THR Damn glad that's over!

[Damn!]

Thanks all for the kind words. Sissy, I would highly recommend crossfitting, after you are completely healed. There is a woman who attends my "box" (CF name for gym) who took up crossfitting at age 70, 5 years later and you should see this little woman deadlift 250 pounds. Another girl is 7 months pregnant and works out (within reason) and looks great. I swear she will deliver on the weightlifting mats. I can not wait to get back into it. I find that I really miss working out.

All in all it was a really nice day. We still got the newspapers and sales ads. Instead of me braving the crowds this year, I made my list with 2 of my daughters and then sent them out there tonight to shop for me. Since I haven't been sleeping real well lately, they are texting me pictures of different items for my input. So I get to BF shop vicariously through them. Where there's a will there's a way. They are going to swing by the house and pick me up at 6:00 am tomorrow morning and we will hit JC Penneys and Bed, Bath and Beyond and then go to breakfast. A much more tame Black Friday than I have had in years, but at least it's something.

The thigh pain has been really intense. No amount of pain medicine touches it. It just seems to vary by degrees on how much pressure I can stand on it. Sometimes I can't stand to have my yoga pants touch my thigh and other times the pants don't bother me but the added weight of a blanket will have me almost crying. I don't get it.

On a good note, I'm doing straight leg raises very easily. Now adding an ankle weight and doing the straight leg lifts. I guess all the deadlifting, powerlifting, squats and lunges over the years have paid off.

Hope everyone's Thanksgiving was wonderful.

Tammy

 

[Josephine]

Just have a bit of incisional pain left, with kind of an ache beneath it. It is tolerable. What I am finding the worst is the thigh pain I am experiencing on the outside of my thigh about 2 inches above my knee. Imagine how cold your legs get when you are outside in a freezing rain....now imagine someone who is freakishly strong rearing back and slapping you in the thigh as hard as possible. That stinging, burning pain! That's what my thigh feels like 24/7. Has anyone experienced this? Does anyone know how to best treat this? I've tried ice, heat, massage and pain meds and get no relief. I find myself looking for hand prints .

Tammy, could you indicate the precise location of your pain with this chart, please? Just cite the grid references and say front or back as appropriate.

 

[Damn!]

Josephine, sure. It is primarily in the R1 column with a little overlap into R2, rows A and B and dipping a little into row C. It is mostly lateral.

 

[dede62]

Tammy,

It sounds EXACTLY what my husband had before his back surgery. Especially the clothing or blankets touching it. It doesn't surprise me at all that the pain pills don't touch it. Please talk with your GP about something like gabepentin or neurontin for the nerve irritation. Having had the lateral approach may have irritated that nerve and hopefully nothing worse. I so feel for you friend.

Way to go for the BF shopping. Really no sense to be out in those crowds. People are oblivious of their surroundings on a regular day; even less so when they are so focussed on getting those specials. Even with our warrior weapons we wouldn't stand a chance!

 

[Damn!]

Dede, I belong to a group of military doctors for my primary care. Their office was closed yesterday and today for the holiday. Additionally, they do not offer weekend or on-call services. Patients are advised to call 9-1-1 if they need emergency services. I am pretty sure that they will not see my thigh issue as an emergency. I have a follow-up appointment already scheduled for Tuesday afternoon with my surgeon. Guess I will just have to wait until then.

Today is a step backward's kind of day. I have some additional thigh pain that seems to have started last evening. It is deep in the center of my thigh and radiates into my knee. It feels a lot like bone pain, but who knows. So, today I am have a pajama pants, ice pack and movie marathon kind of day with lots of elevation thrown in for good measure.

As promised in another thread, here is my list of recovery accomplishments:

1. Can get dressed by myself with the exception of socks and shoes other than sandals.
2. Can shower by myself.
3. Can do straight leg raises.
4. Can do straight leg raises with a 2-1/2 pound weight on my ankle.
5. Can take corners on electric scooters like a professional
6. Can get in and out of bed by myself.
7. Can weild a mean crutch when needed.

That is all...not much, but a nice start. Hard not to feel a bit discouraged by its brevity. Can't wait until my list gets as long and exciting as some of the others I have seen on this forum.

Happy Black Friday to one and all. Now bring on Cyber Monday...my new favorite holiday this year.

Tammy

 

[dede62]

You are just banging along! Sure there isn't someone around to tie you down?? Hopefully it wasn't those straight leg raises that ticked off your thigh... So far those are not in my exercise repetoire but I can do them (regular ones, not with any ankle weights). I forgot of how the military medical was for appointments ( a little over 20 years ago for us).

Hang in there as best you can. I think a nice quiet BF is the ticket for you! Rest up friend!

 

[nerdgrrl]

Heh, I can only drive electric scooters like an amateur

Sorry your thigh pain is acting up! These things always seem to have poor timing, middle of the night...holiday weekend.... Bleh. Movie marathon with ice and elevation sounds like a good plan. I pretty much have to ice and elevate after much of any activity. For me, It is not pain so much as swelling, and the stiffness associated with the swelling.

