THR I'm on the other side!!

[MissMoo]

They wanted to stick me on a bedpan again but I KNEW I was absolutely fine. Anyway - leaps and bounds - evening shift just disconnected my drip and I went to the loo on my crutches. Sore after walking but straight back to the ice pack. Hoping they'll let me go home tomorrow. One of the nurses in duty tonight is from the north of England which seems nice somehow .

Thanks for all your messages - its nice to hear from everyone

 

[Jaycey]

Hoping they'll let me go home tomorrow.

Don"t rush @MissMoo ! Be sure you have your pain management cocktail perfected before leaving hospital. It can be tricky sometimes. Sounds like you are doing great!

 

[MissMoo]

Thanks @Jaycey it's not much of a cocktail. I'm managing with a Targin twice a day, panadol osteo, lots of ice and not too much moving. They offered me Endone last night but I turned it down. Not sure if the painkillers are doing too much so ice and deep breathing seems to be my best pain management strategy right now and I'm pretty happy with it

 

[MissMoo]

Going home going home going home! Physio hoicked me out of bed this am as I was just about to have breakfast. Marched me up the corridor, said I had to get up to full speed. Then I had to do a bunch of exercises before he marched me back. Cue the dizziness - only just made it back to bed! Was a bit OTT I thought, especially as I hadn't eaten in 15 hours! Showered now and got my own jammies on. Feels pretty good. I'm still a teensy bit light-headed so will go to the car on wheels I reckon. Hubby is at home organising loo seat, shower stool, who knows what else... and buying pillows galore

I've been using the belt of my bathrobe to get my leg in and out of bed but I'll try and figure out something better when I get home. I have electric recliners at home so I imagine that will be my place for a week or so. Not sure I'm ready to be in a flat bed?

 

[forbesy]

Hi missmoo popped into to see how everyone is doing while having my supper tea and a bit toast have to say that pic didn't do me any favours lol. My meds caused itching as well until I adjusted to them. Mind take things easy missmoo and your recovery should fall into place.

Billy

 

[MissMoo]

Oops sorry about the pic Billy @forbesy - my surgeon was very keen for me to see it - maybe I should have put up a warning! I'm so happy to be on a 48 hour hospital stay and coping with my pain etc so well. Not got much in the way of pain killers at all. They're going to send me home with the Targin and also some Endone just in case but right now I think I'll be fine without. The ice is king and my cold therapy machine is at home and ready to go - thanks again @canukitrimom for the suggestion. Feeling about a million dollars; I just have to conquer the stairs now (since I have dozens at home).

Happy happy happy

 

[craftdee]

Glad you're going home @MissMoo ... you're probably there already You'll feel better in your "own space"... be aware that you'll probably feel really tired when you get home; you won't feel you've done anything - but compared with what you have been doing you have. Fill the script for Endone, you probably won't need it but if you DO it'll be in the middle of the night so best to have it on hand... it's a comfort to know the "big guns" are there if you need them I found Targin to be plenty, I don't think I took anything else in the night... except Panadol once or twice (Panadol Osteo are 625mg per tab vs Panadol =500mg; I think you might already know that, I've seen it on someone's thread and as there's only a few of us Aussies...:cool so they'll give you a bit "more" relief if you need it.
Ice is still your friend, especially early in the piece. Once I was moving around a lot I found relief in a ice/heat combo; ice over the wound and heat for the muscles (like my Quads, man they got sore!) I'd keep up the prunes too as it's not just the opiates that cause constipation... reduced activity levels and residual meds from surgery can do it too, and it's so easily avoided
I used the recliners in the day, but slept in "our" bed at night. I had one or two nights in the spare bed because of log leg; I couldn't get comfortable anywhere and as we sleep with our big window (sliding door) open and the spare room is the darkest in the mornings, I thought if I managed to get to sleep I didn't want to wake up with the maggies! I slept with my operated leg elevated and was reasonably comfortable considering I have to sleep on my back (restrictions, don't know if you've got any) then my OS burst the bubble when I had the staples out at two weeks saying I HAD to sleep with my leg flat to try and stretch the ligaments/tendons out as they had shortened from me holding my leg slightly flexed to protect the hip for so long (common among OA sufferers), so flat in bed would appear to be a "good" thing
I was really interested in the pic of your femoral head, at least you can SEE what the problem was. I would have loved to have seen mine, though a lot of the damage in my joint was in the acetabelum - probably hard to photograph
Hope your recovery continues apace, don't push it too hard; patience is going to be the commodity you need... and the one you're going to have difficulty finding
Donna

