THR Last joint- That's my plan and I am sticking to it

Hi Leejaa, I am catching up with your recovery and you are doing very well, congratulations! I would do a happy dance but you might try to join in and who knows where you'd end up and I can't have that on my head.. :heehee:

Seriously though, glad to check in and see you doing so well. I hope you have a good weekend!
 
3.5 weeks Update. Doing quite well. Able to walk around the house without cane most of the time. I do have to concentrate on making sure I walk properly and do not waddle as I did pre op. Working on this, plus my husband is watching me like a hawk and reminding me when I do not do this. I have been doing laundry and the other day felt so good I made breakfast and dinner (soup) and it felt great to be somewhat normal.

I am not having any great pain, I do get tightness around the joint and aching. I am still taking Tylenol Arthritis but am cutting down to 650mg 3x/day from 1300mg 3x/day. It seems to be working. Hoping soon I can go to maybe 2x/day but will see how I feel. No sense feeling achey and not able to do things this early in the recovery. Getting tired of the restrictions but being careful and following them. My one huge fear is dislocation so will behave. I have almost no bruising from the surgery and have not had any except for two small spots and very little swelling which is now gone. I do have the itchiness on the incision as it still has scabs.

Wed is my 4wk check with the PA at the OS office. This will be my big outing and if I feel perky enough we will go out to lunch. I have been antsy to go somewhere but living in the country it limits choices and the weather has not been conducive to just going for a ride. This is probably good since it kept me from overdoing.

I have two more home PT visits so she will come next Thur and then the following week. She said she could get more visits approved if necessary but feels I am doing well so probably not. This is fine with me as much as I really like her and we even used to work at the same hospital years ago but in different departments, I want to feel more normal and not have home visits and I can do the exercises on my own. I actually did stairs the normal way the other day - these stairs are in our garage to get in the house and I had them put in years ago with a very small 6" rise as my knees were bad at that point. These are the stairs I did - holding on to both handrails just in case but I did them. It was a real high. Cannot do this with our inside stairs yet as they are taller about 7.25 or 7.5 rise. I am hoping this will come by 3m if not sooner. We had our house redone and the stairs are new and I wanted to have only 6" risers put in for our old age but was told it was against code (silly rules at times). I do some of the exercises she has shown me most days but not every day. If I am up and around a lot, I skip them. If achey, I still ice and elevate and it helps a lot.

My sleep has improved greatly which is a blessing and a great help in feeling better.

As in my previous surgeries/recoveries, bonesmart has been a wonderful site full of information and support and diminishing the feeling of being alone on this journey. Thank you all.
 
@leejaa What a great 3.5 week report! You sound like you are healing well, being mindful, and so happy to be getting better sleep.
I am so happy for you!
I hope your 4 week check up goes well.
 
All is sounding very good and now you are ready for a 4 week post op visit with your OS!
I can only imagine how glad you are to have it done and over with. I will send you some good healing energy so you are feeling good enough to enjoy a meal out at a nice place, too.
I think you've earned that!
Keep on with the good recovery!
 
Great report and I'm sure you'll get more of the same at your check up on Wednesday. You're doing great, just keep taking it slow and easy.
 
Nice progress! It does feel good to get back to cooking and laundry initially, even if it's not our fave. It's frustrating to be unable to do the things we need to do.

I wish you all the best at your Four week post op with the PA tomorrow. I'm sure he / she will be happy with your progress and offer reassurance all is well and you're on track, or even ahead of the game. It's great you're sleeping better these days as it goes a long way with how we feel during the day.

I hope you make it out for a peaceful relaxing celebratory lunch after your appointment tomorrow. It is encouraging to feel a part of the world again.
Have a wonderful Tuesday!
@leejaa
 
Woo, hoo, @leejaa, you are doing fabulously! I am sure Wednesday's appointment will just reinforce your knowledge that you're progressing well, on target and doing superbly. I am guessing that a celebration lunch WILL be in order. You are doing it the right way, slow but steady recovery and I'm sure 2020 will be a grand and exciting year for you.
 
4wks: What a great day. For one thing it was sunny and beautiful even if it was really cold for my big trip to see the PA at the OS office. X-rays look good. I am using only a cane out in public and nothing at home. I can drive if I want- I cannot yet per me since I cannot move my leg over that fast or sit appropriately with the precautions being still in place and that is OK. I can wait and get more mobile and stronger before driving. I can lift 20# now - per directions there was a 10# limit for the first month and it increases by 10# for each month after that. My incision looks good though it still has some scabbing so no lotion. I have to wait for all scabbing to be done to lotion. I will see the OS in 4m for more x-rays and another check.

It was fairly easy getting in the car and out but did use the plastic bag as I was wearing corduroys and have cloth seats and they just do not slide. We stopped for a lovely lunch and luckily I brought my 4" cushion because the restaurants seats were too low otherwise and I would have broken precautions if I tried to sit and eat (would involve leaning forward). The cushion made it all wonderful and safe.

The other exciting thing is that I can do steps normally as long as I have a banister. I can do anywhere between 5-12 depending on time of day and how I am feeling but normality is returning. I just remembered that even before the awful pain I could not do stairs normally for a long time - must have been the beginnings but I did not notice right away but just thought I was out of shape.

