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THR Heal first, then exercise, then dance!

A Mission Statement. (Or a kernel!)

It is a good argument. I often visualize what it must be like for the cells to be busy knitting new bone over the titanium "invader" on a daily basis, all the while convincing fellow bone-knitting cells that..."yeah, it's ok, he's cool, he's not foreign....really, we need to embrace him, he's not going anywhere". It must require serious reserves of energy, just that part, not to mention the soft tissue, ligament and tendon crew! The nerve brigade! And every extra thing we do and step we take --stands the chance of borrowing some of that energy from those busy workers reconstructing the whole apparatus. So I like the idea of stepping back while they are all frantically in rebuild mode and ....waiting, for a cue, a sign..."ok you can dance again now". Body will tell you.
 
While this has become the OCC Clubhouse, I mustn't forget its original role as my recovery thread, so will give an update here.

full disclosure. I have embraced the OCC guide for my recovery journey :)

Looking at the calendar, I see that I am three weeks and two days into my recovery.
recap:
I have been more fortunate than many in regards to pain, but that may be the result of damaged nerves running into my right hip area. I had shingles last year and lost feeling and sensation in that area.

After my THR surgery on July 18th, I had very little pain, and never took a tramadol after I got home (one night in hospital). I took Tylenol for a while, tapering off at about ten or twelve days.

My present meds, daily: 20mg Amitriptyline; 2- ASA 81mg; 1 - 1000IU Vitamin D ; 1 - senecot ; occasional Tums/chewable antacid;
plus I have been taking some Dimenhydrate Tablets, (50 mg each) to help me sleep.
Here in Canada you can buy them over the counter as Gravol. I take 50 or 100mgs, depending on how sleep-deprived I am. I still wake up through the night re-arranging pillows and trying to get comfortable, but can more easily fall asleep again. Last night I more or less slept through from 11:30 pm to 7:30 am. It was brilliant. Of course it's best to take nothing at all, but, as in all of medicine (or perhaps life) you have to weigh the benefits against the risks. Because I can't sleep during the day, and because my body has recently been traumatized by major surgery, I choose to use this little helper, Gravol, at this time. As far as I know, there are no conflicts with my other meds.

I am still using the walker/zimmer around home. I can take some steps without it, but I find it's a nice comforting bit of security to have in place around me when I am moving around home. I still need support most of the time I am walking. I can stand confidently and comfortably non-supported, such as at the kitchen counter, preparing a meal, or reaching up in cupboards.

I've caught myself in the past few days unconsciously turning and stepping away from the walker; I take this as a good sign. I'm not pressing myself to make progress--not with my mind--I'm letting my body lead the way.

I am not doing any PT, and will not until three months post-surgery, if I feel that it might be beneficial. My medical plan covers three sessions. My surgeon stated PT was not necessary, and I have read enough recovery threads to conclude that engaging in PT can be a risky activity, and is best avoided for the healing phase.
By PT, I don't mean here assessments such as ROM, or being taught how to get out of bed or sit with precautions.

What can I manage at this stage of my recovery? I walk around my home with walker/zimmer, and am starting to take a few small steps unaided (such as one counter to another in the kitchen). I can do normal things like take showers unaided, get dressed and undressed, I stand unsupported at kitchen counter, sometimes help prepare meals, and can get myself a snack.

While nurturing and resting my hip, which is most of the time, I'm usually lounging on the living room sofa trying to stay cool with ice packs and a fan aimed at me 24/7. I occasionally do ankle pumps, gentle stretches, move legs, and contract muscles.

I often get on YouTube and find a playlist of swing or hot jazz music, and I 'dance' --sort of-- by keeping time with feet, legs, arms. And upbeat songs are so cheering! Try it. Look up a favourite song--a cheerful one, old rock 'n Roll or something, no melancholy ballads please! and see what it does to your mood.
 
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Thanks @Layla! I do believe you are a charter member of the OCC too? @An54 can assign you a title! Don't worry, there are no duties, just titles. :)

I once lived in France and then spent an awful lot of time with Europeans here in LA ...and I do think there's a philosophical divide with Americans & Euros, in general, on the value of activity or work, and just general "busy-ness" vs the value of leisure, rest, fun, relaxing. Downtime appreciation. And I think it plays in to how we view this recovery too.

It may be changed now, as we Americans export most of our bad habits, but when I was there - no one thought it indulgent to sit hours in a cafe discussing world affairs or just the merits of bread pudding ... It was part of the lifestyle balance between work and leisure. After dinner was cheese, fruit and conversation time, because you don't dare speak too much while savoring French meals!

