THR AJinNH’s recovery RTHR

[AJinNH]

I graduated to one crutch today. PT thought I was progressing quickly and I can use just one crutch as long as I don’t overdo it. I may start outpatient PT in two weeks. There’s a place I’ve been to that will do mostly massage and stretching to start. I also practiced with a cane and feel that’s not too far behind.

 

[Layla]

Yay!! You're making good progress. I started with the cane on Day 11 too and overdid.
I couldn't use a crutch, or a cane with a base. I found both awkward....personal choice.
I was circling around through my kitchen and living room on my first day with the cane, thinking the more I practiced the better and easier it would become. Wrong! I overdid it. Nothing major but I could feel it.

PT consisting of mainly massage and some stretching sounds wonderfully relaxing.

You're doing great! It's wonderful to hear, I'm happy for you @AJinNH
Sending a hug and best wishes for a peaceful Easter.

 

[Mojo333]

Great news!
Wishing you A wonderful weekend.
Onward and upward, friend.

 

[AgilityDog]

Glad to hear that you are improving and taking care of yourself

 

[anny]

Well done AJ that's really good! I'm still hopping around on 2 crutches (a lot easier than I thought it would be) and can stand still without support, but if I try one crutch I'm sort of rooted to the spot, so a few more days yet. Does the one crutch make you feel a bit lopsided? At least it leaves you with a spare hand to carry things now.....starting with chocolate egg? Happy Easter

 

[AJinNH]

Yes @anny I am enjoying that spare hand, I can now carry my own cup of tea! I don’t feel lopsided at all, in fact I feel as though I could walk just fine without any support, and I have snuck in a little here and there. They’ve warned me against going without any support just yet because I could start listing to the side if my muscles get tired. I’m actually walking quite briskly, straight and smooth. My husband is commenting that my ‘hitch’ is gone, it’s funny because I didn’t know that I had one

You’re not far behind me, we’ll be dancing up a storm before you know it.

I hope that you have a very happy Easter as well. It’s Saturday morning here and looks like a beautiful day, so I’m going to venture outside and try going up and down the driveway a few times and get some fresh air. I’ve been feeling a bit stir crazy.

 

[AJinNH]

Monday will be 2 weeks after surgery, today I’ve been home for 10 days. I can’t believe how fast the days are flying by. Our daughter left this morning and I was so sad to see her go, it seemed as though she had just got here. I loved having her here.

I’m noticing a bit of muscle soreness in my thigh, I suspect it’s from my increased mobility.

I’m also cutting back on my prescription pain meds quite a bit. I’m down to just taking them prior to PT, and at night at bedtime if I think I need them. I’m taking extra strength Tylenol throughout the day on a regular schedule and that seems to be adequate.

 

[hikejunkie]

For me, that thigh pain you mention comes about when I’m scooting around the house off cane. I don’t have enough strength yet to do it. But often I start to walk from one place to another and don’t instinctively grab the cane first.

 

[AJinNH]

Ah @hikejunkie you may have hit on it. I just recently transitioned to one crutch and find it’s much easier to forget and take a few steps here and there. The tenderness is mostly felt when I rub the area.
It feels muscular. I also have a very light yellow streak that runs down the outside of my thigh from hip to knee, I’m sure it’s the remnant of a light bruise. Overall I’ve had very little bruising, which surprised me since I bruise so easily. I think that’s a testament to my surgeon.

 

[AJinNH]

2 weeks postop today. Felt a little backsliding yesterday, I think I cut my meds back too far and too soon. I found an unread set of instructions buried in the paperwork they sent home with me that said to cut back about 20% per week on prescription pain meds. Oops. I hadn’t taken any on Saturday and only took 1/2 at bedtime last night. That probably explains why I didn’t sleep well and ended up back in the recliner in the wee hours this morning. I’m going to try to get back on track this week and cut back a little more slowly. Lesson learned.

 

[Jaycey]

Still very early days for you to be cutting down on meds. What usually happens is you start forgetting doses. That's the sign you are ready to wean off your meds. For now you do need them to increase your mobility and so you can get your much needed rest.

 

[Layla]

Happy Two Week Anniversary!
I hope you're getting back on track and feeling better.
Your recovery has been so good. Having the ability to walk without a hitch in your giddy up.....Yay!
Best wishes for a relaxing week as you continue healing.
@AJinNH

 

[AJinNH]

Thanks @Jaycey you’re right of course. Got back on schedule and took it easy today.

Thanks @Layla , maybe it’s something in the stars the week your mom and I had our surgeries, I thought I could do my way

 

[Mojo333]

Hippy two weeks,
I learn things the hard way sometimes too.
We all talk so much about it, it can be easy to forget it's manageable, but IT IS a big surgery.
Glad you are giving all that trauma and deep healing much needed TLC.
Hope you rest well tonight!

 

[AJinNH]

Up again in the wee hours despite medicating and elevating. I think I figured out why I’m suddenly so uncomfortable. They had me taking an anti inflammatory, Meloxicam, for 10 days after discharge and Saturday was my last day. I’m guessing that’s the reason for the sudden increase in pain. I was reluctant to take any NSAIDs because they caused me to have reflux which I still treat, but I figured it was only for 10 days, so I definitely don’t want to take any more. And then I decreased my pain meds, not good timing.

Hopefully sleep will return once my body adjusts to not taking the anti inflammatory. In the meantime I’m back on a regular schedule of the prescription pain meds. And hopping from bed to recliner again.

 

[Mojo333]

And hopping from bed to recliner again.

I was doing that for first 10 weeks or so...poor hubby. He would worry for me getting up and wandering around but I would spend at least half hour trying to reconfigure pillows ...myself..
You name it.
So I was keeping him awake anyway..
Very annoying. Get those naps in when you can...

 

[anny]

It's all a bit of a guessing game, getting the meds right. My pain is random so I need to clone myself to see if the pain is better with or without meds...so in effect it's a bit of an act of faith. I've taken myself off the naproxen (anti-inflam) 0n Josephine's suggestion as the aspirin is also a nsaid....hooray for the forum, I wouldn't have realised otherwise. Hope you've got them balanced again. As for the sleep....I'd gladly donate you some of mine, beginning to think I have narcolepsy

 

[hikejunkie]

When I had to discontinue Celebrex (similar to Mobic/Meloxicam) I also had a pain increase. Fun times.

 

[AJinNH]

So @Mojo333 10 weeks for you after a bilateral hopefully translates to 5 weeks with a single. I wake hubby too despite my best efforts. Last night I was up and down so often I lost count. Only got 4 1/2 hrs sleep, according to my Fitbit.

@anny cherish that sleep, you’re healing while you sleep. Cloning yourself sounds like a great idea, I’d join that experiment as well.

Thanks for the validation @hikejunkie I feel so silly that I hadn’t considered it sooner AND thought reducing pain meds at the same time was a good idea. I knew I haven’t been thinking clearly lately, but this is confirmation!

 

[Layla]

Hi there
Carve out space for Happy Nappy Time
You have a great excuse. You have a big owie!
Hope today is a good one.
Hugs
@AJinNH