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THR Can you hear me from the other side?

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Hi Firebrand I've spoken to my car insurance company and they don't have a set time, just when my surgeon says ok, so I'll probably have a word with him next week to see if he's happy for me to try. My plan for work was to go after the morning rush and leave before the evening rush. I'm lucky that they are very flexible but as I need to go back in 2-3 months to have the other hip done I'd really like to try and get back and work a few months before going off again but only if I feel up to it of course. :)
 
Firebrand just catching up on your progress and you are doing really well and I would be over the moon to be where you are at 6weeks ! You coped so well with the crowded train so well done to you We will always worry when a new pain comes along but you are still in the recovery stage.
Queenie Great to hear that you recommend Pilates at which stage post hip replacement is it safe to start ?
 
For the last couple of nights I've been trying to work out for you how I keep the pillow in place at night, and I still don't really know! It could be that I've been sleeping this way for a couple of years and am used to it. Are you using a reasonably bulky pillow that reaches from groin to ankle? It's possible a thin one might slip out more easily. I place mine so it is between my legs and not just my knees. At the moment I have a body pillow, so it can reach from ankle to groin and also up alongside my body. One of these might be helpful for you if you keep losing an average pillow in the night, you'll be able to hold on to it with your arms as well. :)

In the last week I have developed a new pain too, running from buttock to ankle on the operated side, only manifesting when I lay on my good side to sleep. It's quite painful and makes it hard to sleep, I've had to resort to stronger painkillers at night. The surgeon thinks its a nerve and it will sort itself out. I hope yours settles soon.
 
I bought a bolster pillow last week in the hope that would help. I don't know what it is that I do when I fall asleep, but I wake myself up after a couple of hours and its on the floor. I may need to find a way of wedging it in.
 
Hi firebrand, sorry to hear you are struggling with the pillow thing. I used just a normal pillow from just above knee to ankle and mine never budged. I think subconsciously I was terrified to move but I did sleep turned towards the middle of the bed as opposed to the outside and having Hubby there next to me left not a lot of room for the pillow to move what with my knees being bent inwards.

Hope you can find a solution, it's not nice to wake up in pain.

Well done on the train trip to work. You are very brave doing that, it must have been a bit scary with all the other travellers and the hustle and bustle. You a doing great :)

Take care

Ann
 
I did much better with the pillow last night. I think that positioning it well before I go to sleep is the key. Hubby is away for a week from tonight, so I'm going to move to the middle of the bed as sleeping facing the outside tends to mean the pillow drops on the floor.

The whole going back to work thing is something of a puzzle for me, as the advice given to people seems to vary so much. My surgeon said do what feels right for you. However I can't just tell my boss that! The woman in the next bed to me in hospital was told to try going in every other day from around 8 weeks, and build up to being full time by 12 weeks. I did two days last week 10-4 and 10-5, and was shattered at the end of them. I really did feel quite overwhelmed at the way that my colleagues trying to dump issues on me ' thank goodness you're back, can you sort this?' to which I said no, give me a break here! The drawback to being a 'strong' person, is that sometimes people can forget that you are human.

The train journey was mixed. Commuters in London tend to either be courteous when they see you with a walking aid (minority), letting you get on the train first, and giving up a seat. Or they pretend you are invisible. On the way home on day two I sat on one of the fold-down seats that are supposed to be reserved for people with impaired mobility. The woman next to me got off, and a rather large man sat in her seat. His bottom squished over into my space and pushed right on my scar. It was too much so I had to get up and move. Strange the things that I hadn't even thought!
 
Firebrand I think a bolster is a really good idea, I can't go onto my side for another 3 weeks but I will definitely get one before then. I think you're right the going back to work at what stage is very confusing and some would say you're mad to try so early but we are all different and recover at different rates so you have to do what you feel is ok for you. The London tube is just so busy isn't it, lot's of stairs to go up and down and your fear of getting your scar squashed or banged is very real. I must admit when I have to go into London to our Museum, I avoid the tube if possible, I'm lucky to be able to get there from Paddington by walking through Hyde Park, albeit slowly!
 
Firebrand, are you going back to work this week?
 
I have taken this week off as holiday, as the kids are off school for Easter. I needed to regroup as well. What I told my boss was that when I go back to work next week I will be doing every other day in the office for the first fortnight, with short days when I am in. To be reviewed on a week by week basis. Frankly he was so glad to see me back I think he would have agreed to anything. (Should have gone for the pay rise...)

Having been working from home for the past four weeks I was coping really well, as I could get the work done, but exercise when I needed to, wear what I wanted etc. Being in the office proved very different. In retrospect, I should have concentrated on managing the journey as a priority, and only been in the office for a much shorter time.
 
Firebrand, I went back to work too soon, also, and I only have a 10 minute drive in my own car, and everyone has been wondferful-- I can even lie down and ice if I need to. Still, it was exhausting, and I have cut back to a 4- day week for a couple of weeks. It's great that you can work from home and that your boss is willing to accommodate a gradual return to work. What do you do?
 
