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THR Bizzy Lizzy on the other side

BizzyLizzy said:
That sounds scary! You were so brave to trim it yourself. Well done! I'm steeling myself to take the dressing off tomorrow. Can't believe we are both more than 2 weeks out now. :cheers: How's the nausea/pain med situation going?
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We're coming right along, aren't we?!

Trimming that stitch, It was scary!! Later talked to the nurse about it, and was relieved that he understood why it would make me a little woozy! The steri strips are holding tight, and I've finally figured out that I've had dissolving stitches and glue holding me together (I had not remembered the surgeon telling me this). I'm slowly peeling the strips away, not forcing anything and the parts beneath look very nicely healed! I'm pleasantly surprised.

I'm managing finally with a 50mg tramadol at night and my 800mg of Motrin and 1000mg tylenol by day. I get a little nausea with the tramadol but not much to be bothered about. I still feel like I'm getting leg cramps/restless legs or something...not sure on how to fix it, seems to come up when I lay in bed and finally calms down (I've read that tramadol is sometimes prescribed for restless legs). If it keeps up, I'll put it on a list of questions for the surgeon next week.
 
Nice to hear from you @MI Chickie - Aren't we doing fine? I took my dressing off today and it was OK. The incision is quite long, but well-healed and very neat looking. So glad you've got the pain meds sorted out. I had some nausea on the high dose of codeine I was taking when I came out of hospital, but I'm at a level now that I can manage. I can still be pretty lethargic and find it hard to concentrate, but still moving forward. Restless legs are happening to me too! I have been thinking it is to do with the back-sleeping which I'm getting soooo tired of. I'm organising a PT appointment this week with a lady I used to see pre-op, so will ask her for some advice. Onwards and upwards! X
 
I'm starting to feel the world opening up a bit, as I start to get out and about some more. This last couple of days I have been walking short distances up and down our street and around the block. I am starting to manage quite well with only one crutch. This evening I had a little adventure. I have a very good friend who lives up the road from me (she actually took me to the hospital on op day and calls or visits most days). She doesn't live far away, but her house is at a point where the hill gets quite steep - pre op, when I wanted to visit her, I was driving as I just couldn't manage the hill. Anyway, this evening I walked up to her house and rang her doorbell! :yes!: Her face was a delight! I had one crutch, I didn't limp and I was so proud of myself. Really starting to feel that progress is being made.

I also managed to have a shower - I have nailed this showering business! Husband put my TEDS on almost in one go, so he felt good too. As an aside, however, I really must address the issue of my extremely hairy legs. I have been shaving them since I was 12 and had no idea that they had the potential to be so grotesque! I'm thinking about a long handled razor or maybe a wax? Anyone got any suggestions?
 
@Tweetybrd - thank you, that looks like just the sort of thing. I will try and order one tomorrow, before I have to get the hedge clippers out! I'm so glad you find my story helpful. I was so scared pre-op and I convinced myself that something would go wrong. Even after reading so many positive stories I still had the feeling that for some reason, it wouldn't work for me. I was WRONG! :yay:
 
@BizzyLizzy Wow, look at you, girl! Sashaying on up that hill to amaze your friend is a big 'step'. :curtsey: Don't be surprised if tomorrow you are all beat up from that little adventure. :swoon: But it's great for your morale to keep making progress.

I was thrilled how one day I'd be nowhere near achieving a new goal....and just a few days later I found I could easily do it!

My hubby got pretty adept at putting on the TEDs too, but he was happy when they were no longer necessary.

As for the hairy legs....maybe you can get someone to braid them. LOL!
 
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You were right, @BizzyLizzy - it did me a world of good to "watch" your post-op progress unfolding here on the pages of your recovery thread! :-) You are doing outstandingly well - and I can't wait to join you on THIS side of things!!!

