THR Littlejem is on the move!!

[ByGosh]

Littlejem LLBean used to be an outdoorsy type of clothing store - it's from one of our less populated states on the East Coast, Maine. They've been around a long time and were known for their good quality, practical clothing and shoes. They sell alot on-line or by catalog and have branched out to include housewares, pet bedding, as well as women's, men's and children's clothing and footwear. You can easily look them up on line. They're a little bit pricey, but it was worth it because the quality was very good. They give excellent service.

 

[Songlady]

Kim22, it's so funny how the mind works - I had more or less forgotten about that whole incident until someone posted something here to remind me!
Yes, I'll keep my cane with me for a year or so, also, even if I think it's unnecessary. One can never tell what can happen when quickly turning to see a "SALE" sign!

 

[Songlady]

Littlejem, LLBean is a famous US retailer that does a lot of mail order business, mostly in classic and casual clothing, house furnishings, and sports clothing/equipment (fishing, hunting, camping.) If you did an internet search for it you could find it easily, I am sure.
I had a good Mother's Day except that my poor husband was out ding my job all morning and then ended up visiting my mom in hospital and bringing her clothes, etc; then we had to phone his mother to give wishes, and I didn't have the family for some "quality time" until 6 pm, even though one would think a Sunday would provide more time than that! My older son phoned me and my younger son gave me a silly and perfect card and earrings from a local craft fair. So lovely!

 

[ByGosh]

Littlejem Here's a bright, sunny yellow bouquet to help calm your worries...

 

[Littlejem]

Jaycey ByGosh Elosarabrab sandybeach Thanks for all your kind thoughts and good wishes for my next surgery. I know it is getting to me, the thought that I'm just starting to feel better, well one side, and I've got to do it all over again, did you feel this way? I do wonder sometimes if I was back at work too quickly and so I've decided to just do a 4 day week from now until the next one to give me a little breathing space to relax.
Thanks ByGosh for the lovely flowers so bright and sunny, they made me smile, unlike the weather!! Thanks guys, how would I manage without you, Janet xx My Bone Smart friends x

 

[Elosarabrab]

Littlejem, I was nervous about the second surgery but because of having the first one done, I knew the awful bone crunching pain would be gone. So I actually looked forward to it. My recovery now is going much better as I dont have the bad leg holding me back.

 

[Jaycey]

Every THR is different so don't assume you will have the same problems you had with #1. Besides, you already learned from the first. Of course you are anxious! No one looks forward to major surgery. But you'll be fine Janet. And we will all be here for you!

 

[Littlejem]

Kim22 sorry somehow I left your name off my last message but my thanks come to you as well.
Thanks again everyone

 

[Kim22]

Hi Littlejem From what I have seen on this site most people seem to do better with the second hip I think that has something to do with them having the experience of going through the first.I would liken it to having a second baby remember still hard work but so much easier because of what you learnt from the first.As Jacey said we will be here for you Janet.

 

[daykat]

Hi Littlejem, I noticed you are from Wiltshire in the UK. I lived in Wiltshire as a child before my family migrated to Australia when I was 11 - I remember it as a beautiful green and gentle place. We lived in a picture book small village near Warminster, near Longleat. Where are you?
Good luck with hip #2, of course you would be anxious about going through it all again. I'm only 3 weeks out from THR #1 and couldn't begin to think of doing it again just yet!
cheers from Western Australia

 

[sandybeach]

Littlejem, I felt the same as you are. But you will feel so much better after the surgery which you already know or else you wouldn't be having it. Your recovery will take off then too. Yesterday I gave our dog a haircut, clean our back porch from all the fall and winter dirt. I was up and down steps, three steps coming into our house, several times and on my feet a lot. Today my newest hip is a little achy but nothing that Ibuprofen can't handle. My first hip is not hurting at all. I would never had been able to do all that before my second surgery. So think of the life you will be getting back. I'm excited for you because I know how good you're gonna feel.

 

[Littlejem]

Thanks sandybeach, I told you you'd be my eyes and ears off the fence and fully on the other side!! It's so wonderful that you are able to do all of this and your first hip not hurting at all, I really look forward to feeling like this!! I'm feeling a lot better today, I've got the day off work which helps not having to rush round and it's the pub tonight!! I'm going to try and do a bit of housework later but like you say the bad hip does hold me back, I'd really like to get some things done that I've been putting off and won't be able to do after hip 2!!
Does your little dog stand nicely to let you cut him, I have enough trouble just brushing our cat, who will take so much and then run off!! Thanks again Janet xx

 

[Littlejem]

Hi daykat Yes, Wiltshire is lovely, has some pretty little villages and is very green with all the rain we've had!! I live in a small, 1850s stone cottage in the North of Wiltshire, close to the Gloucestershire border in a village called Cricklade, its 8 miles south of Cirencester. I don't know a lot about the area around Warminster but I have been to Longleat. Yes, I have been feeling a little apprehensive about the second hip but I really need to get it done, it hurts.

