Revision THR Complex surgery with revisions, infection, sepsis, and more…

[danelady]

Thanks Layla, thank you CricketHip!
I knew that dislocations were a common occurrence and after enduring this very uncommon year I knew I could handle it! I mean, when TWO specialists first took a look at my hip and said: 'Wow, I've never seen that before', I immediately went to a dark place. The other night I thought I was headed back to that dark place again. I had visions of shattered bones and out of place screws....but a dislocation? Heck, that's doable!

No more pickups is right CricketHip! Yesterday my neighbors invited me to dinner again but this time all I had to do was take a very short stroll to their house. This was the first time we've all been together since I dislocated in their truck and they told me about the look of horror that was etched across my face when I stammered that something was wrong with my hip.

I am really spoiled there....if I get up and move to another room they will follow me with a chair so I don't have to stand. I have to yell at them to back off sometimes....but I am grateful for their help.

Now that I am finally going through the actual post op recovery I am enjoying following along with other members going thru the same thing at the same time.

 

[danelady]

With the several joint surgeries I've had these past few years, I already had all the necessary accoutrements that go along with a THR....the raised toilet seat, the grabbers, etc. I also have a couple of bar carts and a collapsible wagon for transporting things around the house or to the truck, but for this surgery I acquired 2 more items and I wondered why it took me so long to think of them.

I ordered back scratchers from Amazon and not those simple bamboo stick things. There were 3 metal, telescoping scratchers in the order and each end had a different design...one looked like a hawk's foot, one had some other design and I forgot what the third one was because a friend liked it so much I let her keep it. They reach down to your feet without having to bend at the waist.....maybe a little. For those of us who live alone they are a Godsend! But not only are they good for scratching, they are sturdy enough to use to pick something up that isn't too heavy...charging phone wires or pieces of clothing you dropped and the grabber is nowhere to be seen.

After this surgery BOTH my legs and feet got very swollen....still are. I couldn't reach down very far so it was next to impossible to get a bag of ice or or gel pack onto my feet and if I did manage to get ice balanced on my feet it wasn't long before it slid down onto he bed. Once again it was Amazon to the rescue! I found gel slippers that fit even over my gigantic feet and cooled of my dreadfully hot dogs! They are not for walking around in, they won't last at all, but when heated or frozen they stay exactly where you put them! One reviewer suggested putting a sock in the front before you put in freezer, so that's what I did.

I'm sure most of you know all about these goodies but I thought I'd share what I consider a great find!!

 

[benne68]

Did not know about the gel slippers, @danelady. They sound great. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Layla]

I haven't heard of gel slippers either. Nice to know. Thanks!

After this surgery BOTH my legs and feet got very swollen....still are.

I have something to share that may help with the swelling.

Jamie from admin once explained that It is our lymph system that rids the body of fluid (swelling). So you want to get the fluid to the lymph nodes in your torso area so your body can more quickly process it. The lymph system works rather slowly on its own and much more efficiently with the assistance of gravity. The fluid isn’t draining into the hips, but contained with the lymph system and moving to the torso and lymph nodes located there.

BoneSmart FA, CricketHip, is involved in Therapeutic Massage and has shared this exercise to assist in manual lymph drainage. This gentle, yet effective therapy will help prime your lymphatic system to move fluid and inflammation away from your leg, which in turn will help your range of motion and pain - you may want to give it a try and tag our dear, CricketHip, if you have any questions. She's always ready to help.

While lying supine, take deep breaths...deep, as in breathing in to a count of 5, 4, or 3 seconds, whatever is most comfortable for you. Hold that breath for another count of 5, 4, 3 then blow out completely, still using the count that's comfortable for you. A series of at least 6 reps may help get the excess swelling to move. To ensure you are taking proper deep breaths, place your hand on your naval and watch while taking in your breath, if doing this properly you should see your hand move up. Repeat this whenever you feel up to it during the day or night. Lying flat (supine) is best as the lymph nodes seated in your groin are less restricted, allowing for better lymph flow.

In addition, after the breathing exercise, place your hands lightly on your upper thigh, at the crease in your groin and lightly stroke upwards towards your naval.
Be patient because it can take the body time to respond.

I read this also today - After a sports injury or surgery, lymph vessels can become overwhelmed with the demand placed on them. When tissues are swollen, deep tissue techniques may actually cause damage to the lymph vessels and surrounding structures. Lymphatic massage is often the treatment of choice, because it helps the body remove proteins and waste products from the affected area and reduce the swelling. This helps reduce pressure on cells and allows them to reproduce faster to heal the body.