Speaking of shaving legs, I'd wondered what I was going to do post-op, and had seen the long-handled razor @Tweetybrd sent you. I also purchased some depilatory cream, just in case I wasn't going to be up to managing a razor. I figure it might be easier for my husband (or a friend) to apply the cream to my legs, and then 10 mins or so later, rinse it off with a washcloth. At least I hope that's a viable option! :-)
 
@BizzyLizzy I have enjoyed reading your recovery thread. It was nice to know that you ended up being more relaxed at the hospital just prior to your surgery then you thought you might be. I am looking forward to reading about your continued recovery. Sending you lots of good vibes.
 
@BizzyLizzy - congratulations on taking that hill. It represents so much literally and figuratively!

I had the posterior approach and deliberately did not look at my incision for a while. I had someone else keeping an eye on it just in case, but I'm such a weenie when it comes to medical stuff that I didn't feel looking at it would serve me well. I didn't have any dressing. There were 25 staples and it drained for a few days and then stopped.

Now I look at it and think it looks great. And as someone else mentioned, it does confer a sense of pride and ownership and accomplishment.

Regarding the razor, I found one online with Amazon called the "Giraffe" handle. It has been helpful. As it sounds, it has a long handle. With this one, though, you insert your own razor in one end, and it has to be a razor from a list of razors that will work. My razor is on that list, but it does wiggle a bit in the holder. There may be better options for this need like the one that has already been shared with you, but I thought I'd throw it out there.
 
BizzyLizzy said:
I'm thinking about a long handled razor or maybe a wax? Anyone got any suggestions?
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I have a long handled plastic shoehorn the hospital gave me and I used it to Immac my legs. It's almost the same shape as the little doodah they give you and worked surprisingly well.
 
Thought it might be time for another update. I find it useful for my own reference to document my progress, so apologies if it's a bit long winded!

@GIMPY GAL you were so right about paying the price yesterday, for my little trip out on Monday night! Everything ached, so yesterday was a bit more of a rest day. However, it wasn't a bad day at all. I had arranged for a PT to come at lunchtime - she works privately and I used to see her pre-op. We get so little follow-up here in the UK and I felt I needed some guidance, not wanting to put the recovery process back by doing something wrong. She examined me, testing my ROM and watching me walk and move around. She is very pleased with my progress, particularly as she remembers all the difficulty I was having before. We both laughed remembering how we had to leave extra time at the end of sessions to allow me to reach a standing position, from the bed or the chair! She says I still have a residual limp from all the time spent compensating for the bad hip - not surprising, and we worked on me lifting my knee and taking more "natural" steps. I will practice this and she is of the opinion that by 8 weeks I will be walking naturally again - can't really believe it! The other thing I wanted to address is stamina. I am managing to walk a little further every day, but my whole body seems to get tired. I understand that this is partly the result of all the trauma that has happened, but I'm so keen to get past it. The PT said that it's partly to do with natural physical processes that are happening, but also because the brain is trying to catch up with the fact that things are different now - there is an anticipation of pain which doesn't happen and recognition that it's possible for things to move in ways they couldn't before. This can be an exhausting process as the brain and body get into synch again - I kind of understand that. Anyway, I felt it was all positive and I'm continuing to move on!

Today I am planning another little trip. There are some shops at the bottom of our road which I think I could just about get to, to pick up a few groceries. There is also a bakery a little bit further away. They opened since I started this whole hip business and I have only ever managed to go there in the car, which wasn't ideal, as it is almost impossible to park. They have a small coffee shop and I think that might be my goal for today. It isn't even half a mile but even this was impossible pre-op. My daughter will come with me and if I get there and can't get back I will call a cab and try again another day! I really do feel life opening up again.

I will turn my attention to the hairy legs issue again today - thank you all for so many good suggestions.

@Cynthia777, you are so right - we are blessed that we live in these times where this surgery is possible.
 
Yes, alternating activity with gentler days worked for me. Darn it - I meant to remind you to get your legs waxed a week before your Op - it slowed things down. Just promise to be careful about bending when you defuzz. Failing that how about hiring a combine harvester? So proud of you - here you are offering support and encouragement to others, precisely as I predicted you would. Good for you Lizzie!
 
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