THR AussieMike returns

[AussieMike]

CURRENT DATE: Friday 12th October
Procedure: LTHR
Post Op: 18 days
Location: Rehabilitation Hospital
Entry Weight: 78kg / 172lb
Current Weight: 75.8kg / 167Ib
Target Weight: 70kg / 154bIb

CURRENT ISSUES:
Incision pain
Muscle weakness in left glute

ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE:
1. Got out of bed independently
2. Stood in place with walking frame
3. Walked 6 meters to bathroom
4. Used bathroom independently
5. Took shower seated with assistance
6. Dressed with assistance
7. Walked 30 meters with a walking frame
8. Walked 10 meters with 2 crutches
9. Walked up and down 1 step repeatedly
10. Showered standing independently
11. Dressed independently (except TED socks)
12. Walked 100 meters with 2 crutches
13. Walked up and down the 6 step mini-stairs
14. Walked down and up 2 flights of stairs (total 60 stairs)
15. Hip Flexion 90 degrees
16. Hip Abduction 30 degrees
17. Supporting my roomie and new friend David on his journey
18. Making people happy and positive
19. Walking with two walking sticks
20. Walking with one walking stick
21. Commenced hydrotherapy program
22. 30 seconds of continuous kicking against the Hydrojets
23. 60 second Plank
24. Breaststroke / Backstroke in the pool
25. Slept through the night without pain relief
26. Walking leg over leg down stairs
27. Walking leg over leg up stairs
28. 6 x 60 secs Planks with 30 secs rest between reps
29. Walking leg over leg up 10 flights of stairs

CURRENT PAIN MANAGEMENT:

5mg Targin every 12 hours
5 mg Endone every 3-4 hours upon request
2 Panadol every 6 hours
Aspirin 150mg per day
Ice packs as required

TODAY'S FOOD PLAN:

Breakfast
Porridge, apple juice, wholemeal toast (1), marmalade.
Lunch
Assorted sandwiches, fruit yoghurt, orange juice.
Dinner
Ham salad, orange creme caramel, apple juice.

TODAY'S FOCUS:

1. Physio session @ 9am
2. Hydrotherapy session @ 10am
3. Physio session @ 1pm
4. Walking around the block @ 3pm


NOTES:

06.29 I had a restless night with a few hours sleep from 3am onwards. The truth is I overdid it on the stair training yesterday. My inner groin and lower back are sore. If things do happen for a reason, then this happened to remind me not to attempt too much too soon when I leave the rehab hospital tomorrow.

12.30 Final Hydrotherapy session done. First Physiotherapy session done. Visit from the GP to discuss medications to take at home. Visit from the OT to discuss transfer into motor vehicles and to see if I needed a demonstration / practice. I declined as I have used this technique for the past several months. Beside, it is raining outside.

13.33 Final Physio session done. Quick chat with the Rehab Specialist done. Two meals and one sleep and I am on my way...

15.16 A lazy afternoon catching up on last night's lost sleep. Feeling better now.

 

[Josephine]

 

[AussieMike]

Its my last day in rehab today and time to reflect on this short chapter in my life. Like most institutions, rehabilitation hospitals have things you like and things that drive you crazy. For what it's worth, here is my list.

FIVE THINGS ABOUT REHAB FOR WHICH I AM GRATEFUL

1. The knowledge and caring of the rehabilitation nurses
2. The expertise and encouragement of the physiotherapists
3. The kitchen staff who make it so easy to focus on good food without fuss
4. My family, friends and work colleagues who encouraged me
5. The isolation from the demands of my work

FIVE THINGS ABOUT REHAB THAT DRIVE YOU MAD

1. The lack of privacy
2. The mind numbing repetitive routine
3. Being woken from your much needed sleep for no good reason
4. The side-effects of narcotics
5. Did I mention repetition?

Finally may I say without question, I am far more grateful for those who work in rehab than frustrated by the system. Thanks to all those angels who work in these important facilities which rebuild people's lives.

 

[sharonslp]

And on to the next segment of your recovery journey. It's always an interesting road we hippies travel. And we have such good traveling companions!!

Sharon

 

[Jamie]

Mike, I have just caught up with your wonderful thread. What a great job you did with your journal!! You are having a sterling recovery, aren't you!!! I'm glad you chose to stay in rehab for a while. It does allow you to focus on your recovery a bit more when all the "necessities" of daily living are taken care of for you.

One thing that stood out from your reports was that you enjoy helping others. Maybe you'll consider hanging around here on BoneSmart even after you're healed to offer advice and support to others.

