THR Arizona Dreaming Recovery II

DesertHorses

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In at 10:30, surgery at 12:30, home from phase 2 recovery at 8:00 pm. Awesome total left hip anterior approach without the swelling I had previously. Pain this am was minimal but the “local” they use finally wore off. Sent home with vicodin - makes me woozy but does little for pan so I’ll stick with alternating acetaminophen and ibuprofen with Tramadol if I need it. Tramadol doesn’t give me the problems other opioids do and has always been pretty effective for me. Except my stash is from 2016 so might try to get a new scrip.
Ice, walking, stretching plus a list of exercises until PT starts on Monday. My PT is first and foremost on safety and not stressing joints - they look at how the whole body affects recovery.
Only aspirin for anti-coagulation as I had major bleeding issues on stronger stuff last time.
All in all I couldn’t have asked for a better team and having all I learned here after my first hip has been invaluable.
You guys rock!
 
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Hello @DesertHorses - and :welome: to Recovery again.

I'm glad your surgery is over and things are going well.

Sent home with vicodin - makes me woozy but does little for pan so I’ll stick with alternating acetaminophen and ibuprofen with Tramadol if I need it. Tramadol doesn’t give me the problems other opioids do and has always been pretty effective for me. Except my stash is from 2016 so might try to get a new scrip.
Yes, please get a new script for the Tramadol, and also explain that the Vicodin is not right for you. Stockpiling medicines is not a good idea and you can never be sure if they have deteriorated.

Here's a copy of our Recovery Guidelines, to refresh your memory:
Hip Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

5. Try to follow this

6. Access these pages on the website


Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery

Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.
 
Great news!!! Glad everything went smoothly! I’m16 days post op and each day seems to get better... looking forward to reading about your recovery!
 
Five years since hip #1 followed by a few years of cancer treatment. I never would have made it through the cancer if I hadn’t had the hip done before cancer diagnosis - on follow ups my ortho doc joked I needed to stop seeing doctors. A year ago he said to still wait but this year it was time. So #2 done yesterday.
Both times I had/have surgical pan but immediate relief from the “bad hip joint pain” and a huge reduction in back pain.
 
Welcome to the double hippy club. It is so wonderful to get rid of that pre operative hip pain. My back settled down quite quickly after the replacement. Wishing you a peaceful evening.
 
@DesertHorses
You'll notice that I have moved your newest post with your original recovery thread. For several reasons, we prefer that you only have one recovery thread:
  • That way, we have all your information in one place. This makes it easier to go back and review your history before providing advice.
  • If you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts and advice others have left for you in the old threads, and some information may be unnecessarily repeated
  • Having only one thread will act as a diary of your progress that you can look back on.
So please post any updates, questions or concerns about your recovery here. If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.
If you need an urgent response to a question, just tag a member of staff.

Many members bookmark their thread in their computer browser, so they can find it when they log on.
 
Think I overdid things yesterday (day 6). Started out feeling great in the morning so fed cats, counter surfed doing dishes, starting coffee.
Made the bed, showered, off to PT (hour drive in town). Good session - evaluation assessment only, reminder to elevate and ice more to keep swelling down. Went next door for a nice sit down early dinner on their near empty patio.
Driving home leg is starting to feel a little wonky. Got home - my nice loose joggers are tight like leggings. OMG - is that my leg?
Wish someone had beat me over the head a little sooner about rest and elevation. And to not worry about stuff that doesn’t get done. And pain meds masking pain that’s a signal to slow down.
I know - it’s all there in the recovery guidelines links - but maybe a little more head bashing? In bright red bold? :tantrum2:
Seriously - several hours on pillow stacks and twenty trips to the bathroom later the swelling (and pain) are much improved. And my goals and expectations for the day have been majorly adjusted. :angel:
(And hope the Lounge Doctor I just ordered gets here really fast!)
 
Oh no! I’m so sorry. That was rather ambitious activity at only five days post op. I know I couldn’t have done it. There is nothing like a stint in the ODIC to show us our limitations early on. I found that just as too much sitting can cause swelling, too much activity can also. It’s a fine balance.

I had success through loosely following the Activity Progression for THR from the Recovery Guidelines over the first several weeks. I only overdid it once, circling my home too many times trying to acclimate myself to the cane, in favor of the walker. My pain was quickly remedied with aggressive icing and a good nights sleep.

I‘m glad you’re feeling better today and do believe you’ll love your Lounge Doctor. I love mine and often use it still while watching tv in bed at night.

Happy Tuesday...I hope it’s a good one!
@DesertHorses
 
Thank you @Layla.
I sometimes tend to think I know more than I do. (I also tend to be surprised when I look in the mirror and don’t find my eighteen year old self.)
 
