THR Left 2013 - Now the right

[dougie0216]

Happy Day 73! @Layla @Mojo333 @zauberflöte C'mon man! My wife has given up.
The security lamp thing was for her anyway, she wants the backyard lit. The salt was next to the water softener so I wasn't hauling 50# bags all over, I just had to pick up and pour. I needed to go in the attic to rescue a queen size air mattress for our trip and I couldn't get to it. I'm adopted and my parents are/were normal sized, he was 5'9" and she is 5 '3". They never had anything larger than a double bed. I have to take a blow up bed so I can have a place to sleep when I stay with mom. Every time I go out to west Texas I stay with mom since my dad passed away last year.

Truly, the only thing that hurts is sitting in padded chairs and driving on concrete freeways. Although I did drive home on a concrete freeway Saturday afternoon and it wasn't too bad.

We had our fall general campus meeting today. I had to sit in a padded conference room chair for two hours. I could feel my implant tapping the cup if I sat-up straight which is why I am iced and elevated now. I had a little swelling by the time I got home.
I don't have any pain aside from being a little swollen.
The first hip was a life changing experience, this last one was a speed bump. I'll be 59 in a couple of weeks, so I already know I will have to have revisions if I make it into my 80's.
I'm a crazy ex-distance runner and I only have one life, so I don't want to get cheated.
I have to give the credit to my surgeon, he is the best. I was able to walk unassisted as soon as I came home on Day 2 and that wasn't anything special on my part. Dr Tkach is an excellent surgeon and he nailed it.
I can sleep on my operated side already, my hip does not hurt and I just really want to act/feel like things are getting back to normal. If I suffer a setback, I dust myself off, get the swelling under control, do some PT and get back to life.

 

[Layla]

Hey @dougie0216
Okay then.....guess I'll cut you some slack.....just a little though, haha!
I think many will agree that your recovery has been phenomenal.
I feel your zest for life, to live it to the fullest and that's great.
I would just hate to see you get hurt before everything settles into place as it should.
I hope you and your wife have a relaxing and comfortable trip, as you travel to spend time with family for your granddaughters birthday. Take plenty of breaks to get a good stretch in and you should be okay.
Wishing you safe travels until you return home!

 

[Mojo333]

I'm with you on the sitting too long in chairs and driving for much of a distance. Yet to find pillow that helps. Think I need a new car...have a few medical bills to pay first...unless MyAussieGirl or cpollock wins that lotto!
Hope you have a great day.

 

[zauberflöte]

@dougie0216 ohhhh, ok.....cutting you slack here snipsnipsnip I think I nominate you for this summer's "Great-aunt Millie tap-dancing off the operating table" award! Somewhere on here is an AWFUL cautionary tale (which I cannot find!) by a guy about your age-ish, about his dislocation in ?Mexico? while riding a bumpy motorboat back to his hotel from a wonderful scuba diving session he'd participated in at 6 weeks, feeling all better. His lengthy return to civilization was marked by the worst pain in the world, that went on for hours and hours and hours with little relief. Granted, you are way more than 6 weeks, but that story scared the snot out of me regarding early activity.

That is spooky how you can feel the cup hitting the ball. That would freak me out-- I am always assuming they are in constant contact! And what is it with the concrete roadway? The seams? You are lucky to be able to sit-- I am looking forward to being uncomfortable at gigs past Christmas!! I have a nice piece of foam, upholstered in black, for using, but it's not perfect, because I am still sitting motionless...

 

[dougie0216]

Happy Day 75. I worked, then came home and walked 2 miles in a sauna. It was around 90F with a dew point of 74 meaning I broke a good sweat.

@zauberflöte I have adapted a neck pillow as my go-to butt pillow in the car. Yes, it is the seams and the red clay soil under the roadway. It swells when it rains and shrinks when it is dry. Thump, thump, thump except it is much faster so it ends up almost being like a massage chair that never stops. Fortunately once we get into West Texas the clay soil goes away. Along with things like water and trees...
The tapping only happens in low, padded chairs.I think my long legs are the issue. If I slouch and straighten my leg out it goes away

@Mojo333 we're trying publishers clearing house this year.

@Layla we will be safe. We will be stopping every hour so there is no use being in a hurry. Although driving in Texas means speed limits are a vague suggestion on what a desirable speed should be. You won't get ticketed unless you are doing well over 80. We are taking the slower, smaller roads on the way down instead of the divided highways/interstates. Coming back we will take the interstates and divided highways to avoid Monday morning oilfield traffic. Those people are all in a hurry and driving vehicles much bigger than ours.

 

[zauberflöte]

I cannot imagine sitting on a neck cushion-- do tell what you did!

Your walk sounds awful.... my cut-off temp has been 80F for decades!

PS our kids are adopted too but are taller than their birth families! Is it because hubby is tall, and they picked it up through osmosis?? LOL

 

[dougie0216]

Happy Day 76! I felt normal today. I caught myself sauntering thru the office at full speed without a thought about my hip. Later, I noticed that using the stairs was becoming a normal occurrence.
I feel robbed.
I did not get to this point after LTHR for over a year. So the hip gods must be with me is all I can come up with.
I did have to move some boxes when I got home and I did feel a little something after discovering my hand-truck had a flat. Then I needed to unload the boxes in a garage where it was furnace hot.
When I cooled off I noticed a little swelling so I'm being a good boy and elevating and icing.
I think I have developed a dependence on ice packs.

 

[zauberflöte]

hurray!!! Sounds like you're well on the way to that "forgotten hip". I bet you "felt" something when the handtruck tire was flat LOL.

