THR KarenKats recovery thread

[KarenKat]

Hi all,
Very little sleep on my first night....constant nurse call beeps & general post op checks- 5 of us hip ladies weeing like horses throughout night & only man amongst us unable to do so, had to be catheterised, poor thing. Made use of my wakeful hours doing lots of foot pumps, & static quad & glute squeezes, appeared to help that ultra tight dead log leg feeling a little - don’t think back sleeping is going to catch on any time soon as every time I dropped off ,woke myself up snoring minutes later.

Wash & teeth cleaning in bed ( lower legs & feet washed by student nurse ) clean nighty & new teds-hair tidy up & bit of makeup on,in readiness for first visit from physio, who will be getting me out of bed-have no idea how this will go as my leg doesn’t appear to respond to commands sent from my brain !

Eating everything put in front of me & some .....off my food week prior to surgery as felt nauseous & anxious, now making up for lost time-private hospital so food is good with plenty of choice

Pain well controlled, and closely monitored by staff - no nausea/dizziness even though BP quite low - thigh tender, probably lots of bruising to come but overall feel really well - hope doesn’t change after a bit of mobility attempted this morning ....nothing too much trouble for nurses & other staff - all wonderful !

Best of wishes to everyone & thank you for ongoing support x

 

[Hipster64]

@KarenKat : Welcome to the recovery side! I just had my left hip replaced on Monday 9/9 so we are in the same place. Now is the time to lie down, relax and baby the new hip with ice and elevation.

Please keep us posted on your recovery status, and have a restful rest of the week!

 

[RinTinTin]

You are doing great @KatenKat!

 

[KarenKat]

Hi guys, though I would give you an update.......

Day 1- (surgery late afternoon Tues 10th) still not allowed out of bed as BP continues to stay low - checked every hour and hovered around 90/55 - physios won’t get anyone out of bed until systolic gets to 110 for safety reasons, so although I felt great, morning physio (PT) had to be cancelled. Eventually got up late afternoon by 2 physios once BP hit 107/65 using a zimmer frame ( walker ), quickly replaced by two crutches as I was walking too quickly - at this point I had no pain or swelling, just stiffness, which allowed me to walk pretty well ( basic one step at a time ) around my room fo a couple of minutes...able to distribute weight evenly & felt confident . Physios to come back tomorrow morning to practice ’alternate foot’ walking with crutches followed by stair accent/decent test .....if all goes well will be discharged. Sat out for rest of day, knee started to swell asked for ice pack, which apparently are reserved for knee replacements only - husband brought some in which helped .

Day 2 - poor nights sleep again 1-2 hours ( can’t get to grips with sleeping on my back.....and have to do this for six weeks as posterior approach ) knee less swollen ,and still feeling very well, sat out for breakfast- appetite still very good - have been having standard medication per protocol, but morphine based meds seem to send me a bit loopy, slurred speech etc.. so have decided to manage pain at home with 60mg codeine & 1000 mgs paracetamol x 4 daily together with morphine oral solution as & when needed ( up to 4 times a day )with the intention of just using before bed. Physios called after breakfast where I practised alternate walking with crutches, did so well that I decided to decline wheelchair transport to Physio Dept where I passed stair challenge with flying colours, walked back again to my room, decided I was well capable of doing 3 each of the standing exercises from sheet given for discharge...side leg raises/ knee lifts/knee bends ..... and guess what folks ?? unbeknown to me at the time, this was the point I joined the ODIC- after all I’ve read on this forum, at the first opportunity I forget/ disregard all the advice given !!!

