THR Four Weeks Since Surgery

[nogods]

@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

Thank you for the well wishes - they are working as I feel very good this morning.

I showered, got dressed in my street cloths, and had the highlight of the week - the first post op bowel movement. Mine was so exceptional I was thinking of starting a thread entitled "Post your first BM pictures" but then last night's dosage of oxy wore off.

My in-home PT stopped by to do the initial evaluation. She seems very knowledgeable and experience so that should work out fine. I went outside for a short walk down my driveway and back.

 

[Mercy1]

Oh, my word, @nogods !!!! I am laughing my belly fat off! You are WAY TO FUNNY (although, RIGHT-ON)! May I be the first to congratulate you on your accomplishment!

Who ever thought that a BM would be an art form or have a life of it's own? In a million years I never dreamed that the basic functions in life could become one's focus, but OH. . .I wouldn't take a million dollars for that 1st post-op BM ! Being so full of it, I just KNEW I was on the brink of death if I did not deliver the elephant in my gut !

I celebrate this milestone with you!
(Toilet paper streamers everywhere!!!)

Marti




Mercy1
LTHR 5May14

 

[Jozilla]

There should be an award for Best Post of the Week! So funny!!!

 

[busymum]

Hi @nogods - how's it going now? I know your operation was a couple of days after mine x

 

[nogods]

Hi @nogods - how's it going now? I know your operation was a couple of days after mine x

@busymum I'm doing much better than I had imagined. There have been a few bad periods - a fever the night I was discharged from the hospital and two excessive swelling incidents, but all those are resolved now. While on my walk around the neighborhood this morning with a rollator a neighbor asked if I was "practicing" for an upcoming hip or knee replacement. She was amazed to learn that I had already had the hip replacement on Tuesday.

How are you doing? Do you have a post-op thread?

 

[nogods]

The PT visit today went well. She added leg lifts and heal slides to my allowable exercises, and we went for another 1/2 mile walk around the neighborhood. My operated let me know it was time to quit walking when I started leaning on the rollator for support rather than just help with balance.

I'm going to go for another stroll later today but it will be much slower and easier as I will stop to chat with my neighbors.

 

[nogods]

One week ago today I was staring at a tray of what I think were hip replacements as I started to doze off into general anesthesia.

Thanks to a great doctor, fantastic hospital staff, my kids, and all the information and support I got from this forum, I am way better than I imagined I would be. I just didn't think it would be possible to feel this normal a week after having a joint ripped out and replaced with metal and plastic.

Not that there haven't been a few bumps over the last week, but they were all manageable. Instead of struggling with rehab I have to be cautious about not pushing the edge of the envelope too far and causing a setback in my progress.

I think living alone has been somewhat helpful in my progress because it forces me to do the little things for myself. With someone here it would be too tempting to let them get up to get some coffee for me, or turn off the lights, or bring in the mail, or make dinner, or kick the cat. Having to do all that myself forces me to get up and moving in small bursts between exercise times.

I can sleep on my back but after a few hours I get a spasm like pain just below my left shoulder blade that wakes me up and won't go away until I've changed position for 10 or 15 minutes. After my first night home I decided to sleep on my non-operated side to avoid that issue. I tried using a body pillow between my legs but it seemed to hot to me.

I've found that a king-sized feather pillow between my feet and a memory foam pillow between my legs works great for separating my legs and keeping my feet from crossing. The first few nights were a bit painful getting into my side sleeping position, but last night it was painless and I slept for 5 straight hours before waking up to urinate, and then quickly fell back asleep for another 4 hours. The side sleeping is definitely helping my recovery both physically and mentally.

 

[LadyJune]

@nogods It is great to hear how well you are doing!! Take care of that new hip and don't push yourself too hard.

 

[Mercy1]

Wow! You are doing great @nogods!!! Way to go!


Mercy1
LTHR 5May14

 

[lablawrence]

@nogods, my surgery is this coming Monday. I sure hope my recovery mimics yours. You seem to have a really good attitude. I think that makes a huge difference.

