THR Diary of my journey to happy times

[myglasshalffull]

Wow that’s one crazy experience. Even here in US the medical community struggles. I think so many hospitals and practices have gone “corporate “ and have forgotten their responsibility to treat patients. My son & son in law are both in medical field and have become very disenchanted with their careers. But there’s bills to pay so they keep on keeping on.
And a lot of what does go on is due to the health insurance not wanting to pay for various testing. Even my dentist is disgusted. When I receive my statement for a cleaning she may have billed $225.00 and lucky if they reimburse her $50!
I say it all the time, our healthcare system is broken and needs to be overhauled.
Too much power for the insurance companies.
My Dad always said it’s no coincidence that the biggest buildings in major cities belong to insurance companies. So true.

 

[Newhip_Pol]

Hi Klassy,
So pleased to hear you are gradually getting better. NHS admin is definitely a nightmare. With Hubby and myself both still in post-op phase as well as ages for various vaccines we are being inundated with letters and automated reminder phone calls, some of which are contradictory. Happily, as you say, once you get there the actual clinical work and nursing care is generally excellent.
Best wishes for your ongoing recovery.

 

[Klassy]

Thanks for dropping by @Newhip_Pol . I have just browsed through your 2 threads which made interesting reading. I hadn’t realised TAR was even a thing. I have turned my ankle a number of times over the years, in similar situations to yours, sprained it so badly once that I was screaming the place down, but always self healing in time. I now realise how lucky I was to escape with just a sprain.

I already knew I was v v v lucky that I had savings to pay for two THRs. Poor you waiting over 2 years for your TAR. I had thought the NHS was doing a bit better in Scotland than here in England, but apparently not.

Never mind, you got through the wait and it sounds like recovery is going well. Best wishes to you and your hubby.

 

[Newhip_Pol]

Thanks @Klassy

 

[Deni444]

Oh my Such a mixed bag with the NHS but your experience at your local GP is so similar to mine in terms of just getting seemingly simple administration wrong. Yet at the same time there are some really good people there too.

I'm glad to hear you continue to make progress and that your hubby is having a good trip!

 

[Layla]

But hey-Ho, getting better all the time, Tula snuggled at my side, dog walker due in 30 minutes, husband enjoying his visit to his family. Some great stuff on the TV. Life is good.

All good and hubs will be home soon also! I bet he'll be happy to see the progress you've made since he left.
Have a great week!

 

[Klassy]

Even more on the plus side, now Day 16, I am definitely improving! I am naturally taking bigger steps with my crutches, and getting out of bed is less painful, though still hard to get back in. And last night I literally turned a corner, in that I was able to roll onto my good side and sleep there for a few hours, instead of on my back which was previously the only comfy position.

That was my most recent comment on my condition. It is now Day 20 since The Fall. It’s helpful to have this record, because I can see I am making progress. It’s easy to overlook that and just focus on the frustrations of the moment. In 4 days I have gone from “Oh so happy! Nothing broken!” to “Heck this is taking a long time. When oh when will I be back to normal?”

So let’s take stock

I still need two crutches and can only walk very slowly, only around the house, but my steps are longer and I am leaning less heavily on the right (good side) crutch. Just as well, because I was beginning to develop serious pain in my right upper body from pressing down on the crutch.

At the beginning, the whole of my left side was an undefined mass of moderate pain, with jabs of sharp pain appearing in varying places when I moved. When I moved from sitting to standing, there was a point I had to push through in straightening up which caused acute pain, mostly in the front crease where the leg joins the body, and in lower back. Now I can move from sit to stand with no pain in the front, and only moderate pain in the back.

Even a few days ago, it was a huge struggle to get in or out of bed, ie the transition from lying on my back to sitting with feet on the floor, and vice versa. The left leg didn’t want to move. I had to lift it with my hands, haul on the bedclothes, rock to get momentum, have to abandon the process part way through and start again, etc. It was a real performance. And now, it’s still a bit painful but the left leg is doing some of the work. It’s still slow but much much faster than it was.

The parts that are painful are becoming more defined. I am trying to observe.

Yesterday, when I walked with crutches, it was like this: Standing still with feet level, weight on both feet and light weight on crutches, no pain. Move left leg forward, no pain. Increase load on left leg (and on right crutch) and move right leg forward , pain in lower left back peaking after the right leg passes the left and stopping as the right leg takes full weight. As left leg comes forward level with the right leg, pain in the front where leg joins body.

When resting flat on my back after this, the pain was only in my lower back, and gradually disappeared.

Today it’s a bit different. Lower level of pain while walking, but a nasty sort of twang inside the left joint as left leg moves. Like an internal rubber band catching momentarily on something it is sliding over. And now that I am lying down to rest, the pain is entirely inside the front of the left joint, and slowly reducing.

I think maybe it’s a good thing that the focus of pain changes. If I had solely lower back pain I would assume I had torn something in the muscle attachment or ligaments there. But if the pain moves around, maybe it’s just general bruising and inflammation that needs a bit more time to settle down.

 

[benne68]

I think maybe it’s a good thing that the focus of pain changes.

That's what my physical therapist has told me. It's also been my experience in this latest recovery. It's a good idea to continue monitoring for changes. Just keep in mind that soft tissue injuries can take 10-12 weeks to heal.

