Revision THR Krista's Gluteus Medius Repair 1 Year post THR
- Thread starter Krista
- Start date
OP
OP
Krista
post-grad
Hey, @Tweetybrd, hello! No spasms since yesterday afternoon, so crossing my fingers (but not my legs!)... Not sure how much longer I'll be here, but at least a week. Husband is taking advantage of my absence by taking out all of our dirty area rugs and sending them out to be cleaned. The photos he has sent of the house show the enormous mess in the meantime! He had to take all books out of a number of bookcases, DVDs and CDs out of another, move furniture all around. There is barely a place to sit down. I am very glad that I am not there. I am getting excellent treatment here at the rehab.
Looking forward to my shower in two days, my first since before the surgery one week ago. Have had some sponge baths, but not the same. Also, my brace has not been removed since surgery, so I have this 7 inch-wide very stiff brace, velcroed down securely all around my waist, and metal/cloth extending down the side of my hip protecting the trochanter area going down to the 3-inch wide stiff velcro around my leg. It's itchy under all of that and I can't wait to get it exposed to the air, and cleaned and dried.
I feel very good in some ways, and achy all over and very tired in others. On the whole, I'm still very happy. It will be at least 8 weeks more until we get some idea of whether or not this GM repair has succeeded, and it will require lots of gentle treatment after the brace comes off and when strengthening begins.
Looking forward to my shower in two days, my first since before the surgery one week ago. Have had some sponge baths, but not the same. Also, my brace has not been removed since surgery, so I have this 7 inch-wide very stiff brace, velcroed down securely all around my waist, and metal/cloth extending down the side of my hip protecting the trochanter area going down to the 3-inch wide stiff velcro around my leg. It's itchy under all of that and I can't wait to get it exposed to the air, and cleaned and dried.
I feel very good in some ways, and achy all over and very tired in others. On the whole, I'm still very happy. It will be at least 8 weeks more until we get some idea of whether or not this GM repair has succeeded, and it will require lots of gentle treatment after the brace comes off and when strengthening begins.
Tweetybrd
graduate
@Krista haha Yes, no crossing the legs!
So, glad you are feeling better. And Yay! to no spasms!
I bet you are wishing your husband had not sent you the photos of what he is doing. LOL I am sure he will have it all back in order for your return home. Super sweet of him to get all the rugs cleaned up now.
Wow, that brace sounds like a piece of work! I bet a shower will feel so wonderful to you. Im wishing for the next two days to speed by. hehe
I will be praying for you to heal and that in 8 wks you get good news that the muscle is all repaired and you can continue with your recovery and start building up that muscle strength again.
So, glad you are feeling better. And Yay! to no spasms!
I bet you are wishing your husband had not sent you the photos of what he is doing. LOL I am sure he will have it all back in order for your return home. Super sweet of him to get all the rugs cleaned up now.
Wow, that brace sounds like a piece of work! I bet a shower will feel so wonderful to you. Im wishing for the next two days to speed by. hehe
I will be praying for you to heal and that in 8 wks you get good news that the muscle is all repaired and you can continue with your recovery and start building up that muscle strength again.
OP
OP
Krista
post-grad
I am still in rehab, and still having a couple of thigh spasms a day, usually, when I move my leg just to the left a tiny bit too far. Must be even nicer to that leg that I have been!
Had my first shower (sitting on a shower bench, supervised by my aide) since the surgery today, and washed my hair, and do I feel good! Between the PT person, the aide and me, we got the brace back on correctly and all is well. My husband came and I got to spend an hour in the garden here at the rehab with him. He brought me an Italian beef sandwich and hot dog from our favorite place, so that was delicous! Yesterday I got to spend time with two friends from high school who were in for our 50th year high school reunion. I am so sad that I don't get to go, but glad we had a mini-reunion here at rehab in the garden. I am very thankful for this outdoor time.
My pain is still fairly minimal, unless spasming, but am keeping up with round-the-clock maximum acetaminophen doses, and am on a muscle relaxant. I am LOVING how alert I am this time around, without the narcotics. I have been able to keep a journal of what is happening, plus have watched several series on Amazon Prime, Netflix and HBO, since the wi-fi is quite good.
Below is a photo of me in the garden two days ago when it was drizzly. And another of me worshipping the sun, with clean hair, today!
Had my first shower (sitting on a shower bench, supervised by my aide) since the surgery today, and washed my hair, and do I feel good! Between the PT person, the aide and me, we got the brace back on correctly and all is well. My husband came and I got to spend an hour in the garden here at the rehab with him. He brought me an Italian beef sandwich and hot dog from our favorite place, so that was delicous! Yesterday I got to spend time with two friends from high school who were in for our 50th year high school reunion. I am so sad that I don't get to go, but glad we had a mini-reunion here at rehab in the garden. I am very thankful for this outdoor time.
