THR Celebrating one at a time, encore!

Yay for first showers :yay: They feel like such a big accomplishment. You're doing great.
I had bruising on the outside of the knee area that didn't show for over two weeks! Initially frightened me and made me wonder what "I" did wrong. I guess it can take time moving down to the next joint. Having the knowledge that recovery does zig and zag is reassuring.
I hope you're comfortable and have a peaceful day.
@Alitm
 
On Tuesday I thought I was cruising along. I had a visitor in the AM. She dropped off a yummy lasagne. I took a shower and back to the recliner with ice. That's when I notice the post-op swelling. Another friend stopped by to visit later and I was iced from knee to hip! Yesterday, I slept all afternoon!! LOL! Going with the flow!:SUNsmile:

Today was a sleepy day with rain and grey skies. Tried to cut back on the Tramadol yesterday and attempt bed sleeping again. I was miserable by 1:30 AM so upped the Tramadol and went back to the recliner! It was the first time I had some tears, mostly of frustration of not being able to figure out the meds and the sleeping. More comfy now today and staying on the recliner! Face timed with a friend back east while in full recline. She has "nursed" a friend though both hip, and knee surgery a few years later. Great to chat with her. She reminded me it was early days! :yes:

I think I over did it with the visitors early in the week.:gaah:

:flwrysmile:
 
:hi:Yes, very early days.:yes:
Meds easy to figure out...take them and don't worry about cutting back especially right now.
You'll know when. Guess you are doing the Tylenol with the Tramadol?

The sleep thing however:bored:
As all of our remedies vary, I won't depress you with my timeline :blackcloud:
I loved AND still do love my recliner...of course that gets old too and one wants to be able to stretch out in bed and get comfy...just not alot of comfy was to be found for me for a bit.
Catch naps all you can.:yawn:

Hope today is a Good Day for you.
It's going to get better...:yes:
 
@Alitm but let’s see how far you have come:
1. You are in and out of chair on your own!
2. You showered!!!!
3. Who cares if you take the Tramadol? That’s why they gave it to you. If you try to limit pain meds at this point your cortisol will rise and your healing will slow.
4. At this point you are in survivor mode...as you should be. Please adjust your expectations. You have had MAJOR surgery, lost blood...you body is just trying to get strong again...to get through the day and the night...that is your only goal.
Please forgive yourself. You are brave!!!!
 
Mojo333, lovesstars thanks for the awesome mental boost.

The way Tramadol is dispensed here is by 37.5mgs per tablet vs. the 50mgs that it seems to be dispensed in the UK and US. Just a bit of juggling to follow

@Josephine 's chart. Also, Jo allows for up to 400mgs per day of Tramadol, but although my scrip says "take 1 - 2 tablets every four hours as needed", it also says, "take only up to 8 pills per day", so that works out to be 300mgs per day of Tramadol.

That doesn't cut it pain wise, even with the full 4,000mg of Tylenol. What hubs and I are trying to do is use Jo's #1 routine as a guide line where I'm taking a Tramadol dose six times a day, but varying from one to two tablets to keep within the 8 Tramadol tablets per day, but making sure I'm getting the full 4,000 mg of Tylenol per day.

When I have the lower dose (1 tablet) of Tramadol, I ice everywhere that hurts from surgical "handling" or whatever is sore. The recliner, the ice machine and ice packs have paid their way already in one week in my estimation! I know with the elevating, icing and rest, the pain is starting to subside, and I bet by the end of week 2 I'll have it sorted out.

So helpful to be told by all you wonderful "hippies" how great ice is as a natural pain med. I have had no noticeable side effects from the Tramadol thus far, even when I went over the recommended 8 tablets per day by accident.

The only other thing I could take would be an anti-inflammatory, and I don't want to do that with the info on these anti-inflams not promoting the bone healing. I'm almost tempted to allow the extra 100 mg difference between my scrip (300 mgs tram) and Jo's charts (400 mgs Tram).

My only activity thus far is to get up and go to the bathroom (living room to master bathroom...not far as we live in a bungalow) or get a glass of water as per the BS activity for week 1. I could shower after day 3 so have had two showers (sitting on stool in shower) and "soldier wash" in between shower days if I'm tired.

I'm doing much better than I was a week ago so am headed in the right direction!
 
So happy to read you're seeing progress. It's encouraging to look back and realize
things are looking up :yay: You did this for a purpose and it's going to be okay! :happydance:
I hope you have a peaceful day and relaxing weekend.
Hugs :friends:

I'm excited for 1stSurgery, I know you are too. Can't wait to get a :thumb: from her!
@Alitm
 
@Alitm
You sound as if you are doing well. So hopefully it will be all downhill from here.
From my own experience once you get over the first hump you seem to feel better day by day. Don't be surprised by the odd setback though, particularly those days when you get a dose of the blues. Hopefully they will be few and far between though.
 
