THR Celebrating one at a time, encore!

[Layla]

Aww, poor hubby! I hope he's not hurting worse today. They both went down....wow! How nice of the garden center to call and check on him though. I doubt our garden center would do that, lol.
Those falls aren't as easy to recover from as we're aging.

Window boxes done! Finished them with hubs help in the cold and last minutes of daylight yesterday check that off the list! I hope you have a lovely day with lots of R&R.
@Alitm

 

[Jaycey]

Gosh - is Hubby OK? He didn't break anything did he. There are so many accidents when it gets icy. Sounds like you need to keep him locked up until his surgery!

 

[EL11]

Have you found your elliptical work to be a good alternative to walking? Our neighbour says he has a very basic elliptical, that I can borrow for a few months if I want, which might make sense over the winter. Not ready for it for another four weeks, so not going to think about it for now!! Would love your feedback though, when you have time!!

I logged on to see if anyone mentioned the elliptical machine, and this is the first thread I looked at!

I want to buy something for home use in the next few weeks, maybe pre-owned/reconditioned. Yesterday I went to the gym for the first time since July. I spent a little time on the recumbent bike, the treadmill, and the elliptical to see how each was with my heart rate and if any of them felt or less comfortable than the others. The recumbent bike was the easiest; the elliptical felt like the best workout and brought my heart rate up the most quickly. None of them bothered my hip, and I slept well last night with minimal wee-hours achiness. I agree that it is less boring and also, my balance is good (said the physical therapist a few days ago, and there's no talking to me now, haha). I hold on lightly just in case but it's challenging that way too.

Congratulations on your good report. I forgot that your second op was such a short time ago!

 

[NanaKP]

Good Sunday morning @Alitm - OUCH, your poor hubs. I sure hope you both take it easy today and get over that soreness (yours from the incline walking). I LOVE the idea of your Blue Spruce and decorating it on the porch. What a grand idea - can you please post a picture when you're done decorating with lights? Also @Layla - fresh greenery around the window boxes sounds like something straight out of Hallmark movies - can you also post a picture?

All of the talk about protein eating (& @Barbaraj carbs and yummy party food) - makes me hungry. I have less of an appetite after surgery though it has NOT contributed to any kind of weight loss. I suppose my love for Little Debbie Caramel Bars isn't helping much of anything, including the waistline.

I'm glad your son made it home safely the other night. It is so very true - once a mom, always a mom!!

Happy Sunday - hope you get some good rest today!

 

[Alitm]

Hi @Layla and @Jaycey, Hubby doesn't seem any worse for wear today, in that Hubs isn't limping and I can't physically see anything wrong! He never tells me anything until it is really serious, which is good and bad I guess....but it is always a shock to find out! In our earlier married years, before children, I'd come home from being out somewhere on the weekend, and find a note saying, "gone to ER for stitches"...and there would be a blood droplet! When his appendix was about to errupt some years ago, I wasn't given even a hint that he was in any pain, until he woke me in the middle of the night saying, "We have to go to the ER, NOW"! It was so nice of the garden centre to call. It is a smaller family run plant nursery, and we go there all the time. They know us and are just super folk. Hopefully the other guy is faring as well as DH!
Layla, window box pictures would be great :santaclap:

In the hip department, I have more range of motion with second surgery hip in my stride length. I am able to walk without the crutch in the house during the day for short distances before tiring. I have to really focus on the heel toe and my posture, to erase the limp, and then I go back to the crutch. I do have the stuttering walk first few steps when getting up, so use the crutch then until I get going. I didn't have that last time that I recall.

Rainy day here so son (mostly) and hubby (directing) are going to bring the tree around to the front door area, which is covered, so I can put the lights on it! Fires is on and it is very cozy.
:treestar:

 

[Alitm]

@EL11 Thanks for your feedback on the three machines at the gym. Much appreciated. I don't like the bike, more for vanity reasons, in that even on low resistance and no incline, I get huge quad muscles . I used to long distance run and find the treadmill pretty dull. I really like the overall workout of the elliptical, and I don't get bored with it as fast. I'll be starting out for such short periods of time to begin with, that it won't make much difference. Still two weeks and four days (six weeks post op) before I can get going with that, but who is counting!! LOL!!

