THR And so, I Begin Again

[gullimac]

Wow! I am glad you knew enough to stand up for yourself. Doesn't seem like this therapist had any idea about what you had been through. They totally discounted that you had other body parts of hat may not be up,to,that extreme jump in activity level, especially a second balky hip.

I have been lucky in that I had therapists so far that understood my goals and knew enough to give me input in those areas. There were a few things that I was given to do (sets of leg raises, heel slides,etc.) that I smiled and nodded at, but I never did them. I focused on the things I could use. It was small little reminders to help normalize my walking gait that I needed. If I had a therapist like yours @Sunny girl I would have parted ways with him/her just like you did.

 

[SwimGirl]

@Sunny girl Wow! I am glad that you shared the info on avoiding the bridge exercise. In my joint class the exercises listed are basic ones like moving toes up and down and then pushing back of knees into bed. Then advanced exercises include the bridge. Does not specify to wait 4 months. Will ask my PT about it next visit.
Yep! I agree! Listen to your body. Also the book discusses by this time you should be walking this distance and PT immediately said to disregard that. Walk a quarter mile? Before surgery I couldn't make it down my driveway!

 

[gullimac]

So today I ventured out of the house for the first time since surgery. It was the Thanksgiving Feast at the girls' school. Not bad for school cafeteria food, but I wore out pretty quickly. Wife picked me up and we met my MIL at the school. Luckily our girls have lunch periods back-to-back.

Apparently with all these events they give you the option of checking your kid out early for the rest the day. One of ours (the youngest) wanted to come home early, but Being in education, I feel like if there is school-you should be there. Of course she was quite sullen about me saying no. We did tell them both to take the bus home instead of staying for the "after school program". They already come home on the bus 2 days a week usually. I figured I could meet them at the bus stop and we could have some fun before starting on Homework. However, the oldest did not pay attention to this and did not get on the bus. They wouldn't let the youngest ride without the oldest (since it wasn't a part of their usual pattern). So they are still at "after school program" since I can not drive yet. I am sure my youngest will be in a grand mood when she finally does get home.

The home PT has cancelled our last 2 visits because she is having issues getting settled exactly how many visits my insurance will approve. Probably for the best. I have been doing just fine on my own. Walking well enough to transfer over to a cane for most of the day. I get stiff after sitting for long periods. Nothing unexpected so far. Pretty active today with the visit to the girls' school and all the extra walking. Figure I will take it easier tomorrow and then try for another short out of the house excursion on Saturday.

Not sleeping well. Last night I had that burning heel feeling that I have heard others describe before. Still working up the courage to roll onto my previously operated side.

 

[Jaycey]

Last night I had that burning heel feeling that I have heard others describe before.

Try a folded towel under your ankle or blister bandages on your heel.

Sounds like you were dealing with school/kids/schedule chaos today. Frustrating but everyone lived through it. Hope you can have some quality family time tonight.

 

[Sunny girl]

@gullimac Thanks for your understanding and support! Sounds like second time around you know exactly what your body needs. Yes, I think normalising your walking and finding a smooth gait is paramount - this operation is all about walking again and being mobile! Not performing gymnastics and doing advanced Pilates. It's good you have an understanding therapist.

and @SwimGirl ... be interested to hear what your PT says about the bridge. When I mentioned it to my OS at 6 week check, he also said it was NOT to be done. I did it per PT instructions for 2 weeks ...

Re walking, I was pressured by PT to walk 1km by the end of week 2 which I did obligingly on day 12. Very slowly on two crutches (with a friend at hand.) What was the PT thinking? What was I thinking? That was a Sunday. Next day, PT visited ... he took me off the crutches, tried me on a stick for 8 steps, then said: "give me the stick, off you go, you can walk without aids now. By the end of the week I want you off crutches altogether." Ah me. I still had not hit the 3 week post op mark at that point. I still like to have one crutch if I'm out and about (nearly 8 weeks post op) as people give you a wide berth, and after sitting a while in public places, I find it's hard to move off without it (mainly due to original left hip screaming).

