THR Celebrating one at a time, encore!

[Alitm]

@Barbaraj You are very kind....did you see my next grumpy post?! That removes the "dream patient" status for sure

I hope your other hip behaves and gives you a break for awhile. Yesterday when I was coming back into the house from my itty bitty walk (!), I was going up our two very shallow back door stoop steps, and when going up with my "good" leg, I could feel that hip complain and feel weak. I think I will have to keep my walking activities to a minimum until that hip gets done, if she is already complaining from the extra work! Maybe as the good right hip can handle more, leftie will complain less and hang in there !

Have a great day and wishing you daily incremental progress! You are doing really well

 

[Alitm]

I just love how the dear Lord/the universe/what ever you believe in takes care of you....I literally just stumbled over this from another poster last year......sharing it so it may help others, as well as me!! Watch this space any other recliner sleepers!
"Having had both of my hips done at once, side sleeping was impossible for the first two months. (I could roll on my side for short periods of time a few weeks out from my surgery, but it became painful quickly) I bought a triangle wedge pillow from Walmart (they're pretty large) which allowed me to sleep on my back with my upper body slightly elevated. (I normally NEVER sleep on my back) I wedged two pillows under my lower legs to keep the pressure off my lower back. (I also stuck a pillow under each arm, a very flat pillow under my head and a tiny pillow by my head to support my neck and head. It was a regular construction zone! My body was positioned almost as though I was in a recliner, but I was able to be in my bed. It really helped."

 

[Barbaraj]

You are entitled to an occasional grumpy post, @Alitm. My compliments and congratulations, which you richly deserve, are based on your overall commitment to managing your recovery slowly and in a measured way, especially knowing you've got a second hip coming up so soon. You get to be grouchy every once and awhile, but I know when I read one of those posts, the next one shows how you've practically adjusted and keep moving ahead. I am really impressed by that. I continue to hope (pray!) that my left hip will hold out for awhile. If it's got to be done, then I'd prefer to look at next summer at the earliest.

 

[Alitm]

@Barbaraj I am agreeing on your, "if it's got to be done, then I'd prefer to look at next summer at the earliest"! I'm praying you have a lot more time on #2 before any surgery has to be scheduled!

Can you believe I stumbled over that other post!! Just love when things like that happen Upper body wedge shopping, here I come. I feel as if I'm being really neurotic about bed sleeping, but I would really like some semblance of "normal" before second op! I don't ask for much, do I ha ha! What is "normal" these day anyway!!

Wishing you a comfortable and forward moving day in your recovery!

 

[Alitm]

Twenty four hours of no progress and then progress, all in one day!!

I had to abort the bed sleeping at the wee (in every way) hours, around 5 AM. Maybe I should take Tylenol when I wake up uncomfortable during the night while attempting the bed thing. Don't need it in the recliner. Felt so sore from it all. Weird!

Had my first social outing, gourmet pizza and salad lunch with a girlfriend. Sat at bar stools, so was a big girl and didn't need my seat riser!! I didn't get twitchy for about two hours! No pain. However, once I got home I slept for two hours in the recliner. What a lightweight! Great to get out. I think part of the nap attack had to do with the previous miserable night's lack of sleep. Picked up a wedge, on the way home from lunch, to recreating the recliner position in bed. The sales girl said if I kept the plastic on the wedge I could return it if not successful. There were so many wedge height options, that I went with a smaller one that I could add a pillow to. I figured if it was too high I wouldn't have any options. Hopefully tonight is the night....

Wishing all recovering hippies a comfortable and sleep filled night

 

[SurreyGirl]

That pulling sensation from op hip when sleeping on non-op side is very familiar to me too. Like you I alternated between back sleeping and side sleeping. The pulling is getting less now and I am still using a pillow between legs even though off restrictions.

Pizza sounds wonderful. Such great comfort food… I found that outings with friends to look forward to really helped the "at home" boredom and I am very grateful to them.. going to an event tonight and having a lift in a low BMW so will take extra care. I have been praticising by getting off one of our low loo seats at home now I am off restrictions. But VERY carefully! Have a great day!