 

[Hoppy Nanny]

Hope you are home safe & sound @MissMoo & managing the stairs OK..... Nothing like bring in your own home to recover. Take it easy!! X


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum

 

[toohip]

Hi @MissMoo - Glad to hear your recovery is going so well! Welcome to the other side (light side), lol!

 

[Gilly]

Hi @MissMoo hope your home now. It's a great feeling to be going home but I did struggle a wee bit at first as I was looked after so well at hospital and they have all the right equipment on hand too which helps a lot. I'm not sleeping well at home as like a lot of other hippies I'm on my back and hate it!!! The hospital beds are great as you can adjust the beds and get comfy..I slept better in hospital..lol... How you going with the stairs? I find them scary and glad I don't have any at home...I have also noticed so many different meds are taken for pain. I have never heard of your ones....Hope alls well....

 

[MajorHeidi]

Hi @MissMoo and welcome to the other side; congrats on your new hip.
I remember I had the log leg, too; it went away about day six.
Drink plenty of water, as it helps lots of things be better.
You are doing nicely!

 

[MissMoo]

Hi All. I'm doing great at home. Had to make is up 16 steps into the house but I didn't find it too hard. Had the most wonderful nights sleep last night. Got my legs up on 4 pillows and lots of pillows behind me. I'd been having massive issues with my shoulders before my surgery and sleeping get on my back (which I never normally do) seems to have just about cured that. Got into a nice rhythm last night of; get up to go potty, get back into bed switch on cold therapy machine for 10-15 minutes, switch off, go to sleep. I thought I would miss my hospital bed but I didn't a bit. Just woke up this morning so happy to be home. My son got up and made breakfast and it was so relaxed (I suspect this is the honeymoon period though...)

On the sofa this morning with my leg up on pillows and cold pack on - I've got zero pain. Just sent my son off to pick up a script for me and to get me some lactulose (it's time to 'go') . I've been up and about a bit and done my exercises. I get quite a sharp pain in my quad when I fully straighten my leg but I'm not too worried. Hubby got all my' aids' sorted so I'm off to shower shortly.

Drinking tonnes of water @MajorHeidi - that's one thing I'm always good at

The Targin is a slow release opiate - you take it twice daily and I believe it also contains naxolone to counter some of the usual opiate side effects. It certainly doesn't hit you in any way when you take it.

Try a million pillows @Gilly until you get your bed feeling more comfy

 

[Gilly]

Hope you've had a good day @MissMoo.......You sound like your doing fab, so that's really good news....

I will try extra pillows tonight but I have always slept on my side or stomach, never my back so there's heaps of tossing and turning happening..lol...I really don't think extra pillows will help me...I will give it a shot thou...

 

[craftdee]

Glad you're going well at home @MissMoo; knew you would
I didn't find steps too bad right from the beginning either, slopes were more of a challenge.. well for me at least. I still have a few "Quad" issues, my quads and hamstrings get really tight and quite sore- not all the time, but if I'm going to get sore that's where it happens... the left ones have probably been protected for a long time while my hip was bad, same for a lot of OA sufferers methinks - must be the case 'cos my right quads are fine and I've been doing a LOT of lunging with the right leg due to "restrictions".
I hope you "go" soon, the meds you're on are so close to what I had and I had no issues at all ... Targin just doesn't seem to be that sort of drug I ate half a dozen prunes (stewed in the microwave with prune juice) with brekkie and had Fibrogel, as well as loads of water (like you, not a problem... I always drink a lot of water) "went" no problem ... my son had an accident last year and he ended up back at the hospital so unwell we thought he was going to die (mind you, he can be a bit of a wuzz!) and it was in the large part down to constipation; it actually was quite serious, so I am so "onto it" now!! I should cut him some slack really, he ended up in hospital for another four weeks (not because of the constipation) and unable to work for 17 weeks - he's self-employed so it wasn't for the Compo either
Enjoy your sofa time, and here's to another good night

