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THR New Hip - On My Way Now to a Better Life

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Hiya Chef. Just getting caught up on your thread. I am going to give you my feelings about your return to work. First, I think it is too soon for you, especially still taking percocet and muscle relaxers.

You can not drive on those! Who is putting pressure on you to return? Yourself or the company? You know, this is NOT going to be forever, and my feelings are that to rush going back, you are setting yourself up for more pain and a slower recovery.

If you can continue to work from home, a few weeks make a HUGE difference in recovery time. Can you aim for the start after the new year? I honestly think you are making a big mistake, especially with the added commute.

If you were able to car pool, you could relax a little more and not be in the driver's seat. I honestly don't see how anyone can return to work before the four month mark. I know I had a fracture, and my situation was different, but even so. Four months was a pretty good turning for me.

You sound like you are doing very well, and I hate to see you set yourself up for disappointment, mentally and physically. Just think about it. Once you can stop all this worry about going back so soon, you can focus more on letting the recovery just happen naturally and not trying to force this issue.

You do know that in the end, nature is going to win every time! just think about it. Good luck with whatever you decide, but my feelings are that it is much too soon...
 
Chef,
I do think Janet is talking ( or typing) sense. You may find your body just wont do what you want it to anyway and may end up delaying your long term recovery. In terms of the double edged sword; maybe looking after yourself is setting a good example!!!! I think so anyway. It would be all that driving I would be most worried about moreso than the work.
Best wishes with your decisions.
Gizmo
 
Hiya Chef

Wouldn't it be good if we could just win lottery (or the US equivalent) and just retire somewhere warm. I like you hate the cold weather! But I keep my focus on only 139 weeks to retirement now.

But getting back to the land of reality - work! I am sure you will come up with a strategy that will work for you. And you are doing so well with your PT, so all must be getting so much stronger.

Phased return or just try a part day and see how that feels... I know you will be ok.

You mentioned in my thread about our dramatic temp changes where I live - yes it is well known that when we get visitors from the UK they say they find it colder here than back home. Also we are only a two hour drive from our major Aussie snow fields, so that is an indicator of how cold it can get. It is not uncommon for us to have -7 degrees C here in winter and have even had snap frosts as late as Oct. At the moment (6:22 am) Sunday morning the winds are blowing at 41 kilometers an hour and then suddnelyndrop to 25 k's an hour.. Very changeable weather. Like I have mentioned, Australia seems to be recording the big changes in climate change. We are having massive floods which ar evacuating people from their homes just in the northern part of NSW and over in WA there have been devastating fires with loss of 30 odd homes.

Well buddy, I woke a bit too early this morning, so am going to snuggle back down and see if I can drop off again.
 
Just a quick update on this soggy Cleveland day. I had the choice of driving my son to my brother's house 1/2 hour away so his daughter could take him back to Ohio State or do the grocery shopping. Perhaps foolishly I chose grocery shopping. Over an hour and $155 later I returned home with a very sore and swollen knee. I think the problem is that I'm locking my knee too often when standing and even briefly while walking. My hip felt pretty good although later in the day I noticed some sharp pinching type pain. I have put ice on both of them a couple times and I'm typing from my lap in bed with ice on my knee now. I don't know where this leaves me with going back to work other than I'm glad I have another week to figure it out.

I have PT on Tuesday and Thursday morning this coming week. Both sessions are in the late morning so I should be pretty nimble going in.

That is about the excitement from here.:sleep:
 
Well there ya go! That just showed what you are in for by going back to work before you are really ready. As the weeks go by Chef, you will be able to do more and more of this stuff, but I still feel it is way too soon.

You know that is JUST my opinion, but having already gone thru this, I know first hand how long it takes to be up to the task and I just know I NEVER would have been ready for work (even without a fracture) at two months post op. Just think about it...
 
Hi Chef,

I hope that the ice helps everything settle back down. Those floors at the grocery store are pretty unforgiving as well! How are your shoes? I don't think you are among the dysplasia related folks on the forum, but I bet it is even good for regular guys to replace their shoes after hip surgery too.

Have a good week,
Cardie
 
Chef....I agree with the others that you really need more time. And I also agree with the idea of starting out with partial days. If I may make a suggestion....when you do start back at half days, be sure to go in for the LAST half of the workday. I speak from personal (workaholic) experience and, if you go in first thing (and heaven forbid TWO hours early!!!), you'll probably end up staying most of the day....or maybe even all of it. It's hard to leave once you're there and involved in what's going on.

The good example that you're setting for your employees is that you are NOT coming back to work before you're ready to give your company a full measure of work. You wouldn't really expect that of your employees either, would you? No one is judging you except yourself. Keep in contact with your staff but set the right example by taking adequate time to heal before returning.
 
Hi Chef

I hope the ice and rest has helped both your knee and hip. I think your progress has been amazing.
 
Hi Chef, I agree with everyone about waiting to go back to work. But enough of that - the shoe thing. Yes, replace any shoes you had for any length of time pre-op. Shoes get worn down pre-op. Starting new really does help.

