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THR Hipster64's Recovery Thread

@Layla: Thank you. Unfortunately adults can be pretty rotten too sometimes, and that includes some thoughtless co-workers. But that's okay because when I go back to work I will be walking prouder than ever!

You enjoy your weekend as well! I have some ambitious plans tomorrow morning if I am up to it-to attend a giant annual yard sale at a church in Rhode Island. My family attends every year. I have my cane, my foldable shopping cart and reusable bags ready and waiting. Let's hope I am up to it to go!
 
Happy Saturday all! Although my left leg was hurting when I woke up this AM (operated right leg doing fine), I took my Excedrin Migraine, 1/2 a 50mg Tramadol and a 7.5mg Meloxicam, and headed to RI with family for the giant yard sale. I figured I would get my non-therapy day walking in while pushing my portable shopping cart for support and hopefully get some great buys.

After 90 minutes of walking around I accomplished my goals. My left leg was throbbing, but the operated right one did great. Plan on spending the next hour or two sitting down with ice. Heading over to my dad's for a family cookout later this PM but that will be pretty sedentary.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!
 
Wow, great report from your therapist and nice words from your dinner companion--how lovely that must have been, @Hipster64! Being able to walk strong and talk, what a wonderful goal and sounds like you're well on your way to achieving that. I know your left hip is holding you back a bit, but once that hip is replaced (woo, hoo--fully bionic in 2020) you are going to be able to do so much that was unthinkable and unachievable before this. September 9th is just around the corner. Surgery and recovery, as you well know, aren't exactly a walk in the park, but you WILL recover and life is really looking up. Very happy for you! After 90 minutes of walking around to accomplish your goals, you deserve a relaxing cookout later today--take it easy and relax.
 
Hipster64 said:
Unfortunately adults can be pretty rotten too sometimes, and that includes some thoughtless co-workers.
Click to expand...

You're right and that's sad. Some people never grow up.

It sounds like you held up at the annual church yard sale. Righty was stable and performing well. Ninety minutes is actually an accomplishment for deteriorating Lefty also. I hope the ice and a little rest helps so you can fully enjoy the BBQ at your dads later today. Not long now until you're a double hippy. They'll be no more walking funny. I'd love to see you strut into work your first day back, Heads. Will. Turn. Go you! :egypdance:
@Hipster64
 
Great to read and catch up on your progress as you prepare for the Last One and Done!
Happy Sunday, my soon to be double hippy pal.:chuckmarch:
 
Hi folks! Hope everyone is having a great week so far. I guess summer in New England decided to take a hike-this morning it was 53 degrees, albeit sunny.

Hit my six-week recovery mark yesterday and PT said today that I could begin going off my restrictions, so that's another milestone! However, I know it's short-lived because in two weeks, it's Groundhog Day and I start all over again with the left hip. But I feel so much more confident with Surgery #2 this time around, especially since I know what to expect and have been receiving prehab on the left hip in PT, giving me "a leg up" this time around (yes, pun intended).

And although I am temporarily joining the ranks of the unrestricted, I am not putting my house back together just yet. Even though my living room looks like a disaster area with rearranged furniture and various blankets and pillows stuffed under the couch cushions by home PT to make it easier for me to sit, it's pointless for us to put it all back if it's going to be ripped up again in two weeks-I'll be back sleeping downstairs again for at least another week and a half and home PT will want the furniture moved again anyway. I also have a cardboard box of easy clothes to wear (pull on shorts, leggings and baggy T-shirts) in my downstairs den and easy slip-on shoes in the living room-all staying for now. Ditto with the toilet riser and shower chair in the bathroom. My left leg is not great and the last thing I need is to slip and fall in the shower, and run the risk of exacerbating my left side or even worse, dislocate the right hip replacement. My husband, who has been quite overprotective of me during my journey, insists on continuing to spot me in and out of the shower and hand me my shampoo and conditioner and you know what? I'm not fighting him on this one.

So I guess I am living in chaos and micromanagement a little while longer, but I'd rather have a messy house and healthy hips than a clean, perfect house and crummy hips! And like my wise dad says: "At least you know your husband cares about you and is concerned. Would you rather he go out all day and leave you to shift for yourself?"
 
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Very wise words, @Hipster64--a messy house and healthy hips is truly a good thing! Next year this time it's all going to seem like a fuzzy memory but in the meantime you need to take care of yourself and if that means a bit of chaos on the Homefront, so be it. I am in awe of folks who have a bilateral surgery but also for folks like you who have one done, barely start to heal from that and then--bam--are facing another surgery. You guys have a special type of courage in my book. And whle it might be overkill in terms of the attention from your husband, I say revel in it. He clearly loves you and is concerned about you and his actions reflect that. I'd say you are a lucky lady. Glad you are feeling more confident about #2 (I did as well) and my fingers and toes are crossed for you that the operation and recovery will go well--here's to 2020, when we'll be DONE with all this hip nonsense!
 
Hello and Happy Tuesday!
I hope you're having a good day.
Those cooler temps may have those beautiful colors showing up even earlier than normal. Autumns in New England always look the best in photographs. While I've been to the area several times, it's never been in the Fall. I'd love to see it one day.

It's comforting that you're much more relaxed going into surgery for Lefty. With your surgeries being so close, there's not much chance you've forgotten anything. That's half the battle, knowing what to expect as opposed to letting your imagination run wild.

