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Bilateral THR ByGosh ByGolly ByLateral

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I was so happy to see a posting from you ByGosh ... though very sorry for what you and your family are going through right now. I have thought of you so often and worried about you. I will be thinking of you and your daughter today, too, hoping it all turns out well. And of course am thinking about GoshHusband, too, and wishing the best. You have been so kind and wonderful to me during my Hip Misadventures, I will never forget it. Please post when you can. Take care of yourself.
 
ByGosh You sound like a very wise woman.

I am of the same mind as sandpiper, that there is still hope you will recover more of your abilities. Part of the reason I feel that way is because of what i have gone through with muscles and tendons cramping and twisting until i could hardly walk. One day i was in a drugstore and had to buy a cane just to be able to get to my car. I didn't even know how to use one so an elderly lady who was also looking at canes showed me.

I knew I needed to do something and at that point still wasn't convinced i needed hip surgery so found a physiotherapist who did deep tissue massage. The picture i kept getting in my mind when I went for a session, was of a tangled necklace chain. For the first couple weeks the therapist started with my back, using deep pressure to smooth out the muscles on either side of my spine and then gradually moved to my hip and thigh. As the sessions went on I could feel tension leaving and mobility increasing and even though my hip is a bit more painful, and i do still have muscle tightness, it is not as bad as it was and I haven't been there since May. I would still be seeing him but i don't have a medical plan outside of our general provincial healthcare and things like that aren't included. Maybe something like that could be helpful to you down the road. Also there is Gabapentin to try which we have talked about before. I know you can't focus on yourself right now but don't give up hope.
 
[Bonesmart.org] ByGosh ByGolly ByLateral
ByGosh, want you to know you're in my thoughts and prayers, and to let you know we miss you.

Take care,
[Bonesmart.org] ByGosh ByGolly ByLateral
 
Hello Dear Friends LeeApril26 Songlady zauberflöte Peaches Nylsor bottomshollow Goody2Shoes3 Runaround Sue sandybeach Kim22 Littlejem Poppet glynis octopus and so many others

Thank you for your many thoughts and well-wishes. The surgery went well for Goshette/GoshDaughter. It took 2 hours and the preliminary pathology report showed no signs of cancer. It was a "humongous" (per the surgeon) ovarian cyst that they were able to remove and still save the ovary. She has 4 small incisions, but they said there was a lot of manipulation inside of the abdomen to do what had to be done. It took her a long time to come out of the anesthesia, and we didn't get home until later in the day. She was in a lot of pain for the first 2 days, yesterday was better, but she's really tired out. We'll see how she does today and decide if she can return to college tomorrow, or if she needs a few more days at home to recover.

I hope you are all doing well. Peaches - I read previously what you'd written about THR and the recovery and I agree with you! It's no walk in the park, that's for sure. I'm trying to come to terms with my own limitations and recovery right now. I think it's going to take a while to see just how I'll end up. I believe it's going to be something that keeps changing in different ways, and of course, as I age I don't imagine I'll ever be the same as I was a year ago, unfortunately.

sqwerlie I hope you're coming along as expected. How's the family and the farm? What do you do during the winter months when you can't plant and harvest crops?

LeeApril26 Hi - Have you been to the pool lately? I haven't gone in a long time, but feel I may try soon. I worry about my shoulders, as they're still sore, but maybe I'll just do some walking and a few back and forths. I'm sure it'll feel really good. I've been taking the curcumin from Swanson's but haven't noticed any difference yet. I just reordered 4 more bottles to give it a good trial before I decide.

Hi zauberflöte How have you been? I hope your hip is behaving itself. I know you are! :) Has you cat adjusted to a life not on the prowl? My one little dog has gained a few pounds from not being taken by me for long walks. Oh well, I guess he's experiencing some side effects from my recovery, too! He seems happy, though.

Songlady Hello there. How's the choir coming along? And the family? I think you're pretty much returning to normal, aren't you? We'll all have our aches and pains to contend with I bet.

Runaround Sue I like your screen name.:) Thank you so much for visiting my thread and wishing me well! It's nice to have a new face in the crowd here on the GoshPorch! I hope you're coming along well from your surgery. Gee, it's hardly been 2 weeks and here you are with the rest of us old-timers!