 

[MissMoo]

Day 5. Slept like the dead. Woke up with a bloody headache! (but no pain in my leg ) . Just wound up in trouble with hubby when he discovered me washing the kitchen floor, although personally I thought my method was quite ingenious. Anyway henceforth I shall be known as Monica! Now on sofa with a coffee.

@craftdee I must post up a pic of the front of our house. It's a really steep driveway then the 16 steps up! I reckon I'll start driving up and down the driveway just so I can go for a walk

 

[rob3dr]

@MissMoo thanks for posting your account of post op. Been reading it in anticipation of my own. Will be there soon!

 

[craftdee]

I "feel your pain" @MissMoo We live at the top of a cul-de-sac which is really quite steep... our driveway then slopes up from the road, and our back garden steps up from the garage (we have 3 levels in our house, but only 3 steps difference in height, so once you're in, not so bad!) It was the hill on the road that was the challenge the first few weeks... once I was down it, no worries - we have a really big park that has a level pathway all around it - nearly 2kms, and I could do that easily... then I had to get back up that bloody hill!!! We've got four steps up to the porch at our front door, and a curved sloping path into it as well (around a flowerbed sort of thing) I took the steps every time over "more" slope! We did in fact go out for a drive so I could go for a walk more than once! It somehow felt more valid if you drove to another suburb and walked around "their" park than if you drove 300m down the road and parked up to walk around your "own" park and I'm sure if my fellow dog-walkers saw me getting out of my car down at our park, they'd think lazy had hit big time!
I got in trouble with hubby more than once, and cleaning the laundry floor Monica style was one of them (first he thought it wasn't worth the risk, secondly he thought it's only the laundry floor, and thirdly he was mildly offended that I obviously didn't think his efforts cut the mustard....which, well, sweeping isn't ALWAYS enough, lol) I was told too that kneeling on your operated leg was on the "Do" list, so what WAS he going on about? I actually found that sweeping and mopping were pretty easy; you use the broom/mop like a crutch... I did end up in a bit of trouble when trying to apply the same principle to vacuuming the pool - especially using the leaf net, use that as a crutch and you find out whether you're ready for swimming
Hope your headache is better, less wine with your Targin next time

 

[xtina16405]

@MissMoo so glad to hear your recovery is going well. Keep getting rest. And it is so hard not to do household chores.

 

[Jaycey]

@MissMoo , Your husband is right. Cleaning and chores are not on the "to do" list at this early stage of recovery. Easy does it for now!

 

[MissMoo]

Day 7. Stopped taking the Targin yesterday as an experiment. I've been getting a killer headache in the mornings so I thought I'd take it out of the equation and I think that was the culprit. Pain hasn't really been much different this morning so I think I'll stick with just the Panadol. My son took the dog and me for a walk this morning which was my first real foray out of the house. My hip held up well but my back was sore when I got back so I'll be going out on two crutches rather than one for the time being. I was happy that I managed our driveway without issue though

Flexibility is improving enormously and I don't think there's much I can't do in small doses, except maybe that bungee jumping @craftdee . I was just reading through my post-op information last night and I guess I'd blocked a lot of it out for fear that things wouldn't go to plan. I need to wait till 3 weeks post-op to get in the pool, then at 2 months I can get back to light taekwondo training (no impact), at 3 months I can start running on grass and start playing squash!

I expect I'll be driving by the end of the week and, although I'm not sure I've anywhere I really need to be, I do know that I'm getting a little bored of the sofa (except when I'm ready for a )

One thing I have had for a couple of days is a yucky taste in my mouth, the kind that usually precipitates coming down with a cold or something, but nothing has developed. Has anyone else had this? I keep expecting it to turn into something...