THR Lateral entry, no restrictions!

[Elf1]

Has the choking situation just started since having surgery or has this been an ongoing problem? You may want to check with your primary care physician about this.

Just to clarify on the pillows and wedge, I may not have explained properly. They are used to elevate the upper half of your body, not tilt your head/neck down.

You should probably get this checked out, especially if you snore. I am not a medical professional but as I suffer from sleep apnea and my husband does as well, if you are having these symptoms, talk to your physician. Always better safe than sorry.

 

[CricketHip]

I agree with @Elf1 . My husband and I both have sleep apnea. A cervical pillow that tipped the head back wouldn't help our apnea.. elevating the upper body helps.
@Mutwa, ironically my apnea was discovered when I was in recovery for my first THR.
I kept setting off alarms and finally the recovery nurse told me I needed a sleep study.
Who knew? I sure didn't.

 

[Jamie]

@Mutwa ... it is quite normal to have problems sleeping when you are just out of surgery and even for a couple of months into recovery. Don't expect to be able to sleep through the night. Nap during the day or whenever you are tired. As said earlier, your body is healing and it needs energy to do that. This is one of the reasons we want you to spend plenty of time resting, icing and elevating.

If you are experiencing breathing problems when sleeping, the suggestions to speak with your GP about the possibility of having sleep apnea are right on target. However, I understand that may not be easy to do right now. But if you could at least call your GP and explain what has been going on, that would be a good idea.

You mentioned you had rented a hospital bed for your recovery. Does it have the ability to operate the head and feet separately or do they both move in tandem? You need to be elevating your whole torso and having only minimal elevation for your legs. In fact, it would probably be best to keep the bottom of the bed flat and elevate your legs with pillows or a foam support such as the Lounge Doctor.

If your bed cannot elevate the head and legs separately, I suggest you contact the rental company and ask them for one that does have separate controls. Most of the beds that I've seen don't keep your feet up when elevating your legs, so that part of the controls is not of much use for you in recovery. You are much better off elevating properly with pillows and the bed flat.

 

[Jamie]

Also taking miralax 2/day.

How much and when should be the next dose?

As you found out, the use of a laxative is not recommended because it is a bit too harsh for you. If you are on pain medications, you should be taking the Miralax one or two times a day. You'll need to experiment a bit to find out what works best for your system. Start with one dose in the morning. If you haven't had a bowel movement (and you're eating plenty of fiber) by the next morning, try a dose in the morning and one in the evening. It can take a day or two to start working for you. Then keep taking whatever dose works every day until you no longer take the prescription pain medications. It works better this way rather than waiting until you're constipated and then trying to get things started again.

 

[Mutwa]

Sleep. I checked for sleep apnea prior to surgery. None. Went to an ENT. Said I have a long palate, and he could inject a couple rods into the soft palate to stop the snoring. Not covered by Medicare, costs $800. Decided against.

I’ve been blessed by low pollen, which has helped.

The bed has separate head and foot controls. I put a pillow at the foot because all that elevates is the knee area. The pillow puts the feet level with the knees.

I’m doing better, though up 5 times last night to urinate. But trend of deep sleep per night per my Fitbit is getting better.

If frequent trips to the bathroom continue, I might see PCP or urologist. I do know that I have an enlarged prostate, though it’s clear of cancer by recent MRI.

Constipation. I’d been taking Miralax 2/day and it wasn’t helping. I wonder if I should take stool softener regularly, or once every three days to get a movement?

General. Took an 8 min walk without cane, after PT helped me adjust my gait.

 

[CricketHip]

Loved reading about getting help with your gait! That is so key in our recovery. Without the cane, no less! But the cane is A-Ok if needed. It's still early on to be heroic.

Glad to read, also, about your check up for Apnea... you are just in those early days where sleep is elusive and the pain meds relaxes your throat, etc a bit more.

I had urgent bathroom visits for several weeks post op. hopefully yours are just a symptom of the surgery, too. It's always wise to follow it up with your Dr. if it's worrying you.
I took stool softeners for several weeks and drank a small glass of prune juice every morning. Everything was easier with that routine. My OS didn't recommend Miralax, just gave me an RX for a stool softener. I would heartily recommend that routine.
Or! Stick with Miralax and add the prune juice? Or eat some prunes each morning. I felt like Grandma Moses but was very smug later in the bathroom..

