Bilateral THR Hippy Toonz

[sharonslp]

I think it's almost impossible not to have "overdoing" experiences once you feel well enough to get out and about a a bit. It's a trial and error kind of learning, and the takeaway lesson is to keep pushing the boundaries in very small increments, so no real damage is done if you do push it too far. As you are discovering quite clearly, DrT. A rest day or two, and you'll be ready to push again....gently of course.

My surgeon told me I could drive when I was off the walker and felt ready. I was off the walker (and maybe off my rocker too) at 10 days, and I gave it a whirl in my parking lot at 2 weeks. I practiced in the parking for a few days more, and then ventured onto the real street for a one mile jaunt to PT on my own. Such freedom! I stuck with that for a while longer. Somewhere around a month I could manage a 20 minute drive with something resembling comfort. The rule is....you know how you feel. You know what you can really do vs what you wish you could do. There are potentially serious consequences if you misjudge. No one else's experience can dictate what is correct for you. You can't go wrong being patient; you could go wrong by plunging ahead. Proceed accordingly.

Glad to see you are feeling well enough to be overdoing, and raising the driving question.
Sharon

 

[grandma chris]

Hi @DrToonz, if I did not feel comfortable about driving, I would wait a day or two. Make a word!!

 

[DrToonz]

here in good old Blighty we drive on the CORRECT side of the road

I will say that you drive on the FUN side of the road. I had the opportunity a couple years ago to experience it and when you've spent 30-some years driving one way and then you swap seats, drive on the wrong side, put the gear shift in your left hand and have to remember that everything EXCEPT the clutch is having Opposite Day, it makes for a Disneyland-level of excitement every moment on the road. Yee-haw!!

didn't go very far the first trip - just to the grocery store about 2 miles away

Tried it today. Sat there. Seemed fine. Drove to the store 2 miles away, got me some stuff, drove back.
It was a non-event. (except that I GOT TO DRIVE AGAIN!) [I'm 4.5 weeks post-op].

 

[DrToonz]

You can't go wrong being patient; you could go wrong by plunging ahead. Proceed accordingly.

I've been living by the rules pretty staunchly. I did drive today using the advice of others to sit and see how it felt. It was just fine. No problem at all. I'll be driving myself to the gym tomorrow!

Make a word!

Done.

 

[sharonslp]

Attaboy!

 

[Healthyhip12]

Hi Dr Toonz. I waited six weeks to drive. I was advised by someone ( I can't remember who ) that if I had an accident and my insurance company found out that I should not have been driving, the I could possibly be held liable. Yikes!

 

[miaow27]

DrToonz- glad your drive was ok , good for you! I did vacuuming yesterday- I found it the most surprisingly strenuous thing I have done since surgery. Why I don't know- I suppose the vacuum is quite heavy.
Have a good day

 

[DrToonz]

insurance company found out that I should not have been driving

Interesting idea, but who has said that you "should not have been driving"? I have been given "no restrictions" and besides the obvious DWI problem with driving on opiates, I don't know how they'd ever be able to say that I "should not have been driving".**

**I am not a lawyer. hehe

 

[miaow27]

I rang my insurance and they said if my surgeon says I'm ok to drive it's fine with them. Apparently different insurance companies have different requirements. In the UK.....

 

[grandma chris]

Done.

Thanks

 

[dickinson]

wow @DrToonz . driving !! I was just thinking about your earlier posts when you were stuck in the 'big chair'. that was not a very long time ago. terrific .

 

[GaRosehippy]

@DrToonz............So wonderful that you are progressing so well, congrats! You said that you have a suburban, me too, mine is 4x4, so it is a wee bit higher than norm, what is yours? I know your DW picked you up in it so let me know please...........worrying that I won't be able to climb up or slide out? How about traveling, being the passenger, how well or long can you handle that or have your had any extended outings? Thanks.

 

[DrToonz]

@put2pasture:

You said that you have a suburban, me too, mine is 4x4, so it is a wee bit higher than norm, what is yours?

The Suburban is my mom's truck. I have an Escalade.
They are essentially the same car though.
Both of ours have running boards which are essential for me getting in. Other than that need, these cars are easier to get into than any other i've ridden in so far (Subaru Forester, Acura MDX, Chev Impala, Audi something).

...worrying that I won't be able to climb up or slide out...

