Miss Muffet
post-grad
United KingdomGosh @Chihuahuan - that's a very classy piece of kit. And matches your Avatar!
THR Done, Dusted & Determined!
- Thread starter Nana2-8
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Nana2-8
senior
@Chihuahuan - my walker is just like yours....only RED!!! I still think it screams "old lady"!!!
Chihuahuan
graduate
Not at all --it's all in the mind
Nana2-8
senior
Here I am....sailing along smoothly....so well that I became distracted. While going into the kitchen barely pushing the walker ahead of me, looking out the window ( not down, as I usually do) the back right leg of the walker got caught, for the first time, on the room-size flat, thin rug. I know, I know, throw rugs must be removed! That's a no-brainier. Well, I lunged forward very slightly....unexpectedly...and ouch! Stupid rug! Stupid walker! Stupid window! Stupid leg!.....Stupid patient!!!!! Pay attention....or you pay a price! Thus, I laid really low, elevated, took a Tylenol, became very cautious again. I could have kicked myself...but I cant! Today, things seem to be better but will again be cautious all day.
Chihuahuan
graduate
@Nana2-8 Always a sign that you're feeling better --you let your guard down. I rolled over to my op-side in the night and felt this sharp stabbing pain mid thigh --felt as though a knife was being stuck in. Not nice -- went away immediately but sure reminded me that it's not the side to sleep on yet.
Miss Muffet
post-grad
So easy to take your eye off the ball. Partly due to feeling like your recovery is progressing. Sorry for the pain but hope you're less sore now ....?
Nana2-8
senior
Thanks for seeing the positive, Jen. I am making a list of questions for my follow-up next Monday, and one of those is: when can I sleep on my side? The op side. Seems somewhere, way, way back to my first appointment with OS, he said something like...."you can sleep on your side three days later". I have not tried it, things are going so well I don't want to upset the applecart ......I'll wait til I see him.
Miss Muffet
post-grad
Eeek it was something like 4 weeks for me before I could side sleep - I was posterior, not sure what you are so it may make a difference. But, as you say, best to wait and ask the expert.
Chihuahuan
graduate
@Nana2-8 @Miss Muffet I'm anterior. I slept on my non op side in the hospital --it just happened and as long as I had a pillow between my legs they were fine. Last night I rolled from my side onto back and kept going 
Strange that the stab was mid thigh
Sure woke me up -- no lingering pain afterwards.
Strange that the stab was mid thigh Sure woke me up -- no lingering pain afterwards.
Hipster Girl
graduate
@Nana2-8 just now getting caught up on your recovery thread and happy to hear you are doing so well! There was a trick that one of the techs used in rehab with the TED hose by using a plastic bag to put them on but I can't for the life of me remember exactly how it was done. I agree with another poster who said someone needs to make some youtube videos to show how to put those things on. 
I hope you are doing well since your mishap with the rug - you are so right, it is best to remove them completely just to be on the safe side. I also think you're doing the right thing to put off side sleeping until you see your doctor on Monday. Better to take the safe and cautious route after this surgery I think.
I can't wait to hear the positive report from your follow-up appointment on Monday! Have a great healing day today!
Nana2-8
senior
I just realized that I've been gallivanting around to others posts and hadn't updated mine! Had to find out what's happening in "the hood" of we 'recoveries in motion'. ~ Friday, felt good enough to shower (while hubby was still home) blow dry hair (ahhhh...clean hair/clean attitude!!!) full make up, regular....non-recovery, comfy-like...got lunch transferred from kitchen to family room, watched Olympics (for inspiration!!!).....and promptly felt exhausted....and took a nap! My aim was to suggest to Dh that we join our friends at the Club for dinner.....yeah, not so much! Instead, we ordered take-out from the Club......and pretended! Can't believe that I am still so easily tired! I'm convinced it's from pushing this dang walker around!!! If I could just kick that to the curb, I'd be off and running......well, let's be serious.....I'd be attached to the cane for a bit.....and not exactly running!
