THR My New Left Hip

[Layla]

I like that your PT cautioned you and gave you a time limit as you begin to use the cane. I didn't receive any guidance and walked circles around my home the very first day on the cane and payed dearly the next day, as I sat in the recliner basically all day, resting and recovering. Slow and easy always seems best in early recovery. I hope you have a great week!
@JusticeRider

 

[Legseleven]

So glad you have a sympathetic and clued up PT, makes all the difference. You’re doing great and we love to read your updates. Have a good day.

 

[JusticeRider]

How did y’all know if you were ready to drive? I have a pt appointment this afternoon that my husband isn’t able to take me to. So I’m going to try driving myself. But I’m nervous! The guidelines mostly just talk about being off of pain killers and normal reaction times with a left hip. But I’m mostly just unsure of how I’ll feel afterwards (and during!). The drive is about 20 minutes. I hope I won’t regret it! Any thoughts?

 

[AllNat]

How was your drive? I was 12 weeks into my recovery when I got behind the wheel of our vehicle for the first time because, unlike you, my THR was done on my driving leg. I had been very nervous about it because I would occasionally practise moving my right leg side to side while riding in the passenger seat (or even while sitting in our living room while watching TV) but usually felt a bit of pain while doing so; but climbing in on the driver side wasn't a problem (it's a RAV4, so nice and high), and using my right leg to operate the brake and gas pedals was as natural as ever. My imagination definitely made it into a bigger deal than it turned out to be.

 

[Legseleven]

For my knees at 5-6 weeks, both times, automatic car and cleared to drive by the OS.

 

[myglasshalffull]

How did you make out driving? My hip was right side so took me a little longer to get back to driving. I remember one Sunday thinking I might try and just drive around block of my neighborhood and see how it went and drive very slow.
I was able to do it, then just built up my confidence and did small trips to market and close to the house.
Hope it worked out well for you.

 

[Layla]

Hello JusticeRider, I hope you had a good PT session yesterday afternoon.
I was four weeks post op when I took my first solo drive. I was cleared at three, but felt a bit apprehensive and really not interested in going anywhere anyways at that point. I hope it went well for you. It is a good feeling to have that independence once again. Have a wonderful Wednesday!
@JusticeRider

 

[JusticeRider]

Well, I was happily surprised with how well it went driving! I purchased one of those wedge cushions for the seat to open the angle of my hip more, and I think that made a big difference. I also had the seat leaned back a bit more than usual with a pillow behind my lower back, and stuffed a pillow under my leg as well. My newer truck has a built in little footrest for your left foot that is just a wonderful feature. So all in all I was able to get pretty comfortable in there! Actually much more comfortable than I had been as a passenger. To my surprise it really felt like no big deal at all! Yay! A little more independence for me! And a little load off my husband trying to take time from work to shuttle me to pt.

 

[JusticeRider]

I’ve continued to do short stretches indoors with the cane. I’ve built up to this routine for the next few days… I use the walker in the morning when I’m tired. After I’ve had tea and breakfast and iced for a while, I’ll use the cane for the next few hours. I’m still spending a lot of time in my recliner with ice, so these are short little trips to the bathroom, to let the dogs out, get a snack, etc. By later in the day when I’m feeling tired, I go back to using my walker. I’m taking short little walks in my neighborhood with my crutches each day. The furthest I’ve gone is a loop around 2 blocks. I go verrrry slow and stop often for little rests. Snails and caterpillars are passing me. But I’m ok with that. Friends have asked me if I’m timing myself and trying to improve my speed and I said absolutely not! It’s only been 3 weeks I’m just trying to keep my new joint moving and remind my body how to walk…without hurting anything or ending up in the ODIC! I go a couple more houses down each day as slow as needed. Once I reach the coffee shop (not quite 3 blocks from my house), I’ll probably taper it off there for a while. No need to push anything.

At PT I’m learning to tell my therapist no. She’s ok with that and actually encourages it! But it’s still hard for me! If something hurts I say, ‘no that’s too much’. Or, ‘it doesn’t like this exercise’. Or, ‘I think I’m done with that one’. And we rest or do something else. Every time, I expect her to push back on me and give me a hard time but she never does. Actually yesterday she gave me a hard time for NOT telling her when something felt uncomfortable Grateful to my friend who recommended her.

