THR Out with the old; in with the new! Hopefulm's Recovery

[craftdee]

It is easy to get lulled into a false sense of security @hopefulm... I felt great for the first week or so, convinced myself it was because I was so active and "onto it" ... so I reduced my meds, well THAT was a bad idea
Once you get the balance right it gets easier, but do make sure you don't think of it as "not doing as well" if you have to step the pain relief up when you get home, as you will be doing more and not getting quite the same level of care. By the same token, you won't be getting disturbed like you do in hospital, and you are so much more comfortable in your own space
Don't forget those BoneSmart Mantras
Craftdee

 

[Hoppy Nanny]

Do take your pain meds in good time @hopefulm....you need to keep ahead of the pain rather than chasing it ! You will need them once you get home as we all try to do too much too soon. Don't forget to rest & ice. Hope the journey home goes well....nothing like your own bed! Xxx


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum

 

[Redhawkdad]

The few days prior to surgery are the worst! Hang in there, you will be so glad when your surgery is done and you are on the other side.


RTHR 4 November 2014

 

[dede62]

Glad to hear you're up and about. Try and get the pain cocktail right before you leave and make sure you keep to a schedule while you're at home. The easier it is for you to move around, the less stiff you'll be in the long run. Believe me, your hip will let you know when you've done too much. Remember, this is surgical healing pain, so it will take a little time to subside, but it will! Keep up the good work and communicating with your healthcare staff!!

 

[beachgal]

Whoa, there @hopefulm, you've still got a LONG way to go...let's slow this train down a bit and relax...what's the hurry? Your body is telling you what it needs...give it the meds, lots of rest, plenty of ice packs, and good, healthy food. If you do it right, you'll be so much happier in a week or two. Promise.

 

[hopefulm]

Thanks @dede62.
I had a terrific night nurse who strongly suggested I try the oxycodone at 20mg every 3 hours, scheduled. BINGO! It seems to be the right dose and timing to keep ahead of the pain.
I came home around noon today, and am a bit sore now, after the hour long ride, and increased activity this AM. However, that's it for the day, on the sofa with ice, elevation, hot tea, and a fresh made (by hubby) bran muffin. Life is good!
Yes, @beachgal, the life lesson from this whole experience is to "slow down"! I'm trying very hard to listen to what my body is telling me. . .

 

[littlemac]

@hopefulm, sounds like you're getting it figured out. Stay ahead of the drugs wearing off especially the first couple of days home. I just got home myself. All good for me too.

Glad to hear your surgery and hospital stay went well.

 

[MajorHeidi]

Glad you are now at home, jiggity jig!
Don't worry about taking the pain meds, they are useful and helpful to your recovery.
Rest up! You deserve it.....

 

[craftdee]

Glad you're home, stick with the program for a while at least, bran muffins EXCELLENT idea, especially if made by the hubby
Remember the "slow down" thing, I felt so good after a few days home I thought I was "better", didn't need pain relief could do as much as I wanted...mmmm, ends up DID need pain relief, could do a BIT more, DID need lots of rest. No win in being the first one in your class to do laps of the block if you're in screaming agony and sobbing with fatigue, ooh ah, that sounded a bit dramatic... wasn't that bad, but you get the drift. Like @MajorHeidi says, take a chill pill.... come to think of it I think that was her advice to me, which I eventually heeded

 

[Poppet]

Congratulations @hopefulm - the worse part is over, now you can concentrate on your recovery

The following is a link to an article which provides some approximate timeframes around the healing phases and processes (and relevant nutritional information) for you to read.

Healing Phases & Nutrition

This second link is to other nutritional articles which you may find interesting.

Nutritional advice for pre op and recovery

But first the BoneSmart mantra

- rest, elevate, ice and take your pain meds as prescribed by your treating physician

- if it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone, especially a physiotherapist to do it to you
- if your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again
- if you won't die if it's not done, don't do it
- never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can go to sleep!
- be active as much as you need to be but not more than is necessary, meaning so much that you end up being in pain, exhausted or desperate to sit down or lay down!

