THR Complex THR....has anyone else been through this?

[Vida]

bellaroma I know Beth. I felt so bad for you, Damn! and Sooty .... I probably stuck with the restricted PT just to feel less guilty about being freed while my fellow smarties were still caged up.

 

[Anniepops]

So pleased to hear PT is going well for you Vicki, i know what you mean about the LLD in different circumstances. I'm know I have one, haven't officially been measured yet and think at my 12 month check nxt month they will not do it but say I need to see podiatrist but it does depend on how long I have been walking etc and what shoes I wear still has a massive impact on how much I limp. Trainers are still the shoes I feel the most comfy in and I know I walk better in them. It's great that you have had your legs measured and they are the same length though, that is good to know and as you get stronger your limp should not appear so often.

Take care

Ann.x.

 

[Vida]

Tonight, for the first time in years, I was able to cut the toenails on my left foot easily and without pain. I sat on the bed, put my foot on a stool and ...well, did it without thinking. Then it hit me and I got surprisingly emotional about this one little 'normal' thing I could now do. It is starting to feel like my own personal Christmas every day as I make such small discoveries. Amazing.

 

[bottomshollow]

Isn't it just SUPER, FABULOUS & OUT OF THIS WORLD WONDERFUL---cutting your own toenails again! Being able to do those little everyday things again is so important in recovery, gives us such a big lift, puts a big grin on our face. Makes you just want to dance around the room:

Take care, keep on smiling, and keep us posted. We care.

 

[Anniepops]

Woohoo Vicki, cue for a song.....***celebrate good times, come on dadadadada da da da come on***

So pleased to hear the great news, isn't it just a fab feeling when you do something automatically and then it just hits you what's happened.

Here's to many more of those moments

Ann.x.

 

[C Mac]

Toenails WhhhOOOOOOO HHhhoOOOOOOOO!!! Good times, the things we celebrate here with our shiny new hips!!

I am guessing that both you, Vicki, and Anniepops experience that variation in your "LLD" simply because of muscles in your leg, back and buttocks feeling strong at certain times and weak at other times. That's one of the reasons to just continue along with your exercises and activities as long as nothing is actively causing you great discomfort e.g. your back. As you body continues to strengthen and adapt that periodic limp will change, but if you do something like a cookie in your shoe it will not allow your muscles and soft tissues to adapt.

I do have a structural LLD and have had one all my life. I have dealt with it differently depending upon what stage of my life I was in and I continue to experiment with it and work with it. Many people in the world that are "normal" have differences in the length of their legs too and are not bothered by it or even aware of it.

Leg presses are an exciting new exercise to add to your routine, Vicki!! How nice to have a class with other hippies in real life too, I would have liked that...

Take care,
Cardie

 

[Vida]

Hi Three days ago I woke up with an itchy, bumpy rash on both legs, which has not responded to cortisone crem. I saw a GP at a clinic who prescribed Reactine (prescription strength) but said she had no idea what it was. Is this something I should worry about? I am off all meds except Meloxicam, which I have taken for 6 months and have not used any new skin products, soap etc. I am now 13 weeks post-op.

 

[C Mac]

Hi Vicki,

Well, not being familiar with the name Reactine I did a little google search and I see it is Canada's number 1 indoor outdoor allergy medication ! we have it here with a different name, Zyrtec.

So, do you tend to have allergies? Did you get a visit from some fleas?? It does sound annoying -- does it seem to be getting better or worse in the 3 days? Do you have access to something less pharmaceutical like a little calendula gel -- providing you are not bothered by the common marigold flower??

Sorry, I'm not much help -- but I do hate rashes too!!
Hope it gets better,
Cardie

 

[Vida]

C Mac Haha Cardie-- no fleas, my two get regular shots and are now confined indoors. I'm not allergic to anything except that thick, old pink bandaid material. They used it when I had a C-section and the rash was worse than the surgery!! Hopefully the double strength Zyrtec will work. Scratch.

 

[bellaroma]

Toenails, yayyyy, with no PAIn, double YAYYYYYY!!!!. Have managed to to the toenalis, but not without pain yet. you are doing grweat Vida, hope the rash goes away, though

 

[Vida]

Rash still there... nothing working but the pills stopped the itching. Will wait a week before trying to see my own GP and maybe a dermatologist. I had my first (of four) group physio sessions on Monday. (Average age 75 and way worse off than me.) But afterwards I suffered horribly, worse pain than I've had in weeks. So, I called this morning and discharged myself. I am doing way better with my own cycling, walking and 'swimming' program: it makes me feel strong, healthy and leaves me completely pain free. I instinctively know that the small work in physio class sets me back, affects my gait and just isn't what my hip wants. They have agreed to refer me to a pool program, which I think will be fine.

