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THR Ccarol's recovery

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ccarol said:
The doctor says that it is normal but I still feel like I must be doing something wrong.
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Why ever are you weaning off your pain meds at only days out of surgery. Sorry, but you should be taking your full dose of pain meds as prescribed around the clock. Go back and read the mantras I left earlier.

And if the lower dose is not controlling your pain please call your family doctor. Sounds like they did not get your pain correctly managed before discharging you from hospital.
 
I spoke to my Doctor today and he said that if the 5mg are not controlling the pain then don't start to reduce. Maybe I misunderstood or I wasn't communicating the amount of pain I was in well enough. So I'm going back to the 10mg every four hours and see if that will control the pain to where I need it.
 
ccarol said:
I spoke to my Doctor today and he said that if the 5mg are not controlling the pain then don't start to reduce.
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Well done @ccarol ! It's all a bit of trial and error. Everyone reacts differently to pain meds. Get that dose going and see how you function. The trick is to stay ahead of the pain.
 
ccarol said:
I spoke to my Doctor today and he said that if the 5mg are not controlling the pain then don't start to reduce. Maybe I misunderstood or I wasn't communicating the amount of pain I was in well enough. So I'm going back to the 10mg every four hours and see if that will control the pain to where I need it.
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Carol, I am five weeks out and still taking some pain meds, before bed and then again after I get home from PT. I think if it hurts too much...take them!


RTHR 1/15/2016. Posterior approach. Due to AVN. LTHR in my future.
 
I'm moving around better little by little each day. Getting in and out of bed, using the toilet and feeding the cats are getting easier. It all just takes much more time than usual. I have my first PT session tomorrow morning and I'm curious to hear her opinion of my progress. The nurse who came to the house today said that the dressing will be able to be removed by Sunday. I'm so excited to take a shower and feel normal again!

I wish I wasn't still using the walker. The logistics of how I'm going to do even the simplest things gets frustrating. Plus I didn't know until I got home that the walker doesn't fit through the bathroom door! I have to scoot sideways with the walker to get in.

Ooh, and the itchies have started! I know it's good because it means that things are healing, but it's hard not to scratch. Applying ice helps relieve the itching a lot.

I went back to taking the 10mg of pain meds which has helped with the pain but I ended up feeling really sick this morning. I am going to try taking 5mg every two hours as needed. I didn't expect pain management to be such a big issue, but is doesn't surprise me now, lol
 
I read your post and so remember the first week...honestly the first 3 weeks. I could not get the pain under control. Sounds like at least your MD is hearing you now. I totally agree with the advice to medicate as you need too. It is brutal without. I am officially 11 weeks now and happy for the people without pain, but it isn't everyone. Even long term the ice seems to help. So yes hang in there, it does get better but it does take time. I've given up trying to get my friends to understand or my family. Of them all, my six year old granddaughter was the best helper!



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Can you transition to elbow crutches or canes. I agree the walker is really not all that convenient. Perhaps PT can help you with this.
 
Jaycey said:
Can you transition to elbow crutches or canes. I agree the walker is really not all that convenient. Perhaps PT can help you with this.
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PT said that my Dr wants me using the walker until he can see me in his office next week. She said that I shouldn't rely on the leg lifter as much anymore so those leg muscles can build up now. Apparently I have been babying my leg too much thinking that the hip could be dislocated more easily than it can in reality.

My PT made me feel so much better about my progress. Earlier this morning, I was thinking that this surgery wasn't worth all of the pain and frustration.

@ddj I have found my kids are the best support both emotionally and physically. My boyfriend came sown woth a bad cold the day of my surgery. He hasn't come to visit because he didn't want to get me sick which is understandable, and now I'm the one checking up on him to see how he is doing!
 
I agree with you, it is painful. I was fortunate in that the percoset and tramadol managed the pain for me. Do you have a raised toilet seat? The ones with handles are really good. Can you keep a second walker in the bathroom? (That's what I did.) The percoset made me itch, too. It's a tough balance, because you need to manage the pain. Are you resting and icing? It takes a lot of patience.

I think after the second week you will see a big shift. I did. Your body has been through a lot of trauma. I know what you mean about your ex. Mine offered to help, too, but I wasn't comfortable. I'm sorry your boyfriend isn't being supportive. The emotions really affect our physical pain.
 
@Hip Hip Hooray! I think I have the pain meds where I need them now. I do have a raised toilet seat but not with handles. I think I'll be investing in the one with handles for my next surgery which should help me sit more comfortably. My PT watched as I took the walker into the bathroom sideways. She said that the motion was fine on the hip and actually mimicked one of the exercises she gave me. I'm resting and icing getting up and walking a little every hour as the PT recommended.

I feel better today. I slept five hours straight and then another three. That is the longest I've slept in a week. I have to remember that there will be up days and down days through this recovery. I just wish that the down days weren't so difficult!
 
