THR Celebrating one at a time, encore!

[Alitm]

@1stSurgery moved over here as not to derail @An54 thread any further, but do appreciate her input...

In saying all that back on An54's thread, my GP is not quick to refer at all. It seems to be about the bottom line with her. She really was awful about not referring me to an OS, knowing full well my life style had completely changed and that I was in pain. She basically told me to take Tylenol and get on the horse, which I still couldn't, despite her phsyio guy saying after the first visit that I needed to "get on the OS list" as it took so long, and by that time I'd be a total mess. Her/my physio is an advocate for folks getting the appropriate care and getting on with their lives. He has guided me through the system. He also went to bat for me about my back MRI and personally wrote my GP about it! However, he is private!

As @bickypeg mentioned, go in without make up and person! Don't defer surgical dates. I have a lot of sun damage from living in a semi-topical climate for 52 years. I kept having to go in to my GP to have stuff zapped off my face, as she could do it and wouldn't refer me to a dermatologist. I finally went in with no make up on, and she saw how bad things were, and immediately referred me on! . I'm learning more to be "squeaky" as best as I know how. It isn't in my nature to do so. I've also heard there are much kinder GP's. Mine took a leave of absence for three months and I believe there were underlying problems. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt, but I got in to the OS via a locum!

 

[1stSurgery]

@Alitm I often don't even realize whose thread I'm writing on once a conversation starts going off! I get carried away in the topic, thanks. Sorry @An54!

That's awful - your GP telling you to take Tylenol and get on your horse!?! It was the opposite here. I was still arguing with my doctor when they pronounced bone on bone both sides, and telling them I'd up my fish oil and be fine!! Haha! I'd never really experienced any health challenges in 6 decades so I figured why start now. If I don't give in to the diagnoses....then I can heal thyself. I thought. Another big error on my part.

But my OS warned me to NOT wait and book surgery right away or I'd fall apart, to which I silently scoffed inside, intending to show him the magic of Boron capsules! He was of course right. And I did of course fall apart.

Here the wait for a top rated OS is around a month minimum but usually not more than 2 mos. even for the very most in demand. A few times my mom has had to wait extra hours or overnight for an avail OR at her hospital but it's very rare. As you recall on my countdown I had a 46 day wait till this last surgery, and often felt I wouldn't make it!

I think if a wealthy country can figure out how to terraform Mars and militarily invade half a dozen other countries simultaneously, they should be equally capable of figuring out how to structure a real health care program that aims for wellness over disease management and can service the needs of the population paying for it. When they call Medicare an "entitlement" here, that doesn't take into account a lifetime of 50 yrs of pay checks paying into it, as well as social security, another "entitlement" I paid plenty into for 50 yrs. (started working at 15). After all those years and all that's talked about is gutting it. Should it be slowly or quickly? What ironically works out well for the diminshing reserves is our escalating death rate, we have so many dying right around the age of eligibility now that the drain on the account is likely to be slowed down, tragically.

Don't get me started @Alitm!!

 

[Alitm]

@1stSurgery Yes, I had the same experience when I first moved here, when going to the doctors office. One simply walks out...no paying! My two new hips are a complete gift, for which I am incredibly grateful. We had excellent insurance in Bda, but there would have been a lot of extras, including my husband's and my time off to go to the US with me for the surgeries, additional hotel costs (the insurance company only gives you so much!) and food etc., care for our youngest son and animals and the list goes on. It adds up fast.

 

[1stSurgery]

So far my 2 hips were also almost totally free. But that's Medicare and my secondary plan which is tied into so many years of work, so it's crazy cheap - and covers hubby too! I'm very well covered and extremely thankful it all paid off in the end as promised... but so many here are not set up, and are forced to decide between medical care or food or cars or even housing, basic needs competing with dwindling incomes. And future generations will likely have Medicare stripped or cut.

Before surgeries and OA, my insurance monthly premiums for a totally healthy, no pre-existing conditions, non smoker were over $800/ mo .. for just me. And that was with a huge deductible! What kind of risk is someone with perfect checkups and no problems in a lifetime - to justify $10,000 a year in premiums? And they never paid a claim when I was with them. Never met the deductible. Money down the drain.

But their CEO earned something like $15 million before bonuses and apparently got a $20 million retirement booty. I probably paid a month of half his kitchen staff's pay at one of his houses with my little 10k/yr. Their executive salaries were increasing back then from 40% up to as much as 65% year over year, with black hole accounting and no one knew where all the billions in profits were actually going. It was a big scandal in the press. The call from the public was for transparency...so ...they installed the former head of the CIA on their board!! Leon Panetta
This is not fiction!!
I always turn to the CIA when seeking executives with greater public transparency experience!!


