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THR Hike’s Recovery

Thanks all. :)

PT (doc advised I keep going but ditching the problem exercises) kept reminding me this morning everyone has a setback at one point or another. Just bad this is so painful. It’s a sciatic nerve issue and, I’m not kidding, it was so bad in my foot yesterday that it felt broken. I can push through muscle pain - this is much different. PT for now is just as much walking as I can do. Laying around too much can make things worse. He’s advised back to two crutches for now until things calm down. Surgeon moved my appointment up to Monday. Unfortunately he’s in surgery today. Already constipated from the oxy so will bump up magnesium tonight. Fingers crossed.

I’m working towards acceptance of the situation but currently feeling all sorts of bummed out. 10 days postop feels worse than day 1. This too shall pass.
 
It will get better! My progress after letting glute tear heal shows that. If you don't have a tear, it won't take nearly as long. Do keep walking because that can help keep things from stiffening up (motion is lotion) but you may be surprised at how much a couple of days' rest can do to reduce the pain if you don't activate the problematic muscles.
 
hikejunkie said:
Both standing exercises - one you bring operated leg to the side and the other towards the back. I got about 3 reps in on side, stopped. Got 2 reps to the back, stopped. Quite painful. PT didn’t push but advised many have issues with these exercises. I wanted to yell and cuss while asking “if people have problems with these, then why are they doing them?!”
Click to expand...
EXACTLY! My OS is now recommending outside PT for a few weeks to strengthen, something he said wasn't necessary in my pre op appt for THR. :chinstroke: I'm a bit reluctant to start given so many bonesmarties have increased pain with it.
 
@hikejunkie
Oh you poor thing! 10 days out and back at square one? That is tough!
After catching up on your thread I was thinking you need your doggies back,
because of the anxiety thing, but not if you are back at two crutches?

I am so sad you are dealing with the sciatic pain issues, I know that pain well.
The NSAIDS are the only thing that keeps the pain at bay for me, so maybe your OS can
offer an alternative to the Celebrex, due to the anxiety issues.

In some people, the sciatic nerve twines through the piriformis muscle which is
involved with the hip movements. This has been my issue for years and
the one good stretch for it is something my hip joint says NO WAY too! My OS also discussed
at length with me how he actually deals with the piriformis attachment. All this to say there are
reasons the PT aggravates pain.
Good your PT is backing off and letting things settle down for a bit.
I wish I had answers for you!

I do use alternating ice and heat for the sciatic issue.

Hugs to you for this weekend.
 
@BeBe - yes, I need my pups back but the anxiety had nothing to do with their absence. It was the Celebrex. I was instructed no heat for the point I’m at in recovery so I’ve been icing. I think there’d be plenty of exercises to help but have no idea if they could be done at my recovery stage. I was looking at weather forecast and if it does what they’re predicting (doubtful but you never know) I won’t have my dogs back for another two weeks. They’re having a lot of fun where they are and are well taken care of. Every pic I see of them, they look great. But I do have moments of tears over missing them.

The oxy was helping with the pain but I reacted to it last night. My body is def not a fan of opiates I’ve come to find. Woke up about an hour after taking a dose, went to the toilet and was hit with a tsunami of nausea, feeling hot, and broke out into sweats. Pretty awful. I was sitting on the toilet feeling incredibly sick while at the same time fearful of the state EMTs would find me at if I passed out. Sat until I felt I could get up, grabbed a trash bag in case I got sick (I hang them on door handles so they’re reachable to put stuff in), and made it back to bed. Took some Tums and rode it out.

So, I just have to stick with Tylenol for now and hope the pain stays low until I see doc on Monday. I’ve walked around my place quite a bit today and I’ve done alright - icing in between the bits of activity. Staying away from any specific PT exercise. Going to get up and stand at an open doorway for a bit to get some air even though it’s only 40 degrees.
 
hikejunkie said:
@BeBe - PT looked at knee while I walked yesterday and said quads need to be strengthened but it’s not something to work on now other than some squeezes. He said based on how I’m doing he won’t be here past my first post-op appointment with surgeon which is on 21 March. He’ll be here 3x next week. Exercises are all very simple movements (heel slide, glute and quad squeezes, ankle pumps, abduction) except that straight leg raise which I told yet another PT I won’t do. :no-fin:

PT advised I can go to cane for my walks but continue with crutch for stairs until he does another assessment on Monday. I was not using a cane this early with last replacement. I feel quite stable on it but agree not on the stairs yet. I did ask him why pain is so minimal. He seems to think it will pick up as I become more active but I’ve been active already. I’m using Celebrex and Tylenol only for pain (plus ice constantly) so far and really am taking as directed not so much because something hurts. Bruising is spreading outward and boy is it ugly. I have sharpie marks amongst everything else and it’s rather Frankensteinish.

Youngest son still here. Oldest coming over to cook dinner later. Friend popping in midday. Walking, exercises, icing and rest remainder of the time. Not like I can go anywhere. :ice:
Click to expand...

Living in CA, ice and snow aren’t in the equation, but we’ve finally had quite a bit of rain this month. I’ve also had knee stiffness...i blame it partly on how you don’t even have to bend the knee while walking with a walker. I’m feeling everything more with using a cane.
 
Hi @hikejunkie
I'll bet you do miss your pups. It has to help seeing photos of them looking content and knowing
they're well cared for. You'll soon be reunited and all will feel well with the world.

That episode you suffered through last night sounds frightening. I'd imagine you felt pretty vulnerable.
I'm sorry you experienced that. Hopefully it's an isolated incident.

