THR Constanze's recovery diary

[wcgirl]

Hello @Constanze & thank you for sharing your journey. I'm in the Boston area and after 3 nites was sent to a lovely private rehab center that I did not have time to research.
I am having blood thinner shots in my stomach for 21 days. Also I was told I have no restrictions, lateral (OS preference he has done all approaches). I heard for the 1st time that I am not to put 100% wt on operated LTHR. I did burdenko pool exercises for one entire year every other day up to surgery. The bad thing about therapy is that it makes me feel so good that I will do too much on the daily activity side (DAL) which I started yesterday. I stopped stool softener today as they bring me oatmeal and lots of fruits & veggies that I can request if not on my tray -- very accommodating for sure. AND I make sure that I have pain pills 4 mg Delaudin, lie almost flat on my back, put on my ice pump, and take an hour nap whenever I can. I find sitting up straight in a chair for meals & no longer than 60 minutes helps immensely w digestion.
I get in trouble trying to tidy up a bit! should review those restrictions because it doesn't hurt until later w sharp pain and not just aches. Tsk tsk every day is a new adventure!
Rest up Costanze-- that's most important! <3

 

[Great Aunt Janet]

Hi @Constanze - yes, stationary bike was on my physio sheet - from day 1 if I wanted! I haven't got one though, so am looking for one to borrow, because I usually cycle everywhere in town and would love to feel confident about getting on my real bike again (like you @Granny Di ). That might make me sound athletic too (ha ha ha) but 'everywhere in town' comes within 2 km and is dead flat .

All your work and walking sound great Constanze - nearly back to normal - except for toddler steps (me too!).

 

[Constanze]

Hello you people I'm back and very pleased to read your stories and advice.

I can assure you that I also basically follow the if it doesn't feel good don't do it rule. Can't really walk any distance without the walking aids yet. My left thigh is still too week. But I can get on a real bike. Got on my own bike yesterday and just rode it a few metres and it felt good. Cycling on the exercise bike gives me pain relief - in Addition to icing).

Another improvement: I can walk up the stairs in a normal fashion (as well as down, which I started a few days ago).

In this rehab, they don't really have any therapy activities on Sundays and national holidays. So I was at home on 1st May and I'm at home today with my husband. All I have to do during this free time is to say when I want to miss out meals at the rehab (because I want to eat somewhere else), and my husband has to drive me back, because overnight stays at home are not permitted for insurance reasons.

So we went to Mainz today (on the other side of the Rhine river, opposite Wiesbaden) and had lunch in a lovely Mexican restaurant: my husband, my first daughter & her boyfriend and me. That's when I walked a few steps without my crutches - from the carpark to the restaurant. Much better than pre-op but still a bit jerky. Should improve shortly though. My daughter's boyfriend told me about his aunt (about my Age and my figure) who had an artificial hip a few years ago in a Hospital in Munich with an apparently good Reputation. And he says she is still Walking on crutches. I dare say they bungled it up. 10 years ago, hip replacements were also usually very successful as far as I know. Maybe she should try for a Revision.

On Tuesday, I'm supposed to have my stitches out. Seems rather late. I can't wait. When they are out I will get okayed for swimming.

See you - best wishes from Constanze

 

[Celle]

Thank you for writing your story @Constanze . I don't know much about hip replacements yet and I'm finding your account very interesting. Hearing about the approach to recovery in Germany is enlightening.

 

[Great Aunt Janet]

You have tried your real bike @Constanze!!! Jealous, don't know if I am brave enough for that yet. Sounds like your weekend was full of nice stuff (including eating in fancy restaurants as usual, ha) too, happy days.

 

[Constanze]

Dear @Josephine,

I have a question regarding the atrophied muscles.

My left thigh muscles have atrophied due to long-term ineffective use caused by bone-on-bone pain. Now, I have a physiotherapist whose exercises I find very Relaxing - all in all - and usually I feel refreshed after having done them.

But there is one exercise which I find very hard: It involves lying down flat and Lifting the leg concerned up and down (knee stretched). While this is no problem with my unoperated leg, with the operated leg it's extremely hard and feels like log-leg while I'm doing it. She makes me do 10 sets at a time - then a very long pause (more than a minute I believe), then another 10. I explained to her I found it hard. She says this is to make those thigh muscles stronger. Now I don't think I can get that muscle back in 3 weeks of rehab. It deteriorated over a longer period of about a year, so I would probably take the same amount of time to make it strong again.