I have no regrets having the surgery at all, and want to get the second hip done asap. Will find out more about that on Tuesday during follow up with Dr. Life was awful with two duff hips. I need to start taking patience pills I think! Luckily the weather is really rainy at the moment, so I have no desire to go and "run around" outside with the dogs and horses :rotfl:
:flwrysmile:
 
@Alitm Sorry to hear that you had a bit of a set back yesterday, but it sounds like today is a better day! I like being home on cloudy, rainy days. Home just feels so quiet and peaceful on days like that.

I wanted to thank you for taking the time to write and explain your experience with the pain meds. It will definitely help me to use as a guide when I have to navigate my own.

Oh, and I haven't posted this yet, but my OS office called yesterday to say they had a cancellation and asked if I wanted to move my date up. The new date would be October 10th. My initial reaction was that it was way too soon and that I can't be ready. My husband talked me down off the cliff and asked me what I would gain from keeping my Nov 20 date....of course if I answer that honestly, I gain nothing. So I did call back the office and will go with the Oct 10 date. The nerves are definitely setting in.

Anyway, reading your posts and the posts of others here on the site always gives me encouragement. I hope you're having a restful day.
 
@Alitm, glad to learn your surgery went well and that despite the to be expected bumps along the recovery road, overall there is forward progress.

I have to say that on my list of "things to worry about", post-op pain control is definitely inching up there. Not having had a lot of significant discomfort with my hip, or certainly not the completely debilitating agony that so many others have described pre-surgery, I am not expecting a huge "whew.." when surgery is done.

Sure, I'm certain that there will be a lessening of the ache but I'm substituting that for some pretty serious surgical pain. Getting those pain medications sorted so that they do what they're supposed to do effectively sounds like it is very challenging and hard to do when you're feeling punk and spaced out.

I think the plan of simply sticking with the proscribed schedule for at least the first week or two makes the most sense, to me anyway. But showers sound lovely, I would imagine they would really boost your mood.

Hope all continues to go well for you, and each week you're looking back and smiling at the progress you've made. Cheers!
 
Jo allows for up to 400mgs per day of Tramadol, but although my scrip says "take 1 - 2 tablets every four hours as needed", it also says, "take only up to 8 pills per day", so that works out to be 300mgs per day of Tramadol.
Are you sure the caveats aren't from the Tylenol? Because I know last year the FDA reduced the 4,000mg per day to 3,000mg in case people took other medications and otc products that also contained acetaminophen and thereby unintentionally took an overdose! I have never seen this rule applied to Tramadol as you don't get other preparations with Tramadol covertly added in!
 
@Josephine Thank you for getting back to me again. If I take eight 37.5 mg Tramadol tablets within a 24 hrs, that allows me 300 mg of Tramadol per day. The order says up to 8 tablets a day. Each tablet also contains 325mgs of Tylenol, so I'm counting that in in my 4,000mg of Tylenol per day. The other medication I was asked to take is 2 tablets per day of Acetylsalicyclic acid (delayed released) 81mg tablets for blood thinning. The discharge nurse never mentioned counting that in with my total Tylenol intake per day. She only talked about the Tylenol that is within the Tamadol meds ordered. With the prefix of Acet, I am now thinking that this is the same class of drug as Tylenol (acetaminophen), and I should be allowing for 162mgs of that with my Tylenol total per day?

It clearly states on the Rx that there is 37.5mgs of Tramadol and 325 mgs of acetaminophen in each tablet. The dosing reads 1 - 2 tablets every four hours as needed. Do not take more than 8 tablets per day. It appears to contradict itself IMO.

How would the Tramadol be dispensed in the UK? What would the mg make up be, along with the Tylenol (paracetamol/acetaminophen) component?

Prior to surgery I was on Meloxicam, but came off that when I read about how the anti-inflammatory meds discouraged bone healing. I asked the pharmacist here (Canada) about the dosing for Tylenol, and she said I could take up to 4,000 mgs per day, as long as I wasn't taking any other medication with Tylenol in it, which I wasn't.

I appreciate any further feedback you may have regarding the above:) .

@Bionic Today has been a better day pain wise. I believe I have to stay in the recliner for sleeping, as I'm far more comfortable than in the bed. Seems silly to have to take more pain meds to sleep in bed, when the recliner is comfortable :) . The good thing is my husband is getting a good night's sleep except for getting up to give me meds once a night! He deserves a medal! :yes:

@Lea61 That is GREAT that you have your surgery date moved up to October 10! I'm sure it has your butterflies flitting about, but it will be better than waiting. I was so ready to get on with the surgery after a long wait! I'm sure your OS will have your pain meds sorted out for you. You just have to see how your body reacts to the drugs etc and stay ahead of the surgical pain. There is no OA pain...it is amazing!

