THR Kevins LTHR recovery

[craftdee]

Hi @badhipinak Firstly there is no "normal" in just about any part of this THR recovery game Secondly, I can understand your desire to get off "heavy" meds, not many of us like taking them; I had Posterior Approach which does involve more tissue damage, but still didn't need the super strong meds for that long... I attribute that to luck more than anything I did to make it happen.

I had to go off Oxycodone, I hated the side effects... I found that by two weeks Paracetemol (Tylenol) was enough in the day, I took Tramadol before bed for another week or so, mainly to help me sleep as I had stringent restrictions (sleeping on my back, no elevating = misery!) That being said, the REGULAR administration of even Paracetemol was what made the difference... if I took one in the morning then thought I was doing okay and would leave the next scheduled dose I would pay later... it takes so long to get back on top of pain, you're much better holding it at bay. I did find that I overdid it a few times, but to be honest it was on the cards... it happened on the days I didn't take the painkillers regularly just as much as on the days I did.

The answer is to be patient, oh yeah, THAT again. "Grant me patience... and grant me it RIGHT NOW!!" and pace yourself re your exercises and activity. I was very active in my recovery, thought myself quite clever (still pretty pleased with myself as I did not spend one hour in bed other than at night) BUT I am paying a bit now as I have tendinosis (of the psoas which was an issue from day 1 anyway and hamstrings most likely from overusing early) and it's really hard to shift. Resting is one of the "therapies" and as I'm three months out, it ain't gonna happen - should have taken the opportunity to rest it when I had scheduled time for recovery, uh huh NOT so clever now!

So, in short... reduce the meds IN THE DAY, first hint of pain in its many forms (swelling, tightness, aching etc) DOSE UP!! Try again another day. Don't do anything too exotic in the exercise department... walking is the very best therapy for hips, and don't OVERDO anything, even that. I know it's hard to not "do" when you feel you can "do"... but "not doing" is your job at the moment just as much as "doing" would be if that worked. Having said that, I hate being bored... and I'm so BAD at it, I empathize completely:cool:

 

[badhipinak]

Well, From those that have been through this I have heard a resounding call to take more time, and let the pain meds do their job!

That is exactly what I will do. Today I took my hydrocodone every 4-5 hours. I went out to dinner this evening, and feel much better than last night, so that is a lesson learned.

This forum is a great resource. Doing this alone would be like re-inventing the wheel every day!
Thanks!!!

 

[Getnfit]

@badhipinak Congrats and keep up the good work. It can be hard to balance how much work, rest and meds are needed to progress safely. Listen to your body and keep up your positive attitude! Quick question, did your OS approve of your flight home so soon? Although I'm very healthy and only 47 - I wasn't aloud to fly for 8 weeks due to risk of blood clots. Just wondering if you and your OS had discussed. Take care!


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum

 

[badhipinak]

Yes, my OS was on board with my flying after my first checkup which is tomorrow.

Yippee!!!

Today I walked all the way around my hotel complex. Probably 1/4 mile or so. Maybe a little more.
I'm a tad sore after that but am happy its working out and that I get to go home!

I don't have pain in my hip, probable because its a new hip I guess..
Where I have pain is in the muscles of my thigh, especially the front.
It feels like someone beat me with a stick, like in a movie.

 

[badhipinak]

I'M GOING HOME!!!

I went to the Dr for my first post op checkup today. I was told I am released to fly, and released to anything I want except a yoga bridge.

Its been 10 days post op and today I can say I really feel good. I walked in between the doctors office and the pharmacy. I walked from the parking lot into a store and back. Walked to the hotel Laundry, did allot of walking and feel great!!!

My doctor said its up to me now. I can push my body with no fear of hematoma, just be careful and not push too hard because it might take me a day or two to recover.

I still feel like Jackie Chan beat the front of my leg with bamboo or num chucks like they do in the Karate movies, but other than that I feel GREAT!

