THR Down to one crutch already!

[DallasSarah]

Wow Jane.....

Hip # 2 March 27th....thats around the corner!

Im giggling over Susie's reaction, silly girl. It was the photo that was misleading thanks goodness Buffi jumped on and 2nd my thought if not I would have felt super guilty. We love Susie tell her this.....glad her leg is doing better.

You had mentioned your at home job before was with the soaps, face creams....its so funny I work in the trade show business and all our shows are based on spa's, beauty industry. Many of my customers are manufacturers of these types of products. Small world.

You are very brave doing the 2nd hip so soon, then again if it aches and hurts it makes complete sense to do it all now and know in the long run you can recover and not worry about. You have had such a long journey, i think of many of our fellow hippies...YOU though I hold a special thought in my heart because of what you have gone through. Hope that made some sort of sense!!

Lots of love.......

xxooxx

 

[beesquare]

Hi Jane, delighted you've got a date for #2 but I'm afraid this does mean we won't be in Gobowen at the same time! Don't think mine will be till later this year unless it deteriorates more rapidly than it is doing currently. Fingers crossed for you.
Anne x

 

[Poppet]

Hi Jane

Just logged on during my lunch break.. so thrilled for you that you are able to have #2 done Mar 27... Fantastic news

Wonderful to think that you will have your hip replacements all behind you! I am very happy for you

I saw your post on my thread last night, thank you. I don't think I will be ready for March... sad it would have been nice to be surgical Sis's I will start to think about it around end of May, but problem here it gets really cold and that would not be a pleasant time for the whole process.

I don't have any pain in hip two at the moment, just the back is giving me problems which may well be coming from hip two... Who knows really..

Well better log off now and get back to work!!

The boys in my team measured the circuit for me around the floor, so that they can keep track of how much exercise I am doing in the day.... and my wonderful Acupuncturist stuck lots of needles into me first thing this morning.. I am lucky, I have such a great team of young people!

Lots of love to you Jane, and once again, I am thrilled with your March date xxxxx

 

[welshjane]

Thanks, Sarah, Anne and Sandy (Sarah, you're really sweet to say what you did). Well, it looks as though none of you are going to join me to be a Mad March Hare or whatever we'll be called. Never mind, it's good knowing that you're there. It makes me laugh when I think how terrified I was the first time around, and yesterday I was just begging the Prof to cut me open all over again. I must be mad! And it's not as if this second hip is very painful. In fact it isn't at all, but there is very limited range of movement - everything feels as though it's made of wood, apart from the piriformis which really hurts, intermittently. I've tried the osteopath, the physio's exercises (which are of limited usefulness as they depend on some flexibility in the hip, which I don't have), and now I think I'm going to go back to the acupuncturist. He must be a bit different from yours, Sandy, as it's straight down the line TCM acupuncture. Believe it or not, I've been doing my master's in nutrition at an acupuncture college in York, so I've picked up a bit of understanding, but it's Chinese, not Japanese, and I don't know the difference. Richard, the acupuncturist I go to, is really cute. He plays in a band and wears an earring, and all us ladies go to him because we all adore him. I first went to him for help to get through cancer treatment, and arrived in his consulting room in floods of tears because I was in shock. He treated me for hysteria by sticking needles in my head, and told me later he actually hadn't known what to do with me. Anyway, it worked, and he helped me a lot through the whole process. But when I went to him last autumn before my first hip op, he tested my pulses (TCM practitioners check 12 different pulses) and felt I didn't need any treatment at all. Aw, shucks! But he might be able to help me through the present pain. Here's hoping!

Today I went for a swimming lesson - my first in five decades. The GP who prescribed my exercise programme said I shouldn't do breast stroke legs after a THR, but breast stroke (and back crawl) is the only stroke I can do, not being a good swimmer. Well, I asked the Prof yesterday about this and, as I should have predicted, he said of course you can do breast stroke legs, you don't have any restrictions. But as I'd signed up for the lessons, which are in another town some way from here, I thought I'd go and learn to do the front crawl anyway. And it was great! The instructor said I was a natural and that it would only take a couple of sessions to get me doing it correctly. So now I'll be able to add that to my repertoire.

 

[Poppet]

Good for you Jane, taking swimming lessons and how good is it that you are a natural with freestyle (crawl).

Is the water warm?

Isn't the lack of gravity a beautiful thing!... Until one has to get out....

