THR Frustrated

[SurreyGirl]

Hope the hockey puck feeling is subsiding! I had that in my non operated buttock and it caused me a lot of bother when sleeping on my back or getting in and out of bed!

With those stairs you certainly don’t need to add PT. glad the prunes worked. Figs and Prunes did it for me - oh that sense of relief once that side of recovery is under control

Hope the family step up a bit. I did have to have a word with my dear hubby about what would and wouldn’t help me at home and he got the message eventually. Fortunately he is a very good cook so I am lucky there.

The icepacks have been great and 8 weeks on I am still using them when things get a bit twinges. I took ginger biscuits with my meds which helped my stomach and ate around 5 figs a day so came off the horrible laxidol fairly quickly.

Best of luck and your legs will be in great shape with those stairs!

 

[anny]

Haven't been on for 2 or 3 days cos the internet decided to boycott our house .....bit of a shock to realise how much I missed it, almost as much as I missed you guys Thank you for all your messages of support, if anyone has lost their faith in people's kindness they only need to come on here to have it renewed.
Latest bulletin is this is harder than it was the first time round. Not, I think, cos I'm overdoing it (wow BeBe...182 stairs? that makes me feel less lazy!)....I take them slowly and carefully, and count them as an exercise substitute, so maybe I'll have buns of steel soon (actually, not far off now, don't think my glutes have taken time off since I woke after the op!). I have more numbness (most of thigh and front of calf from knee to ankle) and swelling (ankle and foot is still fat and tight) and I think the actual joint area gets a bit more irritated. On the good side I am using one crutch for most of my walking around.....so much easier to carry things.....and can even do the odd unsupported step across the kitchen or bathroom when I've left the crutch in the wrong place, so that is helping my independence enormously. I think the danger with the second one is that you know more or less know the pattern of recovery, and want to hurry it along.....whoever said you learned patience as you get older?

Can't remember if I've already said this, but if anyone is having problems with sore heels from lying on their back, I can recommend sheepskin. The first time round my heels got almost to the broken skin stage of bed sores just from being in one place, and the pain was worse than my hip. They seem to have remained a little sensitive (Princess and the Pea!) so I dug out an old sheepskin and laid it at the end of the bed for my heels to rest on, and it seems to be doing the trick (if you have cold feet it also keeps them very warm!)

Still have the hockey pucks both sides the old one isn't too bad but the new one feels enormous and gets in the way when I sit ......anyone got any idea how long they hang around for? Nothing is really bad tho......as my mum used to say, "it'll all come out in the wash"........and having friends who understand make it much more bearable. Hugs to you all, I hope everyone is doing well and about to start a great weekend

 

[Mojo333]

Can't remember if I've already said this, but if anyone is having problems with sore heels from lying on their back, I can recommend sheepskin

Very helpful to me too!
I had some very increased sensitivity also...could feel a tiny crease in the sheet under me.
Annoying!
The hard annoying feeling in the bum was there for me for few months (sorry...probably not comforting..but we are all different) but kind of eased and came back AND with all the sitting - unhelpful for ignoring it.
Ice Ice AND more Ice.
You know the drill!
Such early days.
Hope your weekend is healing !

 

[Layla]

Hi there, anny
Sorry this recovery is more of a challenge than the last. That is a concern and not the ideal scenario for those going through this a second time. I'm sure I will need to at some point and I don't see how I could possibly match my first recovery. Something I can't dwell on though.
I'm sure you're noticing progress as you move toward the two week point. Hopefully you're getting enough rest
and lots of uninterrupted sleep. Hang in there, you know from experience it gets better quickly.
Hope you have a great weekend!
@anny

 

[anny]

First after-op appointment over and done with....I saw the nurse yesterday to have my stitches out (well all the actual stitches have absorbed, it's just the stickyout ends that needed pulling out, about 5 secs work). The good news is that it's a 'beautiful' incision (actually looks much neater than the other side) and she was happy with the way I was walking on one crutch. So happy in fact, that when I asked hopefully if I could drive (it being my left leg which doesn't do anything in the car) she said that was ok , even tho they usually want you off crutches completely first. I don't think I'll be rushing out quite yet.....but it's really good to know if I get stircrazy I can fetch my own bar of chocolate from the supermarket, instead of having to wheedle my husband to do it for me!

