Hip Resurfacing livendive's thread, +7 & -1 week

[livendive]

I don't have one of those recirculating ice things, but do use one of broken link removed: https://activewrap.com/products/hip-ice-wrap-hip-heat-wrap-by-activewrap regularly. Looking back on my post, I was just having a temporary pity party this morning. I'm back in decent mindset now, just annoyed at the fact that my hip is leaking again. Not blood this time, but a clear serum type fluid. Sitting around on a towel at the moment, not wasting any more bandages till this slows down and we can put some glue on it so the dressing has a reasonable chance of surviving a few days.

 

[Jaycey]

Looking back on my post, I was just having a temporary pity party

Given that you have just gone through 2 major procedures you can have all the pity parties you want! Hang in there - you know it gets better.

 

[copsham]

I think it is amazing- this up and down. Post op I can be really sorry for my self and then later can be fine all in the same day. When things are not working out I feel it will be like that for ever. But this post op process continues like a roller coaster!! What next?

 

[Jaycey]

Hold on tight!

 

[livendive]

It's very much a roller coaster! My wife went back to work today and I soaked thru my hip dressing again maybe an hour later. With my neck, I'm unable to clean up and change the dressing myself, and with everything I've asked of her in the last week, coming home to help is out of the question, but I think she'd be annoyed if I called and asked a friend to come over. Sooo...I'm back in bed, on a towel to protect the sheets. Bed comes with its own frustrations. I moved into the guest room two nights ago and convinced her I can take care of my own meds & vitals every three hours so she can catch up on her sleep, a novelty still mostly eluding me. The positions that work for my hip cause something akin to apnea due to the stretching in my throat. Even wide awake, something collapses and causes sounds like a dirt bike engine while I'm exhaling which causes me to tense up. Oh well, one day at a time. I'm just sooooooo tired! lol. Got maybe 3-4 hours last night...that's improvement, I'll take it.

 

[Jaycey]

Sorry you are having the dreaded sleep problems. Unfortunately this is part of recovery from your resurfacing. Coupled with your spinal surgery - not fun! Nap during the day whenever you can. This will ease with time.

 

[livendive]

I got some quality sleep last night for the first time since Sunday! Yay! It also feels like I'm turning a corner. This morning swallowing seems a bit easier...still painful but I'm not choking every time. And I just did 0.6 miles on crutches that only produced fatigue, not pain (simple laps of our cul de sac so I remained safe from traffic and within crawling distance of the house).

 

[livendive]

Well ****,
I'm now two for two on gout attacks while recovering from hip surgeries, both times in the ankle on the operated side. It's funny how such a maligned ailment can make the pain of hip resurfacing and cervical spine fusion at the same time seem like a minor aggravation. I'm laying off the aspirin and hitting max doses of naproxen against dr's orders because I really don't have a choice. A couple day setback in the healing of my bones seems trivial compared to a bit of pain relief. Back on the crutches full time, looking forward to how much better everything will feel in a few days when this fades.
Onward & upward,
Dave

 

[copsham]

Oh no! There are such a lot of complexities between us all! Sounds agony but hope it goes speedily.

 

[livendive]

Driving 3.5 hours each way to my doctor today wasn't fun, but the appointment was amusing. He did aspirate some fluid from the hip using a really BIG needle and syringe, then put some more glue in it, and a couple staples. Doing all this without any lydocaine or whatever had my wife in fits, but she still couldn't look away. It's been 10 hours now, and my pants are still dry, so the leak seems to have been stopped. Also, my gout seems to be easing a bit...still sore as hell but not as swollen, so hopefully all should be right within another day or two. Attached is a picture of my now matching pair.

 

[copsham]

Hi @livendive
That X-ray is great to see. Your big needle experience sounded horrific but if it helps it ..... ?

Glad that gout is saying a bit as it sounds awful to have that too. Look after yourselves.

x

 

[livendive]

Drove the 250 miles back to the doctor this morning to get the staples taken out that he put in last week at my 2 week checkup. I was leaking again by the time I got on the freeway and had to stop to buy bandages, put one on in the parking lot (awkward in a compact car, lol), and change it again by the time I got home. Haven't ever had anything like this before, it's mildly annoying. On the plus side, I drove myself 500 miles without too much discomfort. I brought painkillers, a blanket, and a couple pillows so I could pull over and take a nap if necessary, but only ended up needing one of the pillows (to sit on). Scheduled to go back to work Tuesday and I'm confident I'm ready pain-wise, just need the leaking to stop.

