THR Cathy's Recovery<

[C Mac]

Hi Cathy!

Just reading a bit of your post-op thread and saw you mentioned this tidbit from your surgeon upon completion:

"Said he had a tough time getting the femur away from things and exposed the way he wanted. Not abnormal, he said he runs into it sometimes for a number of reasons. He said it maybe added 15 minutes to the surgery..."

Do you think the swelling is due to his extra bit of work in there and some tissue that has been traumatized a bit more?

It sounds like you are doing things mindfully and carefully and have gotten good tips from Josephine. I remember that when I was early out from surgery I used to spend about an hour a day lying down with a little pillow under my knees reading -- in the bed. This little ritual often lead into a nap which was helpful as well

Keep doing your walker-walking around the house and getting plenty of fluids to drink and bathroom visits to keep those fluids circulating. How's the bruising??

Are you ok with pain level 4-5 or are you feeling uncomfortable? Is that pill schedule what was suggested by the surgeon or have you gone rogue.... (not time to do that yet, right??).

Talk soon,
Cardie

 

[Josephine]

Do you think the swelling is due to his extra bit of work in there and some tissue that has been traumatized a bit more?

Very doubtful. 15 minutes is not a lot of time to add to the length of a hip replacement.

 

[VThereandnow]

Elevated the heck out of things and added extra icing. Rigged up a good elevated situation for bedtime and when I got up in the a.m. things had gone down considerably, which enabled me to move better and that reduced the pain. Thanks for all the input. I do really appreciate it. Been through this before but all of a sudden get amnesia when I see my leg blowing up.

 

[Josephine]

Jolly good! Glad it worked.

 

[VThereandnow]

Killing me to wait till my partner gets home from work to go outside but I promised the PT also, that, for now, I would only walk outside with someone cuz of steps, which I do fine with, but I promised :/ haha? I will settle for opening a lot of windows. Not like I can go crazy far anyway, but the fresh air is great after having the house closed up for so long.

My leg looked the least swollen and felt the best it has this morning. Been sleeping on my back with it elevated every night. Does not take long for extra swelling to occur walking around though. Wow, my thigh is still so tight. Also close to my knee where it seems the IT band attaches is pretty sore at times. My incision feels ok, but below the incision and down to my knee on the side of my leg is still partially numb. Pretty sure this is all normal so I am not worried, just reporting . Slow and steady wins the race, and honestly, before surgery was such a struggle, that I am appreciating the down time, I deserve it!

Back to the recliner and my ice

 

[joydiver]

Cathy, Mine is at the dentist now so I'm also trying to just chill and be safe - amazing weather and hopefully will still be nice later to get outside. Glad your leg seemed a bit better this AM and hope the extra recliner & ice time will improve it even more [emoji106]




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[Nohipwndr]

Hi Cathy,
So glad you have gotten some relief from the swelling! I've been very fortunate in that area. I think I've got that IT band pain too. It should go away with time and rest. I also have the numbness on the outside of my upper leg knee to just above the start if the incision. I believe this is pretty normal.
I got confirmation from Josephine that I am undermedicating myself and maybe exercising with the damn heel pumps and quad squeezes that I should need to be doing! Just follow the mantras. REST, Elevate, ICE and Medicate on schedule. I'll never do great on the last part. I hate being all doped up but I am going to try and do better.
I'm so jealous of your good weather! We are having rain again today. I can't wait to get some sun on my face!

 

[VThereandnow]

@Nohipwndr great minds think alike. I was just over on your thread lol. Yes, I can say from the experience of the other surgery I had, that it takes time for the numbness and pain to go away. In fact the numbness, last time, took quite a while, though got better little by little. I am 2 weeks out today and you are less, so we need to practice patience too, which is not my greatest strength haha and does not seem like yours either haha. ...and maybe you can just find a better balance with your meds, a bit more sometimes so you don't get behind the pain, but not too much that you feel loopy, cuz I do know at this point of healing, too much pain will hinder the healing. I know Josephine is not a proponent of early excercise but I am still doing small amounts, as I too, am still thinking clots. I guess everything in moderation. Hang in there, thanks for checking in and hopefully soon, some sunshine will be in your town too.
Cathy

 

[Nivea]

I am still thinking clots and I am 8 weeks out.

It's funny how you mentioned upthread about going outside alone, as I was quite nervous doing so. At first, my husband said no. Once he felt I was really doing so much better, he said he'd be comfortable with it. It was me who was nervous. Doing fine inside but I envisioned tripping outside, going splat on the ground and being by myself. I can trip over a piece of lint....