Whereas in America if you tell someone you've been really busy, swamped, No free time, no rest...they ALWAYS respond with that smile and say, "Busy is good!" It's part of the ethos. It goes along with aggressive PT!

And I've usually had a few businesses running at the same time for most my life, so I'm not immune to this ethos! But this enforced slow down since THR, has reminded me of life back in France where nobody conspicuously avoiding a slowed-down pace or taking time out to smell roses and cappuccino and Cabernet Sauvignon!

That's my latest theory anyways!
 
Hi, I am almost two weeks out from RTHR and like you I was amazed how little post surgery pain I had. They kept asking and I told them maybe 1-2 at most. They put a lot of pain relief medication in the wound bed and it takes a couple days for that to wear off. Even then pain has been minimal. I think it's more aching than pain and my outside of the knee is one of the areas that aches the most. I am walking so much better and my feet don't hurt from walking wrong. You will do great.
 
I was just wandering around the forums and ended up on a TKR thread, and joined in the conversation there. Copying and pasting an observation I made there, as I think it's relevant to the cause of the OCC and making a case for rest and healing.

Here is an interesting real-life anecdote: My step-son is an emergency room physician, about 50 years old. When he had his hip replaced, he took four months off work.

...and I might add, he is a former Olympic athlete, a runner, super fit, skiing, etc. So we are talking four months recovery and healing following THR for a youngish fit athlete before returning to work.
 
Shared earlier in guitarpunk's thread but thought it merited a repeat here ..
Mojo333 said:
Just listen to your body...and do what you feel comfortable doing.
I will borrow some great information shared with another member by our forum advisor sharonslp.
Tightness is a normal after this kind of major surgery. Your surgeon did major carpentry work and disturbed every millimeter of soft tissue in this area. You aren't tight because your muscle is underused and needs to be stretched and rehabbed. You're tight because your tissue is healing...and full healing takes a full year OR MORE. Irregardless of age....If a long full step right now is causing pain and limping, don't take long full steps. Take smaller steps. Take a short walk several times a day, instead of longer walks.
At six weeks or so, we are past the initial surgical incision healing, and generally are starting to feel reasonable again. People are itching to get back to their lives....to get on with their lives. To be active. And a lot of us are so driven to be active again, that we promptly overdo it as soon as we start to resume some activities. Once we can walk a quarter of a mile without pain, we figure we're good for a mile or 2. And a week later, why not 3 or 4? We get on a cycle...stationary or otherwise....and instead of ten minutes, we do an hour.

I'm getting tight hip muscles just thinking about it.

So really, this isn't the time to do anything to excess. Baby steps now, and lots of patience, pays off big time later. Recovering from self-induced tendinitis can end up taking weeks or months. Or you can consider yourself as still recovering from surgery and structure your return to your life as a slow, gradual process where you introduce very small increments in activity, and then give yourself time to see how your body reacts to it. Your body is in charge of healing, not your mind. You can't will yourself to heal faster. But you can stay out of your own way to let the healing happen.
Click to expand...
 
@An54 How about chief "Whipper In", better known as WI, if I am going to keep with the equine theme:heehee: . I'm 4 mins from Hillbank:wave:. If you are in the area and would like to have a coffee, let me know....I'm booked out on ice from Sept 14 - Nov 9 (8 weeks) at least however!

Good to know about the ER Doc who took 4 months off work post THR, despite being an elite athlete.
 
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Looking forward to applying for membership in the OCC Club after my 10/23 surgery! Thanks so much for posting about your experience. It’s helping me with making my expectations more reasonable and understanding the process of recovery.

@1stSurgery: I agree with your observations about the differences in European vs. American value of leisure. One of my favorite countries to visit is Italy and I think one of the reasons why is the philosophy of “dolce far niente” - the sweetness of doing nothing. Love just sitting in cafes and slowing life down to enjoy the moment! I had to cancel a planned trip to India last year because of my hip but can’t wait to start planning another trip.
 
@An54 and others reading this thread/new to the forum...I found this really great article in the library, written by Poppet, who is sadly no longer with us. She was an advisor at least on BS. The essence of Poppet is woven through her nutrition directed articles....this one relates to healing
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/healing-phases-nutrition.21918/ . I wish I had had the pleasure of "meeting" Poppet on BoneSmart. Her knowledge and light shine on :SUNsmile:
 
Wonderful read over there @Alitm, chock full of good info! Thanks so much for bringing it. Been looking for exactly that kind of info for hip#2 replacement. A shame she's no longer with us.
And welcome to the OCC! :welome:
The few, but the mighty!

:bath::ice::sleeep:
REST IS GOOD!!
 
