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THR Let the recovery begin....

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@AndisMom Last night after my big day it was a percocet kind of night and then around 1am I took one more then slept until 3:45 this afternoon, only up for potty breaks. I was shot....did way too much the day before...live and learn.
@Dmcfad2 GREAT picture....I'm with you...keep trying to cut back, but it takes more than I'd like to have to take, but without it...I struggle to get by due to the pain. The hydrocodone normally is enough until I overdo it. So happy everyone is getting along so well....it sure has been quite a journey!!
 
Sounds we are all in the same boat trying to wrestle with the pain and meds and find the balance...
I'm guessing we won't have much longer before we won't need the darn meds!

Sleep well all!
Pam
 
@AndisMom, I was just catching up on your thread and I'm so sorry you are having such difficulty with those darn pain meds. It won't be long now when Tylenol will be all you need. Hang in there. Otherwise it sounds like you are doing great. Keep up the great work. Hugs, jackie
 
Hoping and Praying for all - who are at pre-op & post-op stage ! This is an awesome community!
 
@AndisMom , just wanted to put in my experience here. My surgery was about a week before yours, I think, and my OS at my 2 week post op appt asked me if I needed another script for pain meds. I still had a few left, told him no, thought I would try switching off to just tylenol. That didnt work. He had told me that if it did not, call and he would prescribe.

I think I was shocked that he offered. But then, I realized, it's BONE surgery. Not something to sneeze at when it comes to needing pain control. I ended up having to go by and get another prescription. But I was so grateful that he had offered- made me realize that HE gets it. So, be gentle and kind to yourself when it comes to your need for pain control. Part of recovery... :friends:
 
Thanks @glmrphy for sharing your experience! Sounds like many of us are a little optimistic when it comes to stopping our pain meds, and it turns out we need them longer than we think. :thud:

I am 3 weeks post-op today and definitely still need them! I went out for my first real outing yesterday for about 7 hours and shopping at 3 stores. I used carts at 2 of them but one of them didn't have them available so I "leaned" on a shopping cart and toughed it out through that one. Then went to a restaurant and had dinner (I was seriously craving Mexican food). ;) and by the time I got home I was in a lot of pain. I immediately iced and elevated and it helped, but I had trouble sleeping last nite from the pain.

I am trying to be patient and just praying that I can walk like a normal person soon but it is definitely not happening as quickly as I would like.

@Jp9294 thanks for the words of encouragement. :SUNsmile: I do think I have figured out the meds, at least the nausea is gone so I will just keep taking them until I don't need them. As much as I would like to control this process, that's not happening...my body is obviously in charge here and I'm trying to listen and do what it needs.

Hope you are off to a good start for the week!
Pam
 
AndisMom said:
I gave myself the first Lovenox shot (blood thinner) this afternoon to show the RN I know how to do it..easy but not a pleasant thing to do for me...I will feel like a pin cushion with little needle marks all around my tummy for the next couple of weeks.
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I know this post is a few weeks old, but I am still a bit new here and not caught up yet. You mention having to give yourself shots of blood thinner....I hadn't seen anyone else mention that, so just wondering if that was normal?

I hope you are doing well. I'll read the rest of your thread now! :-)
 
@Chessie I did the shots with my knee replacement last year also. It's not pleasant to do but actually pretty easy...just subcutaneous shot with a short needle in alternating spots around your belly button...I'm not sure why my OS prefers the injections to the pill form like Coumadin but I went with it again...
 
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AndisMom said:
@Chessie I did the shots with my knee replacement last year also. It's not pleasant to do but actually pretty easy...just subcutaneous shot with a short needle in alternating spots around your belly button...I'm not sure why my OS prefers the injections to the pill form like Coumadin but I went with it again...
Click to expand...


Do you have a condition that requires blood thinners? Or is that a "normal" thing for these surgeries? I had not noticed this in other threads. I have pretty free-flowing blood - the folks in the bloodmobiles always comment at how fast I fill the bag. So the mention of blood thinners is a bit scary for me!
 
@Chessie no I have no condition requiring blood thinners...I think most everyone is asked to take some type of blood thinner after surgery (and some before) to prevent blood clots from the inactivity during recovery. Some take Coumadin, some just aspirin. I agree I haven't heard of many who have done the injections.
 
I too had to do the blood thinning injections for 6 weeks post op. It depends on the hospital as my sister only had to take tablets...and @AndisMom...you will walk lime a normal person again..but at only 3 weeks it will still take some time...it's worth the wait though! X


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Thanks @Hoppy Nanny! At 3 weeks post-op today, I am thinking the worst part of the recovery is behind me and I am hoping for progress in the next few weeks...yesterday's outing was too much and I am paying for it today...thinking slow and steady is a better approach. :thud:
 
Oh yes....our head thinks we are ready to jump back into normal life....but our bodies tell us differently!!! Please do listen!! X


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How's everyone doing? Pretty good day all-in-all for me. After 6 hours of conference calls (yawn) I was hungry and made my favorite WW tortellini spinach soup myself! Was able to stand in the kitchen long enough to chop onions, garlic, etc. without too much trouble. Only had a half of a Percocet today too. Oh and finally finished my taxes and e-filed. Just couldn't concentrate on them earlier so I procrastinated but that's done!