I have found this forum so very helpful. The point is to share, to benefit others. I've been so appreciative of everyone who has shared.
 
If I take eight 37.5 mg Tramadol tablets within a 24 hrs, that allows me 300 mg of Tramadol per day. Each tablet also contains 325mgs of Tylenol, so I'm counting that in in my 4,000mg of Tylenol per day.
Now I see it! What you have been prescribed is Tramcet which is a Tramadol and acetamiophen (Tylenol) added in.

Tramacet tablet contains Tramadol hydrochloride 37.5mg with Paracetamol 325mg film-coated tablets which is what you were told! Sorry! The limits per 24hrs are Tramadol 400mg and Tylenol 4,000mgs.
She only talked about the Tylenol that is within the Tramadol meds ordered. With the prefix of acetaminophen, I am now thinking that this is the same class of drug as Tylenol (acetaminophen), and I should be allowing for 162mgs of that with my Tylenol total per day?
Whatever, just add the amount within the Tramacet per day and subtract that from 4,000 and that tells you how much extra Tylenol you can take per day. I make it 8 tablets of Tramacet = 2,600mgs acetaminophen (Tylenol) leaving you an extra 1,400mg to take at other times. That okay?

The other medication I was asked to take is 2 tablets per day of Acetylsalicyclic acid (delayed released) 81mg tablets for blood thinning. The discharge nurse never mentioned counting that in with my total Tylenol intake per day.
That's because it's aspirin and totally different to Tylenol!

How would the Tramadol be dispensed in the UK? What would the mg make up be, along with the Tylenol (paracetamol/acetaminophen) component?
Exactly the same as we've been discussing!
 
@Barbaraj I found the Dilaudid dosing very straight forward, but the Tramadol instructions were a bit ambiguous in that they said to follow the 1 -2 tabs every four hours, but then say no more than 8 tablets. I couldn't take 2 tablets every four hours as I was going over the 8 tablet statement!
I feel like today I have turned another corner with the post op pain. It was the post op swelling that really came out on Wednesday, combined with trying again to sleep in bed with DH (despite finding the recliner more comfortable). You will do well and your pain will be managed well I'm sure. So many folks here have said they were more comfortable in the recliner for some weeks sleep wise, but of course I had to push going back to the bed until it really hurt!!! A bit of :headbang: behaviour for sure :heehee:

@Josephine You are the best to get back to me so late in the evening for you! Thank you!:flwrysmile: I understand!!!
 
Well, I do have a very small recliner in the study off our master bedroom, @Alitm, but it's not working to allow me to full extend my body so I doubt if it would provide the same benefit as your recliner which does sound nice and comfy, and if it allows you to sleep--hurray for that! I really will be sleeping in my bed, I suspect, although if I crowd out my husband with all the covers and pillows and tossing and turning, I may banish him to another bed for awhile until I get things sorted out. I loathe back sleeping (have heard few on this forum say that they love it!) so I suspect that sleep will be elusive for awhile--groan. My sense is that this will be a big challenge for me, unless the prescribed medications really do knock me out at night. I have been a good sleeper mostly, although with hip issues I've tended to wake up early in the morning and struggle to find a position in bed that allows me to get back to sleep. But I'm encouraged that you say you feel you've turned a corner with so little time out from surgery. I am sure I'll strictly follow the medication schedule for at least the first week, and hope that after that I may be able to ease up a bit. Not opposed to medication but narcotic pain medication sounds very challenging in terms of its side effects, and I've never taken it before so it scares me a bit. Anyway, seems like you're chugging along nicely, feeling better and more positive as the days go by. Hurray!
 
Hi again @Barbaraj
I purchased my recliner specifically to rehab in.
In preparation for back sleeping, which I hate too, I started sleeping with my legs up on a leg "wedge" in bed. It looks like the wavy one recommended on BS. That helped with sleeping on back prior to surgery.
When I arrived home from surgery and got into bed and tried the same thing, I did not find it comfortable! After two nights of being really miserable in bed, and I tried the recliner again. Was enjoying it during the day, so what the heck! It seems to be the answer for now.
I am actually sleeping better now than before surgery, now that I've figured out what works.
I feel better today. I am trying to take it one week at a time. I overdid the visitors at the beginning of the week...just chatting got tiring when having two visitors a day! I was really surprised by that. All I was dong was reclining and chatting!
Have you seen @Mojo333 diagram of the "arrows" of progression?
I started with Dilaudid when I came home on Saturday, and that really made me sleepy. I switched to the Tramadol and Tylenol on Monday. The natural progression for many is to drop a pain med here or there when they are more comfortable, and gradually wean off.
 