My question is now whether I would get that muscle back simply by walking, since you are so very much in favour of walking a say for hips it's the best. Actually, I like walking.

When I was a teenager, my family used to walk very Long distances with my sister and me in the Bavarian and Austrian Alpes (not like extreme climbing but just hill walking up the Bavarian's favourite walking routes to the summets of the mountains and down again. This involved walking the whole day, but it feels so good to be on the mountain top and admire the view. It also kept us fit ans slim. The people of Munich - where we used to live - love the Alpes and go moutaineering and skiing there.

 

[Constanze]

Just one more step in the right direction 2 weeks post op:

Today I had my stitches out (I didn't have staples). This is normally done on day 12. I discussed it yesterday with my husband and it dawned on us that this was a bit overdue. So I asked my ward doctor and he said it should have been done on 2 May, but I didn't get the Information that it should have been done then. Well, it was a Saturday, and at Weekends they may be a Little inefficient, I thought. So the doctor sent me to the room where the Nurse is who removes the stitches and it was a matter of a few seconds. So that's that done. It made me about as happy as if I had just passed an exam - and there is also less pain when I'm Walking (probably a psychologica effect).

You see that it's sometimes important to speak up.

Have a nice day, everybody, and carry on recovering well.

 

[craftdee]

Hi @Constanze Glad your recovery is still going along nicely I don't think that the effect of getting your stitches/staples out has JUST a psychological effect - I think the slight pulling sensation goes once they're out and your leg feels less "tight"

I just want to comment on your PT situation; I had muscle/tendon contraction issues too (my psoas tendon was particularly short) from holding my leg slightly flexed to accommodate the arthritic hip - this was the case for more than ten years. When I had the op I had to sleep on my back (precautions), my OS wanted me to NOT support the leg at all... he wanted me to have it lay flat on the bed to "encourage the tendon to lengthen again" I tried hard to comply, but it was really quite painful... asking it to do something it hadn't done for that long! As you said it's not realistic to expect something that's taken years to develop to be remedied in WEEKS!

I did a lot of PT to try and rebuild the strength in my glutes as well... and I am still paying for it! I have tendinitis, which is improving - but at glacial speed... compared with how quick and easy it was to GET the tendinitis in the first place, it's mind boggling. The regime I'm on now is basically walking - and it certainly does seem to be "enough" - everything that "should" be getting stronger IS, and quite quickly. You can add in extra as you improve, but seriously I would not do anything at this stage that hurts or is THAT demanding... there's plenty of scope for improvement yet. In short doing "less" PT may slow progress by a tiny amount, doing TOO MUCH PT will delay true progress - quite possibly for a long time... my next hip is getting walking and nothing else -especially if the "something else" doesn't feel GREAT when I do it!!

Happy Healing,
Donna... from Australia

 

[Cleifeste]

Years of walking & compensating made my body off kilter too. Before getting correctly diagnosed my back hurt like heck, I had countless back injections, my doctor prescribed orthotics for LLD (which turned out to be unnecessary), my chiropractor said I had torti pelvis (twisted trunk), and now my PT says I have extra work to do for the years of walking incorrectly. Funny how having a bad hip effects so many things on our body!


Cheryl

Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum

 

[wcgirl]

@Costanze when you do your straight leg lifts -- which I was told not to do & I know everyone is different, do you point or flex your toe? Could that make a difference.
What wonderful experiences you have had. Thank you for sharing. <3

 

[Josephine]

While this is no problem with my unoperated leg, with the operated leg it's extremely hard and feels like log-leg while I'm doing it.

Well of course it does! You're only two weeks out yet so it's quite common to be unable to do an SLR (straight leg raise). If you find you cannot do it, try it in steps by first doing half leg lifts or using a leg lifter. This not cheating but provides a good way to get to SLRs proper. Don't try and rush it.

She makes me do 10 sets at a time - then a very long pause (more than a minute I believe), then another 10.

You should never do that many at a time. 5 reps are quite sufficient and only once a day. Also remember to take one or even two days off each week.

I explained to her I found it hard. She says this is to make those thigh muscles stronger. Now I don't think I can get that muscle back in 3 weeks of rehab.

Well it will but at the rate she's expecting you to do it, you will be very much in danger of developing an inflammatory condition in the quads. There is no rush. It's much better to take it slowly and in the end, you will find that nature does it all anyway.