I have fallen down our stairs...all 13 (inside) and wound up dislocating and breaking my shoulder. That was perhaps 15 years ago or so. Several years ago, while on vacation in Barbados, I tripped over a curb while trying to take a picture (didn't drop my iphone!) and fractured my wrist in 3 places. So, I do not have a good track record. However, with the gorgeous weather and such, I have built up a bit more confidence.

 

[VThereandnow]

@Nivea too funny! Well not really, but you know what I mean Dang those are some dastardly falls. PT just left and said I was good to go outside by myself, which I am glad about. Before surgery I kept tripping and bumbling forward, not really falling but ouch on the sore hip. I was dragging my leg a bit I think, AND I need to slow down and be mindful. I meditate and they always say, it's bringing mindfulness off the cushion and into your life that is the hard part, and I need to do that with my walking. (btw I sit on a chair not on a cushion lol) The walk I took with the PT Today, I used 2 canes instead of the walker. Seems I can walk straighter and more heel toe with the canes. I always seem to bend over a bit with the walker. First walk with the canes whoohoo!

Thanks for stopping by, Cathy

 

[Nivea]

@VThereandnow All fun times....NOT! I, too, seemed to lean forward more using the walker. However, I used it the first 2 weeks and then at night, once going to the cane. I walk pretty well with the cane and can take a few steps without it still straight. After a few steps, my gait all goes downhill. The plus side is that I see progress. I do have back issues anyway, although better post op, I am sure that doesn't help. Good for you transitioning to the canes. I still work and will be going back in 2-3 weeks and hoping I can be without the cane. If not, that's okay I know the day will come.

 

[VThereandnow]

@Nivea that is my plan exactly. 2 weeks out, going to still use it at night and in a.m. if I need, and of course, if I have a bad day. I actually have some nerve/muscle damage from my first surgery (too long a story, but in short bad surgery, way too long convincing surgeon this was so, revision with another surgeon) so I use a cane for the other side. It is for weakness, not pain. Was already using 2 canes before surgery so I am an old pro so my goal is to get back to 1 cane and in the deep recesses of my mind I fantasize using none. Same here on the back issues and mine also are better post-op. I hope you do get off the cane before work, but you are right, it will happen when It happens. If you push it you'll just develop bad habits with limping. Better to let your body tell you when you are done, not your mind

When we moved to VT (6 yrs ago) I moved in the midst of getting shots and coming to the conclusion I needed surgery. I was going to take a year off and get us settled, not realizing it would be filled with finding new docs, a surgeon, then a bad surgery etc, so what I now say is I was forced into early retirement LOL, but it is true. Thank goodness my spouse can support us both, I am grateful. When my life started coming back together, before the other hip went down, I worked part-time. Not sure what I'll do when I get back to a sense of a new nomal again. Oh well, one step at a time right?

 

[Nivea]

@VThereandnow We went out for a bite to eat tonight and my thoughts actually went to...what if I need this cane forever? Not for pain at all, but just weakness...perhaps due from back issues. Now, I don't think that will happen but you never know. I waited entirely too long to have my LTHR and I know my recovery may be a bit slower due to that. My back issues C-spine and lumbar spine: degenerative disc disease, arthritis, bulging discs and stenosis. My lumbar spine also has collapsing vertabrae. I originally went to the spine doctor as I could not walk and the pain was excrutiating. I didn't think it was my hip but the spine doctor said to come back once the hip was replaced. The hip was that bad. I have just been dealing with my bad back and who knows if there is any sort of damage to other areas due to that. However, I am on my "get fixed" journey.

I want as much done this year as I can as I have already hit my OOP max for the year...$6850.00. I have a little over 4 years until I can get on Medicare and my healthcare is expensive with a high deductible, not unlike many other people.

You certainly have been through a lot as well. It's hard enough to go through the surgery but a bad surgery just makes things that much worse. Especially being that you have damage.

I have gotten to the point in my life that it is what it is....if this recovery is slower than many, so be it. If I need the cane longer than many (some), that is fine. Now, do I get frustrated at times? Absolutely. I get tired of the cane, or the fact that I can't walk as fast as I used to. But, I know that I can only do what I can do.

We will get there!

 

[Nohipwndr]

@VThereandnow Wow! That's great. Graduating to canes! Wonderful new! I'm short and even I lean over using the walker. I still fear I use it way too much but I'm going to cut myself a break and not get crazy about that til after two weeks time. I do try to stand up straighter but succumb to that IT band pain when it comes!
We have had a crazy weather day so far. This morning there were very dark storm clouds present. Just before they moved ashore there was a beautiful rainbow followed by an intense hail storm. Now the clouds are clearing and the sun is coming out. Hopefully that's it for the rain today!
@Nivea looks like we are all on the same path. We just have to take it day by day and no comparison to others. It's hard though when you read about people going back to work in less than 2 weeks time. That will never happen for me. Even my original goal of back at work in 4 weeks seems quite lofty right now. I hear you about the insurance! That's a good idea....seeing if there is anything else I need to get done while I've met my OOP Max!