 

[Barbaraj]

Good morning, @Alitm, I hope you were able to sleep in your bed last night, and reasonably comfortably. I am so glad that sleeping in bed hasn't been a problem for me since I can sleep on my non-operated side with a pillow between my legs. I am not sleeping great, of course, with many wakeful moments, but a joy to sleep on my side as back sleeping would be awful and I don't have the recliner option. I am sure once we're able to sleep through the night with no waking up, that will be a banner night--a night to remember, for certain!

 

[Alitm]

So sorry it has taken me all day to reply @Barbaraj So great that you are doing well with the side sleeping, with strategic pillow placement!


Hubby decided I should get the sleep vs. wrestle with the bed last night, so in the recliner I went. Woke up around 3 for the bathroom run and was then wide awake for some reason, probably the late afternoon nap I had. Foolish me decided to check social media, emails etc. and found one from my cousin to say that my Aunt was very ill in hospice, and after I replied back, then another to say that she had actually passed.....so that was the start of my day . She had had a long life, was a elegant woman and a real pistol (is it politically correct to say that anymore?) all rolled into one. Sadly she lived in Bermuda, and I won't be able to get to the funeral next week. My cousin and his partner will be coming through Vancouver in December, so will come and visit us then. Sad times.

Anyhow, back to hips, I tried the simulate a recliner in bed with the new wedge and pillows everywhere today. I may trial the bed again tonight again, knowing that the trusty recliner is there for back up!!

Did a little bit of dusting and laundry today (I think my wonderful husband has been sneaking around doing things while I nap, as the house is very clean for me not having done anything domestic for three weeks!) Hubs has been sharing our son's bathroom, as I've pretty much dominate our bathroom with hip kit! Their bathroom was quite clean too!

Two riding friends popped by for a visit this afternoon. It was great to catch up on the equine gossip!

Hope you have had a good day!

 

[Barbaraj]

Oh, @Alitm, so sorry to hear about your aunt. She sounds like a really great lady, and I'm sure she will be missed by many. I hope when your cousin and his partner come for a visit you can share some happy memories of your aunt. I had a great-aunt whom everyone in our family adored and we all have so many stories to share--she was pretty fabulous. For my college graduation she gave me an exotic pair of gold arrings she'd picked up in the Middle East, and as she handed them to me she whispered, "Now, if you are ever short of cash, you can hock 'em--they are 24 carat gold!" Needless to say I've never been that desperate and actually have worn them for fancy occasions. She was a great lady, and I miss her to this day.

 

[Alitm]

@Barbaraj That's a lovely story about your Great Aunt! We grew up next door to this particular aunt and uncle. They had three boys. I am the same age as my middle cousin. I think my aunt enjoyed having me around, so she could have visits from a little girl! I was one of two girls in a neighbourhood of boys, including my brothers. I was a real tomboy for the most part! This special aunt held a lovely party for my hubs and I before we got married on December 12. She thought it was great that I was going to be a "Christmas bride"...not really, but sort of. Anyhow, she gave us two place settings of Christmas spode China and some serving pieces as our wedding present. I still have them, and have added to them, 31 years later. She didn't know about my hip issues, but I'm sure she would have had some choice words had she known! She is probably having a at the pearly gates as I type!

I'm wedging myself into bed tonight. Wish me luck!!

 

[Alitm]

No reports from @SurreyGirl. Must have been a fun evening!!. Us west coasters will be the last to get up tomorrow AM. Looking forward to some hilarious breakfast reading

 

[SurreyGirl]

Aunts are wonderful. One of mine is in her 80s and very lively. I love visiting her. Another, sadly gone now, was an air hostess who ended up training others. She was very kind and always very glamorous. She used to give me make up lessons using Avon products. Her funeral was packed with people who were part of 60s aviation history.

I love being an Aunty too and try to bethe sort of Aunty my nephews and nieces would want. They all came to see me after the op, some of them twice which was lovely. One gave me a rapper cd as a joke as she though post op I should now get into “Hip Hop” cheeky!