I am getting a little bored, so if anyone has any book, movie, or tv show recommendations, feel free to share! I’m sensitive to violence, but otherwise like all kinds of genres. A friend is bringing me a favorite book to borrow today, so I’m looking forward to that! What are you all doing to pass the time in recovery?

 

[AllNat]

Snails and caterpillars are passing me.

Yep, that's me as well, with the exception of my little stroll yesterday evening, which ended at a faster than normal pace because I noticed a skunk on a driveway a few houses away from ours, and it was scampering quite quickly in the same direction that I was walking. I definitely put some juice in my step as I approached our house! We ended up in a mini race in the last 30 ft. of my walk, as I shuffled up our driveway and front walk while barking threats at the skunk to stay away because it had started to make its way across our lawn. Fortunately I managed to scare it off, and it slinked under the fence into our neighbour's yard rather than approaching our front steps. When I got into the house, my husband asked me who I'd been talking to.

For fighting boredom, I can recommend two books that I enjoyed this year:
The It Girl by Ruth Ware
You Are Here by David Nicholls (had some really laugh-aloud moments)

In the spring, when I was getting over my first hip replacement, my husband and I got hooked on the English TV series Midsomer Murders, which is available for free on Tubi. Dry English humour and gorgeous scenery. Some of the charming English cottages that they filmed in had steep staircases that were definitely not up to code; my hips were impressed by watching the actors climb them! We would try to guess how early in an episode the first corpse would be found, and we tried to keep a tally of the episode's total number of corpses. Oh, and the Brits are real horndogs; everyone always seem to be having an affair!

 

[Layla]

Snails and caterpillars are passing me

Friends have asked me if I’m timing myself and trying to improve my speed and I said absolutely not! It’s only been 3 weeks

Between the snails and caterpillars comment, the "absolutely not!" and AllNat's skunk story above, I'm stopping by for the comic relief more often. You TWO!

 

[myglasshalffull]

Justice & all nat,
Both great updates and I’ve watched that midsummer show on our local PBS channel here. My SIL is a sucker for British TV. Her and my brother met while stationed in England back in the late 60’s. Both were Air Force.
For boredom I watched a lot of Netflix on my iPad in bed. I recuperated in winter so no walking outside in the beginning.
I love Janet Evanovich’s “Stephanie Plum” series of books. I’ve read all 30, recently reading 29 & 30 while on a trip to California. They are light hearted and fun and kooky characters.
Now reading “The Surrogate “ by Freida Mc Fadden. Her books are so good and you can’t put them down.
The two of you are lucky to have each other in recovery. I remember having several people in recovery with me and it’s great to compare notes and feel not so alone.
I wish both of you the best and sounds like you are both coming right along. And listening to your bodies. That’s the main thing in recovery. You know your body better than anyone else and you know your limitations. Stick with it ladies, you are doing great!

 

[JusticeRider]

@AllNat , @Layla , and @myglasshalffull , thanks for your replies! @AllNat , I too was laughing at your slow race against Mr Skunk. Perhaps you two will end up being walking buddies? Maybe he just wanted some company?

I have read You Are Here and loved it! Such a sweet story, not sickly sweet but quirky sweet and real. I also laughed aloud multiple times while reading it! I’ll have to check out The It Girl. My local library system is usually pretty good and they may have it in circulation.

@Layla , they say laughter is the best medicine, so I’ll take all I can get! If we can make each other laugh while we heal, so much the better!

@myglasshalffull , I will also check out The Surrogate. I’m not quite ready to walk the 4 blocks to my library, but now I can drive there to pick up books! Love these suggestions! And you are so right about listening to our bodies. This was now my 5th orthopedic surgery (ugh) but I think I’m learning each time, and the more I listen to my body, the more I trust it, and the more I trust it, the more it turns out to be right! Today I called and canceled PT and am planning to have a very slow and relaxing day with lots of rest and ice.

My last 2 days have been pretty full of activity considering where I’m at…Tuesday, the dog trainer came to work with my puppy and I was up greeting him and getting the equipment for him. Then when he was done and I got up and chatted with him for a moment. I had a short walk. I had PT and drove for the first time. Yesterday I had two different visitors, one of whom I walked to the coffee shop with. I think I may be knocking on the door to the ODIC, so I’m turning around now and retreating to my recliner. Hopefully no one opens that door and comes looking for me!

