THR Could be better, hope it's not worse

[Josephine]

I do wish I'd read what you all said a bit sooner because I gave in and took the methylprednisolone tablets today. The doc said if it were going to work, I would see improvement in a couple of days. If no result, I'll call him and see what to do about stopping. The pack I have is only for 6 days.

Well you now what? I've been mulling this over and doing a little research and I think, especially in light of the fact that it's only a short course, that it would be okay for that. I suggest anyone taking MethylP read this information on Drugs.com

 

[Cookie42]

I think the doctor was right and most of my pain, especially in the groin was from swelling -- at least if this magic/scary pill reduces swelling. I woke up yesterday to NO pain. Of course with no pain, I did a bit more than usual so there is some back. but it's sure better. Since I have already taken over half of the pills (first day 6, second day 5, etc) surely if it were to do something horrible to me it would have been done. The only thing I've noticed other than pain reduction is exceptionally rosy cheeks! Today I'm meeting DD and the little grands at the park to play for a while and then have lunch out at the restaurant on the lake at the park. Then home to sit under the air conditioner with ice. All in all a good day planned.

 

[anniemg]

Cookie42, Good for you....We love a reduction in pain......Have a wonderful day with your grandchildren! Woohoooooo!

 

[Runaround Sue]

Hi Cookie42 I have read all of your thread. I haven't much to offer but just wanted to say I hope you feel better soon, pain makes me very crabby, and a big wink about husbands

 

[anniemg]

One thing I read lately which surprised me with how much I liked it was The Cowboy and the Cossack by Clair Huffaker​

Cookie42, thanks for the book suggestion. I downloaded a sample to my kindle. Take care.
Annie

 

[Cookie42]

I'm feeling down today -- sort of like a slug who takes up room for not much good reason. The leg is getting better. I know that, but it does still hurt, especially when I first start walking. Sometimes I can walk with no limping and very little pain (provided I don't stretch out my leg when I walk). Other times the limp is pronounced, the leg hurts and I have to head back to pick up my cane. I sit and think of all the stinking weeds destroying my flower beds, figuring they will sow their seeds and make next year a real weeding nightmare. Our apple tree is dropping millions of apples all over the ground and they need to be picked up or I'll (and everybody else'll) be unable to walk out the back door without skating on apples. The cats insist on having their digestive systems working and their box constantly needs cleaning out. The area around my chair is getting deeper and deeper with discarded magazines, catalogs, and various STUFF. I see people walking naturally and easily and think I used to be able to do that. I'm sweating without doing anything. Did I mention I feel down?

Tomorrow is supposed to cool down here, I'm going to start back babysitting with the sweetest 2 year old girl in the world next week, I really do know I will be walking naturally again and this is just a bad day, but I needed to get it off my chest. Thanks for listening.

 

[bottomshollow]

Take care, Cookie. We care.

 

[sissy46]

Aw, Cookie, that's what friends are for. I hope tomorrow is a better day.

 

[Cookie42]

I had an epiphany three days ago. If the prednisone made the pain so much less, that meant it was caused by swelling and/or inflammation. Once the pack of medicine was gone, the pain came back. So why the heck was I not taking the meloxicam the doc had given me to take before the surgery? So I did. I'm walking with no cane, no pain and I feel human again. Simply cannot believe the difference, be it from the medicine or from my mind, I do not care because it is working. I'll try getting off ever so often to see if the inflammation might not be gone, but right now I am a very happy camper. Plus my daughter came over the other day and helped pull weeds. I even picked up some of those blasted apples today (only 9/10 of them left).

Yesterday I played with the grands -- had to get into pretend submarines, then walk on the ocean floor decked out with air tanks, snorkels and goggles while watching for all sorts of sea animals. This four year old has quite an imagination and his two year old sister does everything he does. I did refuse to lie on the floor and swim like an octopus, however. I do have my limits.

