THR CatLady1 - recovery thread

@CatLady1 - oh gosh thank you for all the newsy update. Never apologise about length please. We preOps in particular love to hear about progress. It makes us hungry for the off! :fasthorse:

Getting in and out of the car made me smile and remember my granddaughter Skye when she was aged 5. I was teaching her the reverse in, legs together and swing approach (just for fun)
I explained to her that's how ladies do it. When she recounted the process to her father she explained to him it was "so you don't show your knickers" :loll:.
Keep posting!
 
Isn't it amazing how kids interpret what we say?

The other 'amazing' part is when you do something for the last two years (or however long its been), that becomes the new norm -- the latest habit you have to break. Funny that 55+ years of getting in a car the normal way are forgotten in two years time. Well, ok, I guess not 55 years... I guess I didn't drive until I was 16, so maybe 45 years?? :heehee:
My new hip really does impress me. I would never have thought 1) How bad off I was until now when I start gaining back my range of motion, and seeing how much of it was lost. Wow. 2) How week to week I still see progress. I would have thought it sort of leveled off after 7 or so weeks. Instead, I look back a week and notice how much more 'stable' or flexible I feel, even just walking around. When I first got back to work, I'd walk up to our maintenance staff office (maybe 200 feet up the road). We have a path cut through the yard that does down a slight hill towards the road, but I didn't feel stable enough to be walking a pine straw path with a very slight incline... so when I'd walk up there, I'd walk down the drive way then up the road. Yesterday, I went up to drop off something, and thought nothing of walking that path. My legs just felt normal.

And btw -- changing the auto-on time on the Keurig did nothing for miss kitty cat yesterday. But instead of strolling my body, she chose to sit on the pillow I use for side sleeping, then decided my stomach needed kneading. Darn cat!
Here's wishing the rest of you a good / easy recovery with the best results.
 
So happy to read your update, I will feel just as excited if, no, when my ROM improves so I totally understand!

You sound like life is almost normal....back to pre pain days! Yeah!


RTHR 1/15/2016. Posterior approach. Due to AVN. LTHR in my future.
 
My 10.5 week report: Last night I played another music show. 4 weeks ago, it was the first show we did with me at post surgery, and although I did ok, I was sore and tired when we finished (much more than I normally would feel, even with a bad hip). Last night, playing violin, singing, standing, etc -- I felt like I had pre-surgery: movement and standing didn't wear me out, and I didn't need hubby to drive me home. The best part, was the lack of pain in moving around.
I really do think my arthritic hip pain / stiffness was such a gradual onset which made me forget what normal motion (ROM) felt like - so much that pre-surgery you tend to deny that 1) your in THAT much pain and 2) that your motion is limited due to arthritis. Now that I'm getting my ROM back, I can really see how bad it was (and now that there isn't any pain, I can see how much pain did affect me, too.)
I guess if I have any advice for anyone reading this - if you hesitant to move forward with life improving surgery - don't be. Part of the reason I was slow to move forward - was disbelief that I was in bad shape, and not knowing a good surgeon that I felt was a good fit.
As for exercise: I still ride the stationary bike twice daily (up to 15 minutes a session now, and will continue push up the time). I am also doing hamstring stretches and heel slides (modified so I can pull the knee closer to the body to loosen up that hip joint). And I'm still walking when possible.. usually putting it a minimum of 2 miles a day. I do still feel some general stiffness if I sit too long in one place (like riding in the car).
A report on my ROM: I can lift my operated leg to my body and tie my shoelaces, clip my toenails, shave my leg, lift my foot and place it on a chair seat etc. The motion isn't completely easy, (still some stiffness), and I'll start working on a tight piriformis stretch. Yesterday I noticed I got in the car the 'regular' way - lift foot and place it on the floor board... woo wee!

My next appointment with the surgeon's office in end of June (will be close to a 6 month check.) Here's hoping my other hip behaves itself and let's me enjoy life for a while. :yahoo:
 
Only 10 weeks and look at you!!! What a wonderful update @CatLady1! You must be so stoked right now to be able to get back to doing what you love best. I envy you with all your talent! I've always loved the thought of performing on stage. As a child, I would stand on our fireplace hearth with poker (cane) in hand, adorned in my little shiny black patent leather shoes and "tap dance" and sing away (if one could call it singing and dancing) to one of my parents oldies such as (Glow Little Glow Worm, glimmer, glimmer)! Oh how my make believe audience would whistle and clap as I took my curtsy! :loll:

I'm with you on NOT waiting! I feel I wasted a year of my life agonizing over whether I should or shouldn't move forward. To complicate things, there were weeks at a time when I had no pain at all, so making that decision was a difficult one.