This experience has taught me that its just as important to listen to your own body as the health care professionals charged with strengthening it. We don't all respond well to the same activation programs.

 

[bottomshollow]

This experience has taught me that its just as important to listen to your own body as the health care professionals charged with strengthening it. We don't all respond well to the same activation programs.

 

[Anniepops]

Good for you Vicki, you are so right about listening to our bodies. We are all different and what works for one doesn't work for another. I prefer to doing what I know helps me, after all, we are now rather the experts on all this.lol. I even find myself advising hubby during his exercising, what a laugh, he thinks I am too full of my own self importance now.heehee.

Hope you find the pool work advantageous and hoping that rotten rash isn't giving you to much bother

Take care

Ann.x.

 

[C Mac]

Hi Vicki,

Well, mark your discharge date on your calendar and when you look back at it this time next year chances are you'll be feeling much better and doing way more in your own way. I found that the micro-focus of PT was a bit much too and I didn't start PT until I was about 3 months out from my surgery. If you have found that swimming, cycling and walking are working well for you that's great and those are the perfect things for you to be doing!!

Take care,
Cardie

 

[bellaroma]

You are so right Vida, We know our bodies the best, and to heck with the rest.

 

[Vida]

Rash now gone.. its a mystery. Recovery is still going very well, although I still feel disconnected from my hip for the most part but rehab involves lots of stationary biking and checking out my gait in shop windows (retail therapy.) I'm still ignoring physio exercises that hurt but have started gentle stretching. (Thanks alexthecat .) I plan to go to a water-based joint replacement class and see if that feels good and am thinking about adaptive yoga but it might be too soon as I haven't done yoga since 2010. I'm all about slow and steady.

Big news...last night we went out for dinner with friends and I wore heels (pictured below) for the first time in two years. Not too high mind you, I've donated my unsuitable pumps.... I'm being sensible from now on. But as a long-time shoe addict, I have to tell you, this was an exciting moment. I actually felt better wearing heels than runners. Didn't expect that!

 

[bottomshollow]

wearing real grown-up dressing heels out in public!!!! WOW!! Good for you.
What small things make us happy and make us feel soooooo"normal".

Take care and keep us posted. We care.

 

[sansabosa]

Hi Vicki,
I love your shoes but more important is the happiness and sense of satisfaction that has given to you.
I was looking at your post about the physio...it reminded me of 15 years ago when I had my first hip replacement. The PT used to recommend me (never pushed me into things that would create pain) that just after the PT to take a soft pain killer (like 500 mg paracetamol) so that I would not have pain in the following hours and also to apply ice at the end of the PT.

 

[Vida]

sansabosa You must be getting pretty excited... (and/or nervous.) But you've been through such a lot already so will recover in a most spectacular way. I am assuming your operation is happening in Istanbul? Turkey is on my wish list for 2014 but it is quite a long list, which I will have to debate with Mr.Vida. In the last year we've canceled three planned trips because of the hip so I will be off and running just as soon as I feel strong enough to do some international urban trekking!

 

[sansabosa]

Vida
Hi Vicki,
Although I've been through a lot, you forget the pain and suffering...
It's kind of weird to realize that I am less worried after the date of the operation is set. Its kind of passing the denial phase and accepting the fact that soon it should be over...
Last year I paid visits to a couple of different surgeons at different sites around the world. I investigated specific "names" who are good in complex cases (HSS in NY, Rush Med Center in CHicago, another surgeon in Zurich, a recommendation of the famous Ganz) and finally with pros and cons I decided with the OS in Istanbul.
I had a stent procedure 3 years ago in my main coronary arteries and I was reluctant to fly to anywhere.
By the way we also have in our plans to fly to Vancouver and take boat trip to Alaska. We have been postponing it due to my hip...so much in common, no?
Well, ı hope in a couple of months we'll be able to realize our dreams...and ı would love to advise you lots of places to see in Istanbul primarily as well as Ephessus, Cappadocia...lots of history...