Enjoy your elliptical work outs and thank you again for the feedback

 

[Alitm]

@NanaKP I didn't have much of an appetite for the first couple of weeks, but when it kicked in (corresponded with outside and fresh air walking), boy did it every!!!

Trying to get hubby and son motivated to get the tree positioned for me, and get the house decos up from the basement. I might have to do a session with the stairs if they don't get going!!

I went to bed at nine thirty last night and slept all night except for a couple of bathroom breaks. Feeling good today!

:tree lights:

 

[bickypeg]

Hi friend. Hope today is a good day.
First I had a few rides at about four months out where DH was giving me 's shoulder to lean on to keep weight distributed and steady and I stepped through as you say.
First thing I noticed is that wide spread of my hips, (it's a big four wheeler) no longer hurt sitting there.
Didn't ride rough paths, and slow obviously.
By 7-8 months out, I could just swing my leg right over!
Before just the position of riding was painful and uncomfortable but now

Vroom vroom !
I have my legs up to keep little Mojo from falling off...legs down fine too.

You're never 55!!!

 

[Ginny12]

@Alitm

I just wanted to say a big thank you for all your lovely posts to me and many others on this site. All this with having had both hips done recently is really kind of you!

You sound like you are doing great which is wonderful.

Warmest regards

Ginny x

 

[Layla]

Aww, Ginny is so thoughtful. Kind of her to take the time to show appreciation.
You are very supportive of other member's on the forum in the midst of your recovery from two THR's.
I'm happy to hear hubby is doing okay after his fall. Hope you got the lights on the tree as you planned.
Here's a photo of one of the window boxes you and @NanaK asked to see.
I enjoy them because they add a spot of color on these short, frequently gray days of Winter.
Best thing....no maintenance! Hope you have a great Monday.
@Alitm

 

[Barbaraj]

Oh, @Layla, your window boxes are lovely and full of holiday cheer! You did a great job, very festive. I always feel my decorating is a bit haphazard. If I had window boxes I'm not I know what I'd do with them. We manage to get a tree decorated (and nobody can mess up a holiday tree!) but otherwise it's just random candles and stuff stuck on mantles and window sills.

@Alitm, I hope your husband is doing okay today. Sometimes when you injure yourself you don't feel it immediately but a few days afterwards you are definitely sore and achy. I hope that's not the case and he's getting up and moving comfortably. Although you are doing fabulously, I know you worry about him, especially with the need for his hernia surgery coming up. I hope you had a good Sunday--it rained like crazy here in the PNW so I am guessing you also had dreadful wet weather, too. But a perfect day to slap on some Christmas music and relax, so I hope that is what both you and your husband did. I trust with the start of a n ew week your hips are feeling better than they did last Monday, and real progress can be noted even if it's not a huge step forward As always, slow and steady is the goal! Happy Monday to you!

 

[Alitm]

@Layla Your window boxes are lovely!! Thanks for sharing the picture Yes, it is so nice to add colour at this time of year! I have pictures of our little tree by the front door, so will get them down loaded. My hubby wanted to start rearranging all the furniture and I didn't want to disrupt everything, so the tree got placed to one side and I threw some lights on it. It is very cheerful, despite being not as perfect as the groomed Christmas trees!

I love all things garden, and when we moved here, I was so excited about gardening. These last few years with OA hips I've let the garden go, but am so thrilled to get going with things this spring. I have a major project in mind to really develop the front of the house garden, and encourage folks to use the front door....but everyone comes through the carport!! A friend of mine is doing a landscape design course, and has promised to give me some tips! I managed to get new bulbs in this Fall, in between hips, using the golfers reach (can't wait to get clearance for that again!), so look forward to sprouts coming up late February, which will bloom in March. We are in planting zone 8a, so get an early spring. With El Nino this year, we are supposed to have above average temps and reduced precipitation....so will see how spring 2019 unfolds!

