THR Kay9s Recovery

[Kay9]

@zauberflöte yes I definitely feel more stable on the walker, but I think they are thinking of sending me home tomorrow possibly, so I would need to use the sticks, the walker belongs to the hospital. Im not looking forward to getting out of my sisters car on my driveway with 2 sticks, the driveway is very uneven and has pot holes. I kind of wish I could be given one more night here, so I can feel more confident in myself. I pretty much am sure they are going to send me home though.
Yes the sticks are high maintenance arnt they Mine are always falling over or suddenly sliding down the wall.

@Sullivand thankyou, that is sweet of you. its hard to listen to my body because Im excited about walking on my new hip And feel like showing off to visitors. I will slow it down a bit now though.

@bluebell, yep, I think I do have this. Never would've believed that yesterday!

One thing I have noticed now Im walking, my operated leg is longer than un operated one. By quite a bit. Will this equal out or is that forever? Or at least until I have the other one done?

 

[Sullivand]

@Kay9
I was worried about that too but really I was just limping because I favored my operated leg. Mine are even and the limping is gone now that I'm used to walking on both legs for a change!
But everyone is different so you could ask about it while you're still in the hospital. Good luck getting home~ scoot the seat as far back as it can go so you don't have to bend far! Take care!


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[Legin]

Re leg your operated leg had gotten a tad shorter before opp with wear and destruction. Also if your leg is swollen your foot may be too, my leg is longer due to swollen foot and I use heel raise on other leg to improve my gait and pressure on unopperated hip. When you first get home just slow and easy its not the end of the world if it takes you a while to get somewhere.

Legin THR Sep 14

 

[Kay9]

Thankyou @Sullivand and @Legin . It just feels very " odd" and long. Im going home this evening. Im having some more physio before because Im not confident on the sticks, and then if that goes ok I will be home!
Im a little scared about being home to be honest, with just my Mum looking after myself and my Daughter, but Im sure we will muddle through. Be nice to get some sleep if possible

How quickly things can turn around....after feeling so unwell, here I am preparing to go home! The body is an amazing thing!​

 

[Legin]

It is at that. As you have found out the amazing repairing body tired quickly so have all those cat naps good luck

Legin THR Sep 14

 

[agileHippie]

@Kay9 I'm so happy to see you looking forward to going home! Glad that your med troubles seemed to have been resolved!

One thing that has helped me on returning home is to figure out something of a routine. Nothing set in stone, but I find it I'm devoting less energy to the logistics of things, I'm less tired. It might also help your daughter cope if there's a schedule to the day.

 

[zauberflöte]

@Kay9 hooray going home!! I know it feels good to be home when you get there!
Have your sister help you out of the car. She can anchor herself against the car and provide support or help pull you up. The sticks will be already out of the car, or you can lean on the open door waiting for them Plan your pothole avoidance before you start walking! That's enough challenge to give anybody a conniption fit :lol:
My op leg, which had seemed much longer pre op (probably was from tilting my pelvis to accommodate) still felt longer when I got home. I could tell it wasn't, as I could stand painlessly with feet tucked right together. Before, all I could do was bring legs mostly together, but the good leg then dangled maybe two inches off the floor! I'd read on here about perceived LLD, so I just let it ride, and the feeling faded in a week or two. I think it was just the swelling giving me that feeling.
You are coming along So Well!!! I am so very happy for you


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[Kay9]

Aww thankyou everyone for your well-wishes. Im not going home now. My blood pressure is too low, and something to do with low Haemoglobin levels? They want me in for another night and will review it in the morning.
Im doing well in the walking stakes though . Got a good rhythm going with the 2 sticks, and almost feel I could go with one, but not going to push my luck. Im still limping but I really do think the leg is longer than the un operated one , my Surgeon did say there may be a length difference but that it could be pit right when my 2nd hip is operated on.

Constipation....yep Im going there...or NOT. Tummy looks like Im 9 months pregnant and is very uncomfortable. Had three lots of meds but no movement. Having prune juice with brekkie in morning.

I have no bruising at all, none. My hip and leg are very swollen though, Doesnt look like it belongs to me, Im very slim, and its really quite big! But NO bruising!

@zauberflöte yep I will definitely need pothole avoidance plans Its bad enough walking up my driveway normally, yet alone on 2 sticks and a brand new hip .

 

[Sullivand]

Ha ha @Kay9! I felt like my swelling made a third butt cheek! So funny~ the swelling will go down. Hang in there!

 

[zauberflöte]

@Kay9 I was given iron pills a couple of times during my 24 hr stay, but I don't remember more than one blood draw, and I'm not even sure about that! Those amnesiac drugs'll gitcha every time!
Glad you are walking nicely now! Can your sister not drive you up to your door?
And....prune juice with every meal and a few more for snacks-- yum! Heh heh. Hope things clear out in that department!!!!


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[Liznwiz]

So pleased to hear you are walking and feeling a whole lot better. Another night in hospital won't harm, I sometimes think they like to kick us out as soon as possible. Not sure what things are like in your part of the world, but here in UK bed space is limited, so they get you out as soon as they can.
It's so lovely to hear you sounding a lot more cheerful, and walking with two sticks does take some effort, but you will soon get the hang of it.

 

[Kay9]

@Sullivand Yep I think I have the third butt cheek too!

@zauberflöte the driveway my sister will be driving up is right up to the back way into my house, then theres a little walkway that I will have to walk, but Im sure I can go carefully. The alternative is to go in the front way, park on the road and walk up 12 steep stone steps....the pot-hole route is more appealing.

@Liznwiz , my part of the world is your part of the world im in The UK. You are so right that they normally try to kick us out asap, so I guess Im lucky they are being so careful with me.

