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THR Hipster64's Recovery Thread

Thanks, Layla! I am still waiting for the 9/9 date to be written in stone as it is still not showing up on MyChart, even with the PCP's approval letter right there for all to see, including myself. I know my OS's assistant does all the scheduling on Fridays so if I don't see anything next week, including my pre-admission testing, they will hear from me again. It's driving me nuts because I just want to be normal again and if everyone is on the same page, what's the holdup? Make it official already!

I had more great news at therapy today. I was told to try to reduce my cane usage outside if I am up to it (boy, am I!) and they saw no reason why I couldn't start driving again. So after therapy we picked up my dad and went out to breakfast-and I walked into the little restaurant cane-free! The funny part was I didn't even think twice. I just got out of the car and started walking, and my husband said "Hey, aren't you forgetting something?" and I said, "Oh yeah-but they said for me to try to go without it if I am up to it". I did fine.

I also am down to one 50MG Tramadol a day. After speaking with the nurse from my health insurance (BCBS of RI) yesterday, who suggested I split the pill in half and take one piece in the AM and the other in the PM as opposed to taking the whole thing in the PM, I tried it her way and it seems to be working fine so far. However, I am still on the 2000mg Tylenol per day, seeing that my left leg isn't the greatest-although PT is giving it a prehab workout as well.

Enjoy the rest of your day, everyone! I may do a little bit of shopping with my husband-and see if I can drive!
 
Woo, hoo--great news from your therapy appointment, @Hipster64, although I'm with you--get your September 9 surgery on the stupid official roster! Sheesh, that is something they should be able to do and I'm sure it's a niggling but real frustration at this point. Congrats on the walking sans cane for a bit, and even better that you were able to do it without thinking. Glad you're able to do some prehab on that pesky left leg, will definitely make recovery a bit easier, or that's been my experience. As you know, having been through it once, it's tough but being a bit in shape beforehand can really be helpful post-surgery. Have fun shopping today testing out your driving skills. Getting a little bit back to normal will be a preview of post-recovery from your second surgery, although with the happy knowledge that once you're recovered fully you'll be DONE! Hurray for you!
 
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Hi @Hipster64 Thanks for the update!
Let us know if your surgery date changes and your signature will be edited.

Congrats on the release to drive. Another milestone along the way in regaining our independence.
I'll bet walking into the restaraunt unassisted felt so freeing. I hope you enjoyed your time with dad. So precious as our parents are aging.

Good job on successfully reducing the meds, all wonderful signs of things returning to normal. I hope you enjoy shopping with your husband this afternoon and have a wonderful weekend!
 
Well, I did it! I drove today for the first time since pre-7/15. We didn't go far-just two towns over (about 7 miles) to Wal-Mart where we only got what we needed-no big spree-and then went for ice cream afterward. Most of the driving was on minor highways and country roads. It felt wonderful and so empowering to be behind the wheel, driving my car, listening to my radio stations and being in control of my destiny-not leaving it to someone else. Now I am already in a comfy oversized T-shirt and am ready to crash on the couch with my ice.

Barbaraj: Oh, I will keep after them about the surgery date if I don't hear anything by next Monday, don't you worry. You see, I work for a national insurance company in the claims department, and thanks to my 29 years in the industry, I have no problem calling people multiple times if necessary if I need or want any information, whether personal or professional. I can be an obnoxiously squeaky wheel if I need to be. Regarding prehab, I remember reading your informative posts about it before I even joined this forum so I know how important and useful it is. And luckily my PT is making prehab for the left leg a focus too.

Layla: If there are any changes on the surgery date I will let you know. I don't even have hospital pre-admission testing scheduled and I am seeing the OS for a 6 week follow up on 9/3. There should be no need for me to see the PCP since I was cleared by her 8/5 and it's even in writing. If my OS wants to push everything all at once in six days for 9/9 I'm with him, but just let me know if that's the plan-that's all I ask. I'm sure it can be done if necessary because like my dad said to me last night: "What if you were hit by a car and your hip was shattered? They'd replace it as emergency surgery, no questions asked and screw the pre-admission testing, so of course they can do it all at once-this pre-admission business just makes things easier for them!" I didn't disagree.

