THR Ouch's Odyssey the Other Side

[OUCH!]

@jaymo, I'm so glad it helped. I think I haven't posted much lately because of the old, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything adage" I was raised with. Not that anything has been bad, but there hasn't been much new to report and I would just be whining.

I'm tired of hurting. Period. End of sentence. Not sure my bone on bone pain was bad compared to others because I didn't have that miraculous "you will be so happy to have done this" moment that so many describe. I have had pain pretty much from the day of surgery.
Because it wasn't constant before, its hard to remember when Im at my most discouraged just how bad it was. I just have to remember the night before surgery when i tried to spend hours cooking and could barely move in order to remind myself that it really was bad.
And who knows maybe I am feeling better without realizing it and thats why I'm frustrated. I want to be back to normal life and yet my thigh and groin and butt muscles aren't ready. I just wish I could make them hurry up and get with the program.

Anyway, enough whining. On the positive I'm hoping to make it to my 10 year old's soccer game today. I need to go dig out my long johns, because its only going to be in the 40's. Its a rec league and not super competitive, but he loves it and I love to watch. I'm sure he will be so happy that mom is there.

You asked about grandson. None yet.(ooops just realized you were asking about @Tweetybrd 's grandson) I'm still in the parenting trenches. My sons are 15, 13 and 10. My 15 year old is in some ways a little younger because of his special needs, but in many ways is older and wiser than many adults.
This is why I was so stressed about Christmas. This is only the second one since my mom passed and my 10 year old still believes in santa. I want to maintain the magic as long as possible and hoped the in laws would help. That is just now how our family works though, so we will muddle through. My 13 year old is my nurturer. I'm sure he will help a lot. When i first came home with the hip,he was often the one who helped me get in to bed and "tucked" me in.
This Christmas could be a great lesson to all the boys that helping and giving are as important and as enjoyable as receiving.
With that it is time to get moving. There are things that have slid around here as I have been recovering. I need to reign in the chaos so I can begin to prep for the next segments of this crazy journey.

 

[Tweetybrd]

@OUCH! He is a cutey isn't he?! lol I'm just a bit biased though. @jaymo He is now 6 and in the first grade. The pic in my avatar is from about 2 yrs ago. Back when I could still squat down......
My daughter is 27 (mom of the cutey) and my son is 24. Yes, I started young but it has worked out wonderfully.

Its funny what "that time of the month" does to our bodies. Hopefully, you will feel a bit better once that is over. LOL
That is soooo cool that you can have your packages delivered and then keep them at your neighbors until Christmas eve. You don't ever have to worry about your boys finding their presents!

I am with both of you ladies in the out of shape department. I am just giving myself all of 2017 for healing and building muscles back up. Hopefully, by 2018 I will be back to riding my bike.

Hang in there Ouch, I am sure it will get better. Also remember, we are all here for you for the good updates and for the whining ones. This is the place to whine a bit and then maybe you will feel better and can enjoy your son's soccer game and all the other stuff you do with them.

 

[OUCH!]

Call me a whiner, but I'm so OVER IT!

Actually all is going really well and I'm very lucky. I just need to be back to normal. I think I may stop PT. I was going to do it for hip and as prehab for knee replacement, but afterwards, I'm pretty worthless. Tired and achy. I have so much to do, that taking the time to rest after PT is hard.

I'm thinking that housework, errands and walking my son to and from school when I am up to doing it may be all I need to do.

 

[Postalgal]

@OUCH! Kudo's to you and that you are doing with a household! You are too still in early days, we all can be hard on ourselves, ME too! lol Just want the recovery over and done right? Major, major, so has to heal, I can tell you from experience, my hysterectomy was way more painful than this, but I have pain of course. But that one, I think my family wanted to throw me outside, lol! I had 3 in the house then as you and was difficult. Take care of you, so that you can take care of them, big hugs!

 

[tamra]

@OUCH! I hear you Carol! My son is learning just how much his mama does around the house on top of working. While I envision the painfree summer that I will have in 2017! Try to ignore the dishes. Hopefully they will notice when there are no more clean ones! Hang in there and don't overdo!

 

[Tweetybrd]

@OUCH! Hang in there!! And yes, if you need to stop PT. Should I remind you what Josephine says??

 

[jaymo]

Hang in there @ OUCH! While I'm progressing in my recovery I am by no means "back to normal" . My leg has started to feel normal on the sense that it moves better, but I continue to have muscle weakness and am just so darn tired all the time. I'm happy that I can finally drive again and get out but I can't stay out very long before I get fatigued. I'm also still working every day to walk correctly again after my 2 years of limping. I guess we'll just have to wait a bit longer before we resume completely normal lives. I get frustrated with it too.

