Don't be like me and wait too long!

@mainegirl1 that is wonderful news about your friend.. anything with the heart is so scary. We had a few of those scares last January with my husband.
Happy August, girl! I still Hopefully it will fly past and then you will have a stellar recovery and will be up to visiting your friend. We need those goals for motivation.
 
Hurray, @mainegirl1, wonderful to read such happy news! A six day car trip at only 2 months out might be a bit much, but on the other hand if you're up for it, why not? I think you'll have to wait and see how you're doing. I hope you're still doing well, and the month is moving along for you. I can't believe that I was in your position, with surgery scheduled on the same date, and yet here I am now, 2 weeks out and going strong! It is really an incredible surgery. Hang in there, and happy Friday!
 
Thank you @CricketHip. I hope your hubby is on a steady even keel now ! I feel ready and prepared.. From reading others pre and post op posts it seems that some practices do an awful job of treating their patients as people and also educating them as to what is needed to be done and what to expect post op..
Its very hard to know what questions to ask at your appointments if you are in the dark. And this is not supposed to be the Dark Ages!

at first I thought of this forum as an emotional support forum only but it is vital for education for pre and post op patients who do not want to be patients forever.

Knowledge is freedom from anxiety . It also helps lessen pain.

My kids have multiple jobs and teenagers.. ( also with jobs).. They live five hours away so we seldom see them. Its funny how surgery changes that..( and funerals!).. I am grateful that they want to come if for nothing else to visit!
 
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Unbelievable news on your friend but nonetheless amazing! I'll bet that made your day. So wonderful to read!

I thought of this forum as an emotional support forum only but it is vital for education for pre and post op patients who do not want to be patients forever.

That's the goal. That's why we go through this to move forward and get on with life. Not to hang out here daily. And you're such an active person and outdoor nature lover that the sky will be the limit for you!
It's good to read that in familiarizing yourself with the process your anxiety is lightening along with your pain. It really reenforces how our physical body reacts to our emotions.
I hope you have some special plans for the weekend. Enjoy!
@mainegirl1
 
For me the WHEN became more apparent when my family noticed me not going out on solo canoe trips( I used to take off for two weeks in Northern Ontario) or taking that three mile hike up the mountain behind my house.. I denied ALOT.. They noticed ALOT more than I did.. And now I can't even board my bike without laying it down.. and have no abduction at all..
Get me on the bike and I am fine.. but biking in front of the TV is boring..

Sometimes we are the last to realize how our life slowly devolves and gets smaller.

Oh the weekend will be terrible.. Mail boat out of New Harbor Maine to Monhegan Island Maine which is a photographers and artists paradise.. Very cool to see people toting easels through the woods! We will be there for three days.. Some of the cliffs I won't be able to do but some trails ( its a tiny island with 7.5 miles of trails and of course lobster and a lighthouse) will be just fine.
 
Okay, @mainegirl1, so you're not able to handle the cliffs (!) but the fact that you're getting out there, willing to go along with the weekend and do some walking is fabulous! Yes, I suspect you'll be groaning sometimes and there are aspects of a trip like this that will be painful and exhausting--but just getting out there and participating as best you can, that is a major accomplishment before surgery! I personally think you need to keep your chin up, celebrate what you are still able to do (which is amazing when you consider how so many people before surgery are housebound in chairs or recliners!) I think you're doing great and this is good preparation for post-surgery when you'll be super glad you managed to stay as active as possible. Do not sell yourself short, and hope the weekend goes well for you.
 
I am probably jinxing myself.. The knee replacement wasn't bad, the process is old hat
Hips are supposed to be easier.. We will see

Made camping reservations for five weeks post op for the Night Sky festival in Acadia National Park.. its a three hour drive..
 
Made camping reservations for five weeks post op for the Night Sky festival in Acadia National Park.
Oops! Might be pushing it a bit my friend. Will you be sleeping on a bed or on the ground. If it's the later I would not risk it at only 5 weeks out. And a 3 hour drive is going to be a challenge for any new hippie. Hips might be easier but they are still major surgery and early on there is a risk of dislocation.
 
I did it with my knee.. And I drove post four weeks post op. I live 90 minutes from the hospital so on day one it will be that long a drive. The hospital has procedures for avoiding dislocation because many patients have an eight hour drive to get home on and some on dirt roads. It has a wide catchment area.. our entire state has a population of one million.. The hospital is in Portland pop 66,000.

I am not sure why I will have trouble getting to and off the ground.. I use a camp chair for support. at this time I will have no restrictions save spinning on the operated leg.

However we will be sleeping in our trailer which has a queen bed that has clearance on three sides so no body crawling.. My only concern is will I be sleeping in a bed then?
I am not a back sleeper because when I do my hip kills me.. maybe post op I can.
 
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I would probably let this one go by...
Just to say you could is not a good reason to press this recovery.
Dont mean to seem like a debbie downer, but this IS a major surgery and you will want it to be your forever hip.
Your decision of course, but ....
 
No matter what you decide about this trip @mainegirl1 , it makes me very happy to see you thinking big. That tells me your doctor figured out how to get you through the home stretch, you’ve adapted to these temporary hip-adversities, and you can feel that better times are waiting for you right around the corner. So happy for you.
 
