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THR Jump start on recovery thread.

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Day 5 update: Slept from 10 p.m. until 8:30 a.m. with a few potty breaks in between. Just finished cleaning up a bit and back in bed with polar cube pad on hip. Able to slide op leg off bed but still have to lift in onto mattress.

OS said he was using a posterior approach but the incision is down the side of my hip. Discovered this when my "waterproof" bandage turned out in the shower to not be waterproof lol. Have 22-24 staples. Fun..not! I've had them before, but these suckers sting! Keeping them numb with ice.
 
Day 5 Continued: Was able to be up and sitting on couch until 1 p.m. when pain and general weakness dictated a nap. Right now, going to the bathroom and getting resettled into bed totally wears me out. While I was up, my best friend came over to make breakfast and tidy up the kitchen. Gotta love her!!

I tried to do a leg lift, lol! After much coaxing, I was able to lift my heel off the bed. Guess I'll stick to slides etc. for now. Putting most of my weight on my arms instead of the right leg when using the walker should give me some wonderful arm muscles before this is over - grin!

Hubbie just brought home some more ice so I'm going to "chill" with the cube for a while. Lol!
 
Wow that sucks about the so called waterproof dressing. What were they thinking telling you it was waterproof. It sounds like you are getting on track though. Naps, rest, sleep, PT . . . Repeat .

Take care and happy recovering.

Pete


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slapstep said:
Wow that sucks about the so called waterproof dressing. What were they thinking telling you it was waterproof. It sounds like you are getting on track though. Naps, rest, sleep, PT . . . Repeat .

Take care and happy recovering.

Pete
Click to expand...

The dressing kept the incision dry during my shower at the hospital but not last night. Oh well. I can take it off in a few days anyway.

Took a long nap this afternoon and now eating dinner that a good friend brought over.
 
Day 6 update: Slept well last night and was going to read BS posts before getting up .. and fell asleep again until about 10 a.m. grin!

Decided to weigh myself and see how bad the damage was. Was pleasantly surprised to see I had lost 1#. Hope that continues lol! Wonder if the constant icing has kept the fluid and swelling at bay..hmmmm.

Took a shower because i was starting to look like Medusa and moved my stuff to the couch where I have been icing and watching t.v. all day. Yep, I'm turning into a slug.
 
Time for bed. Have been doing lots of heel slides while sitting on couch and now a little achy. Just getting situated in bed takes so much energy .. moving the log around, tucked in etc. Night night all.
 
Doing fine. Well done you on keep moving that leg. It doesn't need exercises as per say but stretches make for an easier recovery

Legin THR Sep 14
 
Well done on doing lots of icing @kktoland !
kktoland said:
Have been doing lots of heel slides while sitting on couch and now a little achy.
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No need to do these in excess. Just gentle stretches now and again and walking around a bit.
 
Thanks @Jaycey. I'll be careful. Hip gets uncomfortable in one position too long so sliding heel back flexes hip and feels better. And @Legin, I do find myself stretching my legs in bed a lot too, so is all good.
 
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Day 7: May have to do updates every few days or once a week. Otherwise these posts are going to be very redundant. OS has me only partial WB and using a walker for 6 weeks so I'm very limited in what I can do each day.

Today I tidied myself up a bit and spent all day reading and catching up with friends on social media. I've been in jammies all week and don't see that changing until Thursday when I get the staples removed.

At some point I may work on scrapbooking a bit but right now am just allowing my body to rest. I figure when I get too restless, then I'll try to find other things I can do in a sitting position ... I'm sure there is a jigsaw puzzle or two around here somewhere lol!
 
Nice one I hooked good foot under operated and lifted it up.

Legin THR Sep 14
 
Hi @kktoland and congratulations! It sounds like you are doing really well. The fact that you are already sleeping so well is a major milestone. There are so many who struggle with sleep in the beginning stages of their recovery. I did not have a problem either and I think getting a full night's sleep (except for the potty trips) is what helps contribute to a speedy recovery. I hope it continues for you. And, well done on the leg lifts! Now, you will begin to see that you are becoming less and less dependent on others for assistance. When I got home after my surgery, I found that the bed rail I purchased proved to be the best purchase I made....in addition to the toilet seat riser.
I had posterior, as well, as was pleasantly surprised when I saw where the incision was. It was more down the side of my hip and was not nearly as long as I thought it would be. Sounds like yours is the same.
Continue with the slow and steady recovery and you will see each day is better than the day before. But, unfortunately, be prepared for minor setbacks and post op blues. The good news is...they are short lived. Have a wonderful recovery day!
 