Day 3 - another poor nights sleep ( Fitbit stated 2hrs 8 mins so a little improved on last night) and fresh blood on my nightclothes & bedding on getting up around 8am....not unduly worried, but rung hospital to check, advised to come in for wound check & dressing change - now feeling very nauseous ( through accumulative lack of sleep I believe, rather than meds ) have tree trunk legs & very swollen knees & my bum is huge ! took me over an hour to get washed & dressed due to extreme stiffness....my fluid walking of yesterday is no more - also had chills & shivering, so had to wear extra layers to hospital despite very warm weather ......wound cleaned & redressed & all ok. So tired when got home, plonked myself on my high backed chair in front of tv whilst my poor husband waited on me hand and foot-custard slice for lunch & trifle early evening - not high in vit c or protein I know but needs must - I did eat some grapes though, that my lovely neighbours husband brought round with flowers - tried to ice my legs but made shivers worse

Day 4 (Today) a repeat of yesterday- blood seepage worse, so redressed with lots of extra padding .....if bleeding is still a problem, a suction machine is available which is very effective but very noisy, so hopefully won’t have to go down that avenue - nurses on both occasions lovely, and reassured me that these events are common and nothing to worry about - the nurse advised today that my shakiness ( which has replaced chills) is normal, and due to meds, lack of sleep, and exhaustion as result of extra energy expenditure on my unplanned hospital visits.
......On a more positive note, nausea is abating a little and have managed to eat small healthy snacks throughout the day with copious amounts of water, and I’m not as emotionally wobbly as yesterday .....Onwards & upwards !

I haven’t got around to checking on the welfare of my surgical buddies, which I intend to do tomorrow, I hope you’re all doing really well - healing hugs xx

 

[DEL2019Sep-7]

Responding to "sleeping on back". Yes, I and probably most, find that very challenging and sooooo uncomfortable. I sleep in a recliner and find myself tossing and turning (about 3 degrees cuz where will I go) most of the night, when I'm not up to walk off the discomfort and take a bathroom break. I had an RH anterior, but can't lie on my right side, and after trying a pillow between my knees, can't even lie on my left. At week three, it's getting a tiny bit better and can hardly wait until I can sleep in my beloved fetal position.

It sounds like you've had some extra issues to contend with. This surgery is difficult enough without the "extras." You do seem to have a positive attitude which will carry you far. Keep it up. And keep in touch! One step at a time..

 

[kfisher119]

I see you are a few days post op now. You are just a few days behind me. Right THR on 9/6. I hope your recovery is going as smoothly as possible. Sending you good wishes.

 

[kfisher119]

Oh dear, I just stumbled on you post of the problems you’ve had the 1st few days. I was so sorry to read of these unexpected challenges. I hope by now you are doing better.

The first night home I slept on my back in bed for about 3 hours then needed to get up for the bathroom. I could not begin to move my right leg out of the bed on my own. I have been sleeping in a recliner ever since and it has worked out well. I set an alarm to wKe up and take pain medicine on schedule and at that time make a shuffle to the bathroom. It lets me work out a little stiffness and I can settle back to sleep easier.

I definitely overdid the exercise the first few days and paid for it with significant pain. I’m following the BoneSmart recommendations for resuming activity now and really listening to my body. Ice is still my best friend and it’s really helped to keep the swelling under control. I hope things are improving for you!

 

[KarenKat]

Hello kind peeps,
Breakfast in bed this morning ( Day 5 ) am feeling a little less nauseous, and no further seepage from wound....yay !
Pain level ok, meds take edge off without making me feel groggy - more of a deep throbbing, achey stiffness in thigh, knees & bum which are all very tight & swollen- getting in & out of bed for regular bathroom breaks during night slow & arduous, but doable without help- slept slightly longer than previous nights so going in right direction - shivers & wobbliness gone & the feeling that I may burst into tears at any moment also gone - so all much more positive! I do ankle pumps, quad & glute squeezes regularly throughout day & night, but am not going to attempt bed & standing exercises until I’m confident that wound has stopped seeping fresh blood - do not want to make anymore exhausting bumpy car journeys to hospital if I can help it !

