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THR Diary of my journey to happy times

I loved your lonesome little sprout! I saw the story about it a bit ago and found it hilarious! My kids grew up on them because it might just be my favourite veggie. A few years ago my youngest son suddenly declared he hates them and then at Xmas this year, my husband declared the same!!! I don't get people suddenly changing their minds like that and may have to consider divorce after 31 years of my hubby apparently lying to me!! :happydance:
 
Klassy said:
We thought of someone in the grocery HQ carefully picking it out and bagging it and putting it on the scales and thinking “yup, I hate em too, but you gotta make an effort”.
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Love it! Your thought process is as good as the single Brussels Sprout :heehee: Poor lonely ol thing.
I do like them by the way, yummy! My kids hated them, I think they viewed them as punishment.
Hope you're having a good weekend!
@Klassy
 
Day 40, gosh, that’s quite a big number now I write it down. Seems like no time since I was excited by a 2 week anniversary.

Sunny again. Have to make the most of it while it lasts, as the meteorologists keep threatening a “Beast from the East” like we had last year. Which is what we soft Southern English call a few days of snow. So we went back to the seaside where I had my first outing on Day 16, for another stroll along the promenade. It was, as I expected, much easier this time, but it still wasn’t as much easier as I expected, if you know what I mean. I have absolutely nothing to complain about. As @Shine533 said on her thread I don’t feel like I’ve been hit by a truck, all is going well, but I keep wanting it to go quicker! I had no expectations before surgery of how long it would take to resume normal life. I didn’t book anything in my diary for 2019, just cleared my slate so it could take as long as it took. Yet still I am impatient!

I read on someone else’s thread some wise words which I am trying to live by. I can’t remember the exact wording but the gist is that our minds want to do something to hurry along the healing, but the body is in charge. The best we can do is not get in its way.
 
My 6 week anniversary, yay! I was like a little kid on my birthday today, I remember jumping out of bed on an early birthday and insisting on being measured on our wall chart to see how much I had grown, now that I was a whole year older. Answer of course was nothing since the day before. Well, 6 decades on, I’m not jumping out of bed (just yet) but I’m no wiser. I eased out of bed, put my weight gently onto the operated leg, and... felt exactly the same as yesterday.

It got me wondering why 6 weeks had been built up in my mind as such a milestone. I suppose there is the 6 week follow up with surgeon, mine is 4 days away. I reviewed the literature I got from the hospital pre-op: wear Ted stockings for 6 weeks. I beat that one, hah! Got rid of mine at 3 weeks. Checked the NHS guidelines: “How long before I am back to normal?”: “Generally, you should be able to stop using your crutches within four to six weeks and feel more or less normal after three months, by which time you should be able to perform all your normal activities.” Geez, I still need at least one crutch, now I feel like a failure. Ah well. That’s them, this is me. And certainly I could stop using my crutches right now, easy. Just stay in bed.

So, one day at a time, or two actually since I didn’t update yesterday. Day 41 and 42 were excellent days. My husband had to go away, he left early yesterday and won’t be back till late this evening. His first overnight trip away was on Day 30 and I felt very vulnerable. This time I was far more confident. I coped with lots of things that H has been doing, eg getting to the birdbath with a jug of hot water to melt the ice ( frosty mornings here). H made me promise to take no risks, and I knew he thought it was risky for me to leave the house, but I looked out at a sunny day and thought, if I fall over in the street at least someone will find me quickly. So off I went for my first solo stroll. Today I went again, a bit longer, right round the block, that’s 0.7 miles. It took 35 minutes, so 1.2 mph. Which is still very slow, but an improvement. We did that circuit before and averaged 1.0 mph with a cafe stop half way, this time was nonstop.

Re the crutches: it is a few days since I successfully walked “unaided” in the sense that I took 20 steps holding crutches an inch off the ground. Since then I have tried it but felt I was lurching. So I have decided not to try for a bit. Is my surgeon going to be disappointed to see me walk in with 2 crutches? Why am I even asking this? That stupid need for approval.
 