Hi @ccarol!
Just wanted to drop by and let you know that you should see some dramatic improvement in mobility and pain management over the next few days. That first week or so can be grueling! I'm at 19 days and I can't tell you just how good I feel! I think it's because I stuck to the Bonesmart mantra like flies on honey! Every day I feel stronger and stronger, so much so that I'm completely ready to move forward with my 2nd replacement (I'll be scheduling it at my next OS appointment in 3 weeks). Sending you prayers and well wishes! :-)
 
@Cynthia777 Wow, just wow! Already thinking about doing your next replacement? Although I'm feeling so much better today, I still can't think about doing another and my Dr. says it won't be for another 3-5 years. Thank you for the encouragement!
 
Believe it ir not, a week or so ago, I was totally dreading going through it again! Oh what an additional week of recovery can do for your mental outlook! I kid you not! You're so very welcome @ccarol. :-)
 
@ccarol I am 11 days in and I have not had any PT yet and I am being a bit of a lounge lizard. Hang in there!!! I am feeling a little less foggy. I have big shots of energy followed by 2 hours of cat naps & reading. I am just now starting to stretch my pain meds a bit, and the stiffness reminds me that I shouldn't do it for another few days.

Every person is so different, but I am just now starting to use the counter to balance in the bathroom. Before, I waited for a family member to bring in the walker. Your timeline may be different, but that day will come. Promise!!!

My wee ones are incredibly sweet, and my feelings are strangely conflicting. I want to do the mommy things....and I can't....or I try and it zaps every bit of energy. Each day you are taking a step towards less pain....it may not be as fast or as far as you would like to be. But it is a step forward.
 
Hi @ccarol, That's excellent that you are sleeping so well. I'm glad you found a good recipe with the pain medications. It sounds like the worst is behind you. It's exciting when you start really improving.

The handles make a big difference on the raised toilet seat. I just loved mine. I would get up using the handles, and then reach for my walker. I'm so glad that you're not in so much pain anymore. Take care.
 
@jomarie58 Thanks, for the reassurance.

I'm Day 11 of my recovery and, as everyone said would happen, I am feeling so much better and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I don't feel the need to take my pain meds but once every 12 hours about. I was very worried about addiction. My PT said I was good to start transitioning from the walker to the cane. Talk about freedom! The walker was getting so annoying and just adding to my level of frustration. I'm amazed how in just a couple of days my pain and mobility have improved by leaps and bounds. I get my stables removed on Monday :happydance:(no more Franken-butt, lol) and start out patient PT by the end of the week.

I've notice in this second week I am dealing more with emotional stress than physical. This experience has been a real eye opener for me in terms of my future surgery and getting older in general and needing more assistance. At the moment I live alone with my two teenage kids, 16 and 19. They have been wonderful during my recovery time but will be moving on with their own lives in no time and I don't want to be a burden on them as they move on to college and then start families of their own. First I'm going to sell my split level and buy a rancher in a less expensive part of the county. I know now is not the time to be making any rash decisions, but there are many other aspects of my life that I need to reevaluate in the next couple of years.
 
So nice to hear you are feeling much better! I am amazed that you are able to get by on so little pain medication this early. I used opioids full-time for 4 weeks and then tapered. I knew I'd have no problems with addiction since I didn't really like anything about the opioids except for the pain-relief and was glad to be done with them. The second week is better than the first physically, and, again, how incredible that you are already transitioning to a cane!

I think it's a great idea to be thinking ahead about getting a ranch house and having everything on one floor in future. As we age, we should do everything we can to keep our independence. We have a bungalow, with all the rooms I need for living on one floor, except the basement where the washer/dryer is located. Don't know how long that will work, since for now my husband does all the lugging of the laundry up and down. Maybe I'll be able to do it again when I am fully fixed. We bought the bungalow next to ours and my sister rents it. We put a washer/dryer in her kitchen on the main floor for her so she could be independent in doing her laundry, and I could use her machines if my husband weren't available and I couldn't manage our stairs.

Good luck with the staple removal (mine didn't hurt at all when being removed) and the start of out-patient PT!
 
I remember feeling very emotional, too. It's normal. I think you may be surprised with how much better you feel in six months. I had my surgery in August, and am amazed at how energetic and healthy I am feeling. I'm dancing around the house. It's a huge change from post op.

This surgery does make you think ahead twenty and thirty years. I'm glad that we were able to get it done at this age. I think it's easier to heal.
 
Hi @ccarol - Glad you are feeling so much better and the pace to recovery has quickened! Your thoughts on the future are understandable. When our independence is challenged, we feel more vulnerable and all the "what if's" begin to surface. In a few months you will begin to feel like your old self again and your strength and mobility will increase. I remember feeling as you do after my first surgeries. I've always been very independent, self sufficient, and strong. Almost invincible! :snork: But all that has changed, and quite frankly, maybe for the better. I am more aware that life has a way of changing our direction and we need to rethink new paths to go down.

@Hip Hip Hooray! is right that this surgery does send your thoughts down 20-30 years from now. But being prepared for this will only make the journey more enjoyable!

For now, breath, heal, feel better!:flwrysmile:
 
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