 

[Mojo333]

I tried the bed thing every night...and slept for maybe an hour and ambled on to the recliner...
It was well over the months before I could do an all nighter in the bed.
Sorry, but with your upcoming surgery, might be a while!
Thank goodness for my beloved recliner.
Still all finally resolved ...all this frustrating recovery mess was totally worth it.
Hang in there @Alitm
Have a good weekend!

 

[Alitm]

GREAT NEWS....I literally wedged myself into bed last night and SLEPT!!! The simple pleasures in life .

I had a 8" wedge from waist to head with my trusty down pillow under my head and neck. Had my legs up over my wavy wedge, with another feather pillow in the scoop of the wave part. Pretty much I had recreated the recliner in bed! It worked though, so could wake up to lovely rolling pasture and mountains behind view. So therapeutic for me! I woke once and made the loo visit, walked out to the kitchen and took some Tylenol for stiffness. Walked around our open plan living space to stretch I guess, and then back to wedge in bed! Progress!

@SurreyGirl How was the car ride last night, after your low loo practice? I am going to try lying on my side during the day, just to stretch things out a bit. That side sleeping will come for me I know. It is just that everything seems so tight at the moment. So odd given I was side sleeping just over three weeks ago. It is a mystery tour for sure! Special Aunties are wonderful. Thanks for sharing your stories

@Mojo333 I know I'll have to start all over again with the sleeping business in four weeks and five days (yes I am counting down!), but am going to enjoy having a few more of the simple pleasures in life (like bed sleeping) until that second surgery rolls around. I can only imagine how long it would have taken to get back to our bed, had I had the bilateral surgery. I'm sure it would have been a similar journey to yours. I am so grateful to read your story, and others, who also found comfort in our recliners We all figure out what works in the end, and in the meantime it is so wonderful to be able to have everyone here to exchange ideas and grumble with

Wishing all hippies a great weekend. Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to my Canadian hippies this weekend. Will be thinking of you when we have our yummy turkey dinner here in BC

 

[1stSurgery]

Eeeek!! Turkey! Which now always makes me think of hip dislocation!! And the Incredible Hulk. And post traumatic stress! These do all mesh together in a logical fashion.

So sorry about your "pistol" aunt's passing, @Alitm, and how you discovered it middle of the night like that, and you being unable to get there ...but in spirit you will be all over it.


And I'm so glad you were able to redesign the bed experience which, having no recliner, I too did instinctively early on. Built one right into the bed! With my 72 strategically placed pillows. It was just shove a pillow anywhere that feels strain or pain, prop up the upper back, support the lower back. Under the knees, yeah that feels good but size matters! Experimented with pillow size, firmness, and placement until it's a science and then woe to he who dare to disturbeth the pillow tower! Congratulations on bed sleeping! Side-sleeping is a post-grad event to me. I've not gotten it down after THR except for in very short bursts. Feel a tugging and strain unless the pelvis is perfectly aligned and that slips once I fall asleep again.

And I love the story about your hubby, aka secret housekeeper! What a pleasant find. Not happening here, but I can't complain. It's not one of his skill sets.. I ventured into the kitchen yesterday and was able to make a modest dent into what had occurred there in the past two wks without me ...and given all those prepared meals. It's expected. Last night was an amazing tender, moist piece of halibut with crispy cooked shallots on top in a light ghee sauce. Spicy Broccoli. And chocolate ice cream for dessert! Not as a post-op depression remedy, but just as... Dessert!

 

[Barbaraj]

Good morning, @Alitm, and fabulous news that you got to actually sleep comfortably in your bed! Hurray! I can understand and appreciate that it’s the small victories that make our day and push us along in the recovery journey.

So it sounds like a Canadian Thanksgiving invokes the same turkey and all the fixings meal as it does here in the USA. Are on the hook for hosting this meal? I can’t imagine how much work that would involve for someone just a few weeks away from a hip replacement! I hope you just have to bring a contribution to a meal, or if it’s at your home then it’s a potluck meal. I used to do the entire turkey dinner on Thanksgiving until I married my dear husband. Thankfully, first his mom and then sister took over the hosting and I was thrilled with that. Now I just bring homemade rolls as my contribution which is fun for me—I am all about the bread products.