BarbaraR I seem to remember asking you when you were preparing to go back if you were mentally ready for it. Funnily enough, I underestimated the physical aspect of being in the workplace. And the toll it takes of having to look and behave professionally, even when what you really want to do is weep from exhaustion or growl at everyone...

I manage a large communications team - design, web, editorial, etc. So the nuts and bolts of it I can do anywhere, as long as I have a phone and a computer. But the staff management side of it means being able to do the face to face side of it. So I have booked in 1-2-1s for each of my team in the first fortnight back, and blocked out my diary before 10am and after 3pm, so nobody puts any meetings in for then!
 
Firebrand, I had help with travel from Access to work part of the job centre plus. They helped with cost of taxi fare as I could not manage public transport. Basically they would rather help people stay in work and not have to pay benefits. If you did not have to make the awful commute it would make your day a lot easier. It might be worth looking in to as a temporary measure.
Barbara
 
Definitely a good idea to do a shorter day at the beginning, missing the rush hours either end of the day and yes if he's that glad to see you back you really should have tried for that pay rise!! :heehee: I've just spoken to my consultant and he's happy for me to try driving from 4 weeks if I feel confident and painfree. I might get my husband to drive me somewhere like a large car park so I can have a try without any other cars around, actually I could go to work and drive on the deserted runways......good plan!! :egypdance:
 
Firebrand, I don't manage anyone, so that definitely makes my life easier. I don't think I'd be back full time if I had a train commute, though. I'm still leery of getting jostled, and I hate when anything touches my scar. Elosarabrab, what a great idea. Littlejem, do practice first, especially since it's your right hip. I found accelerator to brake uncomfortable in the beginning.
 
Firebrand said:
I have taken this week off as holiday, as the kids are off school for Easter. I needed to regroup as well. What I told my boss was that when I go back to work next week I will be doing every other day in the office for the first fortnight, with short days when I am in. To be reviewed on a week by week basis. Frankly he was so glad to see me back I think he would have agreed to anything. (Should have gone for the pay rise...)
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Sounds like a good plan. :)
 
@Firebrand I am back to work on a reduced schedule. I'm a creative director/designer for a small ad agency and the deadlines are all rushed. I go in 4 days a week from 9 'til 2 and bring work home with me as needed. I'm probably going to end up doing this for 3-4 weeks. Then I'll test an 8 hour day and if it wipes me out, I'll go back to the reduced schedule. Like you, my boss is just happy I'm in the office even if it is a short day. I have one junior account person that doesn't get the fact that I had major surgery. This same person takes off plenty of time for menstrual cramps. I almost told her that if she had this surgery, she'd take a year to get over it!

This is my second week of this schedule and it's working out pretty well. I also don't have the added stress of public transport, I have a 20 minute drive on not too congested highways. Your commute sound much more stressful.

I also develop odd aches and pains. They come and go and aren't enough to make me think there is something major gone astray. Last week I started to "power walk" to get somewhere quickly and a sharp butt pain followed. It went away in a few hours. The body certainly has a way of telling you to slow down.
 
designergirl said:
I have one junior account person that doesn't get the fact that I had major surgery. This same person takes off plenty of time for menstrual cramps. I almost told her that if she had this surgery, she'd take a year to get over it!
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I have one of those in my design studio - it must go with the territory. When I first walked back into the office last week the first words out of their mouth following a quick 'how are you' were all about their ills. Made me feel back to normal...

I agree about the odd aches and pains, I think that was we grow more comfortable with our new hips, we unconsciously push it more - and it let's us know how it feels about that. I've been out for a couple of (for me) long walks over the last couple of days (trailing the shops for new school uniform for my son who has grown out of everything), and it seems to be my knee in my operated leg that is putting up most resistance. I guess I have not used it properly for so long so that it is unused to it. But I feel like jelly when I get home, as if I have just run a marathon.
 
I too had the knee problem, the hip was great but the knee continued to be sore and swollen for quite some time post surgery. Icing helps. It did go eventually though. Trailing round the shops for school uniforms is not fun even when you haven't had a THR. :)

Take care

Ann
 
Today is my 7 week mark. I feel like I have entered phase 2 of my recovery. Without overdoing things I have been able to gently potter in the garden, do some sorting and tidying of things in the house that I haven't had the energy to do before, and generally start to get on top of things (I write myself 'to do' lists, most tasks on which I have mostly crossed off this week).

I have started driving again, which has been fine. The only thing that I slightly struggle with is getting in and out. Right hand drive, right hip, and pre-op I had got into the habit of rolling my hip slightly on the car frame to reduce pain, which I am trying to get out of now as it hurts my scar.

I have been to the gym twice - a very gentle go on the elliptical trainer. The first time I was stiff and cautious, the second time slightly less so. And gone for some very short trips outside with no cane (walking from the car into a shop type of thing).

However I still find my energy levels are relatively low, and by around 8pm I've pretty much had it for the day.

I'm starting back in the office on Monday (I'm doing alternate days in the office for the next fortnight), and feeling much less daunted by it all than I did last week. Time will tell if I return home at the end of the day feeling like a quivering wreck again!
 
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