THR LTHR Dec 7th. Looking for post op helpful ideas

[smstok]

Hey @smstok for the meds, I used the alarms on my phone, but also a free app called Medisafe. The app was especially helpful in the beginning, as you can put in what each pill looks like and how many you need to take.

Thank you Susan209. I’m going to try that app


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[MammaT]

Keep doing what you’re doing. And this is a wonderful site.

 

[Layla]

Hi there @smstok
I hope you've settled in well and are comfortable. It's an adjustment but recovery moves pretty quickly. Before you know it you'll be hitting the one month post op mark and wondering where time went. I always marked my progress by weekends. I'd look back and realize what I was doing this weekend as opposed to last. There was always improvement. You will notice it too. I'm happy to read you're doing well.....keep up the good work.
Wishing you a great day!

 

[smstok]

Thank you Layla! Everything seems to be slowly moving right along. Today is day 7 and I️ think my thigh decided to wake up and join the party because there’s definitely a little pain dancing around it today. Nothing too serious but just enough to grab my attention. Let’s see what the remainder of the day brings. [emoji4][emoji4]


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[MammaT]

Hope your thigh didn’t want to party too much!

 

[Layla]

Hope your thigh pain has calmed down a bit.
I was an icing fool. It seems to really help but those pain meds do their job also.
Noticing you're a week post op tomorrow already.
Strangely, it seem like time moves quicker than you'd expect while in recovery.
Wishing you have a comfortable evening!
@smstok

 

[smstok]

My pain started about 7 yrs ago with tests leading to constant bouts of physical therapy and pain meds over and over again. My last few years have been horrible with dragging myself to work for 10 and 12 hour shifts and dragging and limping my leg around for everyday tasks and chores. I’ve definitely become a professional on line shopper. [emoji4][emoji4]. I’ve been through lotsa testing and always given a final word of. “there’s just no surgery for your situation at this time” or “you don’t qualify for a replacement quite yet.” I couldn’t imagine how much worse I needed to get. In a wheelchair perhaps?? Being early 40’s at the time and looking to be in my 30’s it made it all much harder for my psyche to handle being physically handicap to a point where I sometimes have to ask for help (Did I mention my extremely independent personality [emoji51][emoji51]) soooooooo...... I choked down my pride and asked for a temporary handicap placard. I was met with “NO!! You need to walk more.” I thought I was going to have a full blown meltdown [emoji36][emoji36][emoji36]. How do you do more walking when you can barely walk at all , get dressed, pile yourself into your car and so on? People are always stopping me to ask what happened. Or I’m always being told “it hurts me to watch you walk”. I am sooooooo self-conscious of my awkward gait
So I became COMPLETELY fed up and moved all my medical to a new Doctor 45 miles away. Just far enough to be a bother when my mobility is limited. Of course my health is worth anything required of me.
Within under a year (9 months to be exact) and all testing once again I finally was approved for hip replacement. I met with 3 surgeons during this time
The first surgeon was a spine specialist in order to rule that out. The 2nd surgeon I met with shook my hand as he introduced himself and said “have you considered hip replacement?” [emoji33][emoji33]No chit chat involving information leading up to it. He just threw it at me as though I was completely prepared to hear it from the get go. I was not! [emoji24][emoji24]
So off I went to the next surgeon. I met with his PA first and he immediately pointed out my right hip and stated “it’s not an ‘if’, it’s a ‘when’”. [emoji53][emoji53][emoji848][emoji848][emoji26] The PA forwarded my packet to the surgeon and for a few weeks I waited to hear if they would even accept me as a surgery candidate with them. alas!! I have been accepted! Yay! [emoji4][emoji4] happy handicap dance for me [emoji1380]

When I actually met with the surgeon the very first words he spoke to me were “you’re not going to like this....”. [emoji55][emoji55]
As he explained the complexity of my pelvis (hip dysplasia) and the fact I will definitely have a longer leg after surgery “UNTIL we complete the right hip” [emoji46]. They keep throwing that right hip thing at me. What the......? I’ll be honest. I clearly have some early symptoms in the right hip/leg but no dysplasia and I’m not dragging it around. It’s my strong leg! [emoji490]
So! They have pretty well gotten into my head that the right leg is next. I just don’t know how soon next. [emoji53]



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[Layla]

Happy Friday @smstok
I just read of your long and winding road to diagnosis and surgery.
That's a whole lot of misery and suffering since your early 40's.
Thankfully you're finally recovering and regaining your life. Hope you're doing well.
Wishing you a peaceful relaxing weekend. It's going to be a great New Year with no hip pain!!

