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THR Home from the hospital and looking forward to going back to yoga!

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Yah, I live on ibuprofen. Got blood work a couple months ago and no damage yet. but since I added max dose of tylenol, and that one 50mg tramadol, I've been able to cut back by 800mg/day. Wow. I think it's the sunshine-- certainly not any warmer out! Also, having a date makes it psychologically better.
I meant your hip near collapse, should have been a little clearer LOL. My life is, as you say, very very small. Movements small too...
I have just strained a muscle in my forearm which is very important to the 3rd,4th, and 5th fingers (and affects my playing and i have 2 little concerts in April...) so I can't do any weights just now. PT and floor work and treadmill for me, hubby gets the Y membership.
 
zauberflöte What playing do you do? Are you a classical musician? Or in a rock n roll band? :)

I was taking Advil when I was first diagnosed a year ago, and it made my ears scream (ring loudly) and my stomach ache. Then I switched to Celebrex and that made my ears scream louder and I lost hearing in 1 ear (temporary loss). Then Alleve, which wasn't too bad, some ringing, stomach ok. Then Meloxicam and that's been the best for the stomach and the ears aren't too, too bad. I'm one of those who doesn't tolerate the NSAIDS too well, but I took the Meloxicam because it helped. I was off it since 2 weeks before surgery, just started back a little dose yesterday, and I do believe there's less leg pain. Anything to help the pain, I'm all for. Even if it's now post op and not specifically bone on bone osteo pain. As Josephine says 'Pain is pain and needs to be treated as such'
 
ByGosh I am a mostly retired symphony orchestra flute player, so.... mostly classical :) . 27 years playing 2nd flute. Loved it, but there was a very ugly buyout in 2002, which I took. Now I'm what we call on LinkedIn an "independent music contractor", meaning I can work when I want to. Sometimes i even get paid! LOL No second career for me-- I became full-time homeschool mom and supervisor for a son 3 yrs after buyout. I'd love to contribute a little more to the household economy, but i can't figure out what skills I have to market! Actually I'm a musician b/c that's all I can do :)
 
BarbaraR I have changed my signature so more details there. It is hard to keep up with everyone's info.
there is so much useful info on your thread!!
I wonder why they don't do anterior approach on this side of the Atlantic as it sounds much easier to deal with afterwards... Maybe you are ahead of us in the US? I hate still having to lie on my back at night (hopefully only one more week) and being on 2 crutches full time!! I laughed when someone offered me a cane a month or so before my surgery. I thought canes were for people one step from the grave. Now of course I would love to be young, free and on a cane!!! My doctor reckoned 12 weeks off work for me but I am fully paid for that time and couldn't really function. I teach and walk around the class a lot, stand a lot and couldn't do that now. I often work through lunch time and would rarely have time to rest or even do physio. Hopefully in May I will get back as i miss my colleagues and students!!
I will take your advice on board and be careful tapering off on my meds. I think the big shock for me will be when i actually start doing something! AT the moment my husband does so much while I move slowly on crutches.
zauberflöte Do you have any idea how far apart your THRs will be? I know my left wil need doing too but am hoping it won't be for a couple of years. Is there any way of extending the time , do you think? My hope is that my bionic hip will take the pressure off the other one. Maybe I am kidding myself. Left one definitely a lot "clickier" recently though just a gnawing ache sometimes rather than pain. fingers crossed.....
 
lizzie66 just trying to catch up on all the different threads.I am 10 days post op from RHR as I am from the UK I was just wondering the same as you ie why we don't have surgeons over here who do the anterior approach which would make recovery so much easier. I suppose its a training issue and given time we will catch up with the USA Too late for us unfortunately I have read somewhere that the outcomes are the same.
I know what you mean about the cane believe it or not I was too vain to accept one before my op as I associated them with very old people but now I am glad of one especially my new light weight palm grip one as I have arthritis of the hands and the standard NHS issue exacerbated the problem.I see you are ahead of me by about a month how is your recovery going ?
 
lizzie66 Jo says they've been doing anterior for decades, I forget where I saw that! And no, I haven';t even scheduled the other hip yet, but I want to do it this year, as I do NOT want to go through another decline like this one. Too old for declines LOL. Also....my health insurance has a $10,000 max family out-of-pocket, which I figure will be met on the right hip and hubby's hernia (hernia and son ER visit got us halfway there) so.... the left hip could be FREEEEEEEE!!!!! If i were an insurance company i would deny the claim, however. Must read fine fine fine print!
I bought a cane/stick last week, and am playing with it around the house so the cats get used to it. They freaked out the first time LOL.
 
