THR Compression stockings

[Jaycey]

Doing any kind of lifting or pushing furniture really bothered my new hips. Sounds like you went full on into the activity and your hip is complaining. Does resting and icing help?

 

[YoungHippy]

So, it's now 18 months out from my THR. I still walk with a limp. I still take Tylenol daily. I still can't raise my leg high enough on a consistent basis to get in my trailblazer. The swelling in my surgical leg is not as bad as it once was. That leg is always a little bigger than the other, but I don't have the episodes of major swelling anymore.

At this point I think this is just the way Its going to be from now on.

 

[Mojo333]

I sure hope you will continue to see improvement. Sorry you are bummed.
Hope tomorrow will be a good day

 

[YoungHippy]

Been having a bad few days. Decided t0 take a little stroll down memory lane. Please excuse my typing, I have a couple 0f keys 0n my keyboard that are taking a vacation. (can edit from my phone if this is not understandable).

First image: From the ER right after the accident. (12/9/2015)


2nd image: taken at my followup visit 0n 1/4/2016. Was b00ked f0r 2nd surgery that t00k place 0n 1/7/2016 t0 reduce disl0cati0n.


3rd image: followup visit 1/21/2016. More hardware and still dislocated. :( This is when my first surgeon was done with me. He referred me t0 the surgeon that eventually did my THR almost 3 months later.


4th image: during the THR 0n 4/4/2016


5th image: immediately after THR 4/4/2016


6th and last image: 4 month followup 0n 8/17/2016

 

[YoungHippy]

Most weeks I only work 4 days, but one week a month I work 5. Last week was one of my 5 day weeks. I also had errands every day of the week. Mom had appointments on 2 days, plus various household errands. So by Friday I was very tired. My leg swelled up a little Friday and into the night. I was tired enough that I just knew I was going to sleep well.

Apparently my leg had other ideas. I woke up around 1am with my foot attempting to touch my knee. Muscle spasms are just awesome. I occasionally have them. Usually it's a matter of waking up and walking around a little and their gone. This time walking around worked, but as soon as I laid back down it started again. Finally gave up and took a muscle relaxer around 4am. Was right back up at 7am. Wasn't having spasms anymore, but my muscles in my leg ached where they had previously spasmed.

Spent most of the day resting and watching tv. Went to bed early last night with a book. Slept well, guess I was making up from the night before. Woke up and was so stiff that I could barely move. My hip was swollen, and my lower back staged a protest. So it's been another day of tv and books.

On a slightly more positive note: one of my errands last week was an appointment at vocational rehab. I did my initial application and spoke with a counselor. I have another appointment next week where we start the process of getting my medical records and getting a new assessment to see if there is anything else that can be done to help me. They said that usually they like to send people for assessment back to their original surgeon. They also said that my surgeons office doesn't usually like to work with VR, so I may get to see a new surgeon. From my understanding they will help me with treatment if there is a possibility of having a better outcome. They may also send me back to school to get further job training. The tentative goal is computer networking classes. But that will depend on my aptitude tests. I was really hoping to do something in medical office or medical lab. But I guess the main goal is to be employed full time and be able to support myself.

Anyway, off to bed. Hoping for a better day tomorrow.

 

[Mojo333]

Hope that you do have a better day today. I would guess computer networking might be needed in medical fields also. That would be a plus. You sure have alot of wired up hardware in there. My X-ray's still freak me out a little and amaze me.
Thank goodness they have ways took do that so we aren't wheelchair bound.
Sorry that you are so young and a car accident has changed your life trajectory.
But stay strong. Sounds like your positive attitude and intelligence will make you an asset to any employer and something less physically taxing (don't know what your current job is) might help with Hip problems.
Hope VR can help.

 

[YoungHippy]

@Mojo333 Currently I work in a tanning salon. I have been working there since last December. It seems to work for me. Even during the busy tanning season I was able to have little breaks to sit when I needed to. And I have to say that some of my best customers would realize when I was having a rough day, and would help out when needed, and sanitize their own bed when they were done. I like what I do, but I realize it is not a long term solution. It's fun at times, and during tanning season I make good money from commissions, but this time of year I am not selling many packages so I'm relying on my basically part time salary to make ends meet. I didn't make much more money before the accident, but I did have the capability to work however many hours I needed to to take care of things.

