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THR Déjà Vu: Squirrellymom's Right THR & Her Left THR

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Just checking in @Squirrellymom. How are you doing at this point?

When I saw the doc last week, he said the swelling looks normal and gave me a PT referral for my limping. Got in to the PT the next day - I had been seeing her last year for plantar fasciitis and really liked her. Doing some stretches and exercises. Still limping. Still swollen. Going back to work Tues at the 6 week mark. Was not planning on going back to work with the crutch, but oh well!

Would love to hear how you are doing!
 
Salutations @crazyfoxterrier Yes, the limping seems to want to make it's appearance with me also. I went to my last PT last Thursday. I was scheduled to do six PT appointments but when I reached the goals they set for me I don't see a reason to continue to drive the 50 min (with no traffic) there and back to do exercises I can do at home at my leisure, so I told them that PT #5 was my last. The therapist shouted across the room to me as I was going out the door, "Hey, you are limping". With me it is a lot of habit. I had just done an hour of exercises including the upright elliptical that I managed to stay on for all of three minutes since I felt "the burn" and stopped. I did the stairwell to show that I could go up and down steps unaided and I stood up and down from seated position without use of hands 10X in 30 seconds. After my 10 min. icing I stood to leave and was definitely favoring that left leg. :kickedout: The therapist caught me. He is great. Exceptional to work with and I hate that my 'focus' wasn't on my need to do heal/toe walk and not slide back into the sloppy walk. I'm working on it. I'm not swelling much. If I tend to be on my feet for a few hours, or I get hot, or I bend over (weed pulling again) and squat I notice the incision and back of thigh swelling. Time out, elevate and ice and I'm good to go. I haven't been as conscious of taking care of this left leg as I was the right one. I am antsy and the weather is nice and I'm ready to get moving so I'm not letting the left have the time it needs to heal. I spent a lot of time in my yard over the weekend. I've planted tomatoes, I've pruned shrubs, pulled weeds, generally spent quite a few hours just doing stuff in the yard. Lucky for left leg, we have rain for the next few days and I will be forced to do less. I did shampoo carpets yesterday and went to garden store and to nursing home to visit with the 91 year old mother. I have my six week check up near the end of next week. I hope the X-rays show everything coming together. I haven't been out in the neighborhood walking the dogs yet. That needs to begin soon. My fitbit device claims I am walking between 2-3 miles a day now and that is just in the house and the yard. I visited my GP last week and he says I need to keep taking the calcium supplements along with vitamin D3. I'll have the D checked with blood test in a few weeks to see if it is up where it should be. I'm taking 5000 IU a day right now and 1200 mg calcium along with Fosamax once a week. Thin bones. :nah:

Back to work - you go girl! I hope you can spend most of your time sitting with a mini walk from time to time to give that hip time to heal. I find that when I sit in a hard chair or even a dining chair with upholstered seat, I need a pillow or foam support to keep that thigh area from hurting. Also, I am still very stiff when I get up in the morning and after sitting for a while. I am still doing the get out of the car and stand for a few moments before I start walking. I think/hope that exercise will strengthen the muscles and help with the stiffness. I really have to lose weight. My GP Doc said that I have gained 10 pounds since my last visit with him back in September 2015. Ten pounds! I didn't realize. I knew I had gained five or six pounds since my first THR in January but this sedentary lifestyle is NOT healthy. :dead:

Looking forward to hearing how the PT exercises help you and how it feels to be back at work. --julie (back to sitting on her rear looking out the window at the rain -- maybe I'll just go eat a brownie. Exercise? Oh yes, Miss Scarlett, "I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow.")
 
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You are one busy bee my friend, not to mention an inspiration for those of us who have BSS (Butt Sitting Syndrome)! Unlearning the limp is going to be a challange for me, so I look forward to your progress with this issue. :-)
 
Six week check-up for Hip #2 yesterday. The doctor said I'm good to go - just go slow. :realing: So, on my way home from doctor visit I had to stop off at my daughter's house to pick up something. Her poor neglected yard! I spent the next four hours pruning shrubs, trees and pulling weeds. Yes, I did it slowly.

I took photos of my matched hips. They are beautiful on the x-ray! My thin bones look translucent compared to the Stryker prosthetics. Doctor tells me they are a matched pair with pink tops. I'll take his word for it. I asked him about my osteoporosis/osteopenia and how that will affect my THR. He simply said, as has my GP, Don't fall. Yup, I plan to paint my living room/dining room very soon and they have 14 ft. ceilings. Guess I'll use the long handled paint roller and beg my lazy DH to do the top most area from the ladder. Somehow he does not seem to hear those requests.