A great rest to the week to you danelady. Thanks for updating!

 

[myglasshalffull]

danelady,
So sorry to hear about you dislocating, OMG you have certainly had one heck of a year!
I have gel slippers, I LOVE them.

 

[danelady]

Thanks guys! After all the help and support I've received here I'm glad I was actually able to share a tip to help our healing!

@Layla Thank you so much!! I was getting confounded that the swelling wasn't going down so I tried reading up on it to find some help but I didn't really understand what to do. Layla, this is exactly the help I needed! I'll be tagging CricketHip for tips, you can be sure!

 

[danelady]

Anyone ever wear a brace??
I saw that Amazon sold hip braces and I wondered if wearing one would help prevent another dislocation so I shot a message to my surgeon and asked if they really helped. He replied absolutely! He said he would get me a prescription for a hip abduction brace at Hanger Clinic: Prosthetics and Orthotics....they have a clinic pretty close to my surgeon and the hospital! The fear of another dislocation is always on my mind now and I welcome anything that will help stabilize my hip.

@CricketHip Hi! Well, I'm having a problem with swelling on both legs and Layla shared a massage for me to use on myself to help get those fluids moving. I went back and read your advice to Joe33426 and clicked on the link you shared. I don't think I am elevating my legs properly so I am getting a cushion to raise my legs even higher. I have a recliner that goes way back and I used it before the surgery but when I got home from this surgery I worried I wouldn't be able to get out of it, especially after dislocating. I thought should I ever attempt to sit in it I better keep the door open in case I have to call my neighbor to come and rescue me, lol.

 

[spaniel]

Dane lady,never a dull night out for you! I am glad you are up and about walking after your dislocation. And I’m impressed that your ER had two specialists. Thanks also to the suggestions re lymphatic massage-Cricket Hip!

 

[Layla]

I tried reading up on it to find some help but I didn't really understand what to do.

Elevation is important and it's not too late to ice for swelling either. Here is a refresher on both ICE and ELEVATE
Happy Thursday, danelady, I hope its a good one!

 

[CricketHip]

I read this also today - After a sports injury or surgery, lymph vessels can become overwhelmed with the demand placed on them. When tissues are swollen, deep tissue techniques may actually cause damage to the lymph vessels and surrounding structures. Lymphatic massage is often the treatment of choice, because it helps the body remove proteins and waste products from the affected area and reduce the swelling. This helps reduce pressure on cells and allows them to reproduce faster to heal the body.

Well said @Layla !!!

@danelady Elevation is a good thing, but please don't overdo it when you are a dislocation risk....
Doing the deep breathing and gentle strokes will help to get things moving.
I usually lay in bed and used a cushion that I had plus pillows to get comfy.
Do as much of the deep breathing as you can to get started. You can also place your hand above your naval, and press in and upwards towards your ribcage as you exhale deeply.

It's difficult to describe but I bet you can do it! The best thing is to find a Massage Therapist who is certified in Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) as I am. Then they can do a complete MLD sequence on you.
The most recognized and effective certification is in the Vodder Method.

I will leave my article on Diaphragmatic breathing for you:

****
If you want to do something extra to help move the swelling, try some deep, diaphragmatic breathing while laying on your back with your legs elevated. All of the edema and lymph fluid needs to go back to the trunk of your body to get processed and eventually pass (urine). Deep breaths early on can make a big difference.
This helped me a lot with both hips I tried to do it 2-3 times a day, especially at bedtime.
Remember that phrase " go with the flow"? Well that's what you want
I still had swelling- my hip this time was apparently producing quite a bit- but after a few days of doing this it started responding well to the breathing exercises. I remember one day in particular, I propped up my legs with extra pillows, got nice and comfy in bed and did the breathing with hand compressions, drifted off to sleep and awakened to a much better looking leg, what a relief.
The hand compressions are easy too. Just place one of your hands flat on top of your naval area and press firmly down and upwards towards your diaphragm as you completely breathe out.

 

[danelady]

@spaniel Haha! You are so right, that's the story of my life! I would do anything to be enjoying a slow, boring retirement!

@Layla Thanks for those links Layla. I have a question about where to put the ice. First I would like to add that I started the massage technique you described and it's better this morning. Thank you!

Anyway, there is no pain around the hip at all, the tightness this morning starts mid-calf and goes to my toes but after a day of walking around my leg is swollen and hard from my toes to my knee....well, the back of my knee. So should I apply the ice to my lower leg? The skin around my ankles gets so tight it feels like an ace bandage is wrapped way too tight around them and they are hot and almost unbearable.