I hope you have a good visit with your doc on Monday and that the rest of your weekend is peaceful.
 
Hi @hikejunkie .....I had a couple of days off from BS and when I come back it all seems to have been happening! I'm so sorry you're having all these ups and downs, they must be very worrying when you're feeling less than your best.....glad the anxiety thing seems to have disappeared, you said you're usually stronger than this, but of course, you're not usually recovering from a major op, so you're entitled, nay EXPECTED to feel off balance, weepy, whatever you want! (will someone please quote this back to me when it's my turn? :whistle:) Hope your recovery takes a sudden upward swing, and you start on the 2 steps forward rather than the one step back
 
@hikejunkie
I get the same nausea, lightheaded sweats thing from oxy and tramodol. Had to go to the ER once then I figured out it was a combo of taking it with my meloxicam that triggered it.
I just hate that sick feeling and feel sorry for you to have to go through it. Adverse reactions to meds are no laughing matter, especially as we get a bit older, but don't feel that old. Then it doesn't dawn on us that it's the
meds.
When these tough times hit me I just say to myself "all this will be past me in a couple weeks". Lots of healing post op will happen for you in a couple weeks. Hope you get answers at your OS appt.
 
Thank you everyone! Such kindness is appreciated. It’s Sunday which means no pup pics today. Yesterday quite a few action shots which showed Izzie (youngest) in piles of mayhem and Tank (oldest) off to the side having none of it. Ha! I was told today they get more 1:1 time and was promised they’d get extra snuggles. Good. :) :-) (:

@anny - I’ll remind you when it’s your turn but hope it’s only due to the normal blues things vs. med reactions.

@BeBe - exactly with it not dawning on us it’s the meds. I’ve never reacted to anything and here I am with two of them! Agree with telling oneself this will pass. Often hard when you’re in the midst of what feels like a crisis. I got quite comfortable in how easy things were going so the setback, which is normal and happens to everyone, hit me particularly hard.

I’m doing ok today. Difficulty falling asleep again. No idea why. But since I don’t have to be awake for anything in particular I slept in until 7am. I’m usually up 5-5:30am so that’s late for me. Sat in chair in living room having my coffee. I have large glass doors across one wall and the chair is there so it’s a nice spot to watch the world go by. I’ll be getting in shower shortly, then cooking an omelette for myself, doing some laundry and then walking/resting combo remainder of the day. I’m actually excited to go to doc tomorrow. First time out of the house in two weeks. :happydance:
 
Oh...seems forever I'm sure ...but only two weeks.
This is the rough stuff. Poor hikejunkie
Wish I could get you over this faster...
Try not to discourage, as Bebe said - this too shall pass.
 
Sounds like normal, boring old recovery to me :heehee: you're doing well!
I didn't venture out of the house for a couple weeks either and it made a difference once I got out!
You feel like you're part of the world again after living in a bubble. I think you're going to love it.
After that initial trek out, it made me want to get out more often. Huge mood lifter I found.
I started getting kind of down and expressed it in my thread. I think it was dougie0216 that asked me if I'd been out to smell the roses....and I hadn't! So I'm excited for your outing tomorrow. Let us know how it goes.
It may tire you a bit but it's a good tired. Hope your day is great!
@hikejunkie
 
Good visit with doc. X-rays show everything is perfect. No cerclage wires or screws like I had with left one. There was this mesh thing over incision and he removed it. Incision looks great and I can now gently wash the area. He decided on Ultram (Tramadol) for pain management and I haven’t needed to take it yet. PT out of the house starts next week, 3x a week for 6 weeks.

I see surgeon again 18 April - no driving and precautions in place until then. Meh. :nah:

I’m back using cane and took a walk outside yesterday. Goal was to make it to mailbox bank and I did it. :yes!:

Current plan is to get my pups back on 2 April, depending on weather and outside conditions. Knowing I’ll have them soon brightens my outlook on things a bit. :puppysmooze:
 
Last day for in house PT today. Will be a short visit I’m sure as there are several things I won’t do today so that whatever is going on can rest. Last visit he had offered to stretch my hip a bit and I politely declined. :no-fin: I’ll wait until I’m with PT I wholeheartedly trust next week for any hands on work.

I’ve developed a pain spot that feels like a back issue and I think it’s coming from my using cane full time. I’m focused on heel toe with my steps and I notice as I walk more this particular pain comes into play. I’m thinking it’s because my gait was so bad pre-op and I listed to one side that now my bod is a tad ticked off trying to right itself. :groan: Leg continues to fall asleep and I’ve got pins and needles when I wake up in the morning. Perhaps it’s due to it not moving much during the night.

Been testing out my golfers pick up and I can grab the dog bowls with ease. :yes!: Their bowls sit on either side of the kitchen entrance so I can grab onto the wall for balance if I needed it. Come on 2 April.
 
I agree new aches and pains come with getting that gait and stance corrected...hang in there.
Yay for walk to mailbox...don't want to miss out on those bills:heehee:
 
Sorry to hear about the setbacks! It is up and down! I have a sore IT band. Told the PT she’s hurting me—will not go back twice a week and push it! She agreed. Back to icing thigh and knee. Otherwise—so far so good! Hang in there. ️
 
@Mojo333 - yes, those bills and an audit letter from IRS for my 2015 return. Next goal is ignoring mailbox bank and walking right on past it.

@Hipgirl18 - agree on your choices with PT. I expect aches or tightness with stretching but not pain. Anything over that achy point is a no go for me. IT band can be a pain - when mine is tight knee problems pop up.
 
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