THR Newbie! Anterior hip on May 19, 2015

[donor]

@Tweefishy it is hard to be told all the time that what we are going thru should be easier. Folks on the outside world for the most part don't understand. Here reading posts I am always torn between the folks that are light years beyond where I am and folks that have had setbacks. Depending on my mood and pain level some days I just read here and don't post a word. Hubby just keeps saying you could be much worse off......ya but, that can be said about anything. Nice that your hubby is compassionate.

 

[Suzette]

@donor glad you are ok ish. Know what you mean too x

 

[donor]

@Suzette it's hard I guess for folks to know what the right thing to say is. On the outside I look ok...so when asked to pick up a box of copy paper, I had to politely remind folks that I am still fragile-ish. Not that I could sling xerox paper boxes well after 3 back surgeries...but you get it. Lots of folks also ask to see my scar?? kinda odd, because I am very proud of it, however it is only whipped out at the right time to the right folks. I can do the stretch down with most pants at this point. Today I showed 3 women in a Mex Restaurant next to my office...they all have followed my journey. One needs to get hers done too. One of these days I am gonna get kicked out of somewhere. My hubby says.....do you have to show everyone?? I said, well honey, this is much better than after I had my breasts lifted....(another Forum to be sure) but I didn't keep my shirt down for a a good year after that one. He just had to get used to it.

 

[Suzette]

@donor I had to then too, well not literally Of course!! Sometimes just dropping, or lifting our clothing is the easiest way to have a laugh too. Good to laugh. Mind you I am a right misery moody cow lately.

So you also have/had back back, I do too, really bad sciatica in left leg caused by prolapsing 2 disc 6 yrs ago, they have now disintigrated leaving bone on bone, stenosis and arthritis in the lower back, I think the l5 l4 had 2 nerve blocks and 2 epidurals then they had to stop treatment this year as the spinal surgeon didnt know if the leg pain was from the back or hip. I think it was both. The only option for back now is fusion, but my mate just had that done and 5 months later and a severe infection, he still cant walk. He could before the op!!

I have yet to flash mine.......but I will. I have to keep looking at them to remind myself whats going on in there!! The scars I mean ....

I have a similar job to you. I work in an office and I know as soon as I am back they will expect me to be normal. The return date at the moment is the 3rd august. My boss has arranged a 2 day team meet, glamping camping and raft building.....erm I don't think I want to be risking that. The other part of my job is driving to Drs surgeries around the Uk, where we either train the staff and Drs how to use their computer systems and to add correct medical histories. I also train medical terminology.

My diary is already being filled plus I have a project starting in august working for the health authority as a sub contractor. The pressure to go back to work is building already, even though no one has asked me what my return schedule may be, ie half days, 2 days etc. Trying not to think about it. will wait until I see surgeon on the 24th july.

hey ho, we must go on in the hope people will understand that what they see on the outside isnt a representation of whats going on, on the inside.
xx

 

[donor]

@Suzette I will write more later about my back history...it's hard to manage for sure. Be back soon...

 

[Suzette]

No worries at all. Xx

 

[Sullivand]

@Suzette and @donor
Ya'll have had me laughing so hard! I have only shown my scars to my best friend and daughters~ I'm thinking I should show more people when I return to work! Maybe they won't expect me to lift and move things after that peek -a -boo!
Hang in there and keep that wonderful sense of humor going!

 

[donor]

@Suzette @Sullivand happy we could provide comic relief! Maybe if the world had a little more peek-a-b00, we would all laugh more. Suzette, hope the back is feeling better. Sounds we have a similar back history. I had herniations at L5 one year then L4 2 years later. This is a reader's digest version of my situation but......I thought I was going down like a deck of cards. I had two arthroscopic surgeries. First surgery was good, second not so much leaving me with some permanent nerve damage to left thigh. Long story short, I have had at least 7epidurals, every spine and disc treatment known to man and then finally a laminectomy in 2009. I think if I had the laminectomy first off, rather than opting for a more blind procedure, I probably would havea been better off. I have stenosis also but luckily the word fusion has never been said to me. When hip got so bad they thought it was my back also for a minute....but that was ruled out. I still have flare ups to this day and have been on neurontin for a million years. When my back flared up badly a week or so ago I went to that scary place again, luckily....it's feeling better this week. Thanks for asking and best of healing for all our body parts!!!! xo

 

[Suzette]

@donor that sounds so similar to my back / hip history.

My husband had a laminectomy 2 yrs ago due to the cauda equina nerve issues. That was a bit of a shocker as he had MRI, everyone panicked, he was admitted and operated on immediately. He did great too after, but still has back ache and on pain meds but no nerve pain, but its damaged now so has long lasting problems from that...

I take Gabapentin at night for my back nerve stuff . Helps me sleep a bit too.

So i am hoping that once the hips settle down, I can reassess the back problems, but will not be going down the fusion route if I can avoid it.