 

[Mutwa]

Now I am seriously worried. I stopped Celebrex 1 week before surgery. Post-surgery, OS okayed “resuming home meds”. So I restarted the Celebrex. Now I read in @Corey W ‘s thread that this is a no no.

Hoo boy, and I’m also taking Aspirin as a blood thinner.

I rechecked my online meds list, and it’s there. My wife says the PA said he had checked the meds on discharge day. OA is very well read, frequently cited literature, Harvard residency, so I would think he would be up on the issue.

My plan was to take Celebrex for the left hip, which is also arthritic.

Maybe the study quoted had problems? I can’t be the first patient of this OS who was on Celebrex for bilateral osteoarthritis.

So I’m stopping. Have an appointment with OS tomorrow.

 

[Elf1]

Glad you have an appointment with your OS tomorrow and can bring up the subject of Celebrex. I personally don't take it but I'm not allowed to take NSAIDs. Always consult with your physician when in doubt.

Corey's situation is a but different and we should try not to compare our recovery with others. Again, any questions on meds or recovery instructions, reach out to your OSs office, someone there should be able to clarify and put your mind at ease. I know this recovery stuff can sure seem complicated sometimes. Hope you have a good evening.

 

[Mutwa]

Apparently Celebrex is OK, but Advil not so much.

Celebrex: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883540313005020

Advil: Saw a link in search, but link didn’t work.

 

[Elf1]

I would still double check with your OS.

 

[Mojo333]

I agree with Elf1. I'm not a fan of NSAIDS.
Do check with your OS.
I did see that there is a side effect associated with it also that may explain your throat issues.

 

[leejaa]

I take celebrex and have for a while for arthritis in other parts of my body - thumbs and it helped with the hip pre surgery and I imagine it is helping post op also.

 

[Mutwa]

Today’s appointment. Celebrex is not an issue, despite the article. Can even raise dosage. Useful in inhibiting postop bone spurs.

Next hip will be day surgery with spinal, in 7-12 weeks, also posterior-lateral.

Throat is occasionally groggy in morning, probably from mouth breathing while sleeping.

Next milestone is dropping pain meds. I’m free to workout, go to outpatient PT once that’s done. I’m free to reduce dosage, switch to Tramadol, raise Celebrex dosage after stopping ASA, on the way.

 

[Mutwa]

How long should I wait after the last dose of narcotic painkiller before driving?

 

[Jaycey]

You should not drive at all if you are still taking narcotic pain medication. In addition, you should get your surgeon's approval to drive (formal release) which usually does not happen until after your post op followup appointment.

 

[Layla]

Throat is occasionally groggy in morning, probably from mouth breathing while sleeping.

Are you meaning your throat feels dry upon waking? If so, wondering if it's the meds you're on?

Sounds like you're moving right along, healing and moving toward round two.
Happy healing...enjoy the weekend!

 

[Mutwa]

Beginning week three. Swelling is down enough to get socks and shoes on. Compression socks are off.

Last narcotic painkiller at 8 AM this morning. Took a 15 minute walk after exercises at noon with the PT. Pain was ignorable most of the way. Iced immediately afterwards and everything is fine this evening.

I’m finding that PT exercise lowers the walking pain level, so I walk immediately afterwards. Motion is lotion.

PT tried to get me to do straight leg lifts from a towel roll. It was moderately painful so he backed off and I stopped at 5 reps. I’ll see how I feel tomorrow. Or I’ll skip a day and give it another try. However, I’m not sure why I need these at all. I can do bent knee lifts just fine. The legs don’t do that kind of motion In real life. So what’s the point?

Saw the doc Friday. I tolerated the surgery well enough (posterior lateral) that we’ll do day surgery next time around, with regional instead of general. His craftsmanship was truly under promised and over delivered. I thanked him and told him so.

 

[CricketHip]

PT tried to get me to do straight leg lifts from a towel roll. It was moderately painful so he backed off and I stopped at 5 reps. I’ll see how I feel tomorrow. Or I’ll skip a day and give it another try. However, I’m not sure why I need these at all. I can do bent knee lifts just fine. The legs don’t do that kind of motion In real life. So what’s the point?

You are co correct! What IS the point?? I had trouble with those for quite some time and didn't even attempt them again for a couple months. Now they are easy to do and as far as I can tell, not doing them earlier didn't ruin my life or leg function.

 

[leejaa]

Sounds like you are making good progress. Wonderful. Are you planning the other hip soon?

 

[Mojo333]

I agree...leg lifts not necessary.
You sound like you are doing great!
Hope today is a good day.