THR BeBe finally!!!

[anny]

OH yes....'ants in the pants' feeling.....wouldn't you think we'd enjoy the opportunity to lie back and be waited on, but after half an hour I get twitchy and can't concentrate on anything.....NEVER thought I would be pining to clean the kitchen!! I still have to have my upper body slightly propped up in bed so that my hips can go flat.....wasn't able to straighten up out of my hip before so assume the soft tissues have shortened and will gradually lengthen out now the artificial hip is no longer preventing it. I only saw a physio in hospital....now I'm out I have the option of going to a 'joint class' at a local physio clinic.....I may try it in a few weeks but to be honest, a friend who went for her TKR said it's practising going up a flight of 4 steps etc, and I already do 12 steps several times a day. Maybe I'll try it once just in case I'm missing something, but will wait a few weeks yet.

The achey leg from lying on your back.....I have my top half propped up, and when my bottom half gets too stiff I slide up or down the pillows to vary the bend in my lower back......I tried propping my feet up on pillows as well, but quickly abandoned that cos it made my knees ache. Back sleeping is the pits, but have to grin and bear it....who knows, by 6 wks we may have grown to love it! (no, I don;t think so either ) Hope logleg/pins and needles resolve quickly...... you feel you're making progress when you've actually got a bit of control over your limbs

 

[Mojo333]

It was several months before I could be comfortable anywhere in any position for long periods...long being 30 minutes
Thigh muscles and lower back plus achy legs...it will slowly get better.

 

[hipster333]

@BeBe it's so hard when you can't get comfortable in bed. It took me a while, and even now there are some nights it's not great, but not complaining vs what it was prior to surgery. I had awful pain in my piriformis from lying on my back and had to put a pillow under my knees and a small ice pack on my lower back when I slept. You do eventually get used to sleeping on your back. Now that I'm back to my sides I do prefer them, but I find myself on my back a lot more often than I used to. My knee pain was bad after surgery and PT said it was because my quad muscles were so weak. Once I started stretching them and icing my knees everything started to get better. I've also figure out how to stretch the piriformis to get rid of most of those pains. it's just the darn groin pain I can't get rid of (and I didn't have that prior to surgery). Hope you're having a good day!

 

[BeBe]

Hi all!
Post op day 11?
Night time continues to be a big hurdle. I medicate appropriately and elevate and ice and fall asleep. Well asleepish. I've been an insomniac most of my life.
Then apparently I do not move for several hours? Like 3? the meds wear off and I wake so achy!! The thigh muscles! Up to bathroom. Take the second batch of meds, refresh ice, reposition. Read. Reposition. Up stroll the house which really helps pain.
Back to bed. Read. Ice. Maybe sleeping til my morning Tylenol and aspirin.
During the day I have a morning ritual with the doggies to their pen ,breakfast,and cruise the house a bit. I head to the recliner and every hour I try to get up and focus on walking correctly and a few much needed stretches. This afternoon I even managed making baked ziti with frozen meatballs for supper. That tray on the walker!

I have had my second day of just ES Tylenol during day with a TwC at 6 pm. Seems adequate given my activity level.
Oxy 5 at night with ESTyl and a 2 mg Valium at 11 pm holds me for a few hours then more oxy if it's past 4 hours.
The 15 minutes of walking every hour or so during the day and literally icing all the time I'm still, I believe it helps the muscle pain. It's when I just sit still I can't take it.

The past two nights I have gone to sleep on my non surgical side, giant pillow propping my leg. Ice on my hip, knee, and low back. Getting to that position and again out of it is really not for the faint of heart.
I have even slept for a tiny bit on my surgical side which they told me I could do (what?!)
but I really can't stay there more than 10-15 minutes.

@hipster333
Please tell me how you do your piriformis stretch! Is it hip precautions appropriate? I've been a side sleeper most of my life but in the past few years with hips so bad I've been sleeping with the giant pillow to prop various ways to get as comfortable as possible. Husband says I snore on my back. Oh for crying out loud!!

All in all I'm doing better if we take the quads, ad-abs and ITband out of the equation. But I think time has to pass for all this
Leg is still long.
Still trying to just lay flat.
Still hurts.
Oh and I finally took off the bandage, apparently I kept it on a week too long!! I had to read the fine print hidden away in my dc paperwork. I will have to crop the pic and post it.

 

[hipster333]

@BeBe you’re a busy lady! I feel your pain with the insomnia. I’ve had it for years and finally had to resort to sleeping pills because I couldn’t function during the day. The best thing for the piriformis for me to stench is lying on my stomach and then go up with my forearms on the bed. I’ll lie like that for about 10 min. If I can find an image with the stretch I’ll post tomorrow when I have my computer. Yay for you for getting dinner. Thanks think you’re doing great!

 

[TinyMom]

@BeBe - your nights sound a lot like mine did in the first few weeks... medicate, sleep, up to go to bathroom, more meds, walk, read, back to sleep... Here in week 3, I am now sleeping longer stretches - yay! I hope the same for you. I’ve had insomnia for years, too, exacerbated by OA pain. I actually am sleeping longer and more now than I have in ages. Makes me very thankful!

Keep up the icing and moving. Sounds like you are doing well for day 11!!

 

[AgilityDog]

@BeBe I love your plan. I bet you don't snore any more than I do. My knees hurt no matter how I positioned the pillows. I thought maybe it was just me. I figured I wasn't doing it right. I want to try Hipster 333's stretch. We can compare notes.

 

[BeBe]

@hipster333 not sure the last time I flipped over onto my stomach might just let that pass till I have a couple more post op weeks under my belt. @AgilityDog you try it first!
You know I say insomniac but I'm actually just one of those people who historically only sleeps maybe 4-5 hours and does ok.
Never nap during day - only a couple times in the first couple days. BUT that only works if all else is good.
Throw OA pain in and my other irregularities and I appreciate those two 3 hour sessions per night.
@TinyMom
I would love to sleep longer -that's a goal! We're getting there!