:wave:My recliner pal. One week out and doing just fine. This is the rough part but as you mentioned my favorite recovery chart...
Let's show it again
rps20171117_054543.jpg

Hope your weekend is healing and restful.:loveshwr:
 
Hi @Alitm .....glad to see you're getting to grips with your pain meds, hope you've managed to find a combination that makes you comfortable now. I've seen quite a few people talk about Dilaudid, had to Google it to find out what it is. I don't think we have it in Nz....I was on tramadol the first time (backed up with paracetamol and ibuprofen) but as my pain this time is more stiffness and swelling I don't need the tramadol. All a bit of a guessing game tho, and wouldn't it be handy if every country used the same names!

Has your surgeon said how soon he'll do your other side? Hope it's not causing you too many problems....I found my second hip was sort of stunned into silence for a few weeks after the first op.....started to think it was a bit of a fraud and I didn't need to have it done. It never got particularly painful again, tho my surgeon said it was every bit as bad as the first one was. Hope the sleeping is getting better for you.....I seem to have settled into a pattern of sleeping for 3 hrs, awake and reading for an hour or so then another 3 hrs sleep, so not too bad. tho I can't quite give up a sneaky half hour nap in the afternoon....this tiredness after doing so little is a bit of a shock isn't it! Pity we're not all on the same time zone.....we could have BS pajama parties :egypdance:
 
@anny Good to hear from you :) Glad that you are getting some sleep, even if at three hour intervals! It is unfortunate that we aren't on the same time zone. PJ parties are great!

The Dilaudid was good for the initial pain, but it made me feel really drugged out, to the point each time I typed the word Dilaudid I think I spelled it differently each time! :flabber: It did its job pain wise last Saturday and Sunday, but by Monday morning I had had enough of the druggy feeling, and the side effects of itching and really weird dreams. It is the first time I'd had Dilaudid, but I did have a "morphine" pump after an ectopic rupture and repair years ago and had the weird dreams with that. I came off that pump quickly!

It would be nice if every country used the same name for paracetamol/acetaminophen!

The Tramadol certainly makes me feel more functional. Again it is frustrating as Canada, at least here in BC, dispenses it in 37.5 mg tablets. It seems that the US and UK dispense Tramadol in 50 mgs. My OS prescribed Tramacet, which is Tramadol with added paracetamol/acetaminophen. Anyhow, with Josephine's help I have figured it out! I think in another day or so I'll be able to drop that dosage down. I'm feeling more stiffness now than pain. My swelling is coming down nicely, but I keep up the ice machine and then use ice packs on isolated sore/puffy areas. It is so helpful to know that all the later swelling is normal and not to panic. Because I couldn't get my right shoe on to come home in (wore the hospital socks!), I walked around the house initially in bare feet. I think the nerve ending in the foot benefit from being barefoot and that helps the overall healing picture...but what do I know! LOL!

The other thing I'm noticing is that, although not a heel slide has passed through my heel since surgery, I can slide my heel up and bend my knee this morning (without breaking the 90 degree rule) almost to the same height as my other leg. The only "physio" I've done is waggle my feet around for circulatory reasons and walk around the house...just to the bathroom and back, and to get some water etc. My husband has been amazing but I really want to be more independent!! I am following the BS guide line for activity so will add 3 - 4 more 5 min walks. The weather has been dreadful here, with terrible rain, so not conducive to walking outside. It is supposed clear on Monday and I hope to be walking outside by then at the latest.

The OS said 8 - 10 weeks for the other side. I asked him to book it for 8 weeks. He said we'll make the decision on Tuesday when he'll take an x-ray, take the staples out (I think), and we discuss physio! So far he has said to wiggle my feet around for the circulation and walk only. The hospital physio dolled out a booklet of exercises, starting with stretches, and she then went over the strengthening ones with me as she felt I could do them. I politely listened and haven't looked at the booklet since :rotfl: I'll be posting on Tuesday as to what OS wants me to do next. I hope he continues to be of the walking school of thought!

Really interesting about how your second hip quieting down one you had the first hip done. My second hip is being very quiet indeed, but was starting to catch a lot in the last two weeks before surgery. Since surgery I notice that the muscle tightness in the second leg has improved, which is interesting. I have been asking second hip/leg to take a lot of pressure, so I hope it holds up! I can feel my operated leg gaining more strength again, albeit slowly.

I hope you are having a comfortable day/night and that your sleep continues to improve :sleep:
 

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