And then the very important hip recovery articles.....

Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery
Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Activity progression for THRs
Home physio (PT)
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

 

[Legin]

Good you are at home also a better place for sleep natures healer

Legin THR Sep 14

 

[hopefulm]

Good morning. . .had a restful night until about 0200 - pain well controlled all night, but developed repeated bouts of watery diarrhea til about 0700. Managing a cup of hot tea ;& few crackers in order to take my pain meds. . .only had one stool softener in hospital - AM - & one at bedtime -yesterday, but it was clearly too much. Also nauseated and vomited a few minutes ago. Feeling a bit better now, so going slow. The great news is that the hip feels only slightly sore with all the trips to the BR, and I'm down to 10mg oxycodone! Just have to get the tummy settled. . .

 

[Rhonda K]

@hopefulm Hi and congratulations on getting past the surgery and the wait, (the worse part). Sure hope your stomach settles down soon, those issues are horrible at a time like this. I took Oxicodone for my first week home and could not keep food down. It was bad. Then I started itching all over to the point of wanting to scream!!! I had to ask for something else for pain. If your vomiting continues I would try some other pain med maybe. Some can tolerate the Oxicodone but from what I read on here, quite a few can't. Of course there are so many other things too that cause our systems to go whacky, hard to know......anyway hope you feel better real soon so you can concentrate better on healing.


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum

 

[Michegon]

@hopefulm , Recovery, Let your body heal,enjoy the snowy conditions and relax. Did Dewilius do you hip? Congradulations.

 

[hopefulm]

Thanks, @Michegon! Yes, I had Duwillius. . Hip feels great, mostly troubled by nausea/ vomiting, but it will pass. . .

 

[hopefulm]

Awake frequently during night with worst pain since the first day. I know I overdid yesterday, but no way to avoid all the trips to the bathroom. . .good news is that the OS prescribed Zofran for the nausea, suggested I stop the Tramadol, and increase the narcotic, which has all settled my tummy, and now have pain under control again. I'm pretty sure I got food poisoning from something I ate in hospital - nothing else generally causes that kind of violent repeated diarrhea and vomiting. . .I think the 12 -15 trips to the bathroom yesterday will allow me to do nothing much today.. . Not sure when to start with stool softeners and prunes again!

 

[Legin]

@hopefulm I can understand your dilemma. Sorryto hear about the night I was regularly awake at night hanging ofthe overhead rail thing. Deffo take today as rest the trauma of opp and then sick thing will have taken it out of you. Sleep is best tonic

Legin THR Sep 14

 

[Carriemay60]

Hi @hopefulm I am really sorry you have not been well, I had a bit of that just after surgery and there is NO worse time to be running to the bathroom! You will need to build your hydration up today though ~ an electrolite (gator-aide) drink may be in order as well to help you feel better.

The attention you are paying to your pain & jumping on it is great. That will make all the difference in the long run to your recovery. Do you have a raised toilet seat? If not, they are not terribly expensive and make a world of difference. One of our daughters lives in Vancouver, WA so I know your weather has not been lovely, but that makes a really lazy day all the more precious

 

[NuMe2014]

Hopefulm so glad that your surgery went well, but feel bad for the other problems you have had. I too had severe nausea for the first couple days after my surgery, but I think it was a combination of the pain meds they had me on and the liquid diet that my surgeon prescribes for the first 2 days after surgery. Once I could start on solid food that helped a lot. My surgeon keeps his patients in the hospital for 4 nights 5 days, this includes the day of surgery and discharge day. This gives him a chance to make sure pain is managed with the right meds, and the drain comes out before you go home, I was actually happy to have those days in the hospital. Waking up during the night with pain is no fun, during those times I did a lot of my reading on Bone Smart! It helped take my mind off the pain till I could relax again and go back to sleep.

 

[Jaycey]

So sorry you are having a bit of a rough time. This too shall pass. Sleep, sleep and more sleep. Getting that pain management cocktail right can sometime be a bit challenging.