Bilateral THR Anteriors 15th June 2015 - my recovery

[Suzette]

Oh thank you @Legin .

Last night I had a really bad nightmare after just 2 hours of sleep...i dreamt that the nasty gorillas in planet of the apes were trying to kill me and I couldnt scream to let anyone know. My hubby had to wake me up in the end as I was really trying to scream.

I had not had morphine either!!

Anyone else like this ???

 

[Legin]

Oh I have been driving and realised steering wheel was made of cheese. So I ate it then a sharp right turn on a cliff never quite happened

Legin THR Sep 14

 

[Legin]

I think in normal real life we are so in control, this processes really puts us at the beg and call of others

Legin THR Sep 14

 

[forestje]

I have never taken sleeping pills but have been tempted to ask for some.
Just smiling reading about others using crutches.In week 1, I staggered out of bed,sleeping on the opposite side than normal because of getting in and out, reached for my crutches, stood up and rammed my little toe with crutch.Then stubbed toe against the door frame cos I was trying to avoid falling over! Cue tears of frustration,pain and laughter.
Meant plenty of icing,rest and elevation.Oh and the hip is doing really well. When I went for post op check up I took a photo of the X-ray and have it as a screen saver on my phone for the time being so I can show it off! Sad really I know but am in awe of the skill of the surgeons who perform this brutal operation.
Hope you get more sleep tonight.

 

[Legin]

Chortle, you sound like most of us next year we will be volunteering to be in stocks at local fete. Well errrrrrrrr I do with frightening reality

Legin THR Sep 14

 

[Suzette]

@Legin if you do get in the stocks or have been.... a piccie would be great

@forestje I need to take a picture of my metal hips ..

Hope you all sleep too

 

[Legin]

Err I agreed to half hour after three hours charity was much better of financially

Legin THR Sep 14

 

[lalo]

Ok, I looked up the word fete and see that it's a celebration but what do you mean by volunteering to be in stocks? About 15 years ago I had a couple of British acquaintances at work but I haven't heard the Kings English Since. Help, translate, thanks.

 

[Cynthia777]

@Suzette
Ask your doctor what he thinks about Trazadone. Most doctors like it because you don't build up a resistance to it like sleeping pills (plus my GP said it's very safe and he's ULTRA conservative). It's been a Godsend for my chronic insomnia for the past several years. Sleeping pills never worked for me. Just a thought.

 

[AndyH99]

Omg - I'm not alone with the weird dreams then, I've had a few whilst on the morphine ranging from believing I was waking from my op with my feet on backwards through to me being a supplier of evil miniature hammer gnomes to hospitals so they can put them in with the implants to keep hitting the bones after the operation so the painkiller suppliers could make more money. I never said it was safe inside my head!

Hope things are going well.


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[Suzette]

Hi @lalo wikipedia says...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stocks

the stocks partially immobilized its victims and they were often exposed in a public place such as the site of a market to the scorn of those who passed by.

It seems they were used across the world as a punishment

So if @Legin stuck his head in the stocks at a fete he more than likely had wet sponges thrown at his head/face... or tomatoes eggs etc....

Here is a picture.

 

[AndyH99]

Also, as for being awake like that, yes, I am as well. Almost asleep in the armchair, make it upstairs, crawl into bed and then sit there wide awake for an hour. I've been assured that it will settle down as the body readjusts, but you've got me wondering how long I'm going to have to wait given how far ahead of me you are.

Congrats on day 2, here's hoping it improves for you as the days pass.


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[Suzette]

Hi @Cynthia777 When I am at the Drs tomorrow I will ask about those and see if he will give me some or at least something to help.

I remember reading on here people took benedryl which in the UK is nytol original. So if he wont help out I will try those.

Thanking you x

 

[Suzette]

@AndyH99 I know what you mean.. I could only catch up with sleep in the daytime in the first 3 weeks. Then I couldnt sleep in the day either. Although I could do the lying down part but I just kept on lying there .....

 

[agileHippie]

@Suzette you can also try melatonin. I've taken in on overseas trips. It sort of resets your body clock--doesn't make you sleepy but cues your body that it's time to sleep. I think you take it an hour or two before you want to go to bed.

Also, I hope you are doing a nighttime routine (that includes putting down the iPad!) that is the cue that it's time to sleep. This sleepless pattern has been going on long enough now that it's a risk that it will be set and difficult to fix.

 

[Tweefishy]

Hey there! How's it going? Wiped out after 1.5 hrs? Oi! I go back sept 2. You scare me. Been reading a few hours a day to remind myself of procedures, which causes me to fall asleep too! (Yet I can color in detailed books all afternoon with no problem). Oi!
How far are the drives to the jails? I have an hour commute each way to work yet have only driven on the highway for 5 minutes so far....
Next week I have to start serious work training: reading boring ****, staying awake, driving, standing and sitting for 4-6 hrs. Not lookin' forward to all that drama!