We finally watched "The Blind Side" last night. Good movie! My mom ( totally not a sports fan!) even enjoyed it. I have all 8 Harry Potter movies waiting for me, but probably not this weekend

 

[Josephine]

4. Can do straight leg raises with a 2-1/2 pound weight on my ankle.

Tammy, that is far too much to be doing at under three weeks! The first three weeks should be focussed on nothing but rest and letting that hip heal. Actually there is no need to do aggressive PT like this as hips pretty much take care of themselves. You should leave all this for at least one month and probably longer.

The reason is because what has happened is what happens to all who overdo things in the early days - you have Ilio-tibial (ITB) band syndrome. This can be quite difficult to get rid of but the first thing you need to do is REST! Read the article and see some other strategies for dealing with it.

 

[Damn!]

Thank you Josephine. I will run your diagnosis past my surgeon this Tuesday at my appointment. I have looked over the article you provided. Thank you for the information. However, most of what I read suggests IT band stretches. Most of these involve crossing the mid-line. Since I am non-weightbearing, can't cross the mid-line, and am not allowed to break the 90 degree rule, can you suggest something I can do to bring some relief now?

Tammy

 

[sissy46]

Tammy, I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this on a holiday weekend, but glad you have an appointment for Tuesday. I hope you can get some rest and pain relief.

 

[dede62]

Tammy,

If it is IT band, you could try letting one of the girls use a rolling pin (oh so gently) roll down the leg. They have a rolly bar at my PT and they said a rolling pin is a good substitute. Be gentle as the other daughter may need to hold you down. IT stretches are painful on a good day, but I'm not so sure you shouldn't ice and rest it to get some of the inflammation down first.

 

[Damn!]

Dede, I ice the thigh pretty frequently during the day. I have also alternated with the heating pad. No luck with either. I will try the rolling pin later tonight and let you know the result. Thank you for the suggestion.

 

[Poppet]

I would totally agree with Jo, Tammy.. I would be very careful with the

4. Can do straight leg raises with a 2-1/2 pound weight on my ankle.

This is very advanced for so early in your recovery.. the last thing we would want to read is that you have developed a chronic issue Best to check with your OS..

I tried straight leg raises around your timeframe and set myself back for weeks with similar pain

 

[Damn!]

Ouch Poppett! I'm sorry to hear that. I have not done any straight leg raises of any kind in the last couple of days. The pain has been too intense for that. What did you do find some relief?

 

[Poppet]

I totally rested, just walked around the house as necessary (using a walker). I was rather distressed when I realised what I had done... I was trying to prove to hubby that I can do it! This was a hard lesson in my recovery

We don't have the intensive PT that I see my US friends discussing here in OZ. We are given basic and advanced exercise sheets from the PT in hospital to go home with and told to walk.. My OS constantly reinforced this with me and got very excited when I told him I had taken up Nordic Walking. He said, over and over, 'hips are made for walking'. I have written an article about it and posted it in the social room

 

[Damn!]

Poppet; I'm not doing any walking on the operated leg as I am still non-weightbearing. The numbness, burning and pain in my outer thigh have been present since the first day post-op. Not sure how much more rest this leg needs. I have noticed that it is now beginning to hurt deep in the thigh when I am doing my heel slides on the bed. Should I be concerned?

 

[Poppet]

Hi Tammy

You are so early in your recovery honey, just 19 days by my calculations (OZ dates).

There is so much healing at all different levels of our body following a THR, from soft tissue right down to the marrow inside the bone and everything in between. All of these parts of our body heals at different time frames and as individuals we all heal dufferently. So it does hurt, but you will improve, your body will heal, you will regain your quality of life... It just takes time.

I don't think there is a member on the forum who hasn't felt the frustration of the recovery journey from a THR! I know I do even at 12 months! I was extremely immobilized prior to my surgery, just days away from a wheel chair and during the past year, I have thought at times, is the best it can or will be! But you know what, I recognized that recovery is like surfing, I had to ride the waves, sometimes I get dumped, sometimes I have a smooth ride, but the important thing is to focus on the future and stay as positive as one can honey

When do you see your OS next? Is at the 6 week milestone? Or are you seeing him sooner?

Hugs xx

 

[Josephine]

I will run your diagnosis past my surgeon

It's not a diagnosis - just a suggestion.

I have looked over the article you provided. However, most of what I read suggests IT band stretches. Most of these involve crossing the mid-line. Since I am non-weight bearing, can't cross the mid-line, and am not allowed to break the 90 degree rule, can you suggest something I can do to bring some relief now?

That's correct, you cannot do the exercises. It's too early for you to do them anyway and I should have pointed that out. My apologies. However, the rest part, and pain meds would be effective. Failing that, a shot of cortisone from the surgeon, are you only recourse. And STOP doing so much. That's the cause of it.

 

[sissy46]

Hi Tammy, how are you this morning? Did you get any sleep? I'm worried about you.

 

[bellaroma]

Sorry about your thigh pain Tammy, my doc says the thigh pain is normal, but what you're going through sound more than the norm. You are a true soldier, I know what you mean about living life to the fullest as a cancer survivor and a survivor of a wierddisease, acromegaly, I understand. Hope you feel better soon