 

[benne68]

I think I may be knocking on the door to the ODIC, so I’m turning around now and retreating to my recliner.

I hear you knocking! The recliner is a good choice!

Sounds like you are coming along well.

 

[AllNat]

on our local PBS channel here. My SIL is a sucker for British TV.

Ah, PBS! My family got big into Britcoms and "Masterpiece Theatre" in the 80s thanks to that channel. British actors do so much work both on TV and in movies, and it was very challenging in the pre-internet days to place a familiar face. My sister and I saw "Gosford Park" in the movie theatre but were not able to get into the story because we were so distracted by all the familiar faces and trying to figure out where we'd seen them before. Now we have IMDb, which I would refer to at least once during every "Midsomer Murders" episode.

I love Janet Evanovich’s “Stephanie Plum” series of books. I’ve read all 30, recently reading 29 & 30 while on a trip to California. They are light hearted and fun and kooky characters.

I've added it to my list!

Perhaps you two will end up being walking buddies? Maybe he just wanted some company?

If only!! It was so cute and soft-looking I would have loved to pet it if I could!

the more I listen to my body, the more I trust it, and the more I trust it, the more it turns out to be right!

Some great words of wisdom!

 

[EalingGran]

Once I reach the coffee shop (not quite 3 blocks from my house), I’ll probably taper it off there for a while. No need to push anything.

Absolutely! I used to take a 30-45 minute break at the coffee shop before slowly heading back to rest and ice. It is so good to be out and about however slowly.
If you like fairly light murder series like Midsomer- see if you can get Death in Paradise or the Brokenwood Mysteries. The first is set in the Caribbean and the second in New Zealand. I really enjoyed seeing different landscapes and the New Zealand sense of humour is dry and very similar to British humour.
It sounds like you are doing great. I really hope hips are easier than knees- as I am sure this lies in my future at some point.

 

[JusticeRider]

I really hope hips are easier than knees- as I am sure this lies in my future at some point.

Well I hesitate to say this due to (completely unreasonable) superstition, but SO FAR, at THIS point in recovery …this THR has been much easier than any of my previous 4 orthopedic surgeries (2 hip repairs, a knee repair, and a PKR).

I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop as all of my other recoveries had dreadful setbacks and difficulties. With none of them was I walking without aid before 2 or even 3 months.

Yesterday I hit the 4 week mark! And I am currently using a cane most of the time but incorporating walking aid-free in my house here and there throughout the day. I can’t believe it!!

This also the first surgery I’ve had where I did not have severe swelling or nerve pain. So I’m also attributing some of this greater ease to a skilled surgeon, some to a far more conservative rehab approach, some to…well…practice! from previous surgeries, and some to good old luck. Whatever it is, I’m grateful.

I’ve had a couple people ask if my hip feels ‘artificial’. I can honestly say, no it really doesn’t! I guess that surprises me! How about y’all? Do you (or did you ever) feel like you have ‘after market parts’ in there? Or does it feel completely natural to you?

 

[EalingGran]

This sounds amazing! I am so pleased for you, knowing how tough your recovery was from the PKR. I also find this reassuring and it does fit with hip surgery being technically more straightforward than knee replacement. Fingers crossed it all continues to go well.

 

[myglasshalffull]

@EalingGran
I haven’t had knee surgery, however, I did have a broken ankle about 8 years ago. And I have said it many times over, I’d rather get another hip replaced than go through ankle surgery & recovery again!
Not that hip replacement is a walk in the park but at least you can use a walker and be somewhat mobile even if you are going very slow. With the ankle I had to be off it for 8 full weeks and in a cast. No fun.

 

[Layla]

How about y’all? Do you (or did you ever) feel like you have ‘after market parts’ in there? Or does it feel completely natural to you?

Natural 100%.
Even after 9+ years there isn't a day that goes by that it doesn't cross my mind that I have an artificial hip. It's usually when I'm engaging in some type of movement that is probably a no-no.
For the most part though, I don't think of it because it feels so natural.

Glad you're having a decent recovery. May it only get better.
Happy One Month Anniversary and Happy Weekend!