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THR Moms4tne's Recovery Thread

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Too funny @FionaW! @moms4tne yep, that's right - you need to elevate your feet above your hips. There are some good photos on the link that Fiona sent.
 
@MsFit1 @FionaW Thanks for the articles - I'd actually seen them and that's what got me confused LOL. Couldn't make out - maybe in my drug stupor - which was supposed to be right for hippies as opposed to knee patients. I've been afraid to elevate anything above the hip be cuz they put the fear of a God in me about blood clots in hospital. Honestly, for the longest time I pretty much thought I had to keep this side of my body either completely vertical or completely horizontal. So I can raise my foot when lying down? How high? For how long? Thanks for the info. :)


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@moms4tne , that 2nd link @MsFit1 posted has some good pics to show you how high. I'm using a pillow stack rather than a wedge, and I find 3 pillows (sort of overlapping like steps rather than piled straight up) is good, when I'm flat on my back.
How long? Well, I think the answer is l-o-o-o-o-o-n-n-n-n-ng! I'm certainly spending 22/24 hours of my day in bed at the mo, and 2-3 hours, maybe more, with my legs elevated. Basically, all that time I might be spending sitting around in chairs taking it easy if I was ill I am now spending horizonal, or nearly.
 
@moms4tne I have to give myself Lovenox injections (not particularly fun at all) for a couple of weeks to prevent blood clots. Most doctors advise not "breaking the 90 degree rule", meaning that when you sit in a chair you don't want your butt sinking too down too low (that's why they want you to have an elevated toilet seat), so your knees won't come up above your hips when you're in a sitting position. In other words, don't sink into a too-low couch or chair, or if necessary sit on a pillow. I think the best way to elevate to get the ankle swelling down is to have your husband lift your (straightened) leg(s) up and rest it on several big pillows so that your toes are elevated above your hips or even a little higher if you have a lot of swelling. I've been doing it about an hour at a time - might as well - what else do I have going on today? :loll:
 
Check out Loungedoctor.com for the perfect wedge pillow. You can even order the appropriate size for your height. It's comfortable & definitely provides 'toes above nose'. I find stacked pillows to be too labor-intensive... lazy moi! I'm with the suggestion to have hubby lift your legs & plop 'em on the wedge or stack.
 
Day 9 Update: Oh my, what a difference a day makes . . . In fact, it feels like once you reach that corner and turn it, all kinds of good things start happening!! At 5:30 this morning I still needed help to get out of bed - 12 short hours later I can not only get out of bed by myself, I can get back in!! I can take a few steps along the bathroom counter without crutches. I can get up and down (several times - we'll talk about that in a sec) off the commode by myself AND for the first time, my incision doesn't hurt - at all! This is amazing! I almost feel myself again, except - dun, dun, dun, da - can we say constipation?

Oh, I knew it was coming and, honestly, any day before today I would not have been able to handle it! But holy #%*! I was nearly sick, and had to have a nap after the first run at it. Four tries and very little success so far. I've been being good about my fluids and eating lots of fibre, and stool softeners in hospital, etc., and I even made the bran muffin recipe from one of the articles here - however, if I'd have been smart - anticipating this - I'd have had hubby pick up either suppositories or an enema from the drugstore a couple days ago. I could have used that little help from "this" end to soften what's been there since pre-surgery. Hope I'm not being too graphic, but thought my experience might help some of you following just after me. Cheers!


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Oh, you are sounding fantastic, @moms4tne ! Good for you!!! What always works well for me is magnesium supplements. I take 3 tablets, 250mg each, every night before bed and that seems to do the trick. If all else fails - try prunes!
 
It's official - a nice, warm shower and clean hair is almost HEAVEN!! I feel wonderful! Still holding steady with a not-sore incision, and we've made some progress with the bathroom issue. I think that will resolve itself tomorrow - at least I HOPE so! LOL.

I admit, I was beginning to despair of ever getting over this streak of REALLY difficult days/nights. It was not easy - but as I said earlier, all of a sudden you reach resolution on that one thing that's holding you back (you might not even realize exactly what it is) and you turn a major corner. Again I have to thank everyone here for the kind words, and snippets of advice and encouragement - but most of all I could not have gotten to today without my Love, my wonderful, unselfish husband who has been there every step of the way: up every two hours in the night to get me up and put me back to bed, bringing me countless things and making sure I was fed and hydrated, and who didn't blink an eye at cleaning me up - ever so gently - every time I've needed help in the washroom. That, my friends, is true love. LOL!
I am blessed!