 

[Cookie42]

I can cross my legs!!!! Well, maybe I shouldn't but I can and it doesn't hurt. My right leg would not go in that direction before surgery. I think I shall celebrate by heading to the kitchen and making bacon and tomato sandwiches and a big salad for lunch.

 

[bottomshollow]

Another milestone met!!! Isn't it just so exciting to do something so simple that you couldn't do before surgery? It really is the little things that add up to a really BIG thing --RECOVERY.

Wish I could join you in a bacon and tomato sandwich---it just love tomatoes and bacon! Enjoy!

 

[Butterfly]

Cookie42 HI! I haven't seen you for a while. Glad you are doing better. I sure sympathize with the being tired of not being able to do stuff. I'm still waiting for my first hip to be replaced. I am eager and scared at the same time. Did you have trouble recuperating from the first one with the other one still bad? Or did the other go bad later on?

Did you eat all your soup? I haven't been able to do much cooking ahead because I can't stand for very long.

Peace and love to you, and I hope you continue feeling better!

 

[Cookie42]

Butterfly I got tired of the soup! It will come in handy for cold winter evenings though. I had no appetite for quite a while -- nothing tasted very good. Then I started craving things like braunswiger (I know that's spelled wrong and my spell checker has no idea what I'm trying to say -- I hope you do) and Ritz crackers. I figured it was protein and went with it.

My second hip didn't really hurt that much when I had the first one done. It didn't hurt when I walked but movement was limited -- could not move my leg inward or twist it. And it ached at night and messed about with my sleeping. None of this stuff started until the first one was pretty much OK. So it really didn't interfere with my first recovery, thank goodness.

Right now I can pretty much do anything I've tried. I'm still pretty leery of getting on the floor because I'm afraid of the spectacle it will be when I try getting up! I did sit on the ground yesterday at a Small's soccer lesson, but DH was there to haul me back up. The two year old wanted to be held and I just couldn't hold her, so sat down with her on my lap. She was also trying to help me up by pushing!

You've only got three weeks to go it looks like and that time will fly by -- at least if time goes for you like it does for me. I hope your recovery goes as smoothly as some folks here and doesn't poke along like mine did. Even if it pokes, it will come and you'll feel so much better. I think if you're realistic (as you're bound to be after reading so many stories here) and take it slow and easy, you'll be just fine. Lots of folks here are rooting for you.

 

[Cookie42]

It's been a tad over a year since my first replacement and a couple of weeks shy of 3 months since the second and both of my thighs are tight in front. The second is way tighter than the first, but both let me know they really don't want to kick back and taking a long step makes them yell a bit. Even standing super straight pulls those muscles, so I know I've been slumping as well. Maybe becoming sort of chair shaped.

Now I may have mentioned I'm one of the laziest people I know so I have not been doing the walking I know I should be doing, but the other day the two year old grand daughter tricked me into taking a walk and both of my legs were screaming at me before we got around the block. Just around the block for crying out loud!!

That's awful and I have resolved I must take some short walks to build up those muscles and hopefully loosen the thighs and then start with longer walks. I have no excuse -- the weather is blissfully cool -- so today I got the DH to go on a little walk with me. Those muscles started aching really quickly and we headed back for the house. So after sitting a while and feeling really stupid I decided to do it again. This time I walked more quickly and they didn't hurt nearly as much.

Was it because I got the muscles warmed up from the first walk? Was it because they knew I was now the boss and they may as well behave? Whatever, I swear I will be walking more and more and standing straighter and being a better person. I swear.

 

[sharonslp]

Cookie, I still have a lot of tightness in the quad muscles. Two things seem to help me. 1. Celebrex. Except I don't want to still be on any drugs, so most of the time I don't use it. 2. Frequent massage of the tight muscles to help break up the fascia and work out trigger spots. I am getting a massage once each week or two right now; but you could also do a lot yourself.....a rolling pin works!

And yes, I do far better with shorter but frequent walks, than with one long one.