Unfortunately, there are a number of videos on the net which show anterior THR patients going up long flights of steps in their short hospital nightgowns on day 2, walking unaided through hospital corridors etc. While impressive, they can set up unrealistic expectations in others because we are all unique individuals with widely varying bodies! One man was even back jogging as soon as he got home.

Thanks for letting me chat about this in your thread @gullimac!

 

[gullimac]

No worries @Sunny girl . I enjoy the discussion. I think the walking is all about quality and not quantity. I say that but it is a constant battle for me to remember it and apply it to myself. My natural inclination is to push through everything. So talking about being slow and steady on BS is a way of reinforcing it in my mind.

For my first hip I actually came off the cane completely at week 5 for 4 days. I wanted to try it before I started my staggered return to work at 6 weeks. Went well at first but then the limp crept back in and I ended up going back on the cane for all of week 6 as I returned to work. I too felt like it was a signal to others to watch out for me. It also slowed me down so I did not over do it at work.

 

[Sunny girl]

Thanks @gullimac And that's really good logic - using the cane to actually slow yourself down to avoid overdoing things, especially if you have that natural inclination to forge on despite everything. Slow and steady is the sensible way, and as you say, any reminders to keep that in mind are so valuable. After all it took many years of decline to require surgery, what's the urgency to be 'perfect' overnight? Adapting to new ways takes time, effort, caution and mindfulness.

 

[Jaycey]

While impressive, they can set up unrealistic expectations in others because we are all unique individuals with widely varying bodies!

Yup! Every THR is different - even on the same patient. Slow and steady is always the best way forward.

 

[gullimac]

So, I was apparently even more exhausted than I thought. I got in bed at 8:00 last night (the same time as my kids) and I was asleep by 8:30. Got up at 6:30 AM to get the girls ready for school. Did not exactly sleep straight through for 10 hours. Got that heel burning again in the middle of the night. Actually managed to sleep for a bit on my side. Also managed to simulate being on my side by adding pillows to the length of my side to kind of prop myself in at an angle.

The good thing is I got more rest than I have been getting. The bad is that i am good bit stiffer (hip and back) today. I did not medicate during the night. Not sure if the soreness is from all the activity yesterday, the long period of sleep or the lack of meds. Realistically it is all three are in some varying amount.

I had already planned on taking it easy today, so I will stick with that. I actually had the attention span yesterday to get some momentum in the book I started reading--Michael Connely's newest Harry Bosch novel. Up until yesterday I was only getting a few pages a sitting in before it started making me sleepy.

 

[Jaycey]

Not sure if the soreness is from all the activity yesterday, the long period of sleep or the lack of meds.

I would bet on increased activity plus lack of meds. You are only 10 days out my friend. I bit early to taper off meds unless you just forgot them.

Enjoy your rest day!

 

[Sunny girl]

I had already planned on taking it easy today, so I will stick with that.

Yes, please take it easy @gullimac, enjoy that book and get some meds down you.

 

[SwimGirl]

@Sunny girl Hello again! Went to PT today and asked many questions. He said that I am doing well and
not to push it on cleaning my house for Thanksgiving, my guests would understand. I am still thinking about
that one. Anyway, I asked about the bridge exercise and he explained that by raising your hips you are in
perfect alignment as if you are standing. Not harmful as long as you did not go over the alignment of hips with shoulders and overextend. I won't be doing them anytime soon. Also, I explained that my incision was
somewhat puckered somewhat like a basset hound's face. He said to massage from center of scar out to both ends
at the same time. It was scar tissue formation and that would help. In addition, today I went up and down stairs
and I cried I was so happy! Life is good! Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[Sunny girl]

Thanks for your msg @SwimGirl, sorry @gullimac for hijacking your thread. Interesting to hear what your PT said, but like you, I'll continue to ignore the bridge. Maybe when hip 2 is done, and all is healed. Had to laugh at the description of your basset-hound face scar ... might try your cure so I avoid boxer-face scar. Oh good on you for your achievement, the small wonders and joys of progress! Happy Thanksgiving - we don't have that here, but sounds like a great idea to be thankful.