 

[moms4tne]

I found the same @nogods - side sleeping is best for me. The sleep is so much deeper, so I'm more rested. Back sleeping is awful and I was really struggling with Restless Leg Syndrome kicking in as soon as I'd start to relax. One night it went on for three hours while my husband snored beside me, til I had a full out, crying jag meltdown (which he wisely woke up for)

The key I found for side sleeping was to get up on my unoperated side elbow, get the pillow situated between my legs, and then roll to the side. As my incision has healed, it's really no problem to adjust to a comfortable spot once I'm over. Same thing rolling back - up on my elbow so I can control it so that my torso stays in the roll with my legs. I really worried about how to get over and back without twisting, and that's the trick that worked for me

 

[FionaW]

It's all sounding good @nogods . I agree with you about 'doing the little things': I have two teenage boys, so don't technically live alone, but they are out at school/college/jobs/friends a lot of the time, so I spend a lot of time alone. I had a friend stay with me for the first fortnight, when I mostly just slept or dozed, but after that I started to cook and fend for myself, and it has been fine. I am paying someone to do the major housework, and nagging my boys to do jobs like laundry and changing beds... but I have cooked (just snacks at first now family meals from scratch), wiped surfaces, done washing up, done a couple of loads of laundry, watered plants, got the mail, fed the dog... It certainly helps my mood too, to feel reasonably independent and not too helpless.

 

[Sharri]

Glad to see you're doing so well nogods! Don't forget to let yourself rest that's when the body heals itself!


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart®

 

[nogods]

@nogods, my surgery is this coming Monday. I sure hope my recovery mimics yours. You seem to have a really good attitude. I think that makes a huge difference.

I'll bet it will go as well for you. Don't let any glitches you might encounter rob you of a fast and full recovery,

 

[nogods]

I gained 15 lbs while in the hospital. I've lost 9 of that in the last 4 days. I'm guessing that the weight gain was mostly due to fluid retention and constipation, although a few of those pounds were probably from overeating in the hospital combined with lack of physical activity.

 

[nogods]

I walked .65 miles on my after diner walk - including a small hill - with the rollator. Felt a little sore and tired but otherwise good - now enjoying the recliner, the iceman machine, and the oxy with a cable tv movie.

 

[FionaW]

Good going, @nogods !

 

[nogods]

Had my 2-week post op appointment with my surgeon's office today. Wooo hooo! I can drive again!

All is excellent with two minor issues. Lots of scar tissue so I need some PT exercises designed to break it up without violating the movement restrictions I have to stay on for 4 more weeks. Given the high level of my post-op activity the PA thinks the excessive scar tissue is a genetic disposition.

And pathology reported back some "weird bone marrow cells" (doc's exact words) when it examined the removed joint that they think might have been caused by the methotrexate I was taking before the operation for treatment of Ankylosing spondylitis. So I can't go back to using it until after os and rheumatologist discuss it.

Right hip replacement is going to be scheduled for September but the surgeon's scheduling manager was out today so I have to wait until tomorrow for the exact date.

 

[bottomshollow]

@nogods, You may notice that I have merged your two threads. We like to keep our members' recovery posts all in a single thread. That way it's easy for us to go back and read your history before responding to a question or concern. In addition, the thread becomes a journal of your recovery for those who come along later and want to read about you. So, please post in this thread from now on when you want to give an update or ask a question. If you decide you'd like a different thread title at any point, you can change it using the Thread Tools button at the top right of the page or just post what you want here and we'll get it changed for you. THANKS! (I have used the title you gave your second thread)

If you are having a problem locating your thread, here is a link with how to do it: How can I find my threads and posts?

 

[nogods]

@nogods, You may notice that I have merged your two threads. We like to keep our members' recovery posts all in a single thread. That way it's easy for us to go back and read your history before responding to a question or concern. In addition, the thread becomes a journal of your recovery for those who come along later and want to read about you. So, please post in this thread from now on when you want to give an update or ask a question. If you decide you'd like a different thread title at any point, you can change it using the Thread Tools button at the top right of the page or just post what you want here and we'll get it changed for you. THANKS! (I have used the title you gave your second thread)

If you are having a problem locating your thread, here is a link with how to do it: How can I find my threads and posts?

OK - thanks - but I don't see a tool button for changing the title of the thread