THR Boofit's recovery in Hong Kong

[Boofit]

It HAPPENED - I had a fall.

I fell backwards down 3 steps at the Airbnb house in Sydney that I was staying. That was around 4pm local time yesterday, the 16th of November.
I landed like an overturned turtle on a mostly grassy area. The picture shows where the clothes were hanging out to dry and I was collecting them when I stepped backwards and tumbled down. I forgot there were steps behind me :-(

I banged my head on something and had a headache lasting for hours. Woke up a couple of times in the night to check for concussion, but all was ok.

My husband helped me up after my fall, and I could walk around, so don't feel I dislocated anything. I now am having pain and soreness in the ischial tuberosity region (in the mid butt region) and that is probably because I landed on it hard. I have some general aching in my upper -lateral front thigh region as well as in my left hip and left backside but no sharp pain. My neck muscles are also sore (I may have strained them trying subconsciously to avoid hitting my head). Hopefully it is all soft tissue..
My current range of motion for the hip is good.
If things get any worse in the next few days, I will go see a doctor for x-rays.
Currently icing (brought a big ice gel pack over) and managing the pain with Paracetamol 1g bd.

On other news:
The flight over was good and smooth. After we arrived in Sydney on the 12th, we drove to the Blue Mountains to spend a few nights there before returning to Sydney on the 16th. Our grand-daughter was born in the afternoon of the 16th. Since arriving in Sydney (and before my fall) I had been walking quite well, and without pain. Even managed a 1.5 hour walk on an easy trail in the Blue Mountains.

 

[Layla]

Ugh! I'm so sorry to read your update. The tumble and banging your head sounds awful. I'm sure it was unnerving...and obviously painful. I hope rest, ice and the OTC meds help you feel better. Please keep us posted on how you're doing, if you're able to take the time. Hopefully a trip to the doctor doesn't become necessary. Wishing you lots of comfort and speedy relief.
@Boofit

 

[myglasshalffull]

Oh no, I'm so sorry!!!
Hopefully a few days of ice and some pain meds (if needed) will get you through.
Congrats on your new grand daughter.
Keep us updated.

 

[CricketHip]

Well now, phooey!!! That sounds painful and super startling. I hate falls where it feels like the world drops away from you like that.
I hope you make a quick recovery..

 

[Ocean]

Oh, no! That’s so scary. I hope the pain and soreness doesn’t last too long and that you are ok.

 

[Boofit]

Thank you @Layla @myglasshalffull @CricketHip and @Ocean . It was my own fault, being careless and in unfamiliar surroundings. Today a big bruise appeared at the ischial tuberosity area (the bony area where one sits on), and there is also very mild bruising at the lateral part of the upper left thigh. I am icing as Layla and myglasshalfful suggested, and so far things seem to be under control. If the pain gets worse over the weekend, I will go see a GP to get a referral for x-rays.

The weather is beautiful here in Sydney and it is so nice to stay in a place with a garden! It was also lovely to see our grand-daughter at the hospital yesterday. She is chubby but I think she has dimples!!!

 

[Ocean]

@Boofit, wonderful news about your granddaughter, congratulations to you all.

 

[Boofit]

Update on my fall (on 17th November 2022 - not 16th as I wrongly typed in my #341 post)

I went to see a GP. I was experiencing increased pain in the upper femur and in the sit bone area (which has a big bruise), and walking without a cane was also difficult - as the entire leg was achy.

The GP sent me to get x-rays, and the results seem to indicate that the prosthesis is in place and there is no fracture. The GP said there is a haematoma within and the swelling might be causing pressure on tissues resulting in pain. He said to give it another couple of weeks to see how it develops and to see him sooner if necessary.

I am walking with a cane for about 4 to 5 thousand steps in total a day (these last 3 days) on flat surfaces (in the malls and in supermarkets) and am icing/applying heat packs a few times a day.

Other news:
Calico, my friendly feral cat and her kitten were captured for spaying about a month ago (Calico's other kittens were attacked by wild dogs and died). The kitten was found to be too young for this procedure and they remained in the rescue home. I was told that someone (who works as a nurse at a vet's clinic) liked them and they have now been adopted!
I am so happy for them, but I will miss seeing Calico when I resume my walks on that trail sometime in the future.

 

[Layla]

Hi Boofit,
I am sorry you're experiencing increased pain after your fall. It's good you had it checked and received reassurance that the prosthesis is in place and there is no fracture. I hope the pain resolves soon.
A great weekend to you!
@Boofit

 

[Ocean]

@Boofit, I hope that the GP put your mind at rest about the implant and I hope the pain improves quickly. Enjoy the rest of your holiday.

 

[CricketHip]

Awww,, happy to hear about Calico and the kitten. I guess you will need to find some other kitty or critter to feed...

Falls like yours are so painful and annoying! But you are walking 4-5 k steps.. that sounds hopeful. Your doctor sounds very capable.. that had to relieve your mind.
Take care Boofit, and update when you can!

 

[Boofit]

6 Months post-op.

I am still in Sydney visiting daughter and family. I think I have recovered somewhat from the fall I had on 17 November, but I still feel a small lump in my butt in the area where I hit the ground and still have some pain in that region.

I still experience pain within the hip and thigh when walking without a cane or other support (e.g. supermarket trolleys), but this does not occur everyday and usually happens when I walk for longer distances, say around 1000 steps. I don't know for sure what brings the pain on. Sometimes it happens immediately after I get out of the car, sometimes it comes on after I have been walking for a short while without a cane. The pain mainly comes on when walking outdoors and usually not within the house. I believe this may be due to weak hip muscles, tight IT band and hip flexors. So I am trying to do daily stretching and gentle strengthening exercises.

