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THR Deep Breath Reporting for Recovery Duty

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ooooh! Physical Therapy is ready to begin! You will do great, I just know it. And you know that if it hurts, you don't do it!
Finishing up the ohio visit, tomorrow is our family dinner and last day here then off to Colorado! This is the first time in many years where I will see all of my immediate family at Christmas. I think it's a perfect way to celebrate my good health and shiny new hip!
Diane, the renewed strength and energy is pretty humbling and amazing, yes? It stops me in my tracks at times.. I did some extended shopping a few weeks back and had nary a twinge. When I realized it I almost cried.
 
@DeepBreath, just want to wish you all the best with your first PT appt. today! I know you will make good progress now with resolving your gait issues. And, I have all the confidence that you will keep a good watch on anyone being overly zealous. You go, girl!
Yes, the prince is home and our tree is finally in place! I've been chomping at the bit, but couldn't bring myself to get one without him, it just wouldn't be right. So, in lieu of that, I did go a bit hog-wild in the kitchen. As much as anything, I just can't believe the renewed stamina and energy I have! Must take advantage of that! So, I've been baking up a storm, mostly old recipes of my mother's that we continue to love around the holidays. I love sharing gifts from the kitchen with my neighbors, so nothing goes to waste. Lila loves it when we bake. She has a bed in the breakfast room and snuggles into it, until a crumb of something happens to hit the floor. Then, she's on it, lickety-split like she's in a NASCAR race! She also enjoys perching on a two-step stool I have that has a seat on top, so she can see what's going on at counter-level. I'm with you when it comes to having those meals in the freezer! Think I'll follow your lead and do some of that on a regular basis.
I'm glad to hear you felt good enough to go to the graduation ceremony, I'm sure it was very touching. I tend to tear up at that sort of thing, seeing such bright, young people at the beginning of their adult pursuits.
Lila says thank you for the squeeze and right back at Gracie - she would love nothing more than to snuggle up against that giant friend for a snooze, I'm sure, so warm and cozy. Lila loves her beauty sleep! And, I love taking pictures of her sleeping, she 'looks' so sweet and innocent, right? Oh, the mischief that lies within!
Looking forward to hearing how your PT goes!
[Bonesmart.org] Deep Breath Reporting for Recovery Duty
 
Thank you for the good wishes, Friends. :)
@CricketHip, I am just SO thrilled that you get to do this traveling and enjoy time with your family. What a wonderful gift. They must be so happy to see how fabulously you're doing. Prayers continue to go out for your safety and for the pup's healing.
You are so right about how humbling and amazing the renewed strength and energy are. The PT had me walk with both my walker and my cane today just to see how I'm doing. I told her I'd been really trying hard to remember 'heel, toe - heel, toe' for proper walking. She said, "It shows!" She said I look really good on the cane and challenged me to walk more with it because she feels I'm ready. I almost teared up trying to tell her how different it is between pre and post op. I could tell she understood.
Thank you so much for popping in to check on me even while you're traveling. You're such a sweet, encouraging friend and I really appreciate that. :)

@Southernbelle, YAAAY that The Boy is in the house! I'll bet he's thrilled to be back and to see/smell/taste all the goodies you've been preparing. There's something therapeutic about doing things we love, isn't there?
How sweet that Lila keeps you company. Our Cavvie LOVED food. She seemed to have hearing problems until it came to food. You could stand 3 feet from her and say, "Blossom. Blossom! BLOSSOM!" and she'd ignore you.
You could go into the pantry, however, and close the door and very carefully and quietly unwrap some food item and she'd be at the door scratching and whining wanting you to share. Little stinker :wink:
Yeah, I really do think I'll try to keep up with the frozen meals. I'm hoping that when I get further along with my recovery I can get back into working with the brigade commander's wife to support our junior soldier's wives and help develop an effective Family Readiness Group. With this being a TRADOC (training) brigade, it's different than a regular, FORSCOM brigade, which is what we're both used to. She is such a sweetie and I know this is a cause dear to her heart. I really want to help her with that. Frozen meals would come in handy at the end of a busy day. :)
Aww, the thought of Lila and Gracie together is so sweet. Honestly, Gracie would probably be intimidated by Lila. She's huge, but she is a big lump of gentleness. Small dogs and cats sometimes scare the heck out of her. Silly girl. :)
Enjoy your boy and this wonderful time with him! I hope your recovery is going well and that you're seeing the kind of results you're wanting. It is a process and not always linear, but it is better than that old, nagging pain, even if it's sometimes not as fast as we'd like it to be.