Good point @An54, we will need a hall monitor to make sure no OCCers are sneaking around in the corridors of the ODIC, gasp! Doing stealth squats or pole vaulting.

Also now that we've gone international and are growing in leaps - but maybe not bounds... I think we need a member roster? For roll call. :)
 
Totally agree @Windsong re Italia! My favorite Country in Europe also. You seldom find that manic need to always be spinning and so frantic busy that you find here.
And welcome to the OCC to you as well! :welome:

You're a few months out from your THR, which is good. You can start calming yourself early and getting your mind trained to be quietly confident about the surgery.
 
I was just rooting around in the library and found a good article by moderator Referee54. It’s long, but worth posting here ( attempting to copy and paste on iPhone )

https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/thr-where-are-you-in-recovery.13960/members/referee54.779/
referee54Forum Advisor
Thread Starter
How many of you have been in a shopping mall or an amusement park and have seen a map that says, “You are here.” It tells you where you are so you can locate what you have to do in order to get to where you want to be.

Well, here is more realistic chart of the “You are here” for a THR.

[Bonesmart.org] Heal first, then exercise, then dance!


Too often you think, “Hey, I have been in recovery 5 or 6 weeks, and I should be here. After all, I have been at this PT/recovery thing for what I think to be long enough---why am I still sore, still stiff, still not where I want to be with my strength and flexibility? How come I don't have the stamina to do the things I want or need to do?”

You keep asking yourself the question, “Why am I not where I am supposed to be?” You are, in fact, actually just where you are supposed to be. The aspect to consider, though, is why you are where you are.

You need to consider what has been done to your hip. Your hip was sliced open; BONES WERE SAWED AND MAYBE HAD SCREWS DRILLED INTO THEM!!!; your OS and his assistants pounded and man-handled you while you were under anesthesia (they most likely were not very gentle!); things may have been glued to you, and finally---you were closed up! You have to consider what has happened to your hip---it has been surgically assaulted and it is angry. It will take quite some time for its anger to simmer down somewhat. It is the real “You Are Here!” Marker---not the one where you think you should be.

The key issue here is to understand that the hip is in charge of the recovery; it sets the time-table for recovery. Most of the time, it is slower than we would like it to be. But when you consider what has been done to your hip, you can understand why your hip is angry and why it will take longer than you think it should to fully recover. We tend to rush our recovery timetable and think that our hip can move forward faster than it actually can.

We have to be much more realistic in the “You are here” vs. the “You should be here”----you have to realize how long it may take to get to “Fully Recovered.” Once you come to terms with the idea that your hip sets the timeline for recovery as well as the actual slow speed of many THR’s, the markers make much more sense and are much more understandable.

Just keep it in mind---the “You are here” is from the hip's perspective, not from yours. The hip is in charge. You will reach the “Fully Recovered” aspect in your life, but your hip will set the schedule; your hip will set the speed, and your hip will let you know when you arrive.
 
Love, thanks!
Sometimes I'm lax in utilizing resources.
I know just where I'll be dropping that article in two secs.
You're an angel, thanks again!
@An54
 
Alitm said:
So please throw all of this back at me come early October
...if I dare look in the direction of the over-done-it club door!
@An54
Click to expand...

@Alitm ,

It is quite unnecessary to wait for your surgery date in order to be inducted into the Grand Hall of Goodness of the OCC. Indeed, you are needed in our fold now --urgently I might add! We need you to go undercover. There are dozens, nay even hundreds (if you include lurkers) who are waiting anxiously, teeming at the gate, on The Other Side of the Great Divide--the surgery date. You can move amongst them incognito.
 
1stSurgery said:
Good point @An54, we will need a hall monitor to make sure no OCCers are sneaking around in the corridors of the ODIC, gasp! Doing stealth squats or pole vaulting.

Also now that we've gone international and are growing in leaps - but maybe not bounds... I think we need a member roster? For roll call. :)
Click to expand...

FirstSurgery, The OCC is indeed growing in leaps -- incremental baby-leaps, as befits a club whose objective is taking it easy. A member roster is most appropriate. Will get to work on that after a rest.

Today we have launched an initiative that could forestall unwitting and tender Pre-Oppers from stumbling blindly into the corridors of the ODIC! I have examined the ODIC floor plan carefully, and I see there are many trick revolving doors placed here and there--time and time again, people enter, do a complete 360 degrees, and exit out the same direction they entered. Escape is tricky! Our agent Alitm will doubtless hit the ground running. I believe there is a second potential recruit, one Windsong.

Will report back with updates after a good REST with my feet up.
 
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