Sadly many here have issues with their ROM and must work long and hard to regain it. How wonderful that you have not had to struggle with this issue! So very happy for you my friend! :yay: Do you perform often?
 
Thank you @CatLady1 for the update. We were only one day apart and I like reassurance that I'm no different and that things are progressing "normally". I've got stiffness in the lower back and both legs. I'm only walking about one mile a day but I continue to think some of my stiffness and back pain is coming from the left leg. I don't seem to be favoring the left but I feel the pain frequently so I probably do lean more to one side than the other, thus the back ache. I'm so glad you are playing and able to be on stage and not bonk. There is a lot of energy that goes into healing and we need more frequent recharging at first.

I've got #2 pre-op tomorrow morning and I've tried to do way too much outside the past week. Spring is showing all over middle Tennessee and in my yard. I am an addict when it comes to pulling weeds and trimming and pruning. I'm one of those people that just has to stop, bend down and pull a weed anywhere I see it so I have dirty hands and fingernails are broken from March through September. I'm glad it was my hip that was replaced because I spend so much time out in the yard on my knees. Winter replacement was good because there was nothing I wanted to do outside in January or February. I'm chomping now to re-stain the deck. Pull weeds around shrubs and in the area in the mulch around the foundation. I am going to plant tomatoes in big pots this year instead of tilling a garden space. I hate admitting defeat and giving up my peppers, squash and cucumbers but maybe next year. My husband will do things like that IF I nag and direct and instruct on everything. It just isn't worth it this year. Local grown from the farmer's market. No one will care -- except me. :bawl:

Yes! Hoping your other hip is good to go for a lifetime. I don't know why both of mine are/were so bad. They essentially went at the some time. One just slightly worse than the other. Too many years of having great health and probably doing many things that I could've/should've left to others. Confessions of a worn out hippy.
Ciao -- julie
 
@Squirrellymom...I just LOVE you! Your posts make me laugh and maybe a wee bit guilty (I've got to start moving this rear of mine)!

@CatLady1
I forgot to ask how are you enjoying your bike? I still haven't purchased one, but will be here soon. I've looked at a few on Amazon and have read several reviews, but with so many options, I'm kind of at a loss which type I should get. I was going to purchase a used one on craigslist, but nothing interesting has popped up yet. Any recommendations?
 
@Squirrellymom - Good to hear from you. I'm not getting BS alerts lately, so I missed notice of your post. I hear you about the gardening. I'm not that fond of ours (mostly due to the summer heat, and mosquitos that love me), but hubby likes it and all that counts is one of us getting out there. I like eating all the food! And like suggesting what we need to grow. I don't mind flower gardening at all (am eagerly awaiting our last threat of freeze so we can plant again.) And my friendship cactus have gone out to the screen deck, and come back in several times already.
Your comments about hips lasting x amount of time really makes me curious as to how a hip can survive 58 years of use, then just start failing. Or like me, why one fails, and the other appears fine (although to be truthful, I probably had failure starting in my 20's and I just figured it was the way I was born, and kept on keeping on, and didn't give it any more thought.) In adult-hood, I've always noticed more stiffness in my right hip joint (which failed) - so that it was hard to sit indian style with that half of my body.

@Cynthia777 - I love this bike. I'm still riding twice daily (it's about time to do my evening ride.) It's been terrific physical therapy to get my hip joint moving fluidly again. Hubby laughs at me when I get impressed with this type of thing --- he says it's because the surgeon knows what's best, and isn't that why I selected him???? The bike I bought is an "Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Bike with Pulse" -- look it up on Amazon. A long while back -- maybe even pre-surgery, I was reading though posts here, and noticed someone talking about getting a bike to ride (might even have been the knee forum). So I started shopping on Amazon and saw that an Exerpeutic was on sale for somewhere around $100 (one of those one day deals), but didn't buy it. When it was time to buy, luckily, I found the same thing on CL that was barely used. I also like the idea that it's 'portable' and can be folded up and moved out of the way (not that I'm there yet, but I can see myself not using it some day.) Right now, it's a twice daily routine. It really has loosened up that surgical hip joint. Since the OS said I could expect to experience tightness for up to a year (due to lengthened leg / muscles needing to stretch), I'll probably be riding a lot during the hot summer months too. And doing some inside exercises.