My appointment at Vocational rehab went ok I think. They told me that they have 90 days to make a decision of whether I qualify for services or not. The first step was going in for my first appointment and answering 20 million questions about my life. Something about going over your entire adult life makes you question some of the decisions you have made. (on a side note: I had to explain to this person that I was actually fired from a job for replacing my bosses office chair with a toilet I am honest if nothing else) The next step is that they have to obtain my medical records from both hospitals and the ortho office. If my medical records are not conclusive enough they will send me for a new evaluation. She did say normal practice was to send me back to the same surgeon who did my thr to find out what went wrong. I told her I didn't think that was a good idea since so far he had no interest in figuring out what happened. After the eval they have to see if I qualify financially for help. Then they will put all the pieces together and see if they think I am employable. If I qualify I will maybe get some classes to get my Microsoft certifications and then hopefully work in IT. If I don't qualify they will help me start the disability process. Meaning they will submit all material and records they have obtained so that I won't have to start from square one with that.

I am trying to remain hopeful, but I feel as if I am sitting in limbo while strangers decide my future.

On another interesting note: I still have muscle spasms, only now they are in my butt. And apparently very obvious to onlookers when it happens. I thought "well ok, this is happening, but atleast I am the only one who knows it's happening", but no, it's noticeable. My bff came to hang out at work one day, and she was all like "why is your butt twitching?" Thankfully it was a friend that said something. If that had been a customer I might would have died of embarrassment.

 

[Mojo333]

I can definitely relate to questioning life decisions. Never thought about long-term future stability and such. Kind of flown through life by the seat if my pants, but think more important than our careers, is how we treat others and I've come to terms with the fact that I will just be able to pay my bills with not alot left over.
That pain in the behind sounds like piraformis syndrome to me and I've gotten relief for my mild instances with it with stretches but would want to be cautious in your case. @Josephine would be more qualified to advise whether that might be helpful and not harmful.
On a good note, those body builders take pride in butt twitching.
Replacing boss's chair with toilet, perfectly creative!
Hoping all will get better. All we have is today and have to find something to love in it.
I think you have a determined spirit which will get you far in whatever you end up doing.
Keep the faith.

 

[Josephine]

I still have muscle spasms, only now they are in my butt. And apparently very obvious to onlookers when it happens.

That's not piriformis!

 

[Mojo333]

See, told you she was more qualified..
Hopefully easing, I certainly don't know enough to be diagnosing anything.
Have you made any decisions on vocational venue you explored?

 

[YoungHippy]

Right now it's not my decisions to make. VR is still in the first part of the process of determining eligibility. I haven't heard back from them yet. They were getting my medical records and then going to schedule me an appointment to be reassessed with my surgeon. This whole process can last 90 days. Although, I do think my caseworker has scheduled that appointment and just not told me yet.

I called into my surgeon's office Monday to request that my handicapped decal be renewed again. Dr. Bate's had previously told me that if I felt I still needed it to call, so I did. I got connected with the medical assistant and made my request. She wasn't very pleasant and pointed out that these decals were only supposed to be temporary, and not a permanent solution. At this point, I have pretty much been using them since I was discharged from the hospital the first time in 2015. I may or not have pointed out that I thought a THR was supposed to have been a permanent solution and not a temporary fix also. I was told that I would have to see the dr again before I could renew that. Dr. Bates had released me for a full year last time I saw him, I think that was March. I pointed that out, and she told me I was mistaken, that I have an appointment coming up in December. She also told me that Dr. Bates was no longer there so that it wasn't his decision anymore. We ended the call with the idea that she would put in for the renewal and it might get renewed or it might not. If not the new Dr would determine that in December. I agreed to that. Then was transferred to the front where they could tell me when the appointment was and who it was with. I had to tweak the appointment a little and was told it was with a Dr. Duke.

