Revision THR Now Facing Left Hip Revision

[zauberflöte]

@Beckford keep up with the horse sense and you will get your balance with your strength! Now I see I totally misunderstood you, so sorry!!

 

[Beckford]

Thank you hugely for the ongoing encouragement. It’s just what everyone needs while recovering because it sometimes is so daunting and you start doubting that you will ever get back to some resemblance of normality. I do know it’s a strength issue because with a stick taking some of the weight I am very stable. Why is it that the last bit you need is the hardest to achieve ( strength) .
I am very happy with my ROM and even cut my own toe nails today, a small victory but it made me feel good.
One other thing, my appetite is poor! I have lost interest in food, I think partly it’s the effort that is required in the kitchen. I just end up feeling sore with the turning around to collect pans, ingredients etc. I have tried ready meals but they are full of additives. I recently bought complan, a light meal in a drink but again I don’t think it’s all that nourishing. Any tips hippy friends x

 

[leejaa]

Cutting your own toe nails is a major achievement in my world so celebrate this new step.

I am worried about the fact that you do not feel you are eating nutritious foods. I do not know what is available in England for you but maybe someone can suggest some alternatives. I would consider making a some soups as you can get a lot of vegetables into them and protein and you can freeze into portions. I do not know if crockpots are common in England but maybe some easy recipes where you just throw things in and let them cook on their own and again freeze into portions so you have it for a change. My surgeon and hospital advised that all their surgical patients take in a special supplement for 3x/day for 5 days before surgery and again 3x/day for 5 days after surgery. This was a Nestle's product. Picture is attached. It is available on Amazon but the hospital apothecary sold it basically at cost which was great. I actually followed orders/suggestion and did drink this. I think it helped since with this last surgery I felt more peppy that with previous. I do not believe this is available in regular stores or at least I have never seen it.

 

[Elf1]

I didn't really have a big appetite for a while after surgery. I kept things like cheese and crackers, fruit, some turkey and things along those lines handy so I could nibble.

 

[Beckford]

I don’t have any appetite, that’s partly the problem. I am making sure I eat fruit , loads of milk , bran cereal and just very small snacks like a sandwich but I couldn’t face a big plateful of food.
Feeling really low today. It’s raining here and I am so fed up. My leg feels weaker than yesterday, like it just is too tired to do anything. Even getting up from the chair to go to the kitchen is a huge effort. All my enthusiasm has gone and I am feeling very sad because I just don’t feel part of this world anymore. Just spending so much time alone gets too much. Thank goodness my husband is home from work soon as I am just a sobbing mess today. All I pray for is strength in this leg. I also received paperwork from the surgeon who did the socket revision that dislocated 6 times. When I read it I just fell apart .

 

[Layla]

Hello Beckford,
Stay adequately hydrated and make sure to eat some protein. You can read online that, protein, contains amino acids to help produce key neurotransmitters in preventing and treating depression and anxiety. Protein packed meals and snacks help you avoid sugary, processed foods, which can trigger anxiety and depression. So if you’re feeling prone to riding that emotional roller coaster lately, this may be something to consider. Following are some snacks which may feel more manageable than a full meal -
Nuts
Trail Mix
Turkey roll ups (cheese or veggies rolled inside the turkey)
Greek Yogurt
Cottage Cheese
Hard Boiled Eggs
Tuna
Veggies & Hummus
Peanut Butter and Apple
Peanut Butter on Celery
Cheese Slices
Beef Sticks
Protein Bars
Protein Shakes
Canned Salmon on Crackers
Edamame
Chicken Salad
No Bake Energy Bites (many online recipes)

I think rainy days can make us all feel tired. You can’t comfortably go outdoors so snuggling in a cozy spot and watching a movie or reading a book sounds inviting, allow yourself that once in awhile. Are you able to invite friends or family over for short visits some days in an effort to minimize the loneliness and break up the day? If not, you’ll need to try to do more to occupy your mind so the days don’t feel so endless. I think it’s important you structure your days ahead of time so you don’t fall into the same old trap, day in and out. plan out your days in advance so you have something to look forward to each day. I’m really sorry you’re feeling so down.

Try to feel hopeful about the what is reflected on the paperwork you attached. It notes that it‘s typical to require some type of support such as a stick or crutch in the left hand after six months following your type of surgery. It doesn’t mention you’ll need it forever. It also notes the return to full weight bearing may be more difficult than average. It doesn’t say you’ll never reach that point. It also reads that full recovery takes up to two years. Given all you’ve been through and it’s a lot, you still have reason to feel hopeful about complete healing and a brighter future. Please hold onto that.