I so can't wait for my follow-up on Monday. I am anxious, but a little trepidatous, to see the incision sights and the two scars. I had the SuperPath (superior) method and I don't "think" I have any or much bruising...we'll see. I also hope to be allowed to drive again (tho getting in and out of the car will be tricky in our garage). I don't seem to have much swelling, tho admittedly I have not attempted to pull on a pair of jeans yet. I'm wondering about lifting things....and running the vacuum. All of this process has convinced me that should anything dire happen to me, DH would need to hire a weekly cleaning woman!!! Boy!!....is my tongue purple from the biting! This too shall pass. ~ I have to say, my leg and hip feels at its best when I am standing perfectly erect and tall....I feel a bit of strain if I find myself slouching over the walker. Tells me what strain I was putting on my poor hip prior to surgery....and strain on my whole body as a result!
As I've mentioned on others threads. this is our own personal Olympics.....and we're all Gold Winners!!
I so can't wait for my follow-up on Monday. I am anxious, but a little trepidatous, to see the incision sights and the two scars. I had the SuperPath (superior) method and I don't "think" I have any or much bruising...we'll see. I also hope to be allowed to drive again (tho getting in and out of the car will be tricky in our garage). I don't seem to have much swelling, tho admittedly I have not attempted to pull on a pair of jeans yet. I'm wondering about lifting things....and running the vacuum. All of this process has convinced me that should anything dire happen to me, DH would need to hire a weekly cleaning woman!!! Boy!!....is my tongue purple from the biting! This too shall pass. ~ I have to say, my leg and hip feels at its best when I am standing perfectly erect and tall....I feel a bit of strain if I find myself slouching over the walker. Tells me what strain I was putting on my poor hip prior to surgery....and strain on my whole body as a result!
As I've mentioned on others threads. this is our own personal Olympics.....and we're all Gold Winners!!
Ease into any lifting. Start small and work up slowly. I found lifting anything heavier than a normal shopping bag aggravated my new hips.
Probably possible at this stage but again - ease into this. Vacuuming requires a slight twisting action and a new hip may not be happy about that. Perhaps hubby needs to take lessons?
Nana2-8
senior
Nana2-8
senior
Follow-up appointment went very well! He said that when I feel that the walker is 'getting in my way' then it's time to transition away from it. Funny thing is, now that I have permission....I'm scared! I don't feel as secure with the cane. I relate it to a baby...transitioning from crawling to pushing something to learn to walk....(love those little knee-less wobbly legs!) ....but I also know babies take quite a few falls before everything translates to actual walking....and we all know the last thing we hippies want to do is FALL! I'm trying the cane a bit more today...but guess what? While using a cane with one hand, that means there's only one other hand! So, in order to move from the family room set up, to the library where this desk-top computer is.....I reverted to the walker....just so I could make one trip.....and bring along my glasses, my cell phone, my land-line phone, my portable radio, and most important....my Pepsi....in it's cup, with ice (and lid). Couldn't possibly do that with one hand using the cane.
So....back to the follow-up: have to wear the flattering white knee-hi for one more week...I'm OK with that since I feel that I eeked out of one week there (was told originally that it would be a month!!) He doesn't want me lifting anything heavier than a 'phone book'.....guess that means no cooking yet (hey, what little cooking I did, it was HEAVY!! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!) No emptying the bottom rack of the dishwasher. Still take stairs one step at a time, no foot over foot yet (y'all know what I mean)...and especially coming down the stairs....be very careful still (not that I have any urgent need to go upstairs for anything yet). Said I could sleep on my side with a small pillow between my legs. (Haven't tried that yet. I so can't wait to sleep on my left (operated) side) I'm allowed to drive...but again, am a bit afraid...so am waiting to 'practice' first with DH. Can't quite ditch the knee-highs yet....said I should wear them when we drive south in the fall (7 hours, then 11 hours). The really BIG DEAL was the revealing of my incision.....yes, just one...and only about 3"-3-1/2" long! The other 'dressing' was over the 'drain hole'. Minimal. I also asked about kneeling....as in, at church. He showed me how....but then we all agreed to just sit until I see him in mid-September (6 week follow-up) and to be sure, even if I tried kneeling, to resist the urge to slump back to the pew in a half sit/half kneel. That's a NO NO! Still no outside PT...just was told to gradually up my activity level and to listen to my body. I also asked him how my right hip looked.....said it's good for about 5 years....to which I said I could be gone by the time I'm 75...and he was quick to say "Hey, hey wait a minute....I just gave you one hip that's good for at least 20 years...let's put that one to the test" ~ ~ Oh, and much to my chagrin, he would like me to refrain from vacuuming until after I see him next! By then, the crumbs and threads and dust ought to be tripping me...walker, cane or barefoot!
