THR Joydancer's Blitzen New Hip !!!

[copsham]

Thank you @Joydancer really good links. Will have a proper look in the morning.

Fortunately I can now say the experience is all behind me and I am getting more active bit by bit. Got back to Tai chi a few weeks ago, swimming a few days ago, gentle gardening last week. It is so weird and wonderful. When I was gardening I put my operated leg on the spade to dig in and just in time remembered not to! This afternoon I bent down over some marsh orchids in a field and sat on the grass. Really great until I needed to get up!

My mood of the moment that i need to work on, is feeling guilty for having a recovery that is working for me. I find it hard to accept that it cannot be like this for everyone.

@Joydancer you are doing amazingly your brilliant writing at day 9 (?). I was still very fuzzy at that point. I look forward to more of your posts.
xx

 

[souldancer]

@Joydancer - so happy to hear of your recovery at home. Boy - the hospital sounds so bad,
good thing you got the heck out of there! I am awestruck that you are already driving post op
and no pain meds, You are AMAZING !! I feel a renewed sense of hope for my
recovery too. Thank you for sharing the good, bad, and ugly with us !

 

[Joydancer]

Thank you @Joydancer Got back to Tai chi a few weeks ago, swimming a few days ago, gentle gardening last week.
It is so weird and wonderful.

When I was gardening I put my operated leg on the spade to dig in and just in time remembered not to!

This afternoon I bent down over some marsh orchids in a field and sat on the grass. Really great until I needed to get up!

My mood of the moment that i need to work on, is feeling guilty for having a recovery that is working for me. I find it hard to accept that it cannot be like this for everyone.

@Joydancer you are doing amazingly your brilliant writing at day 9 (?). I was still very fuzzy at that point. I look forward to more of your posts.
xx

@copsham

Cool you being in Tai chi - I learned some movements & how to practice it at a retreat but haven't brought that into my life...(commitment - discipline ).
Great you are into swimming, nothing better for whole body and healing hips; I hope to stretch my comfort zone and get back to the pool experience (up at my community clubhouse) - in a suit / body shape / extra weight

Oh my, your encounters being outside with your gardening...how wonderful, it's been 2 years for me (spine & hip).
I would luv to see those ~ marsh orchids ~ (luv orchids, botanical gardens, shows gone too) these are wild in the marsh?!!?

yes !! ~ sitting on the grass ~ - - good for you ! I am with ya in spirit on that one too - - long time since I have done that.....not saying I may not be able to do a little further along in my new hip recovery.

re: mood - guilty your recovery is good / but everyone doesn't have it so good,- much experience on that one !
it's a life lesson & blessing -- celebrate & be grateful ~ not guilty, dear friend.... I understand about wishing everyone getting a good experience in healing....visualize them & affirm or pray they can & do. Life journeys can be so contrasting, with others... the have's & have not's, seasons for one different than the other... Don't deprive yourself it's a blessing you are to have, receive it... When I get into guilting myself.... I see I need to love a part of me to receive it & join you in fully deserving & embracing it!! ...& it's not in depriving yourself that they would receive it ! It's in receiving the blessing that we are more capable to be there when someone receives theirs!!

..life circumstances can be lessons but not punishment or deprivation ...they may be blessed with something you may not have....good is for all....it's all above Love / Learning in this experience... so for balance & embracing my good....I send love to those who are less "fortunate" or have less than me...share what I have when I can make a difference, for those things I can't do that for; send love to them that they also can be blessed and have as well. ~ Be in the Joy ~ it is good for all !!!

 

[Joydancer]

@Joydancer - so happy to hear of your recovery at home. Boy - the hospital sounds so bad,
good thing you got the heck out of there! I am awestruck that you are already driving post op
and no pain meds, You are AMAZING !! I feel a renewed sense of hope for my
recovery too. Thank you for sharing the good, bad, and ugly with us !

Hi, @souldancer,

re: hospital
it was a shame in so many ways, to see how the hospital & medical staff were not living up to what the director rn of orthopedic floor presented to us at our pre-op class = in the idea of doing (marketing) vs. in actual providing (staff training & changes definitely needed = patient care rn's, physiatrists). I will be meeting with the director rn in the future over my experience; hopefully a win-win; give voice to what I should have received & they can learn what my actual experience was vs. what they said it could be.

re: no pain meds
I am still on my gabapentin (I take for nerve pain), but yes the break-thru pain meds in hospital, none since I came home. Since I am doing out-patient ptherapy I see I will need to slow the pace & reps down for the pt and talk to physical therapist, how I experienced my first session (going 3 x week next wk) pretty intense compared to hospital pt. I tried taking tramodol which ortho prescribed for recovery time, but having some significant side effects and cannot take.

What's up with you souldancer? Hey I see your in the "sunshine state" to and we're "kindred" names!