I can stand and cook in the kitchen for at least an hour to 90 minutes.

My range of motion in the operated leg is almost the same as the un-operated one.
Have been off all painkillers for 2 weeks as I feel I have been taking them for too long (years). Am getting about 6 to 6.5 hours of sleep these days.

The pre-operative hip pain brought on by OA changes have been replaced by this new pain. The latter is definitely more bearable than the former, and hopefully the pain will decrease with time. So far, the un-operated hip is holding up fine despite signs of OA which I am told will require a replacement sometime down the road.

Wishing all forum users a joyous pain-free holiday season!

 

[Mojo333]

Hi @Boofit
I'm glad your other hip is not plaguing you while you continue rehabbing your new one.
Long term recovery can sure be a back and forth process but I know that there were hiccups I was still dealing with at 6 months post op....
Getting my Sleep cycle back into rhythm after all the years of painful Sleeping and then recovery was also a time thing, but it sounds like that is improving also.

Hope your holidays are happy.

 

[Klassy]

Hi Boofers, just caught up on your story for the last couple of months. Good news about Calico and kitten. I’m sure that your interactions with her helped her feel friendly towards humans and hence a good prospect for adoption and a lovely home. Your fall must have been very frightening. It could easily have been very serious indeed. It sounds like you came through pretty well considering, but still a very unfortunate thing to happen on your holiday. Overall you are doing very well for your stage of recovery, and plenty of progress to look forward to.

Wishing you too a joyous season.

 

[myglasshalffull]

Sorry to hear you are still in pain, I'm sure you aggravated your surgery area from the fall but happy everything appears still in place.
I still have days that I need ice and rest. I was doing great until I overdid it just before Thanksgiving, but I'm back on track now.
We had about 3 inches of snow here Sunday eve in to Monday AM. Even though my partner shoveled everything and walkways I didn't move out of the house, my fear of slipping and falling are with me in this type of weather, although I know I could just as easily trip and fall in perfect weather conditions.
Enjoy that new grand daughter! And Happy Holiday season to you, hopefully these aches and pains resolve in time.
And great news about Calico!

 

[Klassy]

PS, at the risk of derailing your thread, here is a pic of Tula enjoying her first experience of snow. We haven’t had much snow in this part of UK, but it is certainly cold here, and I am very careful around ice. Enjoy your Aussie sunshine!

 

[CricketHip]

Hang in there @Boofit . As you know, surgery and the recovery can be quite the winding road. I hope you are enjoying your extended visit with your daughter!

 

[Layla]

Hi there,
Glad to hear you're recovering from the fall and still enjoying time in Australia. I wish you the happiest of holiday seasons with those you love.
@Boofit

 

[Boofit]

I returned back to Hong Kong on Christmas Day. The pain was quite bad the 2/3 days before my flight, probably brought on by more standing/walking (shopping for Christmas, cooking for my daughter etc), and I was back on NSAIDs and painkillers. I lay flat for most of the trip back and also spent considerable time lying in bed the day after I arrived home. The rest (together with icing and painkillers) helped alleviate the pain.

I was hoping that by 6 months I would be fully recovered, back hiking and pain-free, but I am not there yet. I can do all daily activities, bend down, put on socks, tie shoe laces, go up and down stairs on my own and so on, but cannot walk for longer distances and often have pain on walking. Occasionally I have slight pain within my hip and thigh when resting. However, since returning to Hong Kong, I have stopped taking painkillers as the level of pain has greatly decreased compared to before I left Sydney.

After my fall in mid November, I went for x rays of the hip and it appears that the prosthesis is in place and there were no fractures, so hardware issue is ruled out. I believe the problem lies in the software, from tendons, to muscles to fascia/soft tissue. I had trochanteric bursitis and tight IT band on the operated leg about 6 weeks ago (before my fall), and it seemed to be improving with TENS, icing, and stretches. I have resumed doing these (stopped for some weeks after my fall) am now adding massage (using a yoga massage stick) and starting with gentle strength-training.

Even though I am still not fully recovered, I think I am getting there, slowly. It does require patience, and I am constantly reminding myself not to compare my recovery with anyone else's. The pain I am now experiencing is different from the pre-op bone on bone pain. For a long time before my THR I was on daily NSAIDs and other painkillers, and still experienced pain. Compared to THEN, what I am experiencing now is totally different (and much bearable). And I am grateful for that and will continue to work towards getting better. I constantly remind myself that not every twinge means something is wrong, just that something needs attention. I also remind myself that I have spinal issues that may be contributing to issues in my operated hip, so I need to try build up my back muscles as well.

I am grateful for the constant encouragement from BoneSmart Staff. Thank you @Mojo333 , @CricketHip @Layla !

I am also thankful for the friendship of my Hippie friends on this forum, and wish everyone a healthy and happy year ahead!

 

[Boofit]

here is a pic of Tula enjoying her first experience of snow. We haven’t had much snow in this part of UK, but it is certainly cold here, and I am very careful around ice. Enjoy your Aussie sunshine!

@Klassy, Tula is adorable! I am back in Hong Kong where it is "cold" at around 14 degrees centigrade in the evenings!!.. I see on the news that cold weather has wrecked much havoc in the US and hope my BoneSmart friends there are keeping safe!

I am going to Sydney in late January to enjoy more Aussie sunshine. Hoping that I will be able to walk pain-free by then!