I was having major back problems post-op and Jamie suggested I replaced my shoes. Really made a big difference!
 
I too feel shoes play a major role. I'm suffering with horrible low back pain from my herniated discs. They felt fine for the past year and all of a sudden, wham can barely stand straight and lots of pain. I'm too trying the new shoe way and see how that goes. I even got those "happy feet" inserts this weekend. Willing to try anything. :biggrin:
 
You sound like you are doing well Chef but I am going to add my 2 cents on going back to work. I agree with everyone else. I would hate to see you suffer a setback by going back too soon ad it is so easy to overdo when you go back. I understand completely. I really wanted to get back into my office but if you can work from home a bit longer you should and ease your way back in if you can. If you over do you will be out eve longer. Jamie is right, do the last half of the day, it is too tempting to stay even if you swear you wont. I made sure I had PT on many of those first days I went back because it would force me to leave by a predetermined time. I still am trying to leave early a couple days a week.my issue is because I look normal, everyone assumes I am ready to go back to a hectic schedule, long days, traveling and evening meetings. I know I am not ready for that yet, but it is so tempting to just say yes because I have always been the go to person and I am feeling pretty good. Plus, I had that schedule while I was i serious pain so it is easy to see why they expect me to pick right back up where I left off. But I know as good as I feel I am not 100% and have to do what is good for my healing. I agree with Janet, the shopping was a good indicator. Take care of yourself first!
 
Hmmm. Guess my last post didn't. Here it is again.

I went to see a GP today since I have not been feeling that good and I am going back to work on Monday (yes, I know, why am I going back to work if I don't feel good). Seems the Percocet isn't playing nicely at this point. I'm having some blood tests done tomorrow (was closed for the day after my doctor visit) to check a couple things. He increased my one BP medication since my BP was 170/100. He also put me on another medication to help even me out so hopefully I can sleep. He told me to not expect overnight results - more like a week or two before I would be feeling better.


I plan on venturing out to a couple stores tomorrow (Saturday) then coming home and making some big meal since both of the kids will be home. I recall someone posting about a recipe section of the site. I'll have to check it out once my laptop gets fixed - my left mouse key broke off - of all the keys - why not the `~ key!


Struggled enough with the computer for now.


I hope everyone is making progress in their recovery.
 
Well, ya gotta do what ya gotta do! I hope it all goes well for ya Chef! Fingers crossed. Incidentally, my BP is running much the same as yours. Pain is playing a part in it...

Good luck on Monday and please update as you can.
 
Sounds like your body is giving you messages Chef. Time to take things easy. Hope you can get some much needed rest!
 
Excellent Recipe Column in the Social Area. Jamie combined three old threads to get them all in.

I Love It :loveshower:. Thanks again Jamie!
 
Hi Chef

Looks like you have made the decision to return to work please please be careful and don't overdo it, I took it gradually to begin with when I returned to work but had a great team leader who was really flexible and helpful.

Billy
 
Hope you can get things worked out so you can sleep. I'm having issues as well and I've been given a few things to try. The rest sure is needed so you can work. I did the wake up at 1:00 a.m. last week one day and watch the clock till I woke for work. That work day wasn't a fun one.

It seems like our bodies just don't want to cooperate sometimes. :rolleyespink:

Take care and be careful with the week at work. Don't over do it.
 
So I went to work on Monday and lasted most of the day. I left about an hour early but didn't take any lunch, so I put in my 8 hours. Adding the 50 minute drive each way and it was a long first day. More than anything my knee was pretty stiff. Yes I was tired at the end of the day, but guess what? I couldn't fall asleep at night. It was probably 1:00am by the time I got to sleep, then up about 3:30 and tossed around until the alarm went off at 5:30.

Today I made it in a little better, the weather was much nicer, but still very dark in the morning. I had a half hour meeting at 11:00 and my goal was to leave after that. So much for making my goal, about 1:45 I had enough, packed up and came home and finished working from my home office. Again today I feel tired, but just having tried to lay down and watch some TV, I can tell falling asleep will be a challenge.

Tomorrow I plan to work from home and maybe Thursday too. Friday is our office "Holiday" party and I really want to try and make that. Unfortunately it is another 15 minutes further away from home than the office is. I also need to get in to have my keyboard replaced on my laptop and maybe my new iPhone as it keeps shutting itself off and can only be restarted by pulling the battery. Oh isn't technology grand smja!

Well it sounds like maybe something interesting on TV in the bedroom so I'm off to go see.

Heal well everyone!
 
Hey Chef

So pleased to hear from you. Yep, I can just imagine going back to work is no fun. I know I am not looking forward to it and still have way over a month before I have to face it.

This lack of sleep... I feel for you, if we were on the same time zone we could be chatting on line as I had a similar night.

Ah! Technology! What fun it is - not!

I hope you get it sorted, take care thinking of you. Sending sleep signals for your next night!
 
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