 

[Joydancer]

<...I am bringing the month of Rainbow hips to a close!!> (posted by Webbie)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
how about we bring it to a ~ Big Over the Rainbow celebration ~ finale - - ?? !
we got some amazing " Rainbows " to experience from April 7th on

I cannot take it all in from Aunt Janet, Trabski, Sunbunny, WC Girl, you, Webbie, & more that may share their journey with us.... that's some accumulation of amazing Rainbows....

As Aunt Janet would say (bless her).... and missing her....miss you @@Great Aunt Janet send ((((hugs)))
~ that's alot of "Blitzenhipsagoago" coming thru ~ !!!!

So we'll have one heaven of a finale !!!

(where the heck is our Big Over Rainbow icon ?!! hav to find one before our finale...)

 

[Jaycey]

@Joydancer so glad to see you on the other side. Slap my hands, no one has giving you your official recovery articles. Let us know if you have any questions. You sound great!
First are the BoneSmart mantras ....
- rest, elevate, ice and take your pain meds by the clock
- if it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physiotherapist - to do it to you
- if your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again
- if you won't die if it's not done, don't do it
- never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can go to sleep!
- be active as much as you need to be but not more than is necessary, meaning so much that you end up being in pain, exhausted or desperate to sit down or lay down!

Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery
Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Activity progression for THRs
Home physio (PT)
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

 

[Joydancer]

Day 8 - Physicial Therapy

Had appt. with physical therapy at Ortho Institute - took on some new exercises since my physical therapy at hospital Day 2 - Day 5. I couldn't do home exercises next day, nor again today.

@Jaycey Received notice from BS guidelines regarding therapy, and it follows the guidelines that I had coming home weight-bearing after my first THR-R; as I did 10 years ago and a slower adaptive exercises at home recovery. That was timely because I had just gotten up from realizing I had to go two days with pain at the top of my leg, when I no pain Day 5-7 at home and was walking shorter distances.I walked with and without rollator walker today but with pain at the top of my leg....that's a new one since getting out of hospital.

I am going to let the physical therapist know his plan is too intensive for me and I want to try less strenuous stretch exercises I have for home recovery.

Thank you Bonesmart. forum for being right on for me today, as I felt so defeated the past two days having that pain in the top of my leg and wondering how I could keep up with M-W-F 3x week PT at ortho physical therapist and with exercises added each week ! eeek!!

 

[souldancer]

@Joydancer - I feel that you ARE and SHOULD BE IN control of the physical therapy
since you know your body best! You do live in it every day...

Fortunately we are in Florida and can enjoy the great weather outdoors. I also have been
swimming to prepare for my Rainbow construction on Mon 4/13. Today I had a wonderful
lymphatic drainage session along with reflexology and reiki which calmed down my nerves
and flushed my body out in preparation for surgery.

Thanks again for sharing your recovery and I hope to be posting soon too.

 

[Jaycey]

As Jo always says, hips don't really need all that exercise to heal. Just normal walking is fine. PT often makes recovering hippies more achy and sore. Feel free to set the limits with your PT.

 

[Michegon]

@Joydancer Hi, Bilaterally painless for eight months and i did not do any PT. I took advice from this forum and Jo and let my body heal. I knew my body and what i could do and not do. Take it easy and you will be fine!

 

[Joydancer]

Post Op 2 Wks. Had my appt. with Surgeon assistant, got my staples removed, had x-ray of my hips and viewed both my miracle hips, right THR 2005 and left THR 2015. "All looked good" per Surgeon assistant, who was also present for my surgery and did some of the procedure

Re: Incision & Staples
So glad the staples are removed, much more comfortable sitting and driving...the first staple beginning of incision at top was really bothering me, (even thought) incision avoided my groin area/crease it was just to the left of groin and stomach crease will not miss it....but glad it was there, to be sure for good closure & healing. Had total of 9 staples incision 4-3/4 - 5" incision.

Got temp steri-strips for next 7-10 days will be lifting off on their own / or can be removed if any remain.

Re: Full Showers - Incision healing progresses

Ok now = normal full showers getting fully wet; pat-dry incision area - no rubbing.
Ok in 7-10 days after lifting off = Bio-Oil (otc product) for incision area if I wished;

Good healing will continue to progress.

Re: Progress Walking - Continue stretch exercises
Feeling good with all the progress with walking, without walker and stretch exercises

Love where I am, but know their will be more progress....
looking forward to longer and longer strength to walk without walker,
weight-bearing on left leg for much distance or when I have been active (house & going out, movies, shopping) and energy level low late in the day.
Incision will be receding an further along. And will love being able to sleep on that side (my fav side L )

It's been a very good recovery, very similar to the one 10 years ago THR-R

 

[Joydancer]

@Joydancer Hi, Bilaterally painless for eight months and i did not do any PT. I took advice from this forum and Jo and let my body heal. I knew my body and what i could do and not do. Take it easy and you will be fine!

