muckingabout
senior
United StatesSounds like you're doing great. Keep it up!
THR Allison's Amazing Recovery
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allison
junior member
Thanks everyone for your positive replies! The issue that popped up last night is that the bottom of my heel on my operated leg hurts, kind of a bruised feeling, that is quite uncomfortable. The only thing I have done differently is that I had PT yesterday and did some new exercises, but I didn't think it directly affected the heel but you never know. Has this happened to anyone else?
muckingabout
senior
Yes. It's a pressure sore type thing. If you are elevating arrange the pillows so that your foot dangles over
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allison
junior member
Ok thanks @muckingabout, I'll try that.
grnplatebrd
senior
@allison I also had sore heels. It started in the hospital. I was told it was bed sore related. They put a towel under my heels a certain way to help, then at home we bought these little heel booties that are supposed to help. I cannot say if they have or not, but with more walking and movement the heel pain has been gone for at least 5 or so days. At times the heel pain was my strongest pain that woke me up at night.
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allison
junior member
Thanks, @grnplatebrd that's very encouraging. I probably do need to move around more, and at a week out I will start doing so. It does hurt like the dickens!
muckingabout
senior
Your best bet is some combo of laying down with your leg iced and elevated, walking around at least once an hour (if you are drinking enough this won't be a problem) and doing your circulatory exercises.
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I had sores on both heels. One became infected so be sure and put something under that area to keep it raised. A towel works well folder lengthwise and placed under the length of your leg ending just before your heel.
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allison
junior member
Hi, everyone, I am a little over 2 weeks out and the pain in my heel has subsided thanks to your advice. Tomorrow morning I'll see my surgeon and the staples will come out. Things are going pretty well, have stopped taking pain meds and my only issue is that I'm always so tired. I sit for most of the day still, getting up every hour or so to walk around the house, so it's not like I'm doing anything strenuous, but I need to lie down a couple of times in the afternoon and evening. It's early yet, I know, and I've read about energy drain, so I'm not worried about that but it's so tiresome being so tired all the time. I guess it's just getting to me, and it's affecting my mood. I guess I just feel like whining a little, though I shouldn't because I know my recovery has been pretty easy, all things considered.
beachgal
post-grad
@ allison, I tend to focus on the easy basics so if this is overkill, please forgive. Are you eating healthy meals with plenty of protein, veggies, and fruit? Are you drinking lots of water, like at least 80 oz daily? Giving your body fuel will help with getting your strength and energy back. Please let your body tell you what it needs. If it's rest, so be it. Doing a few little things around the house minding your restrictions will also help increase your stamina. My humble offering.
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allison
junior member
Hi @allison , you might want to take a look at this article by our resident expert @Poppet
Healing Phases & Nutrition. Your body needs fuel to repair post surgery. Eating the right foods and keeping hydrated is very important. I am not sure Boost is the right drink at this healing stage. It's probably giving you a massive high and then a crashing low. Just my opinion though.
Healing Phases & Nutrition. Your body needs fuel to repair post surgery. Eating the right foods and keeping hydrated is very important. I am not sure Boost is the right drink at this healing stage. It's probably giving you a massive high and then a crashing low. Just my opinion though.
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allison
junior member
beachgal
post-grad
I'm not sure if you're near a deli/restaurant or if your grocery store has such but perhaps some freshly-made soups and salads would help. I couldn't cook for the first three weeks but my sisters kept me stocked with soup, salads, roasted deli chicken, steamed seafood, etc. and the fresh veggies and fruits are still plentiful from summer so even raw, they would be good for you. It's tough trying to figure it out and not adding to hubby's list of chores after a hard days work. Yogurt and cheeses are good protein sources if you don't have a taste for meats yet. Hope this encourages you to eat a bit healthier. You'll be amazed at the difference in the way you'll feel.
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allison
junior member
Thank you @beachgal for those great suggestions. I've put them on the list for the grocery trip. It's been a challenge to try to eat decently with his work schedule and I completely forgot about the homemade soups and such from the store. My brain isn't firing on all cylinders yet, I'm afraid. Thanks again.
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allison
junior member
I saw my surgeon this morning and my X-Rays look good, staples are out, I don't have to wear the TEDs anymore and I am cleared to drive. Six more weeks till I return to work, so with some diet adjustments I need to build up my strength and walk, walk, walk. I feel a new confidence and am ready to resume my life!
HerbM
senior
@allison, I have been consumed with my own THR so haven't had the opportunity to read or reply to your thread yet.
First things first, this is YOUR THREAD and you not only get to whine here if that is what you feel the need to do, you are also ENCOURAGED to whine or yell or throw a tantrum if that helps you deal with any of this.
Even whining can get you practical advice that might help you avoid a little pain or some of the other discomforts because the experienced folks here may already know how to deal with it.
Even without that, or in addition, you will surely find someone to offer a virtual shoulder to cry on, or a virtual hug. Perhaps an encouraging word.
What you say here, no one will hold you to account for. Your husband is already stressed too both with working so hard and knowing you need more help so it can be more effective to unload your baggage her than give him more to deal with (at least some of the time).
Second, your hip recovery is YOUR hip recovery and you don't need to feel like you haven't earned the right to complain just because someone else had it tougher. The only value in "comparisons" is when this will give you some idea of what to expect because someone is in a similar situation or has a similar problem, or when it offers some practical insight into how to handle a set of your issues.
To be clear you can LEARN from the stories of others but don't judge yourself and your recovery or feel you have to compete for EITHER the "right to whine" (on the tough side) or the same rate of recovery (on the good side.)
You have your recovery, love it or hate it, different feelings on different days -- whatever -- it is yours and you don't even have to be logical or reasonable about those feelings (as long as you keep taking care of yourself to the best of your ability.)