I have a really good feeling about his physical therapist. After doing her initial evaluation on me, she asked if I had any questions or concerns I wanted to share with her. I told her about Bone Smart's wonderful advice and how it's important that I don't undo the healing that's already taken place. She seemed to really hear me. She said that of course my surgeon's precautions and restrictions are priority number one, along with my comfort level.
All throughout the 15 or so exercises she kept asking me how I was feeling and said to tell her if anything hurt or didn't feel comfortable. She reiterated to me that it shouldn't hurt. I may feel muscle pulling a bit, but that at no time should I feel any bone pain or anything that felt 'wrong'. She urged me to really listen to my body.
I really liked her and felt a connection with her and her student assistant. The assistant was a hoot and we had many giggles throughout my session. Any time laughter can be a part of healing, I'm a happy girl. :)
So, first PT session down. I have my diagrams of exercises I'm to do every day and I'll see the PT again on Thursday and then again twice next week. I see my OS the following Monday, so we'll see what he thinks and hopefully he'll see progress. :)
Oh, and they have the most wonderful ice packs at the physical therapy place. They're huge...about the size of couch throw pillows and they're soft. After my session the PT had me lie down, put a wedge under my legs and popped two of those ice packs on my hips for 15 minutes. It was blissful! :flwrysmile:

On we go.... :)
 
So glad your PT session went well:). You sound in good spirits!

Gracie.. OMG,!! She is just :wowspring:. I love love love her! I NEED her. Please wrap and post her to me immediately . Big dogs are my one true love in life. They are such scardy-cats though, in my work I find its always the smaller dogs that have the "attitude", the big dogs are normally the gentle giants. I would love to give Gracie a huge hug. How lucky you are to be able to do that everyday:flwrysmile:
 
Thanks, @Kay9, I am feeling good and in good spirits. :)

I tried, friend. Gracie simply will not stand for being wrapped in brown paper, plus she kept eating the stamps. :groan:
So, in lieu of sending her to you she says 'Woof!' and sends cyber doggie cuddles. I imagine this is very much what she'd look like with antlers: :reindeerlights:

Take care! :)
 
@Hip Hip Hooray! oh my goodness...the difference is night and day between the other PT guy and this gal. She actually listens to me. What a concept! :wink:
I hope you are well, friend. :)
 
DeepBreath said:
Thanks, @Kay9, I am feeling good and in good spirits. :)

I tried, friend. Gracie simply will not stand for being wrapped in brown paper, plus she kept eating the stamps. :groan:
So, in lieu of sending her to you she says 'Woof!' and sends cyber doggie cuddles. I imagine this is very much what she'd look like with antlers: :reindeerlights:

Take care! :)
Click to expand...

Well @DeepBreath what self respecting female would want to be wrapped in BROWN paper...thats where you went wrong. Gracie deserves to be wrapped in pink paper with little diamante crystals on it. Try that? BROWN.??:no-fin:. Dont worry about putting stamps on, I can pay at this end. Problem solved:yes!:

Come to meeeeeeeeee Gracie:roseshwr: I wont make you wear antlers:nah:
 
@DeepBreath, I'm so happy PT is going well and that your therapist is encouraging you to really listen to your body and not do anything that is painful or uncomfortable that would hinder your progress. It sounds like you really struck gold with this one and I have a good feeling that you are going to see marked improvement in the coming days. The student assistant sounds like a hoot and you know what they say about laughter being the best medicine....I'm sure the giggles makes the PT sessions much more enjoyable also. Keep up the great work, you are on your way!

ooh, I LOVE the new Christmas emoticons! I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!!
:santaclap::gbh::chris-win::santa hug::reindeerlights::tree:
 
DeepBreath said:
@Hip Hip Hooray! oh my goodness...the difference is night and day between the other PT guy and this gal. She actually listens to me. What a concept! :wink:
I hope you are well, friend. :)
Click to expand...

I'm so glad. That way you will feel safe and relaxed. Emotions are such a big part of healing. I think you were wise to wait before beginning it, too. It seems like this recovery has been much more comfortable for you than the last one. Merry Christmas!
 
@Kay9, well, now you've done it. Gracie is very happy with the idea of pink, sparkly paper and going on a UK adventure! :reindeer:

@Hipster Girl, yes, I am feeling pretty good about this PT. It's all a learning process. I worked with another gal yesterday who was bright and energetic. She did some soft tissue massage on me that felt wonderful. I did a few minutes on the recumbent bike and don't think I'll be doing that again for a little while. I did a bit of it, but it hurt, so I stopped and told the PT that it was pain I was not comfortable with. She noted it and said, "You have to listen to your body".
I hope you have a wonderful day, friend. :) :tree: (SO loving the Christmas emoticons!)

@Hip Hip Hooray! you are so right about emotions being a huge part of healing. If your mind is in the right place it's easier for your body to follow. You are also correct about this recovery being easier than the last. I'm not sure if it's because of the lack of femur fracture or just knowing more about the process, but this one is different.
Have a terrific day, friend! :dancing:

@3rd Dislocation, thank you! I'm glad you enjoy my posts because I sure enjoy yours. You have an incredible spirit and although you've gone through really tough times, your sweet spirit shines through! I am sending out prayers that 2016 is your year and that it sees many improvements, questions answered, and solutions found.
I hope your day is amazing. :box:


:merry christmas: to all my Bone Smart friends! Many good wishes going out for you today and every day. :treestar:
 
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Hi @DeepBreath glad to "see" you. I have a feeling the forum will be very quiet today.

