THR Bettifloss is now an old hippy

[TerryCloth]

Wow @bettifloss sounds like you are doing really well & adjusting nicely! I'm still about a week or 2 away from getting my 'nest' together - it's probably impossible to anticipate all of our wants, needs & arrangements for post op... We have to consider it a work in progress! ... Baby steps


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[Hipster Girl]

Okay, not sure that this is a very good health tip - but just sharing the post-op psychological benefits of post-op chocolate (or whatever treat does it for you) ! I was lying on the bed, feeling a bit bleugh (maybe that's sleep deprivation, drugs, postop blues whatever) and just remembered the lovely gift of choc-covered marzipan my pal brought me yesterday. Big chunk of chocolate later, and I'm ready for another trip outside on my crutches while its still sunny outside, completely perked up. Better than any drugs! Maybe it was low blood sugar. Anyway, while I'm all in favour of healthy eating, maybe we shouldn't try to be too healthy too soon - be kind to yourselves fellow hipsters ....

There isn't much a little chocolate can't fix

 

[TerryCloth]

OMGosh @bettifloss That is a good one! I can't wait to be lying propped up in my own bed- Post-Op and wating chocolates! CHEERS to you and your continued recovery! Keep up the good work

 

[CatLady1]

@TerryCloth - Now that I'm home from surgery, I see all kinds of little things I could have put up / fixed / moved etc to make recovery life better -- things like there's not enough space on the table next to the recliner (could have moved a few more things off). Things that didn't seem to matter, but now I look at and wonder why I didn't move it to begin with.

 

[bettifloss]

@catlady and @TerryCloth - yep - I thought I had everything sussed out at home, now finding out that things are still in the wrong place or too low down. Grumpy moment this morning as I realised I could not reach new carton of milk and couldn't rouse hubby from upstairs to come and do it for me - eventually hiked up two flights of stairs and rousted him out of bed so I could get my breakfast porridge! That aside, I feel very lucky, lots of lovely visitors and going out for lunch today, restaurant is a five minute walk from the house so I guess ten minutes on crutches! Must remember to take a cushion and try not to want to go to the loo (too low i think) ! Just pondering whether I can manage'proper' clothes (leggings and dress) instead of tracky bottoms that i have been wearing for four days....


Bettifloss - RTHR 5 January 2016. Posterior approach with ceramic on ceramic prosthesis.

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[Jaycey]

Very early days for you @bettifloss . Easy does it during your outing. Ten minutes walk for a new hippy can seem like miles! Can you get a lift home? BTW - use the loo for disabled. It will be at the right height and have bars so you can easily lift yourself.

 

[CatLady1]

@bettifloss - you're braver than me, going out to eat. First off, nothing here is 10 minutes away (walking or driving, except the next road). Let us know how it goes.

 

[Squirrellymom]

Wow, just WOW @bettifloss ! I'm in awe. I am no where near ready for a walk of that distance. Yes, I could probably manage it but I would be worn out and putting on anything next to my skin other than sift warm up pants makes me shiver. My PT said I have to use walker for two weeks even if I feel like leaping hurtles. Perhaps that was just to conjure up excitement for coming in to PT once a week.

I had to use a regular height toilet seat last week on Wed when I went in to PT facility. Handicapped stall was nasty so I attempted the drop and stand on a normal seat. NOT what I would ever choose to do 20x a day. At our pre op class we were told that raised potty seat was mandatory for knees but optional for hips. Uh? No. I would not feel comfortable without that nice high seat with lovely handles. Stairs? Stairs! I have to go up and down nine steps to my front doir. I've only done it twice and very slowly.

Anxious to see how your outing goes. We have light snow and yuk in Nashville, U.S. today so I'm not planning any expeditions. Lucky you!


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[bettifloss]

Hooray, just back, had a lovely time, walking (very slowly) was no problem, though I was glad hubby was with me to negotiate the one road crossing (quiet as it was a Sunday). One of the joys of living where we do ( typical UK suburbia) is that you can walk to pretty much anything you need on a daily basis - I see lots of trips to coffee shops in my immediate future!

Top tip to avoid irritating wound - found a pair of leggings with no side seam in my drawer - worked a treat with a little dress on top. Think I may be a bit lucky re wound as no prickly staples, only glue.

Needed hubby to zip me into my boots though. Have ordered a pair of old lady ankle boots with velcro closures to give me a bit more independence - too much time on my hands for internet shopping!

One of the friends we met up with was a pal with a broken femur, also on crutches (she fell off her bike trying to avoid an oncoming ambulance, but that's another story) and we were comparing notes. I think a traumatic broken leg is in general a much longer recovery, but one thing she doesn't have is a 90 degree restriction. We were speculating about whether we could make a trip to the cinema together, but could not figure out a way of allowing me to raise my cinema seat in a way that I could get in and out of. Seats do have arms but they might be a bit low. Would have to be on back row so as not to impede others' view. @Jaycey do you have any experience of cinema-going recovering hippies? Not just idle curiosity - we have a cinema just a short walk away.

Now being sensible and having a bit of a lie down. Big treat tonight is that our more sensible big dog Betty is coming home from the dog home boarder. The younger, bouncy maniac of a dog Flossie will have to stay at boarders for a bit, but she has another puppy to play with so she won't miss her older companion. I cant wait to get a dog cuddle!




Bettifloss - RTHR 5 January 2016. Posterior approach with ceramic on ceramic prosthesis.

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[bettifloss]

@Squirrelymom, forgive my ignorance, but what is drop and stand? I think i need to know if it's a handy toilet trick!


Bettifloss - RTHR 5 January 2016. Posterior approach with ceramic on ceramic prosthesis.