 

[livendive]

I turned the corner a week ago and the leaking stopped while simultaneously the short lived but severe pain I had each time I got up subsided. My theory is that there was just so much fluid in the area that invaded and expanded the joint space, and each time I got up and put weight on it, it took a few seconds for that fluid to squish out through the surrounding tissue. I returned to work on Thursday and went for a walk (.75 mile) with wife and dogs that evening. I started PT on Friday and went for a careful short bike ride (2.5 mile) that evening. No, I didn't break 90 degrees, and I stopped in the grass just in case unclipping was difficult, but had no problems or pain. Having some intermittent trouble with my right hip today, which is weird because it's 12 weeks post op and has been a champ the last month while my left hip is recovering. Probably (hopefully) a temporary thing and no big deal. Neck is also doing great. Getting pretty darn excited for summer!

 

[Jaycey]

Sounds like you are recovering well @livendive ! Well done!

 

[DebraR]

Fellow March surgery, how are you doing now? I had my surgery on right side on March 19, will need left done as well.


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[livendive]

Just another update: Yesterday marked 7 weeks since my left BHR, and it's unfortunately not keeping pace with the right side. I still have pretty good groin pain on the left side, much more difficult with adduction. I'm still limping, straight leg lifts are painful and difficult, sleeping with a pillow between my legs, difficulty balancing on just left leg, having to sit and struggle a bit to put on pants, shorts, etc. At this point the first time around, I was doing great, and only a few days away from my recently repaired hip taking a primary role as the other hip got resurfaced. My right hip did fantastic at carrying the load when my left went out of commission. My left is nowhere near ready to do the same if my right were about to go down.

Last week also saw an unexpected return to medical care, as Tuesday evening my left hip began stiffening up, with pain also in my lower back and abdomen on the left side. Eventually the pain got to the point that I nearly passed out, and I though perhaps I'd dislocated it or somehow otherwise really screwed it up, so my wife took me to the ER. Morphine eased the pain to manageable and a CT scan revealed a hematoma of the iliopsoas and accumulation of fluid in my abdomen ("bunch of blood" per the ER doc). We went back to see my surgeon the next day and he said it was possible that this was "old" blood that had been sitting in the muscle since surgery, blocked by a clot that had just decided to liquefy, releasing it, but either way the best approach was a simple wait and see. The abdominal pain stayed pretty intense for a couple of days but has since abated and is now quite minor, but the groin pain remains unchanged. Based on what reading I've done, it sounds like trouble with the iliopsoas post resurfacing is fairly common, and my hope is that it is simply a healing process from surgical trauma rather than something more persistent such as a socket not countersunk into the bone, resulting in abrasion of the muscle. I always expected that one of the hips would heal more easily and quickly than the other, and this certainly seems to be the case.

 

[livendive]

The roller coaster ride continues, now back into the positive direction. Friday I had a GREAT session of PT, after which I felt better than I have in over a year, I was actually able to run down stairs, one step at a time. Things tightened up a bit afterwards, as expected, but it was still a great encouragement. Today is 8 weeks since I got the second hip done, and I celebrated by walking two and a quarter miles at lunch. It was neither fast, nor completely pain-free, but it was a nice start. Depending on how my neck feels, I might even follow it up with a bike ride tonight. I'm going to get healthy again, even if I have to drag my body kicking and screaming in that direction.

 

[livendive]

Saturday I biked 8 miles then hiked 3 miles (800' climb)
Sunday I spent the entire day putting in a vegetable garden with all the requisite rototilling, weeding, mixing in compost, and planting
Yesterday I had a follow-up appointment with my hip surgeon, approximately 5 months since first hip and 3 months since second, and he cleared me to start running again and said to come back and see him in a year or so!!!

I still have a bunch of healing to do, but this weekend was great, doing things I was simply unable to do last year, and yesterday was icing on the cake. I feel like I've graduated hip school! Thanks for all the information, advice, and encouragement I got here, it was much appreciated.

 

[copsham]

Well done @livendive. Like you , @Constanze was comparing how she is now as opposed to a year ago. When I think back, a year ago i was beginning to allow myself to be pushed in a wheelchair, now I am walking, gardening and swimming more and more. Best wishes for what next.

 

[jss]

Congratulations on finally speeding past all of the set backs you had early on! It sounds like you're doing great. I'm not clear to run again until July 4 weekend. I'm so chomping at the bit that I'm doing the Angel Fire marathon that day (walking it of course).

Good luck and please keep us posted.