THR Celebrating one at a time, encore!

[Alitm]

Hello Bone Smart friends! Hope you all had a lovely Seasonal Holiday, however you chose to celebrate, or not!!

We had the crazy storm a week ago today, which really wreaked havoc all over central and south central Vancouver Island. So much tree damage. These big evergreens are not supposed to handle the kind of winds we had. The rural and agricultural areas really bore the brunt of it. Most farms have generators and wood burning stoves, or fireplace inserts, but some folks didn't, so folks were coming to others to warm up, be fed, fill up water jugs for livestock and homes (if no generators) and generally the spirit of both giving and gratitude prevailed in a very real way . Some are still without power, despite crews coming from all over BC, middle and eastern parts of Canada to help out. We were so fortunate to have our generator and the wood burning insert in our fireplace. The clean up is on going...our daughter paid us a surprise visit for a few days before Christmas, so she and our son helped my hubby with the clearing of trees from our driveway and paddocks. Neighbours helped neighbours to clear the main road. I haven't seen anything like it since the last hurricane we weathered in Bermuda!! Crazy weather patterns.

Hips have been hanging in there. Did way too much staying on my feet and walking around doing things on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but I'm sure I was not alone..I'm sure certain hippies were up to the same thing too ! By Christmas night my quads, hip flexors and who know what else were so sore, I had ice packs from knees to hips! Boxing Day and today I've been back to deliberate good behaviour and icing/elevating between activities. We had two friends who were at loose ends for Christmas come and join us. We had a fun afternoon, despite missing our two older kids and extended family. Hubby cooked an amazing meal, and one of the friends brought an delicious blueberry pie and ice cream. Lots of laughs and an easy time of things.

Hubby's surgery is coming up on Jan 18th, so my goal to to stick to the slow and steady routine at least until then, and will try hard to balance things through the peak of his recovery. Our daughter will be here for a week post op I hope, before she returns to work. I see my OS, massage therapist/somatics practitioner and physio again over the next two weeks as I'll be six weeks out on lefty tomorrow! With Christmas and New Years it has been hard to get appointments, so I'll be seven weeks out by the time I see them.

Heading down to see my young horse tomorrow....can't wait! A friend is going to drive me, as it is an hour's drive one way, and I'll be there for about an hour. Trying to be good about it!

Wishing all recovering hippies, and all here on Bone Smart, comfort and healing as we approach 2019 and all that the new year has to hold.

 

[Layla]

Wow, you had some weather drama in your region. Sounds like it created a lot of work.
I hope you had a nice Christmas in spite of Mother Nature's timing.

Happy Six Week Anniversary, Lefty!

You still have time to heal and rest up before hubs surgery on the 18th.
I'll bet you'll be feeling pretty good by then.

A great weekend to you!
@Alitm

 

[Barbaraj]

Hi, @Alitm. It's been crazy weather for you, hasn't it? I hope things get cleared up and things functioning well for you and your neighbors very soon. But how heartwarming to read about all those neighbors helping neighbors during this difficult time, very much in the spirit of the Christmas season. Sounds like your Christmas day was a good one, with family and friends--and blueberry pie for dessert, yum! I was one of the foolish ones on Christmas Day, on my feet a lot but did balance it out with some rest--it was the day after where I was a complete idiot and paid a price by the evening. Yesterday I rested up and today the grinding pain is reduced to a dull roar. Good reminder that three months is NOT a full recovery and I'll need to continue to find my way along this recovery journey to permit full healing of the right hip and strengthening of the left to put off a second surgery as long as I can. It was a bit of a wake-up call for me! Have a great time visiting "your boy" today. I am sure you're looking forward to this with happy anticipation. You and @Lmflora with your horse obsessions! I don't get it but I do understand that you both have a deep and abiding love for your equine pals.

Have a good day!

 

[Alitm]

Hi @Barbaraj, Good trip to see my four legged son today. I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to training and I'm itching to get my boy back....but I need another month of healing and gradual fitness build up. Got home and went to two feed stores to pick up horse supplies. Did one walk around the farm track, came in and rested/elevated and fed the horses their grain only...very easy. Iced up.

Good to hear you are recovering from your ODI behavior! We get into trouble so fast, yet it takes so long to get back out of it!! I am slowly recovering from my two days (24th & 25th) of being on my feet most of each day. I don't seem any worse for wear from today's outing.