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[Squirrellymom]

No trick @bettifloss A drop and stand over a low toilet is exactly that. Bend knees a certain distance til you just have to drop/plop onto toilet. Then, when time to rise and there is usually no hand rail or handles, do all in your power to just STAND up. Hehe. I'm so wobbly that, when I had to do this maneuver last Wed. (Day 2 out of surgery) I was trying to hold onto a packet of papers given to me in PT and I had no place to put them down within the confines of the potty stall so -- lowered my buttocks slowly toward the seat and then hard sit whilst still gripping papers. Time to stand, transfer papers to another hand and struggle to slowly raise up off seat, hold papers and attempt to pull up pants, drop papers onto floor and they partially slide under to next stall. I had to maneuver to squat and reach papers and reassemble my decrepit body. It was more than I ever wanted to do merely to be able to pee. More than one higher toilets and wider stalls in an Orthopedic facility should be a no brainer.

 

[bettifloss]

Oh my goodness, that sounds awful. And were you all the time trying to follow the ninety degree rule? Surely that's not possible...?

With a view to managing unruly toilets, I have acquired a 'shewee' so I can pee standing. Should come in handy later when hiking. Only attempt at practice so far (preop) resulted in success in aiming at toilet but total failure in holding knickers out of the way...very soggy experience, fortunately at home. Only then did I notice that in the instructions it advises you to practice in the shower....think i need to master it before I end up trying drop and stand!


Bettifloss - RTHR 5 January 2016. Posterior approach with ceramic on ceramic prosthesis.

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[CatLady1]

@bettifloss -- most US chain movie theaters have an area up front for handicapped attendees -- the movie seats are the same, but the area around them provides space to roll a wheel chair into place so it fits within the row. I like your idea of movie attendance (we went to see Hateful Eight the weekend before surgery and 'won' a free movie with our rewards card - it has a 30 day expiration, and we were talking about when I could go again.) I've never really looked at a theater trying to scope out how a handicapped person could sit, but if you could sit on front row (where you had space to extend your leg), it might not be impossible to sit down. Most of the chain theaters in our area have a smaller front - on the floor - section, then a second raised seating section. I'm thinking the front row of the raised section might work...but hmmm, I don't know about bathroom stall navigation.
I think I'm going to wait until I'm walking with a cane to consider all this.

 

[jomarie58]

Bettifloss, great to read your posts after surgery. My first hip gets replaced this Friday, January 15. I hope I will be up and walking soon! Feel better! Jo


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[bettifloss]

Hi @jomarie58, great to hear from you. Hope the waiting time goes quickly - i think it is normal to be scared (whoever is not cannot have much imagination!) but it will be truly worthwhile - even when you wake up in your hospital bed you will be amazed to notice that the old pain has just gone. Sure there will be the pain from the incision and a temporarily very weak leg, but somehow your body seems to know that it's a 'different' , and temporary sort of pain.

@CatLady1 - spurred on by your thoughts, my project for today is to investigate the movie theater (see, I am learning to speak American). Ours has wheelchair spaces (I take my 93 year old aunt from time to time) - but not sure where has the best legroom or how easy it would be to get up from the seats (funny that you never notice these things even though you have been there many times!). The hospital PT made a good suggestion - to put a piece of tape on your crutch at the safe height - in my case 19 inches) so you can check out seats whenever you are out and about.


Bettifloss - RTHR 5 January 2016. Posterior approach with ceramic on ceramic prosthesis.

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[CatLady1]

@bettifloss -- good idea: putting tape on the crutches. At least you'll know in advance whether sitting in a seat was / is a good idea. For me, it would take sitting there (after knowing) and finding out the hard way. It's amazing how much a few inches can do to the ease of getting up from a chair.
Let us know how you navigate the cinema seating. So what movie are you up to seeing?

 

[Readysetgo]

I have enjoyed your recovery posts @bettifloss. You certainly are getting around well! I am going to put some tape on my crutches for safe seat height. That is a good idea - thanks for posting it. I hope your cinema research goes well and would like to hear how it goes. Sitting in a real theater watching a film can be so relaxing. It can really take you away for awhile. Hope you are having a lovely day fellow January Jackpot hippie! Congrats on your strong recovery.

 

[bettifloss]

Today's highlights - made a recce trip to cinema, all very easy, seat height will be fine with an extra cushion. We are going to see The Danish Girl. Plus I have my gentle big dog back so i have loads of cuddles. And two lovely visitors today.

Lowlight of today (though it had its funny side) - my wound dressing was peeling a bit and i had been told to change it after 5-7 days. So I waited until my friend who is a veterinary nurse (good thinking, right!) came round and we attempted to do it following the instructions printed in a teeny weeny picture on the packet. Disaster - all the sticky stuff stuck to itself and not to my leg. Try again. Same result. Tried holding it in place with tape, tape stuck to trouser leg and peeled off. Now only one dressing left in packet and beginning to worry. Googled and found some kind soul had posted video instruction. Finally, it worked! Now just a bit concerned it could still peel off in night leaving wound exposed and no replacement to hand. Nothing in local pharmacy. so hubby kindly made round trip to hospital to pick up replacements - fortunately not too far away. No harm done and lesson learned. And if anyone else has a Mepore dressing - google the video first unless you are an expert!


Bettifloss - RTHR 5 January 2016. Posterior approach with ceramic on ceramic prosthesis.

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[DeepBreath]

@bettifloss, your posts are so entertaining. It sounds like you're doing just beautifully. Continued good wishes for a great recovery!

 

[CatLady1]

@bettifloss - you need to make another video to go with that one -- of how not to take off (or put on) the bandage. I'm thinking it might be a good substitute entertainment for those of us who can't make it out to the movies yet! You sound like you're doing great with your recovery, too!