THR Life in the fast (swim) lane
- Thread starter SwimGirl
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United StatesSwimGirl
senior
@BusterBeans I realized that I never responded to you about my Dr's recommendations. I return Dec. 5th so I will ask him then what Dr in Cape Canaveral area he prefers.
Postalgal
member
SwimGirl
senior
@Postalgal Good for you! I am now on cane and moving better all the time. Given okay to drive since it was left hip surgery this time, however still have cane for a while longer. Energy thing still an issue...you are right! As always it is Tincture of Time! Waiting to hear how @tamra is doing. Probably zooming off on her motorcycle somewhere! Just kidding. Not there yet......but soon!
BusterBeans
senior
How did your PT evaluation go? Did they agree you are doing as well as you sound?
Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum
Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum
SwimGirl
senior
@BusterBeans Actually, something happened that I wasn't expecting postop. On one of my first nights home as I sat on commode I must have split a few sutures. I know it was more than one layer. I called the office and they inspected right away. The outer sutureline was intact but there was evidence that some bleeding occurred. I didn't give it another thought although it seemed more traumatized than my right side. I just kept ice on it. When I went to PT evaluation he said that this is more common in shoulders but it does happen. Since it was an anterior repair the sutures would be vertical holding muscles together. Given time I was told it would heal but was indeed more traumatized. He said avoid lateral movement as in the abduction adduction Exercises which are the side to side movements. I said since it was painful I followed Josephine's advice and didn't exercise at all since I was home. I have always been told by my OS office let pain be your guide regarding activity level. What say you @Josephine about sutures breaking and healing time?
SwimGirl
senior
@WVHipChick Welcome to BS! You will learn great things from this site! Read all the information that you can on this site. Staff is knowledgeable and helpful. Will respond to your questions pretty quickly too!
Krista
post-grad
@SwimGirl, doing very well, thanks for asking! I posted details in my thread on Friday #74, and I know you saw that. Since then, I've just been getting stronger and more well-rested. Little or no pain, no pain meds. Going home on Thursday, Nov 17, and I'm sure I'll be just fine. The only danger will be me doing too much there, and getting sloppy with the 20 pound weight bearing. I am sure I will be very careful, as I want the healing to be as strong as possible before I go to full weight-bearing, and even then, I will take it very slowly. I can't say enough good things about this acute care rehab facility -- the staff, the physical environment, the food, the PT and OT -- all excellent! I have had at least one visitor every day. Today my sister is coming to join me for lunch and take me for an hour in the sun in the garden. Over the weekend, it was my husband who visited.
Glad to hear you are using a cane, and have been cleared for driving! It sounds wise to take your time getting back to that, no need to rush it. Love how perky you are sounding. Yikes about those sutures giving way. Good that you are being extra careful and avoiding the moves that may slow down the healing. Wishing you the best with that!
Glad to hear you are using a cane, and have been cleared for driving! It sounds wise to take your time getting back to that, no need to rush it. Love how perky you are sounding. Yikes about those sutures giving way. Good that you are being extra careful and avoiding the moves that may slow down the healing. Wishing you the best with that!
SwimGirl
senior
Sunny girl
senior
Thought I'd say hi on your thread @SwimGirl! I will read it all sometime soon so I can see your journey 
I heard from OS's rooms about the next surgery, 8 weeks from first. Will let you read in my thread when you get time ...
I totally agree:
I feel so much gratitude for this surgery, which has already had such a positive effect in my life. The lack of OA pain is just a revelation. How fortunate we are to have access to this surgery and technology. And to have this community for advice and support!
It's just the old left hip holding me back now. While I was on all the meds and resting a lot , it behaved itself, but now I'm active, I'm hobbling on it and in lots of pain. Feel like a split personality, with my new right one so nice. So my new achievements of walking are a little hampered. Maybe I should resume my original pre-op meds. Would've been great if the bilateral had gone ahead as scheduled, but just have to go with the flow.
I heard from OS's rooms about the next surgery, 8 weeks from first. Will let you read in my thread when you get time ...I totally agree:
I feel so much gratitude for this surgery, which has already had such a positive effect in my life. The lack of OA pain is just a revelation. How fortunate we are to have access to this surgery and technology. And to have this community for advice and support!
