THR Puddin is on the other side

[clifford149]

Hurrah for pudding. If there is bruising I was advised to put on arnica cream

 

[Poppet]

Arnica cream is great and even Witch Hazel Lotion will assist bruising and swelling.

 

[Puddin]

No bruising at all, well a small one on the top of my leg (the quad) area, there is a small bruising spot where there is also a "knot". But today was the second day of PT and I'm loving PT now! While I hate getting up, I feel so much better after! They worked on that knot today and its been great. I will try the witch hazel, I just so happen to have some laying around Hee hee! but wait a second Poppet....it won't burst?!? Wil it? Hahaha, that typo made me laugh!

Ok, I better go. I am starting to get sir crazy from being home all day now, I have been home almost a week!! What am I going to do?!

TTYL Everyone!

 

[Poppet]

Puddin

Blame Apple for auto insert.. it drives me crazy..when my software takes over and inserts words that I didn't type... hahaha! I really can spell!

No, you won't burst

 

[Puddin]

I hate the silly auto correct thing! Some words it fixes and other it doesn't! Well, I got a good laugh anyway!

 

[Poppet]

That's good

We all need to have a few laughs during recovery that is for sure.

 

[Puddin]

One week!! Whoo hoo!! things are going much better! I actually made dinner yesterday, while taking breaks as needed, I didn't burn anything and it was delicious!

Now my mom is visiting for a few days and I can stay awake a bit longer. Before I would fall asleep with in 2 hours Oh boy, was that getting old! Maybe I just needed company and my husband wasn't cutting it.

Today I am going to venture out of the house, with all of my supplies in hand, and get some fresh air that I love. It's a bit cold, but I may go down to the beach and look. I know I can't walk on the sand, but the view of the Puget Sound is always beautiful.

I am on my last day of long lasting Oxycodine, so I am down to just my blood thinner, Celebrex, and Oxycodone. While the dose for Oxy was 1-3 every 4 hours, I have bumped it down to 1 every 4 hours. Basically I take 3 in a day and a day so far has been great.

I didn't see much info on here for BM's, ya know, that thing we gotta do. Well, I did it yesterday! But I am a person that is never constipated nor do I go very often. So with it almost a week,I actually started to get nervous. I should at least have had something besides gas. So a relief for that too!

I will post again after I venture out! I love this site, so much information!

I forgot, I am avid leg shaver and today I am going to try! I'm going nuts and I already told my husband that if I can't reach everything on my operated side, he would have to finish. Poor man cried!

 

[BarbaraR]

Puddin, you and I are on the same schedule. My surgery was the 13th. Today is the first day I've ventured out (except to walk to the mailbox). My husband and I went out to breakfast, stopped in my office, and went to see my baby granddaughter. I felt like a normal person again. (Now I'm crashed on the couch.). I stopped the Percocet a few days ago because I've had terrible nausea and constipation from it. I'm still on tramodol and Celebrex, and the tramodol is constipating so I'm trying to deal with that still. I haven't shaved my legs yet! I usually do it standing on one foot in the shower, but I don't think that's a good idea right now . Sounds like you're doing great.

 

[Puddin]

Drbabs,I had mine the 15th! I haven't done the mailbox yet, just PT and that was good. I had a sunny day and a rainy day so far. Celebrex didn't do anything before surgery, so I am not sure why I am on it now. But the Oxy is strong enough that I think it's taking over all of the others. One leg up is the way I do my legs too. I just have this vision of me bending too far over to do the leg and it pops out! Hahahahaha, the doc does definitely have you scared of that, but this site has helped with some of the fear. I think I would have been restricting myself, when now I try things, as long as doesn't hurt. Sounds like you aren't doing to bad either! That's great! I think because I make chicken chili, that got things moving.

 

[BarbaraR]

Puddin, I had the anterior approach, so I have different restrictions. Because of that, the immediate aftermath has been a little easier for me. I came home with a cane, and I walk without one now (10 days later). But we all recover at different rates, and I feel really lucky to be at this place. Celebrex is an anti-inflammatory, and it has a different mechanism of action than ibuprofen or naproxen. I wanted to go back to those-- they gave me a lot of relief before surgery-- but the pain doctor told me that they slow down bone growth, which could prevent the bone from growing properly into the prosthesis. I don't think the Celebrex helps much with pain, either. As for the constipation, I had black bean chili the other night, and still no luck, so I'm working all the meds and hoping for a little movement, if you get my drift. At least I'm not constantly nauseous from the codeine. I'm glad you're doing well.

 

[Puddin]

Well I made it through the leg shaving!! : I did it on my own even!
I went out today for lunch with my husband and mom and it was really great to get out. I brought my walker, just in case, but I managed with my cane!!! We were only out about 2 hours and they could tell that I was slowing down. Outside of a store, I was sitting in comfy chairs, and this lady couldn't stop staring!! Why?! The cane at my age? I wore shorts so....the cool looking compression sleeves on my legs?? I dunno, all I know is that I got a seat cause I had a nifty little limp going on! But I used on a cane today!!

 

[Puddin]

Oh.......btw, this is insomnia kicking in now!! Oh boy, I hope it doesn't last long, it's 4am and I have been up an hour reading BoneSmart. SLEEP!!

 

[bottomshollow]

Oh, Puddin, welcome to the wonderful world of recovery and sleepless nights! Problems sleeping in the wee hours are one of those 800 lb. gorillas that visit most of us---and it just sits there and stares at us and I think it might be smiling, too.

This is why catnaps during the day are so important---and being sure you have things to distract you when you wake up and can't get back to sleep. No use fighting it---it's a losing battle. So just roll with the flow---nap a lot and have things to do in the wee hours.

Here's the link to the article in the Library about this: Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

Take care and keep us posted. We care.

 

[Vida]

Hi Pud.. you sound great! Fantastic on the leg shaving. With my restrictions I just couldn't do it. Got my husband to duct-tape a razor onto a wooden spoon, which solved the bending and twisting problem.

 

[Puddin]

OMG Vida!!? That is cool, probably way faster than I did. I didn't push my limits at all, luckily I have had PT and I know about how far to go. I just might have to do the spoon thing for "lazy days"! Thanks for that idea!

 

[Puddin]

Just posted my scar in the badge area!
Another day of PT down. Today I got to walk in/on a machine called the AlterG. It it's a treadmill that lifts you so you can walk "normal" and without pain. It was strange to walk without a limp. I have been limping for years and can't wait for it to be gone!

 

[sansabosa]

Hi Puddin

You sound great! As for me, today it is my 7th day post op.

Re the anti gravity treadmill, was this recommended by your surgeon or pt or did you find it yourself? How does it really help? Any harm?

 

[Puddin]

They just have it at the PT office. It was approved by my insurance and doctor to do for therapy. It has great benefits for cardio, even though you don't go fast, I'm sure I eventually will. Benefits for getting your gait fixed with walking. Like I was saying, it was cool to walk and not limp. I just concentrated on keeping my feet straight and doing the heel toe method. There is no harm in it at all, due to the anti gravity, there isn't any pressure on your joints and it low impact.

 

[sansabosa]

That sounds great!

 

[Teacat]

How are you doing Puddin? Just wanted to check in on you. You seem to have been doing well so far. Let us know how you are doing!