My surgeon apparently will not be pleased when I go back at 12weeks for my follow up as he insists on 2 for 12wks @Klassy
Personally I think like me you will just gradually find yourself forgetting to use them then suddenly realise what you have done :happydance:
Ps no need to please others just yourself
 
Hi Klassy :hi:
Happy Six Week Anniversary! You're doing fine.
It's so easy to be dissatisfied with our progress but when you think about the length of time you'll
have the implant and what your body took on through surgery, you're still in the very early days of
Recovery, with a long way to go.

I'm sure your surgeon won't be disappointed to see you walking with crutches. Hopefully he offers you re-assurance and an idea how you can move beyond using an assistive device, IF, you're really bothered by it.
I hope you have a great visit with him on Friday. Let us know how it goes, if you feel like sharing.
Please read the articles below, even if you already have. I think they'll put things in perspective.
A peaceful evening to you!

https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/where-are-you-in-thr-recovery.13960/
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/activity-progression-for-thrs.13187/
@Klassy
 
Thanks @Cathippy . I rated your post funny because of that emoji, so apt. Yes I have come close to forgetting my crutches, so I guess I’m getting there. Slightly different, but similar... I was putting on moisturiser this morning, I can reach my right calf but have a longhandled applicator for the left, operated, leg. I reached for the applicator then realised I had already absentmindedly done the left leg. I thought oops, not supposed to bend that far, but then I thought I’m at 6 weeks and I didn’t get a twinge, so must be ok. I think it was Bone-obo who said he’d decided recovery is a series of forgetting, you forget to take the pain meds, forget to sleep on your back, forget the cane, and one day we’ll forget we ever had a hip replacement.

@Layla , wise words as always. I had read the articles but really enjoyed reading them again. Particularly the first one could have been written specially for me right now, It’s so good to know it’s normal to feel this way.
 
Day 43. When it’s going badly, I turn to Bonesmart for comfort and my wise friends here reassure me it is only temporary and will go away. And lo and behold it does. So if I tell you it’s going well, I hope I’m not going to jinx myself! But I’ll risk it.

Today I had that big improvement I was hankering for yesterday. I’m not up and about without crutches, but I really feel like I have turned a corner and it won’t be long. Yesterday I did a lot of walking, outside and also at home, and I thought I might feel sore today, but I woke up feeling great. I had a little trial of lying on my non operated side. That felt fine, even without a pillow between legs. Now I’ve been worrying about the walking not happening, and wondering if I was holding myself back by not doing exercises to strengthen my abductors in particular, so I browsed in the library to see if there was anything relevant. I found this article https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/side-lifts-after-thr-why-cant-i-do-them.14887/ and since I was already lying on my side I thought I’d give it a go. And I could lift my operated leg! Not very high, and I stopped at two so as not to overdo it, but it reassured me that my muscles do know what to do.

Then I got out of bed fully expecting to feel some discomfort from yesterday, but the only part that was sore was my right hand from over gripping. I turned the crutch around so it was working more like a cane. Much less stable, but I was fine with it, and it removed all the hand pain. Since all was going so well, I tried out the physio exercises. Not the last set, way too fierce, but the ones she gave me at Week 3. Easy now! Well, except standing on my operated leg. I could do it with very little support, but still needed one hand on the kitchen counter for balance. But I found I could raise my hand for brief moments, so that is something I can work on. No twinges, all good.

We are having such a spell of good weather, even my geraniums in the front garden are still blooming despite frosts. So another trip to the coast. The sky was blue, the sea was blue, the air was fresh. This time we took the coastal path, nice smooth paved surface but some hills which I hadn’t tried till now. We walked for 40 minutes. I could feel it in my leg muscles, but in a good way. And after we drove home I wasn’t even stiff from the drive. I could potter round with my “cane” comfortably.

And it’s lovely having husband home again.
 
Congratulations! Aren't those moments of improvement exciting.

But how did you manage to miss the snow and rain and chills of yesterday? Although you are right- my geraniums are also still blooming.
 