 

[Z15]

Jane,

Good for you having the 2nd problem queued up to be dealt with! Once my first is all healed and happy I will evaluate my limitations and start to think about whether this is a quick turnaround on #2 for me....or whether #2 does enought that I can enjoy #1 for a few years.

I'm like you, not a lot of constant pain, just limitations due to range of motion.

Have a great weekend, and root for my Patriots in the Super Bowl! I promise I won't tell Jen....

Z

 

[Jollyroger]

It makes me laugh when I think how terrified I was the first time around, and yesterday I was just begging the Prof to cut me open all over again. I must be mad! And it's not as if this second hip is very painful. In fact it isn't at all, but there is very limited range of movement - everything feels as though it's made of wood, apart from the piriformis which really hurts, intermittently.

- - - - - - - - -

The GP who prescribed my exercise programme said I shouldn't do breast stroke legs after a THR, but breast stroke (and back crawl) is the only stroke I can do, not being a good swimmer. Well, I asked the Prof yesterday about this and, as I should have predicted, he said of course you can do breast stroke legs, you don't have any restrictions.

Hi Jane

You are going through exactly the same thought process that I went through with my Consultant at the 6 week review for hip #1. Hip #2 wasn't too bad; like you it wasn't constantly painful but the ROM was poor - I couldn't put socks on, for instance, or dry my toes! Compared to the major improvements I was already getting with hip #1 it was clear, to me, that I should get hip #2 fixed.

I am convinced that recovery after a THR is directly proportional to your level of mobility before the op i.e. if you have left it too long before you have the op, are severely incapacitated and not very mobile, your recovery period which be longer and more traumatic. Once it is clear that a THR is the only long term solution, get it done ASAP is my view.

Regarding swimming, I can only do breast stroke (BS) as I can't get my head underwater - I have a perforated eardrum; front crawl is therefore not an option. I've been doing BS since hip #1 with no problems, but I'm pleased to see your professor agrees it is OK! I also think swimming, and water aerobics generally, are better for joint recovery that using a gym!

 

[welshjane]

Sandy - no the water is not warm at all! In fact I had to stop the lesson early as I was so cold. But we are having a really cold spell here in the UK now - not as cold as the continent, though, where they've recorded -38C.

Roger, I think you're spot on about exercising in the water. In fact I'm going to try aqua aerobics next (when the weather warms up a tad). I also agree with you, though I don't have any evidence, that if you're moderately mobile before the op you're going to come through it better than if you leave it too long. I'm just delighted to be 'allowed' (by our dear old NHS) to have the second one so soon, without having to wait until I'm in serious pain. As I've said on your thread, I'll be following your recovery with interest, Roger, as you had the same length of time between hips as I will, more or less.

 

[DaveGM]

Hello Jane

I think you have made the right decision to have your second hip done sooner rather than later.

It was really only after the second hip that I could fully appreciate the the benefits. I have no doubt you will too.

Dave

 

[C Mac]

Hi Jane,

I had planned on popping into your thread yesterday, as well, on my inflammation and diet issue. I did post into the nutrition thread that you and Sandy have share information on since maybe that was a more targeted place to ask...

Good for you on the swimming. People keep suggesting that to me as well and I also get too cold in the water in the wintertime and shivering makes my hip ache... I'll try when we get to better temps in the spring.

Nice that you have found acupuncture helpful (and Sandy too). I have found it helpful for energy levels & mood but not really for any physical ailments.

Take care,
Cardie

 

[Jen]

Today I went for a swimming lesson - my first in five decades. The GP who prescribed my exercise programme said I shouldn't do breast stroke legs after a THR, but breast stroke (and back crawl) is the only stroke I can do, not being a good swimmer. Well, I asked the Prof yesterday about this and, as I should have predicted, he said of course you can do breast stroke legs, you don't have any restrictions. But as I'd signed up for the lessons, which are in another town some way from here, I thought I'd go and learn to do the front crawl anyway. And it was great! The instructor said I was a natural and that it would only take a couple of sessions to get me doing it correctly. So now I'll be able to add that to my repertoire.

How terrific Jane! Did the movement feel good on your hips? I'm another one that loves what the water can do for joints. I loved how nice and relaxed my hips always felt whenever I finished a swim (this was long before my surgery).

Good to hear that the second hip will be taken care of soon. You're not mad, but actually smart for getting it out of the way now before it becomes painful.

I will pretend I didn't see Z's post and just assume that you're rooting for the Giants:th_heehee:.