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Bilateral THR Aug.18 - a success!

Thanks for the nutritional info, Poppet. Well, each day I'm getting better. It's exciting. Last night I took a pain pill at 10:15 p.m. I only woke up once, at 2:30 a.m. and took another. From there I slept straight through until 6:00 a.m. The only reason I woke up was because I was aching. This is a huge improvement compared to the early days after surgery. I'm very lucky to be sleeping so well. The time between taking the medications at night is naturally spacing out. I've lengthened it to every three hours during the day. I'll keep decreasing the meds, gradually.

This morning I walked down to a neighbor's house for coffee. She had her right hip replaced by Dr. Matta, too. That replacement was years ago, and it went perfectly. For her left one she had it done in the posterior method. This time the doctor was local. (You have to pay Dr. Matta cash.) For the second time she went through her insurance company. I'm not sure what went wrong, but three years later, her incision still hasn't healed. It seemed like she didn't want to talk about it, so I didn't ask. (The woman who has been helping me water my garden told me about it.) It really humbled me. When this surgery doesn't go well, the results can be tragic. She's back at work, and very positive, though.

Came home and felt tired from just an hour of coffee and chatting with my two neighbors on the porch. I made a hamburger patty for lunch. I realized that I don't do well with conversations that contain negativity. It seems to really drain me. I had fun crocheting, though. They're great ladies; I just don't feel comfortable with gossip. It was fun to see her little house and healthy garden, though.

Yesterday I did my laundry. Today I'm going to make a salad and do a bit more cleaning. I've been walking unassisted, and it feels good. I'm still resting, icing, and elevating. Tomorrow it will be two weeks to the day that I had my surgery. I'm astonished at the healing rate. I do the PT exercises religiously. Dr. Matta told me, "Make the physical therapy your job." I can feel the muscles developing. It seems like they actually grip the implant, like a claw. I'm getting some definition in the hips and buttocks that I haven't had since I was dancing. I'm been walking daily. I add a little more each day.

Hope everyone else is doing well. I enjoy reading all the stories. It's so interesting.
 
Last night a friend of mine called from NY. He told me that he had a hip replacement in 2009, and had the other hip resurfaced at a later date. Three months after his surgery he was performing in a show! It was the role was of an older man, so he was sitting and doing light tap dancing. Still, I was amazed that he was back on stage so quickly. After that, he was hired as a dancer for The Lion King. He told me that was really hard. It was very demanding, technically. It was really good to talk to him. I am hoping to work my way back to being able to sing, act, and do light dancing on stage again. He was very encouraging.

This morning I woke up at 5:30 a.m. I slept well. Last night I took a pain pill at 10:15 p.m. and then woke up at 1:30 a.m. and took another. My body's getting into a routine. Fortunately, I fell right back asleep and slept soundly until the morning. I think I was tired from my evening walk and physical therapy. I worked up to doing 30 repetitions of each exercise. I started at 10, two weeks ago. My legs really like the exercises. They feel much stronger, and look more toned.

This morning was the first day i've been able to water my garden and orchard without help. It's exciting to be making progress with my daily tasks. Dial a Ride is coming to pick me up later, and I'll go to my knitting group at Panera. I'm only going to stay for two hours and fifteen mins. That's plenty.

Dr. Matta encourages us to get back to our daily activities after the first couple of weeks. I'm seeing that my body is really responding to that. It seems to send the message to it that we're moving forward. I'm going to ice a little now and make some breakfast.

I hope everyone else is doing well.
 
Things are moving along. After slowly cutting back the tramadol and percoset I switched to over the counter Motrin. I am no longer on the aspirin, either. It was prescribed for the first ten days. The Motrin in working. I went to my knitting group yesterday. Had a nice lunch and chatted with friends. I had a good Dial a Ride driver, and it was a smooth ride. I didn't stay the entire time. Came home, iced, rested, and ate some protein. Walked down to my neighbor's home and sat on her couch for a cup of coffee. I had crocheted her a couple of pot holders as a thank you for helping me with my watering. She was so appreciative, I may make her a baby blanket for her grandbaby, as well. It's a good activity to do while recovering.

I worked on my singing yesterday afternoon. I felt weak, and my voice is not where it needs to be for auditions. I'm going to make that part of my daily PT. I didn't realize how much strength singing takes! I only did one session of (hip exercise) PT at home. I walked the dogs, (with the walker for safety,) and we went a bit further. I think I'm walking about a mile and a quarter. I built up the distance gradually. Today I'm going to stay home. A neighbor invited me to Costco, but I feel like I need a rest day.