While meeting with my OS, I complained about my stiffness when I get up in the morning and after sitting in the car or getting up from a chair after sitting for a while. He suggested the meloxicam might help with the inflamation so I will take one every 24 hours for a few more weeks. I showed him my walking successes on my fitbit and he just laughed and said do what I'm able and be cautious and proceed slowly adding a little more each day. I am walking at least 2-3 miles each day. I'm supposed to continue to exercise every day with the exercises I learned at the five weeks of PT. They do make me feel better, kinda all stretched out and not so kinky. :cool:

Over all I feel great. Very, very little discomfort. I still have numbness on both thighs. I can rub my fingers along the upper leg and the side of the leg and I have spots that are not sensitive to touch. I'm beginning to sleep on my side(s) now and getting up and down is no problem. I took a bath last evening and had no trouble climbing in or out of the tub. I see my OS again in four months.

I have an outing tomorrow evening to drink wine and listen to jazz music on the veranda for a local charity. I merely have to remember, DON'T FALL. :snork: --Julie (who will be practicing walking with a full wine glass before tomorrow evening)
 
Congratulations to you for making it through two surgeries, and now moving on to being active! If it's any consolation, I can still feel some stiffness from sitting (mostly sitting driving in the car.) But once I get up and stretch, it seems to go away pretty quickly. I'll have to remind you to post again when you hit the 6 month mark, and see how your activities have progressed. I'm at about 5 months now, and am amazed at the continued progress beyond the 6 weeks time frame. Some days, I don't even think about having had surgery.
My neighbor, who is a nurse with an orthopaedic group continues to remind me that it really does take a year to recover, even if we are cleared to go back to work / start moving in 6 weeks. In the mean time, I just keep going -- some days overdoing it (then backing off for a few days) and go at it again. Last weekend I walked a one mile fun run/walk (although the people participating seemed pretty serious about beating everyone to the end, and there were very few people walking for "fun".) My goal was to not finish last and I accomplished that!
Cheers to all us new (and old) hippies!
 
Ahhhh, meow darling KittyKat @CatLady1 It is so great to hear how YOU are doing. What's with the stiffness after being in the car? That seems to be the worst. I am a bit stiff when I sit in a chair at home but after being in the car I have to really think about getting out and I hold to the door and stand for just a few moments before taking those first steps. If you are experiencing the same thing at five months out then I know I'll probably continue to feel this for a while. I can't actually distinguish the responses from the "old" right hip vs the "new" left hip anymore as they are becoming so equal in recovery. I blame much of my weakness on the left hip and it may be that both are responsible. Bending over is tough. I was pulling weeds from around some shrubs a couple of days ago (I know it seems like that is all I do but I'm usually on top of this jungle that I call a lawn and spring came with me having another hip replaced and I need another life to conquer the unwelcome plant life) and I found that using the hoe as a support was a great aid in bending & standing. As I stood in the yard hanging on my hoe handle, I had a Raffi song humming through my head, Oats and Beans and Barley grow. Now go figure that one. My kids would roll their eyes about now.

Congratulations on your "finish" in the fun run/walk competition :wink: ----:walking: @CatLady1 I'll have to look for a one-mile walk to do in the fall. It would be a marker for progress. I will be working up to doing a three-mile walk in the neighborhood over the next few months BUT it is already getting too hot to walk on paved streets here in TN. I hope the temps are lower in the cool N. GA mountains. We will be hitting the 90's in the next couple of days. The doggies don't get to go with me unless it is early morning or late evening because of "hot paws". :kitty:

I've been reading the "grannyseries" books lately. I've just started the newest book #4. Characters are granny age ladies in North Georgia enjoying life and doing all the detective stuff I would love to join them in doing. I love these gals. I put them all on my Kindle right after my second operation and they have become my new best friends the past few weeks. I think I recognize them. Book three even mentions Ellijay. Beware @CatLady1, they may just be your neighbors. ;)

