THR Bickypeg's new hip

[bickypeg]

That's good to know! I work my pillows too but once in bed I'm a bit like a beached whale. I tried a pillow under my knees last night but it felt very odd so I wiggled it out. Perhaps do it again in the day when I'm just napping. And the smaller pillow sounds a good idea.Out in a chair since 4.30am which is a bore but I'd just had enough. Think I'm not quite as achey as yesterday and lower back feels better. At least my concentration is improving so I can read for a while.

 

[Layla]

Total derail but I can't even control myself.
@1stSurgery I get those "migraine without the pain" occurances on occasion. Can't believe I found someone else! They're called Occular Migraines and the first time it happened to me I was in the shower and terrified.
Thinking all the worst thoughts. It's very worrisome until you learn what it is. I'll get one on ocassion and I never take anything and thankfully an episode only lasts 30 mins tops. I'm so happy and feel validated that I've met someone (well sorta) that's experienced this also. I've never read of the connection with the foods you've mentioned all of which are in my diet here and there. Very Interesting! I'm purchasing Baby Aspirin today.


I hope you're feeling better today @bickypeg
Cute baby on your avatar!
Wishing you a wonderful week as you continue healing.

 

[1stSurgery]

Total derail but I can't even control myself.
@1stSurgery I get those "migraine without the pain" occurances on occasion. Can't believe I found someone else! They're called Occular Migraines and the first time it happened to me I was in the shower and terrified.
Thinking all the worst thoughts. It's very worrisome until you learn what it is. I'll get one on ocassion and I never take anything and thankfully an episode only lasts 30 mins tops. I'm so happy and feel validated that I've met someone (well sorta) that's experienced this also. I've never read of the connection with the foods you've mentioned all of which are in my diet here and there. Very Interesting! I'm purchasing Baby Aspirin today.


I hope you're feeling better today @bickypeg
Cute baby on your avatar!
Wishing you a wonderful week as you continue healing.

@Layla, wow! I carry the small travel size bottle of baby aspirin everywhere ...because I've had it while driving too and that's dangerous. One time I was glancing at the car in the lane next to me with a dog hanging out the window when the dog disappeared! And part of the car. You know what it's like. Went to gray. I pulled over and got out the baby aspirin! I forgot to mention, besides the food triggers, they often come during stress as well and those foods seem to be the thing that makes it manifest. The dark chocolate one...and the cheese...some of my staple foods!

 

[1stSurgery]

@bickypeg i was awash in a sea of pillows last night as some aches just kicked up. The under the knee one has to be soft enough to not cut off circulation for comfort. That's why I use the neck pillow. It has a "valley" where I put the leg and is just high enough to relieve the back and it's soft covered memory foam. Last night I must've had six pillows working. It's an experiment every night. Hope you find relief, our sleep is so important and elusive it seems!

 

[bickypeg]

19 days on.
Oh dear I'm moaning again. Operated hip doing very well but the other hip which is also arthritic is really feeling the strain. Can do standing physio exercises fairly easily up but on the operated hip it's almost impossible. Stiff and very painful. Had granddaughter on my knee a few times over the past couple of days but just sitting and looking at books. Have walked round the garden a few times and regularly get out of chair as both ankles are fairly swollen. But no stamina for going any distance. Had right hip xrayed again at the hospital before I came out as I'd said it had deteriorated but it was suggested that repairing the left would help it. Not sure what to do for the best. Still on 2 codeine a day and paracetamol 3/4 times but to be honest paracetamol has never helped much. Any advice from those who've had both replaced?

 

[Mojo333]

I'd said it had deteriorated but it was suggested that repairing the left would help it.

By taking some pressure of of it?
Don't understand that really.
I think there are several members due to get other done as there non op leg seemed to worsen after THR. I'm so sorry you are hurting.
I did both at once..so no help.
But no meds would help my OA pain so...
Wishing all would ease for you!

 

[bickypeg]

It didn't make much sense to me! Much more pressure on the unoperated leg obviously. I can't tell whether to rest more or move more. And codeine is really good but is it just masking pain I should be trying to do something about?
Did you manage all right having both done at once? My mind boggles!
Yes only aspirin other ibuprofen touched my arthritis at all. Paracetamol just makes me sleepy.

 

[bickypeg]

@bickypeg i concur with Apricot re the flashes. I've had episodes for years and a few times they were the vitreous tears - large "floaters" - that just seem to settle themselves. Other times they were what's called "migraine without the pain" and is a benign condition that feels scary when it comes on if you don't know about it. And it's not a visual issue per se, but vascular. Can be brought on by meds, or red wine, cheeses, coffee, caffeine, dark chocolate - yeast foods. Symptoms start with the kaleidoscopic zig zag flashes in one eye only. If you don't take a baby aspirin at the onset you can have appx a half hour of visual disturbances - sometimes that eye doesn't see part of the field of vision, it's goes to grey. First few times scared me so much I almost passed out thinking I was going blind, but later learned you can stop it all with a baby aspirin. It has been years now since I've had one. I'm glad the symptoms haven't returned for you.

As for sleeping, I found a small memory foam pillow for the neck ...used under the knee ...really helped provide comfort to me! I kept experimenting with all of the 42 pillows I now have in the bed to see what worked best where. Trial and error. Then when I could bend the knee enough, I found back sleeping with knees bent relieved lower back pain as well as a propped up neck and head. Work those pillows!!

