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Regenm

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I'm 57 I've had right hip replaced 7 years ago right knee replaced 12/30/18 and previously left hip replaced 7/30/19. I've used all my days since school started for teachers 8/5/19. I'm going back to teaching 3 weeks postop for financial reasons and I'm worried I won't be able to make it through the day. I was discharged from pt Friday and still feeling exhausted around noon. I've been trying to push more activity daily but I'm not recovering as quickly as I thought. My knee replacement still bothers me at times too. I just need some reassurance that ill be able to do it. Any opinions about my situation??
 
I'm going back to work 3 weeks postop THR 8/21 and laying in bed now resting after vacuuming my house. I surely hope a shot of adrenalin comes my way because my 7th graders will suck all energy from me at the end of 1st period. How am I gonna get through this?
 
:yikes:. I'm sure others will be on board soon to comment on the (un)realistic 3 weeks back to work teaching goal. But I'm tagging @ChrissyW, who is a teacher and she can tell you how she went back to work....and when! Sorry to sound pessimistic but THR, although a godsend, is no picnic for the first few weeks. :elevate:
 
@Regenm
Welcome to BoneSmart, glad you joined us!
Returning to school teaching at 3 weeks is very ambitious. @KarriB a school teacher (now retired) returned to work after her TKR.
We usually recommend 12 weeks off before returning to work with a Phased return to work .
If possible, suggest you request additional time off.

Here is a copy of the post op articles, they are short and will not take long to read.

Here are the Hip Recovery Guidelines, the articles are short and will not take long to read.

Hip Recovery: The Guidelines

1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​
3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
5. At week 4 and after you should follow this
6. Access these pages on the website

Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery

Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.
 
You'll notice that I have moved your newest thread and to pre op. You will receive more responses to your questions in pre op.
If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.
If you need an urgent response to a question, just tag a member of staff.
How to tag another member; how to answer when someone tags you

Here are the instructions on finding your thread, How can I find my threads and posts? . Many members bookmark their thread, so they can find it when they log on.
 
Hi everyone. Thanks for tagging me @Calgal . @Regenm hope you are well and like you I too am a teacher. We are currently on the summer break ( though the weather seems to have forgotten it's summer!) I went back to work at 7 weeks and wouldn't have managed at all before. I was lucky that I was able to do a phased return working 4 hours a day in the first week and by week 5 I still only did 6. As I teach post 16 I was able to ensure I covered all my lessons and my management duties, alongside a number of meetings however please don't rush yourself. Have you discussed a phased return? I was exhausted each day, not only from the physical side but also mentally through returning to 'making my brain actively work' ( no offence meant to anyone but I didn't know a better way of wording it).
Please do take care, as I say, and I wonder if you'll get any of the questions I did from my students. The one I will never ever forget was 'how did you wipe your bum?':happydance:
Xx
 
Hi everyone. Thanks for tagging me @Calgal . @Regenm
Please do take care, as I say, and I wonder if you'll get any of the questions I did from my students. The one I will never ever forget was 'how did you wipe your bum?':happydance:
Xx

Funny...
I don't think anyone ever mentioned it here... my surgery is approaching and this is certainly one of my concerns.
:)
 
3 weeks return to full time work - oh my. I returned to work after 6 wks after both of my TKRs but for a few weeks it was part time and also I had an administrative job where I had my office set up for leg elevation and icing. The brain tiredness is also very real of trying to deal with recovery of the body. I would really encourage taking some more time off if at all possible.
 
Oh my, I’m 3 weeks post surgery and I can’t imagine going back to work. I do so little at it is compared to my normal activity. I’m pooped just walking for a short time. If you can I would really push for more time off or less hours as others have said. Good luck to you, hope it all works out.
 
Thank you for responding and concerns. I went back to work 4 weeks post op TKR same as my right hip. I feel pressure to return for many reasons. I think ill push it to 4 weeks out. I'm exhausted just thinking about it. Kudos to all.
 