 

[NuMe2014]

Great news! Sounds like recovery is going well for you and you will feel even better once you are home and in your own environment, just be careful in the ice and all that snow! Wishing you a safe journey home.

 

[badhipinak]

Thanks very much

I hope the best for your recovery as well, and be careful feeding those deer!

 

[Getnfit]

Glad you made it home @badhipinak How are you doing? make sure to be active daily but also allow yourself plenty of rest!

 

[badhipinak]

Thanks very much @Getnfit

Well, today is 2 weeks plus 2 days post op. I am back home in Alaska and my hip is Fantastic!!!

I noticed that the swelling all seemed to go away over a one or two day period, leaving a nasty bruise looking thing on me left knee. I have no clue why this happened but my knee is not tender like a normal bruise so I'm chalking it up to another thing we go through.

I am able to go to the grocery store by myself, and function around my home independently. I am not using any assistance and am not walking with a noticeable limp. I even parked at the back of the lot at the grocery store yesterday for exercise. Pain meds are down to once a day at bed, and sometimes one in the early evening if I'm really sore.

I noticed something today and am thrilled to share it.

Today, for the first time in probably a year or more I crossed my left leg over my right leg and put on a sock with no pain and no stretching. I was too happy to do that. The cool thing was that I didn't even notice doing it. It was natural.

So, I am getting better every day!

I hope the rest of my Hippie brethren are healing nicely as well, and that everybody is slowly getting back to a "normal" life!

 

[copsham]

You are doing so well... very impressive. I am not as speedy as you in my recovery but reading yours gives me hope.. I was watching a nature documentary this evening from Alaska so thought of all you Bonesmarties from Alaska!

 

[badhipinak]

Here it goes, three weeks post OP.

Life has resumed to a somewhat "normal" state.
I can walk without a limp. I can tie my shoes. I can walk around the store, and park at the back of the parking lot.

My incision is healed, and feels a little rough or lumpy. That area of my hip is still a bit tender to the touch. For example wearing jeans is still something I do to go to the store, then its back in sweats.

Pain wise I am good to go in the mornings with pain building some as I use my hip throughout my daily activity. I still take a pill at bedtime but will be stopping that this week.

Its better to list what I cannot do.

I cannot yet sit in my office chair for more than 20 minutes at a time.
I cannot move quickly on my feet. For example a shopping cart got blown by the wind a day or so ago and it was comical having me try to move quickly to catch it.
I am still very unstable and a bit scared of icy places. I do not have my old "ice balance" back yet.

I'm going to try the tread mill out this evening and see how that goes.

I'm going a bit stir crazy but that is mostly because its below zero outside and since its Icy I limit my time walking outside.

I don't long for work, but I long for the ability to go back to work.

That's it in a nutshell. All in all its been a easy recovery for me. I think I am one of the lucky ones.

I'll probably provide another update in a week or so, thanks everybody for all the support and well wishes.

All my best to everyone else that has been through this, that your recoveries are smooth, and happy, and that your new hips help restore your lives to normalcy.

 

[badhipinak]

well, I am TOO happy today!!!

Today I am four weeks post op minus one day.

Today I sat indian style for the first time in several years! (fully bad leg down indian style)
Today I crossed my bad leg underneath my good leg and was able to sit on it for the first time that I can remember!

Today I walked a mile on the tread mill, yes a FULL mile at 2.3 mph and 1.5 grade, and that was AFTER walking around Home Depot plus Fred Meyers, Plus a large grocery store!

Yippeeeee!!!!!

I'm back and can't wait for summer!!!

 

[NuMe2014]

Wow! I am happy to hear your recovery is progressing really well. This is where the anterior approach has its advantages! I'm jealous!


RTHR - Sept. 8 2014
LTHR - Jan. 19 2015

 

[copsham]

Hi @badhipinak
Your op was three days after mine and you are well ahead of me, partly I guess due to me having the posterior approach. I am going forward BUT no where near a mile yet!! I am more like you were are three weeks.