Yes, I may need a reminder to post every month or so. I check BS every few days right now but I see the need to post frequently for myself as not being needed much longer. Also, I tend to not want to give advice to others as I just did not experience much of what I've read about and it is hard to relate. I didn't have "pain" after THR so I didn't take any pain meds. I did the dreaded PT and loved all of it and I've been fairly active with almost no restrictions from the first week out. I was less tired for the second THR. After the first hip my GP put me on 5000 IU of Vitamin D every day and I'm convinced that has helped with my stamina. I'm at six weeks out now for this left hip and I honestly believe that I could go back to a job right now if it consisted of sitting at a desk. I could put a stool under my feet from time to time and I could get up and walk about every 15 min. I have a good friend in Atlanta who is having her left hip done in June. She plans to try to return to work (desk work) at about three weeks out. Too soon most of us would say, but I say maybe you will feel like doing more than others and to give it a few hours at a time. At six weeks, I do think it is possible. Yes! Cheers to all us Hippies! :cheers2:

Thank you @Zelda If we can "dream" it we can make it so. How your mind can make you well works here. And I agree with John Lennon, "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans" although I would add for myself that we need to give time to heal but accomplish all that you can in the moment. I'm following your progress!

Oh yes @Nana2-8 I focus on inspiration for myself. If I think I can, I will. There is little doubt about that. When I doubt or pout about my lack of ability I can be inspired by someone like Stephen Hawking. I watched a program involving him this past Thursday on NPT. He would take my Hip Replacement any day -- and run with it -- We are very fortunate to have such an "easy fix". It's the don't fall restriction that stays in my mind. That's the osteoporosis diagnosis doing that. I don't know where that came from, it just snuck in there last year. It's going to be hard to overcome that one. When the hips are healed I will begin working out with light weights. We just can't go back and take care of our bones after they become thin.

Oh @Cynthia777 You are truly the BS Guru. Always there with an atta boy for each of us. What will become of this forum when you are healed and spend your time romping about in California. Don't you just love it when we get those times that we realize we can do so many things that we couldn't possibly do before THR. The aches of healing and doing too much are so much better than trying to do anything before the operation and feeling PAIN. I want to shout, Hey, I'm doing this and I don't hurt anymore. Just spending a few hours in my daughter's very needy yard was therapeutic. :SUNsmile: Big hugs to you guru girl :friends:

--julie (Who is gardening by growing tomatoes in pots & sprouts in jars. Do you or I or anyone know how oats and beans and barley grow.)
 
What a great report, Julie! It's good to hear you're up and going now (even if it means slowly). Now that you've been given the green signal, you'll have fun still watching your progress week to week. Every week it seems things move better. I'm with you on the stand and wait... before I move. I had to do more of that motion at the beginning of my freedom, but I still find times when I have to get up and wait a few seconds. When getting up from driving, I've decided it might have to do with my right hip / right leg (the operated side) being in extended position while pressing the gas pedal. The other day I tried to drive more with cruise control, so I could bend my knee while sitting, just to see if there was less stiffness when I got out. It did seem to help... I don't know if there is a correlation between the two, but it's my latest theory. Sometimes when I get off the stationary bike, I have the same sensation about needing to stretch my 'knees' -- of course there is a lot less of that feeling now than at the 2 month mark.

I'm with you on it's getting too hot to walk. Although, the other evening, DH and I decided we hadn't walked far enough that day, so we went up the hill from our house (the one I huffed and puffed to get up at 6+ weeks mark, and was amazed at how I just went up it. I was still out of breath at the top of the hill, but nothing like what it was like 2 months ago.
I've done myself in a couple of times - we trading our folding bikes in for some electric assisted folding bikes (it's an out of production hummingbike.) Three weeks ago, a friend had told us that there was a park with trails in Jasper, Ga, so we loaded the bikes into the jeep and drove over to check the area out. Come to find out, the paths/trails were more like mountain biking trails... gravel, up hill and down (some are pretty steep.) DH and I decided we'd ride them (walk them pushing bikes?) at least once to see... those poor bikes (inspite of having electric motors and me trying to pedal to assist the motor), couldn't make it even half way up the hills. I had to get off and walk the bike up and down a hill more than twice -- loose gravel, uneven ground, too steep: I wasn't going to chance falling off on a new hip, or sliding into a ditch. About half way up the first full hill, DH 'died' and had to stop, get off and sit down and catch his breath. I ended up getting off and walking the bike to the top of the hill.
The end result of the adventure was my muscles/hip were sore for 3-4 days following. Walking upstairs was done the one legged style (or with me aiding myself using my arms to push up the stairs). Now I know what other hippies mean when they talk about doing too much and having to slow down for a day or two. That was the first time I'd felt like I'd really overdone it. Needless to say, we're more selective about paths to go riding on. :-)
We went camping again a couple of weeks ago and I hiked a one mile trail (2 miles round trip) up to closed marble mine entrance with waterfalls. That exercise had no bad results... It felt good to be out walking without thinking about a hurting hip, or anything else.
Yes, I'm still riding the stationary bike twice daily. I feel like it's been the one thing that's given me back my flexibility. (I can bend over, tie my shoes, trim my toe nails, etc.) There are days when I feel like every time I turn around I'm riding that bike - early a.m. and before bed. I was planning to push my time up, but never seem to take the time. 16 minutes twice daily is what's still working for me.

