in the PanicVerse
OK, this is BIG NEWS. I have discovered kryptonite to the anxiety beast. This amazing weapon is called….dramatic music….my care team/clinic’s phone number!! Last week I was sitting around panicking over the achy breaky pelvis (because of course it COULD BE….more fractures, screws migrated into my gut, loosening of the cup, sinking of the cup, impending dislocation, etc. etc. etc.) and I suddenly pulled my head out of my (*bleep*) and thought, “maybe I should call my care team?” Well! Will ya look at that? I call. I say I am concerned about the pain in my pelvic area because of the stress fracture. Nice person on the phone says will relay message to care team and they will call back. I sit and do deep breathing, plead with pelvis not to crack anymore. Phone rings. Nurse says all sounds very normal, that the hip is very stable even with the fracture and there can be HEALING PAIN associated with bones as they mend from the surgery and from fractures.
I almost started crying with relief but not before I asked “So….I don’t have a Sword of Damocles hanging over my head?” (oh, yes, I really did that). She said, “Nope.” And even if my chart now has an extra freak flag on it, I don’t care because, wow, it was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.
Now, because anxiety wants to find SOMETHING to worry on, I can roll out the big guns and say, “do I need to call my care team on you? Is the pain greater than 6? No? Then shut your trap and go sit on some ice.”
This has freed up a LOT of mental energy and sounds very simple and obvious, but dang was it effective.
Fear of dislocation goes down with each day of less pain. Each time I don’t leap to the conclusion that any twinge or pain is impending doom builds my confidence. I focus on how strong and stable it feels and remember how rare dislocation is.
Accomplishments
Did golfer’s reach all the way to the floor for the first time. Had to. Dropped the plastic container of breakfast and it landed upside down so even world champion grabber skills wouldn’t work. Felt great. Move over, Sasha Cohen; I might change my hockey skates for figure skates yet. Or maybe I’ll incorporate my new spiral move into a hockey play. THAT would be one for the highlight reel.
Can lift leg onto couch or bed without extra assist from other leg. Have regained that muscle use with no pain.
Can pretty much settle anywhere I want to – couch, recliner, loveseat, lounger.
Short spins on crutches (not literal spins, of course – a trek or two up and down the hall) and continuing to do the three very basic PT exercises twice a day (quad and glute contractions and ankle pumps). Have been able to ditch the “push” mindset and adapt a “let’s use this time to listen to the body and promote gentle healing” approach. If it hurts, which it generally doesn’t, I stop. I take time afterwards to thank my body for its healing and tell it I’m doing everything I can to support it. Ice. Very beneficial.
Grabber skills have levelled up to cleaning up purrrr-a-medic, um, disruptions and lowering their food dishes for dinner without spilling. Which did happen. Which I cleaned up. With grabber.
Mother-in-Law Update
Three weeks after her surgery, she’s doing stairs in rehab without pain. She’s exhausted, but pain free. She did both shallow and regular stairs and she gets to go home today. My wife and father in law can hardly believe it. She’s going to be able to get around the house independently after being bedridden for months. She couldn’t freaking move without a ten out of ten on the pain scale and she is doing steps now. It’s pretty humbling and inspiring to see how this surgery can change a life. That was a very, very good day.
Up Next
My big, 2 week check in with the surgeon and/or the PA is Thursday. Everything possible is crossed for green light to go full weight bearing on Lefty. The wait is pure torture. Not gonna lie, if that thing isn’t stable or healed enough, I am probably going to have a bit of a meltdown despite myself. I just want to walk soooooooo badly. Also hoping that along with that I get green light to ditch either or both compression socks and the hated plasma flow cuffs – I call them the R2D2 units and I have to keep myself plugged in overnight because the max charge is 6 hours.
Yay. Ready to hand those over to the purr-a-medic that likes to attack the cords and flashing lights in the middle of the night. Have at ‘em, love. Tear ‘em up.
And now, let’s see what level 3 has in store…
Cheers!
Thank you all for your thoughts and encouragement - it really is appreciated.