Thank you Michegon...I did talk to my Surgeon PA and the home exercises, stretches, archilles, modified leg lifts and walking is where I am and he agreed about Physical Therapy dept. program does not have to be my method.
for a good recovery. They would have given me Home-Health PT but I am driving from Day 7, they can't do home pt if I am not home-bound.

Overall, following a pace and exercises and walking as I did with first hip THR-R and I'm 11 years older = that's good in my mind too!

 

[souldancer]

@Joydancer - way to go, I'm following your steps too in limiting PT! Now if I can knock
this cold out would be even better.

 

[Joydancer]

@Joydancer - way to go, I'm following your steps too in limiting PT! Now if I can knock
this cold out would be even better.

Souldancer, I found whatever they do with the mask even in spinal injection + oxygen levels with mask sets some patients up with respiratory, cold issues - - mine went into coughing and bronchial infection.

Hoping you give yourself some good tlc, good fluids, lots of water, still flushing meds, drugs from surgery... vit. C and it doesn't hang-out in ya...
you will rest so much better at night and not have another thing that needs you care and attention.

 

[Great Aunt Janet]

Oh blitzentwin @Joydancer, I am in turns devastated and uplifted to read all your posts - I'm so sorry about your horrible experiences with some of the staff but mega-impressed at all you are doing and how you sound now that you are home. I was checking in all the time before I flew out, but I see you were tablettly-compromised and coudn't post. Me neither for the past 10 days or so, and I am going to be in big trouble with he-who-should-be-obeyed if I don't go and stretch out soon - but it is wonderful and heartwarming to see your progression on your pair of gogoinghips, shiny, new and working so well. Fantastic matey, just fantastic. love Jan xxxxxxx

 

[webbie73]

@Joydancer, you are doing so well! Kudos to you.

 

[Joydancer]

Day 17
Gotten lax of doing some of my home exercises, stretches...have to be sure I keep up with those... PT gave me some copies with sketches so I remember them no excuse to miss "homework" lol !! I have noticed with my walking away from home, shopping, errands, the top of my leg has some pain/strain.

I know I have backed off of my gabapentin high dosage & since the first session of outpatient PT last week, too intensive.....I am no longer taking any tramadol with my decision to not continue doing those sessions m 3x a week vs. walkin & exercise & stretches at home.

I sure liked by Day 8 - 11 walkin greater distances with no pain. But...

Got to give my system a rest from the pain meds (gabapentin & tylenol) primarily pre-op phase 3-4 months.

Also believe it will help with my trying to lose some of the extra weight and lbs. I put on during that chronic pain phase and curtailed activity, baby steps it seems again

 

[Great Aunt Janet]

Morning Day 17 @Joydancer! Great report and I'm sure everyone in town is pleased to see you out and about on your errands. Don't buy any clothes: the weight is gonna fall off with all the exercise, isn't it? Although I do have some get-well biccies just here if you need one...


Yes, me too forgetting to do the basic exercises, got my chart out today to re-inspire as I was pretty stiff this morning. Am trialling a small WARM heatbag on the front of my thigh (where there is no wound) where it is stiffest today and it seems to be quite comforting. No real swelling anywhere now for me - how's your rainbow bruising?

I know what you mean about the meds - I would love to be taking nothing at all, not yet though. I have stopped taking the morphine based one though, more risk of falling over with a woozy head and the pain levels are definitely not high.

@Joydancer - way to go, I'm following your steps too in limiting PT! Now if I can knock
this cold out would be even better.

I agree @souldancer! no physio booked yet for me (the stories about scary physios on here have really put me off) as I can get away with that as there is just one overworked PT who visits the town once a week and so I will wait and see what I need first.

Your walking sounds great - how far do you go now or for how long? Are you using any aids at all? I'm still on two crutches when out in the street because our roads are not flat (very very wide bullock-cart-turning-width) and have a big camber on them so I am nearly in the middle of the road, tootling along. Other than that I am either no crutch or one.

Hope your weekend is full of joyful dancing and all the other lovely things that us shinyblitzenhipped-a-go-go lot can get up to!
xxx

 

[narnybose]

@Joydancer Hi your story is both brilliant (your recovery) and awful the treatment you received I am in the UK I daftly assumed that like the tv shows your nurses were 100% brilliant. You are on the other side now I like the fact that there is so much love flying round this globe we live on from every direction. So have some healing thoughts from the UK hugs Mags x

 

[Poppet]

Hi @souldancer - I thought you might like to get a snapshot of where you are in the process of healing.

The following is a link to an article which provides the current science regarding the healing beneath and around the implant and the medically acknowledged approximate timeframes for our bodies healing phases and processes.

Healing Phases & Nutrition

Nutrition plays a huge part in surgical recovery, in fact it is one of the 'forgotten topics' of recovery..

This second link is to other nutritional articles which you may find interesting, including one relating to bone health.

Nutritional advice for pre op and recovery

This third link refers to my ongoing research..

nutritional-snippets-did-you-know