I was quite pooped but not hurting by the time I got home. I still have tightness and achiness especially after sitting or being in bed but walks off after a bit. Also some groin pain on and off but not too severe. PT is coming tomorrow and then once next week and I should be done and on my own which is fine - more normality.

Now to remember to continue slowly but surely so that I do not take too many steps back. So thankful for the technology we have available to us. I hope everyone has a peaceful night.
 
@leejaa It sounds like you had a wonderful day and managed your 4 week appointment well. I am so happy for you.
:bow:Thank you for the details about this stage of your recovery. It is very informative, enlightening and encouraging.
 
Definitely sounds like a great day! You're doing so well and taking everything in stride. I bet you were pooped when you got home, we'll earned after a busy but happy day!.
:santa-dance: :banana-santa:
 
Yay! Great four week check-up, @leejaa! And a lovely lunch to follow (smart to bring a nice, fat cushion with you) must have made it a very satisfying day. I think the tightness/achiness in your hip and groin area (for me, it was the back of my butt and upper thigh) will last for awhile but you are right, getting up and moving around usually tames the discomfort. Sounds like you are following a sensible "slow and sensible" approach to recovery which should mean that you will experience few setbacks along the way. Good for you, smart lady!
 
Hello @leejaa :wave:
Sunny days sure do help this time of year! Glad you're experiencing some :SUNsmile:
It sounds like you had a positive post op visit which I'm sure made your lunch out afterward all the more relaxing and enjoyable. You've noted such positive progress above while on your healing journey. You're doing so well and to think it's only going to get better. :yes!:
Have a great afternoon and evening!
 
Happy One Month Anniversary!
I hope you have a lovely day on this special Friday.
Thanks for all your contributions here. You're appreciated! :wink:
@leejaa
 
Thank you for remembering. It is a wonderful thing to be at 1m.

My celebration will be going to get some groceries - do not need much since I stocked up before surgery and my husband has picked up a few things in the past month but it is a treat. Between the weather and making sure I did not overdo I was limiting my outings. Just going to Aldi's which is pretty small or just the right size for me. I do not like large stores at any time.

I had my PT visit yesterday and I can use my recumbent exercise bike - we found a position where I do not break my precautions and I can use it without any tension at this time just to get more motion on the joint and wake up the muscles some more. She also showed my a great stretch for my groin,calf, Achilles tendon and also helps any back issues. She was very kind and even showed my husband on him since he has plantar fasciitis and it helps with that and has back issues. She could have discharged me yesterday but we agreed to one more visit in a week just to run over any questions I have or concerns. We also agreed that I do not need OP PT as I am doing things on my own and progressing well.

I hope everyone has a lovely day full of peace and joy.
 
Grocery shopping was awesome. I even put everything away. It was fairly easy between using the cart and the cane when stepping away from it. I can walk without the cane but as my PT said use the cane when stepping away from the cart in case others get in your way or may cause you to lose your balance in any way especially as I still have precautions about twisting. I am a great believer in the cane for self protection. I even stopped in at a farm store that sells fresh apples and got to pick them out all by myself.

I do not feel especially tired after all that and I think that is a lot due to waiting to be at 1m post surgery instead of pushing this early in the game. As I told my husband, early on I would get tired showering and getting dressed. Maybe I have learned some patience from my previous joint recoveries - some but not a lot. I think the one thing that drives me is not to end up with any backward steps and slow this down. I really want to enjoy spring fully and it is just around the corner ( I do realize that official winter is not here yet but we have had cold and snow for a while so for me it is winter).

Feeling good so am going to try to cut down on my Arthritis Tylenol, my liver needs a rest. I am forgetting the afternoon Tylenol so that is the first one that will be going. I will decide about the evening/night one later depending on how I feel. I still like to take one in the morning.
 
:ok: Slowly but Surely.
Hip hip hooray!:yahoo:

Continued well wishes for speedy healing @leejaa
 
Happy 1 month anniversary, your recovery is so amazing. @leejaa

Returning to a normal life and picking your own apples. Thrilled for you. I have a feeling you have learned a lot from previous surgeries that have played a part in your recovery. Giving your body the correct doses of rest and movement. Hope you enjoy a lovely holiday. Sending continued healing wishes your way as you ease back in to all you want to do.
 
Hi leejaa you have posted some very good and positive updates.. sounds like you've got this healing business under control. congrats!
I liked your comment about getting your liver a break, the first image that popped into my head was your liver doing this: :banana-santa:
I remember feeling that way, too. That I was giving my system some breaks as things were weaned off.
You are set to have a wonderful remainder of the holiday month and that makes me so happy for you.
 
Ha, ha, @leejaa --when recovery is measured by a successful grocery outing, including putting those groceries away, then you know you're doing well. Hard to believe it's one month already, I'm betting, but your slow and steady approach is clearly a good one and with hips and knees all done, you really will have a wonderful spring next year. Good luck on cutting back a little on the Tylenol--you can always reintroduce it if the reduction doesn't go as planned. But, trying it and pushing the envelope a bit seems pretty sensible to me. You are doing a fabulous job with this recovery--keep it up, and happy Saturday!
 

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