I felt for you having to stay in a hotel in the early stages of your recovery but you have managed it brilliantly and got home as planned.

I am so pleased from you - it is a relief to hear the development of others! Do keep posting to remind us that things can go well.

Karen

 

[badhipinak]

Thanks very much! I didn't know if I am ahead or behind the norm.

What I do know is today is four weeks exactly after surgery. After I did the mile on the tread mill last night I was thinking that I might wake up with pain or swelling this morning, but I was incorrect; everything is still normal.

What I do know is that although I might appear to others to be "normal" I do not feel normal yet. For example walking over or around things like my dogs is precarious. Snow and slick surfaces scare the heck out of me. I can stand on my good leg to for example take off a sock, but standing on my operated leg to do the same thing is just not happening yet. It seems I have no muscle tone in the operated leg.

Everyone knows I spent 10 days in a hotel post op. A couple of days after I got home my wife went to Hawaii on her annual migration with her mom. They have been doing this for several decades and I am so happy for her that she has a mom at this stage in life to go on vacation with. It was my idea that they go at that time to give me some alone time at the house with the dogs to recuperate.

Well she comes back in a couple of days and she is determined to help me figure out all the equipment in her gym to help strengthen my leg and get me back to 100%. I think this will be a big help as summer is coming quickly and its a 1/4+ mile walk from where I park my truck to my boat slip; and I need to be able to do that several times each way pushing a heavy cart.

That was the whole intention of this surgery. I have a dream of sailing my boat from Alaska, down the pacific coast, through the panama canal, and exploring the eastern seaboard. I have a friend that took five years to do the same trip and you have to be in good shape to do it, so here we are!

 

[diterese]

what a wonderful adventure to look forward to. I have enjoyed reading your journey as well as many others. Gives me hope for better days ahead.

 

[badhipinak]

OK Hippies This is my week 5 update. This will probably wrap it up for me. The goal of this thread now is for others, so that they can come here, search the recovery threads and try to get an idea of how their recovery might go. I have been fortunate through this. I would caution readers that my results are not the average. Some will take longer, some will take less time to recover.

At 5 weeks post op I am walking on the tread mill every day for a half an hour. 2.5 miles an hour, 5 degree grade is where I am at now, but my strength is increasing daily.

Range of motion post op is far better than pre-op. I can cut my own toe nails, I can put my socks on, I can sit indian style.

Where I still lack is in areas specific to me and my work environment. I am still very unstable walking on slick icy surfaces and through the snow. Getting in and out of a pickup truck onto a ice covered surface is very precarious. If I slip with my operated leg just a few inches on the ice it hurts BAD. If it were summer I'd be back to work. Since its winter and in order to do my job I have to be able to navigate icy surfaces, and get in and out of trucks, and climb icy stairs I'm still off work.

Neither me nor my employer are anxious for me to return to work and create a safety risk, and for them the liability of an extended workmans comp claim for me betting aback to work a few weeks too soon and potentially hurting myself. So, I'm planning on exercising, and strengthening, and returning to work sometime around April 1, 10 weeks post op. As I indicated, if i had a normal job sitting at a desk in an office building I'd be at work today. My job is not normal though. I work in a large oil field in the arctic. I am in and out of pickup trucks all day long, and have to walk over icy and snow covered surfaces, then climb 2-3 stories of potentially ice covered stairs.

I want to offer a heartfelt thanks to everyone here. I used this forum to help decide my surgery path, the approach taken, and planned recovery time. Reading what others were going through did allot to help put me at ease as those things happened to me.

For me, the surgery was a complete success. At 52 I was in pain and loosing range of motion quickly. I was loosing my ability to walk up and down the dock to my boat, which is a huge part of my retirement dreams of cruising the Americas by sea. The hip replacement fixed all that.

Best to all, fair winds, and calm seas