THR dgojill RTHR Recovery Side

[dgojill]

Easy and positive 2 week checkup today with the PA at my OS office. X-rays show all is well, but it was disconcerting to see and is taking a little time for me to integrate all the metal - and the screws which = screwdriver, hammers, and the like. Bandage was removed. Very obvious that I'm living in a meat suit! A discussion re: dislocation left me with a visceral sense of just how the entire construction project was accomplished. I'll be having flashes of those images in my mind's eye for a while!
I'm officially released from compression hose!
Beyond grateful for how well recovery is progressing and permission to expand activity as I wish.
Got home, iced and napped for a couple hours. Heavenly!

 

[Mojo333]

Great to hear follow up went well and you could ditch the dreaded TEDS.

A discussion re: dislocation left me with a visceral sense of just how the entire construction project was accomplished. I'll be having flashes of those images in my

Yes, I went into my surgery without delving too much into the semantics, and after the fact was rather shocked when I also got a bit of a play by play along with a look at the Hana table that was used.
Knowing the construction details Does, however, should reinforce the need to baby our bodies for a while.
Glad that the surgeon was able to do what he did and get back to a happy healthy life.
Hope you have a sweet Saturday.

 

[dgojill]

Thanks, @Mojo333 for the sweet weekend wishes! It was a great Saturday - sunny and warm for this time of year. Healing is proceeding as well as my surgeon prognosticated, supported by lots of rest, elevation and icing. Slowly by slowly, the inflammation, swelling and stiffness are abating. My mantra when walking outside each day is heel, toe, heel toe, heel, toe, which makes a huge difference. Even the smallest gains - like being able to (somewhat) comfortably lie on my non-op side with the between the legs pillow- feel awfully good. Today I folded up the walker and put it away until it's time for my husband to have his first (R) hip replaced, ideally in March. For now, he's my caregiver, cheerleader and chef. I think I'll keep him!

 

[FCBayern]

For now, he's my caregiver, cheerleader and chef. I think I'll keep him!

Having a loving supportive caregiver makes recovery a lot easier. The folks that pull it off alone are amazing to me. sounds like things are headed the right direction @dgojill

 

[Layla]

Today I folded up the walker and put it away

Best day ever! Well, that’s an exaggeration, but I hated that clunker. Made me feel old, lol.
Thankfully your recovery is going well. Hubs is watching and I‘m guessing a difficult recovery wouldn’t help the cause (his upcoming THR) I hope he will join us here also, or you’ll keep us updated on his surgery recovery. You‘re a pleasure to communicate with.
Enjoy the day!

 

[dgojill]

Yes! Headed in the right direction feels great @FCBayern and @Layla. Did a little too much yesterday at PT - it felt good at the time! Extra icing with my buddy, Ossur ColdRush, satisfies. Ossur, along with lots of sizes and different densities of pillows makes for customized comfort. The best part of the day was getting good news from work. They want to use my latest Math lesson framework (recorded the day before my surgery), as a district model. That put me on Cloud 9! That said, I don't miss the grind of teaching at all.
Hanging with Ossur for now, then will take a little walk outdoors with Hubs and the dogs. It's fascinating learning more each day about what my body can/can't do and about the edges of my envelope.

 

[FCBayern]

Great to hear that you are feeling better @dgojill now just be careful of the Over Did It Club (ODIC) it's very easy to join the club by doing too much today and paying the price tomorrow. Our hips never seem to tell us at the time we are doing too much, but the next day.....

 

[dgojill]

I hear you re: ODIC @FCBayern! I came close to that edge on 12/8 and have great respect for it. My dude, Ossur ColdRush, makes everything so much better! No more PT until next week, and I'm grateful for the break. Still walking (with supervision of Hubs) a slight uphill/downhill each day on our asphalt and smooth dirt road. I notice a gain in sensation and flexibility every time. Hubs takes a snippet of video of each day's walk, which helps me see progress and evaluate my gait. As ever, I'm so grateful for my skilled surgeon, who I now refer to as 'Santa Lucas' (Lucas is an anagram for Claus), and his team's great care/support. The new hip is proving to be a fab Christmas gift!

