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THR JoeKnows Recovery

@Josephine I get it, and I'm always of the opinion that having more information is better than less, so I appreciate it. However this is a rare occasion when I'm going to follow the docs advice whether it's supported by evidence or not - that's just the way the cost / benefit analysis falls from my personal standooint. Even a miniscul, unsupported percent chance that his advice confers a benefit to me outweighs the chance of it causing me harm. Even if all things were equal, at least there's a potential remedy for me if I did suffer harm following bad advice (ie the doc has motivation to avoid malpractice).
 
Brief update - slapped a Flector patch on my lower back and napped like a baby. That was undoubtedly the best sleep I've had since the surgery. Of course now I might be awake until 1 am instead of passing out at 8 and waking up at 1, but I'll take it. I was happy to see the Browns win their first game since 12/2016, haha. It's not even my team and I was wholeheartedly rooting for them (rooting in the American sense, I did see that language difference thread in the social area...

All around good day. Hopefully the one step forward two back progression has changed to three forward, half step back. My birthday is Sunday and my little sister is coming up from LA, so it would be good to be able to forget about the hip for a bit.
 
I don't agree. Using antibiotics for unproven situations like this is how we came to have MRSA. Probably the single most devastatingly dangerous bug ever. And it all came about by injudicious use of antibiotics until now we have practically no effective ones left to use. Think of sepsis - a fatal infection - point made![/QUOTE]

Thanks for that Josephine. I need to see the hygienist and she'd said check with your consultant. Only managed to get hold of his secretary who seemed surprised I was asking and said I'd be fine (8 weeks) Had a quick look on the net and recent research proves your point. I think UK doctors are perhaps more cautious than American for not over prescribing antibiotics?
 
Glad your recovery is going well Joe! Your scar and the length of it looks very like mine. Just into my 8th week now and a lot of the wound bumpiness has gone and, with a pillow as extra padding I managed to sleep a bit on my operated side.

Would really love to get into a bath with aqua Di Parma bubbles and a chilled glass of Pouilly Fumè but that pleasure will have to wait. Seeing my Consultant on Monday. I hardly saw him for more than 15 mins in the previous 2 appts I had with him so will have quite a few questions... onwards to “Hippy Nervana” for all of us!
 
@SurreyGirl I would love to be able to sleep on the op side - that's how I usually sleep, only rolling into my right side or stomach when my wife elbows me for snoring. Although I just woke up from 7 hours of good sleep with just one bathroom / Tylenol break, so I can't complain too much.

When is your OS going to let you take a bath? Mine said 6 weeks, though being terrified of infection I probably won't unless the incision looks really, really healed. It also put me just a little bit past when pool weather stops around here I think, which is unfortunate.
 
Hi there.
My meeting with OS is not until next week so will ask him then. He is a stickler for keeping the wound dry for as long as possible and hydrotherapy was banned too. For the last 8 weeks I have had to rely on BS for information and they have been more helpful than the NHS!

Re the bath! I wish - but even if restrictions are eased I still need to feel personally confident about tackling it so may leave it a while longer. Will see what he says about driving first...

At least the shower seat allows me to sit under the water and drench myself for as long as I like. Prefer it to standing up although quite secure with that now....

How is it going?!
 
@SurreyGirl Too bad they don't make shower recliners! Haha. Re: NHS, some of the stories I've read here and in a Facebook group makes me super grateful for my wife's excellent private insurance (she works for a utility company) - I can contact my surgeon's MA electronically and get a response very quickly either from her or the doc. Also helps that my doc is the youngest of the three main joint replacement docs around here, he's less busy and more responsive (and he has to build his relationship here in town, unlike his established colleague who trained him).

It's going well. Slept a solid 7 hours, even after my great two hour nap. Woke up pretty stiff as usual, but lightly stretched and iced before anyone woke up. Think I can lift my knee a bit higher than yesterday - I need to devise a system to measure it to keep track. Only setback is that my right glute / outside hip is hurting a bit, probably from the one-legged squat motion that's necessary for a certain things (bathroom related, you dont want details, haha). Digestion is still a bit off for some reason, even though I'm off Norco and the softeners. Nothin major though.

