THR Counting My Blessings

[Layla]

Aww, you're welcome, sweetie. Thanks for the kind words.
You'll get there. We often read that it takes up to a full year to heal. I've heard more than once it can take up to two, even two and a half! If you look at it in those terms, you're in the infancy of your recovery. We all come into THR in different stages of hip deterioration and we don't heal at the same rate.
As long as you're making progress, you're headed in the right direction. Keep in touch. We'll be here to offer encouragement and support whenever you need it,
Big hugs to you.
@Debru4

 

[Josephine]

Well ask away, my dear. That's what we're here for!

 

[Layla]

Happy Three Month Anniversary!
Stopping by to say Hi
I hope you're doing well.
Warm wishes for a great weekend as you continue healing!
@Debru4

 

[Debru4]

Thanks @Layla and @Josephine I retired 3 years ago after teaching elementary school for 38 years. I always encouraged questions, and often reassured kids that there wasn't such a thing as a stupid question. (Although I must admit, there were times I had a few questionable ones--haha!) This hip experience has me feeling like perhaps I AM asking some dumb questions---I appreciate everyone's patience. I am relieved to be 3 months out---since patience isn't my best thing, it's helpful to be reminded that no matter how quickly the initial healing was, the complete healing takes a lot more time! Hope you all have a great weekend as well! Cold weather is brewing here in Colorado this weekend---

 

[SurreyGirl]

I am so envious because you have retired! Just realised that we are quite close on our op. Dates. I had a lot of pain to start with but that itching burning pain is diminishing and I take few meds now. I do massage the scar and around the scar with E45 cream - more for working around some tight muscles than the scar itself. Saw the Gp the other day and she was impressed at how itvis healing but told me to expect some muscle pain and be careful when getting back to regular exercise. Still walking around with one crutch but walking strides are getting longer. Despite some unhelpful comments from work re time taken to heal I know that I am doing the right thing taking it slowly and carefully. And if I still need the crutch so be it!

I hope your pain is easing off a bit now and that the snows don’t get too bad!

 

[Debru4]

Hi @SurreyGirl--Retirement is great in many ways---love the flexibility----but I also miss the kids and teaching.

I have been doing much better---the stabbing, ripping pains seem to be gone. All I have now is soreness and pain after I sit/drive, and try to stand and walk. It takes a couple minutes to work the stiffness out. I did well so quickly after my surgery that to have pain reappear really threw me. Being proactive with some Tylenol, Epsom baths, topical creams, and staying active seem to help. I have begun gentle massage with cream around my incision which I also think is helpful.

I'm sorry you are feeling pressure about returning to work. Clearly we all recover at different rates and the healing is uneven---better one day, not so much the other.

Do you have an option to return part time or do any work from home? What type of work do you do? Do you have to be able to walk without any devices to work?

I had back surgery about 8 years ago (laminectomy and discectomy) and found that returning to work part time after 3½ weeks was perfect. I could get back to work and be active, but not be overly tired. I was lucky that my job gave me that option. I've learned that overdoing catches up with me.

Hope you had a good weekend, and your coming week shows continued improvement.

 

[Mojo333]

glad to hear things are improving.
I had those strange searing pains as the numbness dissipated and as I became more mobile.
Being sore is also very normal .
Three month hipversary!
Month four was my biggest turnaround so do keep icing and keep things easy does it.
Things will keep getting better!

 

[Layla]

Hi @Debru4
It sounds like you're doing well for three months post op.
There's still healing to happen. Many months worth, as we always hear it can take up to a full year.
Keep up the good work and have a great week!

 

[Josephine]

Clearly we all recover at different rates and the healing is uneven---better one day, not so much the other.

Actually, it's even more than that! Look at this!

I had back surgery about 8 years ago (laminectomy and discectomy)

You might think this nit-picky but those two procedures are really just terms for the same thing! The laminectomy means making an opening into the spinal canal. The discectomy means removing the damaged or dead disc material that is extruding and causing pain. So you can see that we have to do a laminectomy in order to do a discectomy! Just thought you'd like to know!
(end of lecture!)

 

[SurreyGirl]

Hi Debr4
I have a monthly check up with occupational health tomorrow and will discuss some of this then. I do need to get up and walk every hour. It is very easy to get “Stuck” when sitting down. Like you the pain eases off after a few minutes of walking.

I will ask about stretching exercises when I see my physio next week to see if they can help.

Hope you burning sensations are getting better. Are you still doing a lot of housework and gardening?

 

[Debru4]

Good luck@SurreyGirl with your appointment! I hope your doctor can help you with whatever you need in terms of getting more time from work if you still need it. Keep us posted

Yes, I am doing quite a bit of yard work and gardening and usually feel better after doing them (if I don't do them for too long at a stretch), or after taking a walk. I agree that too much sitting seems to be easy to do, but not necessarily better. A good friend of mine who has had a hip replacement and 3 reconstructions says that is something she still needs to be aware of---too much sitting and she gets stiff and sore. I don't think I am sitting too much yet, but need to keep that in mind.

Always appreciate your encouragement @Mojo333 and @Layla! Do you two ever have questions about your surgeries, or feel like you have concerns or need support?

If not, at what point did you feel like you moved from "needy question asker" to purveyor of advice?

I'm trying really hard not to overthink things or feel like I have to question every ache or pain I have.

@Josephine ---I loved your graphic! So true.