Whatever the plan is for today, Happy Thanksgiving to you, your family and friends!

 

[Alitm]

@Barbaraj Yes, small accomplishments take one a long way. Having a good nights sleep is money in the bank! The sun is out today too, so I will venture forth on my trusty crutches! Surgeon says the next step for me is the cane inside (I much prefer one crutch, but have to give the cane a whirl again....when I'm rested and earlier in the day) and walking sticks outside.

Hubby will prepare the meal. I might help with chopping veggies or the like. My SIL and her hubby are many hours from us in BC, as is our daughter, so they will celebrate together, and it will just be hubs, myself and our younger son here...so very easy.

My Mum was American, as was my paternal Grandmother, so we celebrated US Thanksgiving in Bda! My sister lives in the US, so she celebrates in November too. My MIL celebrates Canadian Thanksgiving in Bda! I went to high school and two year of college (finished in Canada) in the US, so am quite a chameleon in my Thanksgiving celebrations! LOL!!

When we lived in Bermuda, and my parents were still alive, we used to have Christmas lunch with Hub's family and Christmas dinner with mine. We all contributed with the hosting family cooking the turkey. We tried to combine families one year, but it was OTT!! Hubs Mum would come with us to my family's dinner as well. Luckily Bda is a small island...but it was rather crazy and filling to say the least. We had to go for a walk after lunch, to make room for dinner...and then didn't have eat anything of substance for several days! To add to the craziness, we started having the neighbours over for a drink on Christmas Eve when our twins were little. That started with by a couple of neighbours coming over to help us put together tricycles and the like for our young twins and having a couple of drinks...as they could walk home. The party grew by leaps and bounds over the years to the entire neighbourhood, extended family, then our kids friends and their parents (who had become friends) etc. It became this crazy open house where folks had their assigned appy to bring. We had enough wine to last us six months as folks brought wine as well!! By the time our third child was born (ten years after the twins), the party was well established It was really fun, for a long time, but by the time we moved to Canada six years ago, I was glad to be relieved of that party duty! I still get FB messages on Christmas Eve say, we miss your party!

We started having an open house on New Years Day here, which is much better timing wise. Last year we had all the kids and their significant others here for Christmas, so didn't have the NYD gig, as we wanted to have more time with the kids etc. This year I don't think I'll do as it will be too early post op #2. Don't want to spend the first week of Jan on ice in the recliner! Maybe we'll do a Spring fling or the like. All this talk of partying....I must be getting my energy back. Amazing what sleep does for one!

Wishing you comfort and further progress over the weekend . I'll come by your thread to see what you are up to!

 

[Alitm]

@1stSurgery As my hubby is 6'5" I couldn't get as many pillows in the bed as you did. Your propping activities sounds like art and science all rolled in to one! It is amazing that once the design is perfected, how well it works. It took me awhile to figure it out, but so glad I did, finally! Yep, the side sleeping is going to have to wait. Your description "Side-sleeping is a post-grad event to me. I've not gotten it down after THR except for in very short bursts. Feel a tugging and strain unless the pelvis is perfectly aligned and that slips once I fall asleep again" perfectly describes how I feel about the side sleeping! @SurreyGirl also described the pulling and tugging business while trying the side sleeping. I'm so thrilled to be comfy on my back, in bed, at the moment

 

[1stSurgery]

A decent nights sleep makes so much difference I find @Alitm, and for some reason I've been lucky in that Dept. I mean you go in expecting some of the pre-dawn awakenings to pain, so it's not bad. I still keep the "whisperer" meditation YouTube on an open tab so any night that I'm not conking out easily, I put him on and never last through the whole thing. Hubby came in late the other night to check on me (he's down the hall in guest room) and said I was knocked out sound asleep, not responding, and heard a mans voice whispering to me (from the iPad in my hand) Haha! But because of the tower of pillows, when he walked in he couldn't see the iPad, only me asleep with a faint mans voice whispering from the bed. Then he figured it out.
All the sleep help we can get is beneficial to that deep healing need we have now. Especially once you cross into the two hip healing zone! Double need. Glad you've redesigned the bed to be your bespoke healing haven and you'll see, you will reap huge benefits from it.
And Happy.... Um, ....turkey day! Enjoy the family visits and the meal!!
I keep finding hippy posts here making me hungry!