So....back to the follow-up: have to wear the flattering white knee-hi for one more week...I'm OK with that since I feel that I eeked out of one week there (was told originally that it would be a month!!) He doesn't want me lifting anything heavier than a 'phone book'.....guess that means no cooking yet (hey, what little cooking I did, it was HEAVY!! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!) No emptying the bottom rack of the dishwasher. Still take stairs one step at a time, no foot over foot yet (y'all know what I mean)...and especially coming down the stairs....be very careful still (not that I have any urgent need to go upstairs for anything yet). Said I could sleep on my side with a small pillow between my legs. (Haven't tried that yet. I so can't wait to sleep on my left (operated) side) I'm allowed to drive...but again, am a bit afraid...so am waiting to 'practice' first with DH. Can't quite ditch the knee-highs yet....said I should wear them when we drive south in the fall (7 hours, then 11 hours). The really BIG DEAL was the revealing of my incision.....yes, just one...and only about 3"-3-1/2" long! The other 'dressing' was over the 'drain hole'. Minimal. I also asked about kneeling....as in, at church. He showed me how....but then we all agreed to just sit until I see him in mid-September (6 week follow-up) and to be sure, even if I tried kneeling, to resist the urge to slump back to the pew in a half sit/half kneel. That's a NO NO! Still no outside PT...just was told to gradually up my activity level and to listen to my body. I also asked him how my right hip looked.....said it's good for about 5 years....to which I said I could be gone by the time I'm 75...and he was quick to say "Hey, hey wait a minute....I just gave you one hip that's good for at least 20 years...let's put that one to the test" ~ ~ Oh, and much to my chagrin, he would like me to refrain from vacuuming until after I see him next! By then, the crumbs and threads and dust ought to be tripping me...walker, cane or barefoot!
See - I just knew hubby might need training. Take things very slow and easy. Don't be in a rush to transition to a cane. Do you have 2 canes? Might make the transition a bit easier. But you will know when it's time. Same with driving. Try a very short trip in an empty parking lot first. I think you will find all is well but it is a big "leap" in recovery.
Miss Muffet
post-grad
I used one of those really light backpacks they hand out at exhibitions for multiple items, or the waitress's apron with 3 pockets for phone/glasses/landline. You could put your drink in a sealable flask and pop it in the rucksack if that's any help?
I'd drag out the non-hoovering rule as long as possible if I were you ....
Nana2-8
senior
Oh @Miss Muffet you and I do think alike!! I suppose if I am thought to be capable of 'hovering' ( as you call it) then I must therefore be able to cook, clean toilets, grocery shop, do all the laundry, put it away, clean the floors, dust, ......good Lord.....before you know it, I'd be putting up the Christmas lights!! I think I'll make the grand gesture of pushing the swifter ahead of me. I'll wait until DH is here as a witness!
Wrknitout
member
DizzyBlond
senior
What a great report, girlfriend!!!! Since we only are going to go through this THR business once (or twice, depending on the condition of that other hip), I'm a firm believer that we should milk this procedure for all we can! No "hoovering," (isn't that such a great term for vacuuming?), and yes, I am in complete agreement - if you can't lift anything heavier than a phone book, then by all means you MUST stay out of the kitchen when it comes to meal preparation! You're right - one day you're fixing dinner, the next thing you know it WILL be the ladder, you and the Christmas lights! I'm so happy that you've been given the go-ahead for side sleeping - oh, that's going to feel SO wonderful!!!
It's all great news, Kathy!!! You're going to be all set and feeling fabulous when it's time to make the drive south!!!! xoxoxox
You're right - one day you're fixing dinner, the next thing you know it WILL be the ladder, you and the Christmas lights! I'm so happy that you've been given the go-ahead for side sleeping - oh, that's going to feel SO wonderful!!! It's all great news, Kathy!!! You're going to be all set and feeling fabulous when it's time to make the drive south!!!! xoxoxox
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