Hello @DesertHorses Happy Two Month Anniversary!
I hope you’re doing well and had a nice Christmas.
We‘d love to hear all about your progress as time allows. It is a busy time of year for sure.
Wishing you a New Year of peace, good health and much happiness!
 
Thanks for the bump @Layla
I was thinking it was a lot longer but yes - only two months! I’ve had some ups and downs but they mainly have been because of ”other” stuff - cardiac meds not arriving in the mail and some really bad air quality making it hard to even step outdoors. But my hip seems to be doing great!
Because of the “other stuff” I’ve been a bit lax about doing my exercises. My PT has been pretty helpful - we went over doing some basic every day things like bending/squatting to retrieve stuff from the washer or clean the kitty box to make sure I was moving correctly. I’m also feeling that a lot of the “hip” exercises are almost more about saving my knees and back. As I let things slip the past week it made me realize how helpful those things are.
Meanwhile, we’re past the Winter Solstice so, as the days get longer again things can only get better.
What’s amazing (and this was true with my first hip, also) is that the “hip pain”, the pain that sends us for surgery in the first place, is gone immediately and it’s really just the surgical trauma to deal with.
 
Wanted to comment about my Lounge Doctor.
I really wish I had gotten it before surgery to have on hand that first week as that was when I needed it most. As it was, I only used it for about ten days after I received it (about ten days after surgery).
It was amazing to help with swelling and pain but I found it a bit awkward to get it into position as it’s a bit heavy and the “no slide” bottom makes it hard to slide around - of course you don’t want it to slide once it’s in place. There aren’t any hand hold straps to help so I couldn’’t carry it from my bedroom to the living room couch when using my walker or with my cane. (I did try sliding and kicking it along the floor, and wrapped a bungee cord around it one time - did not go well.) So it ended up not being used nearly as much or often as it should have been and is now parked in a closet and will likely be donated.
When I wrote the manufacturer about adding some sort of hand hold straps I was met with a “Meh” response.
So while I think the idea is brilliant I wonder how many end up in closets.
 
Thanks for your update. It’s nice to hear from you. I’m sorry for the inconveniences you mentioned. The struggle to receive your meds and the poor air quality.
the “hip pain”, the pain that sends us for surgery in the first place, is gone immediately and it’s really just the surgical trauma to deal with.
So true and very uplifting!

You may want to reconsider getting rid of the Lounge Doctor. It is a substantial investment and while donating it would be exceedingly generous of you, you may decide at some point that you enjoy using it on occasion. At three and a half years post op, I still use mine once in awhile and find it relaxing. I do agree that it is difficult to get it in the perfect position at times, before reclining and realizing it needs to be moved a smidge closer, or further away. The best advice I can give is what I do, push it with my foot, closer or further away. If anyone reading has a better solution, I’d be interested in hearing it.
There aren’t any hand hold straps to help so I couldn’’t carry it from my bedroom to the living room couch when using my walker or with my cane. (I did try sliding and kicking it along the floor, and wrapped a bungee cord around it one time - did not go well.) So it ended up not being used nearly as much or often as it should have been and is now parked in a closet and will likely be donated.
When I wrote the manufacturer about adding some sort of hand hold straps I was met with a “Meh” response.
So while I think the idea is brilliant I wonder how many end up in closets.
You’re right! The manufacturer does need to consider that. And why wouldn’t they? It’s just another product they could sell. I didn’t have mine straight out of surgery and had ditched my walker by the time I purchased my LD so I didn’t deal with the issue you mentioned, but it’s a legitimate inconvenience for sure. I borrowed mine to my mom after her THR and while she did use it she also found it comfortable to lean against in some way and read. I never tried it but you may want to.
@DesertHorses
 
Happy Three Month Anniversary, Patti! I hope you’re enjoying steady progress month by month. Leave an update whenever the mood strikes, or you have the time. We’re always happy to read about the strides members are making.
Have a wonderful weekend! :)
@DesertHorses
 
Hip? What hip? A little muscle soreness if I overdo or neglect my regular activity.
On my thyroid cancer group we've been talking about surgical clips in the neck (used instead of sutures or cautery for minimally invasive surgery) and the "ooh I have things in my neck" feeling some have when they see them in an X-ray. Reminded me of the first X-ray I saw of my first hip and the creepy feeling of having something alien in my body (it also clicked a bit for a while). It took a good six months for me to no longer be conscious that I had a replacement part except for going through airline security. My second hip assimilated instantly - even if I am having some muscle pain or a little swelling I tend to forget it's because of a new hip.
Had my first BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine yesterday and all is well, just a little soreness in my arm.
Looking forward to feeling safe at the grocery store.
 
Happy Four Month Anniversary!
Be safe, stay well and enjoy that new hip. :)
@DesertHorses
 

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