My pain is still fairly minimal, unless spasming, but am keeping up with round-the-clock maximum acetaminophen doses, and am on a muscle relaxant. I am LOVING how alert I am this time around, without the narcotics. I have been able to keep a journal of what is happening, plus have watched several series on Amazon Prime, Netflix and HBO, since the wi-fi is quite good.
Below is a photo of me in the garden two days ago when it was drizzly. And another of me worshipping the sun, with clean hair, today!
Attachments
![[Bonesmart.org] Krista's Gluteus Medius Repair 1 Year post THR](https://data.bonesmart.org/attachments/45/45648-79242eb0639c23542df36c5a9229c3bc.jpg?hash=eSQusGOcI1)
![[Bonesmart.org] Krista's Gluteus Medius Repair 1 Year post THR](https://data.bonesmart.org/attachments/45/45649-9cfc99e803e12ccc394e14d0807233a4.jpg?hash=nPyZ6APhLM)
gertie
post-grad
What a beautiful garden space! You look quite contented.
jaymo
member
So glad that you were able to shower and also get outside to that lovely garden and fresh air. Little things like that aid recovery. I hope the spasms stay calmed down so you can rest and heal.
Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum
Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum
Miss Muffet
post-grad
Hi @Krista - so sorry about those spasms. Are they muscles waking up I wonder? I had thigh spasms early on which slightly alarmed me, but I put it down to slightly over stretching and it all settled down eventually although I do get them occasionally now, for the same reason. I missed my school reunion a couple of weeks ago. Couldn't face the drive. I felt quite deflated about it but will just have to look ahead to my next one when I dance in and surprise everyone. You must feel so relieved to be able to look ahead finally, and those little treats like showers and hair washing and tasty favourite foods which are all heavens sent aren't they, not to mention being outside in the sunshine once more. Really happy to read of your progress.
dandy_candi
senior
So glad to hear you are going well and I bet you feel so much better after the shower. What a lovely garden to get out in.
Hoping those muscle spasms settle. I did get some post op but I had some magnesium and then they seemed to settle after a while. I also found as I was almost asleep I was getting those Hypnic jerks (where you jolt before you fall asleep) and They would jolt my leg which wasn't nice. They settled a few days post op too, could have been a combination of things.
Glad hubby is able to clean up while you are in rehab. What a good egg
I too missed out on an event due to my revision. It was my brother-in-laws 30th birthday which was a bit of a shame. So glad some friends came and visited you X hope it all continues going so well
Candice - 29 year old from Aus
RTHR 1 June 2016 LTHR 13 July 2016 Revision of LTHR 12 October 2016.
Hoping those muscle spasms settle. I did get some post op but I had some magnesium and then they seemed to settle after a while. I also found as I was almost asleep I was getting those Hypnic jerks (where you jolt before you fall asleep) and They would jolt my leg which wasn't nice. They settled a few days post op too, could have been a combination of things.
Glad hubby is able to clean up while you are in rehab. What a good egg
I too missed out on an event due to my revision. It was my brother-in-laws 30th birthday which was a bit of a shame. So glad some friends came and visited you X hope it all continues going so well
Candice - 29 year old from Aus
RTHR 1 June 2016 LTHR 13 July 2016 Revision of LTHR 12 October 2016.
Cynthia777
big-cheese
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Just checking in on you Krista and praying you're doing well. You look quite nice amongst that lovely garden!
xoxoxo!
xoxoxo!
BusterBeans
senior
Krista, maybe you should stay in the rehab just a little longer to see what else your hubby can get done around the house? Glad you got your shower and feel like a new woman.
Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum
Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum
julesglass
graduate
OP
OP
Krista
post-grad
I'm 15 days post-op gluteus medius repair, and had my two-week follow-up appointment yesterday. Saw the acute care nurse practitioner, who assisted at my surgery. All is well! I am feeling very little pain, with no pain meds at all. I won't know for 6 weeks and beyond if the surgery is a success, until I work on trying to walk unaided, but the lack of pain is a very good sign!
I got the operative report, which had additional info. In addition to the gluteus medius repair of the partially torn tendon performed by the first surgeon, he had to do some repair on my gluteus minimus as well. I also had a trochanteric bursectomy, because of the thickening and bursitis there ; that area had hurt like the dickens all the time since my THR. Nothing happening there now, except healing! And they saw the ischiofemoral impingement that I had felt as "catching" of something in my hip during some of my steps that was preventing full rotation. So the second surgeon did a trochanteroplasty, or smoothing out of the greater trochanter (I think) in order to eliminate that impingement.
