THR Knitquilt’s little bumpy recovery<

[Layla]

Hi @Knitquilt
Baby steps, really feels like it sometimes, doesn't it? But those baby steps lead to big steps.
So happy for you! I loved reading "I started yelling to my husband to come quick and see".
Reading those type of statements always make me emotional. I can be a wimp, ha!
It's the new found appreciation for something we all took for granted that gets me.
It's an innocent childlike excitement. To many more of those moments.....

 

[Knitquilt]

"I started yelling to my husband to come quick and see".

@Layla I was afraid if I stopped midway, I wouldn't be able to continue on!

On a very slightly negative note, I'm afraid I overdid things a bit. I went out to lunch on Wednesday, out for coffee with a friend on Thursday, and today I needed to go get my monthly allergy shot. I wasn't the driver and all outings were between 2-3 hours, but I feel achey and really tired today.

I'm icing and elevating the rest of today, along with a short walk I just took, and I will take it easy this weekend. I wanted to go to a Quilt Guild meeting on Monday (45 min. drive each way) and mostly sitting for 3 hours and was hoping to get together with friends on Tuesday for a few hours.

I'm thinking I should probably skip the Quilt meeting (insert whine here - I really was looking forward to going!) and just get together with friends on Tuesday because it's a short drive and I can adjust my sitting, etc.

Is sitting really so hard on our new hip???

 

[Layla]

Hi @Knitquilt
Sorry for your setback. Sadly, it sounds like your overdid it. I think most all of us test the waters and do that early on. You're doing all the right stuff to get back to where you were. I don't know the answer to the question about "sitting" being bad for our hip. I'm sure the surface you are sitting on and length of time sitting may have something to do with how tolerable it is for any one of us. The car posed a problem for me early on. After about a half hour I'd shift restlessly and want to scream. I'm sure you'll recover over the weekend.
Wishing you lots of peaceful, restorative relaxation......that means chill!

 

[Mojo333]

I couldn't be comfortable on any surface in any position for any length of time. Just being honest.
And it never really hurt until I stopped so I had to edit myself.
Only one month so good for you for finding your edit button. There will be better days and you will be back to your life soon. Don't want to trigger chronic problems while still healing. Behave!

 

[Mojo333]

in a loving way....

 

[Knitquilt]

I took it in "a loving way" @Mojo333
i was just surprised because I seemed fine when I was out, then crashed (mildly) after I got home. Well, now I know ...

 

[Mojo333]

That's how I did it. Really a roundabout journey.

 

[Layla]

Hi @Knitquilt
How are you doing? I noticed you're coming up on a month already.
Isn't it surprising how quickly recovery moves? I remember you overdid it
last week but am assuming you've recovered....at least I hope so.
Wishing you a wonderful rest of the week!

 

[Mojo333]

@Knitquilt Hoping you've been taking a bit of a break.
Patience is really a hard thing.
Hope all is well...we are rooting for you.

 

[Knitquilt]

Hi - thanks for checking in @Layla and @Mojo333!

Not much new here. I seem to be on a plateau. I think after seeing progress day to day, the lack of any new milestones makes it seem like I'm stuck. I am walking with one trekking pole on the road which seems much cooler than carrying a cane I like the trekking pole because it gives me more security with wet leaves, acorns, etc. which are on the road. However I'm not walking any further - seem to walk 10 -15 minutes before I'm done in.

And fatigue remains my biggest problem - I want more energy!!

I'm 4 weeks 2 days since surgery - when did your energy return???

 

[GrannyC]

I️ think you are still early days. It Takes 6 to 12months for all to heal inside so after one month, there is still a LOT of healing left to do. No wonder you feel tired! Hang in there because it will continue to get better.

 

[Layla]

Hi @Knitquilt
It sounds like your progressing nicely. Fatigue at this point is normal. You're body is working hard at healing.

I don't recall when I stopped feeling less energetic than normal. Thankfully I slept soundly 7-8 hrs nightly
from the time I got home. I always woke up for a bathroom break midway through the night and still do. That's just my norm. I've never been a napper and surgery didn't turn me into one either. I just had less energy in general for awhile without sleeping anymore than I did pre-surgery.
It will all gradually get better. Just roll with it and don't let it stress you.
Wishing you a weekend like this... Hahaha I WOULD NEED A NAP!

 

[Knitquilt]

I had my first visit after surgery with the PA yesterday. It went really well! Without me knowing it, she observed me walking in and said my gait was fine - no limping. My exrays looked good and when she asked me to move my leg, she said I was moving like someone who was 12 weeks out from surgery (not 5 1/2).

When I told her I wasn’t going to PT, she agreed with me and told me to just keep doing what I’ve been doing because it’s obviously working, I have to give all the credit to BoneSmart because if I hadn’t been reading this forum, I know I would have gone to PT and probably not been as far along in my recovery as I am now.

She lifted all restrictions, but I realized last night that just because there are no restrictions that doesn’t mean that some movements won’t still feel very uncomfortable.

When I asked about my lack of energy and my inability to walk more than 20 minutes on the treadmill, she said she wasn’t surprised because my old hip was really a mess. They had to remove many bone spurs and some muscles around my hip had atrophied. This does concern me - is this muscle atrophy common in problem hips???

But all-in-all a wonderful report! She asked me if I’d wear a t-shirt with “Hip by Dr. Irving” printed on the front of it as an advertisement

 

[Mojo333]

Yay. You go girl!

 

[Gretel]

That’s great Well done! My surgeon told me since I’d been walking so badly for so long pre op it was going to take a while for my walking to improve cause all the muscles have to adjust.

 

[Knitquilt]

@Gretel noone knows why I didn’t have a limp before surgery, but I think that’s why I delayed surgery for way longer that I should have.
I know having a bilateral has been a rough road for you, but right now I wish I had both done because I know in a year or two, the left hip will be ready and i’m Not sure I want to go through it all again.
However, I remember saying to my husband in the hospital that I was so-o-o glad I had only one done!

 

[Gretel]

I know it’s a tough call @Knitquilt. What helped me decide was we couldn’t decide which hip was worse and the surgeon said it would only be 6 to 12 weeks between ops. I couldn’t imagine doing that. And a friend had had bilateral done by this surgeon 6 years ago and never looked back. Quite possibly if the gap was a year or two I’d have just done one. My physio strongly recommended not getting bilateral.

 

[Mojo333]

It's a tough decision, we all do what we feel we must.
I didn't particularly feel like replacing my body parts, period.
But great job, @Knitquilt . You are a poster child for bonesmart recovery...and you know how I feel about you, Gretel, my bbb (best bilateral buddy)
No do overs, we are done now
We are all conquerors so be proud!
Healing wishes for both of you.

 

[GrannyC]

Congratulations on a great report @Knitquilt ! It sounds like you are doing fantastic!!

 

[Knitquilt]

Thanks, @GrannyC and @Mojo333 - this will definitely make the Thanksgiving conversation smoother as my in laws were advocating for PT! I’ll be able to relax and enjoy that turkey and stuffing!