THR Okay so it's over! 12/17/13

[Hoppy Nanny]

@dkirk0530. Diane ..so great to hear the great progress that you've made...sooo very pleased for you that you have got your life back and running across the road!! Just the best news and so good of you to share it...hope you go from strength to strength in your recovery. Take care...Chrissie xxx


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[dkirk0530]

Thanks @Hoppy Nanny, Chrissie! I'm enjoying things like shopping again.. yes SHOPPING!!! I used to dislike due to pain of getting buggy, walking isles, geez.. lord help me if I forgot something on the other side of the store.. like the lettuce! I'd just forget it and buy more ice cream! now I just wander around the store, side to side, back and forth, more rows the better! haha..today... went to gym, did 10 minutes on tread, 10 on elliptical and 10 on bike.. then weights and PT exercises! Doing laundry, housecleaning, etc. If this was the old me I'd have been sitting in a chair all day and in constant pain regardless of what I was doing. Now I don't have a reason to have my toilets dirty!! haha.. need a new excuse and shopping is not a good one ;) Hope all are doing well. Am almost 7 weeks out.. sweet sunny day in Middle Georgia. They say we are due for another Icecapade this week.. for now it's in the high 60's! love it! have a great day hippy friends.

 

[Hibbe]

@dkirk0530 whooohoooo- not only he gym, but the market! Good for you. You mentioned you used to do elliptical prior to surgery, and are now doing it post. Easy to transition back into it? Ugh, my PT had me try the eliptical, which I had a rough time doing pre, and now post, it's great exercise, but I'll have to work up to 10 min. Im ok w the bike. Keep up the inspiring workout at the GYM! Still awaits me . You sound wonderfully happy - thrilled for you! I'm doing well, myself. We are blessed.....blessings to all our BS friends!

 

[FLgirlie]

@dkirk0530
I had left THR this past Monday, and plan to post on my progress, but I really am enjoying getting away from technology...and I finally, now that I am in post-op, have time to read a few others' stories. I haven't even finished yours to the end, but had to write after reading a few of your posts regarding hormones. My OS told me that I had stop my hormones 2 weeks before surgery. He told me this at my consult, and I jokingly said...."You DO know why I'm taking them, right?"
I only started them about 6 months ago and it was because of extreme hot and cold flashes, and not just at night...all day long! When I started the patch, the med worked perfectly, and life went back to normal. So...my OS then said I could stop them 1 week b4 surgery. And I can't start them again and until he approves them, probably about 2 weeks after surgery. Not sure.
I have done a ton of reading, and you are the only other person I have come across with the same issue...I was starting to think I was the only 50 year old female out here who needed a hip replacement who was also told to stop hormones. I think I dreaded stopping the hormones more than the surgery itself. But I did stop them at 10 days before surgery, and surprisingly, its not been quite as bad as it was 6 months ago. Don't get me wrong, I am still experiencing hot/cold flashes, sweating, but not nearly as often or as bad as before. Knock on wood.
Just wanted you to know you are not the only one who had their hormones taken away because of this surgery...and wasn't thrilled about it.
I'm very surprised you weren't told to stop b4 surgery. My OS and my local PCP who did my pre-op clearance both said I had to stop them. And on the hospital call about 3 days b4 surgery, the nurse confirmed that I had indeed stopped them. Not sure why it was a big deal for me, I am super healthy in every other way, no history of any health problems, no weight issues, rarely drink, etc.
Who knows??

BTW, Great job on recovery!!

Flgirlie

 

[dkirk0530]

@FLgirlie aahh friend of hormone.. yea I think I forgot to tell them of patch.. I was like oh.. yea I have this patch thing.. and they were quick to tell me to remove. Fear of clotting came to find out later. Yes, me too on flashing. Ironically oorrr not? flashes started about same time as hip kicked up. I do wonder the impact or lack of hormones on the joints, have read a lot on it. Did you see recent news about recommendation for woman to stay on hormones AFTER joint replcement? they are finding it very helpful for long term success. It was on national news!

I went back on patch and am happy I did.. I'm sleeping almost like a baby again! I tell you life is good. I see you had the superpath! I need to read your thread again.. how you doing overall?? it is amazing! I was told by a hip doc in Atlanta that I'd feel ten years younger once I had it complete.. just hope my knees hold out now from all the activity I'm now doing.. they haven't been used this much in three years! haha. Im looking forward to 42! Hope alls well.

Diane

 

[dkirk0530]

@Hibbe yes.. I do have a love hate thing with the ellipitcal. it was the only thing I could do prior to surgery. The bike was out, couldn't go round and round and the treadmil.. well, walking was a mess for me! so the elliptical became my go to. I bought one for my house but my son is in that room again so Im not using the machine at home these days. My fit bit force is great. keeps me real. I have it set to go off twice a day, helps me remember to move. and then if I get close to 10,000 steps.. I take a walk, I'm a bit of a mess when I have a goal to achieve! I'm a little OCD ish.. but I can tell you even doing laundry before was a nightmare.. putting it away ugh... so its all good.. what you up to these days? what's working? what's not? how's the recovery. we are blessed! @Hibbe

 

[Poppet]

Good to read you are doing so well @dkirk0530 - hitting certain milestones get us all so excited. Good for you!

