THR Hipmom is healing

[Jamie]

Can you get some gloves to wear while you are using your crutches? That might save your hands a little.

 

[hipmom]

I was wearing my husband's bike gloves for awhile. They didn't seem padded enough, so i stuffed some foam inside of them. Then i found "crutch pillows" in the drug store. They are heavily padded things you put on the top of the crutches and on the hand holds. They seem to be helping.

I really hope to get off of crutches in two weeks . . .

My next thing to find out is, when can i sleep in a different position? Like on my side? I was always a side sleeper. I've done surprisingly well sleeping on my back, but the last two nights i have woken up at 5 feeling really restless. I put my knees up, then down - blankets off, then back on. I think i am just busting to sleep in a different position! I'm just about 4 weeks out now. I'm planning to call the surgeon's office tomorrow to see if i can. I am on full restrictions - no crossing of legs and no twisting. What is the procedure for safely getting onto and off of your side?

Talked to nurse last week about leg swelling and she suggested that i wrap my leg from the knee up (my teds go to below the knee) in ace bandages - not too tight that it would cut off circulation - as a way to force the fluid up where it will be easier for my body to absorb. I think it really helped with my knee. I can do the heel slides now without the back of my knee feeling so tight. I only have the bandages on for a few hours a day and i don't sleep in them. Anyone else try this?

Hope all of the hippies are finding comfortable positions and sleeping well!

 

[Renate]

Hi Donna, you are only 1 month out. Pls be patient. Have you tried pillows on your side, along the legs? If you tuck a big one under your thigh, you might be able to gently move sideways and get some relief. I slid my op leg a little up (heel slide), tucked a pillow between my legs. It's hard to explain. But it got easier around week 6 for me. I am a side sleeper and found sleeping on my back difficult. Ideally, I would have liked one of those triangles hanging from the ceiling.

 

[hipmom]

Just talked to the nurse and she said i can lay on my non-operative side with a pillow between my legs. I'll let you know how that goes later after i try it

 

[Renate]

just don't roll onto your belly!

 

[hipmom]

Well, the side sleeping didn't turn out to be the bliss i thought it would be i was able to get onto my side but i wasn't able to relax on my side. My operated side just felt tense. I think i was nervous lying that way after being so protective of my hip. I tried to stay on my side awhile and tried to relax into it, but after 15 minutes i just ended up laying on my back again. I'll try again. Maybe it takes a few times to just lighten up and chill out

On the fun side, i had lunch with my friends again and we talked about going to a movie this weekend. That shoud be fun with all of my gear - crutches and seat cushions to raise my chairs! :th_heehee:

 

[Renate]

That's how it's done! A little at a time, next week you'll be better at it. By the way: How is your daughter doing with her wrist fracture? Hope she is better by now.

 

[Juliep]

Hey Donna,

You sound like things are going well. It's hard to get used to getting onto your side. I still do pillow between legs. I go to one side to another. You will get there.

xoxo

 

[The Cappuccino Kid]

I've been on my non operated side for a couple of weeks now. It does make sleep a bit better but I'm still nervous of rolling over in my sleep and doing something daft.

It'll come Donna - you'll get used to it I'm sure.

 

[Jaycey]

Donna, it took me quite awhile to sleep for any length of time on the op side. Everything is still sensitive. But things will settle. Just keep trying.

 

[lisanewmc]

I hated the back sleeping. I'm a stomach/recovery position sleeper, but I've got so used to my pillow to support knees I still have it in my bed! I don't need it any more it's just a comfort thing now :th_heehee: You'll get there.....

 

[hipmom]

That's how it's done! A little at a time, next week you'll be better at it. By the way: How is your daughter doing with her wrist fracture? Hope she is better by now.

My daughter is all healed now - thanks for asking :biggrin:

I am soooooo looking forward to my 6 week on monday! I still don't have the details of my surgery. My surgeon went on vacation the day after. He came at 6 am the next morning to say that everything went well, but i wasn't really alert and didn't think to ask any questions.

I am so hoping to be cleared to put weight on my leg, switch to a cane (having one hand available to carry things will be heaven!), and getting the go ahead to drive. I also haven't been to physical therapy yet. They only wanted me to do the few bed exercises they showed me in the hospital. I'm anxious to get this show on the road!

