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THR Hipmom is healing

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Hi, Donna, so glad to see that you're home and your transition was smooth! That is great news. You sound like you're doing really well...especially with the stairs! Rest and like Renate said, enjoy your family!

Donna :)
 
Welcome home. Now there's a huge milestone (as Jo says) done and dusted. Take good care of yourself and start that healing process!
 
First full day home and doing great! I spent a lot of time sitting in my dining room trying to be normal. Back and forth to bathroom and bed. Hung out in the kitchen on a bar stool and supervised my daughter making pancakes for dinner (she insisted). Hubby helped me to take my first shower since tuesday (wonderful!). My daughter helped me do my pt - she is my own personal nurse.

My op leg is pretty swollen. The teds only go up to my knees, so the swelling is from the knee up. It might have been like this in the hospital but i didn't notice because i was in bed so much and couldn't really see. Do you think i should get teds that go up higher?

Time for my night meds and sleep. I was thrilled that i slept through the night last night. Wonder if will do that again.

Hope all the hippies out there have a great, restful night.

Donna w.
Complex rthr - posterior 8/23
 
Hi
I had a lot of swelling on both legs knee up and Teds went up to groin with a suspender belt type thing connecting them.Pretty different for a guy!!! With elevation and ice went down in about four days.You did amazing with sleep ,still not having that lying on my back.
 
Wow Donna, Amazing you are doing....sat on a bar stool. It's still a little difficult for me to get up and down from one. Sleeping all night, sounds wonderful. How nice to have your daughter be such a big help for you. I'm glad things are doing so well and you are home with your family. Take it easy though and keep the legs elevated to help with that swelling.
 
You are doing good Donna. I can't believe you were sitting on a bar stool and slept all night, wow! Doesn't it feel great? The swelling will come down soon, just rest, elevate and ice. Great your wonderful daughter helps out.
 
All sounding good Donna. My TEDs also are knee length which suits me fine. Snap on the bruising and swelling - it'll soon go down.

That's great that you're sleeping so well - hope it continues.
 
The bar stool is one i bought before surgery. It has a back and armrests and a padded seat. The seat is a little lower than butt height when standing, so it easy to grt in and out of. Had to stand up from it a few times as it wasn't comfortable for too long.

So, when everyone says elevate the leg, does that mean lay in bed or leg up on a stool, or does it mean put the leg on pillows and have them higher than my head? Where do you ice, hip or whole leg?

Not off to a great start today. Had my first crying jag. Was feeling light headed and nauseous. Feel a little weak but nothing sounds appetizing to me. I'm not used to taking so many pills.

Donna w
Complex rthr posterior 8/23
 
Hi Donna, here's a good thread about icing and elevating the leg. Ice on your incision or where you have any swelling.

Sounds like the post op blues are kicking in. Here's another good thread about them. Don't be discouraged - it is all a part of the healing process.

Early days Donna - you'll get there!
 
Hi Donna,

Hooo boy; had those same blues a couple of days ago and i must say that sharing those feelings with the forum helped--lots of support here. Another thing that helped was taking a little extra time to care for myself--ice!, taking meds as prescribed, and some good, junk television (no shortage of that!). Also, i needed to be alone for awhile and it was hard to ask for that without hurting others' feelings, but it really, really helped and i felt much better on the other side. Friends & family want to help, want to say the right thing but i was finding it irritating to be around them while feeling so down.

Indulge yourself for a bit; the blues will pass.

Bluetail
LTHR 8/17/11
 
Hey Donna, you know you've heard from me after my surgery and you heard me tell you about my crying and the blues and sick to my stomach so bad, so you know it's no fun but normal. I've loss now 15lbs since my first surgery because food just doesn't sound or look as good as it used. I sure hope it continues to be like that. :snork: If you didn't get any anti nausea meds from your Doc I would get them. I called after I was home a few days and they called a script in for me and boy what a difference that made. Hope you are doing better later today.
 
Hi Donna, your body's still traumatised by what amounts to severe assault. Be good to yourself and take plenty of time to rest. It's not even a week yet.
 
Thank you everyone for the advice. I did try sitting up for awhile with the leg elevated and ice. Thank you for the threads, jaycey - very helpful. I knew when i started crying this morning that it was the post-op blues. I read about it on the forums. So wonderful to have all of this great information out here so nothing needs to be a surprise! Very reassuring to know that you are not the only one. I don't know how i would have come this far without all of the support i get from this site.

