THR Bizzy Lizzy on the other side

[MI Chickie]

@BizzyLizzy You are living up to your name, getting all around to shops and such! I wish I had things like that closer to me.

The hairy legs have become an issue for me, too. I tried to hook a razor to my long handled spongy thing but I need something that is bent to really do any good. I'm looking in to the link someone left here! I've found those depilatory creams just aren't effective for me.

I'll echo everyone's sentiments, too. I really find your updates to be so helpful!

 

[BizzyLizzy]

Yes - I chose my name well! I'm glad we live in this little town. We decided to move here about 25 years ago, because it was close to so many shops etc. At the time, we planned to have a baby and thought it would be a very convenient place. The baby came along and it proved to be a good place to bring up children. However at no time did I consider what a good place it would be to live after a hip replacement!

 

[DizzyBlond]

Oh my goodness, @BizzyLizzy - what fascinating information your PT gave you about the mind and body needing time to synch, the energy that it would demand, and the exhaustion that would follow in light of all of that!! I'm going to be keeping all of this in mind next month as I work towards that "normal gait" your PT is sure you'll be getting back shortly!!!
Your continued accomplishments bring us "pre-oppers" so much encouragement! Thanks so much, Liz! xo

 

[BizzyLizzy]

Had a major energy drain this afternoon after another reasonably successful outing. My daughter and I managed to walk down to our High Street where the "proper" shops are. We stayed down the end closest to home and I treated myself to a bunch of sunflowers and then we went into a coffee shop and had a celebratory hot chocolate each with all the trimmings - marshmallows, whipped cream and chocolate sauce. My hairdresser is also down there so popped in and made an appointment for a trim, next week. The only other shops in that block are an electrical supplies shop and an optician, so I was able to restrain myself from any more purchases!

Walking home I felt really shaky, tired and a bit nauseous ( could have been the hot chocolate!) I had a nap and then felt OK, but I'm still really tired and looking forward to a good nights sleep. It's rather hot here, for a change, so hoping to get comfortable.

I have been tracking steps on my phone app and this week I have been doin between 3,000 and 4,000 per day which I'm pretty sure I wasn't managing pre-op.

 

[DizzyBlond]

I am completely impressed, @BizzyLizzy!!! (And so glad you were able to manage keeping out of that electrical supplies shop! ) You're just a little over 3 1/2 weeks post-op and walking that many steps? WOW!!!!!

 

[BizzyLizzy]

@DizzyBlond - sometimes I scare myself! Keep thinking something will go wrong...
For the moment I'll just keep on keeping on and hope I'm going in the right direction. Not long for you now. I'm so excited for you to get over to this side of the fence and start getting your life back. I think you are so ready!

 

[DizzyBlond]

@BizzyLizzy
You're doing absolutely amazingly, Liz!!! When is your first post-op check with the OS? Can't wait to hear what he has to say about your progress!! (And don't say I didn't warn you - he's probably going to want to recruit you as the perfect model for his incredible THR procedures!! And you've already got the dance moves down, because now you CAN!!!!! Better get those legs shaved first, though...)

 

[BizzyLizzy]

I don't actually see the OS until 19th August. Follow-up is really slow in the UK. I am really looking forward to seeing an x-Ray of the new hip. In terms of the leg situation, my totally wonderful daughter has promised me a leg makeover tomorrow! Scrub, shave, moisturise and toenail clip. She was also going to paint my toenails, but we realised that the TEDS would make that a bit pointless. How I hate the TEDS!

 

[DizzyBlond]

@BizzyLizzy
Hurray!!!! What a sweet daughter!!! (I don't think I'd be able to talk any of my 3 grown sons into that sort of loving post-operative gift for their mom - I may just have to enlist the aid of one of my "adopted" daughters! Don't think my husband would give a very good pedicure, even if he WERE willing to shave my legs for me! ) So your TEDS cover your toes? Not too long ago there was some discussion on one of the threads about what sorts of TEDS people had, and someone posted a pic of a toe-less pair!
Well, I guess there'll be new discoveries at every turn of this adventure, won't there, Liz!?!

 

[BizzyLizzy]

@DizzyBlond - my TEDS have sort of "peep holes" in the toes, but not truly open-toed - vile things! I have just decided to make an appointment with my GP to see if she can tell me when I might be able to drive. I'm not ready yet, but I think I will be before my OS appointment. I will also ask if there is any possibility of an early ditching of the TEDS as I am moving around so much.
How are you feeling? Are you all prepared? I will be thinking about you today xx

 

[OUCH!]

@BizzyLizzy that is amazing, you give me so much hope! I want to be able to walk like that again some day. We didn't take one of my very favorite, very easy hikes on vacation this year in part because I was afraid it would hurt too much. My mantra this summer has become Next Year!

 

[GIMPY GAL]

@OUCH! There is plenty of hope for walking/hiking again. It's been 8 months since my life changing surgery, and to this day I am still amazed that I can walk without pain! It's incredible! You have a lot to look forward to.