 

[SwimGirl]

@gullimac since this involved a question about PT I thought it might be of interest to you also.
Happy Thanksgiving to you!

@Sunny girl Right! Forget this site is international. So love Thanksgiving and it is a day to be thankful for
All the joys in your life and family. We stuff ourselves with turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. Then when we are miserable because we ate so much and we say how thankful we are!!!!! The Salvation Army here provides a wonderful dinner for those right off the street who don't have a dime. There are other organizations also that do the same! We are so blessed!

 

[SwimGirl]

@gullimac Went back and read about how sleepy you have been. This time around I fell asleep early at night and slept thru night and then took naps during the day. I believe our bodies are dealing with the stress of surgery and it just takes more rest after the ordeal of surgery. Also, if you are up more one day than another you feel it the very next morning. I think getting into your book is a good idea. Rest, elevate and ice! The answer! Also agree
that if you can remember keep taking your meds. I would forget if too tired!

 

[Postalgal]

@gullimac I am trying to catch up on all the threads, so many and so many new ones! I have a silly question, as I wonder what you do in PT? I only had one before I left the hospital and left with instructions of exercises along with walking and how much, what I might be able to do, so on... In other words, they want us to do it all at home? I also wonder why this OS doesn't prescribe PT, is this normal? I am very active in the house, now without cane or walker, very secure on feet, do tire still, do quite a bit of walking outside, contemplating the mile walk, but not so worried as I want to heal first so I can go back to work as scheduled. Can drive, and do steps, just one at a time, wondering if I can start one foot on a step yet, but if it doesn't feel comfortable I back off. Happy thanksgiving!

 

[gullimac]

Not every surgeon has their patients do PT. As Josephine is fond of reminding us, hips do just fine with healing on their own if given the chance. My first time through I did very little of the at home exercises on my own. I progressed enough natural to improve when my PT checked on me. The thing I found most helpful was feedback on my walking gait. There were times when I felt I was walking normally, but I was not. She gave me a few simple exercises to "wake up" some muscles that were inactive for so long due the nagging old hip pain. That allowed me to return to proper walking mechanics. Walking (properly) is what I needed.

I quit PT because my left hip still needed surgery and I could not really advance anymore because of pain and dis function with that hip.

 

[gullimac]

@Postalgal Oh...I started going up and down stairs foot over foot by accident around week 3. As I mentioned I had two bad hips. Even though the right hip was more painful and we chose to start with it, My left hip had always given me more trouble going up and down stairs. The say "up with the good and down with the bad" as a reminder how to climb stairs. Well in my mind "the bad" was my non operated (left hip) instead of the newly operated (right hip). Once I messed it up a couple of times I started using the foot over foot method most of the time. I think you can use pain/discomfort as your guide. I am not quite to that point yet this time (not yet 2 weeks out).

 

[julesglass]

Morning @gullimac. I've been reading your thread and was curious about waking up muscles to improve walk fair. Could you describe how to wake up muscles. My OS tells me if I feel like doing something go for it. That's how he felt about getting back to work. Anyway I do find if I don't pay attention to how I walk I do it weird.

 

[SwimGirl]

@gullimac Thank you for describing how PT is helpful. It is for gait evaluation and waking up muscles that
Have not been used in while. When I mention PT others think I am doing set after set of exercises, but you explained it best! I have also been doing very simple but important exercises to help with walking gait. Funny
How you think you are walking just fine and you are somewhat off kilter!

@Postalgal. I am surprized no one followed up with you on PT. I agree that if it doesn't feel comfortable back off.
Josephine discourages exercise post op but for the very reason that gullimac mentioned which is gait training you should be evaluated. I would contact OS office. Do you return for an appointment soon?