THR Celebrating one at a time, encore!

[Alitm]

Happy Thanksgiving @Barbaraj! Wishing you a comfortable as possible drive. You'll have good travel company for sure! Think of that nice glass of wine awaiting you this afternoon!

I am glad I'm not traveling today in the US....or here for that matter, without it being a holiday, as we have drizzly rain and fog....bleh!

The swelling is coming down. My OS said to expect it up to three months. I'm so glad to be able to look back on previous leg's notes here.

I cut back on visitors this time completely. Last time I ODI with too many visitors in week one! I've had one visitor stop by yesterday. It was enough. Trying to build on previous experiences!

Wishing you a lovely day!

 

[Alitm]

Day 6 - post op LTHR, second surgery, posterior again. Came home same day surgery, Friday Nov16. Unfortunately had a very aggressive PT after surgery, which set me up for a more painful two days post op than I had before. Started with Tramacet when I got home on Friday evening, but moved up to Dilaudid for Saturday and Sunday (which I had taken before on the same days 1st surgery) as it was painful. Started to itch but not as bad as last time. No nasty dreams either. First night without Dilaudid I didn't sleep as well, so taking Dilaudid dose at 11 PM, which gets me to sleep. The rest of the time it is Tramacet. I truly feel I had a better anaesthetic experience this time, and am much clearer headed post op despite the narcotic pain meds.

Swelling started coming out Monday and Tuesday (after first shower this day). I'm icing and elevating and doing my little walks in between. Seems like swelling and first shower all fall on the same days post op as they did last time.

Started taking DulcoComfort (stool softener only) once a day, and taking another dose in PM makes things move. I'm also taking magnesium for muscles, so that helps too. Drinking lots of water and eating really well fibre wise. Also drinking one glass of prune juice daily. I will stick with the stool softeners to assist, until I come off the narcotic pain meds.

Feeling like I'm pretty much on the same schedule as last time, so going with the flow!

Knock on wood, right hip totally acting like "the good hip" that she is , even though she is still healing. Being careful not to ask too much of her, but I tend to forget I had surgery on her almost ten weeks ago!

 

[bickypeg]

It all sounds as though it's going really well after the first unnecessary hiccup. It's great that you're remembering last time and behaving accordingly. Visitors are exhausting and your body needs to rest and heal. Just tell them to drop off a nourishing meal at the kitchen door!

 

[Alitm]

@bickypeg Yes agreed on the meals and visitors! Ha ha my memory is so bad...I just look back on my meds diary and my posts here. Thank goodness, again, for BoneSmart .

One of my posts, last hip, said how tired I was by weeks end from the visitors, so only one has come by!! Everyone thinks there is something wrong with me because I'm pushing everyone off for the first week! LOL. People forget there is still another hip healing too, who is taking up the slack for the op hip as well. The benefit of having a longer time between hips is that the first hip isn't taking up healing energy. I'm definitely more tired this time. I don't feel as anxious to get up and go out of the house either, although I'm doing my walks around our house/bungalow. The weather is really rainy and drizzly these past days and looks to stay that way for awhile! Yuck! All I want to do is on and off! What a slouch!!

 

[Layla]

No, no, no....not a slouch at all! I like to look at it as your body is working just the way God created it to.
Give thanks it's healing as it should and all of your energy is going toward that repair leaving you divinely and dreamingly tired, lol. Sleep sweetie, sleep! It's so very healing.

Don't know about you but this guy makes me yawn > Not even kidding
Sweet dreams!
@Alitm

 

[EL11]

I just looked at your report, all seems excellent! One of my visiting PTs recommended prune juice slightly warmed. I have to admit I never got around to it, just passing that on :D

I remember those deep naps from the first couple of weeks. Your body gets to concentrate on just the major task at hand. So good.

 

[Alitm]

@EL11 I know when i have major sleep, there will be progress afterwards

The prune juice is hard enough to get down, not sure if I could drink it warmed...but have read that too!

 

[Mojo333]

Ditto on the prune juice...double eeew

I did everything but that ..and still struggled getting things going...but DH made a great bean soup with lots of yummy carrots that coincided with my improvement so don't know if that was the cure or not.
Stay well hydrated my friend.. am duly impressed with your positivity at one week out.
I was SUCH a whiner!

 

[Jamesdean]

Liquorice works for me I think, and really enjoy eating it, but also using senokot. Good book???

 

[Barbaraj]

Good midday to you, @Alitm, I hope you're feeling good today. If your weather pattern is mirroring ours to some extent, you should be seeing a bit of sunshine right now. Sure, lots of clouds out there but still a bit of sunshine peeking through and always a mood booster, I think. After several miserably rainy days, it's always nice when the sun returns. I was up and out of the house before 9:00 AM today, off to a PT appointment which was a real mood booster--therapist said I was doing very well, and she thought only a few more sessions and I'd be released. Will continue to try to do the home exercises on a regular basis even when I'm done, as I think they kept me in reasonably good shape going into hip surgery, and with the threat (let's hope YEARS away) of a second surgery at some point, might as well continue to work on core/glutes/quads. Hope you have a pleasant day, with pain well controlled and life looking up as you move steady ahead with recovery.