My other "miracle movement monitor" as been the Fitbit Charge activity tracker that I bought myself (when the Jawbone UP died). I find myself monitoring my daily steps, and trying to do a few more than a previous day, etc. I started off somewhere around 2,000 steps in a day when I bought it, then watched it climb to 2,300, then 2,500..... Then one day, walked more and you know how it goes, more pushing to do better. Today, it's reporting 7,776 steps (3.43 miles). The highest I've hit since I got it was 8.5xx steps - 3.7 miles. When I get off work, I make it point to go walking before dinner (unless it's rainy weather, or I've got an after work appointment).
The more active I am, the better my hip feels. Julie and Cynthia, you'll both be there soon! One more surgery, one more recovery and you'll be past it all, looking forward to the activities you can start doing again. Cheers to both you you!
 
@CatLady1 - Sounds like you are doing great! And working, too! I can't wait until this hip #2 has healed a bit more and I can start digging into life again. Feels like I've been in RECOVERY forever and it's lost its charm for me at this point.

I looked up that bike you have and it looks fabulous! No wonder you love it. And how convenient that it folds up. I have an outdoor bike that I had to give up riding before my surgeries. I love riding outdoors, but it was just too painful an ordeal to get on and off. Hopefully soon that won't be a problem for me anymore with these new hips! I can't wait! But that bike you have would be perfect for winter or rainy days. Thanks for the info.

You're doing great! Keep up the good work!
 
@CatLady1 -- I want to be where you are - DONE. :tantrum2: Oh well, I'm sure I'll appreciate late summer and early fall when I will be bouncing around everywhere. I will garden on the deck this year. Poo. My husband does not do yard or garden "stuff". He does what I beg and nag to get done. He will till but that is the end. I'm the fertilizer, planter, decider, picker, preparer, -- Hey! I'm the "Little Red Hen". :chuck: I'm going outside in just a bit to get rid of these purple blooming weeds that have taken over a large pine island in my front yard. I put the island in to keep from having to do so much yard mowing and upkeep and now I have to weed the island. Did not work out as planned. Thank you for mentioning the Fitbit. I do not have one and now, thanks to you, I want one. My son loves his and wears it all the time. I have an app on my phone that is supposed to monitor my steps but one caveat, I don't have my phone on my person all the time so I'm getting friendly reminders that I need to pick up my pace and do more. Yup, I need to get another toy - a fitbit for me. Thanks for the recommendation. I bought the Schwinn A10 stationary bike about 7-8 years ago. It is not portable and takes up a bit of room. We have it in the basement along with a treadmill and a hang upside down thingie that I thought would help my back pain but didn't. I enjoy the bike but it has a computer feature for heart rate etc. that failed within the first few years so that is worthless. It would be lovely to hide it away when I'm not using it.

Enjoy spring in the mountains with your new body parts!!! --julie D. in Tennessee
 
You asked, @Cynthia777, so I'll report!

I've been busy trying to catch up on life, and all the things I've missed out doing for the past 3+ years. Every week it seems my hips and body moves better. DH is getting his dose of more activity just trying to keep up with me. LOL!
We've been out camping, hiking, walking, bike riding, ... last weekend I walked a one mile 'fun run' in support of habitat for humanity. My goal was to not finish last, and considering that most of the 'fun run' participants were joggers and took off running, I think I did well - finishing about 6th from the end. I have found that a few times I have overdone myself being active and have to slow down for a day or two to recover, but I have recovered.
I'm still exercising for flexibility (riding the stationary bike and doing leg stretches). I'm still using my fitbit to track my daily walking... I've walked as far as 5.5 miles in a day, and as little as 3.
I've been back at work full time since the 6 weeks mark (and started working part time at 3 weeks). There are times when I still feel stiff, especially after sitting for a while, and have the sensation that my legs & knees need to stretch out before I can start moving; as weeks go by, I have less of that feeling.
I find that I sleep much better now than I did pre-surgery. It's easier to fall asleep at night (most of the time, I can't even finish reading my iPad before I'm conked out.

Things I've noticed? I can bend over and touch my ankles, I can bend over and trim my toe nails and tie my shoes. If I needed to, I could put on my own socks (but it's too hot for socks now here in Georgia!) I can step into or out of the bathtub now without thinking about it. ; I guess the only 'benefits' of being immobile pre-surgery is I now have more appreciation for feeling more flexible. I now realize how bad off I was (and didn't realize it.)

My six months Dr's appointment will be with the PA in 3.5 weeks -- I'll be curious to see what advice / new exercise plan I'm given (if any). I can see why several old hippies here say that at the 8+ month mark, they just get out of bed and don't think about their hip anymore. I'm looking forward to that too!
 