Ahh life. I am icing and about to try my big walk of today, see if I can add on a few minutes. Smaller problems to solve here at home. I must carve out time for some computer work today and it's already 2:30! This hippy forum makes one forget the time!!

 

[Layla]

Hi @Alitm
Sorry to read the news about your aunt.
I hope you find the memories of her a comfort as you grieve her loss,
Sending a hug

 

[Layla]

Hope you have a great Sunday!
You're a sunny, happy, cheerful camper
Keep smiling
@Alitm

 

[Barbaraj]

Good morning, @Alitm, I hope your Thanksgiving dinner went well yesterday--nice to have a smaller, more intimate gathering and you've got a husband who's able to manage. I am sure if we had to host that sort of dinner right now, it either wouldn't happen or it would be some sort of take-out food. Good for you, however, that you've sorted through the hectic holiday season already and can face it without being freaked out by crazy and exhausting entertaining. I still haven't figured that out, and have a completely "love/hate" relationship with the winter holidays--love seeing family and friends, hate the fatigue and surliness that attacks my mood by the end of the season. As wise friends have advised me, so much of this is within my control--I need to learn how to say "no" and really ratchet back on activities. Maybe with a recovering hip this year I'll be able to summon the gumption to actually follow some this good advise.

Also, had to comment that in the years I lived on the east coast, during college and for a few years before I returned home, visiting Bermuda was my favorite vacation. It is such a beautiful place and I always enjoyed my visits there. I've told my husband that I'd love to visit again. It was hella expensive, I thought, but definitely gorgeous and a fabulous place to visit. You must have loved living there.

 

[Alitm]

Good afternoon @Barbaraj! How are you doing with your walking etc.? You'll be gliding around, with perfect posture very soon me thinks! Hope sleep is more restful for you too It takes time. Although back in bed (night 2), there is more fine tuning for comfort to do. Asked hubs to bring in more pillow reinforcement from the kids/guest room down stairs...to which I've had no need to venture! 14 stairs I am avoiding! I have noticed my residual knee swelling (not much, but enough to make my knee uncomfortable...still feel it is due to dislocation) has come down in the last two days, due to the legs being up on a wedge in my recliner-in-the bed-recreation!

I have to say living in Canada and celebrating Thanksgiving in October is very civilized, vs. trying to fit Thanksgiving and Christmas in just over a month time period. Maybe this year your hip healing with help you to pace yourself better and say no to over doing it! When we were doing the crazy two Christmas's in one day (luckily we were within ten minutes of each family!) and the Christmas Eve party in Bda, either hubby or I would get really sick by Boxing Day (we celebrated at Bda is a British colony!), without fail!

Bermuda...having grown up from infancy (Mum had us all in the US to make sure we'd have US citizenship and three out of four of us dropped it!) and lived there for 52, it is a beautiful place. The island has changed so much (read 24/7 resort lifestyle), is as busy as living in any major city, and it is crazy expensive to live there. I believe it is one of the most expensive places to live in the world...like in the top three! While living there, we tried to get away often, but it always requires plane tickets etc. You can't just get in the car and drive. The advent of international business in the 70's was a good thing, but the public education system did not keep pace with the business growth, so there are huge discrepancies between the haves and the have nots. There is a real drain on the middle class there. My family goes back to the 1600's, with "fresh blood" being added in, by marrying out of country, to dilute the gene pool!! It made me very sad to move in many ways, but the negatives of staying outweighed the positives. I love going back to see friends and family, but I'm ready to leave again after the visit. The thought of dealing with these hip surgeries from there makes me cringe!

Thanksgiving is on Monday here, but we had our turkey last night due to our seventeen year old's activities this weekend. Hubs found an amazing deal on tenderloin yesterday morning, which he will carve up into steaks and freeze most of, but we'll have some hip healing protein at some time this weekend!! In the meantime he is making turkey soup with added bone broth...more protein!! Working from home has turned him into a chef! He used to cook for me when we were dating....