 

[Hoppy Nanny]

Fabulous @dkirk0530. 10,000 steps...that's amazing and all that housework...you've made me feel exhausted. Good on you. Love Chrissie xx


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[Poppet]

Glad you are enjoying BoneSmart @TKD - we aim to provide informative information, support, and have some fun...

I haven't checked, but I am sure you have started a thread of your own in the recovery section?

Don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have

 

[Vetgirl]

Hi @dkirk0530 glad your recovery is going so well

@TKD welcome to BS

 

[dkirk0530]

Thanks Sally!! aka @Vetgirl! I hope you are doing well these days.. checking out your thread, it's been awhile! Life is good, snow and ice in Georgia again but at least I'm not in pain! love it. @TKD there is so much support on this site, even in the weeeee hours of the night! I'm so thankful for folks on here.

 

[Jp9294]

@dkirk0530 this weekend was tough for me, not from pain, from total boredom. I can't wait to feel normal again. So I came here to read what you are up to and I am so happy to see you are leading an active "normal" life! (Even if part of that is cleaning toilets, haha) I wanted to know when I would begin to get my energy back and not feel the constant tenderness in my thigh. Would you say by week 4 I should begin to feel like myself again? When did you start going to the gym? I have a recumbent bike that I'd like to get on, but I'm not sure I should. My follow up appt with my OS is not until March 11! I Have not left the house since I got home on Feb 4, mostly because it has been so snowy I didn't want to chance it, but I'm planning to go to office on Monday and hoping I don't fall asleep at my desk after an hour! LOL. It sounds like you are doing so well and I can't wait to "get out there and live again too!" This resting and elevating is getting SO OLD! Keep up the the great work!

 

[dkirk0530]

Hey Jackie! @Jp9294 I was pretty good by week 4 and then each week after was better and better and I did a little more each week. Had surgery December 17th and returned to work on the January 10th but was driving back and for an hour each way to work by January 13th so less than 4 weeks was back to work. I was completely off of all devices when I returned to work. I was at the gym by week 6 but I delayed going since I was getting on the recum bike there and I finally asked the PT if I could go to the gym. She told me I could since doc said I had NO restrictions. I really started to crank in week 6/7. The PT helped me feel more confident and really helped with bldg muscles and ROM. I'm thankful for her, need to go back but sadly I've jumped too far back into work and it's bldg up on me big time already. I work in a start up site so not much I can do but try and jump back on the merry go round.

I'm now able to do a lot at the gym.. pretty much have ramped up to 30-minutes of aerobic exercises now on machines, elliptical, treadmill and bike. I do leg lifts, side, front, squats, weights on arms, etc. So all of those have helped me a lot!! It's amazing!

This week I drove to Florida, seven hours and today shopped till I droped. On fitbit have clocked 5000 steps today already. I'm not meaning to brag here only hoping to give you some idea of how I progressed. So hope I don't sound to "look at me" I just know when I was in your spot I was looking towards the future and what I had to endure before I was back to "normal" haha. and I'm cleaning toilets, doing laundry, cleaning floors, shopping, cooking.. yep.. pretty much back.

I did sleep pretty well so my energy is good. I do have nights still where I need to sleep 8 to 10 hours but it's only to catch up from getting 6 hour nights sleep.

The only thing that lingers is tenderness in thigh, numbness from thigh to knee but it's getting better, and I cannot sleep on my operative side yet, too tender. So do have a way to go yet for total recovery and I'm looking at this as a full year of recovery. I hope to walk, fast enough not to embarass me, a 5K in December with my long distance runner husband and daughter! That's my goal. sadly, I know I will never run again but I'm dealing with that loss and will get over it. It's now about quality of life, losing the rest of the lbs I've gained and enjoying things that I have not in a long time!

Good luck girl.. from what I am seeing you are on the path to recovery.. I think that snow is just holding you back up there. Lol! Take care and I'm watching your site too...so rest and elevate and get ready to clean toilets soon!

BTW.. just googled on line Amazon prime and checked out YoGa Tapes.. want to get back to that again too so will be watching you progress in that realm too! not just toilets. Will keep you posted.

Diane

 

[MajorHeidi]

@dkirk0530 Diane, your report above sounds fantastic.
You are SO back!!
Way to go, and you continue to be such an inspiration to us all!

