THR Ava in recovery

[Layla]

I’m so confused as to wether I should be stretching and walking or just icing and elevating till I feel better

Please just rest and ice, ice, ice! You can ice as often as you wish as long as you have fabric between your leg and the ice source. It should help to relieve pain and swelling. Do it for at least 45 minutes though each time you ice, no less.

PT advises you to engage. It’s their job to get you to engage, but often enough members will overdo it and end up struggling with pain and stalling their recovery. I understand the concept of skipping PT in favor of walking, but not to excess, is a tough one for people to grasp. You mentioned you’ve been taking it easy for three days, but also noted that you finished at home PT today, so unless all you did was sit and talk with your PT today, you’ve possibly aggravated whatever issue you’re dealing with.

Try to look at it this way...your leg is injured, it was put through a “controlled” trauma. If you sustained similar injuries from a car wreck, do you think you’d feel you should be exercising / working that leg? Your leg is trying to heal and it is healing, just give it some time and TLC and things should turn around for you.

Wishing you comfort and speedy relief.

 

[Ava]

I’m so confused as to wether I should be stretching and walking or just icing and elevating till I feel better

Please just rest and ice, ice, ice! You can ice as often as you wish as long as you have fabric between your leg and the ice source. It should help to relieve pain and swelling. Do it for at least 45 minutes though each time you ice, no less.

PT advises you to engage. It’s their job to get you to engage, but often enough members will overdo it and end up struggling with pain and stalling their recovery. I understand the concept of skipping PT in favor of walking, but not to excess, is a tough one for people to grasp. You mentioned you’ve been taking it easy for three days, but also noted that you finished at home PT today, so unless all you did was sit and talk with your PT today, you’ve possibly aggravated whatever issue you’re dealing with.

Try to look at it this way...your leg is injured, it was put through a “controlled” trauma. If you sustained similar injuries from a car wreck, do you think you’d feel you should be exercising / working that leg? Your leg is trying to heal and it is healing, just give it some time and TLC and things should turn around for you.

Wishing you comfort and speedy relief.

Thanks that was my gut feeling. Appreciate it

 

[Layla]

Aww, hugs it will get better, Ava.

It’s time to ring out the old year and welcome the new.
We invite you to the BoneSmart New Years Eve Party on Thursday, December 31st. You will find friends old and new dropping by the Community Room with well wishes.
Please join us!



@Ava

 

[Ava]

Happy New Year to all. I’m feeling really bummed out. I’m back to using 2 crutches and really having a hard time with weight bearing. I’m so confused because I was doing so well. I have been resting and icing constantly for the past 5 days and no relief. I called the Dr and he put me on tramadol. I was only taking meloxicam. He seems to think it’s surgical pain and told me to take the weekend and if I’m not feeling better I can come in to see him.

I just don’t know if this is normal since I was really doing well. Good news is I’m sleeping well and on my non operated side. I hope this passes soon because I’m getting worried.

 

[2Kittens]

Ava you and I had surgery same day and I’m now in the same boat, was progressing nicely and yesterday developed significant pain at the surgical site (actually the soft tissue under that hurt after surgery) and it feels worse than the day I came home but I haven’t been taking nearly as much pain meds but yea a giant scary step backwards and I don’t know how long it’ll take to get better. I have a theory though of what caused mine (exercise bike) but it’s not like we know what is going to be over doing it because we don’t push into pain. It is VERY frustrating and scary actually and I’m sorry you’re going through this!!

 

[Ava]

Ava you and I had surgery same day and I’m now in the same boat, was progressing nicely and yesterday developed significant pain at the surgical site (actually the soft tissue under that hurt after surgery) and it feels worse than the day I came home but I haven’t been taking nearly as much pain meds but yea a giant scary step backwards and I don’t know how long it’ll take to get better. I have a theory though of what caused mine (exercise bike) but it’s not like we know what is going to be over doing it because we don’t push into pain. It is VERY frustrating and scary actually and I’m sorry you’re going through this!!

Same to you. This is so frustrating and worrisome. I’m not doing anything but icing, elevation and walking to the bathroom. I hope that helps and doesn’t make it worse. I’m praying for us both.

 

[Elf1]

@Ava sorry to hear you're having a rough time of it. Tomorrow makes a month since your surgery, while it may feel like a lifetime it's really a very short period of time.

You are at prime timeline to overdo without even realizing you're overdoing it. And depending on the level of overdoing, you can actually set yourself back a week or more.

Continue to ice and elevate, minimal walking for the time being. Take your meds as prescribed to stay ahead of the pain, playing catchup is no fun.