Oh YAY!:egypdance:
Your easy does it approach will certainly get you there quicker, which was so in my experience.
So glad to hear that your journey to happy times is going well.
Hope your day is SWEET!:flwrysmile:
 
All sounds positive to me! I was interested to hear about the OS who recommended staying on crutches for three months. If they are the elbow rather than the under the armpit ones this is a good thing as it takes the pressure to “perform@ off the patient and encourages good gait. Those changes will continue and, one day, you will surprise yourself with the little unaided walks that turn into bigger ones.

My body really did decide to take its time with me but now there is very real progress. I still get achy if I overdo it but recognise the signs!

Onwards xx
 
Hi @LdnFizz . We were lucky in this corner of Kent yesterday. Today we have snow and rain, and presumably chills but I ain’t going out to find out!

Yes @SurreyGirl, it’s good to see how well you are doing now after a rocky start. And I take great comfort from @Cathippy having an OS who actually wants 2 crutches for 12 weeks. It really takes the pressure off. It bugs me a bit that the NHS site is so upbeat. Given that the NHS are using the waiting list as a rationing tool, and the government likes to refer to THRs as “elective surgery”, as if being able to walk and work or contribute to society is some sort of luxury choice, I don’t see why they want to go for the hard sell.
 
What a great update, Klassy. I'm happy for you. I sense your fresh feeling of optimism.
The moments when we realize - hey, I actually think this is going to be good - are the best!
They give us hope, reknew our energy and spur us on. You're on your way and your slow and easy approach is paying off. Keep doing what you're doing.
Have a wonderful rest of the day!
@Klassy
 
Klassy said:
Hi @LdnFizz . It bugs me a bit that the NHS site is so upbeat.
Click to expand...
I agree - the website says "Generally, you should be able to stop using your crutches within four to six weeks and feel more or less normal after three months, by which time you should be able to perform all your normal activities." As a reasonably quick healer I think I comfortably satisfy "perform all your normal activities" at three months but I am a long, long way from feeling back to normal - a couple of fitness instructors I know say it took more than a year to be back to normal after their THRs.

The NHS does seem to be a bit of a lottery - maybe I was lucky - took just 2 weeks to get a consultation in August and had the operation in October. But my hip was a mess according to the OS (and I had undergone a lot of physio with BUPA) so there was no discussion about alternative options.
 
Happy 3 months anniversary @HertsHippy , I see that your new hip is exactly 3 months old today! Interesting to hear that even fitness instructors can take a long time to get back to normal. Or, looking at it in a more positive way, that improvement continues to happen for a year or more. Having said that, I guess the fit active people have the most regaining of strength and flexibility to achieve for full recovery. If I was a frail 99 year old and had become used to shuffling round the house and the simplest tasks taking ages to complete, then I might think I was pretty much back to normal already.

Day 44 and I haven’t much to report, which is fine. I did forget my crutch a couple of times, though I hadn’t got far before I noticed, and then I could only totter very nervously back to where I’d left it. I practised balancing on my operated leg ( taking inspiration from @HertsHippy‘s thread) and managed it for 10 seconds. I think it’s useful to work on that, because once I am confident standing on one leg I should be confident walking. I took a long look at our staircase and it is suddenly looking a lot less like Everest. I’m not going to rush that, as I don’t want to find myself at the top unable to get down. I did however venture to use the set of steps we have in the kitchen for me to access the upper cupboards ( shorty that I am), so that was one more small step back to normal life.
 
Wow! You're gutsy getting on the kitchen steps. I hang on for dear life on those and if what I am trying to reach is not breakable I use long handled tongs to knock it down :rofsign:

The steps to our master are not much better than my inlaws in Wales. Typical 3 up, 3 down attached and I will not be rushing up ours either! Overall, I think you are making wonderful progress! I think all that sea air helps :)
 
Re the NHS website. I find it very frustrating as the management at work seem to use it as a template for recovery - therefore putting unrealistic expectations on their employees! A stress free recovery is an ideal and feeling guilty that one could not measure up to the “NHS guidelines for recovery” certainly put me under a lot of stress at the time.
 
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