Last night I was very tired, so I didn't do my evening set of PT. Woke up at 1:30 a.m. and took a Motrin. I woke up again around 3:30 a.m. with some aches so I did some icing and elevating. The dog wanted to go out. Went back to sleep until 5:30 a.m. My bowels are finally starting to move again. Those meds were really stopping me up...even with the stool softeners, fruit, water, and prunes. I'm no longer itching since I eliminated the percaset.

The incisions look really good. The glue Dr. Matta used is flaking and peeling off. The scabs are almost gone. I'm going to take a shower. For some reason, showers make me feel 100 times better. I didn't take one last night, (just in the a.m.) and I felt a real difference in my mental and emotional state.

Hope everyone else is healing and doing well. I don't know how to tag names on this site. (I think that's what it's called.)
 
I'm very pleased to be off of the prescription drugs now. The Motrin is doing the trick. I wake up a couple of times during the night, but that's okay. I almost got up at 3:30 a.m. and iced, but was able to fall back asleep after taking a Motrin and doing some deep breathing exercises. I'm so glad I practiced yoga for thirty years. Everything I learned is coming in handy after this surgery. I'm also thrilled to be going to the bathroom regularly again. That's a relief!

Yesterday I vacuumed my living room, bathroom, and kitchen. I have a Shark vacuum, and it's very light. I do it in small amounts. (My cottage is only 567 square feet.) My walking is feeling very natural. My body seems to like the routine it's in, and I feel better now that I can get back to taking care of my home and garden. I worked on my songs, but practiced them mentally instead of physically. I don't want to sing while I'm weak. I feel like that will reinforce singing off pitch. So, I'm hearing the sounds perfectly in my head. That still stretches the vocal chords, which fascinates me.

I'm going to walk the dogs this morning, while it's still cool. Dial a Ride is picking me up and taking me to the gym. Today will be the first day I try the recumbent bike with no resistance. I'm excited. I haven't been to the gym in over two weeks. I'll pick up some groceries next door at Costco, and then Dial a Ride will bring me home.

Yesterday I had a pepperoni pizza delivered from Round Table. It's nice to have a break from cooking. I don't normally buy take out food, but this is a treat. I've been saying that I'm going to make a salad for the past seven days, so hopefully I will accomplish that today.

My thighs are no longer sore. I focus my icing on the hip area now. In the beginning of my recovery, all of the pain was at the outer thighs. Now the sore spot is at the hip joint. Icing and elevating really make a huge difference for me.

Hope everyone else is doing well.
 
@Hip Hip Hooray! I've just discovered your recovery thread and have been inspired with how well you are doing!! I am also a former Santa Clarita resident. I now live north of Seattle, but I do miss SoCal! (I get to visit often because my daughter and her family live in West Hollywood).

I am in awe of how well you are doing-your surgery was one week before mine! I too have weaned myself off the prescription drugs and have gotten the bowel thing worked out. I had my first PT home appt yesterday. I have been much slower with the physical rehab, I think because I was told not to bear more than 50% weight on my right hip, for ?? weeks. I am calling my dr's nurse to find out how many, I swear he said 8 but my husband thinks he said 2 which would be a huge relief. I live in an old Queen Ann house with many steep steps so have been limited to mobility without supervision getting up and down the many steps. After reading your report I am motivated to get out and walk! I've pretty much been cooped up this whole time. (I have kids at home and husband who entertain me :)).

Congrats on doing a great job with recovery-now I'm ready to get moving!
 
@LaylaHips,

Thanks for the encouragement. My friend's doctor also told her not to put full weight on her leg. I guess they're all different. It makes sense in your situation that you haven't been walking. I don't have any stairs. (I haven't climbed many stairs yet.) The walking does really seem to help, though. Did you have the anterior method? Glad to hear you also are off the prescriptions. It's such a relief to clear up the bowel thing. I was afraid I would need to go back to the pain medication, but the motrin is working for me. I'm going to see if I can space it out to every four hours tomorrow.

Your house sounds beautiful! I love Seattle. We lived there until I turned six. Small world that you used to live here!

I went to the gym this morning and did the recumbent bike for ten mins. (at no resistance.) It felt smooth and easy. I tried it before my surgery, and it felt impossible. I ran into some friends there, and they were amazed when they saw me. One of the trainers asked me about my surgery. She had seen how badly I was walking before the operation. They were really encouraging.

Went to Costco and picked up a few things. I walked around the store with my walker. I used it to carry my bike trailer bag. That gave me a little more PT, since Costco is huge! I'm kind of sleepy now, so I think I will ice, elevate, and nap.

Keep in touch, and let me know how you are doing...
 
@Hip Hip Hooray!
You are doing so well! I read in your previous post that you are just taking Motrin for your pain. That sounds wonderful, but just be careful you are not exceeding the daily dosage limits. Keep up the good work!
 