 

[Alitm]

I would strongly recommend going from your walker to two crutches, then to one, the to a cane or two walking poles. Here is why. Like Jaycey, I have s lot of experience with crutches from my previous hip arthroscopy, where I needed to transition from non weight bearing (6 weeks) to partial weight bearing (another 2 weeks) to full weight bearing (2 more weeks). Unlike a walker, crutches allow you to take a full and more natural stride. You can move much faster as well, while still controlling the amount of weight you put on your leg, while at the same time strengthening all the little stabilizer divers if you hip and leg muscles (crutches require a bit more balancing than a walker). As you stride lengthens, your muscles will both lengthen and strengthen. Once you are to a point where you can consistently put 75% of you weight on your op leg (could be a few days to a few weeks), ditch the left crutch so you are down to one (left op leg, right crutch). Use this single crutch instead of a cane until you can reliably put all you weight on the op leg and are using the crutch more for balance assistance. At that point, move to a cane or walking poles (poles are better in my opinion as they produce a proper stride).

It is a bit of a long process, but it will help your muscles slowly adapt to walker notmally. Also, remember that with a walker, we have a tendency to lean forward when walking (the walker almost forces that), so the crutches will help you to unlearn this forward lean.

@wonkyhipoy I found this post of yours on @lovesstars post-op thread incredibly helpful, and descriptive of the process of step-by-step transitioning from one aid to another. My OS felt the walker was holding me back at my two week check up, as I was hunched over and unable to stand up straight. Psychologically it was holding me back too. He wanted me to transition to a cane. In no way did I feel ready for a cane. I have never been on crutches, but had rented them from the red cross as a transitional aid to the cane. I tried the crutches and as you described, you can totally control how much weight one can put on, or not put on, the op leg. I could move around more freely...and promptly went out and about and did too much, causing a major energy drain. However, I learned my lesson and moderated my moving forward again! It is so hard to go from being comparatively fit and strong, despite the horrible OA pain, to being so dependent and feeling so vulnerable. I found I lost my confidence in myself a bit for awhile there.

I really like how you described how the small stabilizer muscles become engaged. I will specifically mention how much my core also comes into play in the new crutches ambulation picture. There is no way I could have gone from walker to one crutch either. I needed the time on two crutches for things to strengthen and lengthen, as you describe, before I started on the one crutch. I felt like being on two crutches really allowed my body to heal further. My OS says, "Just keep moving as much as you can". He has also said no physio, but walk walk walk until the six week mark.

My OS wants me to push to the cane now, and try the walking poles outside. I have been using two crutches (one inside) outside, as we live in on a farm, and the flat roadway over to the barn is hard packed uneven gravel, so I'm giving those stabilizer muscles quite a work out I believe. Of course I travelled that road many times a day without giving it a second thought, until the THR!!

I like the way you described moving from using the one crutch for weight bearing support to more of a balance assist. Good transitional mental picture again. I'm putting more and more weight on my op leg. I can stand on it while holding the bed or counter for balance, when putting my non-op leg in to my pant leg when dressing. I am cruising the counters quite a bit now, so I know the cane transition is so close! I find trialing these things in the morning, when I'm fresh. I knew that once I was using just one crutch in the middle of the night for the bathroom run, I was getting much stronger. All progress for me is punctuated by major icing and getting my feet up. I'm also taking between half to max dose of Tylenol per day.

Thank you so much for putting into words the step by step transitions from one aid to another. I found it enormously helpful! Have a great Thanksgiving weekend!