Kim22 and lizzie66,
You have to search for surgeons here in the US that will perform the anterior approach. If you are fortunate enough to find one you need to make sure that he/she is reputable. At least that is what I discovered here in the south. There is only one surgeon in my area that does the DAA (direct anterior approach) and I didn't find out about that until after my surgery. My surgeon was recommended to me and he has a good reputation but he doesn't do the DAA. When I asked him about it he said that he has done them before but doesn't practice it now because he doesn't believe that there's any difference. He also said there's a learning curve. Enough said, I am so glad he was honest. I would have liked to have the DAA but didn't want to be a part of anyone's learning curve. I do believe there's a big difference for both the surgeon and the patient. The surgeon has to have the skill and experience and the patient has a much easier recovery. This is just my opinion from what I've read and heard. I think my surgeon feels like the outcomes are the same, like you said Kim. I do like to hear from those who had the DAA because I've been curious about it ever since I was diagnosed. BarbaraR, did you have to search for your OS? All in all I am quite pleased with my experience sans the hospital nightmare. The time seems to have flown by and I am amazed at how much better I feel. It definitely exceeded my expectations.
 
Hi...research papers suggest that although the anterior approach is more muscle saving its a more complex approach...from what I have read a surgeon becomes good when doing many hundreds per. Year of any particular approach
 
Weezi I agree with you that I would much rather have the posterior approach than be part of someone's learning curve.I just think the recovery sounds much easier without the restrictions we have I am just fed up of being so dependant on my husband not that he minds at all but I feel like a useless lump at times Like most of us women I am used to running the household and being busy.My restrictions will not be lifted until 25th May when I next see my OS The delay is because he is on annual leave.I guess I am just feeling sorry for myself today and the cold snowy weather doesn't help as I can't even get outside for a walk which I am sure would cheer me up. I have come to realise now that recovery is a roller coaster ride and tomorrow may be a better day
You on the other hand are doing very well after your dreadful start and it is great to hear about how good other BM users are doing when they are ahead.Well done Weezi keep up the good work!
 
thank you all for the anterior approach information! sounds like it has its fans but isn't as simple as it sounds. We'd hate to think we were losing out too much wouldn't we Kim22

Good to see you in such positive form Weezi I have read some of your posts and was horrified at what happened in hospital.
zauberflöte you are a howl! your poor cats. Am intrigued by some of the things you let drop in your posts, like the homeschooling. (for a while our boy was having a bit of a hard time at school and it entered our minds - but things have improved so much for him and I wouldn't have had the patience I'll bet!!!)
 
Kim22 I hear you on the "useless lump"!! I can't wait to be able to tidy/clean a bit more. My husband is sooo good but he just doesn't see the dust/crumbs that I see.
 
Weezi, I'm so happy to hear that you're feeling positive about your experience after your horrible hospital nightmare.

I was very lucky to find my surgeon--he was recommended to me by a friend's son who is doing an orthopedic residency at NYU. (New York University, which is affiliated with Hospital for Joint Diseases) He told me about this surgeon and the anterior approach. My surgeon trained with Joel Matta from California who brought the procedure and a special table for doing it (the Hana table) to the US. Dr. D only does hip replacements, only does anterior approach, and has been doing it this way for 4 years. It is more complicated than posterior approach, there's more risk of blood loss, and the skill set is somewhat different. I agree with everyone--you need someone with experience who feels confident in his (and orthopedic surgeons seem to almost always be men, don't they?) technique. I've been really happy with the early part of my recovery--it's nice not to have bending restrictions--but I definitely would not want to have surgery by someone who wasn't supremely confident in his/her ability to do it.

What my surgeon said is that after 3 months people who've had hip replacement are doing equally well--the first few weeks are a little easier with the anterior approach. But all the other complications--the reaction to pain meds, the energy drain, the lack of sleep, the emotional ups and downs--we all share those; it's no different no matter what technique is used.
 
lizzie66 I wasn't all that patient as a homeschool mom, although I managed to keep cool during "class". But I eventually fired him from homeschool!!!!! He was so resistant. And now that he's at a vocational school for a few months, and has a chance to get tutored, one on one, for his GED (American "high school diploma substitute"; if you don't have a high school diploma, you'd better have a GED or you won't find a job...) he has quit those classes too! :hairpulling:
My cats are the howl, not me LOL. I've had more than one to be terrified of my concert dress-- I have one long, very full adn swishy-sounding black skirt that used to send our Willie under the couch!
My surgeon has been doing DAA since 2006. I haven't asked yet how many per year he does. Gotta make that phone call with about 23 other questions too grrrrr.
Weezi I have to go find your thread and read it from the beginning.... I am glad you're so positive and well and limerick-y now!! :)
 
Hi everyone. Today is 7 weeks since I had surgery. I'm in the airport waiting for a flight to Baltimore. I had no trouble going through security, and I felt really good walking through the airport. Just want you to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel! I am working and feeling good. Not exhausted, and only a little sore when I overdo it (which I tend to do). But it feels great to have my hip mobility back and no grinding pain, and to be able to be back in (almost) normal life. I'm so grateful to Bone Smart and to all of you for your wonderful support. XO
 
:) BarbaraR you are kind! I'm doing ok except for the reduction ordered by dr of my tylenol amount. Grrr. But not anywhere near the pain some are having/have had. 7 weeks yesterday till New Hip!!!!! :)
 
BarbaraR Wow you are doing so well and it's wonderful that you have managed the airport without a hitch These days air travel is a real marathon for anyone never mind 7 weeks after a hip replacement You must feel so good I am so pleased for you I'm sure you know how inspirational it is for me only 2 weeks down the road to to read how well you are doing x
 
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