@Nana757,

Thanks for the encouragement. When I had my wisdom teeth out, my dentist gave me a prescription of vicodin. I used over the counter Motrin instead, since it works well on my body. He was pleased that it numbed the pain so well, since he'd had to break my jaw. H told me he could also get a me a prescription for Motrin, but it was just more of what I was taking.

We all are individuals, and have to do what works for us. This is right for me, and I make those decisions. You might choose to do differently. Healing is such a personal thing.
 
@Hip Hip Hooray!
Sounds great!!! Looks like Dr.Matta did fantastic job anf you are doing great. Does Dr.Matta have any written literature on bi-lateral hip surgery? Congrats again as I am 3.5 wks away.
 
@Hip Hip Hooray!
You are so right! As it is said so many times on this site, everyone is different and heal and recovery in their own way and what works for them. I guess I'm just a wee jealous that you are already off the narcotics and OTC meds work great for you. Well done girl and continue on! :)
 
topgun said:
@Hip Hip Hooray!
Sounds great!!! Looks like Dr.Matta did fantastic job anf you are doing great. Does Dr.Matta have any written literature on bi-lateral hip surgery? Congrats again as I am 3.5 wks away.
Click to expand...

He has great literature that they give you before the operation. I don't think the bi-lateral is different. I was told that he doesn't do them that often. I researched them on line, and another dancer did one with him and posted her results.

Another thing Dr. Matta wrote that made me chuckle had to do with Handicapped Parking requests. I'm paraphrasing, but he said something like, "You are disabled before your surgery, not afterward. You need to walk after your surgery." I got a kick out of that!

There are some videos of him and his patients on Youtube. You're right, he is fantastic. I feel like my pelvis is perfectly aligned now, and it was out of kilter for the past three years. I also feel like my leg lengths are exactly the same. I've heard some people feel a discrepancy. I'm a very exact person, and that's what attracted me to him. He's got excellent reviews on line.

Keep me posted on your situation. How are things going?
 
Nana757 said:
@Hip Hip Hooray!
You are so right! As it is said so many times on this site, everyone is different and heal and recovery in their own way and what works for them. I guess I'm just a wee jealous that you are already off the narcotics and OTC meds work great for you. Well done girl and continue on! :)
Click to expand...

You will be, too. My mother was addicted to prescription drugs from the time she was pregnant with me until she died a few months ago. I needed what they gave me at the time, and it worked very well. It's a tricky balance to cut back meds in the beginning, because you don't want to get behind the pain.

My healing seems to be speeding up now that I'm past the two week mark. The pain is far less, so this transition is working. I think I'll be off the motrin in a week or so. We'll see. If something changes, I saved the prescriptions.

I wish you the best in your recovery. I am amazed at how wise our bodies are, and how they whisper the truth to us. Took a couple of naps today, and boy are they healing!
 
Last night I woke up in pain at 2:00 a.m. I iced my hips, and then decided to take a percaset. It gave me relief, and I slept until 7:30 a.m. I must have done too much yesterday. I lifted a heavy bag of groceries from Costco off of my walker so that I could sit. Then I lifted it back on the walker to get on the Dial a Ride bus. I also pushed an old wheelbarrow to my pomegranate tree and picked all of the fruit. Looks like some rats had been munching on a few of the pomegranates. I knew from experience they would strip the tree if I didn't pick the fruit quickly.

The other thing I did was I took a bath. Dr. Matta says you can immerse in water 2 weeks after the surgery. It had been 16 days, so I cleaned the tube with white vinegar and water, and took a hot bath in epsom salts and baking soda. I think that caused inflammation. I normally take a cold shower at night, which is very soothing. I'm going to wait another week or two before bathing.

So, it's back to the prescription pain killers and backing off the activity. I've got to be careful not to get too overzealous. The house is not going to be as clean as I would like, but that's okay. I'm so used to being in shape that I expect too much from my body. Lesson learned. Good thing I still have prunes and stool softeners...
 
Things are looking up. I was able to do less yesterday and just used the Motrin. My body emmediately responded to the rest and relaxation. I took one Tramadol at bedtime, then woke up at 3:30 a.m. and took one percaset. I slept like a log! It was a really good, deep, healing sleep. I can sense an improvement in my hips. My legs are SO much better. I don't need to ice them anymore. Now the focus is on the hip joint. (I used to use four ice packs, now I use two.)

I realized yesterday that i really need to be VERY careful about the people I spend time with during this recovery. I had been attending a couple of knitting groups to get out of the house. At one, there was a woman who was making antagonistic remarks about the fact that I was walking so soon after my surgery. "Showing off?" she asked me, sarcastically. She kept repeating it to different women in the group. (I was walking to prevent blood clots and to help circulation.) I felt kind of sick to my stomach that day, and very drained. I quit the group, and let them know why. The last thing you need after a bilateral hip replacement is to listen to someone like that! I just don't have the energy or patience for gossip or bad mouthing these days. I've got to stay positive and focused on my goals. I'm limiting the amount of time I spend with others. I've been listening to inspiring podcasts and enjoying my dogs.