At any rate, I look forward to reading more of your adventures with your new hip. And.....the advice you received about the elliptical machine is good. It's a better plan to hold off on any machines like that for a while until your surgeon clears you for gym activity. You'll be there before you know it!!

 

[meatfree]

Hi Mike, I know what you mean by getting woken up at all times when the nurses check to see if you're ok but guess it's nice to be checked on too, swings and roundabouts as they say. You sound like you are doing great but over did it a bit , I found my lower back was affected too when I did the same and the swelling at the top of my leg stings, our bodies telling us to slow down. I don't like sleeping pills either and only take them every 4th night if i havn't slept I get exhausted so have to. Enjoy your home again, so nice to be in your own bed at last that will make a difference, keep up the good work. Take care Lesley

 

[AussieMike]

And on to the next segment of your recovery journey. It's always an interesting road we hippies travel. And we have such good traveling companions!!

Sharon

Hi Sharon,

You are indeed correct. I am indeed grateful to have had you as one of those travel companions. Your advice has been very valuable to me. Thank you.

Mike

 

[AussieMike]

Mike, I have just caught up with your wonderful thread. What a great job you did with your journal!! You are having a sterling recovery, aren't you!!! I'm glad you chose to stay in rehab for a while. It does allow you to focus on your recovery a bit more when all the "necessities" of daily living are taken care of for you.

One thing that stood out from your reports was that you enjoy helping others. Maybe you'll consider hanging around here on BoneSmart even after you're healed to offer advice and support to others.

At any rate, I look forward to reading more of your adventures with your new hip. And.....the advice you received about the elliptical machine is good. It's a better plan to hold off on any machines like that for a while until your surgeon clears you for gym activity. You'll be there before you know it!!

Hi Jamie,

You are indeed correct - my recovery has been a dream made even easier by the Bonesmart Angels™ like yourself. I read many other threads on the forum and don't feel qualified to comment. But I am certainly very aware of the potential issues and I'm very grateful that this has not been my road to date.

On the question of hanging around, let me tell you that I have decided to continue my journal until the end of six weeks post op. It seems like a complete record at that point. Beyond that, I will certainly pop in from time to time and offer what I can. I know that the demands of my C level executive role will make this difficult on any more than a casual basis.

I do appreciate the advice on the elliptical machine. Interestingly I was talking to one of the nursing staff here who stated that the highly repetitive nature of the machine may work against the bonding between the Acetabular and the pelvic bone which naturally occurs. I was not aware of this aspect. In any case I have dismissed the idea.

Finally thanks to your personally Jamie for your many contributions on my threads. I greatly appreciate your time, knowledge and kindness.

Mike

 

[AussieMike]

Hi Mike, I know what you mean by getting woken up at all times when the nurses check to see if you're ok but guess it's nice to be checked on too, swings and roundabouts as they say. You sound like you are doing great but over did it a bit , I found my lower back was affected too when I did the same and the swelling at the top of my leg stings, our bodies telling us to slow down. I don't like sleeping pills either and only take them every 4th night if i havn't slept I get exhausted so have to. Enjoy your home again, so nice to be in your own bed at last that will make a difference, keep up the good work. Take care Lesley

Hi Lesley

Yes we all know its with the best of intentions that the nursing staff interrupt your sleep. Its a natural human reaction to be frustrated by their intrusion which, in any normal circumstance, would be considered inappropriate.

Thanks for your kind wishes and I hope that you too continue on the road to a full and complete recovery.

Best wishes

Mike

 

[Jaycey]

Hi Mike, you are indeed qualified to comment on any hippie thread as you have been there and done that! Of course real life takes priority over time you might have to spend here. But this site is all about helping others through a (sometimes) scary journey. Journals like yours make a huge impact on those trying to make the big decision to move forward.

You are heading home soon. Recovery Stage 2 - good to go!

 

[AussieMike]

Hi Jacey,

Seems like all my fav Angels are online today (except for Poppet - hope she is okay). There are some threads where the author is talking about conditions and situations beyond my knowledge and experience. In the circumstances where there are qualified and knowledgeable people here, I would always defer to them. On matters of the experience of THR and the road to recovery, you are right - I am now qualified to offer my experience.

Indeed I am heading home in a few short hours and I would like to take the opportunity to thank you personally for your selfless help with my questions and doubts throughout my time. Your kindness has been greatly appreciated.

Mike

 

[Jaycey]

My pleasure Mike! Safe journey home. There is a whole world of adventures out there with that new hip. You are so lucky to have had this bit of a head start in your recovery.