I went to their website and did a little investigating. Apparently, he is an ortho surgeon but seems to handle mostly shoulders and knees. I was very disappointed. But then I started reading reviews on FB, and talking to people. It seems that he has pulled off some amazing feats in hip surgery as well. I read about a car accident where he spent hours piecing back together someone's hip correctly so that they could walk again, rather than the plate and screw and be done in 45 minutes that was done to me. He actually looked for muscular damage and fixed it to the best of his ability while he was there. And cases where people were still having issues after their hip replacements and he was able to figure out why and fix it so that they were mostly trouble-free. So now I am thinking that he might be the man to look at me with fresh eyes and see something that no one else has even looked for. One of my tanning customers told me that he corrected her pelvic tilt. One side of her pelvis was lower than the other and he corrected that with 2 screws and she got her life back. So, at this point I am hopeful. It is at least a step in the right direction.

I did call VR to see if my case worker had scheduled that appointment, but was told that she was on vacation for the next 2 weeks. So, for now, it is a mystery why my one-year appointment turned into a 9-month appointment.

 

[YoungHippy]

And forgot to mention: I got a call-back from ortho yesterday. The new Dr reviewed my case and did decide I could have a handicapped decal for another 6 months. They also said I needed to bring my walking device with me to my visit so the Dr could evaluate how well I was walking with it. I never actually got the cane that Dr Bates suggested. I went in different stores and tried out all the different models and they all seemed to make me more wobbly than I already am.

 

[YoungHippy]

I was having trouble sleeping so I did my usual "Let's read bonesmart until we get sleepy" thing. I may not always show as active, or post much, but I have been here reading and relating and sending prayers up for everyone almost every night since I joined.

I noticed that it is after midnight here in NC, which makes it December 9. Today is the 2 year anniversary of the accident that changed my life. I still drive by that spot on my way to work every day. It still scares me. I used to actually slow down to 35 through there (even though it's in a 50mph zone). Now I can actually do the speed limit without having a panic attack. Although I do get hyper-vigilant if it even looks like someone is getting ready to pull out of that driveway without stopping. I think that little stretch of highway is just gonna be forever a sore spot in my memory, and I am so longing for the day when we get to move so that I don't have to see it all the time.

It is also the one year anniversary of me returning to work. I still primarily work in the tanning salon, but I have been roped into working part-time at the nail salon for the holidays too. Being back in the nail salon shows me how much progress I actually have made this year. Last year this time the salon looked so big when I had to cross it repeatedly throughout the day, and be on my feet for so many hours. Now I can look at it realistically and know that I can get around in there without wondering at any point if I am actually going to make it back to my station. My boss also agreed not to keep me from open to close this year, and 7 hours is alot more manageable than 10. I still have my limp, it still gets way worse when I get tired. But last year this time I was ready to cry by lunchtime ( after we opened at 10am), now by the time I feel like I just can't do it anymore it is usually time to get off work. So progress has been made.

My appointments with Vocational Rehab have gone well. I have been through most of the information phase and am currently going through the assessments to see what kind of training I qualify for. For the medical qualification, they went on my records from my surgeon and seem to feel that I don't need any further help in that department. I was really hoping to get a fresh set of eyes on this hip to see if there was anything that could be done further to make things better. They are satisfied that in my surgeon's eyes he did the best he could. So now the goal is new training. I can use that training to get a better job that will hopefully come with some health insurance where I can start seeking a second opinion on my own. Something is definitely not right with that. I feel that the hip itself is fine. It supports me, it takes me where I need to go. I feel that maybe there is some muscular or soft tissue damage that may be causing my pain on certain movements.

Overall though, I have to say that I am in a much better spot than I was 2 years ago this time. It's been a challenge, but I have made it this far.

I want to thank everyone here for the comfort and support through all of this. It has meant more than you will ever know.

 

[Susan209]

Aww @YoungHippy great to read that there are some positives in all this for you, even if it just little things. Great that you have stayed optimistic! Take care and all the best.


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum

 

[Mojo333]

Hi. I remember you as my surgery was in May of this year...
I'm glad you have been able to resolve some of the trauma from your automobile accident....you've been through so much.
Hope things keep getting better.

 

[MammaT]

Just read your whole journey. Quite a trip. Glad you are able to look back and see progress. Sometimes it’s hard to see when we’re in the middle.