Thank you @Nana757. Having to lift my leg onto the bed was rather a nuisance, so am glad enough strength is back to avoid that.

Unfortunately, lol, sleeping has never been a problem for me. I have a condition called hypersomnia. I tend to get very drowsy if I am still for a short bit, especially if I have been very busy prior to sitting. I don't fall asleep suddenly like narcolepsy but if I allow myself, I can fall asleep for several hours and still sleep the entire night. Medication controls it but for now, I'm allowing myself whatever sleep my body wants. GRIN!

I thought seriously about a bed rail but passed in the end. I use the head of my sleigh bed to pull up on when needed. The raised toilet seat now has been divine! I also have handrails on both toilets which are an immense aid in standing. I believe my best purchase was the hip kit, especially the dressing aid. I use it for everything from taking off socks to reaching down and rearranging pillows or covers in my "nest" at night.

My incision starts sort of in the sciatic area and curves down the side of my hip. Took the bandages off this a.m.and it looks good. Slight bruising only. Starting to itch along sides of the incision .. means is healing.

Don't have much choice on the slow and steady, hee hee! I'll ask my OS this week if the restricted WB is really necessary or his attempt to keep me from overdoing things. He knows me so well lol! By day six of my partial knee two years ago, I was ready to ditch the walker as being too slow. That was in November and by the next May, I was back at zumba classes. I'm a tough ole bird!

Post op blues .. yep, been there before. Had them for first time this round this a.m. I knew it was just a matter of low blood sugar but that didn't stop me from having a brief but good cry.

Kristi
 
Day 8: Rainy day helped me sleep in a bit. Took a refreshing shower and just soaked under the spray for a bit. After toweling off, combing hair, checking incision etc., I was hit by an energy drain and low blood sugar all at once. This led to an apparently needed, therapeutic but thankfully brief crying spell. I knew it was just post op stuff but geez!

My sweet neighbor brought over breakfast and after eating I felt much better. I had planned on cooking but she called saying she was cooking any way and asked if I would like something. So sweet! I know its early in recovery but just wish i didn't get so drained just taking care of basic hygiene and moving my "nest" of pillows etc from one room to another.

On the more positive side, the incision looks great! I know it's healing because it itches like the dickens! My stride with the walker is also a lot smoother without all the stops and hitches of even a few days ago. I'm staying awake more during the day and pain is quite manageable. Hopefully it stays that way when I start more WB.
 
hi @kktoland! You aren't boring us with your reports, it's good to read them and see that you are doing well.
Isn't it wonderful when you can lift that leg onto the bed! I don't know who was happier, me or my husband. :rotfl:

I think the first 2-3 weeks are exciting, each day shows some small improvement and everyone claps and cheers you on. Now at week 5 it feels like a limbo of sorts, the fast improvements are gone and you feel good enough to do things, then you try to do them and then you don't feel good enough to do things. :groan:

All in all it's a great journey of sorts. We are so lucky to have such good surgeons caring for us!!
 
Thanks @CricketHip - I also worry about coming across too much as "hey, look at me!" but I realize we're all here to cheer each other on during recovery - at whatever phase that may be for that person.

Yep the leg lift was major - lol - makes shifting the ole tushkus so much easier.:rotfl:.

I often tell folks that my brain says "you got this" and my body says "you're out of your mind!". I've pushed my body pretty hard over the years and have recently had to adjust to the fact that I no longer have a 30 Yr old body :headbang:. Activities I used to manage without issue took days from which to recover. Before surgery I was weeding through books in my office and cleared out a large section of books on building various yard projects and more intense landscaping :bignono:. Figured I wouldn't be doing that in the future :bawl:. Hubbie has been teasing me for the past few years that I wouldn't be able to keep up - darn him :sorry:. Time to start treating my body more kindly.:chillpill:
 
Energy drain and post op blues - don't fight it just roll with it. This will pass quickly. You are doing great!
 
In no time some of those activities arthritis grind stopped you from doing you will be able to do. It is difficult to be unable to do the simplest of things but also that will pass and you will be bending without a thought.

Legin THR Sep 14
 
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