Sending a warm hug and wishes for a peaceful evening. We‘re here if you need us.
@Beckford

 

[helenium]

Hi @Beckford

So sorry to read that you're having such a bad day. It's a miserable day here too. Pouring rain, strong winds, poor mobility and covid restrictions are not a good combination.

Preparing food while low on energy and with poor mobility is bad enough even when feeling hungry. My surgeon had me drink two Ensure shakes daily until I was back to eating normally. I think they were Ensure Compact - high on energy and protein, but not huge volume. I had to keep weight bearing to a bare minimum for the first 3 months after surgery, so family and carers prepared my meals. But even after that I found my energy disappeared quickly as the day wore on, so I tried to get meal prep done early on. They were very simple meals too!

I'm a bit confused about that paperwork. Does it refer to the previous revision you had on 5 June 2018?

Hope the day improves for you.

 

[Beckford]

Thank you to both for your kind words. It’s comforting to know that people do care.
The paperwork goes back to the previous hip that kept dislocating. I requested all my paperwork so I could keep everything together, especially now I have changed consultants. It just keeps everything up to date.
It was the way he said about my small amount of bone and recovery would be more difficult. It just flattened me but I am sure I will bounce back. I am definitely very stubborn about using a stick, I hate the idea.

Let’s hope tomorrow will feel better!
On the food list I eat lots of peanut butter. I make shakes with two bananas, a dollop of honey and a good two spoonfuls of peanut butter and whizz it in my blender with milk. That’s my lunch nearly every day. Xx

 

[helenium]

That's good that it referred to your previous surgery. My understanding is that there was less bone in-growth than he would have liked, not that you had a small amount of bone. But now that you've had another revision, I don't think that it follows that it would be the case this time. Have you been able to have a recent follow up x-ray and appointment, or has that all been delayed because of covid?

Let's hope tomorrow's a better day. I love peanut butter, so much so that I daren't have it in the house. I'll be around for lunch!!!

 

[Beckford]

Yes you could be right about the bone. I forwarded the comments to my new surgeon to get his views on this.
Also,, I took the decision to cut out my codeine on Monday. I have been on 60 mg 3 times a day.
I am wondering if I am suffering with withdrawals because on the whole I have been a bit brighter. Now the codeine is out of my system I feel so depressed.
Just trying to make sense of it all.
Please tell me how long it was before you really noticed improvement. I seem to be stuck at the same level. I am now 3 months post op ? Am I expecting too much?? I usually do but I crave my old life back , the happy Jane I used to be.

 

[zauberflöte]

@Beckford I'm sorry you're having a rotten time! Glad hubby is there for you!

120 mg codeine/day is very much more than my max allowed, which was 10 mg 4x a day=40 mg total. My stomach, head, and gut can't tolerate that for long, so with each hip I started weaning after just a few days. Perhaps call your preferred surgeon about a weaning pattern?

My codeine was in the form of 5mg codeine+325mg Tylenol, called percocet. For every 1/2 percocet I dropped, I substituted 1/2 of a 325mg tylenol. I kept very careful records, so I could tie pain levels to amounts of codeine.

I used to love your shake! It's what I ate after my first major surgery at about age 30. Lost my appetite, and that got complementary proteins and fruit into me in a sip-able form. I used very ripe bananas, so didn't even think of sweetening it. Honey and peanut butter are ambrosia!!! Mr ZF's childhood best friend's family called that "ooshy-goosh".

 

[helenium]

Hi @Beckford
How are you today?

Please tell me how long it was before you really noticed improvement

My improvement has been so gradual I'm afraid it's it's impossible to quantify and answer your question. And no two recoveries are the same anyway, even with my own revisions, so we shouldn't compare. But I'll do my best to explain my approach to it all.

There are weeks when I feel I'm going backwards, and when I get down about what I perceive to be a lack of progress I look back a few weeks, or to a memorable occasion, and can see very clearly that yes, I am improving. For example, the meal out for my birthday, when all I really wanted was to go home! My last hospital appointment when I was told I could start to use just one crutch but I couldn't get very far. The start of lockdown, when a grocery delivery was almost too much for me to manage on my own. The day I got up from a chair and walked off without a crutch was brilliant!

When it came to the "energy drain", I would say it affected me for about 5 months. My surgeon had warned me, and reassured my daughter that all was as he would expect at my 4 month appointment (family were thinking there was something dreadfully wrong with me!). That improvement was very gradual too, and I was beginning to think that it was the "new me", but in that respect I feel normal again.

I've just worked out that you're 16 weeks out from surgery? For the first 6 weeks you were toe-touch weight bearing. Think back to when you first started to put weight on the leg, can you see a huge improvement since then?