I'll have to check into the granny series books. I've not read any of them; local area stories intrigue me, and I definitely like mysteries. I'm sure there's some truth in their stories....
As for your Atlanta friend planning to go back to work at 3 weeks - I did that but only worked 2-4 hours a day (most of the time it was 3 hours.) There are times when I wished I had stayed out the full 6 weeks and just enjoyed the vacation... but certainly felt capable of doing the work. I do think that going back to work got me up and moving more than I would have by staying home (I would have probably been taking more naps....)

and, Yes, "me too" about feeling like I need to show people what I can do now without hurting! (Look ma, I can lift my leg higher! Look ma, I can step into the bike sort of normally! Look ma, I can walk up this hill, and my hip joint isn't on fire! Look ma! I can get out of bed in the a.m. and not feel like I'm so stiff I can't move.....) Ya'll know all the rest of it.... :wowspring:...:loveshwr::happydance::yay: :egypdance:.
 
Sounds like you continue to have a fabulous recovery @Squirrellymom! I've been using my THR as an excuse to NOT work in the garden- although my husband doesn't get things done the way I want them to get done so looks like I'm going to have to spend some time out there this weekend...
 
@Squirrelymom- Glad to hear your recovery is going really well and you are in the garden and singing! I, too have some stiffness after sitting long periods or in the morning, but it does fade quickly. And it's nothing like the pre-THR pain! How I use to dread getting out of bed and creaking around back then! Strangely, I can walk for miles with no pain now and no soreness later. It's just that after sitting stiffness. :shrug: I'm relieved to see it's common here on BS but I do hope it goes away with time. Did you try the meloxicam? If so, did it help?

I truly hope you had a marvelous time drinking wine on the veranda and listening to jazz music! :beer: And have a great rest of the weekend, too!
 
@Squirrellymom -- how's your leg treating you, now that you've broken out of hip jail and are moving on with life? Let's see, you're near the 9 week mark... so how's it feeling?
 
Hi @CatLady1 . Yes, Sheryl I'm now past that 9 week mark. I count right about 10 weeks. I will be 3 months out on July 11th. The good, the bad and the ugly. I feel good as far as hip pain goes. No complaints. No pain. I'm doing "normal" things all around the house, some yard stuff too, albeit slow and thoughtful. I started painting living room & dining room last week. We are twelve years in this house and still have "builder's paint" in the main rooms. I have painted bedrooms, baths, basement over the years but never got around to living/dining because of 14 foot ceilings. I have a great little, but tall, lightweight ladder and have a roller so I started painting one wall a day. I've accomplished three walls with DH agreeing to standing on top step to get the edge just below ceiling molding. Believe me, I take my time. Slowly roll, brush around baseboards, doors, windows, and am very careful not to fall. I have more walls to go, most are long walls, ewwww, so am taking a few days away from painting to keep from standing, stepping day after day. I can't do outdoors right now because of heat and humidity. We are in the mid 90's (as I know you are south of us) and humidity puts us in the 100's range. When I get outside and do anything I am totally drained. :swoon:I am now sewing together cat beds for our local shelter. I can sit in air conditioning and stuff and sew a straight seam.

I'm not a happy camper with the stiff/tight feeling. My joints just don't feel fluid but more robotic. No sounds and no discomfort but still, when standing up after bending over, from sitting and riding in car, I am very stiff and I have to stop, stand, and think before moving. Once I start moving the stiffness eases and I actually feel normal. The joint doesn't bother me, I think it is the surrounding muscles. My muscles are very tight. Whether this is due to inactivity, activity, muscle damage during op, etc. I don't know. I am "able" to do lots and lots of stuff like climbing ladders without feeling aches but it's mostly when I bend over (pick up dog dish, pull weeds, pick up something from floor) and I bend at the waist and then, when I straighten up, I feel the muscle pain/pull all up my legs on both sides. If I hold on to something, like a hiking stick, hoe, rake, table top etc. It takes that away. Don't know. I need to do my PT exercises they told me to do at home. I've been sorely negligent in that respect and don't do them most days. They are good ones with lots of stretches so I probably should get motivated. I am walking quite a bit. I've hit 10,000 steps most days on fitbit and I get the fireworks and vibrations. I try to walk a couple of miles through the neighborhood each day BUT, again, this crappy June heatwave is an excuse to not go walk. I'm pedaling on the stationary bike most days too.