It's just the old left hip holding me back now. While I was on all the meds and resting a lot , it behaved itself, but now I'm active, I'm hobbling on it and in lots of pain. Feel like a split personality, with my new right one so nice. So my new achievements of walking are a little hampered. Maybe I should resume my original pre-op meds. Would've been great if the bilateral had gone ahead as scheduled, but just have to go with the flow.
Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
It never ceases to amaze me how wrong PTs can be sometimes! I can't even visualize what he means by it!
It doesn't matter if the incision is vertical, horizontal or a semi-circle, the sutures are all the same!
Skin sutures
I think that maybe a stitch popped open but you're 2½ weeks out now and so primary healing should have taken place by now. This kind of thing more commonly happens within the first ten days. But you might have had a small bleed for some unknown reason. It happens from time to time and it's not really a problem. Just treat it with ice and rest and as you said (good girl!) NO exercising!
SwimGirl
senior
@Josephine I think you may have misunderstood. My Sutures DID split on more than one layer in first TWO days home! I went right in the first day after weekend, since surgery was on a Thursday. Was told that outer sutureline looked okay. I did not give it another thought until recently when I went to PT and it felt very strange in my hip when my legs went out to side. Almost like a crossing over of my muscles over my hip in a strange abnormal sensation. Will not do lateral movement til it heals and I was told it WOULD heal inside. Does this sound like anything you have ever heard of happening?
Josephine
NURSE DIRECTOR EMERITA
Oh yes. All sorts of odd little things like that occur from time to time. And I never knew about the previous episode because you never mentioned it! I don't always have the time to read a really long thread from the beginning!
But why are you doing exercises? Did you not see my comment: 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.
But why are you doing exercises? Did you not see my comment: 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.
SwimGirl
senior
@Josephine Actually since I was a little more traumatized on my left hip I did no exercises whatsoever. It was pure happenstance that I turned a certain way and felt that most unusual crossover thing with my muscle in my hip on left leg. It was then that I saw PT and said that this was different than right leg and was it something that I needed to go back to surgeon to examine. It was then that he said that this does happen with sutures splitting and that it indeed would heal. Lateral movement would aggravate healing process. Just wanted to know that you agreed on that point.
SwimGirl
senior
@Sunny girl I did not keep a day by day account of things that happened to me on first or second hip. I just mentioned things along the way. I can tell you that swelling is first thing to happen, then constipation, then when you get home and pipes clear you are getting your walker legs on straight. You think that everything is such a big effort because of course it is. When swelling subsides and your log leg reduces in size you can move much better. You sleep better. Sutureline heals in less than 2 weeks. The first shower at 4 days is absolutely the best thing ever to happen to you post op. Then when you transfer to a cane life is all good again. When you can drive then you know you are getting back to abnormal!
Sunny girl
senior
@SwimGirl ....Hope you mean getting back to 'normal'! Yes, your progression sounds familiar territory. My gosh, 4 days before a shower - you poor girl - I was allowed to have a shower on day one post op, and every day after that. I had a large waterproof 'honeycomb-padded' dressing which was still intact and keeping water out 2 weeks later, when they replaced it with fresh one for a further week.
Hope you can go shopping for your Christmas decorations soon
Hope you can go shopping for your Christmas decorations soon
SwimGirl
senior
@Sunny girl Of course I meant normal. I had a waterproof bandage but OS said wait 4 days. So I waited, after that I could remove bandage and replace it with gauze and paper tape. Thought I would never get that waterproof sucker off! Ouch! If I had hair on my leg it was gone! Looking forward to Shopping for Christmas decorations. Never enough outdoor lights!
tamra
member
@SwimGirl Ouch .. sorry to hear about the split stitches but other than that it sounds like you are doing good. Glad for that! Going back to work 4 hrs a day is actually taking up more like six hours by the time I am ready, getting out to the truck and going to work. Thank goodness only got a mile to go to get there lol.
You keep on getting better!
You keep on getting better!
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