RinTinTin: It is an honest and valid question. I'll take this one for the team since I too found this an issue.
I have the portable four-inch riser on my toilet and through trial and error, found the easiest way to do so was lean back on the toilet so my back touched the tank, straighten out my legs as opposed to having bent knees, spread out the unoperated leg as far as I could and with toilet paper in hand, went for it. It helps if your unoperated leg is in decent shape; mine was (is) not so I had little space to work with. Of course it gets easier with time as the operated hip heals. Hope this helps!
 
Can you do it? yes you can. Will it be good for you and your recovery, no. Sorry, just the voice of reality, but I think you knew the answer before you asked. It's not going to be pretty. You will struggle and your recovery will most likely take longer than the 3 mos minimum usually recommended.
 
Hi, Congrats on your new hip. Thanks for joining us.
Returning to work at three months post is an extremely ambitious goal and I can't imagine how you'll do it.
Especially given how tired you are now. Many tend to envision themselves in their workplace, but forget about the time and energy involved in getting there, going through the motions at work, then getting back home. Your brain may not even be functioning optimally at that point. With any luck you're able to get several more weeks off feeling stronger and more rested upon your return. Good luck!
@Regenm
 
@Regenm
I'm glad you will push it back to 4 weeks, that will give you at least another week but also suggest that you rest up and not try to do so much. I know you think that you are getting yourself "ready" for your return to work but your body needs to recover- from the pain meds, anesthetic, the surgery itself and you have had 2 in relatively rapid succession. That is a lot of injured and inflamed tissue that your body is trying to process and heal.

I come from a family of teachers (I'm not) so I understand the pressure to return, so won't make lightly of what you are feeling, I've heard them all fret in this very same manner over the years. :console2: The pressure can be really difficult and it can really hang over your head at times..

Are you eligible for any FMLA? Or is this what you have already used up? Maybe I am being naive but your knee was completely separate from your hip, surely they don't count both as one sick leave? You don't even need to answer the questions, just hoping to be thought provoking.. you are investing in your body so you don't, God forbid, miss more work later on.

I feel like an auctioneer:
We've got 4 weeks, can we get 5? Yes! 5 !! 6 weeks, do I hear 6 weeks ?

I hope I didn't ask too many questions, it's just hard to imagine you returning to a room of 7th graders so soon!

Take care and keep us up on how you are doing! We care. :flwrysmile:
 
Hi @Regenm I'll join in the chorus...put off your return for as long as you possibly can. I was fortunate that I didn't have my THRs until after I retired (8th grade English teacher). We recommend a 12 week hiatus till returning to work, and I remember thinking at 12 weeks how difficult it would be to have to return even then. 3 or 4 weeks post-op? Yikes!!

So a couple possible problem-solving thoughts :
1. Does your district have any kind of sick leave bank you could tap into?
2. Would your district allow a sub who was willing to donate services to you?
3. Would your district allow you to bring in someone as an aide, if you had a qualified person to help you out? I returned to work 4 weeks after a hysterectomy, back in the olden days before laparoscopy. A good friend of mine was a certified teacher who was not working at that time. She came in to help me for a couple hours each day, and it made an amazing difference.
4. Do you have any friends who could organize a fundraiser for you, to help offset your expenses if you have to take unpaid leave to gain a few more weeks?

Good luck. We all do what we have to do. At the very least, if you have to go back to work, put everything else on hold. No other PT. Don't run errands. Don't do housework. Rely on frozen dinners for a few weeks. If you're still limping, use a walker or a cane at work. At home, ice liberally if pain is still an issue at all. Recycle old lesson plans for a while. Get creative about grading papers to avoid taking work home. Go to work, then go home and rest and sleep. You will get through it. Somehow. Then come back and tell us all how you did it!!
 
Hi @Regenm i thought I'd add that the question the student had asked hadn't actually caused me the problems I thought it would. I was worried about 'the bum' pre surgery but as many gave added in the thread above it isn't too bad. I was able to 'reach' both sides without too much leaning or bending, making sure I kept the operated leg extended, and a lovely nurse in the hospital reassured me I was doing fine. You'll be great. I'm also glad you've considered extending your time away from work, even by that week, and I think what @sharonslp advices is something to look in to. also, just one point, when you do go back, no crouching at the side of these desks supporting the student! Have a good day
 
I liked the auctioneer's statements. Lol.
 
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