Part of the problem is simply that we stiffen up while we're sitting. And many of us are just too sedentary and we sit too long. I set a very worthy goal each day of making sure I get up and move around for a few minutes EVERY single half hour of the day. I'm sure I reach this goal once in a blue moon. Don't beat yourself up...do the best you can. And then try to do just a teeny bit better.

Sharon

 

[Butterfly]

Cookie42 Hi Cookie 42! Haven't talked to you in quite a while. I am glad you are doing well.

I had my first hip replaced last Monday, 1 week ago today. This may be a REALLY dumb question, but I am going to ask it anyway. Did you still have substantial pain in the operated hip one week out from surgery? The bone on bone pain is gone, I think, but I still have a lot of pain in that hip. I guess I expected a lot of it to be gone by now. One week really isn't very long, is it?

Any comments or guidance would be grateullly accepted.

Peace and love to you.

 

[Cookie42]

Butterfly yes it hurt! Of course I was on pain pills, but it was still very uncomfortable and hurt like blazes if I moved it the wrong way. The incision didn't hurt much, but my abused muscles let me know they hadn't appreciated the whole thing one little bit. I kept ice on my leg nearly all the time to help.

It still can hurt if I move the wrong way. I have an old fashioned bed -- very high -- and I have to climb into it. It's great for getting out of, but not so hot getting in (and certainly not a pretty, graceful picture). Most of the time I can hoist myself in and just feel a twinge, but sometimes I catch it wrong and OUCHIE. At first I used a stool, but by now I don't expect to have to do that, so don't. (The bed thing affects the latest hip, not still the first one.)

At a week out, I was sleeping about 12 hours a day and only moving to go to the bathroom or maybe carry my empty dishes back to the kitchen or do a few exercises. Right now at almost 3 months, I'm having occasional little electric bolts around my incision. I remember them from before and think they are little nerves waking up.

I wish I had a recovery like some do, like Sissy -- she was kayaking (sp) and canoeing and bike riding very early out (or so it seemed to me), but I didn't. But I can do what I want to do -- play with the grands, read and run the vacuum ever so often -- and rest when I need to. I do know I have to do some more walking and I will -- just so I won't be a helpless old lady.

 

[Butterfly]

Cookie42 Thank you so much. Sometimes I just sit around and wonder i I am progressing more or less normally. I still have pain meds, of course, but never really achieve a pain-free state. It goes down to sort of OK, though.

I have not been successful in getting in the bed without help. My bed is high, also, and is very hard to get into presently. I can't do it the way I did pre-surgery, because it would violate the "crossing the midline" restriction. So I have been sleeping in my recliner.

I guess I am just over-anxious to be better. The bandage came off today, and they say it looks great. I haven't looked at it, as the idea of staples in my skin creeps me out.

My house is a bit of a pigsty, and I hate it, but it's just one of those things I have to accept. A friend has a lady who cleans her house for her, and I'm goig to talk to her about coming next week to clean mine. I think it would help me to feel better.

Did you do much PT?

Thank you for your help and support.

Peace and love to you.

 

[Cookie42]

I slept in my recliner for at least two weeks, maybe longer.

I didn't do much PT, just what was in the book he gave me. They don't do physical therapists in that practice, so with no one (but DH) to make sure I was doing the exercises I was on my own. Remember the part about my being lazy? I did do the exercises but glossed over the walking part and I'm sorry about that -- have a lot of catching up to do.

Running the vacuum was the first voluntary exercise I did. It does get to the point when one can no longer stand it, does it not?? Hiring someone is an excellent idea -- wish I had thought of it.

 

[calikat]

Butterfly I still have a lot of pain in my hip despite pain meds. I think I am only 4 days ahead of you. I am gaging my progress by my small improvements day by day. For what it's worth, I had the anterior method by a very experienced surgeon. He has performed more than a thousand surgeries with this method, using the fancy special operating table, and I still have had a lot of post surgical pain. I think some people just have more pain than others for whatever reason. I have been over anxious to be better too...but we will! <3