And speaking of my dad, yes, we do enjoy our time with him, especially after his own surgery battles of a triple bypass and pacemaker. He is quite the character and always speaks his mind, as noted above. And after being widowed and surviving open heart surgery in an 18 month timeframe, he's earned that right tenfold!
 
Good for you, @Hipster64 Your experience in the insurance world has clearly given you the insight you need--squeaky wheels rule! Congrats on the driving, I am sure it felt liberating and free. And you got necessary errands done and ice cream for a treat afterwards--a good day, I'd say--finishing up with your trusty ice packs and a happy sense of accomplishment to end the day. Hope the prehab continues and you work on strengthening both hips/legs to the extent you're able. I say anything you can do beforehand is a bonus and will really pay off after surgery. Happy Friday!
 
Well, HALLELUJAH! I am happy to report that my 9/9 surgery is now official! It's posted in MyChart and therefore, in the eyes of the OS and hospital, written in stone! Pre-admission testing also scheduled on 8/28...again in MyChart and written in stone!

It's funny because the hospital called this AM and I thought it was for me-turns out it was pre-admission testing for my husband's upcoming colonoscopy next week. I was so frustrated that I vented to the poor woman on the phone about how long I was waiting for my own pre-admission testing and surgery to be scheduled and could not understand what all the holdup is about...and no sooner did I hang up the phone with her, I checked my MyChart account and saw all the dates clear as crystal. She must have been my lucky charm!
 
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Hello and Happy Friday! :wave:
Wonderful news on securing that date! Not long now either. Getting them both hips done in close proximity will feel like one recovery in the sense that you're not that far out from the first.

Congrats on getting back behind the wheel. Isn't it funny how it feels so wonderful to do something that we've been doing for years and years? Take it away from us and it feels like such a rewarding treat to get it back! It's been a good week for you it seems, I hope your weekend is even better!
@Hipster64
 
@Hipster64 great news on the surgery being written in stone, wish I would have been in MyChart at the time I had originally been scheduled. Super happy things are moving forward.

Have to agree it's great to get back behind the wheel! Seemed like it had been forever but was also like riding a bike, you never forget! Happy Friday!
 
Question: When I go for surgery #2 on 9/9, do I start a whole new recovery thread for it, or simply continue on with this thread?

I didn't plan on creating any new pre-op threads for 9/9...should I?

Thanks for your help, and enjoy your weekend! And as always, like they used to say in the 1980s Bartles and Jaymes wine cooler commercials, "Thank you for your support!"
 
@Hipster64 I’ve had two back to back surgeries like you’re about to have. With surgery #2 I stayed on the same recovery thread as the first and did not start a new pre-op thread either.

Good luck with your second! Most likely you’ll find it’s very different than the first one. It was great to just get it over with.
 
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Not sure of the "official" answer, @Hipster64, whether to combine both recoveries in one thread or start a new one for your second surgery, but I agree with @ceezee, I suspect you might find your recoveries somewhat to a lot different. But, you will end up in exactly the same place once you're recovered from both--fully bionic in 2020--woo, hoo!
 
Hi @Hipster64
Happy Saturday to you!
In regard to your next recovery, the choice is yours. You can start a new Recovery thread, or roll on into your second recovery right here, keeping it all in one place. Feel free to do either. Thanks for continuing to share your journey and also for supporting others as they move through recovery.
A great day to you!
 
We could keep it all on this thread and rename it for you
Hipster's Recovery Thread 1&2??

:chuckmarch:
 
@Hipster64....the choice of using this thread or starting a new one for your second surgery is up to you. If you opt for two threads and later decide you'd like them merged into one, we can do that as well.
 