PT wipes me out for the day afterwards. I discussed the overall plan with my PT this week and we agreed to go down to visits once a week. I find that I do better with walking on my own. Of course we've been told that from the start! I like being able to use the machines to strengthen my quad and other muscles but after an hour of targeted exercise my thigh is screaming!


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[OUCH!]

Thanks for the encouragement everyone. @Postalgal Thanks for the reminder. I have had over a dozen surgeries and this was by far the easiest. I think that is part of why I got so impatient. The early recovery went so quickly and so well, that I wanted to be done by now.
@tamra you are right. My boys have really stepped up in so many ways. They are doing so much more for themselves in the morning since they can't count on mom to spoil and enable them. And you are even more right about being pain free this spring! I really can't wait until my knee is done. I am looking forward to gardening, hiking, biking and lots of day trips this summer!

@Tweetybrd :cool:. I know you are right about what Josephine says. My problem is I can't count on myself that I will get out and walk without the structure of the PT appointments. I have an appointment this morning and then no more for the rest of the week. My 2 younger boys don't have school for the rest of the week, so I decided to take a break so that we could do things if I'm up to it. My oldest is out Thurs and Friday, so I have considered going away, but not sure how far my knee can handle driving.

@jaymo thanks so much for checking in and letting me know how you are doing. Sounds like I am right on track. My biggest issues now are how tired I get and yep, PT wipes me out. I like going to use the treadmill or the nu step.

Feeling really good this AM. I was actually productive yesterday. Purged our Halloween stuff and got all of Halloween put away. Also made dinner. Woo hoo! Doesn't sound like much, but made me feel better. I have hope that I may be able to get stuff down between now and my TKR. What I can't get done, I will just have to let go.

My knee is definitely worse than my hip now, so I guess that's progress.
I'm hoping I can take my kids in to NYC this week. Even if I drive in, it will mean a lot of walking. Wish me luck!

 

[Postalgal]

@OUCH! You are one tough lady! I wish you luck and take it easy on yourself!

 

[tamra]

Oh sounds like fun! Maybe a walking aid day?

 

[Tweetybrd]

Have fun with your boys!!
I know what you mean about the PT appts. and honestly, what ever works best for you. Just don't over do it.

 

[gullimac]

Catching back up on your thread. Glad you are getting closer on the knee. I found I plateaued at a point when my new bad hip became a limiting factor. It effected the walking and I started back sliding when I pushed the new hip too hard. The whole body is a chain that has to,work together. Problems in another part of the chain can cause problems to appear elsewhere.

I know what you mean about feeling like a whiner. I still go through that from time to time. But this is a place where we all understand...and most of us have done our fair share of whining.

 

[OUCH!]

Thanks @gullimac, It helps to hear that. I am discouraged and worried about my hip being able to be the "good leg" when I have my opposite knee done, but your encouragement really helps. I guess after favoriting it for almost 25 years, I can't expect it to be perfect so soon. I just caught up on your thread. It sounds like you are doing great!!!! I'm so impressed that you are getting your girls up and out to the bus. My husband is still helping a lot in the AM. My 13 year old sleeps in the attic and I'm still sleeping on the first floor. So, husband often has to wake him. There is no railing on the attic steps, so it makes me nervous to go up there. Impressively, the 15 year old with Asperger's has been getting himself up and out to meet his bus at 7am most days. In that way, mom being under the weather has been great for my kids.

 

[OUCH!]

9 weeks out today. Have defintely hit a plateau. @gullimac maybe right that it is caused in part by my bad knee. I quit PT. It was hurting my knee too much. I am wondering if I am not moving enough and that is why I seem to have stopped progressing. I see people who are at the same point in recovery walking over a mile and I am definitely not there. I still have pain in the front where my leg attaches to my body. Occasional pain in my gluten and earlier today I had stabbing pain in the back of my mid thigh. I'm still sleeping downstairs, but that is more a function of needing a new bed than of my recovery.

Its hard to go upstairs and I still walk with a limp. I hope some of the feeling like I am lumbering around is due to the knee. I did just get new sneakers from Zappos yesterday. They seem to be helping. I am going to force myself to get outside for a walk today. Its our last warmish day for awhile.

