Back Home Today

[Traceyleth]

Hi everyone i came home today on my youngests 8th birthday have had a few visitors and am now exhausted! Op went really well i had LTHR a ceramic on ceramic bearing (not a squeaky one i hope) and a New type titanium stem on Monday afternoon. I had a posterier incision which looks about 6 inches or so long didnt manage to get up day of op or following morning too sick and dizzy but got a little walk in later in day, that was tuesday and was walking with a cane by friday although i am very slow and i have lowish blood pressure so sometimes feel a bit dizzy which is very unnerving. I feel quite stiff and sore today more so than a couple of days ago but i know from reading all your posts that this is all very normal. I hope you are all doing well in your own recovery's and will probably be posting soon with lots of questions. Thank you all for your advice well wishes and prayers it really was a blessing.

Tracey

 

[westexas]

Tracey,
Thrilled you are back home safe and sound...I know that sick feeling in the hospital...Stayed ill for three days and finally felt better on the fourth...came home on the fifth....Everyone will be excited to hear from you...Patty

 

[Josephine]

Yay! Tracey's home! Welcome back, honey!

 

[rejoyce318]

Welcome home, Tracey!
I know what you mean about the low blood pressure & feeling crummy. Throwing up the afternoon of my surgery during my first PT session put a quick end to that session.
It does get better, but I learned the hard way about needing to take it easy after doing too much too soon.

Hope your youngest had a great birthday, now that Mom (Mum?) came home!

Joyce

 

[clwhit]

Tracey:

Welcome home! Wishing you a speedy and uneventful recovery.

~Carol Ü

 

[JudyS]

Tracyleth,

Welcome to the other side. A cane already, you are doing awesome. I'm glad you were home for the birthday.

I still walk slow so don't worrry about that!!
Judy

 

[Traceyleth]

Thanks for all your comments.

I get tired so quick i only have to take a trip to the toilet and and thats me done in for at least an hour (i have to climb stairs to get there).

Its a lovely day today and i think i might take a walk outside this afternoon
Anyone have any suggestions on relieving the discomfort in the heel of your foot. I tried a soft cushion for a while last night it worked then i could take no more and came downstairs to sit in the recliner.

Tracey

 

[rejoyce318]

Tracey, I found that raising my feet on a couple cushions while icing my ankle helped, as well as keeping up with those ankle pumps they had me doing in bed. Ankle's still a little sore almost 3 wks. post-op, but icing definitely helped the swelling I had, which helped the discomfort. Still icing my thigh.

I got as far as the mailbox a few doors down the first time I walked outside. I was toast after that for the rest of the evening! ;)

Joyce

 

[JudyS]

Tracey,

I did not have heel pain so no help there.

Tracey and Joyce,
I know it seems crazy to get so tired after so little, but before you know it that will be a memory only. I am now 7 weeks post op and do not get that tired feeling any more. I have not got it for a few weeks (I think)
Judy

 

[clwhit]

I was given the most wonderful "air" booties in the hospital. When I was discharged, the nurse told me to make certain I took these with me. I was so glad she told me to do so. The heel pain was uncomfortable for about three weeks post op. I used my booties when I slept. They made a world of difference.

~Carol

 

[rejoyce318]

Carol - what a neat invention! Glad they helped.

Joyce

 

[newwheels08]

Anyone have any suggestions on relieving the discomfort in the heel of your foot. I tried a soft cushion for a while last night it worked then i could take no more and came downstairs to sit in the recliner.

Tracey

The heel pain was the most excruciating thing for me....far worse than the surgery pain, and relentless when in bed with the wedge pillow. The only relief was to get my heels up off the bed with rolled up towels under my ankles (with the help from by wife). Getting some "air" under them was instantly better. I was so glad when I could sleep on m side again at 4 weeks.

There must be a ton of nerves involved, because heel pain was the only pressure point issue I had and it was a totally unexpected and unexplained surgery side effect for sure. Felt like I had a really bad burn. Thought I was going crazy at the time. Best wishes for your recovery.

 

[bentonsmimi]

Hi Tracy! I'm so glad you are home and on the road to recovery. I am scheduled for Friday. I was interested in your heel pain. This is the first I have heard of this. When did it start? Is it any better? Rolled towel trick is good to know. Anything else work for you? Continue getting better. I am thinking of you across the "big water" Bentonsmimi

 

[dharlander]

Welcome Home!! I am 6 weeks post-op yesterday (June 16th) RTHR. I know that icky feeling too well. I had to have two blood transfusions the day after my surgery as my blood count dropped dangerously low.

The low blood pressure can also be from your pain medicine (I had a problem with that). When you take your pain meds try to lay down for an hour after you take it. Also, I found drinking some V8 if you like it helped to keep my bp from falling into the bucket.

This will all get better and before you know it you will be 6 weeks out too! This is a great forum. I don't know where I would be without reading all the encouraging posts.

Good luck, and welcome home!!!

Debra

 

[Josephine]

I was given the most wonderful "air" booties in the hospital. When I was discharged, the nurse told me to make certain I took these with me. I was so glad she told me to do so. The heel pain was uncomfortable for about three weeks post op. I used my booties when I slept. They made a world of difference.

~Carol

Are they just inflated thingies or connected to a pump?

Hi Tracy! I'm so glad you are home and on the road to recovery. I am scheduled for Friday. I was interested in your heel pain. This is the first I have heard of this. When did it start? Is it any better? Rolled towel trick is good to know. Anything else work for you? Continue getting better. I am thinking of you across the "big water" Bentonsmimi

Very, very, very common. In fact, if I stay in bed for a half a day (unwell or something) I get sore heels quicker'n I can say it! I tried using the rolled up towels but it limits your movement (I think) and is more irritating than enough. So I tend to spread my legs so my heels can drop over the edge of the mattress. Ungainly but then I don't tend to have visitors!

You can get serious pressure sores from such as this which is one of the reasons they get you out of bed so quickly for all sorts of surgeries.

 

[*gmac*]

Welcome back Tracey. Sounds like your doing great. Watch those stairs. Any problems with a sore knee? How is your heal doing?
-Gary

 

[clwhit]

Josephine:

The "air booties" were inflatable and can be found at the following website:

www.waffle.com

They were absolutely wonderful and helped my heel pain tremendously in my early recovery. I used them for about 3 weeks.

~Carol

 

[clwhit]

BTW...

The "air bootie" I was given was the heel elevator.

~Carol

 

[ceci1957]

Tracey, I'm glad to hear you are home and doing well. It's great that you are already using a cane!!! Good for you. We all heal differently and with different timelines. I felt really good two weeks after and then went to a bookstore in the mall. Learn from me and don't do that. I paid for it later. Take your time getting back to regular activities if you need to and never feel bad that you can't do something on your own, or soon enough. I got better daily and at 6 weeks post-op, I don't feel so tired anymore. Keep getting better!

 

[Stanj]

The heel pressure pain seems to be related to sleeping position before the operation. I had it and attributed it to the relatively light but unfamiliar contact pressure on heels that never had it before. I always slept on my side going back as far as I could remember. I solved the issue by putting a thick pillow under my knees and slept with my knees raised high enough to allow my feet to rest on my soles instead of my heels. That instantly reolved the issue. I was able to lay comfortably on my incision side soon after discharge from the hospital so I quickly forgot about this issue with heel pain. Actually, in all ways it was very comfortable to raise my knees to allow soles flat on the bed, I could rest my book or laptop in a comfortable position.
For people who normally sleep on their back, and used to the heel contact pressure this probably is not a problem.