 

[Klassy]

Thanks for the confirmation @benne68 . 10-12 weeks, sigh. Never mind, I shall be patient and the time will pass.

 

[BlueSkiesHere]

Oi Voy! Thought I'd come over and visit your page since you've so kindly visited mine. What a saga! I guess you do know about letting the body slowly heal and having patience.
Reading of the medical drama - isn't it so frustrating to be in pain and seeking healing and have to navigate medical issues? I guess your system has its quirk as does ours. I'm so grateful x-rays and scans are easier to acquire in our system. Though it can be quite expensive here, too. Like you - when it comes to pain and healing, we find the money. It's a priority. Health is so pressure.
Hang in there, my friend. I'll cheer you on, also.

 

[Klassy]

Husband is home, hooray!

 

[Layla]

Yippie Skippie! Woohoo! Hip Hip Hooray!
Is he impressed by your progress? Hope so.
Have a great Thursday, Klassy!
@Klassy

 

[Debru4]

Oh my---just reading your saga has stressed me out. Kudos to you for maintaining your positivity and composure through all of those bumps in the road! As @myglasshalffull mentioned, it is much easier for most people in the US to get an Xray, although getting in to see a specialist can often take more time. I am always struck by the differences between medical access/care in different countries. That's one of the things I've always appreciated about Bone Smart---being able to communicate with, and learn about, people all over the world, sharing these common experiences! So glad you feel you have turned a corner and things are improving. I'll keep sending positive thoughts your way. Hopefully we will both stay on our feet and avoid any more falls!

 

[Newhip_Pol]

Have a great day @Klassy
Hopefully you can relax a little more now that Husband is home.
Best wishes to you both.

 

[myglasshalffull]

Happy to hear your husband made it home safe and sounds. But you had your Tula to snuggle with and I think our fur babies understand when we aren’t up to par. They are very instinctive.
Hope you are feeling better each day!

 

[Klassy]

.. I think our fur babies understand when we aren’t up to par. They are very instinctive.

I think you are right. H was worried that Tula would badger me for attention and walkies in his absence, but she was really good about it and spending most of her time lying quietly. I had carefully laid plans for visitors that would ensure her 2 walks a day, but temporary sicknesses and misadventures among the expected visitors meant that she had to cope with a lot of time indoors, and she was very tolerant. But now that H is back she is on at him non-stop. I think her little doggy mind can understand a sore leg, but sympathy for jet lag is quite beyond her!

 

[Klassy]

Hi all

I am doing well. Yesterday I was walking and moving with less pain. I decided to try not taking painkillers so I could get a clearer idea of my state. That was fine during the day, very tolerable low level pain. But after going to bed, I just couldn’t get comfortable enough to sleep.

So I took a nefopam. That worked and soon I was sleeping like a log. A rolling log, it turned out. I went to sleep on my back, and woke up lying on my bad side. I hadn’t been game to try this while conscious. I had a slight ache that was new, in the quadricep area of my bad side. But once I changed position, that pain soon disappeared. So, very encouraging.

During the day today I have taken a reduced dosage of paracetamol. All good, walking much better, but still relying on two crutches.

I won’t push it, just wait till it feels right to do without. I am now thinking ahead to recovery, and avoiding Trendelenburg gait or similar. I sent a message to my GP practice today updating on my recovery so far and asking for physiotherapy. Also for a refill of nefopam, just in case. A doctor called back, has written a repeat prescription, and will refer me for physiotherapy at my local community hospital - the same place where they couldn’t do the X-ray! But conveniently close at least.

I am not hopeful of a quick appointment, given usual NHS waiting lists, but I thought I might as well ask.

I will also ask local contacts for recommendations for private physiotherapy. I am not sure if I am yet at the stage where I can face having someone unknown poke and prod and move things about. On the other hand, I figure it’s best not to leave it too long in case things settle into a bad shape.

Any thoughts?

 

[myglasshalffull]

Well you can try private PT & if it hurts don’t do it!
I’d go for a nice massage.

 

[Jamie]

Don’t rush into therapy. Your body will take a while to recover from your fall. I’d let things settle a bit more before doing anything but just some light exercises at home (like walking and stretching) until you are certain there is no other problem except for soft tissue pain. People sometimes say, “It’s just soft tissue injuries.” But that is no light matter. When you have a fall like you took with a hard impact, your body is extremely jarred. Recovering from that trauma can take much longer than you might think.

You’re doing a good job experimenting with pain meds and listening to the signals your body is giving you. Continue with that and give yourself lots of time.

 

[Klassy]

Good news. Seems I have been too harsh on our poor beleaguered NHS. They just got in touch and I am booked in with a physiotherapist in a week’s time, only 12 days after I requested it. I thought the wait might be months. I will be cautious about any recommended exercises, but I hope an exploratory session will be helpful in giving me an understanding of what is going on with my body.

I am a bit worse today and back on painkillers. The last couple of nights I have indulged myself by sleeping on my right side (good side). The first time was fine. This morning I woke up with a very sore left leg, including down the front quad muscle which hasn’t previously been much of a problem. I think the poor leg had been working all night to stay balanced on top while I snoozed on obliviously. I will revert to back sleeping for now.