Soft tissue pain from the surgery has gone down a LOT and the bruising has faded quite a bit. Pain level has never gone above a 3 and no pain has been constant. Sleeping well and moving around much easier.
My wife keeps telling how wonderful it is to see me stand up straight, even with a walker, and to see me just get up from a chair or couch and proceed. Hip itself still feels really strong and stable and I sooooooo want to start walking….to riff on Twisted Sister: “I WANNA WALK!!!!!”
Summary of pains:
- Achy-Breaky (you’re welcome for the pop country song earworm if you know it)
- Pinchy-Bitey
Top of thigh feels a bit of a pinch/grab/tension like it would really, really like to stretch.
Side of thigh/hipbone area reporting occasional pinch
- Tensey-Wound Tight Rubber Bandy (sorry, can’t stop with the country song/nursery rhyme twangy wangy now):
That’s it. Seriously. That. Is. It. If it hurts, ice it. If it’s above a 6, call clinic. Very, very doable and I’m still just so grateful and amazed at how well this has gone from a post-surgical pain perspective.
Life in the PanicVerse
OK, this is BIG NEWS. I have discovered kryptonite to the anxiety beast. This amazing weapon is called….dramatic music….my care team/clinic’s phone number!! Last week I was sitting around panicking over the achy breaky pelvis (because of course it COULD BE….more fractures, screws migrated into my gut, loosening of the cup, sinking of the cup, impending dislocation, etc. etc. etc.) and I suddenly pulled my head out of my (*bleep*) and thought, “maybe I should call my care team?” Well! Will ya look at that? I call. I say I am concerned about the pain in my pelvic area because of the stress fracture. Nice person on the phone says will relay message to care team and they will call back. I sit and do deep breathing, plead with pelvis not to crack anymore. Phone rings. Nurse says all sounds very normal, that the hip is very stable even with the fracture and there can be HEALING PAIN associated with bones as they mend from the surgery and from fractures.
I almost started crying with relief but not before I asked “So….I don’t have a Sword of Damocles hanging over my head?” (oh, yes, I really did that). She said, “Nope.” And even if my chart now has an extra freak flag on it, I don’t care because, wow, it was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.
Now, because anxiety wants to find SOMETHING to worry on, I can roll out the big guns and say, “do I need to call my care team on you? Is the pain greater than 6? No? Then shut your trap and go sit on some ice.”
This has freed up a LOT of mental energy and sounds very simple and obvious, but dang was it effective.
Fear of dislocation goes down with each day of less pain. Each time I don’t leap to the conclusion that any twinge or pain is impending doom builds my confidence. I focus on how strong and stable it feels and remember how rare dislocation is.
Accomplishments
Did golfer’s reach all the way to the floor for the first time. Had to. Dropped the plastic container of breakfast and it landed upside down so even world champion grabber skills wouldn’t work. Felt great. Move over, Sasha Cohen; I might change my hockey skates for figure skates yet. Or maybe I’ll incorporate my new spiral move into a hockey play. THAT would be one for the highlight reel.
Can lift leg onto couch or bed without extra assist from other leg. Have regained that muscle use with no pain.
Can pretty much settle anywhere I want to – couch, recliner, loveseat, lounger.
Short spins on crutches (not literal spins, of course – a trek or two up and down the hall) and continuing to do the three very basic PT exercises twice a day (quad and glute contractions and ankle pumps). Have been able to ditch the “push” mindset and adapt a “let’s use this time to listen to the body and promote gentle healing” approach. If it hurts, which it generally doesn’t, I stop. I take time afterwards to thank my body for its healing and tell it I’m doing everything I can to support it. Ice. Very beneficial.
Grabber skills have levelled up to cleaning up purrrr-a-medic, um, disruptions and lowering their food dishes for dinner without spilling. Which did happen. Which I cleaned up. With grabber.
Mother-in-Law Update
Three weeks after her surgery, she’s doing stairs in rehab without pain. She’s exhausted, but pain free. She did both shallow and regular stairs and she gets to go home today. My wife and father in law can hardly believe it. She’s going to be able to get around the house independently after being bedridden for months. She couldn’t freaking move without a ten out of ten on the pain scale and she is doing steps now. It’s pretty humbling and inspiring to see how this surgery can change a life. That was a very, very good day.
