THR Left one is done - and right one too!

[Layla]

Hi @leenie60
Sorry to hear your suffering pain in the groin. Recovery is enough in itself but add all these other little
issues and it can feel maddening!

I hope since you posted yesterday, with rest, the pain has eased some. I will be nice to have those staples removed also so your poor incision can get on with healing. It sounds irritated through your description.
It seems like perfect timing for your doctor visit and hopefully x-rays will show all is well and on track.

You'll be on my mind today so please let us know how your doctor visit went.
When all else feels off track why not throw in a hurricane for good measure, I mean C'mon....Leenie
can take it.....Leenie can take anything.....wink, wink!

Hugs and best wishes for a great day!

 

[leenie60]

So my appointment went well. It burned when the assistant removed the staples because my skin is so raw. Doc said wash with warm soapy water, rinse and pat dry and let it air out without adding any lotions etc. XRAYS looked great.

The incision is still weeping a little so I'm sitting around in my bathrobe since I am alone and not flashing anyone.

Biggest bummer is he said NO driving for 3-4 more weeks. OMG I will lose my mind. Guess it's time to cut some deals with the boyfriend or others.

The groin is still sore but doc wasn't really surprised or concerned. He said go easy on stairs, don't attempt any leg lifts and continue with restrictions.

I give it a day or 2 before the wound settles down and really starts to dry up. See pic. Don't be grossed out.

I see him again 10/17 which is currently my last day of approved time off. If I were to guess, I wont be returning to work until the end of Oct at the earliest esp if I havent been released to drive until that day.

Therapy is walk, walk, walk and gently until groin eases up and continue with cane.

Thanks for all of your continued support.

 

[Layla]

It sounds like you had a great visit with the doctor today @leenie60
I was antsy to drive too so I understand your frustration in waiting an
additional 3-4 weeks.
Your incision looks so sore! Hopefully with the staples gone and bandage off it will
begin to heal up more quickly.
Hope you're having a good day and best wishes for a great week!

 

[Layla]

Hi @leenie60
How is the incision coming along? It looked so sore a week ago.
I'll bet the redness is all but gone. Thought of you yesterday as I was putting
lotion on my surgical leg. It's still kind of a stretch getting it all the way to my ankle.
I've yet to try the spray you suggested after your warning about slipping if you get it on the floor.
I'm expecting my range of motion will continue to improve.
Hope you're doing well. Best wishes for a great week!

 

[Mojo333]

@leenie60 You are not even one month yet so try not to get discouraged.
That groin pain worsened the first months as I got more mobile ...and I do remember as I began to stand straighter.
Thinking alot to do with bad limping and stance before surgery and all stretching back out. Yes, it is finally gone but it did take several months.
Hope today will be a good day for you.

 

[leenie60]

Hi so I have had 2 visits with my surgeon since I got the staples out 2 weeks ago. Today is 4 weeks.

Last Thursday I went to see him due to the bottom of the incision oozing pus, not closing properly and being swollen. He removed an absorbable suture that was going the wrong way! Not 4 days later (yesterday) I was back there again for the same thing. This time he removed 2 additional sutures and squished out a pocket of blood. It was quite sore going in. Today it is still tender and still oozing a bit so I will be hyper vigilant because I need all of this wound to close up!

Otherwise, all of my rashes have healed with the exception for the skin that comes off when I remove the bandaid to take a shower.

He granted me permission to drive since I walked in with no assistive device.

Tonight the back of my leg is sore and I'm not sure why. Perhaps in and out of the car or walking in general? Who knows.

Four weeks and counting. I've attached a picture. It sure isn't as pretty as the other side at this point.

Cheers!!

 

[zauberflöte]

I will tell you @leenie60 , yours looks way better at one month+ than mine does at 11 weeks tomorrow! Mine is all red all over, and the "top of the buttonhole" STILL is scabbing over, melting off in the shower, and drying up overnight. Your adventures with the upside down sutures ought to have a funny video made of it, if it were the least bit funny!

Glad the rashes are cleared up. I guess skin will slough off for a while-- I still have dry flakies around the incision/scar. Hooorayyy driving! That was all it took? Leaving your cane at the door? I wonder if that's a benchmark for all OS's, but they don't tell us...

Getting in and out of the car was quite problematic for me at 4 weeks, for many weeks. I only had so many transfers in me, and then the groin started hurting. I now much prefer driving over being driven, as getting in with the good right leg is so much easier than doing the sideways thing on the passenger side. You're right, who knows where the aches and pains come from. We have them, we deal with them, they go away. Long term,New Life!!