 

[Littlejem]

Josephine can you advise me please? My new hip leg is longer than the other by 1cm, the surgeon measured it by lying me on the bed, which obviously your thread doesn't recommend. He said it had sunk far into the cup because of the wear on it and as he knew he would be doing the other one, 'he put it back where it should be' making the leg longer than the other for the short time. He likened it to putting up a tent and if the pole is too short the tent falls down, it was better to lengthen the leg slightly to get the tendons and muscles, (have I got that right), at the correct stretch. Does this all sound right? My main question is that I'm wondering if I shouldn't be doing too much walking as it is now, I have a lifter in my shoe but I know I still wobble when I walk and when I look in the mirror it's really obvious I'm not level. Is it doing me any harm to push the walking or will it contribute to the pain? Hope you can help Janet x

 

[Josephine]

He likened it to putting up a tent and if the pole is too short the tent falls down

How funny! That's my favourite analogy but usually when I'm talking about back pain!

it was better to lengthen the leg slightly to get the tendons and muscles, (have I got that right), at the correct stretch. Does this all sound right?

It sounds good. Don't worry about that side of things.

My main question is that I'm wondering if I shouldn't be doing too much walking. Is it doing me any harm to push the walking or will it contribute to the pain?

Walking is by far the best therapy you can give a hip. What you need to do is to make sure you are using some kind of assistive device, be it a walker, a crutch or a cane. And yes, it will very probably cause you some back pain which is why you need to do some low back stretches before and after the walk and also to be diligent in your pain meds. You probably don't need anything strong, jut Tylenol at 1,000mg two to three times a day.

 

[Littlejem]

Josephine Thanks for giving me the advice, I was worried that the leg length difference and me subsequently walking awkwardly was causing more problems. I haven't used a cane since about 4 weeks but will go back to it for walking outside if you think it best. I am still on painkillers for my other hip and I take Tramacet (Tramadol & Paracetamol mix in case you've not seen them), 1 x 3/4 times a day, plus Naprosyn twice a day.

 

[sandybeach]

Littlejem, "It's so wonderful that you are able to do all of this and your first hip not hurting at all, I really look forward to feeling like this!!" You will feel like this, like they say, keep your eye's on the prize My sister-in-law has over a 1 inch difference in leg length without ever having anything done to her hips. She has to have a lift in her shoe. Her doctor gave her a 1/2 inch lift, half the amount of the difference. She said that has helped her, she would otherwise have backpain. So I would think as long as you have that lift in your shoe, for now, you should be able to walk without causing harm to your new hip. I wonder if the wobble you see when walking is the weakness you still have in that new hip. Do you get pain in it after walking?
My dog doesn't like her haircuts but she does sit still for them. Her hair has gotten so long and thick over the winter it takes a long time to cut her hair. Right now she's 3/4 done. Maybe I will post her picture once she's looking like a movie star.

 

[ByGosh]

Littlejem You're little stone cottage sounds very quaint and lovely, as does the area where you live. I live in a suburban area 90 miles from NYC and near another main city. Our neighborhood is nice, but the whole area here is very well-populated.
It's good to know that you can walk about and not do harm to yourself. A little while after your surgery, you won't have to worry about that as your legs will be the same lenght No more wobble-walking for you. I'm told that I was hobbling all over the place before my surgery which I didn't realize at all. My son even said that I even had a limp. That was news to me.
sandybeach I can sympathize with you about clipping the dog! I have a 16 1/2 year old poodle, whose hair gets long and matted. I stopped taking her to the groomers a long time ago - she's too old for that and I know she never liked it. I try to keep up with her clipping myself. Doing her body isn't too bad, but she'll fight tooth and nail (paw) when it comes to her face. So she usually walks around looking like a sheep dog in the face or like she has a goatee going on under her chin! It can take me days to get it all done. Poor Sweetie, she's so good, I just try to keep her comfortable and happy now that she's such a senior citizen. She also has arthritis in her hips and I can relate to her stance and how she sits herself down. I have her on doggie anti-inflammatories, and once in a while she gets a 1/2 tramadol.
Don't you feel great having gotten to do some spring cleaning? Funny how something like keeping up with the house can feel like such an accomplishment. Before surgery, I'd take a stool around with me, and sit on it as I cleaned out sinks, or did the kitchen stove, etc. Now I just do a little bit at a time.

 

[Littlejem]

Thanks sandybeach, I do need to 'keep my eye on the prize!! I don't really get any pain in my new hip but I am getting it in my back and my bad hip side, I really just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to make things worse by walking too much and it looks like I can stop worrying. Just over 4 weeks to go and I will lose the rest of my problem, yey!!!

ByGosh we lived in a very built up area until we moved down here 28 years ago and I must say I love living in the country, things are much slower. Steve and I had out first visit to the USA just before Christmas, for my 60th and we stayed in NY at the Waldorf Astoria. We loved being there and seeing all the sights, things we'd seen in the movies, we also did a day trip to Washington DC, wonderful experience and great memories.
I'm so glad my boy doesn't need clipping just a quick rub down every so often when he's been in the mud!!
Yup did a bit of spring cleaning and my kitchen floor has never looked so good!! I also planted up my hanging baskets, we just need a some sunshine now to give them a kick start!! Have a nice weekend!!

 

[sandybeach]

ByGosh my dog is pretty trusting and will pretty much let me trim her completely. The trimmer I use is an electric pet trimmer so sometimes the vibration makes her jumpy but she has gotten used to and is better than at first.
Littlejem, I think I did a little too much on my leg a couple days ago. Yesterday it was a little sore today it is sore too so I am not doing much at all today, I hope to give it a rest it will settle down. Right now it hurts when I walk so nothing too bad just figure not to push it. We have some storms moving in so good day to watch TV anyway.