My question is now whether I would get that muscle back simply by walking, since you are so very much in favour of walking a say for hips it's the best.

I agree with that though it's always good to know you can do an SLR! But as I said before, there's no rush.

 

[Constanze]

Oh well, I think I have finally reached the proverbial Plateau. The first 1 1/2 weeks involved rapid recovery for me. Now there seems to be a sort of stand-still. I think, I will post less frequently in future, maybe from every other day or even on a weekly Basis, i.e. when something new happens. I'll concentrate more on reading other threads and (maybe) comment(?).

On the positive side: My stitches came out on Monday (it was about time), so I have been okayed for going to the pool and swim. Had my first lesson of water gymnastics yesterday which was not all easy - we had to put our feet into a noodle and drag it under with the feet to the bottom of the pool. Maybe I'll try to have a proper swim this evening. The pool of the rehab centre is rather nice.

 

[sunbunny]

@Constanze what a wonderful recovery journey you are having. Rehab places vary not only in countries but in cities too. Most of the units here are nursing home facilities with a rehab unit not specializing in anything. I am much better off at home. Having said that a facility like you are in sounds marvelous. I am slowly regaining some of myself back. I have a recumbent bike from when I had my knees done. I will have to ask about that. Have a great day and your posts help us greatly.

 

[Jamie]

Don't get discouraged by a plateau. It happens to all of us. If you use your thread as a recovery journal and record what is going on every few days (or daily if you like!), when the slower times come, read back and see how far you've come. As you go along this recovery journey, there will be times when progress is measured in weeks or even months versus days.

 

[Constanze]

Yes indeed, @Jamie , and when the progress is measured in weeks, I can report on a weekly basis, so I have more new things to report than on a daily basis.

About the bike, @sunbunny , I'm sure your doctor/physiotherapist or whatever will say that's ok. Cycling is a healthy sport for hips, and you are not carrying your full body weight when cycling. If you want to cycle a bit longer, it will also train your endurance and that's good for heart and blood circulation.

 

[copsham]

Plateau, roller coaster call it what you will we all go through it!! You will suddenly find you are moving forward again when you least expect it. I have been on an even keel for a while then suddenly yestrday I was thrown back in to it all. I was standing up by kitchen table bent over to write on an envelop and wham I could feel my lower back and hip muscles in spasm. All day yesterday I could feel pain, had difficulty hobbling up the stairs and felt like my old pre op self. Have had hot baths and a joint remedy recommended by a bonesmartie and today I am stiff but not in pain qwhew!!

Look after yourself Constanze - It really is a huge process. X

 

[Constanze]

Hi @copsham, nice to hear from you again. I hope your stiffness and pain has gone by now.

The aquagymnastics helps very much. It helps us a bit to get our ROM back.

And yesterday, I went swimming. The only proper endurance sport I can do yet (well cycling on an exercise bike for 20 minutes and short distances on my own bike, but nothing really effective for cardio for me. I swam for about 3/4 hour. The pool is warm. The water is from the natural medicinal waters in the ground around here. Wiesbaden is acutally well know for its medicinal waters. I felt a lot refreshed afterwards.

I have to go to my muscle Training in the gym in a Minute. They brought it Forward from 8:30 to 7:00 am. The breakfast place doesn't open before 7 so I have to it fasting. I had to do the same training on Tuesday at 7:00 am, too. And no coffee. We'll what my blood circulation will be like. I'm not sure whether this is good for peoples' recovery.

 

[Celle]

I have to go to my muscle Training in the gym in a Minute. They brought it Forward from 8:30 to 7:00 am. The breakfast place doesn't open before 7 so I have to it fasting. I had to do the same training on Tuesday at 7:00 am, too. And no coffee. We'll what my blood circulation will be like. I'm not sure whether this is good for peoples' recovery.

That all sounds very regimented and designed more to suit their schedule than your best interests. In order to recover, your body needs your breakfast.
What happens if you say that you prefer to go to breakfast, or that you will only go at that time if they save a breakfast for you?

 

[Legin]

I agree you need food more so now with all that activity and recovery being so draining. Many of us lose weight at this time

Legin THR Sep 14

 

[Cindy99]

@Constanze I so wish I could swim right now. Thhey have a small pool here in rehab but they didn't offer it to mr. I can't get to nor can I afford the other large warm pool I did PT in last year.

Bummer.