I'd leave everything in patient mode also with only two weeks to go. I'm sure the next couple weeks will blow by, you'll begin recovery again for the last time and be on your way! I'll bet the holidays will be wonderful this year, not to mention 2020. Hang in there...you're almost there!
Hug
@Hipster64
 
@Barbaraj: The two main reasons why I am having these surgeries so close together: 1. I am allowed up to 26 weeks short-term disability, and was advised by my employer to get everything done at once so I only need to take one leave for everything, which will considerably streamline things; 2. I exhausted my health insurance's $3500 out-of-pocket maximum for Surgery #1, so I will owe nothing for Surgery #2. Believe me, it's got nothing to do with bravery. The last thing I want to do is go through this again but between the perfect storm timing and the fact that I am practically giddy about reclaiming my life, I have no choice.

@Layla: New England in the fall is beautiful indeed and if you ever get a chance to come up this way during that time period, I highly recommend it. Best places to view foliage in my opinion are the Berkshires in Western MA, and the White Mountains in northern NH. Also, I notice you are from Minnesota, which I had the pleasure of visiting in April 2012. I went to the Mall of America, and visited Minneapolis and St. Paul. We enjoyed it very much. Ironically, my dad had a job offer from 3M in the early 80s and we had the opportunity to relocate from MA to the Twin Cities area, but my mom and sister were adamantly against it, so he did not accept it.
 
@Hipster64 Hey Hey Hey!! Congratulations on getting that second surgery date set in stone! And you sound fantastic as 6 weeks post op.. my goodness, you are coming right along.. and you sound happy!

I agree, get this stuff completed and move on,, and you will be moving on with smoothly gliding hips!

You have me craving the fall leaves in MA. We haven't been up that way for several years.. sigh.. sounds lovely.
Congrats again.. can't wait to see your next recovery updates... you got this!
 
@CricketHip: Thank you, I hope I've got this and that things go as smoothly for me as they did for Surgery #1. I see you are from Philadelphia....been there as well, back in December 2009. Went to the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at the former Wachovia Center. That was when you could purchase $50 round-trip Southwest Airlines tickets from Providence-Philadelphia, so my entire family-myself, husband and son-flew into Philly for the day-only 1 hour and change each way-and took in the sights!
 
Wow-wee! That was a bargain! Were you surprised at how small the Liberty Bell was??
My husband's parents were born and raised in Marblehead Ma. We are long overdue for a drive that direction.. Maybe an idea for the fall leaves!
I'm so excited for you.. it makes complete sense to do it this year. Then it's all behind you. This year... it's been a tough one for many of us.
Soon you will join the coveted double hippie ranks.. :rotfl: sometimes I crack myself up!
 
Oh, yeah, @Hipster64, the whole financial issue is so critical. While this is a life changing surgery, it's not cheap so I can well understand why you are having the surgeries so close together. And while I am sure it's overwhelming to just be recovering from one hip replacement only to have another one coming up so quickly, you WILL be over and done with hip nonsense once the second one is done. Sure, recovery is the pits but I know, once I got past dreaded week one (not fun...) that my mental attitude about recovery was affected by the realization that THIS WAS IT--NO MORE HIP SURGERIES AHEAD. This made me very motivated about recovery, with excitement about all that the following year will provide. You have done well on the first surgery, and I hope all will go smoothly with #2. You SHOULD feel giddy about reclaiming your life, and it's going to happen--wahoo! Have a good day.
 
@CricketHip: Yes, I was surprised at how small the Liberty Bell was. I was also surprised to learn that Independence Hall is considered a National Park. It was weird to see park rangers in the middle of Philadelphia city streets.
 
Yes, this is true! I haven't been there for a few years and forgot about the park rangers.. :thumb:
 
Therapy update: Discharge! They were very pleased with my progress and we will reconvene for Round Two on 9/26. To thank my wonderful therapists, I brought them a box of Hawaiian Host chocolate covered macadamia nuts (we became addicted to them on our 2016 Hawaii trip and I now order them to keep in for thank-you gifts and host/hostess gifts).

Since I will no longer be in therapy for Surgery #1, I have increased my walking amount to five laps on my street as opposed to three laps. Therapy was only a re-evaluation and discharge today so we did not do any exercises. I was able to complete five laps on the street today with no cane. Keep in mind I live on a small cul-de-sac with only six houses, so it's not like I am walking the entire length of say, Michigan Avenue in Chicago. But I am very pleased with my walking progress to date. I can't wait to see what I can accomplish when I have Surgery #2!

Another thing I was told by my therapist and the orthopedic nurse: since I am having my left leg straightened out on Surgery #2, I may actually gain overall height at the end. Has anyone else experienced this phenomenon?

As always, enjoy your day and upcoming weekend!
 
Great report, @Hipster64! I am not sure if I've put on any height, but anecdotally I've heard you gain a smidge in height with new hips, and I'd be all for that. Extra height means you can carry extra weight, right? Even if it's only a quarter of an inch?!! Congrats on that five lap walk today--sounds like you are doing better every day, and will be in fine shape for #2. Then it's start all over again, but you've done this one and you KNOW things will get better after that. As I keep promising myself, 2020 is going to be fabulous!
 
Howdy :wave: @Hipster64
Extra height means you could carry extra weight from enjoying the Hawaiian Host Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts. :wink: They sound like a unique gift to give / receive.
By the way, I love the East coast, namely the New England states and I don't blame your mom for not wanting to relocate years ago. Wise decision in my estimation. You'll soon be enjoying those crisp Fall temps and beautiful foliage. We will here too. I can't wait! :happydance: Your date is just around the corner. We'll be here cheering you on.
I hope you have a lovely Labor Day weekend!
 
Glad to hear all is well and you are soon to gain double hippy status so you can stand tall and walk well.
Whether or not I actually gained height or not...my posture was greatly improved and I feel taller.

Have a great weekend @Hipster64
 
All around good news!!
You are on your way!! To your slacks that suddenly are too short! :rotfl:

I know I stand taller if only from the lack of pain which caused my to lean over a bit, several people have remarked on that.
 
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