THR And so, I Begin Again

[gullimac]

So long 2016! It has been a long and difficult year, but I am thankful for the 2 new hips I recieved this year. I hope all my Hippie Buddies have a great New Year!

 

[Jaycey]

@gullimac Happy New Year to you as well. Join us on the New Year's Party thread. Lots of members celebrating.

 

[gertie]

I need to be alone to recharge the batteries.

I hear you on this one--and it's a question of finding a balance--enough time with loved ones to feel the connection and enough time alone to recharge.

Find the small moments of joy in what you do and focus on those.

This is so important and a good reminder--I've been feeling a bit low as holiday festivities wind down and a return to real life (work!) looms--so instead I'll focus on the fact that my body is recovering and the sky is blue and I saw a flicker at the feeder this morning.

I hope you have a fulfilling 2017.

 

[Medfordart]

It is going to be a better year with our new hips! Have a great year @gullimac !

 

[Miss Muffet]

Happy New Year twinnie - sorry it's late. Got bogged down with 'flu over Christmas, but did make it out for New Year - and what is more I danced! Am about to have some New Year mugshots sent over to me by friends who we shared the evening with and will post them on the New Year Party thread shortly.
What a year 2016 was - things are definately going to get better now! :box:

 

[gullimac]

Update after week 1 back at work:

43 hours worked. Tired of politely answering questions about how I feel and the difference after surgery. I knew I would have to jump back in to work with both feet and hit the ground running due to the time of year. Hosted a wrestling tournament today. Dealt with inclement weather decisions, cancellations and stress (remember that I live in the SOUTH and our inclement weather is the THREAT of POSSIBLE frozen precipitation of any kind causing the entire state to panic) with numerous unexpected dilemmas and surprise along the way. I am tired and stiff and sore....but it is still better than where I was. I am not totally mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted like I was prior to hip #1 in April.

It feels both like I never left work and like I have been gone for forever at the same time. I am more tired and sore than I hoped to be, but I have got more emotional and mental stamina than I have had in a year. Hoping that continues. I have the feeling that certain people are cutting me some slack for a short time, but will shortly revert to old patterns. I am certainly not at my sharpest, but I feel like the emotional and mental stamina I mentioned is balancing that out. Due to the weather I have more of a true weekend than I was expecting and I will need the rest.

 

[Medfordart]

Congratulations on your first week back. I am so glad that the weather has enabled you to have a little extra weekend. Thinking of you. It seems so long ago that we started this second hip journey. I am now 5 weeks out and making great progress. We've got this!!!

 

[Jaycey]

Well done on your first week at work. Pacing yourself and allowing time for real rest is the key.

I have the feeling that certain people are cutting me some slack for a short time, but will shortly revert to old patterns

Well I hope they continue to cut you some slack.

This has been quite a journey for you @gullimac ! Wishing you all the best in 2017!

 

[Krista]

I am not totally mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted like I was prior to hip #1 in April.

That is such a good thing, @gullimac! You have one week under your belt, and saved by the weather from having to work on the weekend. And you have a plan to improve your life. Glad you made it through the first week!

 

[Sunny girl]

Well done, @gullimac on conquering the first week back at work, quite a hurdle for you bearing in mind your firm feelings that you'd rather not be there anymore. 43 hours is a lot of work, and sounds like it was full of stresses and strains. Hope you have been able to rest up as much as possible and recover over the weekend. Wonderful that you do feel the difference in coping physically, compared to before your THR. Keep strong, and let your future bid for freedom give you some 'spaciousness' around any problems or distress that may occur.

 

[baclectic]

@gullimac Congratulations - am real proud of you. Can't believe you jumped right into 43 hours of work. Take it easy this weekend. Do nothing. And maybe still ice and elevate and cater to your hips??


Sent from my iPhone using broken link removed: https://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=75543

 

[gullimac]

Update after week 2 back at work:

The thing I learned most during our winter weather episode last week was The thing that has scared me the most in the last year was not the two hip replacement surgeries, it was the possibility of slipping on ice and breaking my hip or damaging replacement. Ice makes me extremely nervous and that is what we get in Atlanta most often. Ice, or ice under/below the snow. Being a "big fella" I truly worry about the increased fall risk in icy conditions. I think I will eventually move past it, but right now it scares the hell out of me.

Worked around 52 hours this week. Physically I feel better than I have in 10 years. It is amazing how much tolerance and patience I have now that I feel so much better physically. I remember where I was a year ago and I am so thankful to be where I am. I have stiffness and flexibility issues. I catch myself reverting to old body mechanics based on an expectation of pain sometimes. Old habits are hard to break. I can realize more that my knees are arthritic...but not near as bad as my hips were.

In the 2 weeks I have been back there have been 2 occasions where my principal has mentioned next year to me where I have felt a little guilt about knowing that I intend to not return. There have been two situations with people who work under me that I have felt the same way. It is not the right time yet to make my decision known, but the time is approaching quickly. I think it will be a tremendous relief for me when I do make it known, but I worry about how certain people will treat me once they know.