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You are doing great now with the bed. It sure makes a difference to be able to help yourself!
I had to use Philips milk of magnesia three times over five weeks.
It's easy and effective....
Keep up the great work!


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What a good day you appear to have had! :yay:

All the little things - the shower, walks, being more independant in your movements - they all add up and give a real mental boost.
As you rightly said @moms4tne there is a day, a moment, when things start to fall into place. It's different for all of us, and you don't really know that it's coming. But when it does ....!! :yes!:

Also, I have to second what MsFit1 said .. try prunes... healthy, effective, and much tastier than milk of magnesia lol.
 
Hi Moms4tne! Just read through your thread. Sounds like you had a rough time for a little bit but so glad to hear you're starting to feel better and hit those little milestones! I noticed you are in Canada and so am I (not sure there is many from Canada on here). Where are you and where did you have you're surgery? My surgery is two weeks from today and I am just outside of the GTA in Ontario. I'm also younger (43) with a child. I'm really disappointed to hear that they did not give you appropriate pain meds to go home with. In this day and age you shouldn't have to be suffering or stretching your pain meds out to make them last. Will be watching your thread to see you're continued success as you recover and will be looking forward to joining you on the other side!


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Sounds like a textbook recovery. Of course, you could've done without the bathroom issue, but keep those suppositories handy -- use two at a time if the problem is "stubborn"; they work. Stool softeners take a few days to work. I remember they were giving them to me morning & night @ rehab, but once you take them on a regular basis, you should be on your way to a successful "unload"! Lots of water also helps as well as activity. Hope by the time you read this, problem is gone.
 
My ankle and knee are so swollen, PT told me to lay flat and stack pillows to put your leg on, which my hubby has to do for me. I was wondering if your bruising is like mine, its inter thigh, back of knee and down to ankle. No bruising around incision.
 
@Josephine. Quick question for you, plz. I read this in one of your articles "NSAIDS like ibuprofen compete for the same receptors (COX-1) as aspirin. They inhibit aspirin's anti platelet effect, and some studies show increased cardiovascular risk." Does this mean I should not be taking Advil (400 mg x maybe 2 times per 24 hrs) with my prescription Xarelto (10 mg x 1 per day) anti-coagulant? Pharmacist did say don't take at the same time of day, but do you think I should drop the Advil in favour of X-Stength Tylenol again? Was trying to find something to help relieve swelling in my foot. Pain is a very minor issue at this point (swollen foot hurts more than incision) and constipation hurts a lot, so I've dropped my Hydromorphone pills. They honestly weren't doing anything for me pain-wise in the first place. Thanks much for any advice. Cheers!


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@TTBONE - Surprisingly, the only bruising I had (and it was significant) was all around the incision site, but by Day 8 it had all faded away. I thought for sure it would run down my leg and colour my foot, but didn't happen. I did have significant swelling and some pain in my operated side knee, and still a lot of swelling in that foot. Have been elevating knee with pillow about 2" off mattress whenever I'm in bed, and then pillows layered (not stacked) under calf and down so foot is probably about 4" off mattress. This helps, but haven't found a way when sitting up during the day to elevate my foot without getting knee above hip - so foot swells again during the daytime.


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Are you going to bed for a lie-down to elevate your legs once or twice a day, @moms4tne ? That def helps reduce the swelling.

My bruising is like yours @TTBONE ! Tho mine didn't start to show til it was brown - no pretty purples and blues for me!
 
Question for you guys: I've been having some discomfort in my groin area on the operated side as I've gotten more mobile. I did a search here and found this mentioned, and took particular notice of @Dieters experience where the Dr had to work on the abductors due to tightness from restricted ROM pre-surgery.

For at least a year prior to this my chiropractor has been doing accu-pressure in the exact area where I'm hurting now - saying that those (muscles?) were extremely tight. I am also consciously holding my foot straight ahead (it has always had a tendency to turn to the outside). Could this account for my pain? I'd say it's probably a 2 while resting, and maybe a 4 when walking. Like @Dieter, I am scared about having compromised the implant somehow with improper position of foot/leg trying (with such difficulty) to move around during the first week. Any encouragement/advice to soothe my nerves??


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