 

[Layla]

What a journey @YoungHippy
While you continue to deal with issues it's great to hear that overall
you feel much better than 1-2 yrs ago.
You have a sweet spirit in mentioning reading of others struggles
when you can't sleep and sending up prayers. I believe you'll be blessed
for that. It's good to hear your re-hab appts are going well. I hope it continues to benefit you.
Best wishes for a peaceful relaxing weekend!

 

[YoungHippy]

I think I'm going to need a title change again. Maybe something like "Does this saga ever end?"

I had my 1-year follow-up yesterday. Yesterday was actually 2 years and 2 days since the surgery. This was my first time meeting Dr Duke. The surgeon who did my surgery has moved to another practice. I was warned in the waiting area that this man didn't have much personality. So I was a little worried going in.

First thing was my xrays. They did 3 views this time. One view of my entire pelvis while laying flat, one of just the right hip while laying flat and then the frog leg pose. That was my first time doing the frog leg pose. Previously they had had me raise my other knee and took the x-ray from the other side. I asked about that and they said that they didn't do frog leg for the first few months because it wasn't recommended. So got that part done and then was seated in the exam room.

Had to wait about 20 minutes for the Dr, which isn't actually bad for this place. I have waited longer before. The warnings about Dr. Duke's personality were wrong. He was actually very cool. He was the first person to take my continuing limp seriously and the things that I still can't do. He looked at my xray and the first thing he said was that he would not have placed the cup at that angle. Then he asked to watch me walk and asked me to describe how getting up and starting walking felt. He had me actually get on the exam table (no one else had done that before), tested my ROM and said that was actually very good.

Then he put pressure on my non-op leg and had me raise it against the pressure, and I did that with no problem. Then did the same thing on the op leg. I could raise that one with his pressure on it but very little. I told him how that most days I still had to use my pants leg to raise that leg to step into my trailblazer, that walking distances is still not a good thing, described the muscle cramps that I have most nights after working all day.

He questioned if I was ever actually released to work and I told him that I was and explained my job to him and how I don't actually do anything strenuous other than walking. He told me to keep it that way. Reminded me again not to be lifting and carrying anything over 20 pounds.

After all that he sat down to talk to me again. He said the pain I describe when I get up and start walking sounds like startup pain and pointed out a section on the x-ray around my cup where there was a thin line that looked like the bone never grew there. But then he said that the pain and limp could both be explained by sacroiliac issues as well. And that my pain points could be either.

So he wants me to go to PT and let them manipulate my SI joint and show me exercises related to that to see if that helps things. He also ordered an injection for my SI joint. He said that those should help with the limp and we could go from there to see if the limp was causing my issues or if my issues are causing the limp. So I possibly have a loose cup and SI issues. Or both.

I feel as if I left with more questions than I arrived with. At the end of the appointment they didn't set me a follow-up appointment, left that as PRN for if I felt I needed to be seen. They did renew my handicap placard for another 6 months.

I have been saying from the beginning that this didn't feel right. Everyone else talks about the amazing forgotten hip. I have never been able to forget mine. It reminds me almost daily that it's there. I am at a loss here. I don't have health insurance. So I feel as if I am at the mercy of this same ortho practice. But internally I am screaming that they had 3 chances already to make things better for me and it has not worked. The comment about how he wouldn't have put the cup at that angle really threw me for a loop. Like it's a game to these people. Just slap it in and call it good enough and not worry about how this affects my life.

And now I have to get ready for work. Go out and put on my happy face and act like all is well.

 

[Layla]

Hi @YoungHippy
I'm sorry you're going through this, experiencing pain then receiving a probable diagnosis that has you even more confused. Let's let the forum nurse @Josephine weigh in on all. I've tagged her for you. She's in the U.K. so you may need to check back periodically in the event she has questions.
Wishing you peace on this weekend.

 

[Mojo333]

I think I'm going to need a title change again. Maybe something like "Does this saga ever end?

We can change it to something else...compression stockings sounds like a nothing worry now I'm sure.
So sorry, something is definitely not right!
Let us know if you want a change and how you would like it.