THR Left THR- Yesterday!!

KisstheskyBrace

junior member
Joined
May 20, 2020
Messages
25
Age
32
Country
United States United States
Gender
Female
I did it!! I'm post-op!! I'm feeling great!

My report time for surgery was 545 am. I was in the OR around 830 I think... I don't remember anything after IV sedation for my nerve blocker lol. I was in recovery about 11.

A funny story, when I woke up I was crying quite uncontrollably -a normal reaction to anesthesia- and the only thing I said was I need my teddy bear!! They asked, is it in your stuff we can get it and I was like no my mom has it! So they called my mom, "Do you have the bear?" and they did like a shady drug deal to bring my teddy bear to me in recovery. Yes I am almost 30 years old :loll:

I woke up in pain and they started me on tramadol. I started feeling better almost immediately. I still have a little pain, but it's like a 2 at most on a 1-10 scale.
It took me until about 10 pm for it to reallllyy sink in that the only pain I'm feeling is where the incision is and I have no more AVN Pain in the joint!!?? Many happy tears were cried!!!

I was supposed to have my first PT yesterday but I had orthostatic hypotension. My BP dropped drastically as soon as I sat up straight. I went from 116/65 to 97/54 just from sitting on the side of the bed. Standing was 100% out of the question, I almost passed out. I finally sat on the side of the bed no problems around 930 pm!! So hopefully I'll be up and walking to go home today!
 
@KisstheskyBrace Welcome to the other side! A bit of a rocky start for you but sounds like you are on track now. Be sure and work with staff to get your pain well managed before you leave the hospital.

I'll leave your recovery guidelines here for you:
Hip Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​
3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of this BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy
5. Here is a week-by-week guide for Activity progression for THRs
6. Access these pages on the website

Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery

Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.
 
they did like a shady drug deal to bring my teddy bear to me in recovery.

Haha! Thought it was the medication talking until...it wasn’t. :heehee:
My 17 yr old niece has one of these, only it’s called Duckie. It was once furry and yellow, but now bald. It was once soft and cute, but now pathetic looking. I’m quite sure it has only one eye and certain one of its legs was hanging by a thread at some point. Her parents have tried to replace it over the years, but my niece wasn’t having it! I kid her about it all the time and ask if it will accompany her and her dad down the aisle one day as she marries. Lol.

I hope your BP is stable and you’re able to be discharged today. Safe travels home...and don’t forget Teddy! :wink:
 
I hope you made it home since for me there is no place like home for recovery. Remember to keep icing and listen to your body and no overdoing. The lack of pain from pre op can be euphoric and easy to get to overdoing in the first days post surgery.
 
Hey, asking for the teddy bear is exactly the attitude you want to have as you attend to yourself and take care of yourself in recovery.

Whatever you need--whether calls from friends, followup questions with the surgeon's staff, followup visits or corny movies or favorite music, favorite pillows, clothes--whatever it is ... give it to yourself!

There is a lot of anxiety and fear that crops up with surgery. So comforting yourself emotionally--so helpful. I went to physical therapy at six months, and looking back, one of the greatest achievements of my therapist, a woman with amazing, nurturing people skills, was to calm my fears about my recovery. BTW: notice how the nurses didn't dismiss your teddy bear request. They know the deal.
 
Love the teddy bear story! Those are the kind of things that can make a health care person’s day. Keeps it interesting and fun. Hope the BP is stabilized and you get to go home. Blessings for safe travel and good pain control. Remember that ice and elevation mantra! ❤️
 
Welcome to the healing side! You sound like you are doing well, with the help of your beloved Teddy. :heehee:
I love this story, makes me think of my grandkids and their ‘bunny’ and ‘puppy’.
So happy for you, now try to rest, elevate and :ice:.
 
Last edited:
:happydance: :happydance:@KisstheskyBrace congratulations! Long days of patience to follow, with no AVN pain. A wonderful vista to behold.

My BP stayed so low for so long that I didn't take my med for, I think, over a year. Wish the same had happened for my second hip, sigh. For the first one I was very cold for a couple of months-- and this was in SE coastal Virginia in a house with uneven AC. I figured it was the BP.

