home at last!

[TurboHip]

I feel like I dropped off the face of the earth or something for a time. I am at Home, Sweet Home. Left the hospital Monday afternoon after a low blood pressure scare (70/30 to 86/44 or so) that morning which almost prevented me from leaving altogether. 3 nurses and 30 blood pressures later, I convinced them it wasn't going to go up just because they sent another person to check it - lol.

My doc told me he would probably do a transfusion because I lost a lot of blood during surgery; Saturday my crit was 9.3 but he didn't do one then. His sub on Sunday almost chose to do one but didn't. Monday, my crit was 9.2 and with the blood pressure problem, I figured they'd definitely transfuse me. Nope. I just don't have a high pressure anyway since I usually hang at 94/68 or so. Had trouble leaving Recovery Room because I stayed at 82/54 or so and couldn't get up to 90 in order to leave.

When they finally managed to get a 95/53 reading at 11:30 a.m., they let the doc know. He ordered a new crit level and after a few hours, agreed to send me home with a script for iron tablets and call me anemic.

But anyway, here I am, still hurting quite a bit at times. This is day 5 post op. Those first few days were anything but comfortable, I can say that much.

 

[Texas]

Re: 4 days to go...RTHR...Oct 16th

Hey Turbo so glad to hear from you...wow sounds like you had a rough time sorry.Im glad you are home now take care of yourself..........post anytime even just to chat..........glad you back........watch that blood pressure.........

 

[JudyS]

Glad you made it home safely. now for the turbo part, rest, take pain meds, good luck, keep posting
judy

 

[Jamie]

Re: 4 days to go...RTHR...Oct 16th

So glad you're home finally. Now take good care of yourself, okay? And let us know how you're feeling....sending you a "feel better" (((HUG)))).

 

[TurboHip]

Whew, a bad night the other night but last night wasn't too horrible. I think PT is what's really messing up my hip and pain levels.

Blood pressure so far has been 94/53 when I take it in the middle of the afternoon. I'm too chicken to take it before I get out of bed in the morning. :shk:

Off to pry my leg from the bed and try some more torture...I mean exercises. And thanks for the encouragement provided so far. It's kept me from throwing a few in a few places.

 

[JudyS]

Turbo is it home pt that you say is messing you up??
it will get better and soon too. The first 2 weeks are the most difficult.Are you taking those pain meds on time? must do that
judy

 

[Nancyo]

Turbo,
Judy is so very right. You should take your pain meds about an hour before your PT. That will really help a lot in completing your exercises with less pain and anguish. After all, you can't heal right when you are in too much pain to function in the correct way.
Let us hear how your getting along.
We care~~
Blessings to you always
Nancyo

 

[TurboHip]

Back again. We are getting mega rain, as usual lately. Yep, I am taking my pain meds before PT, and again about an hour after. The last couple of days the pain was starting to slack off but it has changed again. Saturday the PT gave me a cane for "in house" use only!

She said I was way ahead of the program and walking almost normally so she thought I could handle it. I walked around my house a few times with the cane and as long as my step is small and matches the cane hitting the ground exactly, I'm good. My knee is what's hanging up at times and giving out on me but we're working on that with some other exercises.

I am still to use the walker in the middle of the night for potty runs and in the morn/evenings when I'm stiff or if the leg feels worn out. It sure doesn't take much either, I can tell you. She added a few new exercises and of course, that kicked up the pain level. LOL Just can't win at this game, can you? All in the name of progress though, I know.

We did take a spin down my driveway and up the main road with the walker but with the rain, I can't go back out with my hubby to prove I can do it. It wore me out anyway so I know I need to do it again to rebuild my stamina.

I will mention some of my pain is incisional...it's a little swollen and with the new exercises, has started seeping a little at the lower end but nothing major. Blood pressure still hovering around 88/58 or so. Home health was here today and didn't seem too bothered as it is consistently at that number and I don't have any dizziness or any other problems.

All in all, I just keep sitting here and doing my ankle pumps and watching my sock monkey slippers. :D

 

[Texas]

Hey Turbo im glad you got out you will be able to show hubby soon............take it easy though..we have been getting alot of rain also still makes my knee a lil sore sometimes......Glad your using your canine be proud of yourself i think you are doing great...........

 

[Judles]

Using Turbo"s CANINE, Kim!!! You are waaAy too funny!!! LOL!! (0)

 

[SheriALS]

Turbo, I was so glad to read your post. I had my surgery on the 20th so just a few days behind you. I am not having any PT...just a few bed exercises the hospital PT gave me. I just started with the cane in-house today as I felt a bit more stable. I have been concerned about my knee so reading that this was happening with you as well makes me feel a bit better. I have convinced myself that my knee must need replacing too!!
What kind of exercises are you doing?
Thanks,
Sheri

 

[TurboHip]

LOL I have a canine; he's a miniature dachshund so I don't think he'd work too well as a cane. But he is great as my nurse/protector/defender, etc.

 

[TurboHip]

Sheri, let me get back to you. Company just got here.

 

[TurboHip]

Sorry, Sheri, too many things happened for me to get back to you quickly. Yes, I know the nightmare you're thinking about your knee. However, I've told myself I will be 80 when they have to do that...so that leaves me 27 years before it happens. LOL

These are exercises assigned by my Physical Therapist to me and not intended to be used by any other person recovering from a Hip Replacement! Please check with your doctor or PT before doing any of them as our recovery abilities and stages differ greatly.

You can find a description of most of them here:

https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00303&return_link=0#Early Postoperative Exercises

You can also find more info here:
broken link removed: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/hipreplacementphysicaltherapy/pt039104.pdf

The exercises PT has me doing as of the other day (Day 11 post op) are:
1) Ankle Pumps, Although I don't have any swelling in my leg just a small bit in the incision
2) Quad Sets, Just stopped these because my patella is too tight and causing problems when I walk
3) Gluteal Sets - I did these separately for a week but now these are done as part of the "Bridging Exercises" -
4) Heel Slides - stopped these on Day 11
5) Hip Abductions - lying down and I only move my leg out to 45 degrees at this time
6) External Rotation of foot only
7) Straight Leg Raise - started these about Day 11
8) Bridging -
9) Side Leg Kicks - started about Day 11; standing up and I only do 5; hold for count of 3 and go as far to side as my leg will allow
10) Heel Toe Raises - I only do 5

As I said above, these are the ones my PT has assigned me. Please don't do them unless you have your doctor or PT's approval. I don't want anyone to get hurt. I'm struggling with some of them but just keep pushing on/through them as I know sometimes you have to hurt a little to make the muscles turn back on.

Good Luck!

 

[SheriALS]

Thanks for sharing those
I do have the approval to do anything (except really TORQUE my hip...his words)
Most of those were on the list of exercises I got from PT in the hospital but I will check out the others. I am planning on taking it very slowly as I have problems with my back as well and want my body to be able to return to the way it is supposed to be without a great deal more pain and hardship on me and my family.
Sheri

 

[sasvermont]

Turbo, I had my surgery on 10/27.

I have put my PT visits on hold, as I have been able to do all the exercises and then some. After my four week appointment, I will step up the PT at that point. I suspect what happens is that each person comes away from the surgery with different degrees of damage to the muscles and bones. Throw in the medication factor and you have everyone recovering differently.

I plan to lay low with the PT and allow it to happen naturally, as I move around. I don't plan to run marathons after hip replacement and feel pretty comfortable right now with my ability to move about.

When in doubt, do what your body tells you to do....while following instructions given to you by your doctor and PT persons.