 

[dgojill]

Wow! The tyranny of back sleeping/lounging has ended! I can roll over and spend a little time relaxing on either hip, so long as I keep a pillow between my legs…
I put on Sorel boots* yesterday, grabbed my trekking poles and enjoyed the powdery, soft snow. What a treat!

* Hubs dug them out, tied them (no small feat), and supervised my adventure. Someday, it will be all me do.

BTW, with the advent of true winter conditions, the skin on my legs (especially the surgical one), is beyond lizard/alligator territory. Any suggestions for a lotion or cream that's even higher test than, say, Eucerin Intensive repair?

 

[Layla]

Hi @dgojill
A belated Happy One Month Anniversary!
Hip hip hooray for side sleeping. An early goal for many. It certainly was for me.
Glad you enjoyed a walk in the new fallen snow.

As far as moisturizers go, I’ve never tried Eucerin. Some of my faves are Gold Bond, Hempz, Trader Joe’s Coconut Body Butter and I love Philosophy Body Butters also. All seem to quench my skins dry spells. Best of luck in finding one that works well for you.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas as you continue healing.

 

[dgojill]

Yes! It’s been a month @Layla! Thanks for thinking of me and the reminder to celebrate.Recovery keeps going well thanks to my being lazy enough to refrain from overdoing. The only health issue I’ve had was a (snotty) cold that kept me down last week, but has not affected my progress. PT is actually fun, since I was blunt enough to let them know on my first visit that I would never do anything that caused pain. Once we got that out of the way, all has proceeded smoothly. My favorite part of each visit is 15 minutes of ice and the high-test electrical stimulation machine at the end. Each day my torso, hips and upper thighs are just a little more fluid, making my gait smoother. The best piece of advice I use each day is the emphasis on heel-toe walking. It truly makes a difference! For now, my next big goal is putting on my own R (operated side) sock and tying both my shoes! I will try some of your alligator-skin suggestions and let you know what works in the parched high-altitude Colorado winter air. Thanks again for your support, kindness, and hippy wisdom! Merry Christmas!

 

[Layla]

Hi
Well, another month has slipped on by. I hope you continue to enjoy steady progress. When you have time, please let us know how you’re doing. Will look forward to hearing from you.
Lots of happiness, love and peace to you in the New Year!
@dgojill

 

[dgojill]

Yes! A little over two months out - exactly 10 weeks tomorrow. I feel incredibly fortunate to be walking smoothly, enjoying tying my shoes, putting on socks, climbing a couple flights of stairs with ease, and hiking in the snow with trekking poles. Working full time is going well, without any more than the usual tiredness I had pre-surgery. My OS was right - my recovery has been minimally painful and even quicker than I had expected. Seeing me on the street, a person would never know I had a THR. Scheduling surgery before I became debilitated provided a strong foundation for my recovery. I'm thrilled with the results!

 

[djklaugh]

@dgojill Excellent update! Congratulations on your wonderful recovery!

 

[FCBayern]

Truly amazing to just walk down the street pain free isn't it @dgojill? Glad to hear you're doing great!

 

[Mojo333]

I am thrilled for you, my hippy pal.

 

[dgojill]

Thanks for all the hippy love! After a zinger of a week teaching, the affirmation from my fellow bionics feels good...
Next goal? A little dancing fun! I'll keep you posted...

 

[Mojo333]

After a zinger of a week teaching, the affirmation from my fellow bionics feels good...
Next goal? A little dancing fun! I'll keep you posted...

Affirmation and pride about your accomplishments, but with a small caveat about the need to still give yourself time after activity to rest and let those still healing soft tissues acclimate to your new hip.
Early days still, my friend and break dancing is definitely out for the first year.
Don't want to set yourself back by joining the dreaded ODIC (Overdit it Club)

 

[dgojill]

Wow! Three months out and feeling fine... Not break dancing yet but looking forward to Jazzercise next week after finishing PT on Thursday 2/25. I'm still enjoying icing after a tough day, but I'm now able to do almost everything I could pre-surgery. It's the last 10% that will take the longest - and that's fine with me.
Were I to offer any advice it would be to purchase an ice machine, use it at will, move as much as you can within reason and take naps whenever possible!

 

[Mojo333]

Great update @dgojill
Glad to hear you are doing so well.
Great advice, as well.
Hope the rest of your week is sweet.