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THR Jump start on recovery thread.

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@kktoland Well done on walking without your cane and walking a half a mile yesterday.You are making great progress and I will be interested in what your surgeon's opinion of your other hip.I know from experience that start up aches and pains when you first stand up can last for sometime after surgery.I found that if I stood still for a moment or two before setting off walking it helped.
 
Update on today's OS visit:

Right THR .. everything is still looking good on xrays. He lifted all restrictions except the following: 1. Continue using cane until limp is gone 2. No sleeping on stomach .. op side sleeping is ok 3. No heavy lifting for another 2 months 4. No turning knee in (foot in is okay to tie shoes) and the biggie .. 5. STILL no driving for 3 months. :bignono:I really tried to talk him down on that but he just grinned and wouldn't budge. I told him to "bite me!" :heehee: In case I haven't mentioned it before, I have worked PRN as this surgeon's xray tech for about 6 years so we do joke and cut up a bit. I really don't like not being able to drive myself but I trust him immensely and will be "a good patient" regarding this. :angel:

NOW .. the left hip .. ugh!! I know I said I wanted it fixed soon but am now having second thoughts. I actually thought it was worse off on previous xrays.

A little history first .. the RIGHT hip went from 3 mm down to 1.4 mm over FIVE months time. In September the LEFT hip was at 3.7 mm (I thought it was below 3 mm) and today (only TWO months time) was at 2.6 mm.

My thinking is this:

1. The hip does "pinch" and frequently has sharp pains while walking and I do tend to limp on that side (and not the op side) when pushing a grocery cart etc., but it is not as bad as the right one was when I finally had it fixed. :umm:

2. If it were earlier in the year, I think I would definitely wait a couple more months (since there is more cartilage left than I thought), especially to allow the right hip more time (I'm at 5 weeks) to heal.

3. However, seeing as how it is NOT earlier in the year, I have to consider the following:

a. My left knee went bone on bone fast. My right hip went bad fast. Now my left hip is showing all indications of also going bad fast. :gaah:

b. My out of pocket maximum is met for the year so coverage is at 100% for another surgery.

c. If I did have the left hip done, both hips should be good to go by springtime for my much loved yardwork. :loveshwr:

d. If I wait, the hip MIGHT hang in there until next fall but then I'll have to start this recovery business all over again. :groan:

e. Chances are, the hip WON'T hang in there much longer at the rate it is deteriorating and then I would have to deal with co-pays etc next year. :bricks:

f. And finally, I'm really enjoying being able to get around better the last couple of weeks and don't look forward to more log leg, human bobble head, sleeping on my back, staples etc etc. Whine! :bawl:

Logically, I know I'm just getting hung up on the 2.6 mm thing (it took 18 months to go from 5 mm to 3.7 mm but only two months to go from 3.7 mm to 2.6 mm). :headbang:

NOTE: As I'm typing this "book" :type:, I leaned back and the op hip was fine but the left side twinged.

I told the OS to let me mull it over a few days. I know what I need to do, I just really need to wrap my brain around it. :sigh:

Opinions please...

Kristi
 
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When I had my first hip fixed in March of yesteryear, my other hip looked equally bad on xrays. The OS said any time you're ready. I really wanted to get #2 done for all the reasons you mention above, Kristi. However, there simply was no pain involved with that hip yet. None. My OS said two years at the outside. He was completely right....I started having twinges in the following January; by March they were making me limp. Didn't wait any longer....had it done in July. So 15 months between them. I am not sorry in the least, because all worked out well....BUT....you are having pinches and sharp pains and some limping. The limping means you have an impaired gait....while you are trying to restore a healthy gait after your first surgery. If it were me, I would limp just as fast as I could to the operating room and get it over with, and move on the joy of life with TWO well-functioning hips. Squeaking it in this calendar year with no deductible or co-pay to meet is just frosting on the cake.
:)
Sharon
 
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and a safe Black Friday :wave:. Hubbie took me shopping this afternoon (was not going to risk the a.m. crowds) and we had a good time just moseying around a bit.

The only downside was a backache (altered gait) and pain in my left hip. The op hip was great! Yep, I'm definitely scheduling the left hip for next month! :oyvey:If I can get the 14th, that will be 8 weeks after the first hip.
 
@kktoland, I'm so glad you had a good shopping trip today. That's awesome. :)
For what it's worth, I think you scheduling your left hip surgery soon is a great idea. Mine were a little over 8 weeks apart. You're right that returning to log leg, bobble head (love that term!) status is not fun, but I think it's good to get that behind you so your hips can heal pretty much in tandem.

