THR Rick's Recovery Thread - Now A View from the Clouds (literally)!

[Jaycey]

Re: 33 Hrs in the hospital and home

All part of recovery I am afraid Rick. Don't fight it - just take naps during the day.

Some of this may be the need for pain meds at night. Be sure you are taking something as you are still very early out.

Hope you are getting some !

 

[Poppet]

Re: 33 Hrs in the hospital and home

Hi Rick, yes, take those naps whenever you can get them, still such early days for you. Soon you will get into a better routine as you gain more strength and stamina as you heal and then one night sleep will come easy.. Wishing you lots of:

 

[NH_Lou]

Re: 33 Hrs in the hospital and home

I remember the first couple of weeks after returning home, surfing the web and reading Bone Smart forums on my tablet in bed at 3 AM. My wife thought I was insane. The body clock will return to normal as you recover and get back to a regular schedule.

 

[Z15]

Re: 33 Hrs in the hospital and home

Rick,

As someone recently told me, "They don't give you bonus points for skipping the pain meds..." If it makes you more comfortable and helps you with the sleep then I would consider them. I'm coming up on Week 4 and cannot get a reasonable sleep without them. I will try to skip a nite on the weekend to see how I do (Don't want to experiment during the week when I have to be functional for work). Come to think of it, I will probably need to try that on Friday so I can besure to sleep on Saturday Nite and be well rested for the SUPER BOWL!!!!

And to my UK friends...I would be just as excited if it were the World Cup!

Z

 

[Rick02809]

Re: 33 Hrs in the hospital and home

Thanks all for the information, It is exactly that. I was a very active person and now I'm laid up. Unfortunately I can't do what I was yet, but it is comforting that I'm not the only person suffering from the lack of sleep.

Last night I was awake until 3:00 AM, had the TV, no luck. Was up at 7:45 because the PT was scheduled at 9:00 AM... it's 9:25 and she still isnt here.

Z, as for Sunday, I'll have a house full for the Super Bowl, can't wait to see this hyped up game, let's hope that Brady Welker and Gronk deliver the Vince Lombardi trophy back to Foxboro!!! Go PATS!!!

 

[dectjc]

Re: 33 Hrs in the hospital and home

Hi Rick
Just reading your thread and it sounds like you are doing great. Dont get too concerned about the sleep I think alot of THR get that one. The more you worry about it the harder it gets. Ive been lucky this time and sleeping well, but after the first THR I was very much in your shoes. The only thing I can tell you is this time I slept in a recliner and it makes all the difference for me.

I read the mention of a friend in a squad car. Are you on the PD there? If you dont want to answer that one I understand. Spent 31 yrs on the job here.

Best of luck

 

[Rick02809]

Re: 33 Hrs in the hospital and home

I read the mention of a friend in a squad car. Are you on the PD there? If you dont want to answer that one I understand. Spent 31 yrs on the job here.

Best of luck

Yes and no, I am a volunteer Firefighter /EMT with the local FD, but my full time job is Police FD/EMS dispatch for the same community. The Comm center is located at the PD, technically a civilian employee with the PD.

 

[dectjc]

Re: 33 Hrs in the hospital and home

Yes and no, I am a volunteer Firefighter /EMT with the local FD, but my full time job is Police FD/EMS dispatch for the same community. The Comm center is located at the PD, technically a civilian employee with the PD.

Sorry, but I knew that lol, we spoke before, but you changed your pic so it threw me off.
Hang in there the sleep will come.

 

[dianemarie]

Re: 33 Hrs in the hospital and home

Hi Rick,

The insomnia thing seems to be a part of THR for so many of us. The advice I got was to just go with it and sleep whenever and wherever you can for now. I would get up and putter around the house, check bonesmart, pay bills, etc. until I got tired to sleep again. Be patient, it will come in time. There are several theories about it...less active, naps, trauma from the surgery, but no one really knows for sure, just be assured in time it will work itself out. Hang in there, sounds like you are doing well.

 

[Poppet]

Re: 33 Hrs in the hospital and home

Hi Rick

Just catching up with your progress. Yes the lack of sleep bothers most THR's as everyone has previously said. It's ok to nap when ever you can, you are in your healing mode whenever you are sleeping...

You are doing very well at your stage - enjoy the Superbowl.. we don't get to see it down under :(

 

[Josephine]

Re: 33 Hrs in the hospital and home

The insomnia thing seems to be a part of THR for so many of us.