Another small milestone...was able to (gently) roll over into my surgical side and was pretty comfortable for a while before I had to move again.

Just wish I was more comfortable walking. It still feels really weird and I am not walking very well without a limp although I am not using the cane around the house (still staying on main level only). I am very conscious when I am trying to walk of the feeling that there is something foreign in there...it's more of a strange feeling than pain...feels really weird. Didn't have that with my knee. I know I have read other folks commenting about this feeling so I'm sure it's common but I'm hoping it goes away with time.

Having trouble sleeping tonite, hence the 2AM post so just thought I would say hello to everyone.
 
Good morning @AndisMom I know exactly how you feel as that's how I felt just a week ago. I am just about a week ahead of you and just two days ago started to feel that my gait was looking more normal. I've had no pain but stuck with my cane because of my limp. Then just like that it got easier and the limp is almost gone. DH says I look too stiff and nervous when I walk and I realized that I was holding my arms straight with my fists all balled up & my nails digging into my palms. I'm trying to relax and as I do the gait gets more normal.
Congratulations on being able to roll onto your op side. I haven't mastered that one yet. That's where I get the weird feeling like trying to kneel on my LTKR. I'm hoping I'll be able to do that soon.
Hope you got back to sleep and that today will be a great day:)


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@AndisMom , great milestones! I am curious, though, when you say you can't walk without a limp... is that bc of pain? Or bc of the "strange feeling of something foreign in there"? I only ask bc if it is pain, then you should treat the pain so that you are able to walk normally. If it's the strange feeling, here's what happened to me: I had to MAKE myself walk a normal gait. I was so used to limping beforehand, and then it seemed strange to my brain to actually put weight on that leg. I had to tell myself, wait, it's okay to put your full weight, they fixed that problem! LOL!! Took a few cautious steps to convince myself, but it finally helped. Not sure if that is what you are experiencing, but it sounded similar to me. Btw, that strange feeling went away for me about a week ago (I'm 4 weeks post-op), so hoping it will for you, too. :)
 
@teakea66 and @glmrphy thanks for sharing your experiences on the "strange feeling" and walking with a limp.

Gail you ask the right question. It's hard to say but I believe it's not as much pain as just that weird sensation that makes me not want to put my full weight on the operated leg. I am still having some swelling and numbness in the area, and there is an occasional shooting pain like a thousand needles sticking me below and to the outside of the incision on the side of the thigh. Sometimes if I move the wrong way that happens, although that is more likely at night when I'm trying to sleep and move the wrong way trying to get comfortable.

You make a great point though about having to consciously tell yourself to walk normally because it has been so long since I have been able to do that. I will focus on that while I'm walking and deliberately try to walk without a limp. I guess I need to learn to walk normally again after over a year of limping with a cane.

You are both right also that it is likely my tensing up which doesn't help walk normally either.

@teakea66 I still haven't been able to kneel on my TKR either! Makes certain exercises out of the question...interestingly it's a similar feeling...not really pain per se, but just a strange feeling that makes me not want to put full weight on that knee. Since it's been over a year for the knee, I'm guessing it is unlikely that will change for me, but I'm hoping for a more "normal" feeling for this hip some day.

I will remain optimistic and keep on walking!
 
Hey Pam, I see you mentioned conference calls. You aren't back at work yet are you?
I do conference calls for my job, too.....
I wonder if we do the same thing? Same company? haha wouldn't that be something!
 
@MajorHeidi , guilty as charged. :sad: I have been working from home since a couple days after I came home from the hospital. Some days have been more productive than others. That first week I was dealing with the nausea and the meds kept knocking me out so I only did what I absolutely had to do.

For the last week and a half, I have kept a full schedule of conference calls and yesterday had a marathon 6 hour call that I dialed in for rather than traveling to San Diego for the meeting. I feel lucky that I have that flexibility, since I'm postponing travel as long as I can until I feel I can handle it. I'm an RVP for a workforce solutions technology company (based in CA) and my clients are all across the Country so I travel at least 80% when I can.

It's possible we are in similar jobs! I also believe we live pretty close as I am in Eastern TN (Knoxville) and if I read correctly you are in SW Virginia right? That makes us practically neighbors. ;).

I'm hoping you have your babies home with you and you are continuing to make progress! It's another sleepless nite for me after overdoing it again today.

Take care and keep the great updates coming!
Pam
 
@AndisMom...you've been working since week one? You must be a superwoman and I take my hat off to you....you're amazing....hope your recovery continues to improve ..x


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