I can walk very well with the walker doing the 20 pound weight-bearing. At 6 weeks post-op, I will be cleared to stop using the brace that goes from around my waist, down the side of my hip to around my thigh, which is in 4 weeks. I will be allowed to fully weight-bear at that time, with the walker, and will then go to out-patient PT to learn how to gradually get to fully and equally using my surgical leg. The gluteus muscles that were repaired are in a sad, weakened state from not being used for the last 16 months, and will need to be carefully dealt with so as not to overdo and hurt the tendons again. I'll be able to drive then, too, but I will wait a bit until I have confidence in the surgical leg, as that is also my driving leg.
I am still at the rehab, day 10 here. Getting my three meals per day is wonderful, and the food is pretty good! I still need help showering and then putting the TED hose back on, which I do twice a week. Otherwise, I can pretty well do for myself. It is also very nice having the nurse bring me my meds as needed, as there are a number that are required, although none for pain. I am loving the peace and quiet in my single room, and the view of the trees out of my window. I am allowed to walk around in my room whenever I want and am bathroom independent. To go around the rehab to common areas, I need to have someone go with me, usually pushing in a wheelchair, since the distances are pretty far.
I don't think I'll be here much longer, although I haven't heard anything about discharge yet. I will be ready when that comes. I have my computer and phone, and am keeping up on all the news, my forums, social media and email. I am reading books on my Kindle app, and I have music, so I am never bored. Enjoying this vacation from all that needs to be done in the home.
My daughter visited last Sunday, and walked me all over the place, and then put a bunch of silver and gold temporary tattoos on me! The photo of the two of us below was taken in the PT/OT area. My sister visits almost every day, and is coming to have lunch with me today. Life is good!
Oh, and no more thigh spasms for the last 6 days! I can easily move the leg up and down, although I am not supposed to move from side-to-side.
I got the operative report, which had additional info. In addition to the gluteus medius repair of the partially torn tendon performed by the first surgeon, he had to do some repair on my gluteus minimus as well. I also had a trochanteric bursectomy, because of the thickening and bursitis there ; that area had hurt like the dickens all the time since my THR. Nothing happening there now, except healing! And they saw the ischiofemoral impingement that I had felt as "catching" of something in my hip during some of my steps that was preventing full rotation. So the second surgeon did a trochanteroplasty, or smoothing out of the greater trochanter (I think) in order to eliminate that impingement.
I can walk very well with the walker doing the 20 pound weight-bearing. At 6 weeks post-op, I will be cleared to stop using the brace that goes from around my waist, down the side of my hip to around my thigh, which is in 4 weeks. I will be allowed to fully weight-bear at that time, with the walker, and will then go to out-patient PT to learn how to gradually get to fully and equally using my surgical leg. The gluteus muscles that were repaired are in a sad, weakened state from not being used for the last 16 months, and will need to be carefully dealt with so as not to overdo and hurt the tendons again. I'll be able to drive then, too, but I will wait a bit until I have confidence in the surgical leg, as that is also my driving leg.
I am still at the rehab, day 10 here. Getting my three meals per day is wonderful, and the food is pretty good! I still need help showering and then putting the TED hose back on, which I do twice a week. Otherwise, I can pretty well do for myself. It is also very nice having the nurse bring me my meds as needed, as there are a number that are required, although none for pain. I am loving the peace and quiet in my single room, and the view of the trees out of my window. I am allowed to walk around in my room whenever I want and am bathroom independent. To go around the rehab to common areas, I need to have someone go with me, usually pushing in a wheelchair, since the distances are pretty far.
I don't think I'll be here much longer, although I haven't heard anything about discharge yet. I will be ready when that comes. I have my computer and phone, and am keeping up on all the news, my forums, social media and email. I am reading books on my Kindle app, and I have music, so I am never bored. Enjoying this vacation from all that needs to be done in the home.
My daughter visited last Sunday, and walked me all over the place, and then put a bunch of silver and gold temporary tattoos on me! The photo of the two of us below was taken in the PT/OT area. My sister visits almost every day, and is coming to have lunch with me today. Life is good!
Oh, and no more thigh spasms for the last 6 days! I can easily move the leg up and down, although I am not supposed to move from side-to-side.
Attachments
![[Bonesmart.org] Krista's Gluteus Medius Repair 1 Year post THR](https://data.bonesmart.org/attachments/45/45724-07449a9a3bf8e1021a943dfac2a60901.jpg?hash=B0Samjv44Q)
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Chihuahuan
graduate
julesglass
graduate
AWESOME 
gullimac
graduate
So happy for you and you look so happy and healthy in the pictures. I know you still have some neglected old muscles to re-educate and strengthen, but you sound like you are doing great. Keep up the positive momentum.