The drive down to the trainer's place today was miserable, with rain and fog on the mountain drive. I was so glad my girlfriend was driving. I definitely don't have the energy for mountain driving in disgusting weather yet...it takes so much focus! One more day of rain tomorrow and then sun for four days....which means colder weather. At this point I'll take sun and colder! Yes I agree, the snow can stay away. We had a snow shower yesterday with a front that went over, but nothing stuck. Today was warmer...but I wore long johns under my jeans while horsing it this AM.

Hoping tomorrow will be a quiet day with structured walking and some icing. I have to take down the decorations at some point. Usually I wait until Twelfth Night, but I'm kind of itching to get going with it...although I'm enjoying the cheery lights on our little three-foot fake tree inside (not missing cleaning up the dead pine needle mess this year!), and the lights on the big blue spruce outside. It would be nice to leave things up for my daughter who will come home probably around Jan 3rd. Maybe keeping the decos up a little longer will keep me in "go slower" mode!

 

[SurreyGirl]

Keep them up for longer and enjoy the moment!

 

[Mojo333]

but I wore long johns under my jeans while horsing it this AM.

Bet those were fun getting on.
Glad you got to see your baby and I too think keep those decorations up long as you'd like.
I love Christmas lights:reindeerlights:

Hope your weekend is sweet!

 

[Barbaraj]

Oh, @Alitm , so glad to read that your hour trip to see "the baby boy" went well, and I'm glad you didn't have to drive. Even with fully functioning hips, I think that kind of driving is no fun, and I'd always be happy to give it over to someone who feels more confident. I am certainly comfortable scooting around my neighborhood on various errands and chores, but on longer trips, I always leave the driving to my husband. He actually--go figure--enjoys driving, he says, while I find it stressful to be on the freeway for long periods of time with all those crazy drivers out there!

I agree with others that you should leave your decorations up for awhile. It will probably make your daughter smile when she comes home to find the house cheerful and lit up, it will be a gift for her. And, if they don't "bug" you, no reason to do a clean-up before you have to. I, on the other hand, loathe that holiday décor by the end of Christmas day and am absolutely itching to see it gone! I am not sure why this might be--I don't remember being so crazed about this in my younger years! I guess it's just a "crabby old lady" thing! And I certainly paid a price for it this year, still feeling some lingering effects but trying to slow down and behave myself.

Windy out there today, so suspect its the same in your neck of the woods. A good day to curl up with a book and the fireplace turned on. Sounds like you've got a sensible plan, with structured walking but also some rest and icing on your agenda. You always sound so sensible--can I be you, just for a little while?!

 

[Layla]

Happy Saturday @Alitm
I vote you keep the decorations up for your daughter too. It will feel warm and welcoming for her homecoming.
Glad you made it safely there and back to visit with your horse.
I hope you have a relaxing weekend.
Stay warm! :chris-win:

 

[Alitm]

:treestar:The decorations and lights are staying up for our daughter!

Yep @Mojo333, putting on long johns and super warm socks for the first time post op was challenging, and poor husband had to help sort out the long john legs I'd pulled up too high over the socks etc. One has to laugh! Things one never thinks about until one has hip surgery!! Have a great weekend

Thanks for your "keep the decos up" vote @Layla Enjoy your weekend!

 

[Alitm]

I couldn't get in to my OS until a week today, when I'm just over seven weeks, for my six week check up. My rehab over the last two weeks has been all over the show with the storm damage, no power for a few days and Christmas. I wasn't icing for the three days the electricity was out, as although we did well with the generator and fireplace heat, it was too cold for icing! Then we got our power back, and I was so well behaved in not trying to attempt picking up branches. However, I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day doing things in the house as if I'd never had hip surgery, on my feet all day both days. I've had some swelling in my first op hip....I think I'm flirting with bursitis on the trochanter, as I can pinpoint the spot. I checked in with my OS. I said I had been pushing the envelope a bit with too much time on my feet and on other days "complicated terrain" as @Bone-obo aptly puts it. OS said he is not concerned about the minor swelling, but to keep icing, and I see him in a week. He did say if anything changes to call. I think my poor first op hip has taken up the slack for the new op hip. If OS was worried I know he'd squeeze me in sooner. He has OKed the elliptical again, starting with "small motion first then progress on". I actually think going to the gym might be safer for me, as it is completely level terrain. I'd have to drive an hour to get to a big mall to walk inside, so that seems pointless for now. I see my physio on Friday and will discuss with him. Two steps forward and one step back. It's like dancing the cha cha.