Wow, you're doing sooo well! In fact you've walked more post-op than I walked in a year before my hip problems! I've got to get this bum moving! I really am impressed with how far you've come in such a relatively short period of time...good for you! Thanks for the update. Sending you hugs from sunny SoCal! :friends:
 
Well, I too have walked more post op than I ever did pre-op. In fact, I avoided walking any further than car to office, house to car, etc. Otherwise I'd feel the hip burn for the next few days. Funny thing, I really haven't made an effort to make sure I walk xx amount of miles a day, it just ends up that way. One weekend recently I spent a good chunk of the day outside, sweeping leaves off our back deck, re-organizing the shed storage area, etc. At the end of the day, I was at close to 9,000 steps (about 4.5 miles). I guess when it doesn't hurt to move, it's much easier to move! :bicycle1:
 
Here’s my 1st hipp-a-versary update. All I can say is 2016 has certainly been an interesting year. I really consider my self to be a healthy person, so when I had hip surgery in January, (5th to be exact), it was my first surgery. Ever. I recovered from that pretty quickly, and have been feeling good all year.

We went camping at the end of April with our camping club, and I met a woman from Kentucky who had had a THR, and was experiencing pain --- and suspected an infection.

Fast forward several months: my 87 year old mom fell at the end of July and broke her left hip – I thought we’d trade places and I’d get to cheer and coach her through hip recovery, but she succumbed to other surgical complications and ended up passing away on August 22nd. It was a shock, as I didn’t expect such a quick downward spiral with her health – certainly not from hip surgery.

In November, we met up again with my hip – infection friend (from camping) who gave me an update on her hip issues: After we saw her in April, she went back home, and contacted a Vanderbilt (Nashville) doc she had been referred to. He had her come for an appointment immediately, and sure enough, It was a hip infection. She went through the spacer / antibiotics, etc, then was re-scheduled for a revision. When we met her this time, all was well with her hip, and recovery had been good (although I noticed she still walked as if she had hip joint pain. (– DH watched her walk, then looked at me and said, “Don’t you remember walking like that? I had to explain to him that you don’t ‘walk like that’ when your hip hurts, you walk like that to avoid the pain, and in my case, didn’t realize I was ‘walking like that’.)

The first of December, I was diagnosed with a softball sized ovarian cyst (and had out-patient laparoscopic surgery to remove it two weeks ago.) It was non cancerous, and was certainly unexpected… I had no symptoms. All in all, I’m doing well now!!
But I’m certainly ready to get started on 2017.

Yes, now it seems like my new hip has been a distant memory…. Hip, what hip??? Oh, yes, now I remember. But in spite of all of the above, my hip recovery has been awesome. I read several comments on bonesmart.org early on (when I was trying to learn everything possible about my upcoming THR surgery) that hipsters would say, “Boy, it sure is nice to get out of bed in the morning and not think about my hip!”

I sort of wondered if I’d get around to saying that too? For all you catching up with me… it’s true, you do say it. I’m saying it now, and have been for a while. I’ve gotten to the point where I sleep all night and don’t wake up after two hours with hip pain; for that matter, a lot of the back pain I previously experienced has gone away. I get in and out of cars like a normal hipped person would; I go walking and don’t think about my groin pain (if I’m thinking about my pain, it’s about how awesome it is to walk and NOT have pain); I ride a bicycle and enjoy the exercise again (I might remember my hip if because my right leg doesn’t quite lift as high as my left leg, and I have to switch sides to step over the bike bar); I play music shows like I’ve always done, but now when I’ve stood up for 3 hours playing, I don’t pay for it the next day with burning hip pain. So, yes, you do forget that hip surgery happened, and you just get back to living life.

I had my 1st annual hip exam today – which entailed xrays and consultation with the OS (it was about 2 weeks early from the actual date.) Dr. Kim declared my hip to be in great shape. We also talked about the causes of infections (he said always bacterial and never viral); we also talked about future follow up visits (3-4 years) and what he’d be looking for in the xrays, and how my other hip was doing (no signs of any of the same issues).

To sum it up…. Hip surgery is the best thing I’ve done all year! It’s great to finally just be living again.
 
Yay, @CatLady1, happy to hear about how things are so good with your hip! I am thrilled about your life without pain, and feeling the hope of those of us in recovery that we will be in a similar place someday. Enjoy your 2017, hopefully without any medical problems!
 

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