Rain here today. Woke up with knee improvement but slight ache in my op quad. Not sure if it is a barometer drop or if the tiny add on to my walk yesterday was too much. Maybe a little bit of both. Iced up this AM for an hour, and all is well! Love that ice! Keep forgetting to take Tylenol on schedule so pain level is really good over all. I have been taking 500mg Tylenol 4 times a day, and the baby aspirin twice a day as a blood thinner (dr's orders for 37 days). I figure the aspirin has an anti-inflammatory effect as well.

Wishing you a comfortable hippy afternoon

 

[Alitm]

I have a question about my incision. Had the staples out almost two weeks ago (this coming Tuesday). I have almost all my steri strips still in place, save one that is slightly loose. After the staples came out, I used a water proof dressing to cover the wound while showering only (for a week). Now I shower as normal, briefly washing the wound with soap and water and rising. I air dry it and once dry, put on a dry dressing. The steri-strips are doing really well in that they are staying on, and I'm assuming that is keeping the incision tight and will help with scarring. How long should the strips stay on? With previous surgeries, C section and another gynological related surgery using C section "access", the steri strips on my lower abdomen fell off quickly, and I ended up having to go on antibiotics both times as I had a minor infection in the wound at around six weeks....I think due to the wound being more open due to the steri stips falling off quickly. My question is....should I be pleased that the steri strips are still on, as I go into my fourth week? Will that improve the knitting of my incision and help prevent infection. Should I be taking off the dry dressing and allowing the movement of my loose fitting clothing move the steri strips? Perhaps I am totally over thinking this! Would appreciate some feed back. My incision isn't red nor is there any discharge that hubby can see, or I can see with a mirror. It feels fine. In generally my post op swelling is minimal now. I continue to alternate walking around with rest and ice. Have been out, short trips, and about a few times now. All comments are welcomed! Many thanks!

 

[Alitm]

Another question about one crutch vs. cane..... I can walk really comfortably with one crutch, hardly putting any weight on it at all, and getting an almost even stride, when full concentration on heel toeing with my op leg. When I practice with the cane, I can feel a strain in my quad, so clearly I must need more support still. When in the kitchen or bathroom with one crutch, I am staring to leave it and cruise the counters, with a minimal, if any limp. I guess I have to keep trialing the cane. Can folks share, if doing the one cane process, how long, on average, they were on the one crutch before transitioning to cane? Just curious! Many thanks!

 

[Layla]

Hi @Alitm
Post 309 would best be addressed by, Jo, than another member...in my opinion.
Let's tag her and see how she'd advise @Josephine

 

[Layla]

Hi again,
Re: Walker, Cane, Crutch. I'd keep using the crutch if that's what you're comfortable with.
Personally, I found a cane easier than a crutch. I tried both.
We're all different and will have different viewpoints on this. I don't believe it's necessary to move from a crutch to a cane before walking unassisted. When I went from the walker to a cane, I used the cane for about a week and then was on my own. Unintentionally I'd forget the cane here, or there, like we often read others before us did. First few times, without thinking, I'd panic a little realizing I'd left the cane 15 feet away somewhere.
I'm sure many others will weigh in.
I hope your having a good day and wish you a great week!

 

[Alitm]

@Layla Thank you for tagging Josephine.

Re: the crutches/cane thing....the one time I went in to see the physio about the upper body exercises, he said to stay on the crutches, then one crutch, until I was walking without a limp on them/it.

Thank you as always! Wishing you a relaxing evening and a super week ahead!

 

[Alitm]

Have been making steady progress with activities of daily living and/or a formal walk outside. I'm trying to slowly ease back to doing a tiny bit more in the house, but then count that in as my walking for the day, letting go of my formal walk outside. I've been eyeing up the stairs that go down to the third bedroom, but then thinking, I have no need to go down there, I'm not "in training" so forget it! So tempting to think that slowly building up activities is "training" when one has "trained" in sporting activities! I'm healing, NOT training!!! I take breaks and ice and get my feet up in the recliner between all activities.

The transition back to our bed has been irritating! I was getting a bit fidgety in the recliner at night heading into the three week mark, not sure why. Another poster had suggested a upper body wedge in bed, along with a leg wedge....and for all intensive purposes, re-creating a recliner time position in bed. That helped, but still I wasn't sleeping well, and was waking up a little sore. Anyhow, last night, I had the upper body wedge (8"), the lower body wedge (the wavy kind you will see on the links here, but not quite as high) and a regular pillow between my legs, although I am back sleeping. So bizarre, but that pillow between my legs (whereas before I had been putting an additional pillow under my legs, on top of the wedge) is what made it all come together. It has taken me three nights to figure out (DH managed to sleep through all my rearranging), but I slept for EIGHT HOURS last night!!! I woke up once for the loo, and decided to take 2 extra strength Tylenol as well, and went right back to bed and sleep. Couldn't believe it. Had to share as the initial recliner in the bed position was from another poster a year or so ago. If my nocturnal pillow rearranging helps someone else sleep, great! Hopefully it will save another some sleepless nights! Sleep is so important to healing, and getting it where you can is so important! No use being when one can be !