I'm still taking Tylenol. Is that unusual six weeks out? I am more stiff than anything else...unless I have been waving at the doorman at the ODIC of course. I have been gradually forgetting to take it, as I haven't needed it. At most I take two regular Tylenol three times a day..usually it is twice a day. Last night I had a hot shower, and went to be without taking any. I haven't had any today as yet.

Sadly Hubby's Mum is very ill again in hospital with stroke like symptoms as of this AM. At 96 one wonders how much she can take. Hubby will be heading east to his Mum tomorrow. OS has cleared me for flying, but wants me to take aspirin before and after flight and walk lots on flight. MIL will rebound, as she did last Spring. Any other post THR flying tips are welcomed. I'm staying put for now.

Wishing all healing hippies warm wishes for good healing and getting back to living life to the fullest in 2019

A special thank you to all for your sharing and support, and to Josephine, the advisors, moderators and administrators for their advices and support. This journey has been made SO much easier because of you .

 

[NanaKP]

I am so sorry to hear about your MIL @Alitm. It is a bit of a surprise when the first op hip makes some objections after the second one is done (although my first hip has been the "problem child" since the beginning). I think you're doing FANTASTIC and I am positive your OS is so appreciative that you can pinpoint painful places.

How far of a flight will it be for you to go see your MIL? Is the aspirin for bloodclots possibly caused from elevation change? I haven't talked to my OS at all about taking any flights, guess I need to mention it this week.

I can't remember, do you have an elliptical at home that you can use? I have been looking at a variety of them to purchase, I have a treadmill that I have LOVED for years, it's very good quality and has served me well. I'm hoping to get the go ahead to get back on there this week. (Still dealing with a painful left hip so not doing much but sorting out excesses in rooms that have been long neglected - ahem, sewing room, I'm looking at you!)

Take care of yourself and may all of us hippy's enjoy the incoming year with our new hardware!!!!

 

[Alitm]

Hi @NanaKP You are so kind to bother to post back on New Years Eve day! How is your hip#1 doing? Is it feeling any better? I sure hope so!

Yes I was quite surprised by first hip kicking up....but it does make sense that it might complain a bit if I push the envelope! Hopefully being more methodical about my rehab again, and icing regularly should get the sore spots sorted out. I don't have an elliptical, but I'm going to go to the gym and try out what they have. My neighbour also has one, and has suggested I give it a try.

Definitely speak to your OS about air travel. It is the risk of blood clots that is the concern, and why one has to take aspirin when flying...until one is a certain amount of time out from surgery. MIL has stabilized for the moment thankfully, but is being kept in for observation for several days. She was in emerg two days ago as well. Hubby is heading out tomorrow night. We have to take three fights to get to MIL, our older son and my brother - a 20 min hop to Vancouver, a five hour night flight over to Toronto and then another 2 1/2 hour flight to Bda. Not really what I want to put my hips through at the moment, so am staying put until we know what is going on. I was planning on going after I am six months post op and feeling ready for the hike.

We are having a peaceful evening at home this New Years. Thinking of the enjoyment we will all have in 2019 with our shiny new hips!!!

 

[An54]

Hello @Alitm , I've been off the forums for a while, just catching up. Sounds like you are progressing well. When you start dropping the tylenol, that's a good sign. Sorry to hear about your Mum-in-law.

About the big storm, I was on my way to Victoria that day, and expected to get the noon ferry out of Tsawwassen , but all ferries were shut down until the winds died down. I waited at the terminal until 7 pm, when the ferries started up again. It was actually an amazing experience at the terminal, because it was like being in the middle of the storm. Waves were crashing right up to the height of the windows in the elevated waiting lounges. They told us to stay away from the windows; I guess they didn't know if one would actually blow in. The ferry employees I spoke to had never seen anything like it. The ramps down below were flooded as waves crashed up over into the loading lanes, and the concrete barriers along the edge were actually pushed around by the force of the water. All sorts of debris and even a log was thrown up onto the pavement of the terminal. I sat for a while in the waiting area of terminal 2, where there is a little balcony. I got outside on the balcony for an exhilarating breath of fresh air, and to enjoy the full force of the blasting wind. It took two people to get the door open again to get back into the building!

