THR Celebrating one at a time, encore!

[Barbaraj]

Loved the story about your mom @Layla! She sounds like a fiercely independent woman, good for her! I feel I am healing pretty quickly and walking unaided (but carefully and with supervision) is something I feel will work for me. Unlike your mama, I sort of like the compression hose—they keep my feet and legs warm although a huge pain to put them on. Without my husband’s help there is no way I could manage these!

 

[Barbaraj]

Hey@lovesstars, sounds like you are still finding recovery a slog even at 6 weeks. It really is a process, a journey whose timing is dictated by our own bodies. I suspect you are feeling a bit frustrated but healing IS going to come for all of us! Keep the faith; it is going to get better.

 

[Mojo333]

It says "oh my stars" @Alitm and yes ma'am...you too will be double hippy happy and ready to get on with life.
My recovery thread was long and winding and full of insecurity and tentative hopefulness.
Getting rid of that horrid OA pain was worth all the hardship and uncertainty of recovery.
Patience and perseverance and a good attitude...all of which you have already displayed will see you through.
Hope you rest well tonight!

 

[Alitm]

The PERFECT "T" for you @Mojo333!!! Had a lovely slow walk out the barn late this afternoon...I think I'm coming out of the energy drain and being very careful to pace myself LOL moving forward
Wishing you a relaxing evening

 

[Alitm]

@1stSurgery On my slow-as-ketchup walk to the barn late this afternoon, I was thinking of ways to cheer you up about your hippy status, prior to reading about your corner turning in the pain department. Thought a bird's eye view of my "Surgery Sketcher" would make you laugh...or a little dizzy! I've decided they look much better on a raised display case, than from above and on my feet . This arial view makes me think they look like witch's shoes, with athletic lacing....and look particularly odd with no socks, bony ankles and sweats that have shrunk!! Maybe its the slightly pointy toes ?

 

[1stSurgery]

That's a very artfully composed photo @Alitm! The way the stones and rust colored vegetation frame the feet.. Those are nice shoes!! It's hard to go wrong with sketchers, I find them to be really comfortable and durable. I usually wear them as my go to airport shoes. Thank you so much for trying to cheer me up... when, little did you know, I was over here bouncing off the ceiling 100 mph and shrieking in delight at my new progress! I'm not sure I could have been any MORE cheerful!! But very kind of you all the same!

 

[Mojo333]

I think they look super comfy!
Not like witches shoes

Glad you are getting out and feeling stronger!
Hope today is a Good Day!

 

[Barbaraj]

Good morning, @Alitm! Hope the start to your day has been good. Feeling a bit more stiff than usual due to too lengthy sitting last night but trying to be philosophical and know it’s a mere bump on the road. Getting extra rest this morning but will haul my carcass up this afternoon for some slow walks.

Cheers, and have a good day!

 

[Alitm]

@Barbaraj. I was up early, but now that I am a tad more clear headed (!), tried to get some on-line banking accomplished!! Had a shower and put on real jeans! Yay! @lovesstars recommended soft and a size up corduroy jeans. I will order some, but remembered I had some very old, very worn (and soft) and too big for me jeans in a bag to go to the SA thrift shop. I whipped them out and put them on after my shower. They were a great trial replacement for PJ bottoms and sweats! The side seam seems to by-pass the wound, on which I have a dry dressing to prevent rubbing. I really want to get some air circulating around the wound, without the dressing on. My cheeky husband suggested I walk around the house in my undies, until I gave him THE LOOK and then went on to suggest a skirt...I have some older, from Bermuda days, flowing ones, that I might try. More than one road leads to Rome!! All ideas welcome! There is this really great product I get from my vet for wound coverage. It is called derma gel. It is like a second skin, that allows breathability. It helps clean wounds heal in a jiffy! I wonder if there is a human equivalent?

Sorry that you were feeling a bit stiff this AM. Hope that has resolved with moving around. I find sitting for too long on a hard chair and not getting my toes up makes me stiff. I also get stiff if don't space out my walking around (and icing afterwards) and then sit (even with feet up) for long stretches. It is getting better though, so don't lose heart

Hoping your "carcass" has had a good day!

 

[lovesstars]

Yay @Alitm for wearing soft cords! Yay for feeling normal (although on the couch with ice!).

 

[Alitm]

@lovesstars yes, feeling normal but ditto....icing in recliner!! LOL!

 

[Mojo333]

Hope your evening is peaceful and your night restful.
Healing hugs

 

[SurreyGirl]

I was on a walker for two days max at the hospital and crutches afterwards. When doing long walks I use two but mainly one now and the other just in case I get tired. I hated the walker.

@Alitm The crutches have been excellent and my back is straighter than it has been for years. Still practising without at home and also in our front concreted yard. Small steps but getting there. Wondering whether to practise with a stick yet. I do feel the crutch gives me extra security though.

@Barbaraj you are doing amazingly. So glad that your leg will let you walk unaided so early on with no wobbles

 

[Barbaraj]

Ha, ha @SurreyGirl, I can't walk all that far unaided but you are right that I'm happy to even take a few slow and careful circuits around our downstairs without that walker. I just feel I stand up so much straighter without the walker. Friends dropped off walking sticks today so I'm hoping my husband can figure out how to adjust them for my height and maybe tomorrow I'll be able to try them out. At the end of the day today, after virtuously resting and not doing a whole lot of walking, I am feeling stronger this evening. Tomorrow is another day and at this point I'm confidently saying, "bring it on!"