 

[Layla]

Hi @dougie0216
I love how you said you were moving about without a thought about your hip. Before my surgery, I wondered and asked others who'd been through replacement if they ever forget they have an artificial hip. I couldn't imagine....
But you do forget!! When you're moving about freely, without pain, you actually do forget. Then when I remember again.... I give thanks because it's truly wonderful to have your life back!!

And as we all know......a little ice does a body good!
A great night to you.

 

[Gone again]

@dougie0216 doing good man. I hear you about buying clothes off the shelf. I wear a size 15 shoe and nobody carrys anything in stock. I don't even look anymore. Just wear cardboard and duct tape.

 

[dougie0216]

Happy Day 77! 11-weeks today
I have been on the go since 0630. Getting ready for a trip, collecting trash, moving plants to a shady area, tightening a fitting under the sink and working 9.5hrs at work. Whew. Oh yes, and the laundry is in the dryer. I'm packing in the am.

I have been noticing this week I have been in a great mood at work. I have been on this job for 10-1/2 years and this is the first time I have not hurt. I am not on pain pills and I'm not getting ready for work swilling coffee to counteract the muscle relaxers I had to take to help me get to sleep.

I am so happy I have had my hips replaced I can't put it into words.

@Gone again I feel you. Mine are only 13AA, or size 48 in cycling shoes. I have a 36" inseam, no luck with finding those in a mall either lol.

@Layla I don't hurt. Now if I bend over and pick something off the floor, yeah! I feel something then, but it goes away. This getting back to work thing has put a crimp in my workouts.

 

[Layla]

Hi @dougie0216
A crimp in your workouts......You crack me up!
You're ahead of the game AND the rest of us so I hope you can just chill, enjoy the road trip with wifey and family time. Eat a big piece of your granddaughters birthday cake!!!!!
Safe travels and a great weekend creating new family memories!

 

[zauberflöte]

@dougie0216 I understand exactly how you feel-- I felt like that after hip #1, and expect to have it in a month or two for #2. Just, LIFE!!!!!!! It's all out there and we can DO it again!

I guess you are on the road now-- drive safely, and drink plenty of water, and hope your car AC keeps on pumping it out! Happy Birthday Granddaughter!!!!

 

[dougie0216]

Happy Day 78. We drive 370 miles today. I started off driving and drove for the first two hours.

When I started trying to find a comfortable position my wife said, 'you are hurting aren't you?'
I said that yes I was but thought I could drive to the next town which was about ten miles away.
About two minutes later the outside of my thigh next to the seatbelt latch started throbbing and I told her I would pull over at the next wide spot and she could drive. Two minutes later we had traded seats.
I brought an ice chest full of ice and 3 refillable ice packs. I've been using one ever since.
We got out of the car 4 times and walked around for 10-15 minutes each time.

It appears driving is my Achilles heel. Of course I did load the car, she is still recovering from her shoulder replacement.

I'm watching baseball on tv with my mom, icing where it hurts and I did take a pain pill.

Thank goodness we have one complete usable body between my wife and I;-)

Tomorrow I am doing some household tasks for mom while DW shops.

@zauberflöte I drank coffee, which has water in it. Does that count? I also I had 2 litres of G2 and more than one snickers bar.

@Layla We got here safe. My 88yo mom made us dinner, that made her happy. She needs a new knee but can't pass a stress test... It was easier to let her do it than to argue with her.

 

[Layla]

Hi @dougie0216
Happy to hear you two made it there safely. That's a trek. How sweet of your mom to
insist on making dinner. She's showing her love! How sad she can't get her knee fixed.
Hope her pain is manageable.....poor dear woman.

I have the same problem in the car and what I do is place something in between
my incision and the seat belt buckle. Kitchen towel, hand towel anything really that
you can fold up and place there. Another thing I've placed there is an actual ice gel
pack pulled from my freezer right before I leave the house. I use the reusable blue
10x5 size wrapped in a hand towel so it doesn't puncture. Try it, kill two birds with
one stone, icing and comfort at the same time. I think you'll favor the ice if you plan to
drive part of the way home. Buy an extra one if your hauling a cooler.....

Love the part about one complete usable body between your wife and yourself.....too funny!
Hope you have a great time and safe trip home!

 

[Gone again]

@dougie0216 I can relate a few years ago I fell on the ice and tore the PCL in the right knee. Not a complete tear but I was n crutches for a couple of months. Just before this my wife had a neck fushion and surgery for a frozen shoulder. We were quite a sight. It was a rough time for us especially my wife bless her heart.

 

[zauberflöte]

@dougie0216 wow glad you survived that trek! You were very wise to stop when you did. Your mother is so sweet, taking care of you-- of course it made her feel good! I wish she could get that knee.

Ice and pills and hopefully you'll be good as new in the morning!
And yeah, I'll count coffee and G2. Snickers bars are in a class of their own, and the ice cream version has no calories if you eat it in the car, did you know that?

@Layla yep, ice right there under the buckle! Today I seem to have passed a marker and car sitting is not so bad as even yesterday-- soon I too can drive for two hours!

 

[dougie0216]

Happy Day 79! I got up this morning and went for my walk. Midland, TX is table flat and that is a change from where I live.
I have been up and down step ladders changing light bulbs for mom. I noticed a while ago the swelling from the trip is still there so I am currently iced and elevated. I am thinking nap.

 

[dougie0216]

The best thing about a hip replacement is being able to pick up your granddaughter again

 

[Mojo333]

Beautiful...the best!