 

[Jp9294]

Thank you Diane! Reading your reports are so inspiring! I do need to remind myself I'm only 12 days out and I need to be patient. I want to blink my eyes and be where you are, but that is not realistic and I feel silly saying it out loud. I'm just not used to laying around and it is beginning to get to me. I'm sure I will feel better once I begin going into the office. When did you begin working with a PT doing more than those exercises they tell you to do for the first 6 weeks? I don't want to rush myself and risk a setback and I do think I will need a PT to help me build confidence in my new hip. Thanks again! You have definitely energized me!

 

[Poppet]

Slow and steady ladies - good times ahead - when your body decides

I didn't have the chance to get bored, slept, napped for six weeks post, then went back to work at seven weeks... Could handle some boredom down time right now. xx

 

[scubysteve]

@dkirk0530 , I'm a week and a half behind you, your recovery story is inspiring for me. So many of the things you've mentioned I recognise in my recovery. The one that really caught me by surprise was the emotional rollercoaster, I wasn't expecting that. Thank you.

 

[dkirk0530]

Yep.. emotions are a big part of this whole experience. I am at moms and she's having a hard time letting go of fear of pain and worry about things she cannot do still. It's a very emotional journey. I relied a lot on my PT to say.. yea sure you can do that.. and I was like, so I don't need to drag my walker round behind me anymore? haha.. was afraid to let it go. sometimes I think I'm afraid to let go of the issues I have had over the past two years since my hip pain has defined my life so much. its hard imagining I won't be defined by this hip issue much longer because it's been such a big part of my life. Everyone that saw me asked how I was doing.. weird thinking I won't have that to define me any longer.. does that sound weird? so I have to redefine myself, let go of past and look to future and hope the knee, shoulder etc give me a break so I can experience life w/out pain for awhile!

Thanks everyone for your continued support.. I guess we are all at different stages of this journey and it helps to have people that get it! So thankful for the BS team for having this forum and for all of you out there that are there to support and applaud progress. it keeps me going for sure!

 

[dkirk0530]

J, @Jp9294 yep totally recall being bored and sick of just sitting.. wanted to get up to clean.. now that's sick! at times found myself tearing up since I have never just sat and watched tv endlessly or read mags, or ... ugh.. was ready to scream. Prob reason why once I got out after a few weeks I just kept on going out! haha.. you will be there so soon! let that snow melt at the same time and look out! you won't stop! I reconnected with some old friends which was nice while I was out. So that was positive. I wish now that I had sorted all of those old photos I wanted to sort but they are still waiting for me ;) Have a great day! oh do you have home PT? or can you ask for it? if you can, I'd do it. it will help you!

 

[Hibbe]

@dkirk0530 Hi, it's been awhile! I've been busy with volunteering at my daughter's school and life is very much back to normal, hectic routine. Wow, you are an inspiration to us all! I'm so happy for you and am enjoying sharing in your recovery. Florida & back? Lots of shopping, congrats! You're doing a fab workout, too. How's the weight loss going - you had already made huge progress prior to surgery- you r amazing! No gym for me yet , but I'm using PT as my workout - "full treatment" w heat, manual, exercise, stim, ice, I'm there 2 2/12+hrs and have worked up a sweat. I feel great when I leave, but am tired after the good workout. I caught a cold last week and I can feel the drain on my energy. Thanks for sharing your feelings about not wanting to give the impression "Look at me". I have never want to do that either. So, I tend to not write much about what I'm up to - not that it's exciting, just back to my routine. But my routine from a year+ ago, before the pain made me slowdown & to me, that's a miracle that I'm back to that in 2 months after surgery.

My area around my incision felt very stiff up until 2 weeks ago. My PT chose that area to work on - at first, I was surprised - why there? I thought it unexpected & strange, and a bit sensitive, but very tolerable. As they continued to massage the area, I was amazed at how good it felt, I felt the area loosen up immediately. That was a big turnaround for healing of the incision site. Perhaps when touch to the area is tolerable for you, your PT or massage therapist could work it for you.

@Jp9294 I'm sorry the weather's been so bad for you causing your frustration, boredom & cooped up feeling. You've continued on an amazing recovery and always with your positive attitude, you, too, are an inspiration! Enjoy your lazy days, as frustrating as it sounds, I long for my days of rest and Ineed to do less . I find that in my "normal", I still feel the effects of energy drain at almost 10 weeks, and that's par for the course if you've read the resource on energy drain. Guess, I'm repeating what you heard so often; just want you to know that even with a speedy recovery, don't be surprised.

As for the recumbent bike, when I went for my first post-op OS visit on day 13 (Monday), my OS recommended that I start bike (recumbent or other was fine) or water therapy (no kicking, tho), at the end of that week. I did - set with no resistance, and tired quickly! If I recall correctly, I don't remember you having restrictions, perhaps you can try the bike to ease the boredom? My OS advice is always end the day feeling like you could have done more - so stop early if you try.

To both of you, thank you for being an inspiration to all with your recoveries and reaching out with encouraging posts to friends at BS. To all our friends here...thanks for the support & blessings to all.