 

[leenie60]

@zauberflöte you gave me a chuckle about videoing the sutures. As for the cane and driving i think he saw me walking or my own volition in a matter of days between appointments and he knew that the freedom to get out and about would do me good and it has. I figured out that the achy leg is probably more from the gas pedal abd braking as well as getting in and out!

While I wish you cotinued recovery success, it is a comfort that you and I'm sure others are having similar incision troubles. I swear if I have to go back again i am going to request he throw a stitch in it. It can't be good to keep walking around with an open wound evrn with a bandaid. A couple more days will tell.

 

[Mojo333]

@leenie60 Was happy to see you post an update. Been thinking of you.
I can imagine that incision not closing is worrisome although doesn't look overly red or angry. That's good!
Glad you are able to drive, personally I didn't get as excited about it as some others did. I knew I could if I had to for emergency but didn't like to go far anyway and my hubby/chauffeur is retired so didn't bother me one bit took let him do it.
Continued getting better wishes for you

 

[Layla]

Hi @leenie60
So great to hear from you. I think your incision is looking really good! I remember last time
it looked so red, inflamed and was still kind of oozy. It just looked sore!
Good news on the driving too. I wanted permission to drive so badly then didn't even drive
for days after I was told I could, haha! I think getting the "go ahead" was just a sign of progress
and freedom, both of which I was looking forward to.
Best wishes for continued recovery and a great weekend to you!

 

[leenie60]

As a side note, I noticed I am having some difficulty standing up straight. @Mojo333 was it a comment from you where you mentioned a similar issue? It makes my back sore and I think it's improving although I am not certain. Would be great to hear others chime in.

Have a great and beautiful day!

 

[zauberflöte]

@leenie60 haha I've been walking around with an open wound for 11 weeks today! All that's open is right at the top, but it's healing. Slooooowwwwly. I want to inject it with vitamin C or something!

My problem with standing up straight is not my back but my groin/hip flexors. They are so used to me covering for them that I have had to take it slowly.

 

[Mojo333]

All of it...my back for sure. And I still have some issues with it. Especially at night trying to sleep after being overactive in the day though. Getting much better though and I'm standing taller and straighter all the time.
Heel toe walking practicing as they called me a toe walker. I guess to take pressure off hips. That can't be good for lower back and lots of retraining

 

[leenie60]

With all of the restrictions to protect our hips, it's hard to know what we can do to tone the rest of our bodies. I went for a walk on the boardwalk at the beach today and stopped along the way to stretch my back. I also did the marching move and can get the left hip to 90 degrees or close to it and the newer right to probably 70. Came home and iced. I was a tad straighter after 15 mins or so of focused walking.

 

[zauberflöte]

Boardwalk walks! Perfect venue for straightening You are a month tomorrow on the newer one, and what, eleven weeks n the first. You are doing so well! That's like bilateral only with two hospital visits.

 

[Layla]

Boardwalk + Beach = Envy
I'm from the upper Midwest no boardwalks near oceans in these parts.
Sounds like you had a good day. Happy for you @leenie60
Best Wishes for a great weekend and a closed incision.......it's coming!!

 

[leenie60]

Last week (wk 5) I had 2 more internal sutures removed which meant more and continuing bandaids. Nearly a week later and it's still slightly oozing. See my doctor for my actual 6 week followup on the 17th. As long as it's open I am not going back to work. My goal is by end of the month. We'll see if the incision cooperates.

I took a road trip to Vermont to visit a friend for a change of scenery last week and it was great. Lots of driving but I also did record walking so aside from the stubborn incision I am feeling better. I really want to do something besides walk so hopefully the doctor will give the green light to start bending and stretching for real!

 

[GrannyC]

I was bothered by lower back some for last few years. I really thought it was related to my hip but an X-ray showed a slipped disc so that took care of my theory. I have not had an issue standing straight either before or after surgery but I can hosestly say that I don't feel my lower back is as much of an issue since surgery. It just doesn't seem to bother me as much now which is fantastic.

@leenie60 , I'm sure your incision will continue to heal and be just fine. Patience is needed which is easy for me to say since it isn't me!

 

[Layla]

Hi @leenie60
Good luck on the 17th. That incision is just taking its sweet old time...
hopefully it will completely close soon. Sounds like you're doing great though otherwise.
Managing road trips and all. Keep it up.
Best wishes for a good week!

 

[MammaT]

Glad you are doing so well-lots of surgery in a short time.


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