Wishing you a lovely day. Stay warm!!
:treestar:

 

[Alitm]

@Barbaraj It was a miserable day yesterday! The sun is out today, and finally the fog and mists have cleared! The forecast stinks though, so hope to make the most of the sun today while it lasts!!! I turned on the Christmas tree outside this AM as it was so dismal, but have now turned it off!

Hubby seems to be doing well today. He is very stoic and never complains until it is a major problem. It is always a bit of a shock however, as I don't get any notice leading up to said problem!!!

Hips are doing well. I've been leaving my one crutch everywhere, but always use it when I'm tired. I've been practicing walking correctly in the hallway focusing on the heel to toe foot fall. I've also added in @SwampHiker's suggestion of holding my arms above my head to engage the core. It works really well. I had just envisioned going onto the hiking poles as I did last time, but this forgetting the crutch things just started to unfold end of last week, so I'm going with it. I still use the crutches outside and if we go out and about, due to the weather conditions. Meds wise I'm still taking Tylenol around the clock, but have switched to every six hours, and I was forgetting to take it every four hours. I've upped the amount slightly with this change. I let myself sleep through the night now. If I wake up and feel stiff/achy, and it has been six hours, I'll take something, and start my day with that dose. I'm pretty excited that things are unfolding quickly, about a week earlier this time. Getting a good nights sleep seems to be really really key. I put the lights on our little tree with no crutch. I was up and down our stairs yesterday once with one crutch, as well as walking out to the barn with two crutches, walking pole style. I don't feel any worse for wear today at all. Staying on the flat is important for a few more days and then I'll trial that again, weather permitting. My goal today is to finish dusting our living room, sun room and dining area and get the rest of the house decos up, so it looks Christmasy for our youngest when he gets home tonight. A walk out in the sunshine will also be included!

Hope you are winning with all your Christmas hustle and bustle and are getting a bit of sun?! Have a great day!

:reindeerlights:

P.S. How was the black tie party and did your footwear work out?

 

[Barbaraj]

Good morning, @Alitm. Feeling a bit wobbly and shaky at the moment, just got back from PT and the therapist really put me through my paces. I'm not in any pain, just feeling exhausted--it is frustrating how weak I still am, despite my ability to get up and about. Still struggling with range of motion on both hips which is discouraging. Going out to lunch with a friend in an hour or so, and intend to have a good cocktail at lunch to make myself feel better!

Holiday work continues--spent the morning yesterday making my brother's girlfriend a stocking, and the afternoon rolling out, baking and then decorating an obscene amount of holiday cookies which I then boxed up and will be distributing to neighbors today. The few extras I did have I shipped off with my husband this morning! No way do I want that kind of thing hanging around my house. Did find some time to make a nourishing vegetable soup yesterday afternoon, so felt good about that. We're off to Portland tomorrow for a marathon two days of "power shopping" but we'll be staying at a nice hotel and eating out which is always fun.

Grey, miserable day out there, with "more of same" to be expected. Hope your son arrived home safely last night, and that you got enough holiday decorations put out that he stepped into a warm and holiday appropriate house. I am sure it will be so lovely to have him home. Fortunately, all of our kids are in the immediate area so nobody needs to stay with us, and we'll all be getting together for holiday celebrations. I need to pack up a bunch of these boxes of cookies, and head out to deliver them--that will give me something to do as I'm waiting for my lunch date.

Have a good day!

