THR Four Weeks Since Surgery

[fulafoto]

I can imagine you would be less than happy about the PT that you're getting. If you are not following proper technique you could possibly be doing more harm than good. As you said they seem understaffed today so maybe tomorrow may see an improvement? Here's hoping so for you.

 

[nogods]

No this isn't necessarily the case. If you have that pain management cocktail right before you leave hospital you should be fairly comfortable. Sure there is post op pain. But icing and regular meds should do a pretty good job!

My doctor coats the joint with a numbing agent that eliminates all pain from the operation for about 48 hours. Other surgons in his practice group don't use it because of the "deception.". There is no way to mimic the effect with post op medications. They told me they have experimented with an implant device to deliver the numbing agent to the joint post-op but it it has not been very successful.

About 3am I experienced the pain train. A dosage of dilaudid IV settled it down almost instantly but that can only be administered in the hospital and also puts me to sleep so it is not as useful as the numbing agent. This morning I'm experiencing the same pain that the other doctor's patients have had for the last two days. I'm happy I had the 2 day jump start on PT but it did device me into thinking recovery was going to be about as painful as sneezing.

 

[Jaycey]

I think you will find that this recovery is easier than you imagine. The trick is to stay ahead of the pain so you can become more and more mobile. Early days @nogods !

 

[nogods]

Recovery has been very easy except for that crossover period yesterday evening.. I'm just relaying the experience of a pain free 48 hours post op that people who are not coated don't have without being medicated with drugs that cause grogginess. The many different approaches to recovery simply confirm that there is a good deal of art as well as science to all of this, and a wide variety of experiences by patients. My doc's approach isn't followed by others in his practice group. For example he is the only one who issues ice machines to his hip patients.

It might be because he treats a more general population while others in his practice group are more focused on the pro and college athletes they service. When I had my first knee operation while playing college football 40 years ago gritting through the pain of an intense rehab was a central part of the process. I had to learn to work through the pain because if I returned to the field I was going to have to play in pain.
During that operation the doc discovered that my acl was torn and had retracted. He removed it, I gritted my teeth through the rehab and was ab!le to play my senior year. That was a lot different approach than the one being applied to me now that I'm classed as a senior citizen who merely wants to return to the recreational field rather than the collegiate one.

I am convinced that there is no one size rehab fits all. I expect a PT to be trained well enough to devise specific rehab program for my goals and situation. Otherwise the PT is nothing more than a gym membership sales person

 

[MarkK]

My PT in-hospital in 2012 was generally excellent, but the one person for one afternoon was terrible and uninterested. It's like anything else in life I guess....

Which hospital are you in? Just curious, I noticed NYC, I am going into NYU Joint Disease hospital again.

Mark

 

[nogods]

My PT in-hospital in 2012 was generally excellent, but the one person for one afternoon was terrible and uninterested. It's like anything else in life I guess....

Which hospital are you in? Just curious, I noticed NYC, I am going into NYU Joint Disease hospital again.

Mark

I'm in Kenmore Mercy in Tonawanda NY
I had a much better session this morning. They started an anti inflammatory if medication called toradol to help reduce the swelling that developed from yesterday's mixup

 

[MajorHeidi]

@nogods I had similar experience with PT and OT in the hospital.
But rest assured, you will see the BILL in full for each! Haha

 

[hip2it]

I am three weeks post second THR this year and had joint numbing meds from surgery as well.

Like you Dilaudid knocked down serious pain excursions in hospital.

Points below are to illustrate my strong endorsement of the core Bonesmart advice, and in the spirit of writing the note I wish I could have written to myself for hip 1 in February.

The Bonesmart meds by the clock was essential to me for both THRs. Started with 10/325 percocet every four hours, gradually extended over two week period to every six hours. Sleeping and resting with leg slightly elevated and with no pressure on heels with lots of ice has also been vital. Just returned from my second 3 hour in-office excursion and am typing this from bed, elevated with ice. Meds are good and ice and elevation in my experience is just as big a deal.

Two days ago I hit the "forgetting to take pain meds" point the moderator above mentioned and ramped to 2 325 mg tylenol a couple times a day. After office commute and short in-office work today I took half a 10/325 percocet - unlike hip 1 I am not being a purist about being done done done with the percocet where it will help me out.

Other big deals for me have been (i) take it easy with the PT - this is surgical healing, not an athletic contest - hard lesson for competitive life-time athletes but learn it and one is happier and recovers faster - I am taking my own advice on hip 2 and I feel so much more functional and comfortable; (ii) give some serious thought to avoiding constipation. That was the worst event of my first week with hip one even considering the comparative misery of the first week home and I got out in front of that with Miralax and prune juice daily for second hip. Kid you not.

Be nice to yourself, nogods, and I wish you a comfortable, swift and complete recovery!

Hip2it
Left THR February 2014, right THR May 15, 2014

 

[Jaycey]

 

[fulafoto]

@nogods please for you that the anti inflammatories have helps and you have had a better physio session. Hopefully it's all uphill for you from here on in!

 

[nogods]

(ii) give some serious thought to avoiding constipation. That was the worst event of my first week with hip one even considering the comparative misery of the first week home and I got out in front of that with Miralax and prune juice daily for second hip. Kid you not.