It's part of all major surgery for everybody! No exceptions!

 

[Rick02809]

Re: 33 Hrs in the hospital and home

Post op day 9:

Last night was another night of insomnia, so I stayed up with the TV volume on zero and listened to the MP3 player. I finally got groggy around 1:30 and headed to bed shortly thereafter. I awoke at 9:00 AM in a haze.

I had breakfast and took my meds. Teddy was craving attention, so he sat on the couch with me. I decided that it was recliner time and dozed off from 10 til noon when the local NBC affiliate starte with the news at noon.

From then I was up and bout most of the day. The walls of the house are closing in on me, I haven't left the house since Monday for the Dr appt, nd I NEEDED to get away from here.

So I opted to tag along to go grocery shopping. Walked the entire market, towards the end, started getting achy but no problems.

Its 10:00 PM as I'm writing this and I am wide awake:hate-shocked:

Hopefully in a few hrs I'll be in dream land or listening to some old music on the mp3 player (Ella, Basie, Duke...Yeah the old stuff relaxes me)

OH, I was able to put my socks on today unassisted!!!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

[Rick02809]

Recovering in leaps and bounds

Ok, I am 38 and in in good, not great health. I am slightly overweight and am not in any way or shape the epitome of good shape.

I was diagnosed with AVN and had a RTHR on 1/25/12.
I was in the hosital a total of 33 hrs before being discharged.
I was discharged to home with a walker.
I used the walker for 2 days before switching to a cane @ advice of the PT.
Day 3 I was walking outside
Day 4, No narcotics for pain, only Tylenol and Celebrex
Day 5, one Vicodin and mild walking.
I'm at day 9 and have reached the milestone of putting on my socks unassisted, AND I went grocery shopping with my cane,no pain. Still not cleared to drive.

I Feel as if I'm progressing too fast and will crash and burn.

Any other "Hippies" in my boat or am I alone here? I'm looking forward to an uneventful recovery, but in the back of my mind is that voice saying "watch out, you'll take your eye out with that Ralphie"

 

[djklaugh]

Re: Recovering in leaps and bounds

Rick
If you are following your doctor's and PT's directions, and if you are not having any significant pain - well I'd say you're doing great! Listen to your body - that will tell you when you're doing too much. Pay attention to when you feel tired, to when you start to feel achy or uncomfortable in any way, and to anything else the body has to tell you. I was walking outside at about day 4-5 after BTHR and climbing stairs without pain not much after that.

 

[dectjc]

Re: Recovering in leaps and bounds

Hi Rick
Enjoy it, it took me 6 months to get my socks on unassisted after my first thr. Like Deb said, as long as your following the rules we all heal at different rates. Just count your blessings that its going so well, knock on wood.

 

[The Cappuccino Kid]

Re: Recovering in leaps and bounds

Hi Rick,

It sounds like you're doping really well! Just be prepared for the occasional "down" day that tends to creep up every now and again.

It all sounds good though

 

[Z15]

Re: 33 Hrs in the hospital and home

Rick,

Funny how the socks feel like such an accomplishment. Don't know if you have the compression stockings (my doc has us wear them for 6 weeks) but those are a LOAD of fun!

Good for you on the socks...

and my insomnia is different...I fall right to sleep and wake up at 2 or 3.....

Good luck,

Z

 

[haldox]

Re: 33 Hrs in the hospital and home

putting on your own socks is great milestone and a step closer to "getting back to normal"!!

 

[haldox]

Re: Recovering in leaps and bounds

Woohoo, sounds like you are doing awesome!!

Agree with Deb, listen to your body and all should still progress great

 

[Z15]

Re: Recovering in leaps and bounds

Rick,

If my body seems ok with stuff...I try it slowly, coservatively and I give it a day to say how it felt, then I proceed with "awareness" ..and a little "caution".

Like rowing...I got the green lite and initally tried an easy 5 minutes, really monitoring how stuff felt. Now I am upping that slowly but keeping track of how things go.

I've had a couple things that I tried and needed to back off a bit (too much work too early was one...) but a week later I ease back in and so far so good.

Keep up the good work,

Z

BTW: I do highly recommend stationary bike as a very gentle way to loosen up all those beat up muscles and tendons...only with docs permission obviously.