The only trouble I'd foresee is if you don't have any upper body/arm strength because the 4x4 'Burban / Escalade is tall enough to need your arms to lift yourself up a bit.
Just put the seat back, back in a**-first, and swivel your legs in for most cars.
For the tall ones (like the Suburban and Escalade), I AT FIRST (that first week) wanted to have someone there to spot me just in case some slippage happened when getting into the car. I never needed it.
I back into the doorway, put my right hand on the seat and my left hand on the forward-most part of the door armrest (in front of where the window controls are).
Then I stabilize myself with those hands and lift up one (my right-yours should be your non-surgery leg) heel to rest on the running board.
Once stability is verified at that point (beware of slippery from wet running boards), I left the other heel up and using upper-body /arms I lift my butt onto the seat.
At that point, I exhale a small sigh of triumph (no disasters happened) and swivel my feet in.
This requires help for the first week. NO muscles in the upper legs so you'll need someone to help lift your legs into the car.
Out is easy. Essentially the same thing in reverse.
The most important thing is to do EVERYTHING IN SLOW MOTION.

...have you had any extended outings?

I have had a couple outings but nothing more than about 40 minutes drive time and that was in the Subaru.
The Escalade and the Suburban are the best because they're big and allow you to put your legs in whatever position is most comfortable to you. The smaller cars are less forgiving.

Besides the ride home from the hospital (a half hour or so), I had ZERO outings for a week. My first outing was back to the hospital for staple removal and xray. That was as described above and I did have someone spotting me getting in and out of the car.

Week 4 saw the first regular outings. Week 5 was when I drove first.

I still prefer not to drive. I just feel like it's more comfortable to let someone else. I can do it. No problem.

See my next post on outing yesterday!

 

[DrToonz]

So last night was a big-deal outing.
The DW, 2 friends and I went to this thing:
[ Seattle Rock Orchestra performs Michael Jackson ]
(it was great - my second and their 4th SRO show)
First we went to dinner and then to the show.
The car ride was a half-hour.
We parked right in front of the restaurant so the walk into there was only about 100 feet.
We parked near the venue so the walk into there was about 300 feet and then another 300 feet to our seats.
Duplicate that in reverse for the ways out.
The hardest part was sitting in theater seats for 2+ hours.
It was not terrible, just not as comfortable as it was for most people. It WAS, however, MORE comfortable than it would have been PRE-surgery!
Got home tired, slept badly (I think I got into a position on my side which caused me some pain and woke me and kept bothering me 'til morning).

This morning i went and walked about .7 miles (that's zero POINT seven) or so with my one hiking pole at the dog park (Marymoor in Redmond, WA - a WORLD-CLASS off-leash park) with the DW and Indie the Dog and a few friends and one of their dogs.
My sleeping problem last night I think made it a little tough to do this walk, but it worked out.
Now I'm icing/elevating as a precaution.

I have a houseful of people coming over for an Oscar party tonight so I'll need to rest up!

G'day, hippies!

 

[grandma chris]

@DrToonz - you're almost back to normal! How wonderful to have had such a lovely complicated outing, so many components. I still have not had such an extended outing. I've been out for coffee, out to the grocery store, to the pool, out to dinner (where I had wine!!), and out for lunch but only one at a time. I'll have to do something a little more complex this week after all I leave for a big trip next Monday and I need to get ready!

 

[charmed-life]

Be sure you have permission from your doctor or that your insurance covers you if you don't.... I didn't drive until six weeks because that's what my doctor wanted.

 

[DrToonz]

Oscar party went off without a hitch. Walked around the house yesterday withOUT using my hiking pole. Not as easy to do this morning, but not bad either. Just a little morning weakness I think.
I'm going to let the boss know today that my intention is to go back to work on Thurs or Fri for half-days to see how it goes. Of course, if I don't see any improvement in the next couple days, that plan's gonna change.
It's working, but it is really very slow. It still hurts to walk, just not as much and every few days it seems to be slightly better.

 

[miaow27]

DrToonz- my humble opinion re work- why rush?? I think you should not be in pain. But you know your work.
All the best

 

[DrToonz]

5 weeks today:

I've noted my own trend to fewer postings recently. This is due primarily to my actually DOING stuff rather than just sitting in The Big Chair. I apologize, but I'm also happy about it.

A couple things I haven't mentioned: I moved to my normal bed upstairs rather than my interim bed downstairs. Stairs are a little difficult, but doable. The normal bed is WAY more comfortable and I sleep better there. I'm also able to more often turn on my side which is a great and welcome change for sure. I still don't sleep as well as I'd like and I get tired during the day because of it, but it is an improvement.

My incisions are healing nicely despite my concerns for infection and the slow-to-heal very end point. One side is healed completely and the other is SO close that I imagine tomorrow is the day. Yay!

Still can't put my socks on without great effort, but I CAN now tie my own shoes without TOO much trouble.

I'm hoping to go to work on Thursday and Friday for half-days as an intro to my return to work full time.

I think that's it for now.

 

[Sue629]

So happy that you are doing well. Love the updates. They are so encouraging for us "up n comers". All my best. Sue