I was thinking, I have my feet in 2 camps of recovery. My left hip, which was the worse bone on bone hip replacement, has turned out to be doing very well and really does not give me any issues really, unless I am stupid. So I reckon if I just had that one done, I might be one of the hippies who maybe doing more...

But..my right hip is in the other OOOH it hurts camp and it still really does bloody hurt. Muscle throb, cramping, groin pain, bone throb, weakness, stiff, aching, still swollen and reminds me its there all the time. my knee hurts more on that leg too. Its also the accelerator and break leg so not sure about driving for a while either.

Are you back at work part time for the rest of july? I really am going to have to talk to my boss about staged return as my electronic diary has just been updated as office work 9 to 5

Love to you and all our healing parts xx

Ps it is funny about happily dropping ones pants. I dropped mine for the male gp when he was trying to get me behind a curtain for privacy. But it was too late...they were down already

 

[donor]

@Suzette all the parts are connected and our backs take a beating with all the poor posture etc with new hips. :( how much gabapentin do you take? I wish it helped me sleep! !!!! Such a struggle since hip replacement. Also new school of thought is it helps with hot flashes. I don't find that either.

 

[Suzette]

Hi
I have 300mg at night. It makes me really drowsy but sometimes I am still not able to sleep until about 2am. Once I am asleep its ok and usually I can stay asleep. Although some nights only manage 4 hours before I wake, but usually can nod off for a bit longer. Although won't be able to do that once work starts.

Well I still have hot flashes, just had to go back onto the HRT, which I was trying to avoid.

Blimey its enough to make anyone depressed if you think about it too much!! xx

 

[donor]

Does anyone sleep after hip replacement? ??? I have always been light sleeper which is terrible. Now with this hip recovery I wonder if I will ever sleep again? Tea doesn't work and I hate to resort to sleeping pill but tonight I am. Toss in a few hormones and I want to scream. I reread the insomnia article and it makes perfect sense but holy cow......I'm getting worried.

 

[Sullivand]

@donor
I agree! Sleep has been hard to find however~ I have noticed it's getting better! I am able to do more doing the day and I can take a half hour power nap around 4 or 5 in the afternoon. Then when I go to bed~ I am ready to sleep because I am not sleeping as much during the day. But then throw in infection worries and I was sleepless in Atlanta! I think it improves though since I had a peek of it for a few days last week. I think a way to fight it is to try not to worry and plan for a nap sometime the next day? Would that work for you? I am at 10 weeks today so I can tell you it will come your way.

 

[Suzette]

Hi @donor and @Sullivand I too was still awake at 2.40am. I get about 4 hours before waking up again. Even though the meds I am on cause drowsiness etc my brain won't shut off. Seem to have a good sleep in the 4 hours, but do then wake up drowsy from the meds the night before.

I am going in search of that insomnia article after I try and squeeze a few more hours in.

x

 

[copsham]

I was asleep through the night. Sleep time tea worked for me for four nights then lost its effect. I am back at the sleeping on my back is driving me mad stage.

 

[Jaycey]

@donor guess I should join your "bad back" club. Both your and Suzette's back histories sound very similar to mine. Had epidurals, physio, acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy - and spinal decompression surgery - and still have sciatic pain daily. My LTHR really made my back problems kick off. I was in agony the second day out - all from sciatic pain. No problems with the RTHR and I really think being able to move more has really helped my back issues.

Sympathies to all of you with sleep problems. All part of this recovery I am afraid. This too shall pass!

 

[donor]

thanks for all the replies. I sure hope it passes. I took a sleeping pill (expired in 2013 lol) but did sleep all night ! Wow. But here is my current concern.....this groin pain. The upper inner groin muscles that fire lifting leg into bed or car or doing pt exercises....pt lady mentioned possible femoral nerve damage??? I said holy s**t to myself. I am 8 weeks today and dont see OS for another 10 days. I don't think so because other than moving in a way that fires up that area...it doesn't hurt but the thought scares me. We all talk about groin pain.....so this is part of the process right? Oye vey.

 

[Suzette]

Oh no! Thing is I think I have bursitis on the right side. Had terrible sleep last night, woke up and was lying on my side. Been throbbing and aching all day.

I have managed to get rid of the groin pain, has yours just started? Or been there ages. It could be that tendon in there, or is it a ligament ! You could tag Josephine, as I am sure she also mentioned tendonitis.

I think I may too with the outer hip, knee and bum cheek throb!! Am icing up at the moment and in my lying down position

I too have out of date stuff naughty aren't we...
xx

 

[donor]

@Suzette well it shows I don't like taking pills much... no have had this pain since surgery. It has improved alot as I can easily go up stairs etc. It just seems lingering and now and then takes my breath away. Doesn't seem like a nerve as much as tendon/tissue pain but.....what the heck do I know???

 

[Suzette]

I reckon muscles etc....but what the heck do I know too x