Yesterday must have been harder than I realised......the 2hr round trip to the hospital was a bit uncomfortable but bearable, but today I am having a '2 step back' day. Not only is my new hip stiff, so that I need to lean a bit more heavily on the crutch, but I think I've strained muscles in my right side, sort of outside rib area, which makes it quite painful when I use that crutch.....adding in crutch no 2 doesn't help cos the 'bad' leg gets its support from the opposite side. Add in my left (opside) knee being very achey and I think it's "oops I did it again" (don't think Britney was talking about the ODIC but it seems appropriate!). Today is definitely a sit around with minimum walking......the good thing is that if I don't use the crutch at all, my side doesn't hurt either, so I do an ungainly penguin lurch in the kitchen, 'look no hands', which needs working on (VERY slowly and cautiously, of course!) but is encouraging to know I can weight bear a little.

Before I wrote this I read back thro this thread right from the beginning (you can see how bored I am!) and it's funny just how much you forget even from a short while ago. I can see that my hip probably isn't that much different from the first one recovery wise, it's just a bit harder with the knee and crutch-induced rib discomfort. I'm also amazed at how quickly I did progress too.....seems like forever at the time, but looking at it in longer chunks of time instead of day by day it seems much better. Hope all the other Sapphires are doing well and the October crowd are revving up for theirs

 

[Izabel]

@anny, pleased all is going well. Those journeys are the worst. I have one tomorrow to see the nurse for results of my pre-ops. On a good run the journey can be 45 minutes one way. Hopefully I will get my op date.

 

[anny]

@Izabel not sure if you've already had your appt or if you're on your way (time zones) but you get an early op date....it's the hanging around that does your head in!

 

[Alitm]

@anny Great first op visit over and done with. Good to check back in your diary and realize you are making about the same progress. Sorry to hear about your strained muscle on the right side. Hope that clears up soonest!

Super that your stitches that needed coming out are out, and your incision looks neat and tidy. I haven't looked at mine yet!

Great news on the driving being OKed. Long travel for you yesterday. I was super tired after my outing yesterday to the OS and it was 20mins there and back! Had my first energy drain experience when I got home! Nap attack!
Wishing you continued good healing

 

[anny]

thanks @Alitm ......I think these sudden wipeouts energy wise are quite hard to get our heads around....makes me think of toddlers who whizz around like the Duracell bunny, then suddenly conk out in seconds. The difference being that we're not exactly whizzing round.... was your visit also for stitches or just a checkup? I don't see my surgeon till the 6wk mark

 

[Alitm]

@anny Yes, the toddler whiz and conk is a great analogy! Definitely no whizzing going on here

My appointment at hospital's x-ray department and orthopaedic clinic yesterday was multipurpose....x-ray of new hip, staples out and chat with OS - which included discussion about physio (not to do formal physio until he sees me in six weeks. Build up the walking in the meantime), narcotic pain meds tapering (off during the day, but to take Tylenol in it's place...keep on Tramacet at night for a little longer...until I finish Rx), walker to cane transition (walker "holding me back now") and signing paperwork for hip @2 (signed and waiting for date! Soon please!).

I got out with hubby today and picked up more dressings to go over my wound. Used the crutches out and about. Felt so much better than walker. Had another walk today on the farm road over to the barn. Got half way and back, so that was much improved on Saturdays outing on the walker! Getting in and out of our car (SUV cross over, so not too low thank goodness!) so much easier.

Whats up with your knee? Pulled muscles/ligaments in the rib area are horrible. Are you icing that area? Hoping both resolve soon! Thinking of you on that . Super you can supply your own chocolate cravings by driving

 

[sequin98]

Forgive my late congrats!!!
I am jealous, and waiting to be a double hippy!

 

[SurreyGirl]

Hi Anny. How are the hockey pucks? Hope they are subsiding now and that you have “graduated” from the OFIC club. Are you still doing penguin impressions? Fellow penguin here but getting more balanced now.

