THR Diary of my journey to happy times

[Klassy]

Thanks @CricketHip . Great to hear that you have two successes behind you.
And the good news is, we are bipeds . Upwards and onwards indeed.

 

[Klassy]

Day 18 was good. I found that I could manage with one crutch, which of course meant a huge increase in what I could do for myself, so I was able to deal with lots of little things around the house that had been niggling me. I was especially pleased to give the houseplants their first drink since the evening before my op.

I had looked back through this thread and saw that I took my first steps with single crutch on Day 16 last time, couldn’t on Day 17, and could from Day 18 onwards. I thought about having a try on this Day 16, but then I thought it would be silly to do it just to compete with myself. So I waited for it to come naturally, and that was once again Day 18. It is a bit spooky how parallel my two recoveries are so far.

 

[Klassy]

About preventing DVT. I’d be interested to hear the views of others. My experience so far…

Night 21, my compression stockings were driving me crazy. My shins were so hot and itchy. I felt like I was going to claw my skin off. Finally I cracked, and rolled the stockings down to my ankles, slathered my shins with lotion and at last got some sleep. In the morning I got my husband to take the stockings off and announced that I wouldn’t be wearing them any more. (Welcome news for him too, because he had to struggle to put them on for me). A day later, my shins are still scaly dry and itchy but much more comfortable and getting better.

I looked back through this thread to check how long I endured the stockings with Hip 1. I see that I got a message back from surgeon 1, on his return from holiday, with permission to discontinue use on Day 24, so must have sent a desperate request a little before then. So it seems that the discomfort level became extreme at about the same time, 3 weeks into the prescribed 6 weeks.

But I noticed that the permission from surgeon 1 was with the proviso “if no swelling”. I had much more swelling this op, and although it is much improved, some persists. That got me worrying about whether I was taking too much risk, so I did a bit of googling on the necessity of stockings. And found a couple of respectable sounding papers saying that stockings + anti-coagulant drugs did not offer measurably better protection than drugs alone.

So far, so reassuring. But then I worried, I had rejected the self-injection drugs for pills. Given how hard I had to work to persuade them to give me pills, and how horrible it is to jab oneself in the stomach every day, I assumed that the self-injections must be more effective, meaning that I had already reduced the level of protection.

More googling, and I found some studies comparing self-injections with the pill I was prescribed. The pill HALVED the risk compared to injections!!!

So why oh why oh why are the hospitals persisting in sending patients home with unnecessary and even inferior treatments that cause discomfort and real misery (at least to wimps like me)? I have now had THRs at 2 different private hospitals, run by 2 different companies, and the standard prescription from both was stockings plus self-injections. From what I have read the NHS seems to do the same.

 

[Bodie’sMom]

I wondered why the UK does this. In Canada we aren’t given compression stockings. I did have to take blood thinning pills for a month-Eliquis, I believe. I couldn’t imagine trying to get those on or off, as I live alone. It was bad enough, dragging my daughter out twice a week to change the bandage for a couple of weeks. Correct me, if I’m wrong, but I don’t think the US does it, either?

 

[Layla]

Klassy,
I understand your frustration with those awful compression stockings. My OS prescribes the same and they are hateful. I couldn’t stand them and after two weeks of twenty hours a day (he allows for a heavenly four hour reprieve out of each twenty four hours) I called the office to beg for an end to the annoyance they brought to my life. My surgeons PA said they are happy if patients only wear them half of the time prescribed. Huh?!!! My assumption is that the docs assume people won’t wear them as often as prescribed, so they set the bar high, hoping you’ll wear them often enough.

In my time here, it seems that OS’s that request their patients wear them are in the minority. My guess is more don’t prescribe them, than do. If you’re mobile enough and on a blood thinner, I’d either decrease the time wearing them, throw them in the trash and crack open a bottle of champagne an event worth celebrating, right? Or get your surgeons permission to ditch them and have peace of mind that you’re adhering to his instruction.

Cheers to freedom from dry itchy legs and ugly Alice in Wonderland looking stockings!

 

[CricketHip]

Ironically, wasn’t prescribed the stockings at all, for either hip. I also was required to take only a baby aspirin daily.
There was strong encouragement to walk hourly and do foot pumps which I did religiously,,to the extent that my husband said I was pumping away in my sleep!

