THR Proud member of Double hippie club

[GrumpyMCO]

Thanks for the Birthday wishes! We're pretty low key for birthdays...and even by those standards it was pretty lame.

This is the 12th Full Day post surgery and I'm still feeling that this hip feels a bit rockier on the recovery than the last, but still doing well.

I took the Pico bandage off Friday and it was glorious to be able to take a shower without my trash bag skirt.
Now I'm slowly trying to clean off the adhesive and marker lines.

Some sad news about my Mother-In-Laws declining health necessitated getting my wife over to the UK on short notice Friday. I'm now without my primary helper and the voice of reason that keeps me from pushing too hard. I promised her that I'd be very diligent not to do anything she would classify as "stupid".

I switched to a cane for mobility & stability on the 14th and that is working out very well. Unlike the last time when I basically used the cane just for show to keep my wife happy, this time I feel the need to use it properly.

My two college age kids are home now so they are available to assist me when necessary...mostly just when I need to get the darn compression socks off!

Oh well, off to watch some (American) football and continue my unhealthy obsession with my ice machine.

 

[SurreyGirl]

Nothing wrong with an ice machine obsession! Hang on in there!

 

[CricketHip]

You have a good sense of humor @GrumpyMCO . That will help you during this recovery!

 

[myglasshalffull]

Sorry to hear about your MIL.
Enjoy the ice! Best friend for sure.

 

[GrumpyMCO]

Somehow, someway, I was kidnapped and placed in the ODIC Sunday and paid the price on Monday. I swear it was not my fault. I have been determined to not be stupid during this recovery. Last time, I was edging the lawn by this point. I've pretty much been lectured constantly by my wife on that ill-advised adventure (it was fine - I really was doing a lot better during the last recovery!)

I checked my fitness app and it seems that I did about 9600 steps Sunday just walking around the house, a short trip shopping and then a 5 min walk outside. Woke up Monday AM with sharp pain in the hip area when I lifted my leg that even twinged if I took a deep breath. After icing pretty much constantly things seemed to settle down.
I was eying the Oxycodone first thing...but said to myself "Nope, not gonna do it."
I'm still taking Tylenol regularly and my prescription Celebrex.

I do have a question - on the subjects of walking.
During this early phase of recovery, If you steadily increase the number of steps you do - is that all that matters? Or is it more important to do the dedicated periods of walking, lengthening the duration, to achieve the higher number of steps? My Surgeon is all about "just walk" with respect to recovery.

I've got my Post-Op visit this Thursday and actually want to ask him about getting a prescription for an actual Physical Therapist to evaluate my walking - I've been working around the pain & mobility issues in both hips for over a decade - so I've got lots of bad habits.

 

[CricketHip]

Sorry about your visit to "the club nobody wants to visit".
I agree with your OS about the "just walk" category. I walked, with no agendas..then would add another block if I felt good enough to do so. Sometimes I'd turn around and go home, knowing I couldn't do any more.
Sometimes I'd go further only to feel the need to shorten the route the following day.
It was never a matter of adding more just because I should.

My second hip was a much slower recovery and some days the comparison was really a mind game but luckily I was a well versed BoneSmarty by then and knew to just let it go.

 

[GrumpyMCO]

Thanks ChricketHip! That's my experience as well - 2nd one a bit slower than the first.
I like your approach to not worry about every increasing distances and just go with what your body is telling you.
I've walked less outside this time compared to the same time frame on the last one - mostly because of the slower recovery, but I need to just be okay with that. The voices of reason on BoneSmart are helpful in that respect!

 

[Eman85]

Trash the APP, number of any exercise reps means nothing if it's not with good form. Quality not quantity is what counts. Walk slow and deliberate with good form, as soon as you get tired your walking will get sloppy and it's time to quit.

 

[Goma]

Like your style...Happy birthday..

 

[GrumpyMCO]

Day 22 and I've got "full cane days" and "partial cane days" so that's progress.

I'm sure it's highly entertaining when the neighbors see me walking our 2 dogs and juggling the leads, cane and poo bags.

I'm even getting close to being able to sleep on my most recent surgical side - which is way ahead of where I was for the August 18 LTHR.

Post Op visit was last Thursday (Day 16) and X-Ray, Scar & Swelling all looked good. This time I still had a bit of a tenderness when walking which caused a slight limp/hitch in my step, so a little behind where I was last time - but still doing real well.

I requested and received a referral/prescription for Physical Therapy to work on my walking and flexibility now that both hips are done.

I hosted Christmas Dinner for my Mom, Sister and my 2 kids. I attempted to do a beef wellington, which tasted fine but would have scored negative numbers on the presentation. They were too polite to complain. I think I'll do burgers on the grill for New Years. It's a bit of a ongoing joke in my family how I attempt these nice meals and they always fall a wee bit short of everyone's expectations. But I'm a slow learner, so I keep trying.

Looks like I'll be going over to the UK late January - which will be after my 30 day regimen of reduced dosage aspirin - so I'm not super worried about DVT issues - but I definitely intend to wear compression stockings and move around as much as possible on the long flight.

While I didn't experience it with my first THR, after this last one, I have aches and pains sprouting up all over the place - which I'll take as a good sign as my body is adjusting to it's new found mobility and stability.