RTHR, posterior, 15JUN2015

 

[Hoppy Nanny]

@Suzette
Definitely had the sleeping (or should I say no sleep) problem. Found an app called 'headspace' a meditation/mindfulness app which really helped.
With your bilateral op & all what's going on at work it may just help......as our bodies are tired but our brains don't shut down!
Good luck for your 3 days next week..... Chrissie x


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[Legin]

It was sponges and there was a queue a big one, is that called being popular or people getting revenge

Legin THR Sep 14

 

[Suzette]

Hi @Cynthia777 the GP gave me Zopiclone to try for a couple of weeks. Similar to the one you have.
If that doesn't work or makes me drowsy the next day will try the Melatonin that @agileHippie mentions. Have found a supplier of that in the uk now too. And it seems that it's on NHS prescription too @forestje

@agileHippie hope you are doing well. You are right about getting a routine going and turning things off. That's one the things I am bad at. I did last night though. Also I have sourced somewhere I can get
melatonin so have those ready to order. Will test out the prescribed meds first, but if they knock me out the next day, won't be able to use those too often. But maybe good for weekends etc.

@Hoppy Nanny will take a look at head space too, and find some head phones. Thanks for the tip.

@Legin I think you are a very popular bloke who is game for a laugh x

@Tweefishy Hi, how's your leg/hip since the shoe trip? It is strange how we can focus on things like colouring etc but other things you can't, I was in work today for 3 hours. I found it really hard, I think it may be boredom already!! I am trawling through loads of emails and reading, adsorbing, deleting, actioning etc and as we are all a bit wary of having the occasional chat , it's deafly quiet, just glad the radio is on!!

Didn't have any sort of meeting again, so am just going to leave it now. I did question the total of 4 weeks training I am supposed to be presenting in the prison, on software I don't even know. .. basically she is not concerned whether I know it or not, it's a big contract and so I am doing it, end of subject!! This starts in November, so I am hoping I can get something sorted out before then.. Mmmm
I am not even sure how many prisons, but the nearest one is about 15 miles away. So far I have driven 5 miles!! Maybe I need to practice further, as one of my first work days out on site in September is 70 miles away....

So back to my 3 hours today. I had very little pain in my right leg, until I had been sitting for an hour, I had to keep standing up. I was sat in the same seat as before, but I had a burning down my outer thigh this time from what felt like the top of the femur to my knee and also at top of incision where it's quite hard. I could not get comfy. Although I did manage to stay awake I didnt feel as tired as yesterday, just very uncomfortable and fidgetty....and then, very fed up.

Are you having to drive an hour, then do 6 hours work then drive back an hour, when you first go back to work? OMG if you are, thats an awful lot to start off with. Ooh mmm, Maybe you need to have a practice drive there to see how you feel. Do you drive an automatic? Is there any way you can do less hours for a few weeks, or every other day?

I would not be looking forward to that drama either. That is such a lot to have to deal with when first back, mine is easy peasy in comparison... I am not helping much am I, sorry xoxox

 

[Suzette]

GP appointment, I have progress at LAST !!!

Saw a Dr I hadn't seen for years, but was also the Dr who got my back problems sorted out by actually referring me to see a spinal consultant at the orthopaedic hospital.

So he was actually reading my hospital letters, which I always find reassuring, he listened to me trying to explain the burning and stinging pain in my, as usual, right leg and my insomnia. So after some thought, he changed what the previous Dr had decided 2 weeks ago, and who I found useless and harsh, to a list of meds that I can control to suit the pain levels I am getting.

He gave me, tramadol, dihydrocodeine and paracetamol. Removed the cocodamol, which is codeine and paracetamol, he said I have no control when it is like this in one tablet. I can therefore take tramadol and paracetamol, OR dihydrocodeine and paracetamol. Max 4000 mg paracetamol in 24 hrs. Depending on what I feel I need. He also gave me a few weeks supply of sleeping tablets to see if I can get a sleep pattern going.

I also accidently said I was at work, although I had a sick note/fit for work note until 1st sept. I explained that I was trying a phased return but on my style of phased hours, to see how it goes and how sitting down is. The part that hurts...sitting down.

He said to contact him if I need another fit note with a specific phased return to work rota listed on it. I was also reminded of the new law that taking tramadol, dihydrocodeine and similar meds, that the police can prosecute if you are found driving without due care and attention whilst under the influence of drugs.

So I feel fairly happy at this moment that a DR listened, at last