 

[Alitm]

@Jamesdean my ability to read books apparently departed with my first surgery and hasn't really returned, despite feeling a lot more clear headed this time around. I'm watching webinars on-line and binging on Netflix. Watched all three seasons of "Shetland" between Wednesday and Thursdays, and napping. First week is kinda brutal that way! I'm actually really interested in animal behaviour and behaviour science, and reading more on ethical training via periodicals. Find focus difficult while on the narcotic meds Sorry to not be of help with the book thing. Hopefully someone else will chime in

P.S. Two Duclocomfort first thing in AM, cup of tea and a magazine have worked for two days

 

[Alitm]

Walker was feeling really cumbersome, so pulled out crutches. They feel pretty good. Checked with OS office and crutches OKed. Tuesday appointment for x-rays, staples out and check up with OS all at hospital. Have to remember to wear yoga pants for x-rays! Hopefully I won't have a nap attack !
Wishing everyone a comfortable weekend

 

[An54]

my ability to read books apparently departed with my first surgery and hasn't really returned,

@Alitm , That is exactly what has happened to me! I had two months to read Stendhal's The Red and the Black before our book club meetup (a book club I started), and I never got beyond the first two chapters. I lost the first book, got a replacement, and only got as far as flipping through the illustrations. I ended up watching the BBC series so I could fudge my way through our discussion. I'm hoping the ability to immerse myself in reading returns eventually.

 

[Alitm]

Good evening @Barbaraj, Such great news about your PT visit! Yay!! Those daily exercises are paying off! So hoping they will ward off another surgery for you.

Your sprint and recovery with the rolls on Thursday morning was impressive! Cookies sounded good as well. I'm enjoying the chocolate cake that my friend delivered. A slice a day keeps the doctor away right?!! My taste buds are a little out of whack with the meds, and my appetite isn't its normal self...I have the calorie allowance!

A friend dropped by this afternoon for tea and brought me some lovely coconut oil rub, infused with oil of magnesium.

Feeling a coming on!!

 

[Alitm]

I ended up watching the BBC series so I could fudge my way through our discussion.

@An54 Good fudging work...better than cliff notes!

 

[Mojo333]

I too was a chronic napper.
And yes, first days rather jarring on our bodies so best to let our minds have a sabbatical.
Healing hugs coming your way

 

[Barbaraj]

Oh, napping, @Alitm, those were those first few weeks when I, never a napper, found myself drifting off in mid-afternoon. That energy drain, you never know when it's going to hit, but I do remember those first few weeks were exhausting, even if my hip was feeling pretty good and walking improving steadily. I couldn't read either--too much HGTV (home improvements shows) and the Food Network. I think at about week 4 I finally pulled a book out and was able to concentrate. I think you should let your body dictate your day, whatever makes you comfortable--hold on to whatever energy you've got to expend and use it only for things that feel right for YOU! Happy Sunday!

 

[EL11]

Hi @Alitm, you sound good! I too remember the sudden exhaustion attacks and deep naps from the first few weeks. Heal away, sister ...

I got rid of the walker after a few days; it was a relief to transition to crutches.

 

[Alitm]

We are having heavy rainfall from a front coming in off the coast, and not the normal English drizzle that is the norm for our area. Not conducive to walking outside at all! Will have to make the most of the walking around necessary for the ten-day check-up visit at the hospital ortho clinic tomorrow, which includes a visit to x-ray (have to remember to wear yoga pants so I don't have to change!), and staples out (thank goodness...everything feels better once they are out!).

Last surgery (Sept) I had a terrible time bed sleeping for the first three weeks, so slept in my trusty recliner! Stumbled over a post here where a gal had used a back wedge and a leg wedge in her bed, to make herself comfortable, and I tried that last time and it really helped. Got rid of the wedges eventually. Started out sleeping in the recliner post surgery this time as well, and made the transition to bed with the wedges last night, which was great. Had a good sleep and the slightly higher leg elevation really helped my post op swelling, which has been proving to be more persistent than last time and my only real source of discomfort. The swelling hadn't wanted to budge, not matter how much icing and recliner elevating I did.

Marching through week two now....can't go by fast enough Patience!

 

[NanaKP]

Happy Monday @Alitm - I hope you are off to a good start on this 10th day of recovery (who's counting though, right?) I hope this week brings some great healing to you, with zero hiccups.

A blizzard has swept through various places in the U.S. stranding many travelers. I am so very glad we only had those conditions Saturday night and today is sunny and getting warm again. I have been a shorts wearer my entire life so on the days when it's snowy, gray and cold - I really struggle having to put on long pants. Yesterday I wore them to the train store but my incision and the upper thigh area was so sensitive to the fabric, that I changed as quickly as I could once back home.

Here's to getting some great, solid REST today. Sleep deeply and let your body do the healing!!

Kim