So glad they brought you teddy, what a great story. My sister, at nearly 67, still has her preschooler-hood Doggy, and when her beloved Baxter died a few years ago her family bought her a stuffed dachshund which still lives on the sofa Baxter loved. A friend had to speak sternly to her husband on their wedding night, on seeing his teddy bear on the bed. "It's that bear or me," she said, "take your pick!" My own son once gave me one of his bears, saying, "Mommy, you just look like you need a bear!" He doesn't remember that, more's the pity:heehee:
 
It must be so incredible to finally be rid of AVN pain at such a young age. :happydance:. Congratulations and welcome to recovery! There's a new road to travel now, but in a year you will be totally amazed at what your body can do again. Enjoy your new life and good luck! Keep it slow and steady. Ps I had a real life doggie to cuddle that kept me feeling safe and warm as I recovered...then gave me plenty of walking exercise!
 
Happy Sunday!
I hope you’re home and resting comfortably in your own space. With any luck your pain is well managed allowing you to be cautiously mobile. Please read the Activity Progression for THR from the Recovery Guidelines, Jaycey, left you above. It’s intended as a rough gauge and should keep you out of trouble in theses early days and weeks.
Wishing you comfort and a peaceful Sunday!
@KisstheskyBrace
 
I'm glad everyone enjoyed my teddy bear story as much as I did!! To add onto it, once I was fully lucidly awake I thought, "How did Beary get here?" :heehee:

I had a very busy Saturday. I was up walking in my room by the early morning! When the PT got me standing I cried again, guess I'm just a little extra emotional right now.

I got to be discharged in the afternoon and came home in the evening. Thank you everyone for the well wishes. I have taken a small walk to the kitchen about every 2 hours. Resting and elevating and icing!!! I'm making sure not to overdo it. I was prescribed oxycodone which I took through the night and it knocked me out hard. I have a small headache, maybe from the combination of medicines? I did reach out to my surgeon to ask about it. I believe I can augment with Tylenol too.

I'm going to get home health care for physical therapy, just waiting on a call from my insurance to set it up. For now I have my girlfriend and my mom to help me out around the house and with walking etc.

Please enjoy the photo of me with Beary!
 

Attachments

  • 20200612_200219.jpg
    20200612_200219.jpg
    105.6 KB · Views: 411
  • img1592156218324.jpg
    img1592156218324.jpg
    69.4 KB · Views: 428
Happy Sunday!
Thankfully you made it home and you’re resting comfortably. I’m sorry about the headache. It could be from the anesthesia. With any luck it goes away soon. Beary is a cute one. Enjoy a comfy nap snuggling with him today!
@KisstheskyBrace
 
What great pics! That is one large bear! And I'm jealous of your tshirt. My hospital gave me ... um.... a bunch of paperwork in a glossy folder I think.

Make sure with the tylenol that you don't go over whatever total amount your surgeon recommends. I had percocet 5/325, and supplemented by the half tablet with tylenol 325's. It made weaning so easy-- remove half a percocet, add half a tylenol. I did get tired of trying to split them neatly though:snork:
 
@Layla I talked to my surgeons nurse today she said yes that the headache is likely from the anesthesia and maybe I'm dehydrated. So it looks like extra extra fluids to continue, since I already thought I was drinking extra
 
Yep, others have experienced the same.
Drink, drink, stay hydrated and with any luck it‘s gone soon.
I hope you have a good day! :)
@KisstheskyBrace
 
Hello @Layla ! Day 5 and still going great!
The headache is present when I wake up still, but I've been chugging a glass of water right away and it goes away quickly. I guess my body isn't staying hydrated overnight? Otherwise no complaints!

At home PT came yesterday to assess where I'm at, and scheduled me for 2-3 weeks PT depending how I'm feeling. They gave me only a couple "exercises" to do and said mostly focus on walking so I was happy to hear that!!
 
Good to hear the headache seems to be lessening.

Please don’t be in a hurry to schedule PT. In most cases it’s not necessary. Walking is the best exercise for recovery, but not to excess. It seems you’re doing well...keep up the good work and have a great day! :)
@KisstheskyBrace
 

BoneSmart #1 Best Blog

Staff online

  • Jamie
    Staff member since Feb, 2009

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
65,179
Messages
1,597,054
BoneSmarties
39,363
Latest member
HikerWalker
Recent bookmarks
0
Back
Top Bottom