You can do this, friend. We'll be hear to cheer you on! :flwrysmile:
 
kktoland said:
Yep, I'm definitely scheduling the left hip for next month!
Click to expand...
Well done @kktoland ! The quicker you get this done the sooner you can get on with living. I found the longer I waited the harder the recovery. My second THR recovery was MUCH easier than my first because I didn't limp around for years. You will feel so jazzed once that hip is done and dusted!
 
In my opinion, you made the right choice @kktoland , I did mine at 7 weeks apart and the first hip was strong enough by that point to support the 2nd. Like DeepBreath said, it is a good idea to have them done close together so they heal in tandem. I totally agree with that.

Also, the fact that you met your out-of-pocket maximum for the year and your second hip will be covered at 100%, well that is a lot of money so that is a huge bonus as well. My second was 100% covered also and I look at it as a BOGO (Buy One Hip, Get One Free), :snork:
 
Love the BOGO hip! :rofsign: Have been trying to get the Christmas tree decorated. It is a slow process with having to stop and rest my legs and back every 20 minutes or so. Of course I am rather picky about the garlands being just so etc. :heehee:

This time of year is extra busy because we have Thanksgiving followed by daughters birthday which we celebrate the Sunday after and she always wants the tree up for her party. Then we have our family gathering the Sunday before Christmas which this year will fall the Sunday after I'm discharged from the second hip. In between, I have to get the gifts wrapped, bills set for auto pay, house clean etc. After the 14th I'll be on auto pilot and chilling for at least a few weeks. :ice:

The weather here in North Georgia is so strange. Was in the 30s a week or so ago. Today it is 68°, the house is open, I'm playing music and decorating the Christmas tree while wearing shorts. :rotfl:

Well guess I better get back to the tree. :egypdance:
 
Gosh @kktoland , I'm feeling tired just reading your long list of "to dos"! Easy does it my friend! Be good to yourself.
 
@Jaycey, tree is decorated, presents wrapped, birthday party done and tomorrow I hope to start my baking. :egypdance:
 
@kktoland after my second hip surgery I was talking with my doc again about why i seemed to have so much pain on that hip before surgery even though the spacing between was not that compressed.

He showed me the xrays again and explained how spacing is not the only issue. Twisting or deformity of the hip can increase pain because of grinding into the bone on narrower parts of the spacing. Xrays don't tell it all.

When he got into the hip during surgery it was even more evident that my hip had deformed causing such pain while the spacing was still OK in some area s.

I could have cursed the x-ray technicians down in the hospital in our area because when they made reports on my hips they kept saying i only had mild to moderate osteoarthritis.

I was feeling like a real whiner and put off going to my original hip surgeon from my right hip. I thought I shouldn't be having so much pain because the spacing was okay.

Of course after talking to a real true hip Dr and after surgery it was evident i wasn't being a whiner. I was having pain even though the xray doc thought I should not have such pain . grrrr

So don't second guess yourself on the next hip surgery. You know hip pain and know when it is time.

I admire you



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Well, it's official! Signed paperwork today, pre-testing Friday a.m. and left hip replacement on December 14th. Just as I've started getting around really well with a cane, I'm going to be starting all over again. :hairpulling:. Well, at least I should be ready for spring yard work - GRIN!
 
Well at least you will have a matching pair! Best to get it done and get on with living.
 
That is good news!! Aiyyyeee! that's less than 2 weeks away! Well, I am so happy for you, you will have it all finished and like you said, will be ready to garden next spring. :happydance::happydance:
 
@kktoland, yaay that you have scheduled your next surgery! I will be keeping you in my thoughts and sending out tons of good vibes that next spring finds you happily working in your yard. :yay:
 
Thanks everyone! Today was a good day. Once I dragged my lazy behind out of bed (I'm a nightowl), I did dishes, tidied the kitchen and living room and baked orange-cranberry bread (YUM!). This afternoon daughter and I volunteered helping pack snack sacks for low income kids (I haven't been in six weeks because it's a lot of standing) and then went toy sister's house for a spaghetti dinner with all the fixings. I'm stuffed and sleepy. :)
 
7 week update: Well, I was doing so good with the right hip and then the combination of standing a lot baking and cold, damp weather has put me back to depending on the cane :chinstroke:. When I first stand up, I get these spasm like pains in the buttock and pinching pains in the groin. I'm hoping it's just me doing too much. Plus I had to stop the Naproxon again because the left hip replacement is next monday!! Yikes!! Guess both hips will get some down time at that point :chillpill: I must say, I've had numerous surgeries but this one seems to be taking so much more recovery time. :gaah:I'm not very patient :bored:.
 
Hi @kktoland
I just want to send you good wishes for another successful and uneventful surgery on the 14th. I know you will do well and you will soon be doing the happy dance.
As far as your present pain is concerned, is there a non-NSAID you can take to help alleviate your pain before surgery? I took Vicodin up to the night before and it really helped.
Good luck to you!
 
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