Being tired all the time or in pain all the time is TERRIBLY draining. It doesn't matter if the pain is a 1 or a 4 it will have an AFFECT (greater or lesser perhaps but an affect) on your mind and your body.
I know this because even though My Recover (https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/anterior-th-aug-19-2014-home-same-day.25995) has been quite easy, my lead up to the THR included a month of no sleep from a crappy little 2-3 pain that is far less than the awful situations of many many people.
Doesn't matter, I can't take their pain for them and they can't take mine. Mine was real, just like yours is real.
You have more than earned the right to whine.
That's a great attitude and it sounds like you have a plan. If you don't feel that positive 24/7 that is Ok too.
Remember that "walk, walk, walk" is good exercise IF it doesn't cause more problems.
Don't "try" very many DIFFICULT THINGS. By this I mean, only do the DIFFICULT when you are sure you will succeed, and succeed safely.
For example, if you "try" a long walk, you might get stuck far from home. On ther other hand if you go out KNOWING you can do 1/3 of that distance, then DO that, then DO it again if you still feel certain. Then if after evaluation you feel another go is sure of success GO FOR IT!
Be proud of each piece. Feel good about every success (even the little ones, heck, especially the little ones).
Early in my recovery I took a long walk (in stages) of some real distance -- the first real purposeful "walk" since I stopped walking my dogs some 2.5 years. Sure I was proud of this early success but it was no big deal compared to "yesterday's little walk" of less than a 100 feet.
On leaving the gym, I was hit by the 100+ degree Texas heat which usually doesn't even get a comment out of me. My car was RIGHT THERE across the driveway maybe only 60 feet away.
I almost retreated into the air conditioned building, and maybe that would have been a better choice, but KNOWING it was withing my reach and capability I continued.
That silly "little walk" was one of the hardest things I've had to do since my surgery and I submit it deserved far more applause than the easy big walk a few days before (or it was far more stupid.)
So the point HERE is don't even compare YOU to YOU except in so far as it guides your evaluation of what you can and cannot do RIGHT NOW, or guides you to understand how to better care for yourself.
If you get angry or sad or anything else, that is YOUR RIGHT just try not to let that feeling do any damage to you, your body, or your life, or your relationships.
For example, if you feel like snapping at your husband THAT IS OK, or if you are frustrated by his schedule THAT IS OK, but you are welcome to COME HERE and call me names or whine or just ask for a tissue.
I had it easy and was incredibly lucky but I believe every word of the above. My wife is a jewel (who doesn't work) but she has illnesses of her own (joints, diabetes, asthma, and more) so there were times it just didn't make sense to ask her, or let her, do something for me -- I would have worried more about her than myself.
You may think your husband a saint or a slacker (sounds more like he is working his butt off to help take care of you) but there will be times when he just can't help or other times when you just have to insist he do something for your well-being.
Accept both (whine here if it helps).
My wife did literally everything that I *REALLY* needed her to do, whether we call that a lot or a little.
So keep healing, keep improving, accept that some that days may not get you much closer to your goal, but that with time more and more good days will predominate of the fewer and fewer bad moments.
Time heals.
It may not be the whole story, but some repairs just take time because they GROWN not purchased or created by magic.
You have that 6 weeks away from work so also remember that whether it takes longer or less time for other things to heal, it takes BONE TO GROW SOLID (e.g., into your hip cup) so that will just TAKE TIME.
Like tending a new tomato plant you can make it jump out of the ground but must for the plan to GROW as you water and nurture it, and wait for the tomatoes to first appear, then wait again for them to GROW, and THEN to RIPEN before you can harvest and tastes the nourishing and delicious tomatoes.
You can enjoy that whole process if you chose, or at least parts of it but you still must allow that time and growth to occur.
Get better at fast as possible and not a moment sooner!
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allison
junior member
Thanks so much, @HerbM. I truly appreciate your thoughtful response. I've been so self-involved since my hip pain began that I feel like I should just hush up now that the surgery is over. It's nice to know I can come here for support from great folks like you. I'm glad you've had such a successful recovery, your thread has been amazing to read.
HerbM
senior
That was YOUR JOB, to be as self-involved as necessary.
Ordinarily being self-involved and unconcerned for others is not a particularly good personality trait and we don't need to take it further than necessary nor be ugly about it (you haven't) most of the time but we have a DUTY, both to ourselves and to those who care about us to HEAL ourselves.
That's the job. Do that, and if you have personal resources left over for others so much the better. If helping others takes your mind off YOUR problems then go through the forums and find people to cheer along.
You probably have NO IDEA how much I learn by writing these messages to lovely people like you!
In some sense (as long as I don't find out) it's not even important to me that you benefit -- I benefit from doing it.
It helps me remember MY JOB (hint: it's taking care of a big guy named Herb
So taking care of our own bodies (and minds) is RIGHT NOW just like taking care of our babies, or our dogs, or our grandkids or our spouses when they were helpless or needed us to help.
Right now, your recovery is ALL about YOU. Mine is ALL about me. No guilt, no apologies needed.
I am delighted you were glad for my success, I was a wee bit concerned that if people see it and compare it then it won't be helpful, but on the other hand if they understand that there is a METHOD in my recovery, that includes this almost zen-like commitment to the BEST RECOVERY POSSIBLE GIVEN THE ISSUES experience.
This does not mean a recovery with no troubles, no issues, or no pain. It means the one you are given by the surgery and by your body.
Turns out if you don't try to eliminate reality but decide to just Be the Best YOU, YOU can be, then that actually eliminates a lot of problems......
Frankly, I am even more amazed by the people who have been tortured for months with pain and discomfort or by having to one to help them. How do those wonderful people find the courage?
I would likely be a mess.
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