Good plan on nixing the recumbent bike. You did good to listen to your body. I read somewhere that the upright bike might be preferable to a recumbent bike for us hippies and cause less stress on the hips.

The soft tissue massage sounds wonderful but I am curious - does it help to break up scar tissue or is it for something else? Just wondering if that is something I should request once I start outpatient PT?

Hope you have a wonderful day today with your family! I'm looking forward to watching some of the old holiday classics on my DVR today. I saw someone driving around with the Abominable Snowman on the front of his truck and thought of your avatar, ha
:reindeerlights:
 
Hi @DeepBreath, I didn't like the recumbent bike, either. I tried it for 10 mins. 2 weeks after my surgery, and boy did I pay for it. (It didn't hurt at the time, but I was in a lot of pain the next day.) I use the stationary bike with a high setting for the seat. (at 8.) I waited a while before trying it. (I think it was 4-6 weeks after the surgery.) I'm glad you were able to say no to the PT.
 
@Hipster Girl, I have definitely determined to listen to my body and respect the Bone Smart wisdom of 'This is a marathon, not a sprint'. If it hurts unduly and unnaturally, then I'm not going to do it. Thank goodness for all that I've learned here.
Regarding the soft tissue massage, she concentrated on my quads, which are very tight (I think because my surgeon lengthened me a bit...he said my quads would likely be quite tight). She didn't really touch my scars.
I have been using Vitamin E oil on my first THR scar since my OS recommended it, as well as massaging it lightly. The first of the month I am going to order a roller that @CricketHip recommended to me to help with the scar tissue). It was relaxing and really did make those tight muscles feel better as I did my exercises.
Aww, about the Abominable Snowman! I love the Bumble. I saw the cutest Bumble stuffed toy recently and thought, "I want that!" What I'd do with a Bumble toy I'm not sure though. LOL :)
I hope you had a great day. :gbh:

@Hip Hip Hooray! Boy, you are kidding about the recumbent bike. It hurt for the few minutes I attempted it, but the pain eased off as soon as I stopped. Later that evening I could sure feel it though. That was the real deciding factor for me to resolve not to try it again for some time. The stationary bike makes more sense to me. That semi reclining position and then having my feet up was not a good thing.
I'm happy that the PT people are so open about listening to me. If they were drill sergeants I could see myself losing patience very quickly. It made me think about what you said about how valuable it would be to work with somebody who has actually had a THR. That would be awesome.
I hope your day was wonderful. :candle:
 
Hi @DeepBreath, thanks, that's really good information on the soft tissue massage - that will help me in asking about it when I start outpatient PT. That is too funny about the Bumble toy and I can understand you wanting to buy it. Every now and then I will find something that I "have to have" and then later I will ask myself what on earth am I going to do with it, ha

I do think the reclining position the recumbent bike forces us to be in is what kind of raises red flags. I remember last year before I had any inkling I would need THR, I tried PT and every session started out with 5-7 minutes on the recumbent bike and I would be in absolute agony that evening. I hadn't found this site yet and was too trusting of the PT thinking he wouldn't allow me to do anything that would hurt or be harmful, and so I did things I probably shouldn't have done in hindsight and I suffered because of it.

It was hard enough before surgery but now after THR, it just doesn't seem like a good idea to put the feet up like that. I agree it would be great to work with someone who actually had gone through their own THR. That would make a huge difference.
I hope you have another great healing day today! :flwrysmile:
 
@Hipster Girl, thank you. :) I hope you have a great, healing day as well. Yesterday I gave myself the day off from my exercises since I was up on my feet so much moving around and cooking. I'm back at it today though. I'm very pleased at how much easier they are day by day.
I had to smile at your 'have to have it' comment. Last year I saw something called a 'Cute Tea' (I'll attach a picture). It is so doggone cute and I searched for a ready made one or even a pattern, to no avail. This is one of those 'I want that!' things that I really don't need though. :)

[Bonesmart.org] Deep Breath Reporting for Recovery Duty
 
Hi @DeepBreath, That is so cute! Yeah, for me I had to bend my knees too far on the recumbent bike. My physical therapist in the hospital told me to use that one, but it felt wrong. With the upright bike, and a high seat, there's no strain for me. (with no resistance.) Now I'm using it at 2.

Glad to hear you gave yourself a day off. Those rest days are very valuable. @Hipster Girl, That's interesting that you had trouble with the recumbent bike, too. I think what I've learned from this whole experience is that you don't know how it feels unless you've had the surgery. And, we all respond uniquely. It's wise to go slowly and to be cautious.
 
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