 

[Klassy]

It’s good to hear that some surgeons don’t prescribe them at all, it makes me feel better about breaking the rules. I like your thinking Layla that there may be a practice of overstrictness on the assumption that we won’t stick to it anyway. I was only supposed to have 30 minutes break in every 24and that is just not enough.

I decided not to ask permission this time, because whatever the answer, the stockings were not going back on. Although for some superstitious reason I haven’t thrown them in the bin. Perhaps because, for all their faults, this time they came in my favourite colour?!

I too am doing my foot pumps religiously, but not in my sleep! Impressive.

 

[Layla]

Perhaps because, for all their faults, this time they came in my favourite colour?!

Cute…and funny!
Stay mobile enough and follow your prescribed blood thinner protocol and you should be fine without them. A peaceful evening and weekend to you, Klassy!

 

[Magsmom]

Hmmmmm I have never been told to wear them for either hip or knee. I first tried xarelto for blood thinning pin 2019 with my TKR. But it had some side effects we (my Dr and I) didn’t like. We think it was not helping the ongoing stiffness I had. So he decided to keep it simple and put me on 1 reg strength aspirin (325 mg I think) twice a day. That’s also what Ive done for both hip replacements.

I did, however, wear compression socks when I was still working and flying all over the place esp the many long haul flights from NY to South America and back. My legs would still swell even though they were raised. So I also took a baby aspirin before every flight. The socks were admittedly not at all comfortable- but the fear of a DVT at 35,000 feet scared me more!

 

[Klassy]

That’s interesting @Magsmom. I think I may keep the stockings in case of future flying. Certainly better than DVT at 35000 feet! I didn’t find them uncomfortable at first, it was the continuous wearing for weeks that got to me.

My pills are also xarelto, and what you said has sent me back to the leaflet to check side effects. I have at least 3 of them, not severely, but still… I recall that last time when I wanted to stop the self injections I was put on baby aspirin instead. I’m going to contact the hospital and see what they say. Thanks for your input!

 

[Reanda]

Hi Klaasy, I live in the UK and like you I requested not to have injections and was given blood thinners without much argument. I was also given compression stockings to wear for 6 weeks. (blood thinners for 5 weeks). Living alone getting these socks on and off was impossible so often ended up wearing them 3 days in a row waiting for my daughters visit. A couple of times I was so fed up with them I used my dressing stick to lever them off! And almost broke the stick! At 4 weeks I'd had enough and rang the hosp and they agreed I could discontinue wearing them provided I complete the course of blood thinners. They said if I had asked them a few days earlier the answer would be no. Health authorities and surgeons do seem to differ on this and other aspects of care. Good luck in your recovery.

 

[Klassy]

Hi @Reanda , thanks for your comments. I am feeling good today so I might carry on with the thinners for now. And keep quiet about the stockings.

I just read your thread, a lot of what you describe I recognised from Hip 1. But you were a lot more independent than me at every stage. Of course it was more of a necessity for you than for me, as I have a very supportive husband. (Too supportive sometimes. I know it is churlish of me, but sometimes I have been a bit grumpy when he tries to stop me doing what I think I can manage. But also I have been a bit grumpy when Lady Muck’s orders have not been instantly attended too. And sometimes I am just grumpy. Poor hubby.). But still, necessity or not, I am impressed with your achievements.

I am interested that you mentioned both a dressing stick and a reacher ( or grabber). I have my trusty grabber, and use it to dress myself, but I’m wondering, what is a dressing stick?

 

[Reanda]

Hi Klassy, a dressing stick is a long handled stick (very sturdy) with a shoe horn at one end and 2 cleverly angled hooks at the other. I used the hook end to prise off my lower clothes, without bending down. I purchased it on Amazon. I found the grabbers not always strong enough to get socks off or trousers off especially if elasticated round the ankle. I became very adept with the dressing stick! (Grabbers good for pulling clothes up).
The other indispensable item was a pair of fleecy jogging bottoms with 4 deep pockets which even carried my lidded hot drinks!
Your supportive husband is to be valued!