 

[BizzyLizzy]

@OUCH! It really is true - walking is becoming easier as the days pass. I wish I didn't get so tired and sometimes I ache when I've done too much, but it's nothing like pre-surgery pain. Today I caught the bus into our nearest city (with my daughter). I walked to the bus stop and when we got to town we had a good look around the deli section of the big department store, which is something I love to do. It's right next to the bus station, but this is something I haven't been able to do for at least two years. We had lunch and caught the bus home, walking back home from the bus stop. I'm really tired now, but feel such a sense of achievement! I think it's just a matter of time before I can do proper hiking type walking, which I love. I'm sure it will be the same for you, even though you find that hard to believe at the moment.

@DizzyBlond - just so you know, we called into the chemist and bought some heavy duty hair removing cream. When I'm less tired we are going to give it a go - watch this space!

 

[DizzyBlond]

@BizzyLizzy - Love your new pic!!! Is that your wonderful, easy-to-maintain-in-the-hospital hair? It looks darling!! I can't believe how much you did today. (Or is your today now my yesterday? Hard to keep all these time zones straight! ) I'm amazed that you were able to accomplish SO much!! Oh, how I hope I'll be doing the same a month from now!!!!

I suppose I'll find out tomorrow what's in store for me with the TEDS that end up on my freshly shaven legs! (I guess I'd better appreciate the smooth legs now, right? Although I talked to my husband about rigging up some sort of extension for me to duct tape my razor to.... and he laughed! I don't know that he'll be much help in that part of my recovery! Can't wait to hear how your "industrial strength" cream works! Hehehehe!)

Thanks so much for inquiring as to how I'm holding up.... I'm nervous, concerned, still worried about anesthesia, wondering what I'm going to be dealing with post-operatively - all the things that I'm sure everyone has grappled with! The joint pain has been bad, so sleep has been minimal with both the throbbing discomfort and the mind that won't stop racing! I'll be begging them to put me out at this rate!!!! Just about to finish packing the little suitcase, and I'll be all ready to go!!

Now going to start my recovery thread (thank you so much for reminding me to do it now, @Cynthia777!!! xox) - that way I can easily post in the right forum as soon as I'm up to it! So, here I go... almost ready to graduate!!! WHOOHOOO!!!!!

 

[BizzyLizzy]

Thought it might be time for another update. I haven't really achieved any more milestones although I am now walking consistently with one crutch outside and forgetting to use the crutch very often at home. I can now go up and downstairs in the proper manner, which I haven't been able to do for a year!

I walk to the local shops most days and yesterday I went into work, just to have coffee with a colleague. Inevitably I saw a few other people who all seemed to be pleased to see my progress. One very sobering thing I realised was that the consensus at work was that I was so disabled with my hip pre-op that I wouldn't be much better afterwards! So glad to prove them wrong - also very pleased I didn't realise that's what they were thinking before...

As I may have mentioned, I teach in a Business School and I found work incredibly hard pre-op. All the standing and walking between classrooms, never mind sitting at my desk caused me such pain and I found it very hard to concentrate. This was really frustrating, as I love my job. Anyway, I got my new timetable yesterday and it was great to feel interested in what I will actually be teaching and the projects I will be involved in, rather than just concentrating on how far I might have to walk between classes!

I think that's all for now. For anyone who may be interested, I managed with my daughter's help and some excellent cream to de-fuzz the legs very successfully! She also treated them with a scrub and put body lotion on them to counteract the flaky skin and also clipped my toenails before putting on clean TEDS. She has given this whole process a name - it's called a TEDicure. Wonder if it it will catch on?

 

[BizzyLizzy]

My daughter sent me this - she was wondering if this was where all our lovely new hips come from

 

[Tweetybrd]

Too funny!!! Glad you are doing well. Love the Tedicure story. It made me giggle as well.
How long do you have before you go back to teaching? Hopefully, you still have a while to get fully recovered.

 

[BizzyLizzy]

@Tweetybrd - I don't actually go back to work until 29th August, and the students don't come back until 12th September, so I will have plenty of time to fully recover before I have to stand up in the classroom and teach. I'm SO looking forward to being able to move freely around the classroom without the horrible pain!

 

[Tweetybrd]

@BizzyLizzy Oh good! Sounds like your surgery was at the perfect time.

 

[Nana2-8]

@BizzyLizzy ~ NOW your daughter finds 'our' store......when we all have our needed supplies....and NOW they're having a 'summer sale'? (I guess new hips aren't a 'summer' thing! Or it's a clearance of 'what didn't sell' - wonder what those items might be?) How funny that we hippies would take that sale the whole wrong way! ~ ~ With regard to your work, and distance between classes, etc. - at our Joint Academy there was the form with questions, etc. and one of them was: "What are most looking forward to after replacement?" - and my answer was to not be so concerned on where I could park in order to get things done, and to accomplish those tasks more easily.