I'm in Toronto now. I took the train across from Vancouver (4 days and nights), and in a few days I will board again and go right through to Halifax on the east coast (another 30 hours or so) making it a true coast-to-coast journey. It's great to be fully mobile again. That will be you soon--fully mobile and ready to go (on horseback) before too much longer.

Happy New Year and all the best for 2019.

 

[Bone-obo]

I think my poor first op hip has taken up the slack for the new op hip.

Frustrating, isn't it? And just when you think you have at least one leg you can rely on!

I'm still taking Tylenol. Is that unusual six weeks out?

My memory of the 6-8 week period is that it's one of the most dangerous in recovery, because you're just starting to feel normal again, and you've got so many errands and activities backlogged that you just want to dive right in and do them all right now now now, only you're not really normal yet, and suddenly the doorway to the ODIC yawns like a chasm beneath you, sucking you down to heck.

I don't have an elliptical, but I'm going to go to the gym and try out what they have.

Me, too! Sorry the gym is so far, though - maybe try it out and see if something worth investing in...? Another possibility is a bike trainer - if you get one with a bluetooth speed sensor, you can hook up to something high-tech and fun like Zwift. Squee for gadgets!

 

[Barbaraj]

Hi, @Alitm. Happy new year's eve to you! Two hips done in 2018, two hips that are going to be fully recovered in 2019! I am sorry to hear about your mother-in-law, learning of her illness at the end of the year--well, anytime actually--must be difficult. I hope you're right, and she'll rally around. At 96 she sounds like she's lived a good life, and sounds like she's got "good genes" so fingers are crossed that she can pull through once again. I'm home alone for NYE, but I'm okay with it. It's allowed me to be a total bum and not change out of my night clothes all day--so convenient when I hop into bed tonight to watch all the NYE festivities on TV! Hope you have a smooth flight wherever you're going, and keep moving. Those bionic hips are going to be fabulous in 2019!

 

[Alitm]

@An54 Great to hear from you and about your travels...from your stormy start. That must have been pretty amazing and a tad nerve wracking at the ferry terminal. Wow about trying to get back in the building! So glad you made it safely to the east coast. Was it amazing going across the country? I bet it was!! We had tons of tree damage and paddock fence damage, but the house was spared!

Enjoy Halifax, our older son went to Dal. I liked the city. I went to high school and two years of uni outside of Boston. Halifax feels like Boston in some ways to me. There are close ties, particularly maritime, between Bermuda and Nova Scotia. It is a beautiful provence...not as beautiful as BC of course! Enjoy! Will you fly or train back to the west coast?

Today I had a good day, after all the ups and downs of the last two weeks. It will be a bit chaotic again after hubby leaves, but I am going to be strict with myself and our youngest son about what I can and can't do. Our daughter will be here on Thursday, but will head to Bda next week, and friends have already offered to help.

Enjoy your continued travel!! So great to hear about your mobility!! Mine is coming, slowly but surely!!! Wishing you good health and lots of time spent on the dance floor in 2019!

 

[Alitm]

My memory of the 6-8 week period is that it's one of the most dangerous in recovery, because you're just starting to feel normal again, and you've got so many errands and activities backlogged that you just want to dive right in and do them all right now now now, only you're not really normal yet, and suddenly the doorway to the ODIC yawns like a chasm beneath you, sucking you down to heck.

This is very helpful @Bone-obo....I think I should print this out and stick it up in every room in my house!
I made it to nine weeks post op hip one before hopping on the OR table again. I was mucking stalls at seven weeks with hip one, as hubby injured himself putting in fence posts when I was four weeks post op. Our neighbour helped in between things. My OS said I could lift (up to 60 lbs, without breaking the 90 degree rule) at six weeks. I didn't start the actual mucking and putting up hay nets until seven weeks. Of course I didn't lift anywhere near that, but I was walking a lot on the level farm track and was up to 9,000 steps by week 8 without even trying. I managed but I don't want to push that hard this time around....I'm generally more fatigued with the two hips doing their healing thing. I've hired someone to do the mucking and lifting hay from Monday coming for three weeks, so that will take me through ten weeks post op, but might get her to do another week or two. I'm chucking in the horse's dinner grain now, but my cooking hubby won't be here, so that will be one of the things I have to figure out.