Btw - Poppet is fine - she has been having techie problems with her internet. She'll be back soon. Have a great day!

 

[Poppet]

Wahoo!

Mike is going home tomorrow... Well done, my good friend... Hugs

p.s. have posted on my own thread...

 

[AussieMike]

Wahoo!

Mike is going home tomorrow... Well done, my good friend... Hugs

p.s. have posted on my own thread...

Thanks Poppet!! I am very happy to be going home but I have to say that my time here in rehab has been made so easy because of your contribution. I am very grateful my friend.

Hugs

Mike

 

[bigozzie9er]

Morning Mike, Glad that your going home.. Once you get there.. make sure you try not to do to much.. I know I can speak for myself.. I caught myself testing at times I shouldn't have.. This is just me trying to rush the process.. But our friends here on Bonesmart on a regular bases reminded me to take it easy.. you take care and remember baby steps.. Have a great day.. Ron

 

[jazz6661]

It's still Friday here in the U.S. but I do believe it may be Saturday in Austrailia (do I have that right?). Anyway - best of luck with your journey home Mike. My ride home was a bit rocky but I was only day 3 and still feeling very sick to my stomach. I'm sure you will do fine. Keep up the good work!

 

[AussieMike]

Hi Ron,

Thanks for you kind words of wisdom. I am not actually going to my home. I am going to my girlfriend's home where she is going to help me transition for an extra week before I return to my apartment with its 32 stairs. Like you I would be too ambitious without putting these safeguards in place. Fortunately I know myself pretty well.

Cheers

Mike

 

[AussieMike]

It's still Friday here in the U.S. but I do believe it may be Saturday in Austrailia (do I have that right?). Anyway - best of luck with your journey home Mike. My ride home was a bit rocky but I was only day 3 and still feeling very sick to my stomach. I'm sure you will do fine. Keep up the good work!

Hi Chris,

It is nearly Saturday (I always prepare my daily journal ahead of time). Its currently 11.30pm Friday. Thanks for your kind wishes. I am feeling relaxed, rested, confident in my hip, focused on the next stage and very grateful for everyone's support.

Mike

 

[AussieMike]

CURRENT DATE: Saturday 13th October
Procedure: LTHR
Post Op: 19 days
Location: Rehabilitation Hospital / My Lady's home
Entry Weight: 78kg / 172lb
Current Weight: 75.5kg / 166Ib
Target Weight: 70kg / 154bIb

CURRENT ISSUES:
Incision pain
Muscle weakness in left glute

ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE:
1. Got out of bed independently
2. Stood in place with walking frame
3. Walked 6 meters to bathroom
4. Used bathroom independently
5. Took shower seated with assistance
6. Dressed with assistance
7. Walked 30 meters with a walking frame
8. Walked 10 meters with 2 crutches
9. Walked up and down 1 step repeatedly
10. Showered standing independently
11. Dressed independently (except TED socks)
12. Walked 100 meters with 2 crutches
13. Walked up and down the 6 step mini-stairs
14. Walked down and up 2 flights of stairs (total 60 stairs)
15. Hip Flexion 90 degrees
16. Hip Abduction 30 degrees
17. Supporting my roomie and new friend David on his journey
18. Making people happy and positive
19. Walking with two walking sticks
20. Walking with one walking stick
21. Commenced hydrotherapy program
22. 30 seconds of continuous kicking against the Hydrojets
23. 60 second Plank
24. Breaststroke / Backstroke in the pool
25. Slept through the night without pain relief
26. Walking leg over leg down stairs
27. Walking leg over leg up stairs
28. 6 x 60 secs Planks with 30 secs rest between reps
29. Walking leg over leg up 10 flights of stairs
30. Lost 2.5kg / 5.5lb in bodyweight in rehab - none of it muscle
31. Completed 800 metre / 875 yards footpath (pavement) walk in 7.5 mins

CURRENT PAIN MANAGEMENT:

5mg Targin every 12 hours
5 mg Endone every 3-4 hours upon request
2 Panadol every 6 hours
Aspirin 150mg per day
Ice packs as required

TODAY'S FOOD PLAN:

Breakfast
Porridge, wholemeal toast (1), jam, orange juice.
Lunch
Soup, toasted sandwich.
Dinner
Lean steak, potatoes, carrots, zuchinni, passionfruit yoghurt

TODAY'S FOCUS:

1. Independent Physio exercises @ 7am
2. Discharge from Rehabilitation Hospital
3. Home assessment for sleep, diet, relaxation and exercise
4. Local out and back walk @ 4pm

NOTES:

07.00 I weighed myself for the final time this morning. (I was fortunate that there was a large digital scale located at the end of my upstairs corridor). I have lost 2.5kg or 5.5 lbs in the rehabilitation process.