Today we'll have a nice brunch on the GoshPorch. I made some whole wheat raisin walnut scones that are more like a breakfast cookie - not too sweet and nice and crisp on the top, a little like a muffin topper. We'll have those with some of @zauberflote 's blueberry muffins, a nice spinach quiche (do you believe that we still make quiche, even though it isn't the 70's anymore? :) Why not? It still tastes good!) , some fresh peaches, compliments of Peaches and some deliciously flavored lemonade from a recipe sqwerlie found. I know that our British friends will come with something totally yummy, especially Nylsor as she's quite the cook and her wonderful husband, Mike, has a lovely allotment of lovely vegetables that she prepares deliciously. And I know Littlejem must have a nice cider she'll bring along. I'm sure Kim22 is a wonderful baker and sandybeach is surely a creative cook. LeeApril26 can make some fresh ricotta filling that we can fill some ricotta shells with. Now Poppet is definately going to bring something yummy and healthy, and glynis must have something exotic to eat she can whip up in no time. Songlady can bring her Mom along and I know she's a good cook, too. Goody2Shoes3 can bring something fresh maple syrup from Canada for the waffles GoshHusband will prepare and RunaroundSue can just come and rest with her feet up and a colorful ice pack that I've homemade on her hip. octopus and bottomshollow - you can decide if you need to bring anything or if you just want to come along. Everyone is more than welcome and it'll be great to catch up.
See you soon!
 
Nannyannie - so good to hear from you, and happy you can go to the pool and yoga! Please come visit us and join us for a 'virtual brunch' on the GoshPorch again. Enjoy your exercise, dear.

Butterfly and sandpiper I'm sorry, I didn't mean to forget you - Please join our 'virtual brunch' . And Butterfly just rest with your legs up. I hope your pain is a little better, you're heading towards the surgery date at the end of this month, so the time will pass for you quicker, I hope.
sandpiper I hope you recovery is still coming along nicely! How are you doing?
nmscienceteacher Are you back to school now? How is that going for you? You're not too far out from your surgery, I hope you can manage the teaching all day. Maybe you can sit at your desk to lecture if you have to. Let me know how you're doing. I haven't been posting regularly. I've been preoccupied at home, and the Prednisone I'm taking has allowed me to function around the house somewhat, so I've been taking advantage of that as I was laid up for so long.
Take care ladies! You're all in my thoughts always.:friends:
 
Yum ByGosh - walnut scones. I'm on my way! Thanks for the invite.itis good to hear from you.
Very happy to read the good news that the cyst was benign and the ovary saved. That's terrific. I'm sure she's achy and sore, but the resilience of youth is on your daughter's side. Hope she can get back to school quickly.

It sounds like the prednisone is doing it's job, and going to the pool is a good way to resume activity. I had about ten days of pain after I went to an APOS therapy evaluation on 8/19. Had to restart the meloxicam and Tylenol. It was calming down this week so when we returned to the country on Wed. I went back to the pool. Since my shoulder has been sore since the cane, I am not doing much swimming.i have been doing the exercises from the Heal Your Hips site/book, with an emphasis in walking, stretching and walking in place. Also went to a yoga class on Thursday. About a week ago I added tart cherry capsules to the turmeric and rose hips. Yesterday I was able to stop the painkillers again.now on day two. Last week I spoke to my primary care doc about the supplements. He was comfortable with it.

This surgery and recovery has been taking me to strange places.on Thursday and Saturday I also met with an Eriksonian hypnotist to work with her on the pain and insomnia. She gave me a mental exercise for the pain that has been helpful. It by no means removes it permanently, but does help. I feel a bit weird about this, but I am quite desperate to sleep and to manage pain without too many drugs,if I can. I am happy to share it with anyone who would like to try it.

Looking forward to the goodies and the company on the GoshPorch.
 
Hi ByGosh Its lovely to hear from you and Its wonderful news that all is well with your daughter.It must have been such a relief to hear that there was no cancer and they have saved the ovary.She will soon be back to good health again and enjoying her first year in college.