How is everyone else doing? I seem to nod off before i can search all of the threads. Cap, we were the same day, how is your recovery going?

I've been looking through my discharge papers, but they don't seem to say too much. They talk about preventing blood clots, but i can't find out what the symptoms are if you have one. Got concerned when the leg swelled up. Muscle feels a little tight or achey behind the thigh, but maybe that is from the swelling and the skin is tight.

Hugs and smiles to all of you post-op hippies,

Donna w.
Complex rthr - posterior 8/23
 
Hi Donna, I'm so sorry you had a tough day. Things will get better. This is a big deal what we've done to our bodies. It's just gonna take time. I know that I am taking baby steps. My mind is one place but my body is like, nah, I Don't think so. Yesterday was day 10 for me and I'm starting to feel "system" strong Nd not mentally fuzzy, but ortho/leg wise, not so strong. I hope today is a really good day for you.
 
hipmom said:
I've been looking through my discharge papers, but they don't seem to say too much. They talk about preventing blood clots, but i can't find out what the symptoms are if you have one. Got concerned when the leg swelled up. Muscle feels a little tight or achey behind the thigh, but maybe that is from the swelling and the skin is tight.
Click to expand...

Donna, don't worry about the swelling. It's perfectly normal. Are you icing and elevating? Please do both as the swelling will cause pain.

If you are moving around regularly during the day I wouldn't worry about clots. They are not the norm at all.

Take care! Sound like you are doing very well!
 
Hi Donna, hope you're having a better day today. I cannot advise on the swelling really, only had it for 5 days or so, but small steps here and there and your exercises especially ankle pumps and heel slides help a lot. And then .... off to bed, pillows under the legs and sleep. Also, take your pain meds on time and ask for anti nausea meds. That should help.
 
Yesterday didn't start out great. Still feeling kind of hot and lightheaded. I went back to bed and sent my mom out to get a bloodpressure machine. I was convinced my pressure was dropping like it did in the hospital. Turned out to be my normal low. Called the doc's office and the nurse told me all the problems were from the one narcotic. She got me started on a lighter narcotic to replace the one i am having trouble with. Feeling better today.

I'm a little frustrated with all of these restrictions and how i need so much help now. My husband has to help me with the shower and i just feel so silly being so dependant. He has to help me in and out and i can't reach (even with the reacher) to turn the water on or adjust the temp. He says he doesn't mind but you just feel so blah about the whole thing. Maybe when i get off of these gazillion pills i will be able to come up witj better ways to do some of this stuff :rolleyespink:

Everyone is reminding me that it has only been a week. Guess they are right and i should be happy that i am getting around as well as i am. Looking forward to filling my time with something other than staying on top of my drug schedule! :wink1:

Kids first day of school. Sad for me as i always take them the first day. Can't wait for them to come home to hear how it went.

Hope all is well in hippyland for everyone else!

Donna w.
Complex rthr - posterior 8/23
 
You're frustrated already? My goodness! What short span of patience you have! Remember you have a ways to go yet so better get used to the fact that you are the patient who needs to be patient! :th_heehee:

Take heart, honey - this phase doesn't last forever and you will only make it last longer if you don't take care of yourself and allow yourself to be pampered! It's your turn, let them do it!
 
Ok josephine - i'll take your advice:th_heehee:

Doing so much better since i switched out that one narcotic. Both tuesday and wednesday i had my husband take me out front (yea! Outside! ) and i walked for 30 minutes back and forth in front of the house! I was very excited as i have just been hanging on my top floor and there really isn't a nice span of space to walk around in. My hip held up fine but the heels of my hands are killing me from all the pressure on the walker (only supposed to have weight of leg on operated side). Friend suggested i wear biking or weight training gloves - bet that will help. Building up some tough calluses! So now the joke at my house is, "whose turn is it to walk Mom?"
:th_heehee::th_heehee:

Last night i was sitting at the table with my daughter and she moved my walker as we were putting boxes next to my chair for our rabbit to jump on - i haven't been able to pet him since i got home becsuse i can't reach him. He is not a "pick up" bunny. We usually sit on the floor to play with him. Anyway, my daughter eventually went to bed and i didn't realize until i was ready for bed that i was completely stranded! My walker was behind me :scratch: i felt like a tortise who was flipped on his back! I had to text my son (a floor below me) to rescue me :th_heehee: too funny!

So much to learn in this new life! Hope everyone else is having fun, too!
 
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