OP
OP
mystikfairy61
post-grad
United StatesI had stitches but I have had staples before. Just be sure to take a pain pill before you go. It does sting a little but not too bad. Staples are easier to me than stitches. With staples they have what is called a staple puller and it goes under the center and it crimps and simultaneously lifts the ends out. Really not bad at all, like a bee sting and that is from a prior surgery that I had staples. Just had hubby measure my incision because I had guessed when I thought it was 4 inches before but it is actually 5 inches as well.
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So I am going to cut back to about half that to start with. I helped tonight with dinner, it was nice to be able to do something useful. 
Here I am 2 weeks post op and still am so glad I got this done. 
Patience is not something I am very good with but I am going to have to try to be and not try to do more than I should. I feel so good and want to do more but when I do WHAM!! I get knocked on my butt. My mind is saying lets do this and my body is going no no no not yet!!
So I will keep telling myself, Take it easy things will get better with each day!!
![[Bonesmart.org] Riding the Recovery Roller Coaster](https://data.bonesmart.org/attachments/16/16733-9909ceeca299dab3fc4f9e64d53bc420.jpg?hash=mQnO7KKZ2r)
I am guessing that is what it is anyway, from what I have read from others posts. This is about the worst pain that I have had during the entire 3 weeks and it wasn't nearly as bad as my pre-op pain. If anyone has had this type of pain please let me know if that is what I am experiencing. Not real sure how to describe it, I guess kind of like a burning pain that runs the length of my leg. It was helped with half of a 5/325 Lortab. I still feel really good overall, and knew this would be something that I would have to deal with sooner or later. I am hoping that me going off the narcotics and just taking the tramadol will be enough since my doctor said that the last prescription he gave me was the last one.
Really it has no choice but to be enough for me. Here's hoping!!
I have iced tonite because I had a spot of swelling on the front of my thigh. It wasn't painful but tight so I have rested all evening to be on the safe side. I used the walking I did doing errands in place of walking for my exercise that I usually do. The only thing I did that I realized after the fact it was too soon, was I was coming up my steps and I forgot for a minute and attempted to go up with one foot to a step. When I stepped up with the op leg, it showed me it was still weak so that mistake only happened once, trust me. 
Since the first week or so I haven't really had any pain. I also did 3 minutes on my recumbent bike and have had no pain from it either so I guess the amount I did was ok. The tramadol I am taking seems to be doing the trick for pain relief so that might be the reason it has seemed like I haven't had pain. Each day that I wake up to no pain and able to walk normally I am beyond ecstatic!! 
When I was in the throws of the bone on bone pain it seemed like there would never be an end to it.
Each day I feel a little stronger than the day before but I don't take it for granted and continue to rest ice and elevate!! I hope the things I post can be of help to someone else who is waiting to get that same relief, and that maybe it will help to alleviate some of the fear you may be experiencing. Trust me, the fear is a waste of energy! 
I wish all of the upcoming hippies the best of luck and I hope their experience is as amazing as mine has been so far.
My next appointment with my OS is on March 26th which will be my 6 week mark. I try not to post a lot of insignificant daily stuff but try to stay focused on things that might help someone else thru this. Take care my friends!!
Other than that, my worst thing is that I still have to operate on the left side. If my left was normal, I would be walking pretty good. But for now still need at least a cane and at night the walker due to the arthritis pain on the left. Glad you are doing well. I find I can get out to the stores and such, but must limit my walking and lean on the cart. Haven't used the electric ones simply because you cannot fit much in those attached baskets! I'm trying to get off the tramadol and only use ibuprofen but find at times I must take a tramadol for the stiffness and aching I get in the thigh sometimes. Wonder when that gets better.