I am so glad that the prednisone is helpline you and that you plan to try some more pool work again.I can't wait to see you again on the Goshporch and this time I will bring a coffee cake as its my favourite.Thinking of you and your family and sending your daughter my good wishes for a speedy recovery.
 
Hello my dear Lenora LeeApril26 So good to hear from you! Thank you for your support of my daughter. It was a relief to us, as you can imagine, although I didn't let myself get too crazy about the very, very slight possibility that it could be something terrible. Thank goodness I was able to control my anxiety. I think having had my own surgery helped that, for some odd reason. I was actually a little more concerned about her losing the ovary at such a young age, because even though she has two, who knows what the future holds?

It's awful that we can get pain just by doing certain things that we may have been able to do in the fairly recent past. I'm sorry that the APOS evaluation caused a problem for you. (What is APOS?) I feel the same as you do that I'd like to manage the pain without too many drugs. That's why I'm hanging on to the prednisone, although I should be tapering it quicker by now. I'll have to talk to the MD soon about the next step, as I refuse to go back to a life of severe dysfunctional pain, laying on the couch most of the day. I don't care what it takes, I'm up and about to stay.

I am very interested in your Ericksonian therapist's mind exercise. Good for you, Lenora. Anything that helps is valid - don't feel wierd about it. You have every good intention to live a drug-free, managed pain life, as I do, and I'll do anything to achieve that. Please share the exercise if you don't mind. You can PM me, or post it here, whatever you prefer. I'm glad it helps. I figure a little bit of medication, antinflammatories, supplements that reduce inflammation, CDs with meditation, hypnosis, ice, everything - all combined - is bound to help. I'll still take a pain pill when I absolutely need it, too. My biggest help is having less pain so I can actually get up and do things (thanks to the prednisone) and that keeps me less focused on my dramatically decreased level of function. When I think about how much my life has narrowed in the past year, I can get very discouraged. I tell myself that this is a process and I'm still working on it. There's no quick fix, and it may take a long time to get to a level that's okay. As long as I can get up everyday, that's what I'll have to accept for now. Of course, I want to resume as much of my former lifestyle as possible, but right now, I can't, unfortunately.

I've taken over my Goshette's seller account on Amazon, and I've been posting books and selling them. That helps me to feel useful and it keeps me occupied, especially since I'm not working now. We have tons of books from all of the years the kids were in school, all of their reading, everyone's reading, my old nursing books, textbooks, etc. So at least I have something to do that's not too strenuous and will make a few pennies. She started it about a year and a half ago, and since she was going to college, she taught me how to continue on. It's sort of fun. I guess I'm helping contribute to Jeff Bezo's millions!

Sending all good wishes to you, Lenora, from the GoshPorch. Take care of yourself now and enjoy the long weekend. It's so humid here in Conn!
 
Dear Kim22 So nice to hear from you, too! Thank you for the kind words, especially regarding my daughter. It's wonderful she'll be okay, but it's taking awhile. She's very, very tired today. I'm not sure if she'll be able to return to her dormatory at school tomorrow. I'll have to see how she feels in the morning.
I hope you're doing well and your groin pain is gone now and your knee is feeling better. How is your pain?
A coffe cake is just about my favorite, thank you. I know it's silly to pretend but that's about all I can do right now. If I could really have everyone here, I most definately would. How fun it would be to actually meet all of you lovely, helpful, kind people. But until then, it'll have to be a virtual meeting, and what better place than a lovely porch with a nice breeze, comfy chairs, delicious food and beverages, and the best company one could ask for?
Have you gotten to your beautiful caravan by the ocean lately? I thought of you recently because your caravan is near Scotland and my son recently bought some Hendrick's gin for us to try. I'm definately not a drinker anymore, not for years and years, but it was very good - mild and smooth, I thought. He works a few very part-time jobs, and one is at a college graduate school club as a bartender, so he's gotten to know about various beers, liquors, mixed drinks, etc. It's fun and a way to make a little extra money while he's in graduate school. But anyway, I wondered if you knew of that particular gin, and how it was thought of by the British?
I hope you're doing well now, Kim and got to enjoy another holiday. How's your daughter and don't you have a grandbaby, too?
Take care of yourself, Kim and let me know how you are when you have time.
 