Up Next
My big, 2 week check in with the surgeon and/or the PA is Thursday. Everything possible is crossed for green light to go full weight bearing on Lefty. The wait is pure torture. Not gonna lie, if that thing isn’t stable or healed enough, I am probably going to have a bit of a meltdown despite myself. I just want to walk soooooooo badly. Also hoping that along with that I get green light to ditch either or both compression socks and the hated plasma flow cuffs – I call them the R2D2 units and I have to keep myself plugged in overnight because the max charge is 6 hours.
Yay. Ready to hand those over to the purr-a-medic that likes to attack the cords and flashing lights in the middle of the night. Have at ‘em, love. Tear ‘em up.And now, let’s see what level 3 has in store…
Cheers!
Ha! That made me laugh - very true, though. All the "I shall adhere to a perfect recovery schedule" commandments? Yeah, body will have a bit of input, LOL.
Oh, OUCH. I had one major abdominal surgery that cut through the whole abdominal wall and yeah, my insides felt like runny eggs for a few days. Whaddya know? They recovered! *checks chart*. Six weeks. Six weeks seems to be a big healing milestone, in general. My muscle pain is already feeling soooo much better (and it wasn't even bad) after 2 weeks, that I bet I will feel like a different person in just two more weeks.
Aw, thanks! I do write, but I don't get paid for it nor am I published anywhere except for a few really obscure literary journals. This downtime has me writing up a storm - which is really, really big silver lining!
Well, you had to make me go and Google something, didn't ya? That show just sounds all kinds of amazing fun. I am halfway through the first season of Falcon Crest. Man, oh man, it is hysterical in its awfulness.
Copy that! Taken to heart. Repeated during times of cabin fever. What I do now is in my control; what may happen in the future is not. Thank you for the reminder.
Oh, my gosh, the mental part of this was NOT something I had bargained for, but here we are. I told my wife the other day that this surgery was the most mentally draining of any surgery I'd had, even if the physical recovery was heaps easier than some of them and the result was better. If I get stronger mentally out of this recovery, though, I'm not going to complain. I can see now, though, or feel, actually, how much more confident I will be on the ice with a strong hip and a solid healing phrase behind me. I already feel a million times more confident in my walk and that's because I had no idea how unstable and weak my hip actually felt before the surgery.
Thank you all for your thoughts and encouragement - it really is appreciated.
@thepuckhead I seriously doubt you'd get a "freak label" stuck to your medical file for calling once about real aches and pains after having hip replacement! Given how many such surgeries most hip docs do I bet each and every one of them has a patient or 10 who call every day with some kind of whinge or whine. The "only occasional" callers are a relief and a delight when their very real concerns are easy to deal with. And I bet you made the nurse or assistant's day with your humor!
Whether the odd things are "achy breaky", "pinchy bitey", or some other irritating sensation they are usually just part of the healing process .... and you were very wise to check that out with your care team! LOL love the song ear worm! And your eagerness to have your "feet hit the floor".
For me getting both hips replaced at once was the most major surgery I'd ever had .. though I had had several other less severe surgeries. And that surgery had to do with my internal very necessary frame work structure upon which everything else involved in being human depended!!! I mean without bones what would we be? Just a glob of goo. But bones actually are one of the best body parts at healing them selves! It's pretty much an automatic response when a bone is "broken" or other wise injured for the body to start building new bone to fix things. Eat well with lots of protein and calcium and vitamins. That too will help the process.
As for your purr-a-medics ... is there a possibility of moving their feeding station to a higher place so you don't have to bend to get their meals to them? Given that I had two new hips and could not do the golfer's stretch/bend I moved my cats' feeding place to the end of my dining room table - put a water proof cover over it first - and made sure it was easy access for them. That worked very well and the fuzzy crew liked it too.
That is wonderful news about your M-I-L! What a blessing for her and all her family for her to now be able to be up and about without pain and to be going home!