Today I was able to water my cottage garden. I did the orchard last night. It feels better to break it up into two days. I'm doing a few chores each day, but not too much. It's feeling more natural and is getting much easier. I walked the dogs this a.m. and will do my PT this afternoon. Yesterday I fell asleep during a rest between PT exercises! When I woke up, I realized what had happened, laughed, and then finished.

I've been making delicious meals each day, and have finally started making daily salads again. Everything's fine in the bathroom dept. since I don't need as much of the heavy duty medication.

Hope everyone else is doing well and moving forward with their healing...
 
@Hip Hip Hooray! Hi, its been a few days since I caught up on all the threads and really enjoyed reading your progress. The humps and hurdles sounds rather familiar but you sound extremely positive and each day is a new step forward so good for you. I totally agree on the "people" challenge, too many of them are happy to pick holes and malign positive behaviours and progress. The best move is always to leave them in their own stew of tormented juices. The sleep pattern sounds interesting, but at the end of the day your body knows best :)

Have a great recovery day
 
@AndyH99, Great to see you back on the forum. Your thread has really helped me. It kind of teaches me what lies ahead. I wouldn't have known about the 1 month slump if I hadn't been reading all of the posts here. I'm at almost three weeks now. (Tuesday will be exactly three weeks from my surgery.)

Last night I went to bed early, and once again, slept soundly. I've been spacing out the Motrin during the day. I think I can take it every five hours now. I took on tramadol before bed, and a percaset at 3:30 a.m. It's funny, my body wakes up, I take the medicine, and then I go right back to sleep. It's become a habit. I have FAR less pain. It's such a relief! I think I will try cutting the percaset back to one half of a pill tonight. Dr. Matta's asst. told me to get off of the percaset first, and then dilute the tramadol. I feel good about the dosage. It's amazing how much effect that one pill has. It totally relaxes my muscles. I can see now how people get dependent on these prescriptions. They give you the same effect that a massage or yoga class gives. I'll be glad when I can start doing yoga again. For now I'm just doing the breathing and meditation.

I added a few PT exercises that I learned on line. (for hip replacement patients.) I started with 10 reps, and they feel good. I walked the dogs without the walker this morning. We went a little further. I did a small amount of yard work. I pulled out the old zucchini and tomato plants, and trimmed back a sunflower bush. Now that the weather is cooler, the garden looks much greener and happier. I've been spending time on the porch in the cottage garden. It's really relaxing and healing. I love being surrounded by the greenery and flowers.

Part of me wants to go to the knit shop for a few hours this afternoon. It's only a mile away. I wish I could drive, but I'm really not supposed to...I can take the bus. It's such a short trip. It's also cheaper than Dial a Ride. If I was ambitious, I would walk, but that's a bit far for me.

I'm much more comfortable sitting and doing my dally tasks now. I'm still very conservative with activity, but the improvement as far as pain is fantastic. I still do a lot of icing. It really helps me.

Hope everyone else is coming along well. I'm so glad I found this forum. If I hadn't, I'm sure I would have done way too much exercise and other activity. Reading the stories here keeps me cautious and conservative.
 
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I just got back from walking the dogs. My outer thighs and hips started aching a bit, so I elevated and iced. Last night I took one tramadol at bedtime, and then half a percaset when I woke up at 12:30 a.m. I slept until 4:30 a.m. and got up early. Felt very peaceful and calm upon waking. I enjoyed a cup of coffee by candlelight.

I decided not to go to the knit shop yesterday. Instead, I stayed home, did some much needed dusting, rested, listened to a couple of podcasts, and read. I find doing my household duties is plenty of exercise. I also do the PT exercises, and walk the dogs. I'm so glad that I don't have to return to work. What I'm doing right now is plenty. I need to ice and rest quite often. I don't know how I would cope if I had a full time job in the corporate world. I'm slowly preparing for auditions, but it's going to take a while.

Today I'm going to do some knitting, singing, a bit of vacuuming, and reading. I feel very lucky to be where I am. I've cut the pain meds way back. I should be off of the percaset very soon, then will cut the one tramadol per day in half. I do feel a little more pain today, so I may adjust that.

I was going to take Dial a Ride to my knitting group tomorrow. They told me that it expired on the 7th. I haven't received my disabled rider TAP card in the mail. It was supposed to be here by now. Oh well. I could take the bus, but I don't want to sit for 45 mins. each way. We'll see. I'm kind of enjoying staying home with the dogs. Recovery has been smooth and steady, so I'm staying conservative with what I do.

Hope everyone else is doing well...
 
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