 

[Barbaraj]

Congrats,@Alitm, on managing 8 whole hours in bed last night--woo, hoo--another milestone reached in this hip recovery journey! Have a great Monday.

 

[Layla]

Happy Monday
Great news on 8 hrs sleep! Hope it continues.
You're doing great. I hope your week is sweet.
@Alitm

 

[SurreyGirl]

That is great to hear! I am taking both stick, hiking stick and crutch to physio this week and asking her to see how I am walking with each device. I suspect I will be going from crutch to hiking stick but not ready yet! Still practising around the house and front yard walking unaided.

 

[Alitm]

Properly medicating while healing several weeks out from surgery....

.....The other issue I have been grappling with a bit with is dropping medication doses appropriately to healing.

At week two, my surgeon suggested backing off the Tramacet during the day and replacing it with as much Tylenol as I needed, within the dosing parameters, and considering the amount of Tylenol in the Tramacet. He suggested continuing the Tramacet at night for a few more nights, which I did. I stopped the Tramacet during the day pretty quickly and took the max amount of Tylenol allowed, while allowing for how much Tylenol was in the evening and night time doses of Tramacet.

Once I had dropped the daytime Tramacet, I weaned off the Tramacet at night, over a period of three to four nights, but kept going with the Tylenol. Once on the Tylenol during the day and at night, I fell into a bit of an issue of under dosing the Tylenol, while I'm only heading into week four of healing. I would forget to take it, as I was feeling better, and would only take it when I remembered when I was feeling sore. I was beginning to feeling a bit achy and wonder why. I kept thinking I was perhaps overdoing my activities, but in checking with the BoneSmart advices, realized I was on target and not over doing it. My visit to the ODIC at two weeks has made me mindful

I thought about where I was in the healing journey, just beyond the rough half way mark for that new joint capsule that is still forming, and the surgical trauma still healing, and realized I was taking less than half the max dose of Tylenol. Once I upped it to about 3/4 of daily dose, and took it regularly, I felt so much better again.

We can't be healing from major orthopaedic surgery and not have some pain, but it seems one has to really monitor what daily activities one is doing (not too much and staying on track) and just as importantly, making sure that one is supporting the healing with the appropriate amount of Tylenol, when one gets to that stage! Get rid of the adrenaline and keep encouraging the feel good hormone releases, and that doesn't just apply to the first couple of weeks, at least not for me

Feeling like I'm back on track, and was a bit surprised by the fact that I still didn't realize how important appropriate dosing was, as well as not overdoing it, to the healing process several weeks post op
Hope everyone is having a comfortable hippy day

 

[Alitm]

Hi @SurreyGirl

Great idea! I'll be so interested to hear what your physio has to say and how you find the differences in the aids, in terms of gait training etc. Let us know, when you have a moment

I feel, with how I'm going along with one crutch now, I'll follow a similar path.... However, it remains a mystery at the moment!!

Have a lovely evening!

 

[EL11]

Once I had dropped the daytime Tramacet, I weaned off the Tramacet at night, over a period of three to four nights, but kept going with the Tylenol. Once on the Tylenol during the day and at night, I fell into a bit of an issue of under dosing the Tylenol, while I'm only heading into week four of healing. I would forget to take it, as I was feeling better, and would only take it when I remembered when I was feeling sore. I was beginning to feeling a bit achy and wonder why. I kept thinking I was perhaps overdoing my activities, but in checking with the BoneSmart advices, realized I was on target and not over doing it. My visit to the ODIC at two weeks has made me mindful

I am in a similar situation. I'm down to 10 mg of Oxy at night, and hoping to wrap that up within a couple of weeks, which I've discussed with the OS and my PT, as long as I can sleep. Will try only one tonight. As far as Tylenol goes, I tend to forget too. I woke around 5am the last two nights, took Tylenol and iced. Then I forgot about it until 1pm, which puts dose #3 at 7, and I am unlikely to be up at 1am. I think it would serve me better to take it on a schedule and am going to try that tomorrow.