All I can do is estimate based on my knee
I was off all aids at two weeks driving at three (stick shift) and traveling a couple of hours from home by four and ten hours by six weeks
My OS office is a 90 minute drive

Oddly I am in no pain at all now unless I sleep in my back
Tylenol and Aleve seems to work. I can go down stairs normally and walk heel to toe
16 days!
I am tired of being sick. after a year of heart attack cancer and two years later of TKR I want to get going again

O am getting tired of one neighbor gossiping o she is sick again !
 
That's very understandable, I would be anxious to get up and going again, too. I had no idea of your past issues, The good news is right now you are relatively pain free, that is something to be grateful for.
My favorite saying it "this too shall pass" and you will know if isn't right for your camping. But I'm guessing for now it is good to have that sitting on your horizon to look forward to.
If you need to postpone it, Im sure you will.
You had a very easy recovery for your knee, sounds like! That's pretty amazing. I'm learning though, that each surgery can be a little different and we worry for you.

Our family has had a tough year so I understand your restlessness. Husband had open heart surgery in January, and had an extensive recovery period. My mom was so sick and passed in June and now me.
What I wouldn't do for a scuba diving adventure, or a horseback trail ride for a good 3 hours plus, or a camping trip.
The highlight of my month was finding that the hospital food was decent after surgery and a car ride to the countryside last week. :rotfl:

I hope things go smoothly for you, I want you to get out and have some fun!

edited for multiple embarrassing typos!
 
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I am not worried about the longevity of the hip.. I have limited time for the rest of me.. I seem to be a good 10-15 years older than the rest of you

Being 56 and 73 you have a vastly different outlook.. At 56 I was doing two to three week solo canoe trips in the subarctic. No more can I see myself doing that. at 56 I said I have time to do lots more of those trips.. Well I did till about 68.

I can't see any difference between staying at home and camping.. I have more stairs and more uneven ground at home than in the campground.
And I do have a camp recliner! And a car with a temporary disabled sticker which allows me special access to star parties.
Mentally I think I would feel better.

"This too shall pass".. I too shall pass and its getting sooner.

If I wait to see how I am doing the campground will be booked. If I have an issue we will be out $45( thats about the same as my copay for 1 PT session). Thankful for Senior Pass that gives us reduced camping rates and free admission to National Parks.
 
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O am getting tired of one neighbor gossiping o she is sick again !
How horrible...I only have "Hey Neighbors"
This is the most I have to offer as after a full day of people, a friendly wave seems to suffice.
You certainly need to do what makes you feel best.
I do love to camp..
It's good for the soul so may be worth it to you.
Still always on your side:)
 
I guess $45 is a small price to pay for saving yourself from misery IF you're not feeling up to it when the time comes. You have been through a lot but you know the old saying -what doesn't kill you makes you stromger-
and you seem to be a pretty strong woman.

I understand you're basing your estimations on your knee recovery and the notion that "hips recoveries are easier than knees." While it may often be true, you never know whether you'll be the exception. Slow and complicated recoveries are also a possible reality.

I'm in awe that you don't see much difference between camping or being at home. I guess I'm used to my creature comforts and can't imagine how I'd do so many different things that are a part of my normal day. I have been camping many times but that was back during the Summer after graduation from high school when a bunch of us teens would go roughing it for the weekend, really just a way to get away from home and the watchful eye of parents to party. Fun times looking back but you couldn't get me to do it now. Hopefully things fall into place within your estimated timeline, but good to know you realize it may not play out as you're hoping.

Only two weeks from tomorrow! :happydance:
@mainegirl1
 
Sheesh, no difference between camping and being at home, @mainegirl1? Those are words that would NEVER come out of my mouth. But I am not of tough, strong stock like you must be. I'd have departed early on the wagon trails to the west coast. I loathe camping (bugs, sleeping bag, questionable bathroom--ha--facilities, smoky campfires, etc.) but then I didn't like it as a child, either. But, glad to read that it's something that you enjoy and brings you joy--that's what it's all about. I hope that you do end up making the reservation for the camp site and then, hurray for you, you are actually able to use it and enjoy your time in the woods.
 
We typically spend 100 nights a year camping
It used to be all tent camping until three years ago when we bought a small travel trailer
Even the. we did canoe trips with backpacking tents after TKR Carried a 45 lb pack some siz miles over a week 8 mos post TKR
This year we have camped only 60 nights and all in the camper
It has a nice bed and inside full bathroom!
We arent camping now but are on Monhegan Island known for its hiking and cliff walk trails
I just dont want to miss the Night Sky Festival
The dark skies off the coast of Maine are amazing
What I most worry about is my confidence in going downhill
I am working hard on that to make my balance better
We dis a three mile walk up and down today on rocky trails and I tried to be confident in my walking
 
It sounds like a heavenly trip and I would be right there with you enjoying myself to pure exhaustion. Is there a group you're going with? I always enjoy the sky far away from city lights. Stars everywhere overhead enjoying a crackling campfire, good times!!!
 

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