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THR Hot Chocolate's Recovery Thread

Today ends week four!

Friend took me to the mall yesterday so I could practice pushing the walker with continuous steps--instead of pausing when I put weight on the operated leg which is still pretty weak, but getting stronger. I'm not sure how much of the weakness is from pre-surgery from being on a cane for awhile, and what's just from my quad and side leg being pretty numb from surgery still.

Either way, it's slow, aggravating, but notable progress. I'm a firm believer in "training for your sport" and in this scenario, walking with good form and no limp is the "sport" so I'm focusing on improving my form/gait and not getting caught up on needing the walker for a few more weeks.

STILL! We have a post-op blues thread, but where the gym rage thread? :dancy: because I'm suffering! I'm so greedy for walks, and swimming, and dance, and my steal mace, and my kettlebells, and jump ropping is out, so I want to lean how to do rope flow instead! (No jumping, you swing the rope around in flashy patterns) Aaaagh, I'm laying here with ice like a good hippie, but I'm dreaming about HER (the gym lol)
 
Hotchocolate said:
I'm a firm believer in "training for your sport" and in this scenario, walking with good form and no limp is the "sport" so I'm focusing on improving my form/gait and not getting caught up on needing the walker for a few more weeks.
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This is so smart! (and not just because I did the same thing. :heehee: ). Regaining proper gait -- heel-toe walking -- is really important for your long-term recovery. It makes you a little slower now, but will make a difference in the long run.

Hotchocolate said:
where the gym rage thread?
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Feel free to start one in the Social Room in the Community Forum:

You'll notice we have a cyclist's thread there already.
 
Happy One Month Anniversary!
You'll be back to the gym before you know it. :dancy: :upright::treadmill: <- none of that though!
Enjoy the week!
@Hotchocolate
 
You have a great attitude, walking is so incredibly important to concentrate on all the various aspects that will help you get your mojo back..
Also new shoes and arches is a reminder that old shoes have been warn with old hip issues . Treat youself to some easy on /off soft soled shoes . That is all the exercise you will ever need to gain back your mobility.
Sending healing blessings your way.
 
Thanks everyone! The last few days my walking has gotten even better. I'm doing ten min walks on the breezeway with my cane and using the walker for longer walks.

Yesterday, I wasn't thinking, sat on the couch, and swung both legs up (without the leg lift) so I could elevate my feet, and I was like 'oh no!' but nothing felt bad, so I lucked out on that one. I'm trying to use the leg lift for the full six weeks just so I don't break the 90° rule. Still, it's nice that my leg lifts up now. The swelling and stiffness was so awful those first few weeks.

I also finished the Eliquis today which is great.
 
Lucky on the leg lift and it’s easy to forget all the details , do’s and don‘ts.. in time it will all fall into place…I still use my reachers … I have one in almost every room and even out in the garden.
one day at a time…hope you have helpers..
 
@Hotchocolate I just had my hip replaced yesterday. Did the right back in January. I'm 45 now, and I noticed you are on the younger side (which is becoming more common). I'm glad things are going well for you with hip 1! I recovered well, not as quick as I wanted but I listened to my surgeon, tried to not overdo it, and rested and iced in between activities as I improved. PT at 6 weeks really helped me. Hip 2 has it's own kind of pain, but it's definitely different than hip one. Almost more soreness and more mobility this time. Less mobility and extremely tight in the quad the first time.

What led to your replacement, may I ask? Again, I'm glad you are doing well, and you seem to have a great attitude. Our mental state plays a big role in healing. :-)
 
@springs12 hi-5 to the fellow 40-something hipster

I think my avascular necrosis started when I was jogging downhill on city sidewalk, hit a wet patch that had gotten slimy, and slammed my left hip directly into the concrete. At the time, I just shook it off, but about a year later I was doing yoga and things started feeling really wrong. Fast forward two more years of me trying to modify and stretch out my hip flexors, but continuously getting worse and a doctor is showing me the bone on bone arthritis xrays, and by the time I saw an orthopedic surgeon, my femoral head was collapsing.

I have mild scoliosis which made my left leg the slightest touch shorter to start with, and I'll train 3+ hours a day for strength and cardio, so I feel like it was inevitable that I was eventually going to wreck something. Going forward, I'm embracing the 40+ weightlifting mantra of "don't get injured" and swap out my burpees and box jumps for barr or Pilates, so hopefully the right hip doesn't end up the same way and the left hip lasts at least until I'm 60.

Also, good luck on recovery for hip 2!
 