Not sure how i will feel about seeing the x-ray. It's not that i mind having a foreign piece of equipment in me (in theory), but how will i feel when i actually see it in me? I am curious as to how far down into the femur it actually goes. I want to know if the whole orientation of my leg has been changed (the gp hinted that it has been). They rotated my leg when i had the osteotomy at 15 - did they straighten it back out?

And, of course, what will me leg difference be? He told me before surgery that i would have one due to my anatomy. When i am standing, i keep my knee bent. If i try to straighten it, i go over like the leaning tower of pisa! I understand from reading other posts that after bearing weight for a few months, you can settle in and the discrepancy can shrink a bit. Can't wait to see how i end up.

My brother flies in on sunday for a week! Really looking forward to that. Then he and my mom will leave next weekend. My poor mother will have been here for 7 1/2 weeks! Then it will be time for me to take back the reins of my household (as much as i can anyway!)

 

[uktanny]

Hiya Donna, going back to the sleeping on the side issue, I too detest sleeping on my back, I started off at about 4 weeks by putting pillows under my bum/thigh area to take me just off my back, and then I was told NOT to sleep on my non operated side as then the operated leg weighs down and crosses the mid line. I know you use pillows but the pillow may move.

I was advised to sleep on my OPERATED side, which I did, building up the time and still with 2 pillows between my legs.

I am now 10 weeks and sleep on both sides with pillows still

You're nearly at your 6 weeks, can I just say dont go mad! take it easy and dont make the mistakes I made!

Tan x

 

[Jaycey]

Donna, I thought the xray might bother me but it was actually so impressive I was just amazed. Nice and neat and very high tech!

 

[Juliep]

Yes the xrays are very impressive aren't they. It's like "wow, that's inside me?" I never did get a copy of my left hip so when I go back next week I want to make sure I get that copy as well so I can see both.

Have a great week with your brother in town and the last week with your mom being with you. I'm sure you are ready to get your household back to normal or as much as normal can be. :biggrin:

 

[Josephine]

Unlike the poor lady who, having not been informed prior to surgery that the type of hip she would have would have a screw fixation, was horrified to see it in the xray and immediately assumed something terrible had happened! :hate-shocked:

 

[hipmom]

I always knew that i was screwed up :hysterical:

 

[The Cappuccino Kid]

Hi Donna - not long until the 6 week mark now!

 

[hipmom]

I had my 6 week post op visit on monday. Xrays look good but a little freaky seeing 3 large screws holding the cup in. No pain. Allowed to put full weight on leg now, switch to a cane, and drive when ready (haven't tried yet as it is raining). I am still on full hip restrictions until the 12 week mark. No physical therapy (except exercises they showed me in the hospital) until january! He said i could ride a bike at the 12 week mark if i wanted.

He did not measure my legs but put his hands on the back of my pelvis and said the lengths are different. I knew preop that my leg lengths would be different due to my severe hip displasia. He told me to just get a heel lift at the drugstore @ 3/8".

The 3/8" lift didn't seem to straighten me out now that my leg is straightened out and full weight bearing. I ended up taking a shoe i have with a
1 1/2" heel and putting the lift into that (for @a 2" lift). Unfortunately, my other foot was BAREFOOT! Only then did my legs seem equal to me and to my family. I know that we are not professionals. This seems like a massive difference to me and it is difficult to walk with no height lift.

I keep reading on here that the new leg will "settle in" and reduce some in time. How much reduction should i expect? When do i really get my shoes fixed? I know they don't intend to really measure me until my next appt jan 4. Please advise what you know on this subject as i am a little upset right now. There's no going back now and i know this will be something i need to adjust to.

Thanks for any input.

 

[Jaycey]

Hi Donna, please don't stress about the leg length difference. It is true things will continue to settle. I was advised by my OS and by Jamie and Jo to wait until at least 3-4 months out to do anything about a lift in my shoe.

Once you reach that point you need someone who knows how to measure LLD to measure you. I had a very good podiatrist who had already made me custom inserts for my shoes. They simply measured the difference and added an extra lift on the short side. They also gave me a separate lift that I can wear with sandles or very narrow shoes.

I disagree about getting something over the counter. You don't want to over compensate so an accurate measurement is needed. You also need to buy new shoes as anything you wore pre-op will be worn down in the wrong places for post-op walking.

Please don't worry. LLD is not really a big deal.