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Bilateral THR Hippy Toonz

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@DrToonz ............just catching up with your messages, wow such progress! I can not wait until I am where you are. Again your stories are enlightening and entertaining, keep them coming! Oh yeah, love the fishing basket your mom got for your walker! Does your walker have wheels or not?
 
Just checking in and glad to hear about yr progress. Making something to eat for yourself is another not so small milestone. Great news.
 
Today's update. 13-days post-op.

Drugs: I took one oxy last night at about midnight and another at about 4am. No other oxy until now.
Still using ice, some minor elevation (not laid out, just kickin' it in The Big Chair).
Also the doctor-prescribed Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen and daily aspirin.

Activity: I made my own breakfast (some scrambled eggs with cheddar) and gathered up the recycling laying around and got it into a bag. I also had a shower today. I asked mom to come by and be in the house in case I fell or something stupid happened, but I went sloth-slow again and it worked out fine. Clean is good.
I've taken a few walks around the house with the walker. I also gathered up my own lunch and refilled my own beverages with a couple trips to the fridge.

In between all these activities, I've been sitting and icing. (the ice packs get warm after a while so it's not CONSTANT icing).

I also got some rubber tips for my hiking poles and put them on today. I attempted a walk around the house using just hiking poles rather than the walker. I made a couple circuits (not a big house / no stairs or steps up/down) and put them down for the day. It was difficult. Especially the transfer of weight from LEFT to RIGHT foot. Weird. Not impossible, just strange. Actual pain was minimal. Uneasiness was great.

Doctor has suggested that I pretty much ditch the walker NEXT WEEKEND (5 days from now?) and go with just a cane (or something). I'm thinking my hiking poles will be that device.

Stealth: No nap today. Slept 8 hours last night with a couple get-up-to-pee breaks. No naps today. Pretty tired now (10pm or so), but not necessarily NAP tired.

Anyway...that's today. Day 13 Post-Op.

I remain optimistic!
 
@DrToonz you are doing sooo well!!! Congratulations on nailing your recovery - a large part of which must be keeping in good spirits. That is an effort of will and due entirely to you. You are an inspiration
 
grandma chris said:
Congratulations on nailing your recovery
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Thanks!
How's yours going? You're just a day behind me, right?
BTW: I LOVE the Canadian Okanogan! I've been MANY MANY times on my way up to Silver Star Mountain.
You might have read earlier that skiing is a passion of mine! Well, one of my favorite places in the ENTIRE WORLD (and I've been around!) is Silver Star Mountain!
 
Nice!! I did ski at Silver Star many years ago - in the mid 70s!! It was beautiful then but I imagine it's much more well developed now. We love living here, mild winters, great fruit in the summer. My recovery is going well I think. I am still taking the meds prescribed although they run out tomorrow and I'm not sure I'll be able to get more. I've tried to stretch the times between taking them and that has been okay once or twice but usually it's not okay. I ditched the walker a few days ago but have gone back to it - I am much more steady with it and everything I've read here says don't push your recovery, listen to your body. I think I'll just do that!! Not a lot of pain but mostly still fear and a lack of confidence that I will be able to walk without pain. I think I need another couple of visits from the physiotherapist, that will help with my confidence. That, and reading stories such as yours. I used to be much more brave :)
 
grandma chris said:
I ditched the walker
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Did you go straight to NO equipment, or did you go to a cane or something else?
grandma chris said:
I need another couple of visits from the physiotherapist
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I have no plans of physiotherapist. They just told me to walk alot. I kind of wish I did have someone that I could have tell me what to do and when.
 
I ditched the walker in favour of a crutch but I found I was quite wobbly and walked with a more pronounced limp. The aim is to be 'limpless', isn't it?!? The physiotherapist came to visit the day after I got home. She examined my incision and changed the dressing. Showed me quite a few tips and tricks - I thought I was well prepared but she REALLY knows her stuff! She assessed my gait - I told her I have a dull ache on my butt (I had anterior lateral) and she said that is muscular and showed me how to work on that, essentially butt clenches! She came again, taught my husband to change the dressing and clean the wound site and she removed the staples. She told me I could call her if I wanted her to come back and I think now I do. I need some guidance on 'what I can do and when'. It's a big help to have a pro there!
 
Interesting. I had staples removed in the office and they just said "keep it clean" after that. No more bandages (and that was 9 days post op.
Then they just said keep walking as much as you can STARTING NEXT WEEK. I'm supposed to just chill this week. I've been walking a LITTLE bit more, but not a lot more (with walker). I'll keep trying the hiking poles a little to see what happens. Then I guess I get to go cane or crutches or ...? hiking poles? after that.
 
@DrToonz Glad to see that things are progressing so well for you. Your positive attitude is helpful, I hope I can stay that positive when I am in recovery. As always I look forward to reading your posts. And the breakfast sounds yummy!!
 
@DrToonz sounds like you are exactly where you should be. Today is 3 wks for me...yippee and most things are getting back to normal. The only thing I can't do is lotion my feet as I can't get my legs up close enough to get the bottoms so DH still does that for me. I made dinner last night (burgers and baked potatoes, no big deal)but felt good to be able to. Oh and I went to PT yesterday without aids!
 
I've been off line for awhile as I accidentally got snowed in. Finally made it home and discovered all the progress you have made. Very impressive! Not even two weeks out and you are looking forward to walking and biking. Sending you a virtual high five!
 
Freaky freak said:
most things are getting back to normal
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You are my barometer, Freaky! Us bilaterals don't have a lot of comparisons to watch, so it's hard to feel like you know what's "right" and what's not. When you say things are getting back to normal, can you expound on that? Are you now walking without any equipment at all? Are you HAPPY? ;)
Healthyhip12 said:
Not even two weeks out and you are looking forward to walking and biking
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Thanks. I've been "looking forward" to walking and biking again for MONTHS, but now it feels like it actually might happen.
Sue629 said:
happy things are going well. Keep it up
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Thank you! I'll try.
 
Morning update at the 14-day mark:

A little bit of a rough night. Could be all the activity yesterday, the lack of drugs (just one oxy yesterday at midnight as I went to sleep). I don't know. I did try using the hiking poles yesterday for another couple laps around inside the house. It's hard, but doable.

Having occasional sharp pains in the upper legs. Somewhere between above my knee and my hip. Concentrated mostly in my front thigh (about where femur meets prosthetic I'd guess). A feeling like being stabbed by a big needle. Sharp, fast, unprovoked and unpredictable. Generally happens when I'vehad less drugs and I'm not currently icing. Doctor predicted these pains as a part of nerves regenerating themselves. Weird.

Still have a lot of numbness on the surface around both incisions. Additional numbness all over the right side of the right thigh too.

Took one more oxy this morning because of the hurt this morning. Feeling OK at the moment. I've got ice and elevation, all my normal over-the-counter meds plus the one oxy in me. The DW made me a great latte before heading off to work.

I'll take it a little easier today.

I remain optimistic.
 
@DrToonz when I say back to normal, walking with no aids for the most part, taking care of my own self for the most part and as one put it in an earlier post "reconnected with my husband", getting out and starting to go more places without pain. I am only taking the occasional hydrocodone, mostly if I am going to be out longer than just PT. I can sleep some on either side for short periods during the night, but still use a small pillow between the knees just for comfort. Drs appt. is next Weds and I expect to get back to work (since I work at home) either Thursday or the following Monday.

I too have the numbness and occasional sharp pain and still pretty stiff when getting up to move around but I am sure it will get better with time. I am practicing stairs this week as my office is upstairs over the garage so need to build up for that.

All in all, things could not be better for just 3 short weeks!
 
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