Currently watching Doc McStuffins with the eldest. She's quite the entertainment this morning (my kid, not Doc McStuffins). She came out of her room around 6:30, half awake, and immediately drew a picture of "Princess Mommy" standing in snow that was sparkly "because God told it to sparkle." We then snuck into the master bedroom (Mom's still sleeping) to tape it on the wall with the other 63525 drawings. After that, she told me out of the blue that "if we went to Transylvania, that would be soooo fun." (There's a kids show called Vampirina and she's from there).

Got a little sidetracked there - guess Doc McStuffins isn't really holding my attention, haha.

Plan for the day is to start on some computer work, both job work and some personal stuff I've been putting off. Wife is off today, so maybe we'll go get sushi for lunch or something.

How's your day so far?
 
Hi there! A shower recliner! Love it...
Your posting up of the picture is so sweet, and sushi sounds great . I love sashimi.

I cooked a Thai jungle curry from scratch the other day with lots of red chillis. Put it this way - figs and prunes need not apply. Made some Fig and Apple chutney as neighbours gave me quite a lot of Bramley apples.

Btw stop denying your signature ! An expanded mini posterior is a posterior is it not?! :-)
 
Good point re the signature - surgeon confirmed yesterday it's basically the same thing.

That curry sounds both delicious and effective!
 
Joe, your posts are like a breath of fresh air in the morning. A delightful way to start the day.
Thanks for the laughs. You're doing great. I hope today is a good one!
@JoeKnows
 
I thought the restrictions on taking a bath were related to safety and having a fall? I long to get in and have a soak but I wobble about enough in the shower even with grab rails and a mat.
(Have you noticed by the way when you get to a certain age you don't fall, you have a fall? Curious!)
 
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I think the bath restrictions are related to the 90 degree restrictions. My OS said I couldn't have a bath until 12 weeks so only 2 left to go.
@SurreyGirl my OS let me drive after 6 weeks but everyone seems to be different. I noticed some on here seem to be driving after 3 week. I know I wouldn't have been comfortable doing that.
I don't think car insurance in the UK would cover you for less than 6 weeks either.
 
Thanks @Layla. In the past I've had a tendency to get blue and angry, but I've found that my mental state tends to follow how I express myself. This thread / blog / journal is primarily for my own benefit, haha.

Re: the bath / pool, I guess I just assumed it was a wound issue. Either way, staying out of the bathtub is no big deal to me and it's starting to cool down too much for the pool anyway.

I was officially released to drive yesterday (two weeks), since I'm off the strong meds and don't need my left leg to drive. Happily, my trucks seat will go to preset positions with the push of a button - the only hard part is closing the door without violating 90 degrees if I leave it open all the way, but if I just go to the first stop (or use my cane) it's fine.
 
And guys! I saw the best recipe for Red Wine-Stewed Prunes with mascarpone cheese on the side. SIGN ME UP FOR THAT.
 
@lovesstars I thought dislocation was the problem but I am desperate to lounge in the bath with a good book.
This afternoon I asked husband to help me to see if we could get me in the bath without breaking the rules.
No water and fully clothed but WE DID IT.
There is a ledge at the end of the bath. I sat on that and then lifted one leg over after the other. I then slithered down until I was sitting fully in the bath. It was a bit more difficult to get out as I have to push my whole weight up from my arms but with a little bit if help from husband it's manageable.
That's the plan sometime this weekend.
Anyone know if it's OK to use bubble bath?

@JoeKnows sorry I seem to have hijacked your thread
 
There are several issues about taking a bath post op. First and foremost - your wound must be fully healed. This can take over 6 weeks.

Then there is getting into the bath. I figured out how to get into a high top bath (shower over tub) before my RTHR. A bath step and something to grab getting in and it's pretty easy. I was not on any restrictions but the new hip was not going to allow me to lift my leg over a high top bath. Thus the "aids".
 
@Bionic and @JoeKnows and everyone — if we can swim and immerse our incisions (and I am 4 weeks out and immersion is okay) then why wouldn’t bubble bath be fine?
 
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