Im now wearing the dreaded Ted stockings. Why?? Ive never worn them before? The nurse just came, put them on me and said I have to wear them for 6 weeks! Already my knee is swollen up over it! I dont want to wear them, it means either my Daughter Or my Mum Will have to help me put them on and off. Neither of them will be very good at that, bless them. What will happen if I take them off and dont wear them?

 

[zauberflöte]

Hope you can talk to OS about those TEDs, or somebody high up. Some people wear them, some don't. Mine were not very tight-- and I asked and was answered yes at my two week followup if I could take them off, as no-one had said or written how long I was to wear them. I could handle mine myself, they were that loose, and I didn't have the 90° restriction.
You are a special case, as you don't have adequate help with yours! Let them know.


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[agileHippie]

@Kay9 if you do get the directive to wear the TEDs, try slipping a small plastic baggie over your foot before pulling them on. Bunch up the socks before you slip them over the bagged foot. They slip nicely over the plastic on the foot, especially once you get them past the heel.

 

[Kay9]

Hi @zauberflöte and @agileHippie

I just mentioned about the Teds to the Nurse, and I have to wear them for 6 weeks. I told the nurse that this is going to be a problem, because both my Mum and Daughter would struggle to help put them on and off, and whilst she sympathised, she said its my Surgeons orders ( she said not all the Surgeons here do it) and I have to follow his wishes basically. Ive no idea how we are going to do this, especially with my 90 degree restrictions ( which by the way are for 3 months!) so I will be trying the plastic bag tip, no doubt.
Seems I have an ultra-cautious Surgeon, as he's the only one here that says 3 months restrictions. All the others are either 6 weeks or none, so the Nurse tells me. Isnt it strange how it varies? Even where he does his posterior cut is different, one of the Nurses who checked the wound said straight away " ahh thats Mr Samdhus work" because his cut is slightly more to the side than other posterior cuts done in the hospital, which are done back towards the buttock more.

Well Im going home this morning I think its going to be "interesting" being looked after by my Mum and Daughter. Mum was here yesterday visiting and locked herself in the toilet and had to be rescued Then tried using the call-bell to turn the TV over So I think it will be fun but possibly a bit scary. We will muddle through.

Still no joy in the bowel department, im having prune juice with my brekkie this morning...then my sister is collecting me to go home. Its an hours trip home....whats the betting the prune juice works on the way.
Im fretting a bit about getting in and out of my sisters car, its very low. Another hurdle to overcome but Im sure we will work something out. Maybe a plastic bag on the seat? Would come in handy if the prune juice starts to work too

 

[Michegon]

@Kay9 Hi, I'm glad you are getting ready to go home. I used my nordic sticks after about 8 days and they worked wonderfully. I had Bilateral hips done and needed the walker for the first week. Now, about those teds!!! I took mine off at the 7 day mark as i didn't have anybody to help me. I did extra foot pumps and put athletic socks on. I was not going to wear those things another minute. Good Luck and try to get a walker somehow!

 

[Legin]

Home is both elation but tinged with in trepidation. In hospital there are always nurses about to keep an eye, help and its way more a comfort than we realise till going home. OK look at the great strides literally you have made. Home is like oh can I do those staire, yippie I did, episodes in hospital. Is OT seeing you before you leave if so ask re a sock aid for teds. I am a carer and before operation I had to use my sock aid on me. Teds were hard for me to put on others . used my sock aid one day and it worked. Oh BTW they are on Amazon £5 includes mega shoe horn.

Legin THR Sep 14

 

[Constanze]

Hi @Kay9 Hope everything goes well with your going home. It seems your experience is similar to mine: Low blood pressure, a sharp drop in the haemoglobulin level post op (pre-op, it was very good). Maybe that's why they are more cautious in German hospitals and have longer stays: The protocol is 7 days at hospital followed by 3 weeks in a rehab centre. I was amazed to read that in anglosaxon countries, some people go home after 2 - 3 days. I wanted to do that, too, because I'm not fond of hosptitals and rehab centres, but it's probably better to be careful.
I had a slight swelling, too and I'm also very slim. Made my hip look more feminine - I had the lateral approach - someone on bonesmart was joking it's a Marilynn Monroe-type hip. The swelling will recede steadily over a period of 1 - 1 1/2 weeks.
I don't think you need to wear the stockings for 6 (!) weeks if you receive some medicine to prevent thrombosis. I had Xarelto - first in the form of injections, then pills.
With the sticks - if you have the type that goes under the arms - there's a trick: Put them upside down and up against each other. That'w what we were taught in a class in rehab which was about coping with everyday life/chores at home. Have a nice weekend - Constanze

 

[PDA]

@Kay9 So sorry your pain was not addressed in the early days - but happy that you sound more confident and determined to stand up and walk. Just out of interest: Do you know your blood pressure? Mine was sometimes 90/60, which I think is low enough, and they didn't refuse to manage my pain because of low blood pressure issues. I can't understand why they would do that. I received Diclofenac for my pain twice daily which I think is a pretty potent drug and is the kind of painkiller where you have to exercise caution when driving or operating machines.

You will feel better as soon as you can do a bit of walking. If you are on the move, this will make your blood pressure better. But as they say here on Bonesmart, the pain has to be managed first, otherwise you can't become more mobile.

And if you like coffee - ask for another good cup of coffee e.g. after breakfast - that helps, too.

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[Kay9]

Im home. My sheer joy at being home is being marred by severe stomach cramps. Really awful. I cant settle down because I keep having to go to the loo, but apart from the cramps nothing is happening. Ive had a bulking agent, milk of magnesia, and prune syrup in the last hour. The cramps are getting worse.

On the plus side the Nurse that discharged me said dont worry bout the stockings as long as I move around often.

But this cramp....what to do?