 

[Nivea]

@Nohipwndr Oh silly us! When speaking with the OS when told i needed LTHR, my husband asked how long I'd be out of work, as we were clueless. Prior to asking, OS said hospital stay of 1 night (was 27 hours total), no restrictions and no PT...so, we hadn't really wrapped our head around this yet, so overwhelmed. The OS says to us that he has patients going back to work in 2 weeks, some 10 or 12 weeks. It all depends on the person. Now, our brains are thinking...hmmmm, 1 night in hospital, no restrictions, no PT, how bad can this be??? I can go back to work anywhere from 2-4 weeks and I will be fine...I am tough. Yeah, that didn't work out so well. LOL. I quickly learned that it is major surgery and your body dictates how it will really be. I am still getting sleepy in the afternoon and I am 8 weeks out. Good grief. Oh well, very glad I had it done as the pain was excrutiating but a bit more intense than I imagined.

 

[VThereandnow]

@Nohipwndr yes, doing the canes is great though I took the walker on my solo walk outside today. Just was not totally comfortable by myself with them outside yet, so trying to be smart. Used the walker for middle of night, and when I first got up then switched to canes around the house. I would say it is a "transition" to the canes and yes, I was 2 wks out yesterday.

Thinking of not comparing to others, and just yesterday was out walking and a neighbor on the next block said "what's with the walker"? They know I normally use 1 cane, and I said I had the other hip done and instead of saying, well I hope things go well or something, they said (my pet peeve) "oh, well anyone I know whose had one is grateful they did and recovers pretty quick" now I know they are just being friendly but it sets me up for what I call my monkey mind, that then makes up stories that people in the neighborhood are going to be judging how fast I recover etc, which is ridiculous, I mean they have better things to do lol. It is my own self judgement stuff and again, just got to let it go haha. It kind of stems from the first one going so wrong I think and taking forever.

@Nivea I do believe there are people that do stuff at 2 wks, in fact one of the guys we rent a place from every year told me he was painting his living room after 2 wks. That is one end of the spectrum but it is a big spectrum and it seems there are not all that many on that end, or at least I have not been close to that end lol. And the bottom line lik you said, it is what it is. The recovery does take a while. I mean it takes like 6 wks for the bone to grow in. Thank goodness with age comes at least a bit of wisdom and maybe patience???

Have a good wknd you two

 

[labanan]

Your thread is very encouraging! I struggle with comparing my insides with other's outsides and remind myself of how it felt to do the Dublin Marathon - it was my race and finishing it was my victory. No one a couple of years out will inquire about how long it took me to move my foot off the bed. They'll either be happy or indifferent to my recovery. This is my race and my only obstacle is my mind.

 

[Nohipwndr]

@Nivea yes indeed, this THR was quite a bit more intense than I had imagined! As @VThereandnow said anyone who hears that you've had a THR tells their story of someone they know who "recovered pretty quick" .....
It can be very disheartening. I hadn't thought about my neighbors comparing my progress though! Oh the heck with them. I just don't care what they think. I'm going to get out there with my bathrobe and my walker and they can make fun of me if they like. I'm going to get well despite that!
Cathy- How are you doing today?
@labanan "my only obstacle is my mind" Truer words!!!! How are you doing since your surgery?

 

[VThereandnow]

@Nohipwndr doing good today, a bit tired and a little more sore from my walks around the block, but I have also been cutting down on the narcotics a bit too, so I am working on finding the balance with it all. IT band and thigh tighten up quick. I cooked supper tonight, which was not a big deal, it was a slow cooker meal, but in the preparation I took lots of steps around the kitchen with just the counter as my assist. I might not do that again for a while. My partner did not want me to do it, but I wanted to see how the body would react. So now I know haha. It was a little different than making myself bfast and lunch. Otherwise, practicing being patient as there is that part of me who wants to jump into spring and garden and bike and kayak, and then I remember, oh yeah, I just had hip surgery lol. All in all doing pretty darn good for 17 days out

 

[labanan]

I'm impressed with your activity and glad to see you are carefully monitoring it. Looking forward go fixing myself lunch today. Got the fella to put everything needed either out or on top shelf of fridge.

I'm letting the tortoise be my totem!

Jan