Hi ByGosh, I am so glad your daughter's surgery went well! Make sure to tell her to take it easy when she gets back to college and give herself time to heal....although young people heal so quickly! I am doing well...I am having an "easy" day today because yesterday I was picking cherry tomatoes and lost my balance. I didn't fall, but I think I stretched something a little further than it has been stretched before! It's ok today, just a little sore. In September we'll start harvesting the soybeans and then the field corn. Usually we get done around Thanksgiving. Then comes a loooooooooong time until spring while Mr Sqwerl drives me crazy by hanging around the house and pointing out how I could do things differently! Just kidding, he usually finds fix-it jobs and such to do each day, although he is around more than usual.
 
Oh no! I'll have to miss the feast on the Goshporch. I'm currently sitting at Calgary airport waiting for the coach to depart for Banff. Mike and I are so delighted at the great and most welcome news of your daughter, ByGosh. You must be so relieved and we're sure that she will make a speedy recovery. Oh to be young! Our daughter and SIL are with us so they are taking the strain like just going to have a look at where the coach departs. The plane journey from Heathrow was just over nine hours and I don't feel stiff or achey. Let's hope it lasts. Tomorrow we are going up the mountain on the gondola and we also have a hire car so intend to drive to Lake Louise in the afternoon. I had a poor week last week but think I overdid it in preparing for our holiday. This trip was planned 18months ago - long before I knew I had OA. I was determined to come so I'm hoping for the best. I hope you are all well, especially you, my dear friend ByGosh love to all Ros:flwrysmile: :flwrysmile: :flwrysmile:xx
 
Hi ByGosh It's great that you were able to make it through all this stress without being overwhelmed by anxiety. Take good care of yourself once your daughter returns to school. I often don't react until everything is over, so please pamper yourself for a few days once Goshette goes back.

Thanks for your encouragement about my explorations in hypnosis and the other techniques the hypnotist is teaching me. I am going to paste the exercise here. You need to be quiet and calm to do this, and do some slow breathing first, then close your eyes.
  1. PAIN RELIEF & COLOR
    • * If you have an area of discomfort in your body, focus on it and ask yourself that if that area were to have a color, what color does it feel like now?
      Let’s say you came up with a color. Let’s say it’s dark green.
    • * The next question to ask yourself is what color would feel better (let’s say you came up with pale yellow). As you get an answer to this question (the point is not to come with a con- sciously constructed idea, but to get a feel for what it is and what would it better be) and then use your imagination to change the existing color to a better feeling one. And as the color changes the sensations will change. Because the color is different and it has a very different vibration and your mind responds to it. And allow yourself to notice the changing sensations, as the color changes to pale yellow.
    • * The next thing to do is to go inside again and find out what texture would good around that area (or being placed upon). As you get the answer, imagine wrapping the area in whatever you came up with or placing it on top of it. Notice the changing sensations.
I know it sounds odd, but it does seem to help. Let me know if you try it. As you said, it's worth exploring all this stuff if it means no pain pills.

APOS therapy is a system developed in Israel and used also in the UK. The NYC office opened on 8/19. I read about it here, and thought I'd try an evaluation. You wear special shoes that look like desert boots, and they attach discs to the bottom to create instability. The idea is that as you wear them you fire the muscles to develop and support your knee. They knew I had recent THR surgery and said it was fine. However, you are only supposed to wear the shoes for 30 minutes a day at first, in your home, and of that you are only supposed to be walking 11 minutes the first two weeks. My evaluation and the calibration of the discs on the shoes took close to three hours-I walked 3000 steps in the shoes. They felt great when I was wearing them. But, by the next morning I was in serious pain in my knees and both hips. I did not realize I could get that kind of pain in the new hip. I was worried so I contacted my OS by email. He said he thought I did not do permanent damage, but to rest - it took ten days. He wasn't in favor of my trying it, nor was my primary care doc. It is not covered by my insurance-costs quite a lot. I decided not to do it, but they did feel good when I walked.

Goshette's seller's account sounds like a great idea. I have a house full of books, but no recent textbooks-I wonder how well that would do? It's good that you have a project. My friend's son-in-law supports his wife and two kids selling things on Ebay, so it seems like it could do very well.
Sorry for this lengthy epistle!
 
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