 

[alexthecat]

Happy Friday @smstok
I just read of your long and winding road to diagnosis and surgery on another thread somewhere.

And I've just moved that post here! @smstok please post updates about your recovery and your history here. It's helpful for us to have all your information in one place. Also, we don't want to risk derailing someone else's thread. That can happen if the focus of their thread shifts away from their own recovery.

 

[smstok]

Thank you Layla. It sure is going to be a great year with a new hip
Hope you have a great weekend yourself. [emoji4]


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[tyorke1]

how are things going,we were 1 day apart. I hope things are getting better. I am getting a little house crazy. Mine leaks like a bad tap but other than that I stopped the perks, and slowed down they tylenol arthristis. It is a mind playing battle but the end will have a means. I started with a cain today just up and down the hall that was a boost and the staples come out tuesday. Hang in there the next two weeks will make a big difference.

 

[Layla]

How's it going? @smstok
Hopefully you had a quiet weekend and recovery is still progressing nicely.
In reading your post above I can relate. I'm sure I'll need my other done at some
point also. Don't relish the thought but having experienced it already I hope if /when
the time comes I'll be less anxious. I'll bet you feel the same?
Wishing you a great day!

 

[smstok]

@tyorke1 .... I am doing fairly well so far. I had my 2 week follow up on the 22nd and had a few staples removed. That wasn’t so bad. I can walk fairly well and without my cane but choose to use it most of the time just to be safe. I am definitely going a little stir crazy being home and inside for so long so it was nice to get out for a bit. I hope all is going well for you. Did you have the posterior or anterior approach?

Merry Christmas [emoji320][emoji319][emoji319] [emoji320][emoji319][emoji320][emoji320][emoji320][emoji319][emoji319][emoji320][emoji319]



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[smstok]

@Layla I’m still doing fairly well so far. Thank you for asking. I went for my follow up on the 22nd and had stitches removed. I’m already walking better thn before surgery. It’s amazing!! Im taking less meds and continuing with the icing process which is super helpful. I still have no idea when the second will happen but I’m certainly in no rush. Hope you are enjoying the holidays. Merry Christmas!!




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[tyorke1]

I had posterior,it's a slower process, Glad things are better,merry xmas

 

[MammaT]

Hi @smstok-getting staples out seems to be such a relief. I probably kept my cane handy for 6 weeks or so, especially if I had to walk a distance. I’m sure it was mainly for security, especially because I would notice I was carrying it more than actually using it. Merry Christmas!

 

[Layla]

Merry Christmas! @smstok
What a positive update. You sound very upbeat also....refreshing!
It is amazing how much better it feels to walk after losing that pain.
I agree with you on the icing. I was an icing fool. It truly helps.
Keep up the good work. You're doing great!

 

[Mojo333]

Yay for a new hip...hope your holiday was bright...I'm a tad late but:merryx:.

 

[Nicknoc]

@smstok Reading your thread about your journey before getting a new hip is very familiar to me. I' m also in my 40's and have been limping for 2 years. As you say ive been struggling with wirk luckily I have an understanding boss who agreed to my hours being reduced from 12 to 8 .
I also get the comments about how i walk. and how painful it looks etc.
I've been advised i need a hip replacement but I'm 'too young ' I honestly believe it's more the fact I'm overweight and would start trying to change that if they said I needed too so I could get a new hip. I'm been under a pain consultant for a year but no med I've been given have helped. I truly believe a replacement is the answer. I'll be glad to stop taking all the meds

 

[smstok]

@Nicknoc I definitely feel for you I tried the pain management route about 5 yrs ago simply out of desperation (I’m very anti medication unless absolutely necessary). The medication simply took the edge off. needless to say it was short lived for me. Prior to surgery being an option my Dr recommended losing weight in order to help preserve my hip. I did so and ever so amazing to me, my hip actually became worse. When I finally became a candidate for a hip replacement and met with my surgeon he did advise me to lose more weight and stated I can’t be thin enough for this type of surgery. [emoji848][emoji848] My surgeon is very direct! But I actually prefer such directness. I did not lose anymore weight prior to surgery due to my pain and the inability to exercise. Of course as soon as my heeling allows I plan on getting back to exercising and getting some more weight off. Now that I’ve had surgery I am free of that agonizing never ending pain and it is truly exciting and amazing considering just how long I lived with that pain. So I say to you.... keep seeking answers. If your current Doctor isn’t helping your situation don’t be afraid to find a new one that will be more aggressive in finding you relief. You deserve that.


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