@Hipster64 so sorry you have to go through this for the second time, and that recovery this time around is not going so smoothly at present....do hope this is just a small blip on the landscape & that you start to feel much better very soon - sending you very best wishes for a quick improvement x

Hi @Kona Girl many thanks for your kind & reassuring message ....your positive mindset is really uplifting - I’m unable to get comfortable in any position at the moment apart from standing ,but I’m sure this will improve..... wish I could sleep standing up like a giraffe ! Best wishes for a continuing good recovery x

Hello @kfisher119 thanks for your warm wishes. So sorry to hear you’ve had a rough time lately, I do believe that ‘just because you can, doesn’t mean that you should’ as often quoted on this site, is pretty relevant particularly in these early days.I’m the type of person that if one bout of exercise is good, five sessions will be five times better - If I had taken on board the excellent advice offered here, doubt my last few days would have been so rough! I bet you you can’t wait for your sister to arrive for some TLC, great too that with her medical background she will be able to jiggle up your meds to suit ......My sister is flying in from Florida ( I’m in the UK ) on Tuesday for two weeks to stay with me - can’t wait to see her ( think my husband will be quite pleased too ! ) Take care x

Hi @RinTinTin, glad to see everything going well for you - slow & steady wins the race- a mantra I am now going to adhere to - I overdid in the early days as I felt so well in hospital, and regret that I did so much.....my operated leg is now twice the size it was & both my knees are very swollen-not a pretty sight ! My friend, a physiotherapist, advised a short gentle walk every waking hour & ankle pumps/static squeezes to keep blood flowing when sitting/lying will suffice in the first week or two .... same advise as given here - best wishes for speedy recovery-Hugs

 

[Mojo333]

I'm sorry things have been bumpy but I'm glad you've decided to work on keeping your patience muscle flexed and keep this recovery slow and steady.
Well worth it in the end
Happy Sunday...stay chilled!

 

[RinTinTin]

Hi @RinTinTin, glad to see everything going well for you - slow & steady wins the race- a mantra I am now going to adhere to - I overdid in the early days as I felt so well in hospital, and regret that I did so much.....my operated leg is now twice the size it was & both my knees are very swollen-not a pretty sight ! My friend, a physiotherapist, advised a short gentle walk every waking hour & ankle pumps/static squeezes to keep blood flowing when sitting/lying will suffice in the first week or two .... same advise as given here - best wishes for speedy recovery-Hugs

It's good to hear you feel better @KarenKat.
Yes, you overdid the very first day. I was that guy my whole life... pushing myself too hard and too far, testing my endurance and pain tolerance in every sport I was doing.
Thanks to bonesmart, many articles and advices in the pre-op forum (and being a chicken and not wanting to hurt again) I decided to go slow this time. I am not a hero! I want my life back!
I am pretty much doing everything by the book; resting, elevating, icing, doing the PT exercises you mentioned, walking short distances. The biggest challenge is to force myself not to exaggerate.
I've decided to follow @CricketHip suggestion and get up every hour today for a short walk. I'll do that and see how I feel at the end of the day.
Patience dear @KarenKat... the swelling and soreness will go away.
hugs from Canada where it's obvious now the autumn is just around the corner

 

[Layla]

@KarenKat
It's good to read your update today. You seem to be doing much better in so many ways.
Very encouraging! I hope the week brings even more positive changes. You're on your way!

 

[Onestepatatime]

Just stopping in wish you a smooth recovery from this moment out

 

[KarenKat]

Hello & well wishes to all you lovely people,

2 weeks post op today...sorry haven’t posted for a while as shortly after my last update severe nausea hit, along dry mouth, headache, shakiness etc....anti-sickness meds from my GP did little to help.On day 8 I decided to stop codeine ( I’d refused morphine based meds to take home as didn’t agree with me in hospital )& just continue with Paracetamol x 1000mg daily .....thankfully had relief from symptoms within 48hrs-my appetite is still not great but improving daily. Swelling in leg, knees & feet going down slowly, discomfort & stiffness mainly in quad muscle, knee & calf of operated leg - hip feels strong & stable...all manageable on Paracetamol, which I will probably discontinue in the near future.