 

[anny]

BeBe.....I'm not going to let my husband read your post......I'm letting him do all the cooking, and am secretly hoping that he might actually be able to do basic meals after this crash course! (the hard bit is hanging on to my patience....he seems to have forgotten everything he ever knew about the kitchen from years ago, so it's very much a step by step process

I'm still on my back....surgeon's precautions for 6 weeks, doesn't make for long stretches of sleep but I'm getting thro an awful lot of reading.....and I suspect I snore on my back, but the dogs are loyal and don't tell on me! (husband banished to spare room so I don't disturb him trotting to and from the bathroom)

You seem to be out of your dressing very quickly? I have a large waterproof dressing, and my incision won't see light of day until I see the nurse next Tuesday. No idea what's going on underneath but assume if there was anything untoward I would see signs round the outside.

Really? Day 11?!! Wow all that angst beforehand, almost forgotten in a few hours.....

 

[hikejunkie]

lying on my stomach and then go up with my forearms on the bed.

This sounds like a yoga posture - Cobra Pose - yes?

 

[hikejunkie]

All in all I'm doing better if we take the quads, ad-abs and ITband out of the equation. But I think time has to pass for all this

At the stage you’re at, this is pretty much par for the course. I’m sorry you’re still hurting but it sounds like you’re doing great!

 

[Mojo333]

your nights sound a lot like mine did in the first few weeks... medicate, sleep, up to go to bathroom, more meds, walk, read, back to sleep... Here in week 3, I am now sleeping longer stretches - yay! I hope the same for you. I’ve had insomnia for years, too, exacerbated by OA pain. I actually am sleeping longer and more now than I have in ages.

And mine, same story.
Hang in there, Bebe. The night crawlers rule...eventually.

 

[hipster333]

This sounds like a yoga posture - Cobra Pose - yes?

It's not a full cobra pose because you don't push yourself all the way up. Elbows stay down. Here's a good link--I usually just hold the position at the top, but am going to try it the way she is doing it to see if it gives an even better stretch.

 

[Layla]

Oh and I finally took off the bandage, apparently I kept it on a week too long!! I had to read the fine print hidden away in my dc paperwork. I will have to crop the pic and post it.

@BeBe you know you're funny, right? You make me laugh.

Hope your day is pain free, peaceful and perfect

 

[BeBe]

Two weeks today!!

I have come to the realization that this recovery thing happens at its own pace and not a whole lot to be done to hurry it along.
My pain levels are staying controlled during the day with icing and Tylenol. And my walking.
I was still using oxy at night at the beginning of the week at bedtime because that was when I had the most discomfort. Just could not get comfy to get to sleep. Had to cut back because of stomach stuff again. I have kicked it to the curb now though.

The pain may have more to do with position. And my spine, just hating the back sleeping. After several hours and no more meds - I finally roll/position myself carefully on my left side with pillows and ice and fall asleep.
My leg cramping has settled significantly and the log leg has almost resolved. Sideways movement is still elusive,
but compared to last week big improvements!

I had my once a week PT today and she agrees I need to focus on walking correctly and is conceding that the LLD is an issue. I just walk around the house with a left shoe on, right sho off, so that evens things out. Otherwise my right legs splays out sideways and I am not able to walk as upright.
PT measured ROM today and was so surprised at my progress from last week, knowing I am doing almost nothing of actual exercises. So of course she wants to add things and weights. We focused on stretches that don't aggravate my spine.
Lots of healing can happen in a week - right!!
I am not yet ready to give up the walker - still have that odd weak feeling in the leg so...
Maybe I just like motoring around with that tray!

 

[TinyMom]

Great update, @BeBe! Congrats on reaching the two-week milestone

Sounds like you are making awesome progress. Hooray for no more log leg!! Hang onto that walker as long as you feel it’s helping. No rush — you’ll know when it’s time.

And you are so right about recovery going at its own pace! I still have to remind myself

 

[BeBe]

@TinyMom
In a way this has been the longest two weeks of my life! And the shortest!
I do have my postop appointment with OS on the 12th so would love to be narcotic and
walker free so I can get the elusive permission to drive.
I live on a farm and plan on taking the little pickup ( clutch) around
to "check fences and downed trees" maybe Sunday. See how I do.

 

[MajorHeidi]

@BeBe You have got this thing, now!
Way to go on the progress.... each day we get better.
Ever onward!

 

[Mojo333]

Hope all goes well for your drive around today. Don't put any fences down by running over them
Not even a month out yet so try to be patient!
Worth it all in the long run!

 

[BeBe]

Hi all!
I'm kinda crabby today, seems I opened the ODIC door and had a look around!
PT on Friday wasn't too bad but I did come home to do some laundry and dishes and all in all I was probably up going around about 3-4 hours. Too much!
Yesterday Saturday I couldn't put any weight on my leg and had to resort back to the loop to move it in and out of bed. Had to use a prn oxy in the middle of the night. Now I have hip joint pain held to 3-4 with Tylenol and ice.
Adding insult to injury, I just feel achy, have started sneezing and have a headache. Don't plan on going to visit
head cold land but it could explain the general malaise.
So just laying low, watching the Masters with DH.

Oh and I did go outside and walk the driveway with the walker this am. I took off the tray I have on top so I was able to walk upright better. I couldn't believe how much better I could walk without that tray in the way!
Just wanted to share what might be obvious to most but was a revelation to me.

Ok off to go check up on others threads.
I need a new iPad or just sit up at the desktop, this takes me forever to post. I keep losing sentences.