Well, my left leg-the non-operated one-has decided to act up and cause me serious pain issues while walking. The right leg (operated one) is doing great. It's getting to the point that I now have to use my cane again for the left leg. I was doing so well, and was even able to cut my Tramadol in half and now this. I called my OS office today to have the Tramadol refilled-I figure that even if I can keep it to one per day, I'm going to need them for twice a day again anyway once Surgery #2 is done. Right now I am so discouraged because everyone has commended me for my progress and now it seems like I am having a relapse.

At least I am off the baby aspirin now-my prescription ran out and was not renewable-so to help stop the pain, I reached for my "magic pills"-Excedrin Migraine (generic brand)-which have always been able to help me in a pinch. I am still within the 4000mg/day for Tylenol taking 2 of these. My OS also took me off the Meloxicam from Surgery #1, so I hesitate to use it. I haven't taken any since I did surgery prep for Surgery #1 back in early July and was told I had to stop it.

Cannot wait for Surgery #2 to be over with so my life will be reclaimed. I was so excited when PT called to schedule me for the outpatient PT sessions related to it. I restart 9/26. I finish up PT for Surgery #1 next Thursday on 8/29. Pre-op for Surgery #2 on 8/28, 6 wk post-op for Surgery #1/OS clearance exam for Surgery #2 Tuesday 9/3. When the hospital staff called me to go over pre-admission testing last week, I told them to save me some Panko Crusted Cod (my favorite hospital meal, which is actually good) because I will be back!
 
@Hipster64 Your post is such a perfect example of two steps forward and one step back, isn’t it?

Personally, I believe you can only be held accountable for Hip #1’s great progress. Hip #2 is declining predictably, so no one can attribute this misbehavior to you! Certainly no one here, and if the evil twin on your shoulder is suggesting such a thing, I am willing to invite her to have a seat.

I am excited for you. I know you’re focused on putting this all behind you, and it’s clear from here that you’re doing brilliantly.
 
@Ptarmigan: Thank you for the kind and inspiring words. Just got back from therapy today and they said I am doing great. They have been very happy with my progress.

As an aside, I went out with a co-worker to dinner on Wednesday evening and she commented how great I look since the surgery. She thought I lost weight and noticed that I walk much straighter now with the right leg-I don't walk sideways like I used to. I know I have always had a funny gait (as astutely pointed out by my sister recently) but I always just went with it because I thought there was nothing else I could do-it was me and that was it. People made fun of me in school and I tried to straighten it out on my own by trying to consciously walk straighter by positioning my feet differently, but to no avail. It hurt me too much. No one really thought anything of it from a medical standpoint. I had flat feet as a kid, and had to wear special shoes for a brief period, but as far as anyone checking how I walked....never. I guess in the 70s as long as you could walk that was okay. My dad said to me recently "We were never told by a doctor you walked funny and nobody ever noticed it", but again, it was a different time. I can't hold it against my parents....they didn't know what they didn't know.

Imagine that....I am almost 55 years old and I will finally know what it's like to be able to walk like a normal person, without pain, no less! This is the number one reason why I have taken every piece of advice given to me, whether from medical personnel or this forum, 100% seriously. In it to win it!
 
@Hipster64 I don’t know whether you imagined replacing your hips would bring other benefits - correcting a gait anomaly that had been with you since birth! - but I do know the great joy of discovering new capability in ourselves as we work our way through this process. It’s grace - that unexpected gift that comes when it’s least expected and most appreciated- and I am grateful you received it and grateful you shared it here :). I understand now why your posts are so uplifting: “In it to win it!” Yes, you are! There’s a motto worth adding to your signature line...
 
:hi: Happy Friday!
It sounds like you're doing really well. I'm sorry you experienced that ridicule as a young person. Kids can be so cruel. Thankfully that's in the past and you can now stand taller, walk straighter and without pain!
Many months of improvement still to come. :yes!:
Enjoy the weekend!
@Hipster64
 
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