My lovely sister arrived from Florida during my blip & really took great care of me, it really lifted my mood & also gave my husband a break-She left today as unfortunately her flights were booked with Thomas Cook so she had to book a return flight home sooner rather than later, in order to avoid paying silly money for a later flight to replace the one that is no more...her 2 week break turned out to be just over a week sadly. It was lovely to have her stay though & the week flew by.

My daily routine now consists of a cup of tea ( or two )in bed when my husband wakes around 7am followed by a lie in with papers/ phone/Ipad etc for a couple of hours, then get washed & dressed & downstairs for breakfast - spend rest of day pottering around the house doing very gentle housework, meal prep etc as well as reading, having visitors & watching TV - thought I’d be climbing the walls with boredom, but am feeling quite chilled and am able to take it in my stride.Not doing many of the prescribed physio exercises as my leg is still pretty wooden, bruised, swollen & tight....I’m walking around 3000 steps along with approx 15 stair climbs & decents a day (bathroom & bedroom on first floor) which I think will suffice for time being. I use 2 crutches but go down to one when carrying a drink etc and have walked a few stiff steps quite a few times without them when I forget! I start preparing for bed after my 10pm anti coagulant injection.....Am sleeping anywhere between 2 & 5 hours a night( I can’t nap during the day )still finding it very difficult on my back, hopefully when I get permission to side sleep things will improve.

Hospital visit tomorrow for staples removal & first post op physio appointment...can’t wait to take a shower ( which is over the bath )and am hoping physio will show me how this will be possible with my log leg !

Feeling very positive, and can see small improvements daily, I just have to remind myself to be patient & not overdo it .....healing hugs to all xx

 

[KarenKat]

Hello lovely peeps,

Thought I’d provide a little update as now starting day 18 (Saturday) of recovery journey.After discontinuing meds on day 8 ( I still take Paracetamol occasionally ) I have felt so much better - unrelenting nausea & horrible constipation now a thing of the past & appetite almost back to normal .... swelling down considerably in the main, although knee on operated side swollen, tender & bruised, I’m presuming it was given a good yank to dislocate my hip during surgery-I watched youtube videos so was aware how roughly our limbs are handled during procedure !

Leg still very stiff, but no pain as such.....feels like when you haven’t been to the gym for a while, and then decide to do 3 hard core classes back to back & then wake up the next morning like the Tin Man - been there, done it, got the T shirt !

Staples removed last Wednesday, had more butterfly strips & fresh dressing applied as wound bleeding again in places - I’ve been told in the past I’m a ‘bleeder’ & the daily anticoagulant injections can’t help.....I have another appointment at the clinic next Wednesday, where hopefully the would has closed up & I’ll be able to have my first shower......counting the days !

1st physio (PT) also last Wed....I’m a NHS patient treated at local Spire private hospital, and believe that I have 3 PT sessions here at 2 weekly intervals with view to being discharged at 6 weeks post-op & I will also see my surgeon in December at 3 months post-op. ......Physiotherapist appeared very pleased with my progress, and gave me some new exercises to do - bridges ( not too bad - though do 5 at a time rather than 10-15 prescribed ) sit to stand with arms out in front( hard but getting easier & again I only do what feels comfortable at this stage) Faber stretch ( sole of foot rests on inside of unoperated leg & flop knee out towards bed for 20 secs at a time...this I find impossible-can’t even slide foot up to knee let alone contemplate any flopping out - I suspect when my knee becomes less swollen, sore & stiff this move may be a little less off radar, so will try again at a later date. Physio told be to go down to one elbow crutch ( on opposite side ) and try without, when able to counter surf in small areas.....This works well, I now only use both crutches when out or when getting up in night to use bathroom.I feel very positive & can see little improvements everyday .....since week 2, for example I have been able to swing my leg up onto the bed without yanking on the top of my knee high TED sock - a small victory, but all heading in the right direction.I’m also able to cook evening meals, do laundry, wash & blow dry my hair etc fairly easily ......and am now contemplated making a start on the ironing pile.