And yes this kind of surgery can be more mentally draining than other kinds of surgery... the whole replacing a part rather than repairing something is a big part of that I think.
Whether the odd things are "achy breaky", "pinchy bitey", or some other irritating sensation they are usually just part of the healing process .... and you were very wise to check that out with your care team! LOL love the song ear worm! And your eagerness to have your "feet hit the floor".
For me getting both hips replaced at once was the most major surgery I'd ever had .. though I had had several other less severe surgeries. And that surgery had to do with my internal very necessary frame work structure upon which everything else involved in being human depended!!! I mean without bones what would we be? Just a glob of goo. But bones actually are one of the best body parts at healing them selves! It's pretty much an automatic response when a bone is "broken" or other wise injured for the body to start building new bone to fix things. Eat well with lots of protein and calcium and vitamins. That too will help the process.
As for your purr-a-medics ... is there a possibility of moving their feeding station to a higher place so you don't have to bend to get their meals to them? Given that I had two new hips and could not do the golfer's stretch/bend I moved my cats' feeding place to the end of my dining room table - put a water proof cover over it first - and made sure it was easy access for them. That worked very well and the fuzzy crew liked it too.
That is wonderful news about your M-I-L! What a blessing for her and all her family for her to now be able to be up and about without pain and to be going home!
And yes this kind of surgery can be more mentally draining than other kinds of surgery... the whole replacing a part rather than repairing something is a big part of that I think.
zauberflöte
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@thepuckhead oh in two more weeks you will very definitely feel like a different person! I can't wait! And if any of your surgical drugs was an amnesiac (they seem to add that to GA when I get it) you will be amazed at how much of the bad stuff you just Can Not remember!
Are you telling us you clean litter boxes with the grabber?!?? I'm calling Guinness book of world records! If you are not yet a TikTok star, that would definitely do it! And well done on the golfer reach. I had practised feeding cats using it for a whole year before #2, and found I could clean the litter boxes that way too. We had at that point three cats, so box cleaning involved picking up a 10+lb cat box (four of them actually...), carting outside, dumping/cleaning/refilling/putting back. After you've been full-weight-bearing for a while, you too can try this! As to the feeding, for #1 I had fed them up on the dining room table (very confused kitties for awhile lol) but for #2 that option was gone, so the feeder had to go to the floor safely.
You know, your fight with anxiety is teaching me a whole lot. I have similar around a long-standing chronic health issue, one of the (mostly harmless) manifestations of which is physical symptoms of extreme anxiety. Arrgghh. I will take a page from your book, more than I already try to do. Thank you!!!
So glad to hear your MIL is doing so well after her hip! That takes such a load off the whole family, doesn't it! A year from now the two of you will be comparing notes and she'll be asking you to teach her how to skate
Are you telling us you clean litter boxes with the grabber?!?? I'm calling Guinness book of world records! If you are not yet a TikTok star, that would definitely do it! And well done on the golfer reach. I had practised feeding cats using it for a whole year before #2, and found I could clean the litter boxes that way too. We had at that point three cats, so box cleaning involved picking up a 10+lb cat box (four of them actually...), carting outside, dumping/cleaning/refilling/putting back. After you've been full-weight-bearing for a while, you too can try this! As to the feeding, for #1 I had fed them up on the dining room table (very confused kitties for awhile lol) but for #2 that option was gone, so the feeder had to go to the floor safely.
You know, your fight with anxiety is teaching me a whole lot. I have similar around a long-standing chronic health issue, one of the (mostly harmless) manifestations of which is physical symptoms of extreme anxiety. Arrgghh. I will take a page from your book, more than I already try to do. Thank you!!!
So glad to hear your MIL is doing so well after her hip! That takes such a load off the whole family, doesn't it! A year from now the two of you will be comparing notes and she'll be asking you to teach her how to skate
Merrimay
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Love your kitty box triumph! I discovered I could pick up my scooper with the grabber then hold onto the scooper with the grabber and scoop with no problem! Necessity truly is the mother of invention.
Best of luck tomorrow!
Best of luck tomorrow!
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