I am still trying to celebrate the things I do enjoy in my job. I am also happy that I have energy to be involved with my family more than I have the past few years...I feel more connected. Sometimes it is hard to recognize how much energy you expend dealing with the effect of chronic pain. it is easy to start to believe that you are lazy instead of understanding that you are exhausted.

 

[Krista]

@gullimac, I am with you on being afraid to fall because of icy conditions. It is a huge fear of mine, as we have plenty of ice to negotiate for 3 - 4 months of the year. I hardly went out of my house during the month of December, except out to eat, and with a crutch in one arm and hanging on my husband for dear life with the other. Now that I am stronger, I feel somewhat less afraid, but when it is really icy, with no clear patches, I will just stay inside. I know that isn't an option for you. And I also have that stiffness and those flexibility issues. Should get better in time.

How nice that things are slightly better than you expected they might be, because you have two strong hips and much less chronic pain. Yes, we do notice our other creaky joints when the worst ones are taken care of, don't we!

Best of luck when you decide to communicate your decision not to return next year. I'd say wait as long as you can, although you will, of course, need to give them enough time to do a search for a replacement.

 

[Jamie]

@gullimac .... it's so nice to read that you're feeling like a new person with your new hips. You are 100% right that enduring constant pain can totally wear a person down. You are living proof that a person can reclaim their life after joint replacement surgery. Just think.....no matter how good you're feeling right now, by the time you complete the year that we tell people to allow for a full recovery, you'll be feeling even better! Go for all the gusto....that's why you had this done!

 

[Miss Muffet]

52 hours is enough to make a fully fit person exhausted. You're juggling long hours with the anxieties associated with not messing up our new hips. I applaud your decision to make changes - they all seem to be for the right reasons and I hope you source something which suits you,your family and your preferred lifestyle. Just keep your tinder dry for as long as necessary. I do understand that we feel sensitive about being perceived as lazy when actually we, too, are frustrated to be completely back to normal. I woke yesterday to another dose of flu. I only shook off the Christmas flu a couple of weeks ago and am feeling totally drained. I do wonder if the energy my body is expending trying to heal has rendered me more susceptible to winter bugs. I long to get back on the horse and grab life by the scruff of the neck - it will happen but patience is not my best trait. Just take care of yourself especially on the ice. I assume you've got grippy footwear or can add those strap-on spikes to your shoes? They may make you feel less vulnerable. Always good to read your progress Twinnie.

 

[canoewoman]

Ice and the fear of falling must be a worry to many of you and I feel the same way. I was out one day when we had heavy wet snow and it was very slippery and I ended up taking the walker, rather than my cane and it did provide some measure of security but we have had very few icey days so far so I make the best of them getting around. I wonder what happens if you fall after hip and/or knee replacement? Can you dislocate the site or what can happen? I shudder to think but falling could happen anytime. I wanted to walk on the beach before Christmas but to get there you had to walk over some stones and before all this I could have done that but now I fear falling so I am limited in what I can do. Sounds like you are holding on there with the job decisions so just make the most of it and the right time will come to announce your decision.

 

[Sunny girl]

Sometimes it is hard to recognize how much energy you expend dealing with the effect of chronic pain. it is easy to start to believe that you are lazy instead of understanding that you are exhausted.

Well expressed gullimac. Bearing pain constantly is exhausting and distressing and I'm so glad you are finally feeling the release of this burden, and all the positive repercussions!

 

[gullimac]

I was asked how I was feeling recently and I explained that I still get sore and stiff on occasion. Then I said, "the bad days are not near as bad as the bad old days used to be". That got a chuckle, but the aquaintence completely understood what I meant.

Trying to keep in mind posture and body mechanics periodically. I think that is the cause of some of my soreness. Especially as I get tired, I tend to revert to some old flawed body mechanics.

Overall a good week.

 

[YoungHippy]

@gullimac Glad to see you doing so well

 

[gullimac]

So last Friday I let my principal know that I was not coming back next year. It went about as expected. She said all the right things, but I am not sure I believe that she meant it. I focused mostly on the family reasons, but I did let her know that I was burned out and stressed out by the job as well. She said she had a feeling my leaving was coming, but she had just buried her head in the sand and ignored it.

There were only 3 more key people that I wanted to let know of my decision and I told them this week. Other than that I plan to keep it quiet. I just felt like the school needed as much time as possible to find the right person to fill this position. I was asked if there was anyone on staff that I thought could handle the job. Unfortunately, the only one who could is in the same boat--young kids, already overworked and not sure he wants to take on more. There are a few folks that might think they are ready and capable, but they are not.

It is a relief to be done with that. Now I just want to enjoy the last few months of the school year so that I can leave with good memories.

Hips are doing ok. Bending over is a little better, but if I do too much of it I am sore the next day. My weight is creeping back up a little bit, so I need to be a bit more conscious of that. It feels good to be able to spend more time standing and circulating around the crowd a bit more at our sporting events.