Be nice to yourself, nogods, and I wish you a comfortable, swift and complete recovery!

Hip2it
Left THR February 2014, right THR May 15, 2014

Unfortunately that is the one area this facility failed at. They put in standard height toilets! The toilets are surrounded by fancy folding adjustable support bars with integrated paper holders and a bidet, but the toilets are too low except for the shortest of people, They also designed an integrated bathroom and shower but I was told no one has yet stayed long enough to use a shower on the ward. Go figure.

 

[designergirl]

@nogods I am from the WNY area also! I actually live in North Tonawanda. I had surgery almost 16 months ago at ECMC with UB Orthopaedics. I hope your recovery goes as well as mine. I had no formal PT, just walked and took stairs and I didn't develop any soft-tissue issues many experience. Now I hardly even remember I had the replacement. I x-country skiied last winter and I'm deep into gardening and cycling. Just take it easy, ice, ice, ice and take your meds religiously, it makes things so much easier. Good luck.

 

[nogods]

@nogods I am from the WNY area also! I actually live in North Tonawanda. I had surgery almost 16 months ago at ECMC with UB Orthopaedics. I hope your recovery goes as well as mine. I had no formal PT, just walked and took stairs and I didn't develop any soft-tissue issues many experience. Now I hardly even remember I had the replacement. I x-country skiied last winter and I'm deep into gardening and cycling. Just take it easy, ice, ice, ice and take your meds religiously, it makes things so much easier. Good luck.

Small world. Good to hear another WNYer is on the forum and well into recovery.

Did your doc issue you an iceman machine?

I can't thank Dr McGrath enough for doing this for his hip patients. I ordered an ice making machine from amazon today so I will always have ready supply of ice for the iceman.

 

[sabresfan]

I have to ask nogood who is your doctor? Another WNYer!

 

[designergirl]

Dr McGrath is also with UB Ortho. They are a great group. My surgeon was Dr. Mutty. I had two large flexible cloth covered ice packs. They got really cold but were still flexible. While I was using one, the other was chilling in the freezer. Ice is definitely a great pain reliever

 

[nogods]

I have to ask nogood who is your doctor? Another WNYer!

McGrath

 

[nogods]

Dr McGrath is also with UB Ortho. They are a great group. My surgeon was Dr. Mutty. I had two large flexible cloth covered ice packs. They got really cold but were still flexible. While I was using one, the other was chilling in the freezer. Ice is definitely a great pain reliever

I'm just guessing, but perhaps other doctors think the iceman machines are way over the top for a hip replacement.

I have used ice on my knees and other joints for decades, I have blue covers designed for applying ice to every square inch of my body. However, the iceman machine is way more convenient to use and delivers a more consistent temperature. And now that I have it I can use it for my knees, other hip, back, thighs, shoulders, and wrists as needed.

 

[Serenity41]

@nogods I am sorry to hear about your break through pain once the numbing agent wore off. I felt immediate pain when the spinal block wore off which happened to be the same day. My pain today is well controlled and I hope yours is too. You sound great with the exception of a little mix up with the therapist. I am getting therapy at home for the first 3 weeks and than will be sent to outpatient. I hope your therapy is going more smoothly. I am glad you got your iceman machine. How cool is that? Ice has been my constant companion since surgery.

 

[nogods]

I got home about 5 hours ago. The exit from the hospital had another little glitch. The nurse assistant put me in a wheel chair that caused my legs to bend about 135 degrees. After putting in the good side leg I explained to her that there was no way I was going to break the 90 degree rule that we were required to repeat at every pt session. She then tried to adjust the wheel chair but the best she could do would have had my legs supported only by the heal resting on the edge of the foot rest and using a cushion that placed my center of gravity above the side arms of the chair.

I said I would rather walk out than ride out in such an unsafe condition. She said I had to ride out in the chair and could not walk out. I took out my cell phone and took several pictures of the wheel chair. when I told my daughter to be sure to save the pictures as evidence I was allowed to walk out.

I didn't like having to play the lawyer card but I simply will not suffer such an obvious mistake that put my health at risk unnecessarily. The sole purpose of taking patients out of the hospital in wheelchairs is to protect the hospital from lawsuits from slips and falls. Exposing the patient to another health risk in the course of trying to avoid exposure to legal liability is unacceptable to me.

The irony is that just before the wheelchair incident I had given the facility and its staff 9 and 10 ratings on an exist questionnaire, with my footnote about the one unacceptable PT session. They are and excellent facility and staff, but they also have at least two people on staff who need better training.

Both those incidents are good reminders that no matter how excellent the facility, we all have to take responsibility for our health, safety, and well being while be treating by professionals. Raising questions and refusing to accept an apparent inappropriate course of action is a patient's responsibility.

And venting has helped me leave it behind. I had a 101+ fever from the time I got home until just after writing this. Maybe that was just coincidence so if I get a bill from bonesmart I'm going to dispute it.

Although I enjoyed the round the clock attention and service, it is good to be home in my familiar surroundings. Maybe I'll think otherwise when I have to make breakfasts for myself tomorrow morning.

 

[Mercy1]

@nogods I'm thankful you were able to escape without incident!!! I hope you are asleep and having good dreams about being pain free!!! In the morning, may all of those dreams come true!


Mercy1
LTHR 5May14