Vent: at least three separate times in the last two weeks I've been in buildings where the only way to get either in/out or from one half of the place to the other involved steps. Like, I'm just on a walker for post surgery, what do people in wheel chairs do? What about people who permanently use walking aids? If I'm noticing this problem multiple times in two weeks, what do they go through year after year?

So my back's sore today from muscling a walker up and down stairs because both my Southern Pride and my Southern Politeness demanded I suffer through the holiday get together for at least an hour before bailing.

On the bright side, I am so done with the walker. Before the event last night, I was able to walk 1.25 mi with the cane and keep a stable gait for all but the last few mins when I was tired because that's the longest I've walked since surgery. I only took the walker with me to the holiday thing because I didn't know what the seating would be like or how crowded (it was stupid crowded), so I brought the walker to be safe, especially if I had to stand for a long time.
 
@Hotchocolate I had dysplasia, and from all my reading, dysplasia and avascular necrosis are the two culprits for us youngins to get hips replaced. Thankfully, medicine has continued to make improvements.

I have to agree. After my 1st hip, I realized what a crappy job the world has done for disability accessibility. Don't get me wrong. Some places are amazing, but when people who don't have disabilities are doing the planning, there is a lot they don't think of. I never would have thought about it had I not experienced needing things.
 
@Kritterkiddo Don't worry, you're only about 4 weeks in, and I'm closer to 6. I think this early, two weeks make a big difference in recovery time. Build up to 2,000 steps next, and you'll get there! Just keep walking.

@springs12 I'm crossing my fingers that by the time we need refreshers the technology is even more improved so we can get away with having to do this only one more time lol
 
It is sad to experience what the permanently disabled may be dealing with day to day. It certainly helps us appreciate that our recovery is only temporary and be grateful for that. Hopefully these inadequacies will improve over time for the benefit of the aging population. I hope you're having a good week, Hotchocolate.
Happy Thanksgiving to you!
@Hotchocolate
 
@Hotchocolate happy to see you're doing well. Very glad that you erred on the side of caution and took your walker to the gathering. Sorry that you had to wrestle it up stairs as there wasn't proper accessibility in place. I know its so hard to believe in this day and age that there are still places that don't have the proper accommodations. It really does make you look at things through different eyes when you're using assistive devices.

Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! :chuckmarch:
 
@Hotchocolate , sounds like you are recovering really well . Having such a positive attitude definitely helps , I think .
@Layla , you are so right . Years ago I broke my ankle and leg in multiple places in a boating accident and for a while, my husband pushed me around in a wheelchair to go shopping . The number of people who totally ignored me even when I was asking for something, and spoke over my head to my husband, was astounding. I might as well have been invisible until I corrected them .
 
So happy to see all your progress. 6 weeks flew by.
 
After breaking an ankle and 3 years later fracturing my hip I developed an entirely new attitude toward those who are permanently disabled.
We are so fortunate that there are surgeries that enable us to become independent again.
I thought most buildings had to have handicap access but maybe not. Some older buildings may get "grandfathered" in to stay as they are, not sure.
In any case I'm thankful that our struggles are temporary.
 
Delphi said:
Years ago I broke my ankle and leg in multiple places in a boating accident and for a while, my husband pushed me around in a wheelchair to go shopping . The number of people who totally ignored me even when I was asking for something, and spoke over my head to my husband, was astounding. I might as well have been invisible until I corrected them .
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Yes, hearing these stories still amaze me the number of people that somehow equate physical disability with intellectual disability, or even that the person in the wheelchair is also hearing impaired, so they must raise their voice when they speak.

Kind of like the way people talk to kids in baby voices like the child will understand that tone better. Some people are just looney. :heehee:
 
Tomorrow is officially 6 weeks as well as Thanksgiving (I'm thankful for the new hip and the end to the 90° Rule!) Yesterday was also my 19 year wedding anniversary, so a busy week <3

Got the surgeon's OK to jump on the recumbent bike this week and dang! Feels amazing. Everything above my knee has been numb since surgery (all the quad and outer thigh), but after 30 mins on the recumbent bike, some of the feeling comes back. As the day wears on, the swelling returns so does the numbness, but it seems encouraging. If it goes away for even a little, that means it'll probably go away permanently after my muscles and nerves fully recover.

I'm so close to walking, but certain muscles just need to get stronger (it's the propulsion, or "toe" part of the step. Those specific muscles got very weak long before surgery, so they're still on the struggle bus). Once those can handle my full weight it's on!

I cooked SO MUCH today. Not being able to do basic tasks for weeks put me in a MOOD. I don't know how I'm going to drive all this to where we're having Thanksgiving lmao

Hope everyone celebrating has a great day, and I hope you have a great day even if it's not a holiday in your country!
 
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