 

[anny]

Hi @SurreyGirl .....hockey pucks are still alive and kicking unfortunately....I'm telling myself they're Kardashian-type implants, and wide hips are going to be bigger than big bums!!! No penguin impressions here today....favouring the rocking horse gait.....think I'll be thrown out of the ODIC cos I've done very little today, and, in an effort to spare my poor overworked side muscles, I've done most of the little walking around without the crutch (hence the unlovely rocking action ). Seems to be working....side isn't as sore, so will go back to crutch/es tomorrow to make sure I don't get into any bad habits.

My husband has been away all day......I've been quite enjoying the rest from queries about whether I should be doing things and the dogs and I have just been chillin' with no guilty conscience! Hope you're doing ok....I found that I went from ungainly to respectable almost overnight....suddenly it just happened

Hi @sequin98 hope your March hip is doing well....it'll be nice and strong for when you have your second done. Is there a date on the horizon?

 

[SurreyGirl]

I sat in ice packs to relieve my hockey pucks. Realistically I had them for three weeks post op and couldn’t squeeze my glutes so moving even across the bed was hard. The uniperated buttock was worse than the operated one!

9 weeks on I squeeze my butocks constantly and use them when shuffling from a lying to seated position in bed and also squeezing when practising walking unaided. I don’t think they have ever had so much attention before. The physio did some deep massage on the offending areas which helped too. But I will probably have a less saggy bottom as a result :/)

Hubbys are lovely but I know what you mean about the questions. Bless them! I have a hubby free Friday so will probably invite one of my neighbours around for tea for a few hours. Weather is still warm here when the sun is out so making the most of it whilst I can.

Onwards xx

 

[Mojo333]

My husband has been away all day......I've been quite enjoying the rest from queries about whether I should be doing things and the dogs and I have just been chillin' with no guilty conscience!

Good for you!
Just what you need to be doing!
Hope you have a good restful day to you too.
Thanks for your positive thoughts to others as to recovery.

..I found that I went from ungainly to respectable almost overnight....suddenly it just happened

These are the comments that can boost a recovering hippy's spirits!
Have a good good day!

 

[Izabel]

@anny, hope you had a relaxing day with the doggies sem husband.

Just got back from consultation with nurse. It was longer than expected but she did blood pressure, temp, diabetes test, etc, and asked zillions of questions. All pre-ops okay. Came away with two packs of body washes but no date. They will contact. Shattered now.

 

[sequin98]

@anny No date yet, welcome to Alberta!

 

[Bevlah]

Hockey pucks love it! Just over 8 months since my first hip op and it feels like a brick in my butt cheek. Mentioned it to the os who didn't make anything of it. Strangely don't seem to have it in my 6 week post op second one. It's a strange and bumpy road this hip replacement malarky! Hope you're well lovely anny

 

[Alitm]

@anny I hope you are coming along and feeling more towards "respectable" vs. "ungainly"! How are those hockey puck buns doing? Only a fellow hippy can ask these questions . I find when my backside is sore, I just sit on a frozen ice pack, and all is well with the world...a little chilly perhaps, but that ice pack, sometimes with several applications, over a couple of days sometimes, does the trick.

I am walking with one cane really well now inside. I still use two on the uneven (vs. smooth asphalt) packed gravel road out to the barn. Surgeon really wants me on a cane in the house, and walking sticks outside. I'm just not there yet. I can practically glide along with the one crutch inside, hardly putting any weight on the crutch, and I'm really practicing my heal toeing stride...but the cane just sets me back. My quads complain about the cane afterwards. I guess it is soft tissue still healing and the scar tissue forming the new joint capsule going on. I really want to be off assisted devices by second surgery date next month....Nov 8. My body will do what it wants to do and all I can do is walk on the crutch, and trial the stick from time to time.

Thinking of you and hoping your fitness level is soaring with those wretched stairs!

 

[Mojo333]

Yes @anny !
How are you?
Not that you MUST tell us how you are, but you MUST tell us how you are.