My gym is not far, but the malls are. So the gym is the best option, although more expensive than the mall...well maybe not!! . I really like the elliptical as it does the whole body, but I'll have to take it SO very slowly and carefully. I'm using hiking poles now, so sort of the same movement, hopefully that will help.

What are the bike trainers? I used have something that I could put my bike on, but with my hubby leaving tomorrow night, that isn't going to work for now. My sister in law here in BC has something she can sit on a chair and use....sounds odd to me, but perhaps I should ask my physio about it on Friday.

There are three bigger box stores about fifteen mins away from me. I'm wondering if I walked at these stores three times a week, one day in each of them, if I was a repeat walker? I would be obliged to purchase something every time I went...and that could get expensive too . I think the gym might be the safest! I'm exhausted thinking about it all. With husband away for two weeks with his Mum, I'm going to have to budget my activities very carefully , otherwise it will be hello ODIC .

Thanks for the input and the support @Bone-obo, much appreciated!

 

[Alitm]

@Barbaraj We had a very dull NY evening...one hour to go and Hubby is already in bed as he is taking the puddle jumper over to Vancouver tomorrow evening, the red eye from Vancouver to Toronto tomorrow night and then the two hours flight from Toronto on Wednesday AM down to Bda to be with his Mum. I'm not going anywhere yet, but if MIL's health declines further and she passes on, I will want to go for her funeral. The thought of travelling right now makes me shudder to be honest, but one has to do what one has to do. Our youngest son and our daughter will travel with me if that is the case, but the travel and borrowed/family accommodations will be brutal. Not the best scenario for a healing hippy. I'm praying that MIL makes one more come back for a few more months, so Hubby can have his surgery and I can heal further. She had three major health events last spring, with the final where she collapsed and fractured (hairline) her pelvis, and she pulled through that to have a great summer! We were gobsmacked, with delight of course, but it was a pretty amazing come back.

I love having lazy days in lounge wear/PJ's!! I do think of you and your relaxing days when I don't get out of my PJ's until later on in the day!!

I watched the London mid-night fireworks. They were pretty spectacular. Then I watched the NYC New Year come in as well. Heading to bed now!! Tomorrow is another day, and sun and cloud forecasted...I'll take it.

Wishing you and your family the best of health and happiness for 2019!!

 

[Bone-obo]

What are the bike trainers?

It's a gadget you can attach your bike to so you can "ride" indoors - maybe kinda like you had before? I use this one:

The nice thing is that it holds the bike upright so you don't have to mess with balancing on rollers - although it does require you to have a bike to use it with. Alternatively, you could get a stationary bike exerciser on Amazon that'll work just as well.

I found the bike (trike in my case) extremely helpful early on in tightening up quads and hamstrings, and surprisingly good with abductors, too. Plus, I could ride it even before I was able to comfortably manage the elliptical. It doesn't really matter what you do, of course, as long as you ease into it slowly enough that you don't injure yourself. And yeah, I'm gonna have to post reminders for myself when I get to that point, too!!

 

[Barbaraj]

Good morning, @Alitm--it's the first of January, 2019, and you are well on your way to full recovery! I wish I could say the say, although I think my right hip is really doing well, it's just the sobering reality that my left hip isn't going to cooperate, I fear, and maybe by next fall I'll be uncomfortable and unhappy enough that I'll proceed with a second replacement. But who knows? Maybe I'll get a break--would really, really, REALLY like the summer to be more comfortable than last year--I just wanna have some active fun!

Your NYE sounds nice and relaxing, the best sort. I am sure with your husband's departure tomorrow things will get a little more difficult for you--will you have any help during his absence if you need it? I do hope your mother-in-law pulls through, as that is absolutely the best outcome and would avoid you having to make what sounds like, at best, a challenging trip. Both the flight and the accommodations would be a strain, it appears, and while I am sure you'd be up for it I know it's not something you'd be looking forward to at all. So, fingers and toes crossed for you. Have a great day (going to be sunny and cold here, but I'm totally okay with that) as you come into this new year with the sure knowledge that full healing is just around the corner. You are doing grand! Cheers!