The little neck pillow under both knees worked a treat! Thanks!

 

[1stSurgery]

Oh @bickypeg ..I have become some sort of manic pillow queen since surgery! These smaller pillows under the knees, another flat but firmer pillow goes right into the small of the back for back sleeping support. I prop up a series of larger fluffy pillows to raise the upper back up a bit in semi sitting position, for more comfort. And on and on! I think a tempurpedic might accomplish all that without all the pillows.

I have the exact problem that you're having with the Unoperated hip suddenly out of control wickedly painful. Mind you it was bad at the date of surgery also, both were bone on bone bad, but the degree to which it deteriorated post op shocked me. I was dutifully upping my walks for the new hip to get her workouts and about 3-4 weeks in I started to feel the kickback pain from hip 2 and, instead of walking more each day...I had to walk less. Then a lot less. Then walking just plain hurt too badly. My solution since it got so very pained was to A) schedule the surgery first opening, and B) give the pained hip the rest it's crying out for. Left hip is getting gentle exercises and muscle strengthening but not getting any walks just yet. It will soon. I've read that if you push the OA hip when it's at that bone on bone stage you can do regrettable damage that can impact your successful surgery. Read in article on this site in fact.

I'm so sorry you're going through that too. I was very disheartened the first few days when I realized how bad it had gotten but now I'm trying to walk only as needed and taking Tylenol to soften the pain. And for me, rest and sleep are what helps best to ease that pain until I get the next surgery. And pillows. Loads of pillows...

 

[bickypeg]

Thanks for that. What would we do without this forum? I think what's convinced me it's arthritis again is the fact paracetamol doesn't help at all, only NSAIDs ever did that. Knee pain is more worrying although a squirt of Radian B often helps. Shall rest as much as possible with short walks around the house and garden. But I would love to get upstairs for a shower...

 

[BeBe]

@bickypeg
I've had a similar experience to @1stSurgery
Both hips were B on B for years but I opted for a prolotherapy course and bought a little time?
However both hip joints were flattened and collapsed by the time I had the surgeries. May have been due to all the prednisone shots last summer? It Has made for a bit of an uphill climb for my recovery.
My second hip just couldn't tolerate the walking anymore. Luckily I was able to move my second surgery up by two months! Second hip is doing better post op than first hip. But both hips are still quite grumpy if I overdo.
In retrospect I waited too long.

 

[Mojo333]

Glad to hear you sound well..and are about to hit the one month mark! (Read your comments on 1st Surgery's thread)
Update us here on your thread as it will keep me from derailing someone else's and we can pop in to cheer you on.

I had such sleeping issues before surgery and was distressed that I couldn't find comfortable position post-op to catch up.
Sleep was one of my biggest goals!
Unfortunately, I had to just be satisfied with being a napper...as I was unable to get consecutive hours until many months later.
Now I sleep like a log.

All will get better and better...and life with new hips has been amazing for me!
Hope today is a good day!

 

[bickypeg]

A couple of quiet days, a couple of codeine during the day as well as paracetamol and slept very well! Yikes! Only up once at 3.00 for the loo. Used fewer pillows. But felt so refreshed (though a bit stiff) when I got up at 6.00. Trying to do the same today.Lay on the bed for a while this afternoon and got both legs up on 2 pillows with out even thinking about it when I couldn't get my operated leg up even an inch when the physio came! This is just from wandering round the house. Would be lovely if this is a turning point but if not I know enough now to realise recovery isn't a steady progression but that we'll get there eventually.

 

[SurreyGirl]

Sounds similar to me although one week behind you. Will add to my posts so you can see progress

 

[Mojo333]

Wandering around the house is good...no hip pain is Good!
Hope your weekend is sweet @bickypeg !

 

[bickypeg]

I did say I wouldn't get too excited about my good night's sleep...another really poor one with a lot of pain in the non operated side especially the knee again. Fighting with pillows all night. Taking painkillers the same as yesterday. (Horrid dry mouth from the codeine). Ah well. Tomorrow is another day...

 

[Mojo333]

It is tough...that sleep thing.

It will finally get better.
Won't bum you out by telling you how long for me.
Everyone is different though.
Nap when able.

 

[Layla]

Aww, sorry you're struggling with sleep. Hopefully you can sneak in a nap here and there.
Wishing you a peaceful day and weekend!
@bickypeg

 

[bickypeg]

I'll find some really exciting thriller to watch ....and then snooze and rewind for most of it!

 

[SurreyGirl]

“Dry mouth from the codeine” and I had assumed I must have been snoring with mouth open my mouth was so dry!!

Bickyoeg, I am sleeping in stages too. Back on bananas before bedtime as they help stop cramps which tend to wake me up. I am ploughing my way through the Crown, which I am really enjoying.

Made the mistake of leaving my aural digital recordings of plays on @autoplay” the other day. During the night the plays rolled over and my subconscious brain was listening to an adaptation of Jules Verne and I woke up thinking there was a giant squid in the room. The delights of our BBC’s brilliant radiophonic are NOT recommended when going to bed on morphine and codeine! But quite funny in retrospect..