This is a very boring post I know, but hopefully will be reassuring to those anxiously awaiting their op - I believe most folk who are having pretty uneventful recoveries like myself, don’t post either because they don’t want to bore the pants off people, or purely because they are getting back to living their lives again - those who post often seek reassurance & comfort in their dark days when their recovery is not going well & sometimes we focus on the small percentage of people who are having a really rough time - Some of your posts bring tears to my eyes when reading your threads.... I truly hope that good health & happiness is just around the corner for each & everyone of you xx

Thanks again everyone for all your advice & reassurance & taking the time to post your journeys .....this site really has been invaluable to me - every little blip in my recovery has not fazed me as have learned that these things are all pretty normal ...... A big thank you, your generosity is much appreciated xx

 

[Mojo333]

Hi All sounds normal and good.
Slow and steady progress makes for an uneventful recovery...so keep that patience muscle flexed.

Leg still very stiff, but no pain as such.....feels like when you haven’t been to the gym for a while, and then decide to do 3 hard core classes back to back & then wake up the next morning like the Tin Man - been there, done it, got the T shirt !

I remember it well.
I said it felt like I had run a marathon or I was strung up while someone used my quads for punching bags.

Physiotherapist appeared very pleased with my progress, and gave me some new exercises to do - bridges ( not too bad - though do 5 at a time rather than 10-15 prescribed ) sit to stand with arms out in front( hard but getting easier & again I only do what feels comfortable at this stage) Faber stretch ( sole of foot rests on inside of unoperated leg & flop knee out towards bed for 20 secs at a time...this I find impossible-can’t even slide foot up to knee let alone contemplate any flopping out - I suspect when my knee becomes less swollen, sore & stiff this move may be a little less off radar, so will try again at a later date.

These exercises, especially Bridges are not necessary and in my opinion unhelpful for allowing that traumatized leg heal.

Good for you on the counter cruising...

 

[Layla]

You're doing well @KarenKat
I agree with Mojo on the exercises, especially Bridges. Bridges are a core stability exercise and they put a great deal of pressure on the hip joint and soft tissue and muscle in an area that has been recently traumatized through the major surgery of a THR. Don't want to see you hurt yourself stalling your recovering. Please proceed with caution and keep this useful tip in mind from the Recovery Guidelines -
Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

Wishing you all the best and a great weekend!

 

[midouri]

Hey Karenkat,
Thanks for taking the time to write out your progress for others... I probably should’ve done Day1,2,3 etc it would’ve have been helpful to others.
You seem to be flying it... wow 3000 steps a day. I’m pretty much at the same level I was the last time - maybe my username name should be ‘the lazy one’ . I’m literally upstairs and haven’t gone down in 12 days... I just sit out a bit during the day and walk to loo... that’s it. I haven’t been feeling that strong but with icing my leg has started to get its strength back so I might go downstairs at 2 weeks on Thursday x.

 

[KarenKat]

Hi @midouri, thanks for your message....I wouldn’t say I was flying it, more plodding along & taking each day as it comes! I think you’re being really hard on yourself, you’re not lazy at all......as long as you walk around every hour for around 5 mins to keep blood moving in the first couple of weeks that should be enough - I don’t think it matters where you make your ‘nest’ as long as you move regularly . I have to sleep on my back for 6 weeks, which I find really uncomfortable, so can’t wait to get out of bed & go downstairs in the morning to walk off the stiffness a bit - like you, I also have a sore swollen knee ( if you’ve watched Youtube video of op, the knee can be wrenched badly to dislocate hip ) but at 3 weeks now, the bruising & swelling is going down a bit and I’m feeling much stronger......you’re still very early post op - be kind to yourself, you’ll get there! x

 

[midouri]

Thanks a million x. Yes my knee is the same x.

 

[Mojo333]

Such great assurance and advice you have given...even while you are still in the "fun part" of recovery.
Lots of healing mojo coming your way @KarenKat