My scar is looking good. Still red of course but the left is beginning to look more like the right and is minimizing. I still have soreness when I press on either one. In fact, the left & right legs seem to be at the same point in healing even though the left is at 10 weeks and right is almost six months. Similar tenderness. No swelling. I do still have numb areas on both legs. I can touch all over the thigh areas and I have "spots" where there is little sensitivity.

I hope I'm just being super anxious about wanting "to get my life back" and that my aches are still simply still the healing process.

How are YOU doing? Do you still notice any muscle aches or experience any stiffness? You are almost at six months. Do you "think" about bending over or squatting down and standing? Do you have any tenderness around the incision area? My tenderness doesn't feel like the skin, it is more muscular. Like sore aching muscles.

I don't check in with BS very often. I start reading all the updates & reading new posts from people just starting their journey and I don't get anything else done. Thank you for checking with me. I needed to update and I need to hear how you are progressing! ---julie (who wants to move near a cool mountain stream)
 
Good to catch up on your saga! Now almost four weeks out from hip two...still using cane or walker but can now drive myself! Yeah! Planning to get a Fitbit so I can be more conscious of my activity level. I really need to get moving more!


RTHR 1/15/2016. Posterior approach. Due to AVN. LTHR on May 26, 2016.
 
I'm not posting routinely on BS but I do read random postings from time to time just to see what others are experiencing. My hips seem to be healing and up until a couple of months ago I was able to do most anything I wanted. I started experiencing fatigue and over all muscle weakness and aches throughout the bones in my legs, back, neck a few months ago. I thought perhaps I was doing too much so I stopped all exercising (even though the exercises were mostly light stretches and walking) and I have gotten worse. So, now I'm back to doing at home core building exercises and stationery bike pedaling. I've added some 2 pound weights on some things to build bone as I have been diagnosed with osteopenia in both hips and lower spine. I see my OS the end of this month so will ask him what he makes of these hip aches and my back pain. Meanwhile ...

I have stopped taking my Osteoporosis med (Alendronate/Fosamax generic) I've been taking it about ten months and that's about how long it's been for my hip recoveries. I should be enjoying walks and not being so stiff when standing or bending but I'm experiencing fatigue, bone aches, extreme back and neck pain and flu like symptoms. I'll be working on finding another way to "build" bone but it will not be through chemicals. I'll update what I find with these symptoms as the weeks go by. I've only stopped taking the Alendronate in the past week so I know that will take some time to know if it helps, maybe a few months. I've been healthy and active my entire life, the only drug I ever took before this Osteo drug was Zoloft. My gyn put me on it when I went through menopause because she thought it would stop my feelings of anxiety. I was on it a month and hated how the drug was making me feel so when I told her I would not be taking it anymore she said she wanted to increase my dosage. Once I knew my symptoms were menopause and not a heart attack I was okay and I didn't need a drug. Duh. Well, I have thinning bones (I'm 71 this month!!!) and I'm going to have to find another way to deal with this as I don't like how the drug seems to be effecting me.

Aging is bad enough but it should not hurt.

Yes, that is my photo. I took off my squirrel hat for the hot summer months and came down out of the trees. Now my head can breathe. -- julie in Middle TN
 
@Squirrellymom good to see you back here but sorry to read you are hurting. Yes the side effects of drugs are just the pits! Is there an alternative to that drug that you could take? Or perhaps a lower dose?

I am always arguing with my doctors about lower drug doses. They seem to want to put everyone on the same dose. For some of us it's just too much.

Hope you can get this sorted soon!
 
Hi @Squirrellymom, I'm really sorry to hear that you are in pain again. What a shame. It sounded like you were doing so well. We never can predict what is going to happen. I love your photo, by the way. I hope that you find a solution. It's a shock to experience these things when you have always been healthy and active. You are in my prayers.
 
I really, really hate to hear this, Julie. I'm hoping you and your doctors can figure out the cause of the new aches and pains, and can also find a solution soon. I'm wondering if it's a drug side effect causing the problem? Every so often I think about those of us who were here around the same time frame with hip replacements... wondering how we're doing, and what's going on now.
 
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