 

[Alitm]

@SurreyGirl Good to know how quickly you went from walker to crutches. I will keep that in mind for my Nov 8 surgery. Yes, they make me stand up really straight, and I love feeling that again! I'm a little crooked though, as I can bring my right hip under me, but my left hip still is pushed back by the OA.

I'm asking Santa for walking sticks for Christmas!!

@Barbaraj Let us know how the walking stick work out. I'm sure you can find some info on google about how to fit them, if your friend's instructions are long gone....as they usually are!

 

[SurreyGirl]

@Alitm it was hospital policy to get us off the walkers as soon as possible. I remember being quite scared the first few times with the crutches but by the end of the day they felt much more natural and certainly speeded me up!

After a few weeks I learnt the technique of “normal” walking using the crutches where the crutch would move with the opposite leg starting off on the “good” leg. As I am hopelessly uncoordinated I had to think, “left crutch forward and right leg move” each time when starting. Occasionally I would get confused and have to stop and think. Now it comes naturally and it helped when I moved to one crutch.

I am seeing the physio today so will decide whether I should progress to a walking stick or Leki in prep for going back to work.

 

[Layla]

Happy Thursday!
Isn't it wonderful to put on clothes again?!! Real clothes, not pjs or loungey oversized athletic type attire.
Makes you feel more normal and not so "patient" like. Skirts are a great option.
You're doing great. I hope today is a good one!
@Alitm

 

[Alitm]

Heading to the three week count down and more healing changes happening....

Op hip taking more weight. I can stand and brush my teeth without any assisted device. I can cruise the kitchen counters. While holding the bathroom counter , I can put on my underwear and pants on my op leg, then stand on my op leg leg and put the good leg in the other side, if that makes sense! Walking around the house with one crutch only. @Layla 's heel to toe footfall reminder is excellent and really helps improve the gait. It actually feels better to walk that way again, breaking the bad footfall habits that came about from the OA.

I am able to do a small load of laundry, put it the drier, and if hubs takes it all in for me, fold it on my bed. I prepare my own breakfast and lunch, get my own tea/coffee (use a travel mug to start with, no spills!). I'm walking out to the barn once a day on two crutches. I take a break and ice between everything I do. No marathon stretches of activities. I find the crutch allows me to stand up straight improve my posture. However, with hip #2 pending I can feel that my pelvis is crooked. I am able to get my my right hip (#1 op) underneath me, but the #2 op side still wants to go out behind me with the OA. My back twinges ever now and then. #2 hip is going to hold me back until she gets replaced on Nov 8, but thats OK...I get it! She can't help herself!

Another positive though is I really want to sleep on my non op side. I tried this afternoon to lay on my left side, with a long pillow between my legs, on our bed. It worked, so I'm going to try sleeping with hubby tonight. The trusty recliner is always there if I need to head back to it.

 

[Barbaraj]

Well, you sound as if you've made fabulous progress this last few weeks, @Alitm! Congratulations are clearly in order so hurray for you! I am sure you are being held back somewhat by your other bum hip, but the fact that you've come so far despite having to compensate for that is wonderful. You should be very proud of yourself. I keep waiting for my left hip to start acting up. I've been told it's in bad shape, too, although clearly not as bad as my right. But, so far, I haven't experienced any discomfort on my left side yet. Plenty of discomfort on my right hip still (!) so I'm not looking for more! I think you must be every OS's dream patient: taking things slowly but surely, not overdoing it (well, except occasional mistakes which you remedy by more rest the following day), eating well and managing medication. I know with surgery #2 coming up all too soon you want to be in the best shape possible, and it sure sounds like to me that you are doing a splendid job. You're still my inspiration! Keep up the good work!

 

[Alitm]

I never posted the previous post after I wrote it last night, so sent it off this AM.

Tried the bed sleeping last night. Started off with the pillow between my legs and slowly went over to my left side. Felt good to be on my side, but felt like there was soft tissue pulling (don't know how else to describe it) around my incision, so ended up on my back again, stayed there for most of the night, and then tried an even bigger pillow between my legs, and rolled over to the left side. I tried with another pillow in front of me, and at slightly different angles. Around five thirty AM (feeling that I had given the wretched bed sleeping a good try) got up, feeling really sore and took some Tylenol and climbed back into the trusted recliner. I felt the bed sleeping set me back a bit soreness wise. My wonderful hubby came out and put on the ice machine for me, with out me saying a word, and then topped it up with new frozen bottles when he got up an hour later. Tylenol and ice have kicked in. My knee is complaining again !
SO FRUSTRATING! What is the deal with being so uncomfortable in a bed?!!! UGH!!

I have my first non-medical outing planned. Heading to a gourmet pizza restaurant, that also has really good salads, for lunch with my girlfriend, to celebrate her birthday from last week. It is just ten mins away, and she will drive my car, as we know that that is comfortable for me. It is easy and level parking right outside, and I'll take my pillow! Hoping my bed sleeping hasn't set me back discomfort wise,