I'm still using my icepacks, but the time in between icing is definitely stretching out.

Happy New Years to my BoneSmart Compadres!

 

[mendogal]

Hi!
I think you're correct about migrating aches and pains: that having had both hips replaced, your overall structure and how you bear and shift weight has changed (and will continue to do so as your gait improves).

Best wishes for 2024, and may you have safe travels when you join your wife in the UK!

 

[Layla]

Happy One Month Anniversary!
Good luck with your PT and safe travels to the UK later this month.
Please stay in touch!
@GrumpyMCO

 

[GrumpyMCO]

Thanks Layla!
What a difference 1 month makes.
Took a 1.3 mile walk around the neighborhood yesterday. Legs felt good until about the last 150 yards, then I had to assemble the hurry-cane to keep from waddling/limping.

One day both hips felt the same - in a bad way - that deep tightness.
A few days later they both felt the same - in a good way - I forgot about the THR's entirely for several hours.

Little things keep popping up to remind me that things are looking up.

Before - I'd need to support myself bending over to fill the dogs water bowls. Now, I bend over and bend my knees a bit with no pain easily filling them up.
Before - I'd be extremely resistant to squatting down and getting back up. Now it's more like "Okay, I can do this."
Before - Getting up off the couch would be a symphony of grunts & groans using at least one arm to push me up. Now - I get up...without making strange noises - still push up a bit - but it's progress!

But there are also gentle reminders that I'm early on in my recover.
We got a rowing machine for Christmas.
Last week - I tried it a few times for just a few minutes...resulting in a sharp pinching in my latest THR for a few hrs after. As I was sitting on the couch icing, I reminded said to myself, "For Crying Out Loud, it's been less than a month!"

 

[djklaugh]

@GrumpyMCO Happy 1 month hip-aversary for righty! It is wonderful to hear you are doing well and having moments of forgetting you have new hips That is a big milestone! And will only get better over time. I rarely think of mine at all ..... until I log in here

 

[GrumpyMCO]

Just past the 1.5 Month point on Hip #2 and I made it over to the UK without any hiccups.
Fortunately or unfortunately, I didn't sleep on the flight over so even though the blood clot risk is probably minimal, I was doing ankle pumps and walking around at least 1x an hr.

Walking - as long as I'm not coming off a long period of inactivity - is pain free and feels to be more like a normal person's gait. Neighbors have commented as they see me out & about how I've seemed to go from a walker to walking normally pretty quickly, I've again been blessed with a speedy recovery.

Another pleasant surprise in the recovery is being able to walk the dogs and not stare wide eyed at their #2's thinking "How am I going to pick that up!?" I'm now able to bend at the knees and waist and pretty easily clean up after them. I'm not doing squats with weights yet...but I'm no longer saying "that'll never happen!"

One thing I've discovered and it really made itself felt on the trip over - was Newest New Hip's distaste for sitting for long periods. For whatever reason that part of my right hip - I believe it's the ischial tuberostity - starts aching. It wasn't too bad on the flight as I was up a lot, but the 2.5 hr drive on the M25 and A12 was fun trying to hover above the seat while driving the rental car and chanting "stay left stay left stay left".

"Stay Left" is my feeble attempt to prevent what happened last time I was in the UK. I reverted to my Ugly American self while driving around a parking lot and then exited onto the high street in the right hand lane...much to the oncoming drivers shock. Years ago when that happened in NZ, the drivers smiled and nicely pointed to the left hand lane...over here they were giving me the peace sign for some reason and yelling a word that begins with a "W" and rhymes with anchor.

 

[myglasshalffull]

Sitting for long periods of time is certainly uncomfortable during those beginning months. I flew home 4 days after my replacement. Then hour drive back to house, horrible.
Fortunately that's behind me but still don't sit for long periods of time. I met a few friends for lunch last week & two hours later sitting on a bar seat I had to get up & wish everyone a good afternoon & get moving. I was so stiff when I stood up.
I always say my favorite position is standing or laying down!
Enjoy your visit.

 

[GrumpyMCO]

Wow...I think they give out THR Medals of Valor for feats like that!!!

"I flew home 4 days after my replacement. Then hour drive back to house, horrible."

I can't even imagine doing that so soon, the pain meds weren't that good!

 

[GrumpyMCO]

Hour 26 in what was supposed to be a 10 hr flight back home. Here's what

 

[GrumpyMCO]

Hour 26 of what was supposed to be a 10 hour journey back to Orlando.

Things I’ve learned:

• Virgin Atlantic Pilots feel 58 degrees Fahrenheit is too cold to fly a plane.
• New hips like activity – dip below your newly gained level of activity and thou hip(s) will protest too much
  • Haven’t really been able to walk as much for a variety of reasons while over in the UK – and Newest Hip doesn’t like it.
• Can’t get to the Physical Therapist soon enough – apparently my Newest Hip legs foot flairs out a bit and I’m now walking a bit pigeon toed. Much to my Wife's amusement.

 

[Layla]

Happy Two Month Anniversary!
Glad you made it back home safely, even though it took such a long time!
A wonderful week to you, GrumpyMCO!
@GrumpyMCO