I'm impatient partly because my knee replacement is in 3 weeks today. I have so much to do to get ready and I'm having a hard time doing it. I want to fill the freezer, but I'm still not cooking dinner every day yet, so cooking ahead is a challenge. My husband is still going grocery shopping, although I may make a run today or Monday. I need to wrap up some things that have been hanging around undone and then get ready for Christmas.

I was smart and ordered a premade Thanksgiving dinner from the local grocery store. I usually love cooking like crazy for Thanksgiving, but this year it feels like too much. It will also give us an idea if this will be a viable solution for Christmas dinner. I will supplement with a couple of our favorite dishes and maybe a pie or two. Standing on our tile floor for hours and hours to cook a big meal just seems like too much this year.

Anyone else still having pain at this point? @jaymo are you having any pain?

 

[jaymo]

So good to hear from you @OOCH! Glad to hear that hubby is still helping so much and your 15 year old is getting himself out the door the mornings. I'm always looking out for your ur updates since our surgeries are so close. Plus I know that you're gearing up for your TKR.

It's funny that you asked if I was having any pain. For the last 3 weeks my pain has been pretty well controlled with Celebrex. I have some pain when first standing from a sitting position, and at the end of my walks, particularly when they involve hills. But today, for some reason, I was walking (a mile at the most) and about 10 minutes in I felt a strong pain in the middle front of my thigh, right where the prosthesis ends. It got worse the more that I walked. Came out of the blue. Then I started limping. Unfortunately I forgot to bring my cane on this walk- I always have it with me. So I hobbled home, and immediately iced it. After 30 mins it wasn't any better , a 3-4, so I broke down and took a Percocet. 2 hours later it's down to a 2. Feels like a dull ache deep inside. The fact that it came on suddenly and the location has me a bit concerned. Hopefully will be better tomorrow.

I also still have visible swelling in the butt, just behind my incision, stiffness in the hip whenever I sit , and still limping as well. My quad is just so weak. I can't climb more than stairs normally then I go back one at a time. I did not go to PT this week and like you I'm wondering if this is the reason I'm hitting a plateau. I feel a lot like you do. Just like I have not progressed much in the last week. I love riding the bike and using the Nu Step at PT, but then there is an hour of lunges, squats, and so many other exercises that it just hurts for hours after. And it wipes me out. I'm not sure if that is helping or hindering so I thought I would take a week off and then this happened. Before today, I did my 1.25 mile walks every day this week with no issue, other than being very tired at the end. Oh and the energy drain is still hanging around. Especially this week since I went back to work part time. Once my work is done for the day, I force myself to walk and then just want to rest. I sure hope that changes soon.

This is my long winded way of saying I feel many of the things that you are feeling. You have company my friend. I'm hoping that both of us start progressing again very soon. Post an update in a few days and let me know how you're doing. I'm thinking of you!


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[jaymo]

@ouch- I just realized that I typed your name wrong in the post above and you probably didn't receive notice of my post. So I wanted to do it right this time. Hope you are doing better today. I'm thinking of you.


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[Postalgal]

@jaymo I am not doing a mile, just yet. I can, but like both of you I walk so much during the day, at 9 pm the pain demons come. I usually take 1/2 Darvo at 8, to ward it off. The pain is mostly either at knee if overdone it, or dull ache under knee or some jumping pain in thigh. Tylenol won't cut it just yet. Next week according to my book I might try the mile, but I only have one shot to have it heal correctly .

I too, was going to order Thanksgiving dinner, so much going on here, I haven't done it. I was happy to hear from one son that he didn't care if we have KFC or cheeseburgers and he would (24) bring something! That's what it is all about. [emoji173]️ Family. You two take care and don't overdo! [emoji16]


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[OUCH!]

OK, I need help from all of you smart people here.

I am STILL having constant thigh pain. 9 1/2 weeks out. Mostly midthigh in the back, but some in the front too. Is this normal? Starting to worry that maybe something is loose? Am I just being paranoid? Overanxious to be well?

 

[jaymo]

OUCH! -if I were in your shoes and you are still having constant thigh pain at this stage of recovery. I would at least call the OS to ask if this is something that needs to be looked at. Your still in postop period for the THR and he's responsible for your care still. If nothing else, they can give you some reassurance. And I know that's important as your knee surgery is getting closer.

Keep us posted on how the next few days go for you.


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[OUCH!]

Thank you @jaymo I really appreciate the response. Of course this morning, the pain is almost non existent. Yesterday morning it started with my first step out of bed. We'll see what happens after I spend the afternoon cooking for Thanksgiving. If the pain returns I will call the surgeon. Thanks again!