Our former Nurse Director recommend the tramadol/Tylenol (paracetamol) combination many times. Here are her recommended routines:
The first is for 4-hourly doses and the second for 6-hourly:

If you use this schedule, do check to make sure you're not taking any other drugs that contain Tylenol (Acetaminophen). You need to stay within the safe limit of no more than 4,000 mg of Tylenol in a 24 hr period. If any other medications you're taking contain Tylenol, add their amount into your daily calculations and reduce another of your doses, so you stay within those limits.

 

[Ava]

Thanks for the schedule. The Dr only gave me 20 tramadol and told me to take 1 50mg every 6 hours. If I follow the schedule I’ll be out in 2-3 days.

 

[Ava]

In the activity progression it’s recommended to walk 30 min a day. Is that all at once or throughout the day?

 

[djklaugh]

@Ava call your surgeon and get a refill! As for the walking no it does not have to be all at once if you do not feel up to that - take 2 15 minute walks or 3 10 minute ones .... if weather is bad near you then do "laps" around or across the largest area in your home or down a hall way. I remember one fellow posting a cute video of himself doing laps around his home with his two darling and loyal dogs following him every step of the way.

I sure hope you are feeling better!

 

[Ava]

Thanks - I am afraid of over doing so I will do 3 10 min walks. My first floor is perfect it’s all open space. Appreciate your feedback.

 

[2Kittens]

Ava that’s what I’m doing, laps back and forth every couple hours to keep blood flowing and muscle strength up. I have my 6 week check with my OS mid January and I have to admit I’m really worried if I have to tell him everything isn’t peachy keen and linear healing. I’m sure he knows that but stuff like that bothers me

 

[Jaycey]

There is no such thing as "linear healing". This is a good representation of the process:

 

[2Kittens]

Yes I love that graphic, I’m just not going to like telling my surgeon that everything is just progressing along nicely. Well maybe it will be in 2 weeks. It’s not like he or anyone else can do anything. This is Ava’s thread so IDK if she feels like this but we’re both struggling with going backwards which isn’t linear of course but confusing as to what to do next especially since there is a progression guideline and isn’t there a point where we truly turn the corner? We’re both one month out so I guess that’s not a lot.

 

[FCBayern]

Unfortunately one month out is not a lot @Ava & @2Kittens. This is a 12-18 month recovery process, but at around 4 weeks a lot of us were feeling better and did too much leading to a set back. It's very discouraging when that happens but if you cut back on activity and keep icing things will begin to improve again.

 

[Layla]

Happy New Year and a Happy One Month Anniversary!
Three 10 minute walks should suffice. Hopefully, you tolerate it well. I understand it’s easy to get discouraged, but you’re really in the very early days of recovery in the whole scheme of things. As for The Activity Progression for THR, it is not a test to measure success. It’s to be used as a rough gauge. Some excel, some lag behind, no right or wrong. Hang in there, slowly but surely you’ll get there.
@Ava

 

[Ava]

Thank you for the support. I’m not pushing myself. I learned a lesson. I’m just icing, elevating and taking it easy. It’s hard because I feel I should be doing more. But I don’t want to go backwards again. I still am not where I was 10 days ago. I’m supposed to start Out patient PT tomorrow but I’m canceling until I see my surgeon on Jan 12. Until then I’m just taking it easy. I still cannot put any weight bearing on my operated leg.

 

[FCBayern]

Good choice to skip the PT for now @Ava. Ice, elevation, and rest will help that hip get back on the right path. Hope you start feeling better soon.

 

[Ava]

Hi All - I’m just getting back to feeling better. By no means where I was at 3 1/2 weeks. I over did it during Christmas. I was feeling great with walking without assistance, no pain THEN WHAM!!! Over did it. Thought I was on my way to complete recovery WRONG!!! I spent the last 10 days icing and reclining and back to crutches. Could not even use my cane.

Please use me as an example. Take it easy, easy easy. Only way to heal. I cannot say it enough. I set myself back 2 weeks or so. I thought I was listening to my body but I was wrong. Even if you feel well in the early weeks its not a good idea to think this is it and start pushing yourself.

I hope I’ve turned the corner again, but this time I am taking things very slowly. I see my OS on Tuesday and hopefully I’ll get a good report.

 

[Eman85]

It's a tough lesson to learn and we've all done it in one form or another. With my first I was progressing really well and had a few bumps in the road at 6 weeks. Then at 3 mos I really thought it was all over and guess what? It took 3 weeks of sitting and icing to get back to where I was. Trust me at 3 mos it's easily done, for me it was a ladder and not a lot just mostly standing on it.