This was very easy to do and I thought I would record what I did here in case someone else would like to try it. In my operating hospital and my rehab hospital they supplied bottles of water each day for patients to drink. I made sure that I had at least 2 and preferably 3 bottles every 24 hours.

Now you might say to me, hang on Mike I will have to struggle through pain to go to the bathroom every 10 mins. Well for the first day or two you will pass a lot more water. If you are still confined to bed, its no hassle and if you are up and about at this stage its a great strength building exercise to get out of bed all the time.

After 2 days your body adapts to the increased water supply and becomes more hydrated assisting your internal organs like your liver and kidneys to function with greater efficiency. This is the amazing bit, if your kidneys are able to do most of the filtration work they are designed for then your liver can do what it is best at - burning fat!

Secondly give coffee a big miss. You don't need it. You have nowhere to go and no particular time to get there. I switched to black tea with the occasional hot chocolate at night. Remember coffee depletes your body of water and makes your kidneys work so much harder which is when the liver is forced to assist rather than burn fat.

Thirdly choose your food wisely. The pain management drugs (narcotics) and the amount of bed rest make it difficult to achieve regular bowel movements. For this reason I always choose either a high fibre cereal like All Bran™ or porridge.

Given that my exercise levels are pretty low, I always had sandwiches for lunch rather than a hot meal. My body didn't need three cooked meals each day. The sandwiches were accompanied by a fruit plate which helps with your fibre intake as well.

In addition, the hospital food menu lists which food are heart healthy with a small symbol next to the items which were good for you. I simply chose one of these options for dinner each evening.

For snacks there was black, white or herbal tea (I brought my own).

Finally I exercised with as much intensity as I could. This doesn't mean I put my hip at risk. It means when I did a particular exercise I did it as well as I could. I tried hard and I tried to do an extra set or two for each exercise as I got stronger in my final week.

Its a great time to change things in your life - I encourage you to give it a go. After all, what else do you have to do?

07.45 Just a note on the home preparation we have done. Given that I am very mobile, there wasn't too much for me to do at this stage. We borrowed a toilet seat (thanks Cathy) to ensure I respect the 90 degree rule. We purchased a wedge cushion which will allow me to sit on most seats and allow my knees to remain below my hips. I also plan to use this cushion in the car to assist me to rotate into and out of the seat. We also found we have a boomerang pillow to assist me to sleep on my back.

Aside from these items, one of my work colleagues called Brian gave me an essential item that every hippie can make use of in their early days at home. A small bell for room service. You will get me into trouble Brian...

11.13 Discharge from hospital was straightforward with the only additional charge not covered by my private health insurance being the cost of an aluminum walking stick ($AUD 25). Nice to go for a ride in a car in the sunshine and seeing the great outdoors.

We stopped at a chemist (drug store) on the way home to fill my prescriptions for Targin and Endone. The chemist would not fill the prescriptions as I was not a regular customer. Under Australian law, Class D drugs can only be supplied to established customers apparently. We will sort it out at a chemist who knows us.

13.30 How can you get sore walking around a house a few times? I am not sure but I managed it. Took 5mg Endone and rested for 90mins. Catching up on last night's sleep now.

18.22 It is good to be home. I have had a pretty lazy day compared to what I have been doing in the rehab facility. I have organised my medication into individual containers each marked with the time of day it is to be taken. I have then set repeating alarms on my phone to remind me to take the medication on time.

My main focus for the day was an 800 metre (875 yard) walk near home which includes a section with an incline. It proved to be a good distance as I just started to feel tightness in the abductor of the operated leg in the final 200 metres. I intend to repeat this walk each afternoon taking note of the time it takes to reach the half way mark. (7.5 mins today).

I will include a pool session tomorrow and of course I continue to do my range of motion exercises particularly those that stretch the calves and hip flexors which are my particular weak points.

 

[AussieMike]

Its 30 minutes after midnight and I am having trouble sleeping.

But not for the usual reason a hippie gives. I am just excited to be going home! I have been watching a movie on television and when it finished I got outta bed, walked down the corridor and then down the staircase without a trace of stiffness or pain. It was then I realised that this is the best I have felt physically in at least three years. I am so fortunate!!

P.S. Special thanks to my night nurse who smuggled me some cheese and biscuits to celebrate my departure.