You've had such a dreadful time with that hip, your impatience to get back to a normal life is so understandable. But have faith in your new surgeon. He is happy with your new hip, the malalignment that caused all those dislocations has been corrected, and you are well on the road to recovery and a brighter future. For some of us it's a long haul, but give those poor soft tissues a chance to recover and I have no doubt that you'll do really well.

 

[Beckford]

Thank you Claire
I am feeling much better today. The sun is shining and I have had my last clean the house this morning so that perks me up.
Yes when I look back I have come a long way and it sounds like you have too.
I had a grocery delivery yesterday, my husband is usually here but he had popped out so I had to unpack and put everything away, I tell you I found it exhausting.
I spoke to my GP and we have agreed I should taper off the codeine slowly as it can really add to any depression that you are already dealing with.
Honestly I never thought this would be such a long haul but it’s done and the only way now is forward so I simply have to try and keep calm, don’t panic and rest as much as possible because I do find that is the best healer , with my walking as well of course. I shall do 30 minutes this afternoon then that will be me finished, it’s hard work as you know and requires a huge amount of self discipline and dedication!
The lovely support I have had from you and others really has got me through some very dark times and I am hugely thankful for you sparing your time to think about me and my recovery when you are also dealing with your own. Although it does sound like you are making steady progress so I am very happy for you. This year with Covid and surgery has been a complete right off as far as I am concerned and I am focusing on 2021 and doing some nice enjoyable things , I hope that you too will be able to start living more and having some fun.
Jane

 

[Mojo333]

@Beckford
Happy Saturday.
Hoping you are keeping the faith and sending continued well wishes for rapid healing g.
Hugsxxxx

 

[Beckford]

Thank you for all the encouragement and support, it’s much appreciated.
I have been increasing my walking steadily but still getting dsiwhere I get a very sore pain in the front groin area, ie, roughly where the tendons attach to the pelvis. Has anyone else experienced this at three months? I did have pretty major revision surgery but this is not a pain I would be able to cope with if it was long term. I do elevate and ice after walking for at least an hour before I use the leg again. It’s particularly sore this morning and hurts to put full weight on the leg. No other signs or clues as to anything being wrong. And ROM is good. No problem lifting the leg either and can almost do a single leg stance ( not for very long at all) so I am seeing improvements but this groin pain is concerning because it hurt in this area pre op

 

[CricketHip]

Me! I was still having groin pain at 3 months and longer. My right hip was a very slow healer in that area.. In fact, it still bothers me from time to time and my ROM isn't 100% like my left is. I notice it when trying to swing my leg over my bike (boy model).
I am now at 14 months post op and am still noticing improvements and I didn't have a revision, etc.

It is a bothersome discomfort and I agree that I wouldn't want that there for eternity. My OS recommended I give it the full year and check back with him and so far I haven't because it definitely continues to improve.

You are so right that it feels like it did pre operatively and yes that is unnerving! You have been through so much with your hip and I know you don't want to hear this but sadly, you will be exercising your patience muscle for many more months. 3 months is really, very early on in the recovery.

I hope you have have a good weekend and can get out for a drive or some other activity that helps ease your spirits..
Oh! Forgot to add that I iced the groin area for a loooong time, probably still was doing so at 5 months, still.

 

[Mojo333]

I have been increasing my walking steadily but still getting dsiwhere I get a very sore pain in the front groin area, ie, roughly where the tendons attach to the pelvis. Has anyone else experienced this at three months?

Me! I was still having groin pain at 3 months and longer.

Me too...
Slowly but surely it lessened.

 

[Beckford]

Not feeling good today!! I am definitely having a sore day which is starting to concern me more and more as time goes by. I am over three months now and today it really hurts putting weight on my leg.
Please give me hope

 

[clodaghcov]

Hi Beckford,if its sore putting full weight dont do it,i was like you and pushed myself so much but it was not the answer,it was also my revision,i think it really is worth going slowly, i let the physios talk me into doing things that really caused problems, i thinkBonesmart are right just walk with or without cruches or cane and let your body do the healing,big hugsxxx

 

[leejaa]

You are on a long journey of recovery and you have been on this journey for so long with so many impediments along the way. I can see that your reserves of patience are probably depleted and then some. I am amazed at what you have gone through and come to this revision recovery with grace.

Hang on to some extra faith that all will be well but it will take more time. After all the dislocations and it is your second revision everything will hurt longer and I am sorry you have to go through this recovery again and that it will be slow. Continue to be kind to your body and your hip and give it plenty of rest.

Sending you (((hugs))) and positive healing vibes. I hope your day is peaceful.