 

[Klassy]

Pockets in the joggers, good idea. I have a sweatshirt with a pouch on the front which is very handy. The dressing stick does sound nifty. There are some people out there coming up with useful gadgets. One new one this time around was a leg lifter. Last time I was told to use a dressing gown belt to lift the bad leg eg to get in and out of bed. This time the hospital gave me a stiff loop on a pole device. It worked so much better, none of the frustration of trying to lasso my foot. I didn’t need it after the first few days once the leg got strong enough to lift itself, but I keep it to hand because it remains useful to fish for my grabber when it gets out of reach.

I have had a few days of steady improvement, gradually gaining flexibility, sleeping better. Pain well controlled by ice and rest, no pain medication at all on days 24 and 25. This morning, day 26, I began to feel a niggle near the top of my incision, and cut short my walk in the garden to lie down. All then seemed fine, I got up and had done just a minimal bit of pottering, getting myself a coffee, standing by the machine and planning to sit in a chair to drink it, when a jab of pain came so suddenly that I yelped. I hastened back to bed, ice and paracetamol.

I looked back through this thread and found: “Last night [end of Day 25] I had a stabbing pain around the area of my incision. Not a very bad pain, but new. Previously any pain has been a dull ache, and disappeared as soon as I lay flat. This was worse on walking, but was still there to some extent while lying down.” Exact same feeling, within 12 hours of the same time in recovery. The spooky similarities in my two recoveries continues to amaze me.

Last time I blamed myself for overdoing it. This time I have not been doing any of the physio exercises, and I have not been pushing up the level of walking and independence nearly as much as I did at this point last time. So not overdoing it. I am inclined to think it is a natural phase in the recovery, where the nerves wake up from their numbness and start grumbling.

 

[Layla]

I didn’t need it after the first few days once the leg got strong enough to lift itself, but I keep it to hand because it remains useful to fish for my grabber when it gets out of reach.

I used the handle of my cane to do this!! At that point you feel so pathetic, all you can do is laugh at yourself. Using one assistive device to fish for another.
I had one of those leg lifters also. I borrowed it from my mom or dads left over THR paraphernalia. That made me chuckle also as it looked like an invisible dog leash the way it was formed.

The spooky similarities in my two recoveries continues to amaze me.

The similarity of that stabbing pain on the same day is a crazy, Klassy.

So not overdoing it. I am inclined to think it is a natural phase in the recovery, where the nerves wake up from their numbness and start grumbling.

While healing you may experience sensations of tingling, pins and needles, itching, burning and even the feeling of a minor electrical shock. These are usually good signs that the nerves are spontaneously firing through the regeneration process.

Thanks for staying in touch. I’m sure many following behind appreciate your updates.
Always a pleasure to read and watch your progress. Hope your week is sweet.

 

[Klassy]

LOL @Layla , invisible dogleash is exactly what it looks like!

Very important question. Something I have forgotten how to do since Hip 1. How do I mark posts as helpful, friendly etc? I only see the Like button.

 

[Layla]

Tap / click on LIKE, but hold it down and the rest should pop up. Then tap / click on the one you want to use.
@Klassy

 

[Klassy]

Thanks!

 

[Magsmom]

5 weeks today for hip #2. This one seems so much slower.

I seem to get random pains that “pop up” all the time. Often, they don’t last long but it can be anything from my knee to my groin, butt cheek and anywhere in between. Seems random as I often have not been able to tie them back to anything in particular. I recognize the nerve stuff immediately- it’s very unique. I use gabapentin for that and it really, really helps. Otherwise alternating Tylenol/Naproxen-twice a day for each.

The foot grabbers are helpful - but I just flip the cane over and use the handle. The irreplaceable piece of equipment for me is the grabber! I never realized how klutzy I apparently am as I seem to drop alot of things. And bending over? Forget it…..for now. I don’t want that baby popping out even if the likelihood is remote.

 

[Elf1]

@Klassy you seem to be doing well, so happy for you. Love the various assistive devices we use, even if not meant for the purpose we use them.

I still have the leg lifter, which didn't really help me a lot, next to my bed. It's come in handy many nights when one of the cats locks themselves in the bathroom and I don't want to take my CPAP off and put it back on. I just lasso the door handle and pull down till it frees said cat!