In terms of the back surgeries I had, your comment that they are the same surgery is interesting, because the surgeon listed both as separate procedures, so I've always said both. In fact, I just checked my hospital records as well, and both are listed and given their own surgery code.

I wonder if it was because one was to correct spinal stenosis, and the other was to clean up one of the discs that had ruptured. The original surgery was the laminectomy to relieve the nerve pain from the stenosis. While in there, he removed the disk as well. Or maybe the US codes things differently?

Either way, thanks for the information! Always good to learn new things

 

[SurreyGirl]

Hi Debra. Re the sitting. I have done an update post on my own thread but just to say my Occ Health Nurse said that getting up every hour from my computer and stretching was not enough and I needed to do this every half hour. So I will start applying this.

Slightly more difficult to do in front of an audience where I have to sit for 1.5 hours without a break playing ! But that is just for this week...

Hope your recovery continues to go well

 

[Mojo333]

If not, at what point did you feel like you moved from "needy question asker" to purveyor of advice?

I sure was a "needy question asker"
I think I wore out my BS pals and staff the first five months...and as I looked back I was still anxious about any ache or pain for 7-8 months.
Is this just normal? Is this because I had bad hips for quite a long time and with improved stance and gait, these muscles hurt...or is there a problem?
I have become more assured about having bionic hips...AND realize I can do too much at work...things like heavy lifting, accidental twisting that can cause me to be sore...
Chances are I would be sore without bionic hips
Certainly is normal for you to wonder and be anxious.
That's where the forum is themost helpful!
Hope today is a Good Day!

 

[Josephine]

because the surgeon listed both as separate procedures,

Okay, the lamina is the bony strut that is part of the vertebra as you can see here.

So oyu can see that the surgeon has to nibble away a bit of that bone in order to get through to the space where the disk is. That would be the disk that is prolapsed or bulging, of course. But when the disk is accessed, that is the discectomy.

 

[Debru4]

@Josephine ---Makes sense to me--I did understand what was being done in the surgery. You are basically saying that in terms of how to share the information, the term discectomy trumps the word laminectomy. Got it

Mojo333---that's reassuring to hear. I know I am doing so well overall, and when I read the experiences of others on the forum it helps me put things into perspective. But I was in such horrific pain for the 10 months prior to my surgery that I just don't want to do anything to mess it up. So I have been more concerned about the random pains. I am getting much more relaxed and realize that even though I still have questions, I can also share with others what my experiences have been so far, and what has worked. Shifting from "what the heck is going on" to "I've got this and am on the road to recovery" is a big step for me. I appreciate you!!

 

[Josephine]

the term discectomy trumps the word laminectomy

Yep, you got it!

 

[Debru4]

Well, it's a new day, and I have a new question.

Earlier this week we had several inches of snow and a big drop in temperature here in Colorado. I had been feeling great, and the day it snowed my hip seemed fine. However, the next two days when it was so cold, I had terrible pain,(6-8+) and lots of trouble putting weight on my right leg. I was hobbling around.

Everything from my hip to my knee was sore and throbbed. That lasted two full days. Today the temperature climbed from the 20's up to the 60's and I feel fine. It's as though the last 2 days never happened.

I assume it has something to do with the weather but for some reason I thought my surgeon had said I would no longer have arthritic pain in that hip since it was replaced.

Did I misunderstand him? Is this related to the fact I am still recovering, Or is this how it is going to be every time we have cold, snow and temperature swings, which is pretty much what happens in Colorado all winter?

 

[Mojo333]

My guess is it is a reminder of the healing that is still going on.
You might get some better insight from some of those who live where it getting colder... @Layla ?
I remember the winter after my replacement in May, I felt some of that but it was due to cold leading to shivering. Skeletal muscles begin to shake in small movements, creating warmth by expending energy. Injured recovering muscles don't really like that, I would guess.

 

[Layla]

Whether this is accurate, or not, I don't know. In a quick online search regarding your question, I found this under a University of Missouri Health Care site. You can take it....or leave it.

- Some patients report increased pain and stiffness, or can feel changes in the weather after hip surgery. These sensations are not common though, and usually will disappear over 1 to 2 years after surgery. For the first couple years, the bone adapts and grows around the metal prosthesis, and this bone activity probably leads to sensitivity to weather and pressure changes -

I don't remember if I noticed a change, or any odd sensations in regard to weather changes last Winter. Obviously if I did, it must have been rather unremarkable since I don't recall.

I hope you have a great weekend!
@Debru4

 

[Debru4]

Thanks @Layla! The weather went from the 20's to the 60's the past 2 days. I've felt great again. By Saturday it is supposed to drop again into the 20's. I guess that will be a test of my theory that it has something to do with the barometric pressure and the new hip, which seems to be supported by what you shared with me. Maybe it was a fluke, and I'll feel great next time. I hope so, because Colorado is infamous for the fluctuations. I would hate to think that I could go from a pain level of 1 to 8 every time the weather changed:(

I am going to the Dominican Republic for 10 days next week tp visit my son. It will be interesting to see how the change in climate, humidity and elevation affect the new hip.

I was not prepared for the pain, and it sounds from what you said that it isn't typical which is why I hadn't expected it. I do hope it will subside with time if it does have to do with the weather. Living in MN, do you have any weather related symptoms?

I always appreciate your feedback! Hope your coming weekend is a good one!