 

[danelady]

@CricketHip Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Maybe I need to stop roaming around so much.....literally. After not walking for a year I love just being able to get around more! I've also once again taken over picking up after my dog! (Should I be this happy that I can do it myself again? lol.) Don't worry, I have the proper tools so I don't have to bend over, lol. My neighbors have a security camera pointing out back and he told me he had to blink a few times because he thought he saw me wandering out back. Yes, it WAS me!

Your article was so very helpful. Instead of walking so much I will now dedicate more time to ridding my body of this waste because even after a good day of getting around I am absolutely miserable at night because of the swelling.

Once again CricketHip....thank you!

 

[dnordo220]

@danelady I'm so sorry to hear about your dislocation. It’s not pleasant. I’m glad you found some humor in it, looking at the cute men. Isn’t it crazy that you basically walked out of there. I’m glad nothing was broken or messed up. I definitely can relate. After that happened to me I was afraid to tinkle, or change my clothes. Rest up, your body needs it .

 

[CricketHip]

So pleased to read that you felt some results! Doing MLD is cumulative- it’s so gentle that it doesn’t hurt to do it several times a day, either.
Please don’t be discouraged if the edema returns..it’s the natural process of our bodies generating inflammation to aid I healing.
Sadly some of us have much more of an inflammatory response than others.
Please stay out and be careful! You will be so upset if you rush things and set yourself back again.

You sound so happy- that makes me happy too.

 

[CricketHip]

I have a question about where to put the ice.

The ice goes wherever you have pain or discomfort. I also used it over my incision and on the hip where it was swollen. Just be sure to place a thin towel or some other barrier between your skin and the ice.

I felt like I was playing whack-a-mole with my ice and my body.

 

[Jamie]

@danelady .... so sorry you had to go through a dislocation. It could be that your are pushing yourself a bit too hard to move around in these early weeks of your recovery. You're just a week ahead of me and I'm not doing anywhere near your level of activity. So, take things easy for a while longer. There will be plenty of time to do all these things later after your hip has had an opportunity to heal.

One of the healing processes that takes place involved the creation of fibrous tissue to surround the hip joint itself and replace the capsule that surrounds a natural hip joint. This capsule is excised (cut away) during a joint replacement and it takes an average of 6 months for the protective tissue to grow and help hold the joint in place. So....take things easy for a while. Your hip will thank you.

 

[Constanze]

Hi @danelady, how are you getting on after your dislocation. I hope you will recover soon. All the best.

 

[danelady]

Hi all, been wanting to get back on for a while, especially after my appointment last Thursday when my dr said 3 strikes and I'm out and I was already up to 2. Yeah, I had a second dislocation and my knee is STILL purple from the twisting and pulling and pushing to get it back in. That dr said he was going to try the Cap't Morgan method to get the hip back in. Well, let me tell ya, I needed a bottle Cap't Morgan by the time I went home. I'll send a pic of my knee in the next post, it's a lot easier for me to send a pic through my phone but I can't write. Dr said we should see if the abduction brace will help keep everything in place but if not I have 2 options available: a lock ring to keep the ball in the socket OR changing the angle of the femoral component. Either way, it means another surgery and another recovery. Then yesterday happened.....

A 3rd dislocation. It happened the same way as the other 2...sitting down....first one sitting in a pickup, second one sitting in my favorite chair and the 3rd one in the same hard back chair with a few blankets on it to sit higher. Dr said it happens when I sit because my muscles relax and allow the ball to slip out. I can even feel when it happens and there's no pain at all. My friends had been partying so I didn't call them right when it happened but they sensed something was wrong and came over. They called the ambulance and after I was fixed up ER staff let me stay in one of the smaller ER rooms for the night till morning when I figured friends had sobered up and could get me. They put a knee immobilizer on me to help, as well.

I'm tired of this, thought it was taken care of and I would get my life back. Jamie, I have tried to be careful and the housekeeping has suffered because of it but healing was my priority. Just so tired, physically and mentally.

 

[danelady]

Knee sure got bruised while resetting hip after dislocation, lol.

 

[CricketHip]

Oh my gosh! No words... I am sorry to read this update. So are you saying that now with the 3rd dislocation you are looking at another surgery?
Your poor knee! Seems like it's harder to get back into place than it is to move it out of place!

Please update when you can. So sorry you are going through this again.