Hi
@Gilly I know exactly how you feel... I'm at nine and a half weeks out of
12 weeks restrictions, it's been the hardest part of the journey really! Whinging makes you feel a bit better, if nothing else it saves the rest of the family from hearing it again
Sleeping on your back is HARD when you're not used to it, it does get a bit easier as it gets more comfortable with swelling etc going down (I found that I had groin pain and back pain that settled down, which helped too) I wasn't allowed to elevate my leg through the night but if you have no such restriction (most don't, so go for it!) just put your leg up on one pillow, it makes a huge difference
I practiced before the op so I didn't have another "thing" to adjust to post op. I'm sure you'll be sleeping by the time you return to work, once those restrictions are lifted you'll be back on to your tummy and everything else will be settled back down too.
I don't know if you can
sleep on your stomach but my OS advised me to lay on my stomach for 30 minutes a time every day, it helped to stretch out the ligaments/tendons that had shortened over the years of me holding my leg slightly flexed to protect the hip, once I could "do" my Quad stretches properly the stomach-laying didn't give as much relief, but as I was allowed and able to do it sooner in my recovery it's got to be okay... the trick is to GET on to your stomach safely; put a pillow between your legs, hold it there (throughout the manoeuvre so your leg doesn't cross the midline) and roll over... or you can do what I do to lay on the table for my weekly massage (which helps SO much) and that's just stand next to the bed, bend over with your operated leg next to the bed then swing it up on to the bed then swing/pull the other leg up... getting off's easy - swing your legs off the bed and stand up!!
Re the bending/picking up with restrictions, like Hoppy Nanny said there's the "two reacher" approach, or you can use the golfer's reach or golfer's lift as it is otherwise known I found this to be an absolute saviour, I was forever losing my reachers!! I've been able to adapt the "lift" to do things like squeegie my shower without breaking restrictions and other useful stuff too:rolleyes:
I was desperate to get my clearance to drive, luckily I didn't have to wait the full 12 weeks for THAT one, I would have been a basket case! Interestingly, I haven't driven that much since I've been allowed; just knowing that you're not stranded is a big plus though... it does give you a better appreciation of what those around us that don't drive deal with; being reliant on others etc. The public transport system's not that good here either... or so I've heard, I can't remember the last time I used it, us Aussies love our cars
I see your avatar has you sitting on the beach at Tauranga (?) Such a pretty place (we were there five years ago) Mount Manganui nearly killed me though! I was alright going up, couldn't talk much, which was a nice break for hubby, but the OA pain coming down was
We did some of the South Island the year before, then The Able Tasman and part of the North Island in 2009. Next year we're coming back, to do the South of the South Island and the North of the North Island... I'm hoping to be more mobile this time around. We were thinking of coming in April, but the last two trips were in April and those Sandflies were, well let's say "an issue", especially in the Able Tasman
My hubby's cousin and his wife live in Christchurch, we're going to meet them in Melbourne (they're coming over to do the Great Ocean Road, Adelaide to Melbourne) for a few days, then fly back to ChCh so they can go back to work and we can go be tourists! NZ is so well set up for tourists
Anyway, hope you have a better night tonight... well you may be up as it's half way through the night there as I type, but I hope not!
I don't wake up feeling that great it takes me a while to come good. I think it's cause of this awful back sleeping!!! Waking up in the middle of the night is awful when you can't get back to sleep and your bum is numb...lol...
..Well I spose I am half way there and that's a bonus..
Canada