 

[Alitm]

Hi @Barbaraj I remember when I started doing the mucking out before second surgery, I could do it and it felt great to be back working around the horses, but I had no energy for anything else. I am determined to get have the help in the barn for a little while longer after the six week mark, so I will have the energy to start the elliptical, and begin the total body toning again. Where I'm going with all this, is that at this time of year, you are doing so many "extra" things, from the Christmas decorations, to the baking, sewing, social activities, etc. and you add elliptical work/walking and PT to that, it is very tiring. I'm sure once the holidays are over you will find a rebound of energy, as all the holiday "extras" are a thing of the past, until next year!! LOL!! Maybe add in a B complex vitamin daily over this holiday period?

The ROM in the new hip will give it to you when it is ready. Don't lose heart. Enjoy your lunch!! You know at some point that you will have to address the other hip, so get what you can from it re: ROM, but don't fret about it. In hindsite I see that my ROM was the first thing to go. Post surgery, I find my left hip to be "tighter" than the right hip was at the same time period. But I do see with the hiking poles outside now, that I am lengthening my stride. I'm not doing any formal physio other than my upper body work and the walking until six weeks. The weather is so foul here today with endless rain chucking down, I'm not sure I'll make it outside, but will be pacing the house!

I'll be glad when our son finishes school at the end of this week and doesn't have to be out at night...and I can go to bed earlier! Last night he was late. I fell asleep in the recliner, and then went to bed and just lay there. Drives me nuts! As I said, chucking down with rain here, so not doing much.

Have a great time in Portland tomorrow. It is our 31st wedding anniversary tomorrow, so we will head out for lunch to celebrate !

Hope you are having a great lunch, and are able to put your feet up for a bit this afternoon!

:santa sleigh:

 

[hiphoser]

Yikes! My son is 6’5”, so I know how far a fall is from those heights. Hope hubs is OK. Just wanted to say, several years ago my hubs and I vacationed in your neck of the woods. We loved Vancouver Island! What a beautiful place you live.

 

[Layla]

Hi @Alitm
Thanks on the window boxes. You're very kind.
More importantly...Happy Thirty First Wedding Anniversary! That's an accomplishment.
I hope you and hubs enjoy your lunch out today and have a wonderful day!

 

[Barbaraj]

Congratulations on 30 years of marriage, @Alitm, truly something to celebrate! I hope you have a wonderful lunch, maybe with a glass of something to toast one another on this wonderful occasion. Thanks for the good advice about not stressing about range of motion right now. I should be happy and relieved that, for the most part, my hips are functioning well enough not to cause anything other than occasional fatigue. Right one feels strong and stable, even if not very good ROM, and left one is hanging in there which is all I can expect right now. Goal has always been to just put off a second surgery as long as possible. If I can continue to get some cardio and do PT exercises for a year or so without struggling, I will be grateful. Leaving for our annual shopping trip by midday, and feeling good that I'll handle all the walking and shopping well--if I get tired, there are lots of lovely restaurants and bars where I can stop to prop up my feet and have a little something. And I'll be tired at the end of each day, so intend to sleep well. Bringing some Tylenol in case I get into trouble, but thinking positive.

Continue doing well--you are inspiration to me and so many others, with your focused, deliberate and reasonably paced recovery. You are definitely entitled to fall asleep in your recliner occasionally! Have a great day.

 

[Alitm]

So this is my Charlie Brown outdoor tree....

which is supposed to grow to 50 feet in ten years! It sure cheers things up on a gloomy day, but isn't very uniform! I can't find my little fake tree, so am going to see if I can find something at Walmart today, after our lunch. Big outing for thirty first wedding anniversary!!!

Have a great day everyone!
@Layla and @Barbaraj

 

[Alitm]

@hiphoser So great to hear you had a lovely holiday on Vancouver Island. What areas did you visit? We are about 40 mins north of Victoria. Love being surrounded by majestic trees and pastoral beauty

So you know about the 6'5" men....I have three of them, and our daughter is 5'8". I am now 5'7" again since both surgeries, as I can stand up straight again...but I"m still the shortest in the family LOL!!!
Hope you are having a good day